Advertise on podcast: Kirkwood and Dunn

Josh Hoover's first road test of the season is at Rutgers — and his home/away splits from TCU are worth flagging before Indiana heads to Piscataway. Tim's take: Rutgers' defense is so bad this is essentially a get-right game. Trent wants a quicker start, Nick Marsh early, and self-inflicted wounds cleaned up before Lincoln. KJ Duff is the best receiver Indiana faces until Jeremiah Smith — 29 catches, 550 yards, 7 touchdowns on a terrible team where everyone knows the ball is going to him. Trent and Tim go through every NFL-caliber receiver Indiana has faced in 2024 and 2025 and how Bryant Haines' zone scheme creates opportunities even against elite coverage. That's What Cig Said is packed — Cig goes back through the Northwestern tape, breaks down RPO decision making, right tackle struggles, and the goal line fourth and one. He's more positive on the right tackle after film but the tight end room is still his most consistent press conference concern. AJ Harris addressed — Jamari Sharpe has been in his role for more than one week. Breaking injury report: Turbo Richard probable, Ro Hardy probable, AJ Harris questionable, Sean Cuono questionable, Kobe Martin out. Then the conversation Indiana fans don't want to have: which jobs are Bryant Haines and Mike Shanahan waiting for? Florida State is a yes for both. North Carolina splits them. Michigan State should have called Haines. Iowa would be Indiana's nightmare. And Trent makes a sleeper pick Tim refuses to accept. Big Ten power rankings: Indiana one, Ohio State two, Iowa and Oregon tied for third, Nebraska the biggest riser, Penn State drops seven spots, Maryland at the bottom after losing 54-3 to UCLA. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Tim is getting Pearl Harbored to open the show. Lee Beebe Jr. had 203 yards, 8.5 yards per carry, a 70-yard run, and a key touchdown against Northwestern — and Tim's PR team issued an official statement of "good game, no further questions." Trent has questions. Wayne Knight came back from unsubscribing to leave a comment. The Lee Beebe stands want an apology. Tim is not giving one. Then the full Northwestern breakdown: Chip Kelly put Bryant Haines in a blender in the second half — the first time Trent has ever felt genuinely stressed watching a Haines defense — and the reason isn't scheme, it's personnel. The secondary is not synchronized. Zone coverage hand-offs are breaking down. Toby Osinsami is getting exposed. Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh were not on the same page all night, and Tim makes the case it's mechanics not injury — Hoover doesn't have Fernando Mendoza's arm power off platform and when he's rushing RPO reads the ball sails. Cig was visibly surly at the press conference, chomping gum hard, defending players publicly while pointing the finger internally — classic Nick Saban. He'd rather be the one telling the team they're not good enough than let the outside world do it. Bones Jones is being asked to play the Mike linebacker and isn't a sure tackler in space. Amari Farrell walked a receiver wide open. Preston Zachman is still a concern. Jaylen Bell needs to become the star corner so Jamari Sharpe can move back to his natural role. Riley Nowakowski is not walking through that door and the tight end blocking remains a real problem on the goal line. Then it's the rest of college football — the SEC is better than the Big Ten this year and Trent says it out loud. Kamario Taylor is the Heisman frontrunner. Florida looks excellent. Tim won his Iowa parlay. USC is cooked. Lincoln Riley is not a good head coach. And Trent makes the case Oregon might actually be better with Dylan Raiola than Dante Moore. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Breaking news before the podcast even starts — Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley have been granted temporary eligibility and are playing Friday night. The NCAA will fight it but the case probably won't be scheduled until after the season. Indiana gets their two best pass rushers back just as Big Ten play begins and Tim thinks this defense just went from very good to potentially one of the best in the country. Then Trent spends the first ten minutes correcting Tim's Northwestern take. Tim compared them to North Texas. Trent listened to the West Lot Pirates Northwestern podcast, did his homework, and is here with receipts: Aiden Chiles has had his two best career games against Cignetti teams, Chip Kelly ran an Oregon-style offense at Ohio State in 2024, Joseph Himon II is a real threat out of the backfield, and this is not Howard. That's What Cig Said plays live — Brock Schott moves to third in tight end snaps but his blocking needs work, AJ Harris gets a wink from Cig, and the tight end group remains his most consistent press conference concern. Three advanced stat charts are making the rounds — the Josh Hoover QB map (top of the country in EPA per dropback), the net PPA vs talent chart (Indiana doing more with less than almost anyone), and the offensive vs defensive efficiency chart (Indiana in the elite and balanced quadrant). Tim explains all three in plain English. Josh Hoover has a perfect quarterback rating targeting Charlie Becker. Best duo in the sport. Tim has Indiana 34-13. Trent has 56-6 and thinks Northwestern's staff already has one eye on Penn State. Player of the game: Turbo Richard (Tim) vs the fans (Trent). Big Ten power rankings updated — Trent moves Northwestern to tied for sixth and immediately uses it to argue Indiana should be number one if they win. Tim is not buying it. Khalil Benson rated highest rookie on offense in week two by PFF. Caleb Williams' hamstring. Oregon USC is the game Trent forgot on Bookstore Brew — confirmed, roasted, moving on. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Curt Cignetti said it in his postgame interview — stop talking about the quarterback. Two straight shutouts. A receiver who might be in the Heisman conversation. Indiana minus 500 to make the college football playoff. And everyone's focused on the quarterback. Not today. Trent and Tim are honoring Cig's request — his name gets bleeped every time it comes up. New segment debut — Would You Take It Back? Tim is apologizing for nothing. His halftime tweet was written with half the information and every criticism in it is being delivered to players in film right now. Trent's point: box score stats don't tell you what you saw with your eyeballs. Both things can be true at the same time. Nick Marsh vindication: Yogi Roth confirmed on NBC that Marsh missed the first drive due to practice effort — exactly what Kirkwood and Dunn said and got called irresponsible for. Don Fischer had to bring it up before the media asked. Victory lap fully earned. Marsh then played exactly like a Cignetti receiver should. Western Kentucky breakdown: the second half defense was elite, Bryant Haines dialed up Big Ten-ready blitzes, Byron Baldwin Jr. was outstanding, and two straight shutouts are real. The secondary concern is real too — same concern going into Oregon last year, and that secondary played their best game of the season. Cig called all three non-conference games "exhibition games" in his postgame interview — Trent got called a buffoon for saying the same thing on Wednesday. Everything's coming up Kirkwood and Dunn. Northwestern is Friday night. Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley could be back. Big Ten play starts now. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Six of eleven against Howard, two under throws, choosing Davion Chandler deep over Nick Marsh open in the middle — the fanbase is noticing things. Tim isn't worried: every receiver was open on every play against Howard and Hoover was experimenting. Trent adds nuance: the gunslinger tendency to go for the window above when the easy throw is right there is exactly what Cig is coaching out of him. Verdict: over-analysis of an under-competitive opponent. Then That's What Cig Said plays his midweek press conference clips live for Tim — what Cig said about Hoover's development and where he's being pushed to improve. Tim's read: Cig is quietly thrilled about what he has. Nick Marsh situation gets clarity — Kirkwood and Dunn's most-listened episode ever was directionally correct but technically wrong. He missed the first drive, not the whole quarter. The point still stands. Trent's theory: Josh Hoover was off rhythm because Marsh's routes were practiced and Tyler Morris ran them differently. Western Kentucky preview: Chad Helton's Hilltoppers, Tim has 63-7, Trent has 71-19, scoregami incoming. Breaking news mid-episode: Sam Leavitt listed as doubtful for Ole Miss — is it Lane Kiffin mind games? And the big show announcement: the Kirkwood and Dunn merch store is live — heavy tees, Bison Saturdays crew necks, hats, coffee mugs, and the "Intellectually Interesting, Emotionally Repulsed" mug that started in the comment section. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Charlie Becker has 35 catches, 719 yards, 20.5 yards per catch, eight touchdowns, and zero drops over his last ten games including four elite opponents. His contested catch rate of over 80% puts him ahead of Jeremiah Smith and Malachi Toney on that metric — and Trent and Tim are no longer being quiet about putting him in that conversation. Cig confirmed in his press conference that Hoover and Becker don't go to class because they're always in the facility. Tim goes irresponsible with the Randy Moss comp. Justin Jefferson is six one, one ninety five. Tim was wrong on both counts. Then Indiana may have a Nick Marsh problem — he sat the entire first quarter of the Howard game, clearly healthy, giving high fives on the sideline. Trent makes the case Cig's Becker praise was also a message to Marsh. The Howard game recap: Brock Schott having a moment, Tyler Morris locking in his slot role, Josh Hoover underthrowing balls and Charlie Becker mossing corners anyway. Western Kentucky is next and that's when preseason is officially over. Then the Big Ten went two and six against power four opponents in week two — Texas beat Ohio State in the fourth quarter, Arthur Smith's play calling was everything wrong about his Tennessee tenure, Dan Lanning doesn't have the coaching guts to bench Dierre Hill after a game-changing fumble, Drew Mestermaker carved Oregon's vaunted defensive line up, Michigan beat Oklahoma behind John Mateer, Purdue lost in overtime to Wake Forest (Trent thought they won), Mississippi State boat raced Minnesota, and Kamario Taylor is going to be clipped all season by every SEC fan who wants to make the conference depth argument. Tim's verdict: the Big Ten might just be cooked in different ways than we thought. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Kirkwood and Dunn debuts That's What Cig Said — Trent clips up Cignetti's weekly press conference and plays them live for Tim, who hadn't seen any of it. Real-time reactions to what Cig said about Josh Hoover's bloody face performance and where he demanded more, the D'Angelo Ponds void changing the defensive structure, Ajani's right tackle situation and why it was Bob Bosead's call, the tight end room as Cig's biggest stated concern, Khobie Martin's midseason return, and young defensive tackles getting development reps. Then national media is overreacting to Indiana's week one — Nard Dog Sports summarized every bad argument and Trent and Tim take each one apart, Joel Klatt drops Indiana to eight, Harry Lyles makes the Georgia benefit of the doubt case, and the verdict is that nothing changes until October 17th. Howard preview: biggest favorite in the Cig era, worst opponent in three years, Tim makes an out-of-the-doghouse player of the game pick, and the only way Indiana loses involves a transformer outage. Big Ten power rankings debut with the biggest single-week drop in show history — Tim admits he used AI. And Cig's greatest pregame quote ever, from the Oregon locker room before the Rose Bowl, closes the show. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Indiana wins week one — Josh Hoover looked the part, the running back room had a rough day, and the defense raised some questions in 105.5 degree heat. Trent opens with the question nobody is asking: is it actually easier to win back-to-back in the transfer portal era? His case is that hungry transfers plugged into a winning culture make complacency less likely — not more. Tim pushes back: dynasty is about talent accumulation, not motivation, and the real lesson from week one is to stop assuming any team gets better just because time passed. Then the full Indiana reaction: Josh Hoover's NFL-level RPO read to Tyler Morris, back shoulder throws to Becker and Marsh, Lee Beebe Jr. at 2.4 yards per carry (Tim is not apologizing), Davion Chandler spiking a ball and Indiana Twitter losing its mind over nothing, Jaylen Bell looking like the breakout player of the defense, D'Angelo Ponds' absence evident in pursuit angles, and Ryland Gandy in a tough spot at number one corner. Buy stock on Tyler Morris and Brock Schott. Sell on LeBron Bond's snap count role. Then the Big Ten had a terrible weekend — Michigan nearly lost to Western Michigan, Rutgers got destroyed by UMass, Oregon looked stale, and the MAC was running the Big Ten. Week one overreactions: LSU might actually be a national championship contender, Darian Mensah and Malachi Tony are going to be in every Heisman conversation, the SEC might actually be the best conference in college football this year, and Drew Mestermaker confirmed Cignetti was right to pay for Josh Hoover. