Inside The Pylon: A Midwest College Football Podcast

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series talking the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines with Anthony Broome from The Wolverine on the On3 network. What are the early returns on the new coaching staff, lead by promoted-to-HC Sherrone Moore and DC Wink Martindale? How on earth are the Wolverines going to replace everything departed on offense, from the QB to the entire OL? Who can step up on the defense to complement the elite returning pieces? And with a more difficult schedule than 2023, what are realistic expectations for this team?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Michigan State football with Brendan Moore of Spartans Illustrated and CFBPod.com. After a hectic 2023 season that saw its head coach jettisoned, what are expectations for the Spartans under new head coach Jonothan Smith? How will his offense transfer over with QB Aidan Chiles? What will new DC Joe Rossi's scheme look like and how will the Spartans adapt to that?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Nebraska football with Redcast Rob of the Go Big Red Cast. What is a realistic expectation for the Huskers in year two of Matt Rhule -- will they really be 7-0 going into Columbus???? Is the Dylan Raiola hype train full steam ahead? Do we expect another dominant defense in 2024? And has this program been completely de-Frosted?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking UCLA football with Dimitri Dorlis from The Mighty Bruin. What are the vibes around the program now that DeShaun Foster is at the helm replacing Chip Kelly? With so much gone from an elite 2023 defense, how will that unit plan to replicate last season's success? How will the offense be different, it at all? And what will UCLA's place be in the Big Ten?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Oregon football with Dale Bliss from Athlon Sports. Dan Lanning's Ducks are among the favorites to play for a Big Ten title and make a run deep in the college football playoff. After a strong step forward in year two that ended with a crushing Pac-12 title game loss to Washington, are we jumping the guy or are these expectations warranted? How does Dillon Gabriel fare in succeeding Bo Nix, and what's plan B if he is struck by injury again? How well did the Ducks reload in the portal? And how can the defense continue to ascend?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Wisconsin football with Ryan Harings from Locked On Badgers. In year two of the Luke Fickell era, what are realistic expectations with a schedule that misses Ohio State and Michigan, but catches Oregon, Penn State and a nonconference date with Alabama? Can Phil Longo fix Tyler Van Dyke? Are they really going to give Will Pauling the ball less? And who are some names to know on the defense?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Purdue football with Dub Jellison from Boiler Upload. After a 4-8 debut season, how can this team improve in Ryan Walters's second season at the helm? Will one of the most brutal schedules in the nation be a hinderance to this, or will the #Spoilermakers return and upend a playoff hopeful? Who can step up to fill the void left by several huge transfer portal defections?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Ohio State football with Spencer Holbrook from Letterman Row. In what could be a make-or-break year for his tenure, head coach Ryan Day has piloted an exceptional offseason for the Buckeyes. Ex-UCLA head coach Chip Kelly was pried away to run the offense, and for the first time in his head coaching career Day will not call plays; how with the marriage play out in 2024 and beyond? How will the new transfer portal additions fit into a roster that returns nearly everyone from 2023? And what happens if they don't beat Michigan?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Illinois football with Scott Richey from The News-Gazette. A down 2023 followed what was an impressive 2022 season; how can the Illini rebound offensively with QB Luke Altmyer? Transfer Zakhari Franklin appears primed to be one of the top skill weapons on wide, but who are some other names to know? How will Illinois replace the departed Reggie Love at RB? After a tough season defensively, how can the team rebound to get back to bowl eligibility in 2024?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking Notre Dame football with Jack Soble from Blue & Gold Illustrated. With an uncharacteristically soft schedule, at least on paper, for the Irish, is it a playoff-or-bust season? What will the Mike Denbrock offense look like, and after several seasons of poor WR play, who will new QB Riley Leonard be throwing to? How good can the Irish be defensively even with several key departures?

Ryan and Clinton continue their fall preview series, talking USC football with Ryan Abraham from USCFootball.com. Will the defense improve to be serviceable after two rough years under Alex Grinch, and was the problem scheme or something else at play? Who replaces Caleb Williams at QB, and what is a realistic ceiling for the Trojans in the Big Ten?

Ryan and Clinton have achieved max internet efficiency and continue their fall preview series, talking Rutgers football with Brian Fonseca from NJ Advance Media. After a mostly down 2023 throwing the ball, what will the QB position look like for the Scarlet Knights in 2024 with Minnesota transfer Athan Kaliakmanis? Who are same names to know -- outside of stud RB Kyle Monangai -- at the skill positions? Where can the defense improve this season after a strong 2023? And what are realistic expectations given a favorable schedule?

