We’re Not All Like This

We're Not All Like This has moved! New episodes are now part of the package offered over at Phantom Island, Ryan's new project with Steven Godfrey.

A preface: these interviews were recorded before Alabama lost a bowl game to Michigan. All the same, we got Jamie Howard, Demetri Ravanos, and Matt Scalici on to talk about the first year post-Saban, the lasting cultural importance of Bear Bryant, the relationship between Paul Finebaum and Bama fans, the Iron Bowl, and a lot more. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

This episode is not 100% about the art of throwing a tortilla at a Texas Tech football game, but it does have quite a bit on that subject. We also talk about the urgency of finding success in women's basketball again, the motley crew of men's basketball coaches, the strangeness of Lubbock as a place, and Patrick Mahomes. Many thanks to RC Maxfield, Hasan Masood, and Brice Paterik for appearing on this episode. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

We're trying something different on this episode, talking to three different Heisman Trophy voters - Sam Khan Jr., Jon Wilner, and Spencer Hall - about how one gets to vote on college football's most famous award, whether it's harder to pick a winner or a cutoff for the top three, if a defense-only player will ever claim the Heisman, and much more. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

We're joined by Chris Vannini, Matt Sheehan, and Jeremy Dewar to talk about the Michigan-Michigan State relationship, how that rivalry changes on a hockey rink, the past, present, and future of Tom Izzo, how Spartan fans have wrangled with the Larry Nassar scandal, and whether there's such a thing as a Michigan State Man. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

Pitt Football has staked a claim to nine national championships and can point to ten alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Panthers also have complicated relationships with two teams not in their conference, an NFL stadium that they call home, the number one volleyball team in the nation, and a whole host of anxieties. We discuss all of that with guests James Santelli, Jonny Gamble, and Obnoxious Pitt Girl (her name, not ours). We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

College football is a weird sport, and Texas A&M might be the weirdest school in it. We sat down with Kacie Rowlette, Jay Arnold, and the elusive String to talk about traditions, expectations, the meaning of the Texas rivalry, and what the world will look like only if the Aggies manage to avoid further stumbles this season. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

JMU Football made a big splash upon entering the FBS ranks in 2022, going 19-5 in their first two years (while not being allowed to play for the Sun Belt title). Then, head coach Curt Cignetti and several top players left for Indiana - where things have also gone pretty splendidly. So what does all this mean for fans of the Dukes? Amidst all this success, what have been the moments of JMU struggle? And which women's program gets the most attention at a school that had women's sports before men's? Listen as Jessica Black, Rob Abbott, and Stephen Hartzell walk us through the JMU experience. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

Like the USF cousin it doesn't really want to visit anymore, UCF is a young school and an even younger athletic department. We talked to Jeremy Taché, Eric Thompson and Christian Simmons to learn more about what the Knights want out of the Big 3 schools in Florida, the pros and cons of the move to the Big 12, what the 2017 season means today for the fanbase, and how softball is setting an interesting new standard. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

In the last fifty full seasons of Ohio State football, the Buckeyes have won nearly 80% of their games, and they've had 22 years where they either went undefeated in Big Ten play or only lost one game. But the life of an Ohio State fan is not stress free, and we have Ramzy Nasrallah, Ben Teaford, and Matt Brown explain the significance of the Michigan rivalry, what to make of the school's prominent costumed fans, and the Ohio-ness of being a Buckeye. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

Virginia Tech's fans have some good things going for them - a beautiful stadium that's always energetic, a women's basketball team that recently made a deep tournament run, an in-state rivalry that they dominate in football, and a legendary coach who's still a big part of the program. They also have some challenges to deal with, like the actual football results, the coach and two key players leaving the women's team, and the "what even is the ACC" thing. I talked to Pete Bertheaud, Mark Umansky, and Andy Bitter about the experience of rooting for the Hokies to find out more (and get some turkey leg tips). We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

Outstanding tailgates. Beleaguered football coaches. The whole thing with Nick Saban and Alabama. Success in baseball and plenty of other sports. Hurricane fights with Florida. The life of an LSU fan is full of twists and turns, all of which we discuss with Kennedi Landry, Warren Ables, and Zach Rau. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

