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A national college football media member said it out loud: Michigan would be a step down for Indiana Football right now. Trent breaks down why that is true, why parts of Ohio State and Michigan fan bases have not absorbed what college football actually is in 2026, and why Curt Cignetti is retiring in Bloomington. Jason Beck’s $10.1 million buyout at Michigan. Matt Rhule’s extension at Nebraska with a $15 million buyout before firing Dana Holgorsen days later. The spending is out of control and nobody in administration is talking about cutting costs where costs can actually be cut. Notre Dame beat Miami. UCLA keeps winning. CFP rankings drop tonight. Trent previews the week ahead, including a USC debunking episode and the Kirkwood and Dunn CFP reaction show. Follow Trent at @STMcGee on X.

Indiana is on a bye and Curt Cignetti is still the biggest story in college football. Trent breaks down the viral Cowherd clip, the SEC bias argument, and why the self-fulfilling prophecy in the rankings is the real problem. Then five game picks, an upset call, the Hate Watch power rankings, and three questions the biggest weekend of the year has to answer -- including whether Notre Dame survives without Malachi Toney. Tim and Trent go live Saturday night at 9 PM on YouTube only. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Check our store for listener week: https://kirkwood-and-dunn-shop.fourthwall.com Indiana came in at number four in the first CFP rankings. ESPN’s own metrics backed it up -- and their own analyst still went on air and questioned it. Trent breaks down the rankings, the Alabama inconsistency, the Ohio State snub, where Notre Dame actually stands, and what a number four seed means for Indiana’s playoff path. Plus listener responses to the coaches vs. players debate, and why the Big Ten might be better positioned than its reputation right now.

Florida State is paying Mike Norvell $50.3 million to leave. So -- is it the coach or the players that actually wins championships? Bud Elliott from Cover 3 had a take worth unpacking, and it connects to everything happening in the coaching carousel right now. Plus: a listener breaks down Cignetti’s 90-minute practice philosophy, what Landon Tengwall revealed about Bryant Haines’ film sessions, where the Big Ten stands after a rough week, and what Indiana needs from the bye week before USC comes to town. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Curt Cignetti’s Coach’s Show interview with Don Fisher was one of the more candid of the season -- Trent breaks down what Cignetti said about building a team versus a roster, his talent-first recruiting philosophy, schedule construction, and the link he draws between grades and winning. Then a rebuttal to Steve Sarkisian’s nine-game SEC schedule excuse, three questions for College Game Day weekend, picks, listener comments from Ep. 37 and the Debunking the Golden Gopher Myths episode, and a take on Isaiah Thomas as the Game Day guest picker.

Schedule is off, coffee mug is wrong, and the injury report dropped — so this is Bookstore Brew. Davion Chandler is out. Kellan Wyatt is out. Quan Sanks is questionable. Josh Hoover is probable. Trent walks through what each of those means heading into a Minnesota game Indiana has not won since 2007. The Big Ten voted to raise the NIL revenue-sharing cap to 49 million dollars. Trent explains why this is political window dressing until the Protect College Sports Act actually passes — and why the bill’s real purpose is protecting coach salaries, not player compensation. Five games to watch this weekend. The upset pick is Northwestern at Oregon. The defining game of the college football season is Ohio State at USC. Hate watch rankings for week nine, listener comments from Ep. 37, and a preview of what to expect from the Kirkwood and Dunn Minnesota debunking episode dropping today. Subscribe to Bookstore Brew and Kirkwood and Dunn on Spotify and YouTube. Follow Trent at @STMcGee on X. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RTXUWPTTZFGRLPP0

Indiana is 7-1 and people are still doubting them. Trent fires back at the national noise, makes the case for why Indiana’s defense keeps them in every game, and asks the real question heading into the week: pretenders or contenders? Miami looks like the most complete team in the country right now. Ohio State hosts USC on Halloween night with a backup quarterback. Notre Dame faces Miami on November 7th. And Indiana has Minnesota at home this week with a quarterback situation still up in the air. Big Ten tiebreaker math, the Dante Moore Oregon situation, the Cody Campbell circus at Texas Tech, and three questions for the weekend — Utah’s playoff case, the SEC letdown watch, and Arch Manning’s leash. Schedule note: Kirkwood and Dunn on Wednesday this week. Bookstore Brew on Thursday and Friday. Follow @STMcGee on X.

Styles make fights — and Indiana vs. Michigan is that kind of game. Michigan’s defense has been elite on paper, but they haven’t faced a real offense yet. Indiana’s offense knows what it wants to be but hasn’t consistently shown it. Trent breaks down what both teams need to do, reacts to Cover Three and Joel Klatt’s Big Noon preview, and lays out what an Indiana win actually requires. Three big questions for the weekend: Utah’s playoff case, which SEC team falls flat, and how short Arch Manning’s leash is against Ole Miss. Picks are teased. Comment review closes it out. Tonight — live show in Ann Arbor at the Sports Bar Westside at 8 p.m. with Tim, Galen Clavio, and College Football with Sam. Follow @STMcGee on X.