Clinton is befallen by a catastrophic internet failure, therefore Ryan flies solo talking Maryland football with Jeff Ermann from InsideMDSports.com. With long-time starter Taulia Tagovailoa off to the NFL, will NC State transfer MJ Morris lead the Terps in 2024, or will one of the returning underclassmen hold him off? With up to 4 new starters incoming on the OL (and comer Iowa OC/OL coach Brian Ferentz joining the staff as an analyst) where can that unit improve off a sub-par 2023? On the defensive side of the ball, can enhanced depth make Maryland's front seven one of the best in the conference? And who are some names to know in a new-look secondary?

Ryan and Clinton continue fall previews tonight, discussing reigning national runner-up Washington with Roman Tomashoff from Locked On Huskies and UW Huskies Wire. So much will be different from last season's magical run with 20 of 22 starters having left for the NFL Draft or via the transfer portal, but can new head coach Jedd Fisch position this team to reload instead of rebuild in 2024? How will a difficult schedule that includes road trips to Iowa, Indiana, Rutgers and Penn State impact this team as the season progresses? Where might the Huskies take a step forward on defense this season. Roman sheds light on that and more.

Ryan and Clinton continued their fall preview series and are joined by Ryan Burns from Gopher Illustrated on the 247 sports network to discussed Minnesota. After an anemic passing attack hampered their offense in 2023, how while FCS New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer integrate into PJ Fleck's offense? Will he continue to look to employ a lead-back heavy run scheme with standout 2023 freshman Darius Taylor, or will the Gophers spread the carries out? On the defensive side of the ball, how will new DC Corey Hetherman's scheme help a Minnesota defense that was struck by injuries last season and slipped down 67th nationally in scoring defense, after being a top-10 outfit in both 2021 and 2022? Burns touches on that and more, including expectations for prized safety recruit Koi Perich in the latest installment of Inside the Pylon.

Ryan and Clinton continue ITP's fall preview series, today talking Indiana with Sammy Jacobs from The Hoosier Huddle. Sammy dishes on new Hoosier head coach Curt Cignetti, who has never had a losing season during his head coaching career; what will it take for him to keep that streak going in 2024? In addition to a new staff, the Hoosiers imported a plethora of talent from the transfer portal -- who are some names to keep an eye on? Is former MAC player of the year Kurtis Rourke a shoe-in to be QB1 or will Tayven Jackson give him a run in camp? What are realistic expectations for Indiana in 2024, and what will its place be in the new-look Big Ten moving forward? Sammy touches on all of that and much more in this episode.

Ryan and Clinton continue with their fall previews, talking Northwestern football with Matt Shelton -- the managing editor of The Wildcat Report of The Rivals network. Nearly a year to the date after Pat Fitzgerald was suspended prior to his firing, the guys talk about David Braun's unexpectedly successful interim season as head coach. What will the Wildcats look like with full offseason under their now full-time head coach? There's excitement around new OC Zach Lujan, plucked from FCS national champion South Dakota State. What will his attack look like, and will Vanderbilt transfer QB Mike Wright be the one leading it? On the defensive side of the ball, where does Matt think the Wildcats will take a big step forward in 2024? Also, what is the best pizza/food spot in the Evanston area?

With the calendar turning to July, Ryan and Clinton begin their fall preview series "Five Burning Questions on ____," starting with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tyler Tachman, Iowa beat writer for the Des-Moines Register joins the show to talk all things Iowa. The hottest topic centers around the offense and new OC Tim Lester. Will the Hawkeyes improve off last year's impotent attack? Will Cade McNamara fend off Brendan Sullivan for QB1? If the offense doesn't improve does the temperature start to rise on Kirk Ferentz? And by the way, what will Iowa's Elite defense play as an encore to an exceptional 2023 season?

Ryan and Clinton talk recruiting in the Big Ten, with the July dead period nearly upon us. After a tough start to Sherrone Moore's tenure, Michigan finds itself on a recent hot streak. Meanwhile, on the other side of the rivalry, Ohio State is looking to secure an overall recruiting crown. What do we make of Rutgers? And can Notre Dame add to what is currently a top 5 class? That and more tonight.

Ryan and Clinton uncork some of their five spiciest predictions for the 2024 midwest football season. Listeners chime in with their spicy takes submitted via twitter.

