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Cignetti had his coaches show Thursday night and delivered a completely different message than last week — instead of telling fans to stop complaining about a 38-0 win, he acknowledged that it's okay to have anxiety when games get tight and compared this team's development timeline to the 2025 squad. The key: a lot of new transfers who didn't play together in the spring. It takes time. He's not saying everything is fine — because he never does — but it's a notably different posture. Then Trent builds a fan base anxiety ranking for five programs whose fans should be genuinely anxious right now — not ready to fire coaches, but anxious about where things are headed. One is stuck in no-win territory. One has spent more money without return than arguably any fan base in college football. One is watching a promising hire start to look like a cautionary tale. The full list is on screen — drop yours in the comments. Three big questions headed into week five: is Florida for real after beating Ole Miss or does Missouri catch them in a letdown spot? Is Michigan a fraud or quietly getting dangerous — Bryce Underwood against Minnesota and Drake Lindsey is the test. And can Kamario Taylor beat Alabama alone? If he does it, he's the Heisman frontrunner. Trent's picks: Georgia minus 25.5, Ohio State/Iowa over 45.5, Kentucky plus 3 against a South Carolina program in chaos after the Dylan Stewart suspension. Listener comments include Wayne coming to YouTube to monitor Tim, DG making the case Hoover is pitching risk-averse and hasn't let it cook, and Walnut getting a respectful but firm pushback on the AJ Harris comment. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: 5PRXH8A4N6UXBW6X

Shannon Dawson of Miami called out the AP poll this week and Trent uses it to ask the real question: is it actually broken or is Indiana just the outlier that exposes its flaws every few years? Last year Indiana was ranked 11th at this point and won the national championship. Duke and Pitt are undefeated with power four wins and aren't ranked. Missouri lost to Mississippi State and is still in the top 25. The dirty little secret: the AP poll is opinion and the college football playoff committee is the only ranking that matters — and that's a closed-door invitational. Then week five picks — five games, one upset, a Matt Campbell bounce-back game Trent thinks goes wrong, and the Kamario Taylor watch game of the week. Hate Watch Power Rankings get a major update: a new entry at ten for one of the most predictable losses of the season, a coach joins the list for blaming his quarterback instead of himself, and Lincoln Riley takes number one with no time zone restrictions — everywhere, all the time. Then the case for starting Dylan Raiola over Dante Moore when he returns — Raiola's YOLO personality matches Dan Lanning and Oregon's athlete-heavy roster better than Moore's caretaker style. The Drew Bledsoe-Tom Brady moment is right in front of Dan Lanning. Trent doesn't think he has the stomach to make the call but he should. And Tim's viral "Standard" clip gets defended — he never said Indiana would lose, he said they could still go 16-0, and Cignetti himself said in the press conference they aren't meeting the standard. Indiana gained 100 YouTube subscribers from the controversy. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: 5PRXH8A4N6UXBW6X

Oregon dominated USC without Dante Moore — who left in the first quarter after a dirty hit from USC linebacker Stephens. Lincoln Riley's postgame response when asked why Stephens stayed on the sideline: "Because he's on our football team." No empathy. No accountability. Arrogant and defensive. And the numbers are damning: 39-19 through 58 games — the exact same record Clay Helton had. Five and fifteen against AP Top 25 opponents. Two and five against Big Ten opponents in 2025 and 2026. A $70 million buyout. The LA Times is now asking whether USC needs to make the same expensive decision Indiana made with Tom Allen in November 2023. Dan Lanning drops the postgame shot: come to Oregon to win football games. Go to USC for Chris Brown concerts. Then it's hot seat coaches after week four — Shane Beamer looks done at South Carolina, Mike Locksley is somehow still employed at Maryland, Greg Schiano feels like the end of an era at Rutgers, and Trent wants your picks in the comments. Kyle Whittingham is righting the Michigan ship — their defense is a dog and the Zeke Barry personal foul may have cost them the Iowa game. Texas beat Tennessee on the strength of their defense but Sarkisian's refusal to give up play calling is the real story — Arch Manning is only good for one or two drives a game and the game may have passed Sarkisian by as an offensive mind. John Sumrall and Florida are for real. Jeremiah Smith was so good against Illinois that the defensive coordinator quit at halftime. And Trent wants to know who Alabama has actually played before the AP poll puts them above Indiana. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: QZOWJAPXFJPINVGV

