Split Zone Duo: College Football Podcast

Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner
  • 4.8 (944)
  • FOOTBALL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

An independent college football podcast that covers the whole sport, led by Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner. Free episodes each week (twice per week in season), plus frequent subscriber episodes. Featuring co-host emeritus Steven Godfrey and friends. www.splitzoneduo.com

  1. National Championship Hurry-Up: Hoosier

    13H AGO

    National Championship Hurry-Up: Hoosier

    The best turnaround in the history of college football concludes with a 16-0 season and a national championship. Richard and Alex talk about Indiana’s 27-21 win over Miami, what led up to it, and where these programs go next. SZD doesn’t stop in the offseason The opposite, if anything. We use these months for all sorts of creative projects that are designed to appeal to people who love college football and want to learn more about it while having a good time. History projects! Sports business! Roster moves! We’ll do all of it. (Alex would even say that his favorite subscriber shows are the ones we have time to do out of football season.) We’d love to have you: Thanks to our sponsors, and congrats to the ones that are based in Indiana * 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD * Shop Indiana title gear at Homefield * Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd * Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

    50 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Scheme School: Miami vs. Indiana, Feat. Michael Felder

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com THIS IS A SUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Thanks so much to the thousands of people (!) who subscribe to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about. Thanks so much and here’s the subscribe link. The great Michael Felder joins Richard for a “Scheme School” episode, diving deeper into the Xs and Os of the Miami-Indiana national title game. * How Indiana avoids having any bad concepts, ever * Indiana’s tight end is the most important person in the world * The familiarity between Miami’s DC and Curt Cignetti * Are we sure Indiana can block those dudes up front? * Why everyone here feels pretty good about the Hoosiers, whose defensive identity involves stopping scrambles like the one Carson Beck used to beat Ole Miss in the semifinal And more! Producer: Anthony Vito

    15 min

  3. 5D AGO

    Miami vs. Indiana: The Big Preview

    Richard and Alex look ahead to the College Football Playoff National Championship, with some thoughts on the schematics and then the unique circumstances surrounding Miami and Indiana. In this episode: * 1:32: Our thoughts on the city of Miami * 9:55: Brief Xs and Os preview of Indiana vs. Miami: Could Miami sack Fernando Mendoza a bunch and still lose? What about the big challenge in front of Indiana’s secondary, facing Malachi Toney? * 30:17: Narrative preview and the significance of the title game: The U is back! Except we’re not supposed to talk about that! Also, Indiana (rat poison alert) is on the verge of a best-team-ever argument. * 43:17: Why the playoff should not be expanded further and why the Big Ten Conference’s malignant behavior must be stopped Further reading: CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello on the current negotiations about Playoff expansion, pitting the Big Ten against the SEC. More listening for paid subscribers! * Alex and Rodger Sherman’s deep dive into the lessons of Curt Cignetti’s rise, drawing on research from a 40-year coaching career, is out now * Coming Friday, a special episode of SCHEME SCHOOL, featuring Richard and guest Michael Felder going deeper on the scheme of this game. Subscribe. Producer: Anthony Vito Full details here on the festivities around the game. * 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD * Nokian Tyres: https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd * Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

    52 min

  4. 6D AGO

    How to Spot the Next Cignetti or Die Trying

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com Every athletic director and search firm in college sports would love to find their own version of Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. Great idea, but easier in theory than in practice. Cignetti once said to Google him, so we did, taking a deep dive into all of the stops in a 40-year coaching career and trying to identify what about Cignetti is identifiable in real time, what isn’t, and what from his Indiana success other schools could reasonably hope to replicate. In this episode: * 13:22: Early signs of a resourceful coach while he’s leading the QBs for an 0-11 Rice program in the 1980s * 20:08: A move to NC State, where he worked with two future Hall of Fame QBs and seemed to internalize some lessons about managing stress * 26:20: Taking part in the Nick Saban Alabama dynasty * 32:00: Making a legit shocking move to Division II IUP, which turned out to provide ideal training for Cignetti’s future job at another Indiana * 45:00: A pivot to James Madison, where he didn't turn around a struggling program but continued a nice run, lost the FCS national championship to North Dakota State, then executed the smoothest FCS-to-FBS transition ever * 58:15: Indiana, where Cignetti was brilliant and also got very lucky Can you find your own Cignetti? If it’s possible, this episode should help you. Producer: Anthony Vito