Ryan and Clinton play a game show, looking at the Vegas O/U win totals for each of the Big Ten teams + ND this season. Clinton guesses the total and Ryan lets him know how close he was to correct, and then the guys discuss their thoughts on each total ahead of the beginning of their fall preview series beginning in two weeks.

Ryan and Clinton are back after a week hiatus (thanks Ryan) and are breaking out of their Big Ten shell to discuss the top 10 QBs in all of the sport. Is it really a down year for QBs, or are we underrating this class? Later in the show they discuss the potential selling of conference naming rights.

Ryan and Clinton are back tonight to do another rankings show. Tonight they rank, on an A-F scale, the helmets, jerseys and mascots of each Big Ten team/ND.

Ryan and Clinton are back tonight to discuss their perceived top stadiums in the Big Ten, in addition to their top college football bucket list trips, regardless of locale. In addition, they discuss the stadiums they have been to and what they enjoyed about those trips.

Ryan and Clinton hit part 2 of ITP's Rivalry Series, talking about The Game. Anthony Broome from The Wolverine at the On3 network and Tony Gerdeman from The Buckeye Huddle join the show to talk about their notable memories from covering the game, what the last three years has been like with Michigan flipping the script, and would a potential rematch of this game a week later in a Big Ten Title game make it more intense, or would it lose some of its luster?

Tonight on the show Ryan and Clinton being the first part of their Big Ten rivalry series, first talking about the longest intersectional rivalry in college football, USC and Notre Dame. What is the history of this rivalry, and what are some of the notable moments over the last 10-15 years? Ryan and some of our loyal listeners share some of their favorite/worst memories from these games. Later in the show, the guys talk about some of the other notable Big Ten rivalries, and Penn State fans weigh in on who their biggest Big Ten rivals are.

Ryan and Clinton return for another rankings list, this time talking top-five coaches the the Big Ten. The also discuss new coaches within the conference and who might be best set up for success, and wrap up talking about rising coordinators who might be looking at getting a HC job following the 2024 season.

With the ITP Spring Overview Series completed, Ryan and Clinton move on to ranking szn. Today they discuss the top positional groups in the Big Ten, and rank their top five programs at QB, RB, WR/TE, OL, DL, LB and secondary. Who falls where, are there any surprises, and does this list give us any indication on who the top teams in the conference will be this season?

Ryan and Clinton wrap up their spring overview series with a broad-based discussion on the MAC. Will the conference be a consistent playoff threat in the 12-team playoff? Or is it a league that is falling further behind in the CFB arm's race? Later the guys talk the new College Football 25 trailer, and wrap up with post-spring top 10 rankings.

Ryan and Clinton resume their spring overview series, wrapping up the power 4 portion discussing Notre Dame and whether or not Marcus Freeman can get the Irish back into the playoff in year three of his tenure. Later in the show the guys rank the strength of schedules for the Big Ten teams + ND from toughest to easiest.

Ty Hildenbrandt, 1/2 of The Solid Verbal, joins Clinto and Ryan to discuss all things Big Ten football. Topics include Penn State and Notre Dame, and what expectations for these programs should be moving into the 12-team playoff era. Is the Big Ten a two horse race this season with Ohio State and Oregon. Will defending national champ Michigan have something to say about that? The guys also talk about teams and players they are taking a keen interest in this coming season.

Ryan and Clinton wrap up the Big Ten portion their spring review series, discussing new-addition UCLA and surprise 2023 Northwestern. With Chip Kelly demoting himself to OC at Ohio State and a host of other staff changes and player defections, how will the Bruins fare in the Big Ten? In Evanston, the Wildcats surprised many with their 7-5 record this past season. Can they carry that momentum forward to this season?

Ryan and Clinton continue their spring review series, today discussing the new-look Michigan State Spartans and the old-guard Iowa Hawkeyes. After a remarkable 10-2 regular season despite finishing at or near the bottom of the country in nearly every offensive statistic, can new OC Tim Lester help Iowa's offense better complement its remarkable defense and special teams to the tune of a surprise playoff run? In East Lansing, new head coach Jonathan Smith brings in a lot of optimism and his prized OC recruit from Oregon State in Aidan Chiles. How much can the Spartans improve off last season's tumultuous 4-8 record?

