Indiana at Ohio State is another Northern college football banger, the third Top 5 matchup involving the Buckeyes this season as the No. 4 Hoosiers take on the No. 2 Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium on Saturday. On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis break down both sides of the ball for this big game, as the two most efficient offenses in the power conferences take the field. Ohio State must do it after sustaining another major injury on the offensive line. Then Indiana writer Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star joins the show to put this historic matchup in the winningest season in Indiana history in context. Then it's Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking. Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Georgia is actually right. It’s the rest of the SEC discussion that is wrong. Busting myths about the SEC in the College Football Playoff debate is a priority on this Kings of the North.
Doug Lesmerises and Steven Godfrey dig into that to start the show, before Doug digs in deeper at the end of the show. Doug and Steven also discuss the Boise State-Big 12 playoff seeding debate and whether the NFL should be paying college football.
Then Dan Wetzel joins to talk Army and Navy football in the portal era leading into the Army-Notre Dame game this week. Then off the new Indiana football commitment to coach Curt Cignetti — should every P4 team prioritize football over basketball, even traditional hoops bluebloods?
Then Doug wraps with the final SEC myth busting.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:  
• Steven Godfrey joins the show to talk SEC media worst-case scenarios (01:30)
• The race for the last playoff bye (25:00)
• Dan Wetzel joins the show (37:30)
• Should everyone try and be good at football? (47:10)
• Army and Navy as G5 contenders (1:02:10)
• Bustin SEC myths for the college football playoff (1:21:00)

Why Notre Dame is the play against Florida State is the focus of Bets of the North this week, as Doug Lesmerises and Tyler Shoemaker are still more than $1,200 ahead for charity off their initial $5,000 bankroll.
The guys also like a parlay against Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, and they explain best bets they like involving Cincinnati, West Virginia, Minnesota, Boston College, Indiana, UConn, Army and more.
Thanks for joining Bets of the North on Kings of the North.

College football takes are on the menu, from Michigan taking another Ohio State staffer, to Illinois getting a major transfer, to the politics of college football and what comes next. 
Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dive into six different issues on these Takes of the North, starting with cold, reasonable takes that they then must warm up. A couple times, they set the kitchen on fire.

In order, they cover:
• The Big 12 potentially selling naming rights and what else in college football (including stadium names) should be sold
• Rutgers hitting a recruiting run that could signify something
• Michigan hiring another staffer away from Ohio State and how people should react
• Illinois landing a veteran receiving star in the portal
• The politics of college athlete compensation
• The future of walk-ons and how coaches might react

Plus it's Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking on a Dr. Phil impersonator, Doug eating too much on his recent vacation, and a weird football dream.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

The 1994 Colorado-Michigan college football matchup is remembered as The Miracle at Michigan, and on this inaugural edition of The North Remembers from Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis tell you why.

Reliving great northern college football games of the past, Doug and Bill cover stars like Kordell Stewart, Rashaan Salaam and Michael Westbrook from Colorado and Ty Law, Tim Biakabatuka and Tyrone Wheatley from Michigan in breaking down this 30-year-old classic.

With categories like Why It Mattered, King of the Game, Meme It, The South Can Cram It and Crazy Time, Doug and Bill run through a fast, furious,. informative and wild 40-minute recap. 
That includes the idea that this was the surprising final seasons for both head coaches -- Colorado's Bill McCartney and Michigan's Gary Moeller.

Zip through the past and celebrate a great game in northern college football history with Kings of the North on The North Remembers.

What Southern college football teams are most like Northern schools such as Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Syracuse, Oregon, Boston College, Michigan State, Washington, Penn State and Nebraska?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis pair up 13 Northern football teams with Southern counterparts based on success, history, geography, coaching mistakes and more. And then they ask whether you'd rather be the Northern team or the Southern team?

Who is Cincinnati's match? Colorado's? And why do Doug and Bill want to see Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz in a mullet?

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

It's another round of College Football Playoff Picks on this Kings of the North. 
Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis made their first picks in February, and they are back for Round 2 after taking in spring football.

First, they look at all the contenders from the South.
Is Texas or Georgia a bigger monster?
Is Missouri or Ole Miss a more interesting upstart?
Which young QB at Tennessee or Oklahoma is more likely to lead a playoff run?

