Kings of the North College Football (THE Media LLC)

From Dylan Raiola at Nebraska to Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore at Oregon to Aidan Chiles at Michigan State, multiple Northern college football teams made major quarterback moves in the last few weeks. On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis draft the 10 biggest QB improvements in the North, adding in schools like Notre Dame, Syracuse, Indiana, Washington and Ohio State as well. Then it's on to the biggest impact recruiting classes in the North, including Oregon and Nebraska, and the move by Penn State to hire former Indiana head coach Tom Allen.
Sorry for the long break and thanks for joining Kings of the North.

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Rose Bowl is a tossup -- the Wolverines are favored by 1.5 points.

As Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dive into a preview on Kings of the North, the game should come down to one player -- Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.

The full breakdown hits every aspect of the game, though:
Alabama pass game vs. Michigan pass defense
Alabama run game vs. Michigan run defense
Michigan pass game vs. Alabama run defense
Michigan run game vs. Alabama run defense
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh vs. Alabama coach Nick Saban

What could prevent Michigan from winning this game and allowing the Wolverines to chase their first national title since 1997?

Find out on Kings of the North, as Doug and Bill wrap up by making their picks for the Rose Bowl.

00:00 - Intro
5:30 - Alabama Offense vs Michigan Defense
36:05 - Michigan Offense vs Alabama Defense
1:01:18 - Nick Saban vs Jim Harbaugh, Rose Bowl Picks

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No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Texas meet in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Sugar Bowl, and for some reason, the Longhorns are favored.

Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis find that curious on this Kings of the North, while anticipating that the Huskies passing attack led by Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan will have its way against Texas.

Can the Longhorns and quarterback Quinn Ewers keep up if it's a high-scoring game? Why is the perception of this game leaning toward the Longhorns then? The show starts there before getting into:

Washington pass game vs. Texas pass defense
Washington run game vs. Texas run defense
Texas pass game vs. Washington run defense
Texas run game vs. Washington run defense
Washington coach Kalen DeBoer vs. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian

Will the underdog Huskies stay undefeated? Doug and Bill make their picks for the Sugar Bowl to wrap up this Kings of the North.

00:00 - Intro and why is Texas the favorite
17:50 - Washington offense vs Texas Defense
40:11 - Texas passing offense vs Washington Defense
51:08 - Texas rushing offense vs Washington Defense, Sugar Bowl picks

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Michigan beat Alabama in overtime in the Rose Bowl, and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are here with instant reaction minutes after the huge win for the Wolverines.

Michigan showed there was nothing Alabama did that it couldn't match, and the Wolverines will now take their shot at a national title. A great defensive effort and clutch late drives from the offense pushed Jim Harbaugh and his team to its first playoff win.

Tell the world that Northern football can handle anything Southern football brings, and Doug and Bill get that point across on this postgame show after this College Football Playoff semifinal.

Washington beat Texas in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Sugar Bowl, but the Huskies almost lost their lead and had to hold on in the final seconds ... as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis talked and followed along for a game they thought was over.

Washington's aggression won out in the end, as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. put up over 400 passing yards in a brilliant performance. Both Bill and Doug predicted that would happen, and they talked about how the Huskies stayed undefeated, setting up a Northern showdown.

Washington vs. Michigan in the National Championship Game -- KOTN will preview that matchup multiple times in the week ahead.

For a discussion of the Wolverines, check out the Rose Bowl postgame show.

And listen here for how the Huskies stayed undefeated and on track for a title by besting the Longhorns.

Michigan and Washington will meet in the National Championship in Houston on Jan. 8. How did the Wolverines and Huskies build teams to get there?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dig into the roster building of Michigan and Washington and investigate how sustainable it is and how possible it is for other Northern programs.

They do that by focusing on 4 areas:
- High school recruiting ratings
- Experience
- Recruiting geography
- Using the transfer portal

1:04:30 - Then the guys draft the 10 most important people for the national title game, picking from Washington and Michigan players and coaches. 

Thanks for joining the Kings of the North, and come back Friday for a full matchup breakdown and title game picks from Doug and Bill.

Who will win the Northern College Football National Championship showdown between No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington on Monday night?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis make their picks for the title game in Houston.

But first, Doug runs through the matchups on all sides of the ball:

02:15 - Michigan and Washington ratings comparison
05:40 - Washington passing vs. Michigan pass defense
19:10 - Washington rushing vs. Michigan rush defense
28:40 - Michigan passing vs. Washington pass defense
33:52 - Michigan rushing vs. Washington rush defense
42:30 - Jim Harbaugh vs. Kalen DeBoer, plus special teams

Doug has three special areas of the game that he thinks could flip a close matchup. But when it comes to the full 60 minutes, there are two sides of the ball that will decide things.

Join the Kings of the North for this Northern breakdown!

The Michigan Wolverines beat the Washington Huskies 34-13 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship, finishing off a 15-0 season that is almost certainly the greatest season in 144 years of Michigan football.