Ryan and Clinton continue their spring overview series, today discussing teams on potentially different trajectories. Heading into year two of the Matt Rhule era, the Huskers improved to 5-7 last year but suffered four-consecutive close losses to end the season. However, there's plenty of momentum surrounding the program -- mostly centered around 5-star freshman QB Dylan Raiola. Meanwhile, coming off a national championship game last season, Washington lost nearly its entire starting lineup from 2023 either to the draft, graduation or the portal. In addition, head coach Kalen DeBoer is now patrolling the sidelines in Tuscaloosa. Can incoming head coach Jedd Fisch maintain positive momentum in the Pacific Northwest?

ITP continues its spring overview series with a special guest, as Ryan and Clinton sit down with Steven Best, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS, who served as Direction of Rehabilitation for Rutgers football during the course of the 2022 season. He offers some insights on the Scarlet Knights and why Greg Schiano's unique fit for the program has them once again on the upswing heading into 2024. Steven sticks around to talk Wisconsin with the guys; what could realistic expectations for the Badgers be heading into the 12-team playoff era? Despite bringing in an entirely new offensive identify with OC Phil Longo, expectations were high for first-year head coach Luke Fickell last season. The Badgers failed to live up to them with a 7-6 record. How much of a leash might Fickell have if the Badgers once again fail to meet expectations?

Ryan and Clinton hit the halfway point of ITP's spring overview series, this episode focusing on Purdue and USC. The Boilermakers are coming off a 4-8 record in new head coach Ryan Walters' debut season, and suffered a couple of notable portal losses in the offseason; can they take a step to bowl eligibility and beyond? Meanwhile, the Trojans are another Big Ten newcomer with high pedigree but are themselves coming off a remarkably disappointing 7-5 season and lose likely No. 1 NFL draft pick Caleb Williams. Will Miller Moss be next in a remarkable run of Lincoln Riley QBs? Will their defense be better than the unit that was obliterated time and time again last season?

ITP continues its spring review series, as Ryan and Clinton sit down to talke Penn State and Maryland. Another year under James Franklin, this time with two new coordinators, will the Nittany Lions be able to get over the hump into the college football playoff? With Maryland, after another eight-win season, will the Terps be able to take a step forward in the new-look Big Ten?

ITP continues its spring overview series as Ryan and Clinton sit down to discuss Minnesota and whether or not the Gophers are going to be able to regain the form they had with back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021 and 2022, or if last year's fall to 6-7 was a sign of things to come. Later in the show they discuss Oregon's incorporation to the Big Ten and whether or not the Ducks are legitimate threats to the top of the conference and the college football world at large.

Cam Teague-Robinson, beat reporter covering Ohio State athletics for The Athletic, joins Ryan and Clinton at the top of the show to discuss the recently complete Ohio State spring game and what the overall vibes have been in Columbus following a third straight loss to Michigan, but an offseason that has been filled with transfer portal recruiting wins and upperclassmen returning for one more run at a title. Later in the show Ryan and Clinton discuss the Indiana Hoosiers, led by imported James Madison coach Curt Cignetti and a plethora of additions via the transfer portal. Could the Hoosiers be looking at bowl eligibility in 2024?

Inside the Pylon begins is spring football overview series, as Ryan and Clinton sit to to briefly recap the 2023 seasons and discuss spring storylines for both the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines, as well as the Illinois Illini. Do the guys see Michigan making the playoff for a fourth straight year? Can Illinois recapture some of the magic they had during an 8-5 2022 season?

Draft Guy Jared joins Ryan and Clinton to talk NFL draft and some of the notable prospects that will be selected from Midwest schools in a few weeks.

Clinton and Ryan reminisce on the end of the 4-team CFP era and discuss some of the top teams, performance and moments from the past decade, including the Big Ten's place in the hierarchy of the sport. Then they discuss the imminent move to 12 teams for the 2024 season and how that might affect expectations at certain Big Ten programs. Finally, the touch on the planned move to 14 teams and wonder if this might be too much of a good thing. They finish by outlining their five most anticipated games of the season and answer listener questions.

Clinton and Ryan kick off football talk discussing Michigan's run to National Champions last season, and whether or not their team building recipe is able to be replicated by another Big Ten conference member. Later in the show, they break down the 18 Big Ten teams plus ND into 4 tiers for the upcoming season, ranging from National Title contender to "Cousin Greg."

Ryan and Clinton sit down to introduce themselves and briefly discuss their ideas and visions for what coverage will like like for ITP. Football content coming 4/1!