It's Friday September 25th — Indiana football game day — and Trent is already ignoring work emails. Three questions headed into the weekend. Steve Sarkisian is already at a press conference claiming Mario Cristobal's headset went out in the fourth quarter of the national championship, which he's crediting for Jamari Sharpe's pick that sealed Indiana's win. Cignetti addressed it unprompted on Don Fischer's show — without breaking a sweat, without raising his voice, and without needing to. That's what shoving someone into a locker looks like when you've won a national championship. Sarkisian opens the excuse factory before the game even starts. The CFP just added a strength of conference metric for late November — Trent reads the SEC fingerprints all over it. They've earned the benefit of the doubt this year after winning on the field, but adding a subjective data point right when you need it most is exactly how the BCS died. Nebraska is quietly building a resume under Matt Rhule — if they go into October 17th undefeated, the biggest game in recent Nebraska history might be against Indiana or Oregon. And Oregon vs USC is the game Trent forgot on Wednesday and is making up for today — Dan Lanning is under more pressure because it's Oregon's fault they're in this spot, Lincoln Riley is quoting himself about not caring what roster he inherits while underperforming at every stop since Norman, and Trent thinks Oregon gets right tonight. Parlay: Ohio State minus 27.5, UCLA minus 1.5 at Maryland, under 38.5 Iowa at Michigan. Listener comments, a Northwestern fan predicting the upset, and upper sixties with clear skies at Memorial Stadium tonight. Let's go Hoosiers. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: RNVNUSHANQ0CFGJP

Week four has five games that will define the season — and Trent somehow left out what might be the most obvious game of the entire weekend. He noticed it after recording. It is embarrassing. Drop your guess in the comments before you listen and see if you get it. The five he did pick: the trap game nobody sees coming — a team riding an emotional high walks into a quietly dangerous stadium. Trent's upset pick — a Big Ten dog Tim has been pounding the table on all season against a team already thinking about next week. The Desperation Bowl — two one-loss playoff hopefuls, one blinks first. A massive road test for one of college football's most hyped quarterbacks. And a Big Ten opener that tells us more about Indiana than any non-conference game has — Aiden Chiles and Chip Kelly have unlocked something at Northwestern and people keep sleeping on it. Then the bleep episode fallout: Rob is furious about the childish censorship, the beep is officially retired — it was a one-episode joke and Tim bleeping the name thirty times didn't help — Yogi Roth's hard analysis on NBC may have been the main reason the fanbase went after the quarterback online, comparing three-game Hoover to full-body-of-work Mendoza is idiocy, and Kirk Ferentz gets removed from the Hate Watch list after Iowa looked offensively functional — which for a Ferentz team is genuinely saying something. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: XUY1DXUTLA1BJNWG Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠

One loss doesn't kill your season in the 12-team playoff era — but for one team it might already be over. Trent ranks every one-loss CFP contender by how much danger they're actually in and identifies the exact game that eliminates each one. One team took a loss so bad their path is almost mathematically impossible. One team may have eliminated themselves with how they looked — not just the result. The other three still have paths but they're narrowing fast. Then Northwestern — Tim and the comment section have been dismissing them as worse than North Texas and Trent is not buying it. They dismantled Colorado who had their whole season built around beating Georgia Tech, and the new Ryan Field is a real home field advantage. Colorado's coach was talking trash about how quiet the stadium would be before the game. They did not show up quiet. Indiana plays there Friday night and this is a trap game. Ole Miss beats LSU and Pete Golding gets his flowers — Trent is now questioning whether he already has more signature wins than Lane Kiffin in big games. Joel Klatt moves Indiana back to six. Breaking overnight: the NCAA's rulebook did not explicitly exclude the class of 2022 — legal experts think this is the linchpin for the Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley case. Positive news for Indiana. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.Kirkwood and Dunn Store TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn ⁠ Facebook: ⁠Kirkwood and Dunn⁠ 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: POOENPZQHAJDO3DC