Then they make their picks, with adjustments from February, and with some teams staying the same. Where are Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, Utah and West Virginia as playoff contenders? Is Ohio State or Oregon more likely to win the Big Ten?

Get all those picks here, and thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien joins Doug Lesmerises on this Kings of the North for a dive into his career and why Boston College is the place for him.

The new head coach of the Eagles discusses:
• His grandfather's legacy in semi-pro Boston football a century ago
• The starting QB plans for the Eagles
• The depth of skill talent at Boston College
• The secret to Boston College's greatest seasons
• If he thought he'd ever be a head coach again
• Balancing career and family
• What he learned as the head coach at Penn State
• His plan to win

This is our second head coaching interview on KOTN after a visit from Wisconsin's Luke Fickell. Look for more of these of future shows.

What are some major college recruiting battles in the Class of 2025 for Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Purdue, Indiana, Boston College, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Iowa and more Northern teams?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises is joined by recruiting insider Jeremy Birmingham to dive into 10 major recruitments involving North vs. South and North vs. North, and to look at some Northern prospects the South is trying to pluck out of the area.

Plus, the conversation hits on major recruiting battlegrounds like Southern California; Washington, D.C.; Texas; Las Vegas; and Ohio and how Northern schools are faring in those areas.

Official visits are heating up and Kings of the North has some players for you to keep an eye on. 
Thanks for joining KOTN.

Which way are the 26 Northern college football teams that are part of Kings of the North headed? 
On this episode, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis run through all the Northern schools and designate each as Trending Up, Trending Down or Staying the Same.

• 12 teams are Trending Up
• 5 teams are Trending Down
• 2 teams are Staying the Same
• And 7 teams found Doug and Bill disagreeing on their status, including 2 that one had as Up and the other had as Down.

Which way is your team headed? 
Check it out on Kings of the North.

How good are the skill players at Iowa State, Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Syracuse and other Northern schools, including ... Rutgers?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis draft the Top 10 Big 4's of their 26 Northern teams. The Big 4 parameters -- it's a QB and three skill players from any combination of running backs, receivers and tight ends.

You might be surprised at some teams picked in the Top 10 and equally surprised by some very good teams left out.

As always, thanks for joining the discussion on Kings of the North.

Is college football getting better or worse? On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by two special guests to discuss that.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN and Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports give their views as KOTN examines the past, present and future of college football.

Doug, Bill and Adam discuss:
• Whether the regular season is better or worse (01:30)
• Whether determining a national champion is better or worse (12:00)
• Whether the treatment of players is better or worse (23:45)
• Amanda then drops by to give insight on the future of player compensation  and to discuss her blockbuster story on the NCAA and lobbying in Washington for Front Office Sports (35:15)
• A final look at whether it's getting better overall for different levels of teams (56:50)

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Are the Ohio State Buckeyes in National Championship or Bust mode for the 2024 college football season? Is that what the Michigan Wolverines were, and lived up to, in 2023?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises investigates the recent history of Natty or Bust teams and figures out whether Ohio State fits the bill. He checks into:

• The 6 teams with the most NFL Draft picks in a year, who all won a title with those players
• The 4 parameters to make a Natty or Bust team
• The 11 teams in the BCS era who have so far been Natty or Bust -- and only 4 won it all
• Then Doug's old co-host Shehan Jeyarajah joins the show to discuss whether Natty or Bust is a good or bad thing, how he would handle this season if he were Ryan Day, and whether multiple teams can be Natty or Bust in the same season.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

From Indiana-Michigan to West Virginia-Cincinnati, from Penn State-Washington to Syracuse-Boston College, from Minnesota-Rutgers to BYU-Utah, there are a load of interesting All-North bangers ready to kick off in college football's Week 11.
Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis run through them all with previews and picks on this Kings of the North, with other focuses on Colorado's major Big 12 chance at Texas Tech; Iowa State on alert against Kansas; and opportunities for playoff contenders from Oregon to Ohio State to Notre Dame to impress the committee with big wins.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• First set of game picks (05:25)
• Second set of game picks (48:25)
• G5 game pick and cram it game picks (1:33:15)
• Fantasy picks for week 11 (1:42:00)

What college football games in the North will draw the most TV viewers this year? TV is controlling and reshaping college football, so on this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis try to think like TV execs (like it or not) while drafting the Top 20 Northern college football TV games for this season.