On this postgame show on Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis break down everything from a Northern football perspective:

• The North winning just its third national title in the last 25 years
• Michigan's offensive execution and plan of offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore
• Michigan's defense keeping Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. off-balance
• The history of Northern champs and what this says to other teams in the North
• Michigan's roster building and excellent depth
• Washington's successful season and what's next for the Huskies
• The legacy and future of Jim Harbaugh, and how this season will be viewed inside and outside of Michigan after sign-stealing suspensions in a championship season

Thanks for joining Kings of the North, and we'll see you as the Northern football discussion continues into the offseason.

Alabama coach Nick Saban announced his retirement on Wednesday, and Doug Lesmerises jumped in with instant reaction about this Son of the North leaving a hole in the college football landscape.

• How much will Alabama fall off?
• How much does this close the gap for all Northern teams?
• Who's the next King of the South, and who's the next Alabama coach?
• Doug's Saban stories about recruiting and visiting the North

Thanks for joining this bonus edition of Kings of the North.

From Michael Penix Jr. and Blake Corum, from West Virginia to Colorado, from Marvin Harrison Jr. to Cooper DeJean, the best Northern college football teams, games and players are honored on this season wrap-up show on Kings of the North.

But first, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dive into the diabolical scheduling genius of Nick Saban, and the games vs. Northern teams that Alabama is scheduled to play without him.

Then it's onto Northern superlatives:
- Best Offense
- Best Defense
- Program on the Rise
- Most Improved
- Biggest Disappointment
- Best Win over the South
- Best Game
- Craziest Game
- Biggest Upset

Following that is the KOTN All-North Offensive and Defensive teams, with 26 players picked.

Then it's the Coach of the North and the King of the North (best player), with a look at who might have been Kings of the North over the last 50 years.

Thanks for joining the show.

00:00 - Intro and Nick Saban scheduling genius
18:21 - Northern superlative awards
52:19 - All-North Offensive team
1:00:22 - All-North Defensive team
1:10:17 - Coach of the North
1:30:20 - King of the North

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

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

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

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

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.

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.

Thanks for joining 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.
Thanks for joining 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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)

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Which college football teams are truly thinking about a national title in 2024? Which are aiming to make the playoff? Which could be playoff dark horses? Which are rebuilding, or happy to hope for a bowl?

From Georgia to Notre Dame, from Texas to Ohio State, from Ole Miss to Iowa State, on this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis break all 68 Power Conference teams into six tiers for this season. And, by luck, they wound up with a pretty even breakdown of the sport.

The six tiers and how many teams landed in them:
• Title contenders (5)
• Playoff contenders (11)
• Playoff dark horses (14)
• Bowl hopefuls (14)
• Rebuilding (14)
• Struggling (10)

Where does your favorite team fit? Doug and Bill categorize all 26 Northern teams, plus everyone in the South, from Florida and Texas A&M to Clemson and USC.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Which single college football player -- from Deshaun Watson to Manti Te'o to Aidan Hutchinson -- defined the tenures of their head coaches?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis look at 16 coaches from across college football -- 12 North and 4 South, 7 at their current school and 9 who moved on -- and pick one player for each of them that the coach couldn't live without.

Which players got coaches over the top for a title or playoff spot or 10-win season?
Which players changed their coaches' reputations?

Doug and Bill picked players for these 16 coaches at these schools:
• Nick Saban, Alabama
• Matt Campbell, Iowa State
• James Franklin, Penn State
• P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
• Kirby Smart, Georgia
• Jeff Brohm, Purdue
• Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
• Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
• Kyle Whittingham, Utah
• Urban Meyer, Ohio State
• Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
• Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
• Dabo Swinney, Clemson
• Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
• Chip Kelly, Oregon

Thanks for joining this episode of Kings of the North.

College football win total overs and unders are the topic of the day as Doug Lesmerises is joined by old friend and betting insider Tyler Shoemaker to discuss 10 college football bets for this season.

Doug also wraps up with news on quarterback recruiting, coaching rules and Blue-Chip Ratio. But thinking about the college football season through a gambling lens is the heart of the show.
That doesn't mean you have to bet or even like betting, because Shoemaker's analysis of the season is worth the time for anyone who likes college football.

So first up are five win total overs that Shoemaker likes -- including Notre Dame.
Then are five win total unders that he likes -- including Penn State.

Thanks as always for joining Kings of the North.

It's a final farewell to the Big Ten West and a look into a future with no college football divisions on this Kings of the North.

Scott Dochterman of The Athletic joins Doug Lesmerises to take a final look at the 10-year run of the Big Ten West: Why it was formed, why it went 0-10 in the Big Ten title game, and why its perception was even worse than its reality.
Without it, will teams like Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Northwestern be better off or worse off? Those questions are answered.

But first Doug runs through the full history of divisions in major college football, and how every major conference had a stronger division and a weaker division -- and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing
After Scott, Doug expresses a fear about the College Football Playoff committee with no divisions around.

