The Preferred Walk-On: The People's College Football Show

The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with featured co-host James Kehm, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Weekly previews, recaps, and conversations with the head coaches, coordinators, players and insiders shaping the season — plus the rivalries, characters, and traditions that make this sport singular. New episodes year-round. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Welcome to the Scout Team.

The Preferred Walk-On: The People's College Football Show is a news podcast hosted by Seth Saunders, with 259 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Seth Saunders hosts The Preferred Walk-On: The People's College Football Show, a news show with 259 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #261

  24-Team Playoff, Super Kamario vs. Alabama & Week 5 Picks

  Oct 2, 20261h 29m

  Is a 24-team College Football Playoff inevitable? And if expansion is coming, does anyone actually have a plan for what college football should look like when it gets here? Seth and James dive into the latest CFP expansion conversation, including automatic bids, the future of conference championship games, the G6, an FCS-style postseason model and the larger problem facing the sport: college football keeps changing, but its structure hasn’t caught up. Then the boys turn to the field after another wild weekend. Dylan Raiola delivers a breakout performance for Oregon, Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State continue their remarkable start, Florida suddenly looks dangerous, and Oklahoma State refuses to stay buried. From there, it’s time for the Week 5 board: Pitt at Virginia Tech Penn State at Northwestern Alabama at Mississippi State Ohio State at Iowa Florida at Missouri North Dakota State at Wyoming Oregon State at Colorado State Miami at Clemson PLUS, The People’s Division: South Dakota State at Illinois State Northern Arizona at Idaho State Youngstown State at Southern Illinois Also discussed: • Is a 24-team CFP actually good for college football? • Why guaranteed conference bids could create even more problems • Dylan Raiola’s breakout moment at Oregon • Kamario Taylor, Keelon Russell and a huge SEC quarterback matchup • Is Florida for real under Jon Sumrall? • Ohio State’s matchup advantage against Iowa • North Dakota State’s path to the College Football Playoff • Can the Pac-12 reclaim “power conference” status? • Jesse LeGree and Braden Atkinson powering Oregon State • The Battle of the Basins trophy • Why the Missouri Valley is the SEC of the FCS If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week. The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" Instagram — @preferredwalk_on TikTok — @preferredwalkon Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn X / Twitter — @PreferredWO Inquiries: seth@preferredwalkonshow.com Walk-On grit. All-American film.

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  Episode #260

  Texas Beats Ohio State… But Are We Buying Arch Manning? | Week 3 Picks

  Sep 16, 202649 min

  Texas somehow found a way. Seth and James open Week 3 by breaking down Texas’ comeback win over Ohio State - and why the final score doesn’t necessarily erase the questions surrounding Arch Manning. Did Ohio State get too conservative? Should Ryan Day have taken the points early? And what happens when Texas faces another elite defense? Then the guys try to figure out what exactly happened to Oregon in Stillwater. After escaping Boise State and falling to Oklahoma State, are the Ducks simply working through early-season growing pains - or did losing both coordinators create a bigger problem than expected? Plus: Michigan and Oklahoma’s offensive struggles, the latest wins for the People’s Division, Malachi Toney’s electric start at Miami, and picks for a loaded Week 3 slate. Games discussed: • Syracuse at Pitt • Miami at Wake Forest • Houston at Texas Tech • SMU at Louisville • North Carolina at Clemson • Mississippi State at South Carolina • LSU at Ole Miss If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week. The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" Instagram — @preferredwalk_on TikTok — @preferredwalkon Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn X / Twitter — @PreferredWO Inquiries: seth@preferredwalkonshow.com Walk-On grit. All-American film.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #258

  Chasing the Magic of College Football Saturdays with Josh Sims (@cfbtravelguy)