First, they dig into seven Northern CFB topics, including a huge recruit visit for Indiana, a new player at Purdue, some confused head coaches, the new EA Sports college football cover, returning production, a Kansas rumor and a 1-star review for Doug's gaslighting of himself over Colorado.

Then it's the TV draft, where games like Ohio State-Michigan, Alabama-Wisconsin, Texas-Michigan, Colorado-Nebraska, Ohio State-Oregon and Penn State-West Virginia fly off the board.

Which teams could be the new TV darlings of 2024? The guys have two suggestions. And how much will TV miss Jim Harbaugh?

As always, thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Frantic 14 - (06:30)
Top-10 Most Watched 2023 Northern Games - (31:30)
2024 Television Draft - (47:20)

Northern college football is in a bridge year for the 2024 season when it comes to quarterback play. 
Of the 26 Northern teams discussed on Kings of the North, 14 have projected starting QBs in their last years of eligibility.

Here's the good news -- a ton of Northern teams have young backup quarterbacks ready to take over in 2025.

On this episode, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis run through all that, and then they finish the show with a draft of 16 quarterbacks based on the winning, awards and stats they should compile for the rest of their careers.

That means drafting QBs with one year left -- like Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, Ohio State's Will Howard, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and West Virginia's Garrett Greene -- with young quarterbacks with multiple years left -- like Notre Dame's C.J. Carr, Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Iowa State's Rocco Becht, Michigan's Jadyn Davis, Nebraska's Dylan Raiola and Michigan State's Aidan Chiles.

This will give you a full QB picture for all 26 Northern teams, and it will prepare you for the Northern quarterback renaissance to come.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Quarterbacks in last year - (7:00)
Young quarterback discussion - (19:30)
Quarterback 2024 recruiting rankings - (26:40)
2025 Quarterback Questions - (45:30)
Quarterback draft - (1:14:00)

Spring football is a wrap, and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis run through five final Northern teams on this episode, meaning they have now covered all 26 of their Northern teams after spring football.

First up is Washington, which held its spring game on Friday night. Reflecting and rebuilding is the name of the game for the Huskies, who did get interesting QB play and showcased a possible young receiver breakout.
Then it's to the four Northern teams that didn't hold public spring games:

Doug and Bill talk BYU

(39:40) Ryan Burns of 247Sports and Gopher Gridiron Radio talks Minnesota

(55:42) Zach Heilprin of The Camp: A Wisconsin Football Podcast joins to talk about the Badgers

(1:10:05) Matthew Shelton of WildcatReport joins to talk Northwestern

(1:27:05) Then Doug and Bill finish with Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking on Challengers, hot chicken pizza, farmers markets, John Mulaney and the Doppler.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Northern teams like Ohio State, Cincinnati and Michigan added major players in the spring transfer portal window a year ago. What's the biggest Northern action happening in the spring portal window now?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis compare this transfer class to a year ago, talk about why more QB movement didn't happen, plan a calendar of handsome Northern punters, and cover portal moves for schools like:

• Rutgers
• Minnesota
• Washington
• Michigan State
• Pitt
• Colorado
• Michigan
• Cincinnati
• Syracuse
• Penn State

And more. Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

From Nebraska to Oregon, and Rutgers to West Virginia, six more Northern teams held spring games over the weekend and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are back to cover them on the latest Kings of the North.

Plus, Doug has some stats on the North in the 2024 NFL Draft that are interesting in how uninteresting they are.

Topics covered on this episode:
• Oregon spring game (01:45)
• Nebraska spring game (17:00)
• The North in the NFL Draft (28:08)
• Maryland spring game (36:00)
• Maryland hiring Brian Ferentz
• Colorado spring game (47:55)
• West Virginia spring game (59:45)
• Rutgers spring game (1:10:45)

Plus some talk on a guy we thought was named Bazooka, and a Warren Sapp story.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

The top of the 2024 NFL Draft will be filled with Northern college football stars like Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington's Rome Odunze and Michael Penix Jr., Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt and more.