And then Doug hands out his final awards for the Big Ten West's 10-year run:
• Best Player
• Best Quarterback
• Best Coach
• Best Win
• Best Team

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

The Big 12 Media Days kicked off in Las Vegas on Tuesday and Kings of the North was on the scene to talk Northern college football.

On this show, Doug Lesmerises brings you interviews from three Northern teams. In order, get ready for:

• Cincinnati punter Mason Fletcher (06:21)
• Iowa State receiver Jaylin Noel (15:36)
• Utah defensive tackle Junior Tafuna (21:45)
• Cincinnati running back Corey Kiner (26:49)
• Cincinnati right guard Luke Kandra (33:09)
• and Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham (39:50)

Check out the Kings of the North YouTube feed for live shows Tuesday and Wednesday night, and come back Wednesday for more interviews with Colorado, West Virginia and BYU.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

At Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas, on Day 2 Doug Lesmerises talked to West Virginia coach Neal Brown and quarterback Garrett Greene about the “reckless” quarterback play that could put the Mountaineers over the top this season.

The Colorado punter stopped by to talk punting for Coach Prime; and the conference chief marketing officer explained how Big 12 branding (hello Nelly and wrestling!) can help this chesty outlaw conference promote its football.

Also, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN talked Big 12 coaching futures and Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports discussed the league without Texas and Oklahoma.

• Garrett Greene (02:46)
• Neal Brown (07:06)
• Wyatt Milum (15:52)
• Adam Rittenberg (18:41)
• Mark Vassett (46:00)
• Tyrel Kirkham (53:23)
• Shehan Jeyarajah (1:09:06)

Thanks for joining Kings of the North from Las Vegas.

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart addressed reporters at SEC Media Days on Tuesday -- but why wasn't he asked about the repeated driving issues of Georgia players while the cameras were on him?

On this episode of Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis discuss the way Georgia football should be viewed for now -- as a rogue program.

The guys cover what Smart did say to reporters about driving problems when the cameras weren't on, the baseline of Georgia driving arrests in the last year-and-a-half, the way the media has handled Georgia's problems (often poorly) and why Smart should be compared to Urban Meyer and not Nick Saban.

Then they decide what Smart should do to try to fix the issue and how media and fans should view Georgia until this gets better.
There's also some talk of why Smart isn't at Nick Saban's level, why LSU's Brian Kelly wants to play in Ireland, and what SEC commissioner Greg Sankey thinks about the future of college football.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Alabama's Nick Saban leaves a hole in his sport as large as any sporting figure since Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls. With so much changing in college football, it's possible everyone is underestimating how big the Saban void will be.

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises is joined by guest Dan Wetzel of The College Football Enquirer to dig into Saban's legacy and examine whether anyone can replace him as the King of College Football (sorry Kirby Smart, it won't be easy as some are making it out to be.)
Doug and Dan discuss:

• Is Saban the greatest college football coach of all-time?
• Was Kalen DeBoer the right hire to replace him?
• How hard is Saban to replace?
• What’s the expected drop-off for Alabama?
• Which team could be next up to dominate like Alabama did for the last 15 years?

Then Doug and Bill Landis talk about the latest from SEC Media Days and what DeBoer and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had to say.

Thanks as always for joining Kings of the North. We'll stop talking about the South for a while -- we can't take it.

Ohio State was picked to beat Oregon for the Big Ten title, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Michigan cornerback Will Johnson were named the Big Ten preseason players of the year in a poll conducted by Kings of the North.

On this episode, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis reveal the choices of 33 voters from across the conference, and discuss their own picks for:

• The full predicted Big Ten standings, 1 through 18
• The Big Ten title game participants and champion
• The number of Big Ten teams predicted to make the College Football Playoff
• The voting for Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
• The voting for Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Get ready for even more KOTN coverage from Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis this week, and thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers head coaches sit down with Kings of the North on this episode, as players from Wisconsin and Illinois also stop by at Day 1 of Big Ten Media Day in Indianapolis.

Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis kick off the show with a discussion of how much juice the Big Ten brought to the Tuesday proceedings (not enough).

Then it's off to interviews with:

• Ohio State head coach Ryan Day on why he'll be the best head coach he's ever been. (15:05)
• Purdue head coach Ryan Walters pushing back on the Boilermakers picked to be last in the conference. (26:20)
• Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano explaining why this will be his last job, and not wanting Doug to share his Rutgers record prediction. (36:11)
• Wisconsin tackle Jack Nelson on how fired up Badgers fans are for the Week 3 home game against Alabama. (51:03)
• Illinois defensive players Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas explaining why they left Florida to play college football in the North. (58:20) - Seth, (1:03:23) - (Gabe)

Thanks for joining Kings of the North, and come back for more coverage the next two days from Big Ten Media Days.