Julian Sayin is out for multiple weeks. Ja'Kobi Jackson is out. Ohio State is heading into a gauntlet stretch of their schedule without their starting quarterback and their lead running back. And the question Trent cannot stop asking Tuesday morning is whether this blows the Big Ten wide open — and whether Indiana is actually positioned to take advantage of it. Trent covers the Tommy Carr factor at Michigan and what it means for Indiana’s defense this week, pulls up the rushing success metrics that paint a troubling picture for the Hoosier offense, and breaks down whether Ohio State’s depth is enough to weather the storm. Then the top five games of the weekend are revealed — including an upset pick you might not see coming — and the Hate Watch Power Rankings return with Ohio State fans after a win making their debut on the list. Comment review wraps the episode, including the Arch Manning to Indiana rumor, playoff bracket debate, and what Georgia fans think about Trent’s panic button rankings from yesterday. Full Michigan week schedule for Kirkwood and Dunn at the end — including Friday’s pregame party in Ann Arbor. Subscribe and follow @STMcGee on X.

Five teams lost Saturday. Five very different situations. Trent ranks them all — from the team that should not be worried at all to the one that is absolutely pushing the panic button in Week 7 — and explains why the worst loss on paper might belong to the team that is actually in the best shape. Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Texas all enter bye week with questions. Trent has answers. He also revisits his three biggest pregame questions: the fallout from Indiana-Ohio State for both programs, the Dylan Raiola revenge game at Nebraska, and whether Steve Sarkisian has finally crossed the point of no return in Austin. Plus two Big Ten storylines that are going to matter well beyond this week — one involving legal trouble in Eugene and one that could determine who actually makes the college football playoff. Subscribe and follow @STMcGee on X. Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

Friday pregame Bookstore Brew with Trent. The episode covers Curt Cignetti’s coaches show with Don Fisher — including what it sounds like when Cignetti gives a player genuine respect, and Jeremiah Smith has earned it — national media reactions to Indiana-Ohio State from Brandon Walker, Barstool, and College Football with Sam, three questions Trent can’t stop thinking about heading into the weekend, and his weekend picks including a parlay he likes a lot. The back half is the full comment review — five episodes worth of Ohio State fans, Indiana fans, and everything in between. Trent will be live streaming right after Saturday’s game. Follow at @STMcGee on X and subscribe to Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RTXUWPTTZFGRLPP0

Wednesday morning Bookstore Brew with Trent answering the question both fan bases want answered before Saturday: what advantages does Indiana actually have over Ohio State, and what advantages does Ohio State have over Indiana? Three honest answers on each side before full predictions drop on Kirkwood and Dunn Thursday morning. Plus a reaction to the Cover Three Podcast’s neutral statistical breakdown of the matchup, a look at how Buckeye fans have been responding to Kirkwood and Dunn’s Ohio State week content, the full top five games of the weekend with an upset pick, and the midweek Hate Watch Power Rankings. Drop your game takes in the comments — Trent reviews them all on Friday. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RTXUWPTTZFGRLPP0

Indiana holds the more recent Heisman, national title, and Big Ten championship — and Ohio State is coming to Bloomington having lost at Texas. Trent opens Ohio State week on Bookstore Brew by making the case that Indiana is playing with house money on Saturday, the pressure is entirely on Ryan Day, and the biggest regular season home game in Indiana football history deserves more national attention than it is getting. He reacts to a Joel Klatt clip that did not age well, breaks down what Red River told us about Texas and Steve Sarkisian, gives USC credit for going 5-1 with a road win over Penn State, apologizes to Bob Chesney and UCLA after being wrong about them all offseason, and gives Nebraska their flowers for nearly pulling off the upset in Lincoln. The Big Ten is muddy in the middle and Trent wants your 1-through-18 rankings in the comments. Ohio State week is here. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RTXUWPTTZFGRLPP0

Friday morning edition of Bookstore Brew, Nebraska week. Trent opens with a programming note on Friday scheduling before jumping into Iowa at Washington tonight and why he still backs Iowa on the road in Seattle. From there he gives genuine credit to the Nebraska fan base after a week of online back-and-forth — loyal, loud, and worth a trip to Lincoln. He ranks his top three places in the city and breaks down why Lincoln is one of the best college towns in the Big Ten. Trent then walks through a Curt Cignetti coach’s show clip: Indiana has been preparing all week for crowd noise, and Cignetti has been direct that his team has not put together a complete four-quarter game yet. That is the standard he is chasing at Nebraska. Three questions for the weekend: Can the Red River Shootout find any life with a total at 39.5? Can the Penn State-USC Anxiety Bowl tell us something real about both programs? And does the Georgia-Alabama Hurricane Bowl mean anything meaningful with both teams likely heading to the playoff regardless? Trent’s three picks heading into Saturday are in the episode, including a parlay. Plus fan comment review from Ep. 29 and Kirkwood and Dunn Ep. 164, a College Football 27 live stream reminder tonight at 4 PM Eastern, and a post-game show Saturday win or lose. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RTXUWPTTZFGRLPP0

Trent tackles the most polarizing question of Nebraska week: is Indiana actually on upset alert? The experts say yes — and Trent isn't here to dismiss them. He breaks down why the pick is rational, then lays out his own five games to watch this weekend, including his real upset pick for the slate. The Hate Watch Rankings return with coaches, analysts, and one entire fan base making the list for all the right wrong reasons. Plus: the UMass scheduling drama, a Barstool spoof video that bombed on Instagram, and fan comment reactions from the Rutgers postgame and Bookstore Brew Ep. 28. Tune into Kirkwood and Dunn Thursday for the full Nebraska week preview with Tim and Trent. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RTXUWPTTZFGRLPP0