The talent is so deep, Doug Lesmerises explains why the top of the first round could feature more Northern players than any draft since 1967.

Then Doug is joined by NFL Draft analyst Ian Valentino of the 33rd team to run through Northern QBs like Penix, McCarthy and Oregon's Bo Nix; Northern tackles like Alt, Penn State's Olu Fashanu and Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga; Northern running backs like Wisconsin's Braelon Allen, Michigan's Blake Corum and Notre Dame's Audric Estime; Northern cornerbacks like Iowa's Cooper DeJean and Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell; and the battle between Northern and Southern receivers in this draft.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

College football rolled out eight more Northern spring games last week, and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are here to react to all of them, finding spring stars and asking spring questions on this Kings of the North.

From excitement about Syracuse and Indiana to questions about Iowa and Illinois, ton some confirmation about Michigan and Notre Dame, Doug and Bill discussed in order:

• Syracuse (0:41)
• Michigan (13:00)
• Indiana (25:30)
• Notre Dame (34:45)
• Iowa State (46:00)
• Michigan State (54:00)
• Iowa (1:01:30)
• Illinois (1:10:00)

Thanks for joining kings of the North.

From the transfer portal to a proposed Super League, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis hit several topics on this Kings of the North.

• What is Colorado doing in the portal and why Deion Sanders might be like Urban Meyer
• Transfer portal moves in the North
• Pick between current football rules or an NFL minor league
• The idea floated of an 80-team Super League
• Jim Harbaugh's future relationship with Michigan after an NCAA settlement
• Basketball power in the North and why Northern football schools aren't winning at hoops
• Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking

Thanks for joining Kings of the North

Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Pitt, Boston College, Cincinnati and Utah played their college football spring games last weekend and on this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis react to them all.

From new coordinators like Penn State's Andy Kotelnicki and Pitt's Kade Bell to returning QB stars like Utah's Cam Rising to defensive position changes like Purdue's Kydran Jenkins and Penn State's Abdul Carte to sure things like the Ohio State defense and the Cincinnati Kelce brothers, Doug and Bill dive into three things they learned about each team this spring.

In order, they cover:
• Penn State
• Pitt
• Purdue
• Cincinnati
• Ohio State
• Utah
• Boston College

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Kings of the North is back with an explanation. First, seven Northern teams play spring games Saturday: Ohio State, Penn State, Utah, Pitt, Cincinnati, Purdue and Boston College.

Then, Doug Lesmerises checks in from his visit to BC, where he watched a practice and talked to head coach Bill O’Brien.

Finally, Doug explains what went wrong with his eye in Boston that caused KOTN to go on a brief hiatus.

Thanks for sticking by the show and it’s good to be back.

The first College Football Playoff rankings are out with Oregon at No. 1, and where Penn State, Indiana, BYU, Ohio State, Iowa State and other Northern teams landed are on the minds of Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis.
They’ll also talk about the arrival of MACtion this season with mid-week games underway, and they also wrap the show with Whatcha Watching. Eating and Thinking.
But the show starts with Doug and Steven Godfrey talking the state of college football coaching and the carousel and where changes could come.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• The state of college football coaching  with Steven Godfrey (03:00)
• Coaches on the hot seat (33:30)
• College football top 25 rankings reaction (41:20)
• The return of Maction (1:07:15)
• Whatcha watching, eating, thinking ( 1:14:10)

Clemson receivers, Texas experience, Georgia quarterback play, Louisville defense, Alabama offensive linemen, Texas A&M unwarranted optimism -- how should Northern college football fans view all these pieces of Southern college football in 2024?

On this episode of Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis go through 5 Southern Frauds and 5 Northern fears, looking at what from the South will and won't challenge Northern football teams in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

There's a long look at quarterback play in the South vs. the North, plus a disagreement about the place the Georgia Bulldogs hold in the college football world right now.
Dawg Mentality!

