On this episode, Sam is joined by Montana football analyst Colter Nuanez. The two discuss: -Montana fandom at a fever pitch after the national title game appearance -Bobby Hauck's contract -Biggest question for the 2024 Montana football team -Starting QB situation -How good can the offense be? -How the defense looks to reload -Impact transfers -Wil…

On this episode, Sam is joined by South Dakota State beat writer Matt Zimmer. The two discuss: -Mark Gronowski returning? -Biggest questions for SDSU in 2024 -Who are the new weapons on offense? -How good can the defense be? -New offensive coordinator -SDSU's NIL collective -SDSU's chances at a 3-peat -And more The podcast is presented by HERO Spor…

On this episode, Sam is joined by Missouri Valley Football Conference commissioner Patty Viverito. The two discuss: -MVFC's new multimedia deal that will include national TV -push to seed more teams in the 24-team FCS playoff bracket -FCS Oversight Committee and its top discussion points -transfer portal -future of D1 football and where the MVFC fi…

On this episode, Sam records a podcast in Indianapolis alongside HERO Sports’ G5 national writer Colton Pool. The two are in Indy for the NFL Combine. And they hit record to BS about the combine, what covering the G5 is like compared to the FCS, the similarities of the G5 and the FCS, if NDSU will ever get an FBS invite, the future of the CFP, will…

On this episode, Sam is joined by HERO Sports contributor Daniel Steenkamer to discuss Delaware's decision to move to the FBS. They discuss what went into the decision, if Delaware's view toward CUSA changed, how the CAA's membership movement impacted the decision, how Delaware fans feel about the move, and more. The podcast is presented by HERO Sp…

On this episode, Sam sits down with Stephen F. Austin Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey. He is the co-chair of a working group made up of administrators from the FCS and Division I-AAA to help “redefine and actualize their distinctive role and value within Division I athletics and to chart a path for the future.” Sam and Ryan discuss: -the goal of th…

On this episode, Sam recaps a fun weekend in Frisco, discussing the scene, atmosphere, and the championship game. Also, where does this SDSU team rank among all-time FCS teams? Will the transfer portal impact SDSU and Montana? And how do the 2024 SDSU and Montana teams look? The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herospor…

On this episode, Sam previews the FCS championship with SDSU reporter Matt Zimmer and Montana reporter Colter Nuanez. (16:20) Matt Zimmer discusses the energy around SDSU’s football program and the team’s path to another national championship game. (54:35) Colter Nuanez talks about how Montana turned around its season and how much buzz around the s…

On this episode, Sam breaks down the semifinal results. SDSU destroyed UAlbany 59-0 as the scene in Brookings was more entertaining than the game. And in an instant classic, Montana beat NDSU 31-29 in double overtime. That sets up what will be an epic environment for the championship game in Frisco, Texas. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports an…

On this episode, Sam looks back at the FCS quarterfinal games and looks ahead to the semifinal matchups. He also touches on the news of Matt Entz leaving NDSU after this season and where the Bison go from here. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports …

On this episode, Sam previews the FCS quarterfinal games, looking at the matchups, some statistics, and the keys to victory. The predictions article can be read here. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.…

On this episode, Sam recaps the second round of the FCS playoffs. SDSU and Montana looked the part of Top 2 seeds. CAA members UAlbany and Villanova dominated. South Dakota and Furman got convincing wins. And NDSU and Idaho won overtime thrillers. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and…

On this episode, Sam reacts to Delaware moving to the FBS. He dives into what type of impact this has on the FCS, attempting to balance this move hurting the FCS and that the FCS is getting watered down while still trying to calm the “FCS is going to die” online freakouts. The second half of the pod then previews what should be an excellent second …

On this episode, Sam reacts to the playoff bracket, including thoughts on the seeds, the bubble, and first-round matchups. He also ranks the four corners of the bracket and which pod is toughest before giving his semifinal and national title game predictions. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS …

On this episode, Sam goes conference-by-conference to break down the playoff scenarios, whether it’s the auto-bid, at-large bids, or seedable teams in each league. He ends the podcast by looking at the overall seeding scenarios. There may be seven teams in good position already to secure a seed. And there are potentially four teams battling for the…

On this episode, Sam brings on a superstar guest lineup for an FCS roundtable discussion. Joining are Kevin Marshall of FCS Nation Radio, Zach McKinnell of The Bluebloods and FCS Football Central, and Jamie Williams of FCS Fans Nation. The guys discuss national award favorites, playoff scenarios in the SoCon/CAA/Big Sky/MVFC, and who the top four s…