    21 min
  5. Indiana and Miami Set a Date with Destiny: Playoff Hurry-Up

    JAN 10

    Indiana and Miami Set a Date with Destiny: Playoff Hurry-Up

    The College Football Playoff National Championship is set. Alex and Richard react to a mixed pair of semifinal games, with Miami outlasting Ole Miss and Indiana feeding Oregon into a wood chipper. In the rare Hurry-Up recorded from a live studio (or at least living room), we discuss: * 18:37: Miami 31, Ole Miss 27 * 01:03: Indiana 56 (!), Oregon 22 Producer: Anthony Vito Become a paid subscriber We are grateful for the several thousand people who pay $10 a month or $110 for the year to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about. Thanks to our partners and subscribers * 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD * https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd * Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/ * Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

    40 min

  6. JAN 7

    Institutional Inertia vs. the Playoff Semifinalists

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.splitzoneduo.com SUBSCRIBER EPISODE: Once upon a time, Ole Miss picked segregation over being good at football. Indiana picked basketball over being good at football. Miami never really chose not to be good at football, but made a series of mistakes and ran up against difficult modern realities that caused a long drought. Meanwhile, the story of Phil Knight rescuing Oregon is now so old-fashioned it’s basically quaint. In this subscriber episode, Richard and Alex talk about how the four 2025 Playoff semifinalists got out of their own way. The second half of this audio file (starting at 39:43) is a resurfacing of our “Dead Letters” episode about the history of Ole Miss football, featuring Alex and Steven Godfrey. We’ve gotten a lot of new listeners since the episode came out in 2023 and wanted to make sure those folks had a chance to hear it. Find all Dead Letters shows here. Producer: Anthony Vito. This is a subscriber episode of SZD We are grateful for the several thousand people who pay $10 a month or $110 for the year to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about. We’ll do a lot of that exclusively for subscribers. Thanks to everyone who’s already joined us, and if you haven’t yet, we think you’ll enjoy it if you check it out. Good for the soul but also good for the podcast queue.

    18 min

  7. JAN 6

    CFP Semifinal Preview + the Messiest FCS Championship

    Richard and Alex talk about the absurd FCS Championship that ended with Montana State claiming the national title over Illinois State. Then it’s time to preview the College Football Playoff semifinals in a lot of detail. * 2:30 FCS Championship * 15:42 Ole Miss vs. Miami * 33:52 Oregon vs. Indiana * 52:15 NFL playoff takes Producer: Anthony Vito. Become a paid subscriber in 2026! We are grateful for the several thousand people who pay $10 a month or $110 for the year to support Split Zone Duo. One thing you get is the knowledge that you are making this independent college football podcast possible. Another thing you get is a lot of bonus episodes, including weekly dispatches all offseason long. The football season is our busiest time, but we like to think the offseason is our most creative time, and there’s still a lot of news to talk about. We’ll do a lot of that exclusive for subscribers. Thanks to everyone who’s already joined us, and if you haven’t yet, we think you’ll enjoy it if you check it out. Good for the soul but also good for the podcast queue. Thank you to Split Zone Duo’s sponsors * 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD * https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd * Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/ * Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

    56 min
  8. CFB Playoff Quarterfinal Hurry-Up: A New Day

    JAN 2

    CFB Playoff Quarterfinal Hurry-Up: A New Day

    Richard (from the Sugar Bowl) and Alex (from the Rose Bowl) break down the College Football quarterfinal bowl games in this order: * Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34 * Indiana 38, Alabama 3 * Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0 * Miami 24, Ohio State 14 Want much more? Become a paid subscriber Subscribers get weekly bonus episodes, usually more than one during the season and postseason, as well as the chance to ask questions and engage more deeply with the hosts. We’d love to have you. Thanks to our partners and subscribers * 20% off Dad Water: https://drinkdadwater.com/discount/SZD * https://www.nokiantyres.com/szd * Shop Homefield at https://www.homefieldapparel.com/ * Modelo: Drink responsibly. Beer imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL Producer: Anthony Vito This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe

    52 min
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4.8
out of 5
944 Ratings

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An independent college football podcast that covers the whole sport, led by Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner. Free episodes each week (twice per week in season), plus frequent subscriber episodes. Featuring co-host emeritus Steven Godfrey and friends. www.splitzoneduo.com

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