This show is all about the North -- and sometimes that means checking in on the South.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

From Washington to Syracuse, from Heisman winners to NFL stars, from Notre Dame to Ohio State, it's time to test your knowledge of Northern college football. 

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis go head-to-head in a college football battle as producer Mike Yourstowsky asks them questions about college football that he devised.

What do you know about Northern Heisman winners?
About Southern schools that suffered humiliating losses?
About the best Northern coaches?
About bubble game production and Northern college airports?

Test yourself against Doug and Bill. Plus there's a check-in at the start on some Northern injuries and time at the end for Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking and Doug and Bill share what's on their minds.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

01:30 - Northern college football injury news
08:15 - Northern Jeopardy
47:51 - Final Jeopardy and whatcha watching, eating, thinking

Michigan dealing defense for Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Notre Dame making a trade with Indiana, and rivals Iowa State and Iowa swapping offense for defense are among the 10 Northern college football trades that Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis conjure up on this edition of Kings of the North.

There are 10 deals overall and these are the teams involved:
• Michigan-Texas
• Ohio State-Minnesota
• West Virginia-Wisconsin-Boston College
• Penn State-Northwestern-Boston College
• Penn State-Stanford
• Iowa-Iowa State
• Oregon-Cincinnati
• Michigan-Cincinnati
• Notre Dame-Indiana
• Rutgers-Colorado

Who are the players involved? Is any of the fake movement something that could happen in the transfer portal in real life? What do these fake proposals tell us about the real rosters of the teams involved? 
Check out the latest KOTN to find out.

From the Michigan Wolverines to the Washington Huskies, from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to the Iowa State Cyclones, from the Colorado Buffaloes to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Kings of the North Spring Football Mega Preview Part 2 is here to prepare you for spring football for the 13 Northern teams that weren't covered in Part 1.

That means Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis also discuss West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Maryland, Syracuse and Wisconsin. How many players and coaches are back? What's the main issue for each team this spring?

There's also a dive into what Michigan taking running backs coach Tony Alford from Ohio State means for the Wolverines, and views on left tackle Kadyn Proctor leaving Iowa after just a few months.

Plus, Doug and Bill start building out the menu for their Kings of the North Bar and Grille.

Thanks for joining this episode of KOTN.

From Iowa to Michigan, from Iowa State to Oregon, from Utah to Northwestern, what Northern schools have the best combination of winning among their men's basketball, women's basketball and football programs?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises dives into the numbers and ranks his Top-10 Northern combo programs.

Which Northern schools made both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments? Only four.

Which Northern schools won a football bowl game and made the NCAA men's tournament? Only two.

It's difficult to be good at all the major sports, but these Northern programs, including Ohio State, Notre Dame and Nebraska, do it best.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, entering his second season in Madison as the Badgers open spring practice on March 22, is the guest on this episode of Kings of the North.

Fickell and Doug Lesmerises discuss:
• The differences between the North and South in college football
• Wisconsin’s huge game hosting Alabama on Sept. 14
• Expectations in Year 2
• The Badgers” offensive line
• Hiring the right staff
• How much Mike Vrabel will be in Madison this season
• His worries about college football’s future
• Fickell’s favorite workout songs
• And more

Thanks for joining this episode of Kings of the North.

Michigan, Penn State or USC in the Big Ten? 
Utah, Kansas and Kansas State, or the field in the Big 12? 
Syracuse, Pitt or Boston College in the ACC? 
Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix as NFL Draft prospects?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are playing a new game called Hire, Fire, Portal. They're tackling football discussions about the best teams in the North, and looking at possible changes around the College Football Playoff and recruiting, and deciding what they really like (Hire), what they don't like (Fire) and what they're unsure about (Portal).

It's new, it's pretty fun and it's all about Northern college football -- with a little USC Big Ten discussion thrown in this week. 

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Spring football has started and from Oregon to Boston College, Kings of the North is previewing all 26 teams in the North.

From what teams have back to their biggest questions of the spring, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis on this episode worked through 13 Northern teams. The next 13 will follow on a show in a couple weeks -- closer to when their spring practices begin.