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Bruce Feldman confirms it on SVP — opposing coaches are fed up with the Cignetti narrative. Trent and Tim break down why Cignetti has become public enemy number one for the entire college football establishment: he took the worst program in power conference history to an undefeated national title in 24 months, and every coach who's been told for decades to build facilities and recruit has to watch him do it his way while everyone calls him transformational. Of course they're tired of him. Then it's North Texas preview — Neal Brown takes over after Eric Morris and Drew Mestermaker left for Oklahoma State, Taven Jackson is the familiar face at quarterback, Indiana is a 40.5 point favorite, and the only way they lose involves a presidential executive order. Full CFP bracket predictions: Trent and Tim reveal independently picked 12-team brackets with six differences between them. Both have Indiana number one. Beyond that, the disagreements are significant — on the SEC, the Big 12, the ACC, and one pick that has Tim completely floored. Both hosts have Indiana in the national championship — who they're playing and how they get there is where it gets interesting. Then Penn State announces the Paterno Family Football Experience Room at Beaver Stadium (Tim cannot process this), Memorial Stadium improvements and new tailgating rules for the season opener, and Trent's SEC disaster parlay — Baylor, Clemson, and Louisville all upset their opponents on the same day for $1,300. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

It's game week — Indiana football is six days away and Trent and Tim are putting their boldest predictions on record. Five each, no notes compared. Tim opens with a defensive prediction that would put Indiana in historic territory. Both hosts independently land on the same Tyrique Tucker pick. Tim makes a Biletnikoff prediction that will divide the fanbase. Trent fires back with a Nick Marsh record prediction. Tim's only negative pick is about the offensive line — and it's bold enough that Trent hopes he's wrong. Tim closes with a Heisman prediction that would make Indiana the modern Lincoln Riley quarterback factory. Then it's game by game through the full schedule — they agree on most, disagree on a few — and the ones they disagree on are the most interesting. Season MVPs and a breakout player pick that's been the most consistent name all offseason close it out. Then week zero reactions: TCU was terrible in Dublin and Trent says it was a Sonny Dykes problem all along, not a Josh Hoover problem. Tim loses his parlay because USC gave up 23 points to San Jose State and is now betting against them every week. Curtis Rourke locks his 49ers roster spot. Lou Moore gets cut by the Dolphins. Sampson James gets an apartment thanks to a GoFundMe started by a Kirkwood and Dunn listener's brother. And Hoosier the Bison gets an IndyCar for his birthday. College Football Playoff bracket and North Texas preview on Wednesday. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Who is Indiana football's number one villain? Tim says ESPN immediately. Trent nominates Heather Dinich — an Indiana grad who keeps introducing the narrative that Indiana doesn't belong. Colin Cowherd's "Indiana can never be let in" tweet gets its roasting. Marcus Freeman comes up. Ohio State comes up. But the guys land on the same conclusion: Indiana doesn't really have a villain yet because Cignetti is literally unrivaled — and the real enemy is the media machine. Then Trent and Tim go position by position across all three Cignetti years — and the verdict directly contradicts the national narrative. The most talented roster claim doesn't survive contact with an actual position-by-position breakdown. Tim drops a bomb mid-rankings that Trent wishes he'd led the show with. Charlie Becker is donating $1,000 per touchdown with Pat McAfee matching. Then a full blind Big Ten power ranking from 1 to 18 — Indiana first, a sleeper in the top five, a controversial pick in the top ten, two teams forgotten about entirely, and Trent goes on record about Michigan State in week zero. Plus ESPN removes the bottom ticker (the internet is furious, Trent and Tim are not), Tim's three-leg week zero parlay gets Trent's full endorsement which means it's going to lose, and Wednesday night episodes are moving to Thursday morning releases going forward. