College football is in full chaos mode—bowl games are losing juice, the new College Football Playoff looms large, and bluebloods like Notre Dame, USC, Michigan football and the Utah Utes are right in the middle of it. In this College Football Apostles episode, George Wrighster breaks down the Notre Dame vs USC scheduling mess, Lincoln Riley’s “week zero” comments, and why Irish fans might actually be right this time even while everyone’s mad at them for backing out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Then the conversation shifts to CFP expansion, how opt-outs and the transfer portal helped kill traditional bowl season, and what a smarter calendar could look like if college football ever got real leadership.
From there, the show dives into Michigan hiring Kyle Whittingham away from Utah, what that means for the Wolverines in the Big Ten arms race, and why Utah fans are nervous about life under new head coach Morgan Scalley. George and Ralph talk parity, how Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State and Michigan could turn the Big Ten into a weekly heavyweight fight, and why Utah’s depth and recruiting reality always capped their ceiling in the Pac-12 and Big 12. New-age rivalries like LSU–Ole Miss and BYU–Notre Dame pop up thanks to the portal and coaching moves, while Lane Kiffin’s online chaos, USC’s brand spin, and Notre Dame’s future schedules all get put under the microscope.
The back half of the video zeroes in on the transfer portal and NIL: Steve Sarkisian’s rant about unqualified agents, why some player reps are wrecking deals, and how bad language in NIL contracts can haunt a kid long after he leaves campus. George also reacts to an Oklahoma State lineman “visiting” his own school out of the portal, and Clemson running back Keith Adams Jr. publicly saying he was misused in four years with the Tigers—raising real questions about loyalty, opportunity, and what it means to speak out once you’re finally outside the building. If you care about where college football is headed—CFP expansion, NIL, Big Ten vs SEC power, Notre Dame’s future, USC’s brand, Utah and Michigan’s next chapter—this episode is a must-watch.
Chapters:
00:00:00 – Intro, bowl games losing juice and CFP era vibes
00:03:00 – USC vs Notre Dame fans and Lincoln Riley’s Week Zero comments
00:06:20 – Who’s really at fault in the USC–Notre Dame breakup
00:12:00 – Why Notre Dame’s 2026–27 schedules are tougher than critics think
00:16:20 – Is this mostly on USC? What it says about CFB leadership
00:18:15 – Has CFP expansion effectively killed bowl season hype?
00:21:15 – How to fix the calendar: bowls, portal windows, title games
00:24:20 – Parity talk: wanting Vandy and Rutgers to have a real shot
00:25:50 – Big Ten power map: Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, USC
00:28:30 – First reaction to Michigan hiring Kyle Whittingham
00:31:00 – How Whittingham raises Michigan’s ceiling
00:33:00 – Utah fallout, Morgan Scalley era and Big 12 expectations
00:37:55 – How patient Utah fans should be with the new staff
00:43:20 – New rivalries from coaching moves and portal drama
00:45:05 – Lane Kiffin online, Ole Miss–LSU and fan insanity
00:48:05 – Steve Sarkisian’s NIL agent rant and unqualified reps
00:51:35 – Bad NIL contracts, percentages and protecting players
00:54:15 – Oklahoma State OL “visiting” his own school from the portal
00:57:05 – Clemson RB Keith Adams Jr. on being misused at Clemson
01:05:00 – Does college football need a commissioner? Big ideas
01:10:00 – Final thoughts on bowls, CFP expansion and the sport’s future
#CollegeFootball #CFB #CollegeFootballPlayoff #CFP #NotreDame #USCfootball #MichiganFootball #UtahUtes #BigTen #SEC #BowlSeason #TransferPortal #NIL #OregonDucks #OhioStateFootball #BYU #LSU #OleMiss #UnafraidShow #GeorgeWrighster #CollegeFootballPodcast
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