On this show, Doug and Bill discussed:
• BYU
• Cincinnati
• Pitt
• Ohio State
• Northwestern
• Notre Dame
• Boston College
• Penn State
• Utah
• Oregon
• Purdue
• Michigan State
• Iowa

And you won't want to miss that Iowa discussion.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

From Colorado's Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders to Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to veteran quarterbacks on several potential College Football Playoff teams, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis draft the top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for the 2024 college football season from the North.

According to the betting odds, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard are the leading contenders from the North. Do Doug and Bill agree?

And which two running backs who backed up Northern superstars a year ago could jump up as legit candidates this season?

All that on the latest Kings of the North. Thanks for joining the show.

What could happen in college football between Leap Day 2024 and Leap Day 2028? 
From Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles to Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, from the North winning three of the next four national titles to Notre Dame joining the Big Ten, from coaches like Oregon's Dan Lanning, Penn State's James Franklin and Washington's Jedd Fisch moving on to Indiana football making history.

Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis make some bold predictions for the next four years of Northern college football on this Kings of the North.

Seem crazy? Not when you look back to where college football was on Leap Day 2020. Doug and Bill run through the Northern coaching changes since then and ask if you would have predicted Nick Saban's retirement, Michigan winning a national title and Cincinnati making the playoff before Leap Day 2024? Probably not. So these predictions might sound crazy now, but a lot can change in four years.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

How did BYU wind up at 8-0 and in the driver's seat for a College Football Playoff spot in a season where even a 6-6 record would have bene viewed as success? On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises is joined by BYU reporter Mitch Harper of KSL Sports to go inside the Cougars' stunning success.
Then Doug and Dan Wetzel cover some potential tiebreaker nightmares now that conferences have rid themselves of divisions. And Olympic sports are fighting for funding? What's the answer there?
Also, Brian Fremeau of BCFToys.com, who has been analyzing college football from the mathematical side of things for more than a decade, joins Doug to talk about his CFB formula and the hole that he believes exists in the College Football Playoff Committee.
Plus Punt and Block of the Week and Overrated Southern Team of the Week.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Mitch Harper interview about BYU (07:00)
• Dan Wetzel segment talking tiebreaker problems and funding olympic sports (32:45)
• Bill's punt and block of the week (1:07:27)
• Overrated southern team of the week (1:09:25)
• Brian Fremeau interview (1:14:03)

From Michigan's quarterback to Colorado's left tackle, from receivers at Washington and Ohio State to pass rushers at Iowa and Northwestern, from transfers at Penn State, Utah and Syracuse to the next running back up at Notre Dame, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis give you 10 major Northern players to watch in spring football on this episode of Kings of the North.

Some Northern teams, including BYU and Boston College, open spring practice this week, while many more will kick off practice next week. Kings of the North will give you two more major spring previews covering all 26 of our teams, but for now, prepare to hear about these 10 potential breakout stars this March and April.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Is the 12-team College Football Playoff really going to expand to 14 teams in two years? Why are some people complaining about that idea? How does the college football postseason compare to other sports? How much are the Big Ten and SEC running the future of the sport? Should ESPN televise the entire playoff or should multiple networks be involved? Should conference title games be eliminated?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dive into all those playoff topics.

Then they discuss Iowa State losing its offensive coordinator, Northwestern looking for new football homes for the next two seasons, Penn State floating the idea of naming its stadium for Joe Paterno, and how much teams should focus on hiring alumni as assistants.

Thanks for joining this episode of Kings of the North.

How will schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and more be featured in the returning EA Sports College Football video game that will be back in 2024 after a decade away? Who should be on the new cover? Why does this matter for college football?

On this Kings of the North episode, Doug Lesmerises is joined by Matt Brown of Extra Points, the No. 1 expert in the country on the return of this college football video game.

Doug and Matt cover:
• How much players will be paid
• What schools sent in to be included in the game
• The history of players on the cover
• Suggestions for this year's cover
• Why schools want this game to return
• How this agreement previews paying college players directly

There's no one better than Matt to cover this particular part of the college football world, so thanks for joining us on Kings of the North.

