College Football Playoff chaos, Michigan football scandal fallout, and Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff deal all collide in this episode of College Football Apostles with George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden. Sherrone Moore’s firing at Michigan, the burner account that helped expose the scandal, and the long-running culture issues inside the Wolverines’ program are on the table as George and Ralph debate whether Ward Manuel has to go and if Michigan needs to completely clean house to move forward. They break down why Moore was hired in the first place, how much he knew about the Connor Stalions era, and why Michigan might have believed the school would always protect its own – right up until it didn’t.
From there, the conversation shifts to Notre Dame’s sweetheart CFP deal and the blowback from the Irish opting out of a bowl game. George and Ralph dive into how Notre Dame’s automatic playoff access if it finishes in the top 12 is rubbing the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 the wrong way, and why other leagues might band together to freeze the Irish out of future scheduling if South Bend keeps flexing on everyone. They break down the growing “World War I” vibe in college football, with power brokers and commissioners lining up on different sides of the Notre Dame drama.
The guys also break down the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, asking whether byes are actually an advantage after last year’s semifinal field came from seeds 5–8. They walk through potential paths for Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Ole Miss, Miami and more, including upset picks and national title predictions that will have fanbases fired up. Finally, George and Ralph talk transfer portal and NIL quarterback money—what a Heisman-caliber QB will cost, which dual-threats can change a program’s future, and how schools should approach the exploding QB market. If you want smart, honest, no-fluff college football talk that isn’t afraid to touch scandals, power plays and big money, this 53-minute episode is for you.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro, Sharone Moore scandal & Michigan culture questions
06:30 How the burner account and rivals exposed Michigan’s “worst kept secret”
14:30 Ward Manuel’s future and whether Michigan has to clean house
21:20 Kalen DeBoer rumors, impossible candidates and Michigan coaching search talk
26:40 Notre Dame’s automatic CFP berth and bowl opt-out backlash
31:40 Notre Dame vs ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 — college football’s “Cold War”
36:05 Are CFP byes actually a disadvantage? 12 vs 16-team playoff debate
39:30 Breaking down CFP matchups and national title predictions
48:45 Transfer portal QB market, NIL money and who’s worth $4–6 million
52:30 Which quarterbacks George and Ralph would pay for & closing thoughts
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