FCS playoff committee chair Kent Haslam joins the podcast to help break down many topics: -How often the playoff committee meets -Top 10 rankings reveal -Kent’s duties as the Big Sky rep, but what happens when his school (Montana) is brought up during the selection process -First-round hosting determinations -How the at-large bids and top 8 seeds a…

On this episode, Sam recaps Week 9 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment, featuring nods to Idaho, Tennessee State, and Portland State RB Jobi Malary. Plus, what does Idaho’s win over Montana State mean for both teams moving forward? Other results around the FCS also caught the eye, including some unranked over ranked wins. Finally, five ranked …

Furman head coach Clay Hendrix joins the podcast to talk about this season’s football squad and its No. 3 ranking. He also discusses the Top 10 win over Western Carolina, the improvement of the SoCon, how Furman has built itself for playoff success, being motivated after last year’s UIW loss, plus more talking points.…

On this episode, Sam recaps Week 8 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment and also looks ahead to the best Week 9 games. The podcast also takes a gander at what the playoff committee’s Top 10 ranking could look like later this week.BetMGM による

On this episode, Sam recaps Week 7 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment. He dives deeper into the Montana over Idaho win and the UND over NDSU win, including the Griz flipping the narrative and also asking the popular question this week on whether the Bison’s dynasty is dead. The podcast ends with a look at a few of the top games this weekend: …

Idaho head coach Jason Eck joins the podcast to talk about this weekend’s ranked matchup vs. Montana, which will be played in front of a sell-out crowd and aired on ESPN2. The second-year head coach also discusses why he thought Idaho was a sleeping giant, the Vandals being ahead of schedule with their No. 3 ranking, what he’s learned about the Big…

There is plenty to dive into in this week’s episode. Sam recaps Week 6 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment, plus some other takeaways. The pod then touches on a couple of news items. Sam shares his thoughts on the FCS media poll being added to the list of criteria playoff committee members can utilize to help evaluate teams. He also touches on…

South Dakota State All-American OL Mason McCormick joins the podcast for an interview, discussing SDSU’s season so far and his decision to return for a sixth year. Sam and Mason also talk about a couple of other standout SDSU offensive linemen, the Jackrabbits playing with a target on their backs, new head coach Jimmy Rogers, paying attention to ot…

Eight ranked FCS teams lost last weekend, and six of them lost to unranked opponents. Sam reacts to the crazy week of action and then looks ahead to the best Week 6 games. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.…

Sam is back from his Ireland trip to go through a long list of results from this last weekend. He touches on the impressive performances of Delaware, UT Martin, and Montana State. And a year after having Montana as high as No. 2, Sam questions why the Griz are still being ranked. Other performances talked about are Furman, Villanova, WCU, Chattanoo…

Sam gives his takeaways from Week 2 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment, including looking at the three FCS over FBS wins and wondering why Samford is still ranked ahead of WCU. Other Week 2 thoughts include close FCS-FBS losses, Weber beating UNI, and SDSU beating Montana State. The episode ends with a look at some of the best Week 3 matchups…

Sam gives his takeaways from Week 1 with the 3 Game Balls and a Flag segment. He then dives into false narratives about FCS-FBS games. Are FCS over FBS wins really getting less likely? The decade-to-decade numbers actually say otherwise. Although the year-to-year numbers show there are no trends. Is all the talent really trickling up in college foo…

Sam briefly talks about the Week 0 results before discussing four under-the-radar teams who may end up being better than their preseason expectations. The show ends with a look at the most intriguing Week 1 games. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/spor…

Sam breaks down the best FCS non-conference games and also every week’s biggest game with playoff implications. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.BetMGM による

Sam predicts the conference champion for all 13 FCS leagues. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.BetMGM による

Sam breaks down his top storylines entering the 2023 FCS season. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.BetMGM による

Kevin Marshall of FCS Nation Radio joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming FCS season. What's the most intriguing storyline heading into the 2023 fall? And what are some storylines surrounding a few intriguing games? Kevin and Sam discuss Montana State at SDSU, UIW at UTEP, William & Mary at Virginia, Furman at Samford, and Ferris State at Montan…

NDSU TV play-by-play voice and FCS Top 25 voter Dom Izzo joins to discuss the upcoming MVFC season. Can anyone knock off SDSU? What do the 2023 Bison look like? Who's the No. 3 team? And how many playoff squads will the Valley have? The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports…

Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports and ESPN Montana joins the podcast to chat about Big Sky football. Sam and Colter discuss Montana State's FCS title hopes, how Montana can get back into that top-tier discussion, and also how both fan bases feel about the FBS and a potential move down the road. They also talk about how the Big Sky compares to the res…

HERO Sports writer Daniel Steenkamer joins the podcast to discuss on-field and off-field storylines in the CAA. Off-the-field topics include the CAA's size at 15 members, the renewed media rights agreement with FloSports, and Delaware's FBS mindset. On-field topics include Campbell's potential, the CAA's national reputation, W&M's and UNH's season …

On this episode, Sam answers 26 questions from FCS fans on Twitter: How long before St. Thomas moves to a scholarship football conference? Which one is most likely to jump in and scoop them up? Can they have success at a scholarship level like they did jumping into PFL? How is it possible to make a champion and get an auto-bid when some teams in th…

Keith Brake, the director of broadcasting at ETSU, joins the podcast to discuss several topics. What are the expectations for ETSU football after falling short of 2022 expectations? Who are the top teams in the SoCon, and what does the conference need to do to get more teams into the playoffs? Sam and Keith also discuss the 2023 FCS title picture b…

Sam breaks down his early 2023 FCS preseason Top 25, explaining his order and why teams are slotted where they are.BetMGM による

Zach McKinnell of The Bluebloods joins the pod to do some over/unders on FCS props. Sam and Zach discuss O/Us for regular-season team win totals, how many teams FCS conferences get into the playoffs, number of Big Sky/MVFC teams in the semifinals, number of FCS over FBS wins, statistical totals for Sean Chambers/Tommy Mellott, Jaden Shirden, and Pa…

The Fargo Forum’s Mike McFeely joins the show to talk NDSU football. Sam and Mike discuss some uncertainties across NDSU's 2-deep and if this is really going to be a "down" year for the Bison. They also talk about the transfers leaving, SDSU jumping the Bison, FBS reality, the FCS landscape, and much more. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports an…

Eastern Kentucky director of athletics Matt Roan joins the podcast to discuss EKU football's momentum, the ASUN-WAC's short-term and long-term goals, and potential changes coming to the FCS playoff bracket structure.BetMGM による

FCS Nation Radio co-host Stone Labanowitz joins the show to chat about some FCS quarterbacks. Sam and Stone discuss the two QBs in the FCS title game (Mark Gronowski and Cam Miller) and their 2022 play. They also talk about Lindsey Scott Jr.’s NFL potential, Montana State's 2-QB system, and what returning QBs they like in 2023. The podcast is prese…

New South Dakota State head coach Jimmy Rogers joins the podcast to talk about his first few weeks on the job, adjusting to being a head coach, what it means to lead SDSU, navigating the transfer portal, 2023 pressure, and more.BetMGM による

FCS Fans Nation's Jamie Williams joins the show to talk about the 2023 outlooks for SDSU, NDSU, UIW, and Montana State. Jamie and Sam also discuss the new FCS head coaches, the CAA's reputation, and its renewed deal with FloSports. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.…

Sam recaps the weekend in Frisco and the FCS title game. He also looks ahead to what the result means for SDSU, NDSU, and the rest of the FCS moving forward. Is SDSU the clear favorite next season? Are the Bison regressing? And if they are, what does that say about the rest of the FCS if this NDSU squad still made it to Frisco? The podcast is prese…

Sam brings on three guests to preview the FCS title game -- MVFC commissioner Patty Viverito, NDSU reporter Dom Izzo, and SDSU beat writer Matt Zimmer. Talking points include: Patty Viverito (02:30) -All-MVFC final -Bison/MVFC fatigue -Changes to the FCS playoff structure -New FCS playoff TV deal discussions -Frisco -Toyota Stadium playing surface …

Sam is joined by Kevin Marshall of FCS Nation Radio to help break down the semifinal results and help set the stage for Frisco. The two discuss the UIW-NDSU and Montana State-SDSU games and what went down. They also talk about conference strength after these playoffs for leagues like the MVFC, Big Sky, CAA, and SoCon. Finally, they talk about NC Ce…

Sam shares his thoughts and some insights into the news last week that the ASUN-WAC is hoping to form an FBS conference. He then recaps the quarterfinal games and previews the semifinal matchups. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online bett…

Sam talks about the notable FCS head coaching changes at Jackson State and Weber State before diving into the quarterfinal matchups. The podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit https://herosports.com/ for FCS coverage and https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports for online betting odds.BetMGM による