Will the Nebraska Cornhuskers win 8 games or more? Will the Michigan Wolverines win 10 games or fewer? Why do Ohio State and Oregon have the highest Northern college football win totals, and why are BYU, Minnesota, Purdue and Boston College at the bottom?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis each pick their five best bets on Northern win totals, hitting on schools like West Virginia, Michigan State, Minnesota and Maryland, as well as the Cornhuskers and Wolverines.

And then they each pick a Southern under, as the win totals in the SEC are sky-high and Doug and Bill wonder if Alabama and LSU will be as good as expected.

Thanks for joining another episode of Kings of the North.

From Bill O'Brien at Boston College to Sherrone Moore at Michigan as head coaches, from Chip Kelly at Ohio State to Mike Denbrock at Notre Dame as offensive coordinators, from Elijah Robinson at Syracuse to Steve Belichick at Washington as defensive coordinators, there are 30 new coaches in major roles in Northern college football.

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis run through all these changes among head coaches and coordinators.

That includes:
- 6 head coaches like Jedd Fisch at Washington and Curt Cignetti at Indiana
- 13 offensive coordinators like Andy Kotelnicki at Penn State and Kade Bell at Pitt
- 11 defensive coordinators like Tyson Veidt at Cincinnati and Wink Martindale at Michigan

03:30 - Head coaches
33:30 - Offensive coordinators
1:06:00 - Defensive coordinators

Thanks for joining this episode of Kings of the North.

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs feature Northern college football stars all over their rosters for Super Bowl 58, and on this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises goes to the experts to talk about how these players went from Northern colleges to football's biggest stage.

First, Doug and Bill Landis discuss how many Northern players contribute for the Chiefs and 49ers, and from Penn State to Wyoming, West Virginia to Iowa State, Michigan to Western Michigan, there are more than you think.

Then it's a run through all the quarterbacks from Northern schools (hello Tom Brady and Joe Montana) who have won Super Bowls, as San Francisco's Brock Purdy has a chance to join them.

Then guests pop in for in-depth discussions:

- Iowa/49ers tight end George Kittle with Chad Leistikow of HawkCentral.com (11:58)

- Rutgers/Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco with Steve Politi of NJ.com (28:35)

- Notre Dame/Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill with Eric Hansen of InsideNDSports.com (40:56)

- Ohio State/49ers defensive ends Nick Bosa and Chase Young with Doug and Bill (56:01)

Know which Super Bowl players are from the North before you sit down on Sunday, and get their inside stories to share with your friends.

Thanks for being part of Kings of the North.

From Wisconsin hosting Alabama, to Pitt hosting Syracuse, to Washington hosting Michigan, come along as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis plan the Ultimate Northern College Football Schedule for 2024 on this episode of Kings of the North.

Over 15 games in 14 weeks, Doug and Bill highlight the best Northern games of the coming 2024 season, picking 15 different stadiums they'd like to visit and covering 19 Northern teams. 

From the Penn State at West Virginia opener to the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry in Week 14, to games like Nebraska-Indiana and Minnesota-Iowa in-between, the guys get you prepared and excited for the season to come.

They're ready to drive more than 11,000 miles to see these great games -- and they actually will plan to be at a few of them.

Get prepped for a college football fall in the North on the latest Kings of the North.

Jeff Hafley gave up his job as Boston College's head football coach to become an NFL defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. Does this signal the end of college football as we know it? 
Heck no -- some people are making too big of a deal about this.

But college football clearly needs to change, and on this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises offers six changes around six topics that you can talk about with your friends without it feeling like homework.

- Number of CFB players compared to pro sports
- Player Freedom
- Competitive Balance
- Moving NIL Inside College Football
- Contracts
- Donors as Owners

Then Doug is joined by Matt Brown, the creator of the Extra Points newsletter that digs into the financial side of college sports, to talk about how current NIL collectives work, whether it's sustainable, and whether the NCAA should be going after NIL cases or not.

It's a money and rules show that should matter to the average fan.
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With Jim Harbaugh off to the NFL and Nick Saban retiring, the list of the best coaches in college football is changing. 

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis address that with a draft of the 20 best coaches in college football.

But they do that with another point in mind -- identifying how many of those coaches come from the North.
Guess what? It's a lot. And guess what -- Northern coaches have won 60 percent of the last 25 national titles as well.