On the geologic time scale of college athletics, USF is very young. Founded in 1956, the school didn't have any sports teams until 1965, and the Bulls didn't field a football team until 1997. But despite their youth, USF fans have experienced a lot of the same ups and downs as supporters of the old bluebloods: roller coaster seasons, a contentious rivalry, conference realignment, and the ever-constant battle over expectations. Thanks to Nathan Bond, Anthony Vito, and Collin Sherwin for joining me on this episode. We're Not All Like this is produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

We sit down with three Oklahoma State fans - Josh Crutchmer, Danny Gilliland, and Carson Cunningham - to learn more about the state of the Bedlam rivalry, the experience of being a Cowboy fan in a Sooner state, their happiest non-Oklahoma memories, which variant of the Pistol Pete logo is best, and more. This episode was produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

Nebraska's sports teams have occupied several roles in the college sports landscape in the last forty years - dominant juggernauts, mismanaged boondoggles, beacons of hope, and representatives of both the past and future. Being a Huskers fan comes with a lot to juggle, so I talked to Erin Sorensen, Scott Johnson, and Andrew from the HuskGuys Twitter account to understand what fans want from the football team at this point, the love for Husker volleyball, and what the best and hardest parts have been about joining the Big Ten. This episode was produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

The ACC's longest-standing (and loudest) football power goes under the magnifying glass in this week's episode of We're Not All Like This, as we examine the differences between the FSU-Miami and FSU-Florida rivalries, how FSU fans feel about their conference, what destination they'd pick if they could move the Seminoles anywhere they wanted, and more. Thanks to Ernest Wilkins, Katie Shook, and Curt Weiler for appearing as guests on this episode, which was produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

In the first episode of Season 3, we talk to three Dawg fans (one of whom used to play for the football team) about the previous anxiety of rooting for Georgia, which SEC rivalry is most important to maintain in a larger league, how much Hate there currently is in Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, and whether Mark Richt is the coach most beloved by the fanbase of the school that fired him. Thanks to Amanda Mull, Tony Waller, and George Foster for joining the show this week. This episode was produced by Michael Surber and sponsored by Homefield Apparel - use offer code LIKETHIS to get 20% off your first order at homefieldapparel.com

For the Season 2 finale of We're Not All Like This, we talked to Galen Clavio, Kyle Robbins, and Homefield Apparel's own Connor Hitchcock about the importance of basketball in Indiana, the struggles of Hoosier football, the dominance of IU men's soccer, and what drives the hatred Indiana fans have for Kentucky. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Syracuse fans have seen a lot in the last 30 years: a national title in men's basketball with Carmelo Anthony, a string of championships in lacrosse followed by something of a drought, and Donovan McNabb high-fiving a mom after a victory. (We'll explain that one at the end.) We talked to Sean Keeley, Ryan McDonnell, and Jeff Parrotte about the ups and downs of the Jim Boeheim era, how Cuse fans feel about the move to the ACC, and whether the Orange really are New York City's College Team. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Mike Vernon, Sarah Kelly, and Alex Drude sit down with me to talk about what Kansas fans think about the post Texas/OU Big 12, the low point of Jayhawk football bottoming out, and the differences between the Kansas State and Mizzou rivalries. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

The school that gave us Patrick Ewing, Allen Iverson, Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning has been in a bit of dry spell (including one with Ewing as head coach!), so we talked to Patrick Monahan, John Hawkes, and Bobby Bancroft about where the Hoyas can go next, the whole thing with Providence and Ed Cooley, the Syracuse rivalry, and why Georgetown has a football team at all. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

We talk to Ryan Rosenblatt, Nico Gervasoni, and Nathan Eberhardt about rooting for the Rose Bowl's regular-season occupant, how UCLA fans when Chip Kelly left to be Ohio State's offensive coordinator, whether the success the Bruins enjoy in non-revenue sports eases any of the other pain, and what makes the USC rivalry different. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Why did A'ja Wilson mean so much to South Carolina fans? How has watching Clemson's meteoric rise to multiple national championships impacted the Gamecock faithful? Did they ever develop a genuine rival in the SEC East? And is Sandstorm good? Katie Dzwierzynski, Kyle Bishop, and Rick Johnston address those questions and many more on this episode. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Three fans - Ben Swain, Max Rego, and Shaker Samman - of one of the greatest villians in men's college basketball sat down with me to talk about whether Duke embraces the hate, what Kara Lawson has meant to the women's hoops team, who the most underrated Duke players ever are (and if such a thing exists), and what it's like being a basketball school in a conference desperately trying to survive in a football world. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Fan of Gonzaga men's basketball have gotten to see a lot of great things in the last couple of decades - 25 straight NCAA tournament bids, nine straight Sweet 16 appearances, and two runs to the last game of the year. But they haven't seen the Zags win a championship. Anyaa Carter, Tuck Clarry, and Peter Woodbrook talk with me about what it's been like to root for a program that's gone from perpetual Cinderella to title-or-bust, whether those expectations extend to the women's team, what college football team(s) Bulldog fans pull for, and what the Gonzaga experience is like outside of basketball. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Baylor fans have seen a rivalry with Texas A&M disappear, might be losing another one for good with Texas leaving for the SEC, have dealt with two of the most shocking scandals in modern college sports history, watched their program-defining women's basketball coach leave for LSU, and had to cope with TCU making a run to the national championship game in football. We talk to Amy Graham Pagitt, Neil Shanks, and Shehan Jeyarajah about their experiences rooting for the Bears, what drew them to Baylor in the first place, and whether or not they've participated in one of the most unusual freshman traditions in CFB. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