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Nick Saban goes on Pat McAfee and rattles off Big Ten teams worth watching — Ohio State, Oregon — and stops there. Trent says it's jealousy. Tim says he was just wrong about Cignetti like everyone else was. They debate the full backstory: the story from The Athletic where Cignetti raised his hand for a MAC job and Saban didn't advocate, why every other Alabama assistant got promoted or placed while Cignetti went to Division II, and whether it's irresponsible for someone with Saban's platform to keep omitting the defending national champions. Then the Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt eligibility ruling got stayed on appeal — Trent and Tim break down why it's probably fine for the non-conference stretch. Brownsburg beat Lawrence North with Monshun Sales playing both ways and a three-star named Branden Sharpe torching the Wildcats for two touchdowns. Full Big Ten preview: Wisconsin as Trent's sleeper, Minnesota as Tim's, Wisconsin over USC as the upset of the year, Iowa over Washington as Tim's pick, Mike Locksley as the first Big Ten coach fired, and both hosts have Indiana meeting Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis. John Fanta and Stanford Steve both break from the national media pack to give Indiana real respect. And the annual fall wedding debate: Trent won't go, Tim says just book a Thursday. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Trent is in Los Angeles and spots a massive Fox Studios Big Ten billboard with Charlie Becker front and center — Ohio State nowhere to be found. Has Indiana replaced Ohio State as the Big Ten's biggest brand? Trent and Tim debate, then go rapid fire with one thing per Big Ten team: Iowa's inevitable 13-11 scoreboard meme, Ryan Day moving Ohio State's senior day to the Ball State opener, Tim waiting for Oregon's oopsie daisy playoff collapse, Purdue trying not to get fired in a snowy Bloomington, and Wisconsin being told to sit down. Then NFL scouts visit fall camp and call Indiana's defensive line "like an NFL room" — Josh Hoover's arm being compared to Fernando Mendoza's. Paul Finebaum argues Indiana finishes third while simultaneously saying the middle of the Big Ten is bad AND Indiana will lose to those same teams — Tim delivers the full takedown. Alberto Mendoza says Indiana didn't want him (Trent isn't mad). Scott Dolson signs a middle-of-the-pack extension on purpose so money goes toward Cignetti's staff. And Trent sat next to a Canadian French man in short shorts on the flight who would not stop grabbing himself. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Everyone says Indiana's staff continuity is their biggest advantage — but Trent went back to 1998 and found that national champions who retained all three coordinators actually have a slightly lower winning percentage the next year than those who lost one. He breaks down what's really driving that number (Alabama), why the blue chip ratio is still a better predictor, and why continuity raises your floor without guaranteeing your ceiling. Then it's Indiana's 2026 schedule broken into tiers — Trent and Tim disagree on Northwestern, North Texas, and almost everything in between — a full breakdown of the Big Ten Network tailgate show (Bryant Haines says he needs to "hit more quarterbacks," Jake Butt calls Indiana's defensive line one of the deepest he's ever seen, Josh Hoover gives a press conference answer so polished Trent declares him a starting quarterback), and the real story behind the Indiana-Notre Dame series cancellation. No buyout. No money changed hands. Trent's reporting: USC made the demand, Notre Dame called Indiana to move the game, Indiana said no, and Notre Dame's media machine got to the narrative first. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Trent and Tim do a full SWOT analysis of the Indiana Hoosiers — no PowerPoint, no circle graphic, just two guys arguing about what stands between Indiana and a back-to-back national championship. Strengths: coaching staff continuity with Cignetti, Brian Haynes, and Mike Shanahan all returning for the fifth straight year, a pass rush that just got Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley back, and the ability to make offenses completely one-dimensional. Weaknesses: offensive line depth, turnover risk from Josh Hoover in a new system, and an offense that could stall without the run game. Opportunities: beating Ohio State at home to take the Big Ten stranglehold, becoming the top transfer portal destination in college football, and permanently converting Indiana into a football-first fanbase. Threats: blue chip talent gaps against Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas — and Tim argues Julian Sayin has the capacity on October 17th to be the elite quarterback Indiana has never faced. Then it's Cignetti's perfectly deadpan non-response to the Purdue AD, Fernando Mendoza's Raiders preseason debut preview, a top five NFL wide receivers of all time debate, and Football Weather tagging the show in a best foods at every FBS school segment — Indiana gets breaded tenderloin, Purdue gets something worse. Follow Tim @tbhoosiers and Trent @STMcGee. Find us everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