Big Ten Media Days Day 2 brought another round of college football talk, including a focus on how much Penn State fans would embrace a spot in the 12-team playoff, or whether they'd only be frustrated if that bid wasn't followed by a win.

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis welcome several guests:

• Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins on maybe being the Big Ten's best defender and serving as the right-hand man for Hawkeyes' defensive coordinator Phil Parker. (05:22)
• Nebraska coach Matt Rhule on playing football in the snow and re-establishing the Cornhuskers standards. (11:00)
• Audrey Snyder of The Athletic discussing Penn State coach James Franklin saying the Nittany Lions are one of the few teams that could win 10 or 11 games and not please their fans. (15:40)
• Michigan State running back Nate Carter on a reset in East Lansing with new coach Jonathan Smith. (36:53)
• Nebraska center Ben Scott on helping freshman QB Dylan Raiola prepare for the season. (45:45)
• USC offensive lineman Jonah Monheim on looking like a Man of the North while playing in Southern California. (55:22)
• UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond on his roots at Michigan State and Ohio State helping to lead the Bruins into the Big Ten. (1:04:09)

Thanks for joining Kings of the North, and check back for another round of interviews from Day 3 of Big Ten Media Days, which will feature Michigan, Oregon and Washington, among others.

New Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork came from Texas A&M, so he knows both sides of North-South college football. 
In this Kings of the North, Bjork joins Doug Lesmerises to discuss life in the Big Ten compared to life in the SEC.
Is the Big Ten as aggressive as the SEC?
Bjork also talks about the future of college football and funding other sports.
He has an idea — the NFL could pay college football for serving as a de facto minor league.

That and more with one of the decision-makers in college sports on Kings of the North.

An Indiana lineman who gets told he looks like a plumber, a Maryland linebacker who wants to take our jobs, and a deep discussion about Michigan’s future are part of this Kings of the North from Day 3 of Big Ten Media Days.

Doug Lesmerises starts things off with a rant about Paul Finebaum’s comments on Penn State coach James Franklin.

And then Doug and Bill Landis interview:
• Indiana lineman Mike Katic (09:08)
• The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman about Michigan (20:18)
• Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson and Minnesota kicker Dragan Kesich together (36:31)
• Maryland linebacker Ruben Hyppolite (49:18)
• Washington safety Kamren Fabiculanan (1:01:19)
• Minnesota running back Darius Taylor (1:10:27)
• Michigan safety Makari Paige (1:16:31)
• Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (1:22:30)

It’s the last KOTN from Indy this week, so thanks as always for joining the show

The Kansas Jayhawks and the Kansas State Wildcats are officially joining The North, as on this episode, Kings of the North swells to 28 Power Conference college football teams.

Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis explain why they are adding these Kansas schools to the teams they will cover, and they reset the state of two rising football programs.
They are aided in that cause by several interviews with Jayhawks and Wildcats:

• Kansas State coach Chris Klieman (9:03)
• Kansas deputy athletic director Collin Sexton (33:11)
• Kansas State safety Marques Sigle (46:49)
• Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor (53:15)
• Kansas State announcer and former QB Stan Weber (1:09:10)

Then Doug and Bill wrap up with their desire to get to the Kansas-Kansas State game this year, and they look at other major Northern games those two will play against Illinois, West Virginia, Iowa State and others.

Welcome to Kansas and Kansas State and thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Oregon and Washington are moving from the West to the North with their shift from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, and on this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis talk about how the Ducks and Huskies will fit into their new realities.

To assist that conversation, they are joined by two guests: long-time Pac-12 analyst Yogi Roth, now a Big Ten Network announcer and the creator of a new media outlet called Y-Option; and Washington beat writer Andy Yamashita of the Seattle Times.

Yogi interview - (51:52)
Andy interview - (1:10:36)

But before that, Doug and Bill run through the start of preseason college football camps, hitting especially on the teams that got an early start to practice this week as they discuss Utah, Kansas, Wisconsin, Colorado, Michigan State, Rutgers, Illinois, Minnesota and Notre Dame.

Thanks as always for joining Kings of the North.

On this Kings of the North, the discussion about the latest Michigan news around the NCAA's look at Connor Stalions and alleged sign-stealing is on the minds of Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis. They believe the general debate around Michigan is all wrong and not focusing on the most important part of the story.

They dive into that, but first they have a few show announcements, a look at an unfortunate Notre Dame injury, some sophomore slumps at running back in the North, and Doug's visit to Penn State over the weekend.

Then it's a lot of Michigan and finally a look at the preseason coaches poll, which loves No. 1 Georgia much more than Doug and Bill think is appropriate.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Changes to how college football teams recruit players and build rosters are ahead, and Doug Lesmerises has inside info on the future of the sport after attending a personnel and recruiting conference with almost 700 staffers from college football in Nashville. 
That discussion includes an interview with Mark Pantoni, the general manager of Ohio State football.