Four conferences, four dark horse teams Trent didn't see coming — and one game this weekend that either confirms or kills each narrative. One is a team he was skeptical about all offseason and has changed his mind on. One surprised him in week zero and he's officially a believer. One is tonight's upset pick with a coach who turned down a Power Four job for a reason. And one is the boldest pick in the SEC — a quarterback Trent is comparing to a Heisman winner who could take his team on a run nobody is predicting. Then the Ole Miss vs LSU Lane Kiffin bowl preview — Trent just finished "Lane Being Lane" by John Talty and is giving it a strong recommendation. Lane Kiffin had a 25-minute call with Pete Golding this week. The verdict: LSU winning or losing doesn't tell us much about either team, he just hopes it's a good game. Josh Hoover comment section goes to war — every defender and skeptic gets addressed, the bottom line is no angst (he's leading the nation in pass efficiency and the NCAA won't list him because he hasn't averaged 15 attempts per game), and Mark calls Trent a buffoon for calling Indiana's schedule preseason. Trent accepts the buffoon label and moves on. Coming soon on Kirkwood and Dunn: is Indiana battle tested enough for Ohio State on October 17th? Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: PGTOMQKY3F2ARWXX

Ryan Day might be cracking. Kris Drew on Signal Lost and Buckeye Roast on Dead Air Sports both go after the Ohio State coaching staff — then Stephen Means from Cleveland.com asks Ryan Day the question Ohio State fans have been asking for years: why do Ohio State losses always look the same? Ryan Day's body language said more than his words did. Trent makes the case this is exactly the type of healthy accountability journalism Indiana media has not been doing. Stephen Means came with receipts. And if Ohio State loses to Indiana on October 17th, the alarm bells in Columbus get very loud. Arch Manning said something about AI at his postgame presser that became every college football show's topic on Monday — Trent had it first. Arch apologized. Moving on. Last week's five upset picks went zero for five so this week Trent picks five must-watch games instead — a neutral site ACC clarity game, a SEC prove-it game, a Big 12 Friday night upset pick he actually believes in, a Louisville playoff elimination game, and the Lane Kiffin bowl in Oxford with extra police on horses. Then the Hate Watch Power Rankings get their week three update — a Michigan proxy enters to keep the marriage intact, a team fires their AD and stays on the list, a quarterback enters for press conference no-shows, and number one this week is the man whose postgame press conference had the entire internet talking. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: UVTCOMQGBV8WSCPH

