The college football season is upon us. For those of you hungry for the sport, I have a great pregame snack.
Inside College Football on CBS Sports Network.
I caught the program for its Big Ten preview show and was thoroughly entertained and informed. The opening of the show was electric and eclectic, with video and sound from last year’s top teams in the conference. The open ended with a video montage of last year‘s national champion, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
This edition of Inside College Football was hosted by Adam Zucker alongside Aaron Taylor, Rick Neuheisel, Brian Jones, and Randy Cross. Taylor, Jones, and Neuheisel opened the proceedings by offering predictions and projections for the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) field in 2025.
I like the personality mix here. Zucker is a tremendous host, while Taylor and Jones bring excitement and a players’ feel to the broadcast. Neuheisel has been a player, coach, and commentator at the highest levels of college football for decades. His experience brings a conservative, old-school feel to the show, while Cross, the ex-San Francisco 49’er, offers a championship pedigree and deep commentary.
Starting at the Top of the Mountain
Seated in a slick studio, Zucker noted that the Big Ten Conference is looking for a three-peat in national championships, with Ohio State and Michigan winning the last two, respectively. Neuheisel noted that there are only five returning quarterbacks in the conference, while Jones talked about how Minnesota’s defense has been one of the best in the country over the past few years.
Following the chit-chat, Zucker threw to a feature on Ohio State, which included comments from head coach Ryan Day, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and linebacker Sonny Styles.
From the feature, the production team cut right to a graphic of Big Ten teams that have won back-to-back national titles. This feat has not been accomplished since the 1965 and 1966 Michigan State Spartans. In fact, only three Big Ten schools have ever done it, with Minnesota doing it twice and Michigan in that elite group.
Neuheisel said that the Buckeyes are still basking in championship glory but need to turn the corner to 2025, while Taylor added that Ohio State is moving from the hunter to the hunted. Jones pointed out that the team has two new coordinators and some inexperience on the offensive and defensive lines.
Inside College Football moves from one topic to another like a swift linebacker stalking his prey from the backfield. The chatter does not dwell endlessly on one team or subject. Neuheisel talked about how the Oregon Ducks will be a team to be reckoned with, not only in the Big Ten but nationwide. The crew dissected Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who played well, although sparingly, last year as Dillon Gabriel’s backup.
The Secret Is in the Sauce
The graphics on Inside College Football are outstanding. While the panel talked about the Ducks, a graphic showed that Oregon was just the second team since 2000 to beat Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State in the same season. When the conversation turned to the Michigan Wolverines, another graphic showed that last year, Michigan had more losses (5) than in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons combined (40–3). Jones pulled no punches, saying that the 2024 Michigan passing game was “just horrid.”
Across the board, the panelists on Inside College Football are direct, confident, and unafraid to voice strong views. This makes for exciting and interesting television.
Midway through the show, the quintet was joined by numbers cruncher Mackenzie Brooks. She talked about some numerical probabilities for Big Ten teams to make the CFP. Brooks had Ohio State with the best chance, followed by Penn State, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame.
Brooks is terrific, bringing some unique insight to her calculations. She had Notre Dame with a 68.2% chance to make the CFP but noted that if the Irish lose to Miami in the opening week on August 31, that 68.2% drops to 35%—interesting stuff. The presence of Brooks on the broadcast brings something different to the table and gets us away from the football dudes just talking ball.
With betting and fantasy such a colossal part of football these days, it is timely television for sure.
Neuheisel had some interesting comments on the University of Indiana and their chances for 2025. Last year, the Hoosiers had a sparkling season (11–2 overall, 8–1 Big Ten), but Neuheisel seemed doubtful that they could repeat such a performance in 2025. He did note that the team has an overall confidence that comes from head coach Curt Cignetti.
Moving to Illinois, a graphic showed that the team’s 10 wins last year tied a program record. Taylor said that the Illini have a tougher schedule this year but also bring depth, experience, and a culture that could lead them to success.
When the subject turned to Nebraska, a graphic showed that head coach Matt Rhule has a habit of making a big jump in record in his third season with a team. Rhule previously did this with Temple and Baylor. Over the past two seasons, Nebraska has been 12–13 under Rhule, so will they make a leap to double-digit wins in 2025? Jones answered by saying that the team has some holes to fill along the defensive line, but he does like their linebacking crew. Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola had 2,826 passing yards as a freshman last year, the most in program history for a first-year player.
The panel then talked about Rutgers, a club that scored 28.9 points per game last year and won seven games. That points-per-game total is their best since 2008. Still, the overall outlook for the Scarlet Knights was dim due to a brutal 2025 schedule. This rat-a-tat-tat movement from team to team defines the wonderful pacing of Inside College Football.
Marking Your Calendars
In the Save the Date segment, the panel looked at key 2025 games, including the Week 1 matchup of Texas traveling to Ohio State on August 30. While the panel opined, viewers saw pulsating video of both teams stacked with superstars, led by Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Other games to watch included Michigan at Oklahoma on September 6 and Iowa at Iowa State on that same date. As the show wound down, the Burning Questions segment offered some important queries for the upcoming season.
Inside College Football is a show for both casual fans and crazy fanatics. I give a lot of credit to Zucker. Like a wishbone offense quarterback, he can tote the ball and dish out perfect pitches to his cohorts. If you love all of the passion, pride, and pageantry inherent in the collegiate game, this is the program for you.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