But first, Doug looks at the energy of Nebraska football and the questions around Colorado football and what that might mean for their Week 2 matchup. 
How ready is Nebraska freshman QB Dylan Raiola? 
Why does everyone like to pile on Colorado? 
And what's the stat that proves Nebraska could make a major leap this season?
Plus the energy at Utah, the cool leather helmets at Illinois and more. 

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Betting on college football is part of the game now. So while some of you might be trying to enjoy it, maybe you want a little help.
Bets of the North is here to do that.

This weekly college football gambling show will hit every Friday morning with betting insider Tyler Shoemaker, and his proprietary T Shoe Index, joining Doug Lesmerises and adding some smart math to the football conversation.
But it’s fun. Betting on sports shouldn’t feel like homework.

On this first show. Doug and Tyler run through tips for making smart bets, including advice on parlays, player props, season win totals and betting on less popular teams.

So check this out and if you enjoy it (we think you will) join Doug and Tyler every week on Bets of the North.

Which college football freshmen in the North could get on the field in a big way in 2024? From Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith to Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola to Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa to Iowa punter Rhys Dakin, the North has plenty of young talent. 

On this episode of Kings of the North, Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises run through the best freshmen around. (02:30)

Then they list 10 things they love about the 2024 college football season, including hot seat Southern coaches, second-year quarterbacks and teams ready for their best seasons in 20 years. (36:30)

Then Brett Ciancia of Pick Six Previews joins the show to talk about overrated and underrated teams. (58:17)

Thanks as always for joining Kings of the North.

Who will win the Heisman Trophy? What outrageous events may happen this college football season? On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are ready to make some picks for the 2024 college football season, and Doug is wound up about it, starting with a draft of 10 Heisman Trophy candidates. Players from Penn State, Utah, Kansas, Ohio State, Oregon and Kansas State are among those who come off the board.

Then Doug and Bill make their official Heisman Trophy picks.
They follow that with three Outrageous Predictions on undefeated seasons, rushing touchdown records, Alabama's year, an ACC champ, a 2,000-yard receiving season and more.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

College football win total best bets are on the menu on Bets of the North with Doug Lesmerises and Tyler Shoemaker.

Each of them pick five win total over-unders, hitting teams like Notre Dame, Rutgers, Nebraska, Colorado, Syracuse and more — and disagreeing on Illinois.

Then it’s a Group of 5 best bet, a Dawg Mentality best bet, and a Cy-Hawk Super Combo.

Catch our college football betting show every Friday morning all season with Bets of the North on Kings of the North.

What college football quarterback matchups have you most excited this season? Something involving Texas' Quinn Ewers, maybe against Michigan, Oklahoma or Georgia?
A Big 12 showdown involving quarterbacks like West Virginia's Garrett Greene, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Kansas State's Avery Johnson or Utah's Cam Rising?
A Big Ten game with Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, Ohio State's Will Howard, Penn State's Drew Allar or Nebraska's Dylan Raiola?

On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis welcome guest Ari Wasserman for a draft of the 15 best QB matchups in college football -- and most of them are in the North.
Doug and Bill start the show with a rundown of all 28 quarterback situations in the North, and then Bill gives his Northern Power Rankings of Quarterbacks.

And then the guys end the show with Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking with apple pie cinnamon rolls, bad endings to great TV shows, the best way to podcast and more.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

From Michigan and Washington to Penn State and Oregon, from Syracuse and Cincinnati to Iowa State and Ohio State, record predictions for all 28 Northern power conference teams are locked down on this Kings of the North.

Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis mark down their records and reasonings, giving you an easy way to pat them on the back come December, or, more likely, call them out for being wrong.

• Notre Dame, the Northern ACC schools, and Oregon and Washington are up first
• Then it's the former Big Ten West schools
• Then the eight Northern teams in the Big 12
• Finally, the teams from the old Big Ten East

Thanks for joining Kings of the North, and see you for our new schedule of live shows, starting at noon on Monday.

Bets of the North finishes this show with a big announcement of how it will be betting this season. But first, Tyler Shoemaker and Doug Lesmerises talking betting early lines, watching line movement, and live betting.

Doug seems to understand it, but still loses money at it.
Among the early games where the guys check the lines and discuss whether making a bet now makes sense are Iowa State-Iowa, Nebraska-Colorado, Alabama-Wisconsin, Georgia-Alabama, Ohio State-Oregon, Kansas State-Colorado and Ohio State-Michigan.

Thanks for joining Bets of the North on Kings of the North and come back next Friday for best bets on real games in Week 1.

Kings of the North is fresh and live, as Northern college football from Ohio State and Oregon to Notre Dame and Syracuse to Utah and Michigan finds a home on KOTN.

Now going live five days a week, including Monday through Thursday at noon and Saturday at 11 PM, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis explain their 28 teams on this show. Who are they, and why are they? 
Then it's the 20 Most Important People for Northern football in 2024, and the 5 Southern Villains who could stand in the way of Northern football this season.