From the New Jersey roots of Syracuse coach Fran Brown and Washington coach Jedd Fisch, to the Iowa educations of Kansas State's Chris Kleiman and Kentucky's Mark Stoops, to the New England backgrounds of LSU's Brian Kelly and Ohio State's Ryan Day, many top coaches were born and raised in the North and went to college there.

Doug and Bill dive into all of that, and then identify some coaches they'd like to see running programs in the North someday.

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Michigan has three straight wins over Ohio State. The Buckeyes have momentum this offseason. What does that mean for the 2024 Ohio State-Michigan game and the rivalry as a whole?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dive into the North's biggest rivalry, looking at the state of the national champions and the team chasing them.

How much talent are the Wolverines and Buckeyes losing from 2023?
What do their schedules look like in 2024, and could we see a third straight 11-0 vs. 11-0 showdown?

How much is Michigan's success tied to Jim Harbaugh, or could the Wolverines keep winning without him?

Thanks for joining the discussion on Kings of the North.

Preseason predictions on Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana, West Virginia, BYU, Utah, Pitt, Nebraska, Notre Dame and more Northern teams are under the microscope on this Kings of the North. Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis revisit the dumbest and smartest things they said about this college football season and why they were right or wrong.
Plus trying to think like College Football Playoff Committee members with the Top 11.5 rankings, and the South Cram-o-Meter is back with lots to talk about thanks to Texas A&M and more.
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From Ohio State transfer Will Howard to quarterback uncertainty at Michigan and Washington, from Kyle McCord's move to Syracuse to Cade McNamara's return from injury at Iowa, plenty of Northern college football quarterback situations are new for the 2024 season, and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are here to rate them all on Kings of the North.

Doug and Bill rank their 26 Northern teams by their quarterbacks, from returning starters like Shedeur Sanders at Colorado, Garrett Greene at West Virginia and Rocco Becht at Iowa State to new starters like Dillon Gabriel at Oregon, MJ Morris at Maryland and Brendan Sorsby at Cincinnati.

What leaps might Drew Allar at Penn State, Aidan Chiles at Michigan State and Thomas Castellanos at Boston College be ready to make?
Is there room for growth from veterans like Purdue's Hudson Card, Illinois' Luke Altmyer and Wisconsin's Tyler Van Dyke? And what should we expect from Nebraska true freshman Dylan Raiola in 2024?

You won't find Northern QB rankings like these anywhere else, so thanks for diving in on Kings of the North.

00:00 - Intro and the North taking Alabama's talent
13:08 - Northern QB rankings 26 - 11
1:10:52 - Northern QB rankings 10 - 1

The 12-team playoff is here, and Northern college football teams like Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame and going to be all over it ... and Washington, West Virginia, Nebraska, Wisconsin and others should make pushes some years as well.

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are ready for an exercise they'll undertake multiple times between now and the start of the college football season.

It's time to pick a 12-team bracket.

The guys pick their 12 playoff teams, and the North is well represented. To start the show they also talk about the coaching moves both leaving and joining Washington, and what it means that Alabama football is copying old Indiana football.

00:00 - Intro and coaching moves for Washington and Alabama
21:01 - 12-team playoff projections

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Do Northern college football teams have a new formula for winning national titles as laid out by the Michigan Wolverines this season?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by old friend Ari Wasserman of The Athletic to look at the winning paths for teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin and what level of recruiting is required.

Topics covered:

- Has the importance of high school recruiting changed?
- Has the top of college football been flattened?
- What Northern teams can compete for titles?
- How much might the 2024 Buckeyes be like the 2023 Wolverines?
- Then the guys wrap up with Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking, focusing on baby pizzas, Fargo, Barbie, jerk culture, unread emails and weather sensationalism.

Thanks for being part of Kings of the North.

00:00 - Intro 
2:55 - Changing views of recruiting
39:10 - NIL and transfer portal opening doors
56:30 - Will the North win more titles?
1:08:20 - Can 2024 Ohio State be 2023 Michigan?
1:19:55 - Whatcha watching, eating, and thinking