At the crossroads of beloved tradition and radical change, you will find the Cal Bears, who are trying to navigate a shifting college sports landscape that is thrusting them (along with their hated rivals, Stanford) into the ACC of all places. I talked to Nam Le, Trace Travers, and Nico Savidge about the experience of being a Cal fan, what they're losing with the end of playing USC and UCLA, and whether Cal sees itself as victim or villain in the collapse of the Pac-12. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Tennessee fans have seen a lot of ups and downs and dramatic twists over the past 15 or so years, and I sat down with Holly Anderson, Charlie Burris, and Jake Thompson to dig into that emotional journey. We cover the difference between rooting for Lady Vols basketball and other Tennessee sports, the most hated people inside and outside of Knoxville, and whether the Vol Navy is essential or just a cool sideshow. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

Maryland's gone from an ACC school that won a title in men's and women's basketball within four years of each other to a Big Ten school that doesn't have a lot of natural rivals and has seen football and men's hoops fall off somewhat. How do Terp fans feel about all that change, Maryland's future in college sports, and the importance of lacrosse? Thanks to Alex Kirshner, Kofie Yeboah, and Matt Ellentuck for joining me on this episode. Be sure to check out the special We're Not All Like This selections on Homefield Apparel and use code LIKETHIS to get 20% off any item in that group.

While we work on preparing Season 2, we put together a special bonus episode talking to three fans of the Buffalo Bills - Prescott Rossi, Victoria Zeller, and Taylor Fulton - to learn more about the nuances of Bills Mafia, which team in the AFC East Bills fans hate the most, and how the Bills maybe serve as the college football team of Buffalo. Keep an eye out for Season 2 in early March 2024!

Season 1 of We're Not All Like This wraps up with a look at the fans of West Virginia. Does the Big 12 feel like home for a school nowhere near Texas? Who, of all the amazing talents that came through Morgantown, was the most exciting and electrifying Mountaineer to watch? And what's with the whole lighting furniture on fire thing? Beth Carpenter, Chris Sedenka, and Matt Kirchner help us answer those questions (and yes, a few about Pitt). Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel, for supporting the first season of our show. We'll be back in January with new episodes!

UConn's men's basketball team has won five national titles; the women's team has won eleven. So, naturally, we're here to talk about UConn football, a program that voluntarily left the American Athletic Conference to go independent. We asked Whitney McIntosh, Bryan Jackson, and the mysterious @NoEscalators to walk us through the peak years of Husky football were like, the expectations fans have now, and whether seeing other teams chase power conference status in football serves as a warning to UConn. Oh, and there's some Dan Orlovsky talk, too. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

Washington State exists in opposition to a lot of things: the Washington Huskies, the Idaho Vandals, the richer and shinier members of the Pac-12, the football TV media industry, and anyone who thinks it's weird to put a college in the middle of rolling fields of wheat and lentils. What is it like to be in the first group of Cougs vs. Everybody? Does that history make Washington State more ready to face an unpleasant college football future? And what on earth is Cougar Gold? These questions, and others, are put to Kerith Burke, Craig Powers, and Brian Floyd in this episode. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

What drives the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry? Do Cardinals fans want the Keg of Nails game to come back? How do they feel about the school serving as a stepping stone for so many college football coaches? And how the heck did Papa John occupy a place of such prominence within Louisville athletics? We asked these questions and others of Keith Wynne, Haley O'Shaughnessy, and Mark Ennis to better understand the outnumbered-in-Kentucky existence of Louisville fans. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