Tell a friend The North is here! Thanks for joining us on Kings of the North.

The Netflix documentary "Sign Stealer" about Connor Stalions and Michigan dropped on Tuesday, and Kings of the North welcomes one of the primary voices of that doc, Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, to the show to talk all about it.

Plus our KOTN All-North preseason team is revealed, we introduce our Overrated Southern Team of the Week segment, and experts covering West Virginia (Jeremy Phoenix of The Raspy Voice Kids), North Dakota State (Jeff Kolpack of Inforum.com) and Minnesota (Ryan Burns of 247sports.com) drop by to talk about the big games for those teams in Week 1.

Ohio State? Notre Dame? Kansas State? Utah? Penn State? Michigan? Georgia? Texas? College Football Playoff Picks will be revealed on this Kings of the North as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis each pick their 12-team bracket and their national champion.
Then Connor O'Gara from Saturday Down South joins to discuss North playoff contenders vs. South playoff contenders.
Plus news on quarterback battles and Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Top 4 CFP seeds (03:00)
• College football news (10:06)
• CFP 5-12 picks (32:00)
• CFP semifinals and championship picks (46:00)
• Connor O'Gara joins the show (52:05)
• Whatcha watching, eating, thinking (1:18:50)

College football Week 1 features 27 games involving Northern teams from the Kings of the North family, and Doug Lesmerises are previewing and picking all of them on this Thursday episode.
From Colorado-North Dakota State on Thursday night to Boston College-Florida State on Monday, to Notre Dame-Texas A&M, Michigan-Fresno State and more in between, the guys run through every single game and pick scores for their teams.
The Big Game Breakdown, a deeper dive into both sides of the ball, will be a part of this show every week, and for Week 1 that treatment goes to Penn State-West Virginia.
Plus Doug and Bill each pick a Northern quarterback and skill player for a weekly head-to-head Fantasy football competition.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Thursday and Friday games and picks (03:00)
• Big game breakdown of Penn State vs West Virginia (21:20)
• Saturday and Monday games and picks (55:25)
• Week 1 fantasy picks (1:38:30)

It's time to make a real money $500 college football bet on Bets of the North, and Doug Lesmerises and Tyler Shoemaker have zeroed in on their Week 1 target. The Plus Money Swing of the week looks to a West Coast Northern parlay, and TShoe and Doug suggest other best bets on a MAC team, a new quarterback and an old offseason favorite.

Thanks for joining Bets of the North on Kings of the North.

Penn State dominated West Virginia, Notre Dame pulled out a huge win over Texas A&M, Oregon had a weird night and close game as a 50-point favorite, Ohio State dealt with a slow start and some offensive line issues, and Michigan has lingering quarterback questions after a win over Fresno State.
All that is covered on KOTN Late Knight, as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis kick back and run through the biggest games in Northern football.
They also discuss ponies and what Playoff Quarterback shows they would greenlight as scripted shows.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North, and see you for a full live wrapup on Monday.

From Notre Dame and Penn State to Iowa and Pitt, from Purdue and Illinois to Maryland and Colorado, Week 1 brought plenty of stars and surprises for Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis to discuss on this episode of Kings of the North.
The guys will touch on every Northern team, and give their rankings of the top 11 1/2 teams in the country.

Thanks for joining Kings of the North, both new friends and old ones, as KOTN rolls into a second week of bringing you live college football talk five days a week from a Northern point of view

Chapters:
• Top 11.5 team rankings (07:30)
• Other college football news from week 1 (15:30)
• Categories of the week - team, player, most exciting game, etc (18:40)
• Doug's sword shopping experience (57:24)
• One thing from week 1 about each team (1:00:44)
• Five minutes about the group of 5 (1:26:00)
• What else you got? (1:30:40)

Boston College upset Florida State on Monday night, and after an offseason visit to BC, Kings of the North has a handle on that big Northern win. Plus, what's the right way to handle quarterbacks in the transfer portal? On this KOTN, Doug Lesmerises is joined by Dan Wetzel to talk out all the offseason QB movement and which teams got it right. Plus our Punt and Block of the Week, the Overrated Southern Team of the Week, and interviews on Syracuse's big chance, Notre Dame's playoff path and Northwestern's new stadium.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Dan Wetzel joins the show to talk about Boston College and transfer QB situations (01:50) and (18:22)
• Brent Axe of Syracuse.com interview (39:55)
• Matt Fortuna reporting on Notre Dame interview (56:53)
• Bill's block and punt of the week (1:13:40)
• Overrated southern team of the week (1:17:00)
• Matt Shelton reporting on Northwestern interview (1:22:40)

