May Q&A: Part 2 - Pat Fitzgerald, QB-Coach Pairings & the Great CFB Fan Exodus?

About this episode

The episode discusses various topics in college football, including playoff expansion, coaching changes, and fan engagement.

We’re back for Part 2 of our May Q&A, which means the offseason conversation gets both bigger and weirder. We start off with College Football Playoff expansion anxiety, including the possibility of a 24-team field, the future of conference championship games, and the growing gap between the people running the sport and the fans who love it. We discuss the new marriage between Michigan State and Pat Fitzgerald, which leads us into a broader conversation about safe hires, risky hires, Transfer Portal recruiting, and what it actually means to rebuild in the modern Big Ten. We also touch on Texas, Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian, Florida State, Mike Norvell, and the kinds of expectations that can turn a normal season into a referendum. We also spend some time on the quarterback and offensive coordinator pairings we’re most curious to watch, with stops at places like Georgia Tech, UCLA, Florida, Kentucky, and a few others. Which combinations are actually exciting? Which ones feel volatile? Which ones have the widest range of possible outcomes? And because it’s an offseason Q&A, we find room for the important stuff: wearing your team’s gear when things are…

Topics covered

• College Football Playoff expansion
• Pat Fitzgerald
• QB-Coach pairings
• Transfer Portal recruiting
• CFB fan engagement
• Texas football expectations

Keywords

• College Football
• Pat Fitzgerald
• Transfer Portal
• QB-Coach pairings
• Texas football
• Florida State
• Big Ten

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Michigan State, Florida State

Places: Big Ten, Texas, Georgia Tech, UCLA, Florida, Kentucky

More episodes of The Solid Verbal College Football Show

• Big 12 Preview: Part 1 - Contender Tiers, Dark Horses & the Monster Middle Class | College Football · July 21, 2026 · 1h 9m
• ACC Preview: Part 3 - Clemson’s Crossroads, Virginia Tech’s Reboot & NC State Hope | College Football · July 19, 2026 · 1h 26m
• ACC Preview: Part 2 - Miami’s Title Push, SMU’s Next Step, Mike Norvell's Hot Seat & Notre Dame | College Football · July 16, 2026 · 1h 25m
• ACC Preview: Part 1 - Contender Tiers & What Happens After Miami? | College Football · July 14, 2026 · 1h 17m
• G6 Previews: Part 2 - Pac-12, Mountain West & CUSA + UConn | College Football · July 12, 2026 · 1h 34m
• G6 Previews: Part 1 - The American, Sun Belt & MAC Conference Previews | College Football · July 9, 2026 · 1h 35m