Ole Miss has the most famous college tailgate, a football history peppered with painful and baffling losses, a coaching lineage that includes Houston Nutt and Ed Orgeron, and a whole lot of confederate imagery in its past. We asked Alex McDaniel, Zach Berry, and Bunkie Perkins to walk us through what it's like to root for a college football team that might be cursed, whether the Egg Bowl has always been this bananas, and whether The Grove is what national media presents it to be. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

What is a Michigan Man? Why do Michigan fans care so much about history? How similar are they to Ohio State fans? And what do they love/hate about their most Michigan coach, Jim Harbaugh? We put these questions to Jane Coaston, Ace Anbender, and Ben Mathis-Lilley in an effort to understand what it's like to root for the victors valiant. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

This was the first episode we recorded after the 2023 season began in full, which meant I talked to Joel Anderson, Melissa Triebwasser, and Grant McGalliard within a week of TCU losing the season opener at home to Deion Sanders and Colorado. They were kind enough to explain to me: - How that loss fits into the larger experience of being a TCU fan - Whether last year's run to the national championship game reset expectations for the Horned Frogs - What TCU's place is in the hearts and minds of Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex residents - The relationship TCU fans have with Gary Patterson after his less than pleasant exit - LaDainian Tomlinson's level of appreciation from modern TCU fans And plenty more. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

For two monstrous stretches - 1986 to 1992 and 2000 to 2003 - Miami was one of the most dominant, talented, and bombastic teams in the history of college football. But it's been a while since those halcyon days of U-ness, so I talked to Brody Logan, Chris Wittyngham, and Cam Underwood about: - When they realllllly thought Miami was back only to crash back to Earth - Which Florida program the Canes enjoy seeing struggle the most - Who Miami fans blame for the last twenty years - Why fans of Miami love to taunt, brag, and cause friction as much as the best Hurricane teams did And more! Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

Arizona State has a reputation as a party school and, while it comes by that very honestly, the experience of rooting for Sun Devils football is not what something you would call "consistently festive and chill." On this episode, we talked to Gina Mizell, Justin Prestegard, and Brad Denny to learn more about the Territorial Cup rivalry, how ASU fans feel about leaving the Pac-12, why the 1997 Rose Bowl is the perfect microcosm of the highs and lows of the Sun Devils, and what heaven and hell look like for an Arizona State fan. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

Notre Dame is not the kind of football program that inspires apathy in anyone. Swathed in tradition, the Fighting Irish are connected, often via bad feelings on one or both sides, to a number of other teams all around the college football landscape. They are the school simultaneously nestled at the center of the sport and most loudly criticized for what outsiders perceive as undeserved attention, influence, or respect. So what is it like to root for the school that sits at the intersection of history, Catholicism, and constant expectation? We talked to Jessica Smetana, Joshua Vowles, and Mike Golic Jr. to get a better sense of how Notre Dame fans feel about the value of independence, the school they hate losing to the most, and which negative stereotype of the Fighting Irish fanbase is the most accurate. Special thanks to our sponsor, Homefield Apparel.

For over two decades, Iowa football has been a model of consistency, with 19 bowl appearances since 2001 thanks in large part to tenacious defense and special teams. But with that consistency comes some limits; Iowa hasn't won a share of the Big Ten title since 2004, and the Kirk Ferentz offense is...a stylistic choice. To better understand what it's like to root for the Hawkeyes, I interviewed Lucy Rohden, Adam Kramer, and Patrick Vint and asked them what Iowa fans expect from the program, what the Ferentz legacy would be if he retired after this year, and to explain how Iowa stole farmers from the ag school in the state. Thanks as always to Homefield Apparel for sponsoring the show.

The goal of We're Not All Like This is to talk to representatives of fan bases to understand what makes those groups tick, what matters to them, and why they are the way that they are. There's probably not a better team to start with than Auburn, the perpetual chaos machine that defies pattern or understanding. What's it like to root for such a turbulent team? Who do Auburn fans look to as their emotional center? What do they secretly fear? My guests on this episode - Justin Ferguson, Jerry Hinnen, and Lydia - answer those questions and others as they help me understand what it's like to be born into the Auburn Family. If you liked this episode, check out the newsletter I'm starting with Homefield Apparel, the presenting sponsor of this podcast.