Michigan vs. Texas is the huge Week 2 showdown and Kings of the North dives into the Wolverines and the matchup in every way on this episode.
First, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis answer the big question -- are they anti-Michigan? They outline their five foundational thoughts on the Wolverines.
Then it's a huge Big Game Breakdown on Michigan-Texas on both sides of the ball.
Finally, Steven Godfrey of Split Zone Duo stops by to talk about the place Michigan and Texas hold in the sport when it comes to history, winning and money.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Are Doug and Bill anti-Michigan? (01:40)
• Bill's five feelings about Michigan (19:55)
• Doug's five feelings about Michigan (23:35)
• Texas vs Michigan breakdown (34:10)
• Steven Godfrey joins the show (1:02:10)

Huge college football games are all over the North this week, from Nebraska vs. Colorado to Iowa vs. Iowa State, from Cincinnati vs. Pitt to Illinois vs. Kansas, from Maryland vs. Michigan State to Texas vs. Michigan.
Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis preview and pick them all on this Kings of the North, including Big Game Breakdowns on the Cy-Hawk Showdown and Shedeur Sanders against Dylan Raiola.
Plus Syracuse-Georgia Tech, Boise State-Oregon, Kansas State-Tulane, BYU-SMU, Utah-Baylor, Northwestern-Duke and every other Northern game.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• First three game predictions (05:50)
• Iowa State vs Iowa big game breakdown (22:20)
• More game predictions starting with Texas vs Michigan (41:30)
• Colorado vs Nebraska big game breakdown (59:30)
• Final 11 game predictions (1:14:10)
• Week 2 fantasy picks (1:34:30)

After hitting a $500 bet on Notre Dame last week, Ohio State is the target this week for a $500 bet on Bets of the North.
Doug Lesmerises offers two other Best Bets and Tyler Shoemaker suggests four other Best Bets before they team up and agree on their big play on the Buckeyes. Then it's time for a four-team moneyline parlay featuring Nebraska, Kansas State and two teams in orange.
Join us every Friday morning for college football betting fun and advice on Bets of the North.

Notre Dame’s shocking loss to Northern Illinois threw the playoff picture in The North into turmoil. Michigan’s thumping at the hands of Texas showed the Wolverines exactly where they need to improve. And Pitt, Iowa State, Michigan State and Kansas State pulled out last-second wins.
Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dive into a wild day in Northern football on KOTN Late Knight.

How can Oregon and Michigan get back on track? How hard can Southern college football cram it? And what about winning plays made by teams like Iowa State, Illinois and BYU in Week 2?
On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis point out the best and most interesting parts of Northern college football in Week 2, and they drop another round of their Top 11.5 rankings.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Pitt fires their AD (01:50)
• Teams that changed our minds (04:50)
• South cram-o-meter (27:10)
• Weekly team categories (37:50)
• G5 Minutes (1:20:20)
• One thing about each team (1:26:20)
• Top 11.5 Rankings (1:39:25)

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard joins Kings of the North to talk about his first two games with the Buckeyes and the four years of ups and downs at Kansas State that brought him to this point.
Plus Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis rank the Top 10 running backs in The North.
But first, Doug and Dan Wetzel open the show talking Nebraska's 2-0 start and what might be ahead, Colorado's Travis Hunter and Boise State's Ashton Jeanty as Heisman Trophy candidates, and whether we need to think about Ole Miss.
Plus, the Block and Punt of the Week.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Dan Wetzel joins the show to talk about Nebraska (02:00), Ole Miss (20:10), and Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter heisman chances (24:13)
• Will Howard interview (33:15)
• Bill's punt and block of the week (58:02)
• Top first-year quarterback transfers (1:00:26)
• Top northern running back rankings (01:04:08)

Alabama is coming North for the first time in 13 years for a Saturday showdown at Wisconsin, and on this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by Adam Ritternberg of ESPN.com to discuss it.
Then Doug and Bill give the Tide and Badgers their Big Game Breakdown treatment. Syracuse receiver Trebor Pena also stops by for a visit, and Northern Illinois leads the discussion of whether the MAC could make the playoff.
Plus, a tailgate report talking to fans at West Virginia, and Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking to wrap things up.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Adam Rittenberg of ESPN joins to talk about Alabama (03:27), Wisconsin (16:40), and Northern Illinois (24:51)
• Trebor Pena, Syracuse wide receiver, joins KOTN (33:00)
• Alabama vs Wisconsin big game breakdown and picks (46:47)
• Tailgate report from the Penn State vs West Virginia game (01:09:30)
• Whatcha watching, eating, thinking (01:14:00)

From West Virginia-Pitt to Washington-Washington State, from Boston College-Missouri to Kansas State-Arizona, the best Northern college football games are previewed and picked on Kings of the North. Just as they do every Thursday, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis check in on every game involving one of their 28 Northern teams.
The Big Game Breakdown on this ep is Boston College at Missouri (check Wednesday's episode for the Alabama-Wisconsin breakdown.)
Special additions this week -- a Backyard Brawl preview with both Pitt and West Virginia fans talking trash to each other, and Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai stopping by for an interview after a career game last week rushing for 208 yards and three touchdowns.
Plus Doug and Bill fantasy football picks for the weekend.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• First five game predictions including Notre Dame vs Purdue, Arizona vs Kansas State, and two rivalry games (03:40)
• Backyard Brawl trash talk (33:20)
• Eli Holstein interview (36:31)
• Pitt vs Cincinnati Tailgate Report (48:15)
• Kyle Monangai interview (58:00)
• Big game breakdown of Boston College vs Missouri (1:15:22)
• Rest of the game predictions (1:26:45)
• Fantasy picks (01:40:50)

