The Audible with Stew, Bruce & Ralph: A show about college football

The Audible is heading into Week 0 with a new look, new sound, and new co-host: The Athletic’s Ralph Russo. Stew, Bruce and Ralph break down their College Football Playoff picks, including why Oregon might miss out — and which unranked teams could surprise. Plus, preseason takes on new starting quarterbacks, and Bruce shares some insight on Kansas QB Jalon Daniels ahead of the Jayhawks’ Week 0 matchup against Fresno State. Read Ralph’s piece on how to boldly avoid going chalk in your postseason predictions: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6562192/2025/08/20/college-football-playoff-predictions-ap-top-25/?source=user_shared_article Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new college football season brings big changes to The Audible. Bruce and Stew welcome long-time guest Ralph Russo in as a regular host. The show is also adding an extra episode and will be on your feed three times each week. Plus, video! You can now watch every episode of The Audible on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stew and Bruce discuss the final NCAA sanctions against Michigan for the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal — why there was no postseason ban, the millions of dollars in fines, and what it means for Jim Harbaugh's legacy. Then, it's time for football! They preview the Week 0 matchups, starting with the biggest: Kansas State vs. Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, a Big 12 clash between two potential conference champions. Other games include Fresno State at Kansas (Matt Entz's debut) and Frank Reich's unique one-year stint at Stanford against Hawaii. Mailbag tackles the eternal college football vs. NFL debate, whether "culture" in college football is real or just convenient mythology, and what would happen if Ohio State went rogue against their TV deal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic’s Sam Khan Jr. joins Stew to break down two major projects: ranking all 136 starting quarterbacks by tiers, and the top top 100 transfer portal players. They dive into the some of the challenging placements on the quarterback list, like Arch Manning at #10, plus debate breakout candidates and the most impactful transfers. Later, Bruce calls in from Alabama practice in Tuscaloosa with insights on the Crimson Tide's new starting QB Ty Simpson, and what he's seeing from Kalen DeBoer's revamped program.CFB's Top 100 Transfers:https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6523271/2025/08/07/college-football-transfer-portal-rankings/CFB 2025 QB Tiers:https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6483745/2025/07/16/college-football-quarterback-tiers-rankings/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic’s Ralph Russo spent 20 years overseeing the Associated Press Preseason Top 25. This year, he’s a first-time voter. He defends his picks from Stew and Bruce, and they all pick their favorite teams that received votes but didn’t crack the top 25. After that, former Texas Tech offensive lineman turned billionaire Cody Campbell discusses the massive investment in Red Raiders athletics and his vision for fixing college sports' structural problems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Arizona State repeat last year’s success? How will Texas Tech’s spending frenzy affect their on-field performance this year? Stew and Bruce weigh in on the whole Big 12, and discuss their expectations for Notre Dame this season. In mailbag, they hit on the future of recruiting in the Big 12, how Notre Dame could fit into a 4-4-2-2-1-1-1 playoff format, and whether South Carolina will fall of a cliff this year.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce’s highly anticipated annual Freaks List is out. He gives some insight into what separates a “freak” from just a standout player, and highlights some of the most jaw-dropping athletes on this year’s list. Later in the show, Stew and Bruce react to the first preseason Coaches Poll: who’s getting too much love, what highly ranked team could have been ranked even higher, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After touching on Deion Sanders’ big health news, Stew and Bruce continue their series of “Buy, Sell, or Hold” — this time for the ACC. And in mailbag, they decide which CFB program they’d invest in, argue about where expectations should be Penn State this year, and share personal Beano Cook stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce and Stew are in Las Vegas this week for Big Ten Media Days, where they heard Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti’s pitch for a 16-team playoff, play-in games, and more. They give their take on all that, and give each Big Ten team a “Buy,” “Hold,” or “Sell” rating heading into the season.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s all SEC today. Is Nick Saban coming back? Is LSU making a mistake by putting a high visibility bullseye on their Week 1 matchup with Clemson? Bruce and Stew play a game of “Buy, Sell, or Hold” on every SEC program for the upcoming season. Plus, in mailbag, the future of bowl games.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.