Trent had three questions heading into week two and college football answered all three in the most chaotic way possible. Question one — how weird is college football? Michigan beats Oklahoma despite Bryce Underwood giving us nothing, John Mateer handed them the game with turnovers, and Brett Venables couldn't call an offense to save his life. Iowa almost loses to Iowa State as a double-digit favorite — from now on, take the dog in any rivalry game at double digits. Question two — did Sarkisian prove it? Texas won that game, Hollywood Smothers was excellent, and Will Muschamp made the adjustments. Trent gives Sarkisian credit while still calling him an absolute D-bag. Arthur Smith's play calling cost Ohio State. What separates Cig from Ryan Day is that Cig puts his foot on the throat and never leaves points on the board. Question three — does Mississippi State vs Minnesota define the SEC vs Big Ten? Yes, and it wasn't close. Kamario Taylor is going to be clipped all season. But Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, and Indiana haven't played anyone yet either — the schedule will sort itself out. Then Oregon is cooked — Landon Tengwell and Andrew Niemack break down Oregon's tell problem that dates back to the Peach Bowl where Dante Moore said Aiden Fisher was calling run or pass before the snap. Dan Lanning had the film. His own staff had to know. Oklahoma State out-schemed them. J Money makes the accountability case about Indiana media and Trent sides with him for the second time this week. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Going Live on TikTok at 4pm 9/11: Kirkwood and Dunn TikTok: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kirkwoodanddunn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Week two is here and Trent has three questions that need answers. Question one: how weird is college football? Michigan nearly lost to Western Michigan and now faces Oklahoma. Oklahoma State lost to Tulsa and now faces Oregon. UCLA looked like a juggernaut — but did they? Trent makes the case that week one tells you less than you think and the first three weeks are the best time to find value in Vegas because nobody knows anything yet. Question two: does Steve Sarkisian prove it against Ohio State? Sixty-three percent career winning percentage, every resource imaginable, and Bamani Jones absolutely bodies him in a clip Trent plays and agrees with completely. He's not just representing himself — he's representing the SEC. The real question is whether Will Stein can carve up Kane Wommack's defense that historically hasn't been good against elite offensive schemes. Question three: does Minnesota vs Mississippi State in Minneapolis define the SEC vs Big Ten narrative more than Ohio State vs Texas? Trent makes the case it does. Brandon Walker weighs in. Kamario Taylor gets his moment. The full conference depth debate — NFL draft picks, bowl records, and three straight Big Ten national champions — all comes together around this one game. Then listener comments: J Money debates Alabama's defense in real time, Cig goes on his radio show and says blessed to be in a position to win by five touchdowns and get criticized, Rachel drops the line of the episode ("intellectually interesting but emotionally repulsed"), and Trent pulls back the YouTube curtain — the Sosa/McGwire thumbnail had a 3% click-through rate vs the Nick Saban episode's 14%. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: UDEYG5EFFDWJ7VWT

Week two is the real kickoff — ranked matchups everywhere and Trent has five upset picks that could shake up the entire landscape. A Civil War rivalry game with a coach who needs a win badly. A line that overreacted to one week of Oregon football. A coach Trent wanted over Cignetti who is quietly building something. A classic Big 12 stumble spot. And the number one pick that everyone is making — and Trent thinks the line is still too big. Then the Hate Watch Power Rankings get their week two update — one team falls so far Trent can barely feel hate anymore, a new entry makes the list after one of the most embarrassing moments of week one, a headset gets thrown in the Apple Cup, and Lane Kiffin and LSU stay exactly where you'd expect them. The Michigan clock scandal gets its final verdict — only the playoff committee can punish them now. And Josh Hoover's bloody face is already on ESPN highlight packages — Cignetti confirmed North Texas loaded the box, which explains the run game numbers, and Hoover still picked them apart. The people dismissing his week one performance because it was North Texas are doing crap work when nobody's watching. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn. 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: LNVHZ4O6EPRYAI6Z