After a wins on Ohio State, Texas, Tennessee, Nebraska and Kansas State last week, Bets of the North is up more than $1,000 of real money from its $5,000 bankroll.
Doug Lesmerises and Tyler Shoemaker are back and ready to go 3-0 on their big money bets with an adjusted line parlay that might mean Doug is scared.
Plus some upsets and an announcement about the charity that this bankroll will benefit.
Come join the fun and maybe cash a bet or two on Bets of the North from Kings of the North.

Pitt won a thriller over West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl. Michigan got back on the winning side, but has serious QB questions. Wisconsin got blown out by Alabama. Notre Dame steamrolled Purdue. Cincinnati snatched the Victory Bell back from Miami (Ohio). 

It was another jam-packed Saturday of college football in the North. Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis break it all down on KOTN Late Knight.

The Georgia Bulldogs should have lost to Kentucky and don’t look like the No. 1 team in the country. While rolling out their Southern Cram-o-meter, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dig in on Georgia’s shortcoming.
Then it’s Northern teams of the week and teams that surprised us, including Kansas State, Indiana and Pitt. Is Kansas State the new Big 12 favorite?
Plus Top 11 1/2 rankings and a rundown of every Northern team. Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• South Cram-O-Meter (01:11)
• Top 11.5 Rankings (25:42)
• Teams that changed our mind and teams of the week (31:45)
• More weekly awards including player of the week (48:05)
• G5 Minutes focusing on Toledo (53:15)
• One thing from this week about the remaining 12 teams (1:14:45)

USC's game at Michigan on Saturday is a moment of truth for both teams -- maybe a last stand for the Wolverines in 2024, and a maybe a moment for the Trojans to plant their flag in the Big Ten.
Doug Lesmerises and Dan Wetzel talk that out. Plus Toledo coach Jason Candle visits after the Rocket's huge win at Mississippi State; Jeremy Werner breaks down how Illinois got to 3-0 and what the Illini must do to compete at Nebraska on Friday; and Doug runs through Northern news from Iowa to Syracuse.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• College football news around the North (01:30)
• Bill's kick and block of the week (12:32)
• Toledo head coach Jason Campbell interview (16:47)
• Dan Wetzel joins to talk about USC vs Michigan this weekend (32:00)
• Jeremy Werner interview (1:06:26)

Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, Texas’ Arch Manning, Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles, Kansas State’s Avery Johnson, Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava and Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold are among the first- and second-year players leading their teams at quarterback right now.
On this Kings of the North, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by Shehan Jeyarajah of CBSSports.com to draft the best young QBs based on what they should do in their college careers.
Then it’s a Would You Rather Wednesday as Doug and Bill look at Iowa State’s Matt Campbell approaching history and the all-time coaching wins leaders for all Northern schools, bacon crispness, North-South scheduling and Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse, Kansas and West Virginia in various scenarios.
Finally it’s Whatcha Watching, Eating and Thinking.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Drafting the 9 best young quarterbacks in college football with Shehan Jeyarajah (09:10)
• Would you rather Wednesday (45:22)
• Whatcha watching, eating, thinking (1:22:40)

Utah-Oklahoma State, with major implications in the Big 12 race, gets the Big Game Breakdown treatment from Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis on your Week 4 Picks and Previews show on Kings of the North.
The guys also dive into the Boston College-Michigan State Red Bandana game, Iowa-Minnesota fighting for Floyd of Rosedale, USC heading to Michigan for the first time in more than 60 years, Rutgers at Virginia Tech, and a Friday banger with Illinois at Nebraska.
Plus every other Northern game and more fantasy picks as the battle for the Dragon Statue continues.
Thanks for joining Kings of the North.

Chapters:
• Game predictions for the best 6 northern games this week (02:45)
• Big game breakdown of Utah at Oklahoma State (38:50)
• Final 14 game predictions (59:30)
• Fantasy picks (1:28:40)

At 3-0 on their $500 real money college football bets, Tyler Shoemaker and Doug Lesmerises arrive at a consensus while trying to go 4-0 and zero in on the Ohio Bobcats and Kentucky Wildcats this week on Bets of the North.
Plus TShoe loves a slate of underdogs, based on the early success of his numbers, and he puts four of them in his Best Bets.
Plus Doug's fat thumb made a bet he wasn't entirely sure about. But remember ... this show is ahead more than $1,600 after three weeks.

Thanks for joining Bets of the North on Kings of the North.