College football has its 1998 home run race — two receivers from Miami going back and forth for the Heisman all season. Trent makes the case that Malachi Toney is Mark McGwire (the focal point of his entire offense, chasing records) and Jeremiah Smith is Sammy Sosa (the guy who can steal it at any moment). Both made statements in week one. Both should be on every Heisman graphic. The race is on. Then Michigan nearly lost to Western Michigan — the Big Ten added time to the clock, Bryce Underwood went 11 for 21 and thumped his chest, and Trent wonders if Kyle Whittingham took the job for the money. Oregon looked stale against Boise State and Trent goes on record: it's Indiana or Ohio State for the national championship. Notre Dame left no doubt against Wisconsin but lacks a standout playmaker at receiver. Ole Miss Louisville was the best game of the weekend with Jeff Brohm's analytics-free offense costing Louisville a winnable game, Trinidad Chambliss delivering in a big spot, and Lincoln Kienholz looking solid in the loss. Lane Kiffin gets the performance of the weekend after LSU thumped Clemson — Sam Leavitt threw an interception on his first drive and still won easily. Joel Klatt barely changed his top 10 after week one. And the Rutger episode became Bookstore Brew's most watched video ever — Trent clarifies the debt situation and defends the spelling one more time. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Rutgers lost to UMass last night — a team that hadn't beaten a power four program since 1978. Trent makes the full case: the Big Ten has a Rutger problem that nobody wants to say out loud. They were added for the New York City cable market — a reason that no longer exists. They are $517 million in debt to the Big Ten. Their alumni are disengaged. And when SEC talking heads roast the bottom of the Big Ten, this is exactly what they're pointing at. Meanwhile two Indiana transfers — Andrew and William DePaepe — went to UMass and are now 17-0 on a personal win streak. Then a Colorado mea culpa: Trent was wrong about them being a dumpster fire, Julian Lewis led them back from 13-7 down to beat Georgia Tech after Brent Key committed coaching malpractice settling for a blocked 40-yard field goal when he had 30 seconds and a timeout left. Minnesota and Illinois both won their openers. Tonight's previews: Toledo vs Michigan State, Purdue vs Indiana State, Notre Dame vs Wisconsin at Lambeau (multiple Wisconsin offensive linemen now questionable), Darian Mensah's first look at Stanford vs Miami, and UCLA vs Cal as the underrated banger of the weekend with JKS at quarterback. The SEC files a federal lawsuit to block the Big Ten's eligibility rules and Trent makes the case that Mississippi State, Kentucky, and South Carolina should be paying very close attention to the precedent being set. Comment section from the Public Enemy Number One episode — CTO with the upsetti spaghetti line of the week, Jay Gross raises the UCLA reverse jinx, and Trent goes on record again about the Notre Dame national championship pick. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

Week one is here — five straight days of college football starting Thursday and Trent is ready. Three games that will define the week one landscape: LSU vs Clemson (the only scenario where Trent roots for Dabo), Louisville vs Ole Miss in Nashville (the game his ACC prediction needs), and Notre Dame vs Wisconsin at Lambeau Field (Luke Fickle needs a win and Colton Joseph vs CJ Carr is more interesting than people think). Then the Hate Watch Rankings get their first update — LSU moves to number one after week zero posturing, Texas slides slightly, Purdue loses to Indiana State and gets demoted to the hilarious watch category alongside Florida State, and Mestermaker and Oklahoma State are lurking. Bruce Feldman goes on SVP and calls Cignetti the anti-Brian Kelly — Trent reads between the lines on what opposing coaches are really feeling. Bones Jones goes on camera and calls Josh Hoover legit — Trent says that's the only endorsement he needs. Carter Smith singles out Khobie Martin as the running back to watch. And Barstool Tate's Ohio State punishment list is the greatest thing the internet has ever produced — vasectomy for Ball State, nipple piercing for Michigan, 500 basketball court sprints for Indiana, and retaking the ACT until he scores a 34 for Northwestern. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.

UCLA fires Martin Jarmond and announces they're in a financial hole. USC puts out a statement about their attendance against San Jose State. Trent makes the uncomfortable argument: USC and UCLA are closer to Maryland and Rutgers as a Big Ten cultural fit than Ohio State and Michigan. A New York Times industry source says what everyone in the conference already knows — the SEC has more brands that move the needle, and Southern California's fanbase insisting there's always something better to do on a Saturday is a real problem for the conference long term. Then week zero reactions: Jaden Craig posts a 27.1 QBR against TCU and North Carolina is going to be a very long year. TCU looked exactly as bad as predicted. USC's empty stadium gets defended and roasted in the same breath. Then the listener bold predictions mailbag from Wednesday's episode — three first round picks (Becker, Marsh, Harris), Brock Schott making an All Big Ten team, Turbo Richard as the clear number one back, Amare Farrell as the most disappointing player, Ohio State missing the playoffs, and a 2027 schedule preview that has Trent pumping the brakes on Indiana's expectations for next year. Hate Watch Rankings update tomorrow — there is movement after week zero. Find Bookstore Brew on Spotify and Apple — search Bookstore Brew with Trent McGee. Follow Trent @STMcGee and find Kirkwood and Dunn everywhere @KirkwoodandDunn.