  Aug 18, 20261 hour

  What makes a great college football trip? For Josh Sims - better known as CFB Travel Guy - the game itself is only part of the answer. It’s arriving in town on Friday. Finding the restaurant that’s been serving fans for 70 years. Walking a campus for the first time. Seeing the traditions you grew up watching on television. Tailgating with people you’ve never met. And feeling the energy build until kickoff. Josh has crisscrossed the country chasing those experiences, and he joins Seth for a wide-ranging conversation about the places, people and traditions that make college football unlike any other sport. They talk about the surprising greatness of Pullman, Lubbock, Starkville and Raleigh; why Bloomington deserves a place among America’s best college towns; the appeal of MACtion and Big Sky Country; the intensity of Brawl of the Wild; and why experiencing Army–Navy in person completely changed Josh’s appreciation for the rivalry. They also get deep into the art of the college football road trip: scheduling, flights, hotels, points, multi-game weekends and the difference between simply attending a game and truly experiencing a college town. And because no proper road trip conversation is complete without food, Josh builds his ultimate college-town menu: from breakfast and barbecue to pizza, ice cream, breweries and 1:30 a.m. donuts. Most importantly, Josh explains why, for all the changes surrounding college football, the feeling that keeps people coming back remains the same. The traditions. The towns. The rivalries. The people. The magic of Saturday. This is college football beyond the box score. If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week. The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" Instagram — @preferredwalk_on TikTok — @preferredwalkon Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn X / Twitter — @PreferredWO Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available: Walk-On Partial Scholarship Full Ride Inquiries: seth@preferredwalkonshow.com Walk-On grit. All-American film.

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  Episode #257

  From Calling Games for Free to Calling SEC Football | Matt Schumacker

  Aug 2, 202634 min

  Matt Schumacker spent years envisioning himself calling college football in front of 80,000 fans. Now he gets to do it for real. The new lead play-by-play voice for SEC Network football joins The Preferred Walk-On Show to tell the story behind an 11-year climb through sports broadcasting, from calling minor league baseball for free and driving hours for $200 assignments to nearly leaving the profession altogether during COVID. Matt discusses the moments he wondered whether the opportunity would ever come, the role his wife and faith played in keeping him going, and why he became a believer in visualizing the life and career he wanted before they became reality. We also go behind the scenes of a major college football broadcast: the preparation fans never see, communicating with producers during live television, developing chemistry with Aaron Murray and Taylor Davis, and the responsibility that comes with telling the story of SEC football every Saturday. Plus, Matt shares what he learned participating in a mock College Football Playoff selection committee, his bucket-list college sports venues, his background as a college track athlete and, because this is college football, the best places to eat barbecue and best college-town fare. ⏰ CHAPTERS: 00:00 — Matt Schumacker joins the show 01:18 — St. Louis food, toasted ravioli & SEC food spots 05:28 — Matt's ultimate barbecue destination 08:28 — From college track athlete to broadcaster 10:33 — How fast is a 3:42 mile? 13:57 — The long road through sports broadcasting 14:44 — “When are you going to get a real job?” 15:39 — Calling games for free & driving eight hours for $200 16:00 — COVID, real estate & nearly leaving broadcasting 17:21 — Faith, family & believing before anyone else does 19:20 — Visualizing himself calling SEC football 20:32 — Getting the call from ESPN 22:18 — What fans don’t see during a live broadcast 24:22 — How broadcasters prepare for a game 25:18 — Working with Aaron Murray & Taylor Davis 28:08 — Inside the College Football Playoff selection room 31:37 — Three must-visit venues in college sports 37:07 — Matt’s advice to his younger self If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show . New episodes every week. The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" Instagram — @preferredwalk_on TikTok — @preferredwalkon Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn X / Twitter — @PreferredWO Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available: Walk-On Partial Scholarship Full Ride Inquiries: seth@preferredwalkonshow.com Walk-On grit. All-American film.

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  Episode #256

  Kerwin Bell: From Walk-On to SEC Player of the Year, Building Winners & Betting on Yourself

  Jul 23, 202623 min

  Western Carolina head football coach Kerwin Bell knows what it means to be overlooked. Bell arrived at the University of Florida as an eighth-string walk-on quarterback before climbing the depth chart, earning the starting job, and becoming the SEC Player of the Year. That journey launched a professional playing career and eventually a coaching career defined by explosive offenses, championships, player development, and a willingness to believe in players others might overlook. In this episode of The Preferred Walk-On Show , Bell joins Seth Saunders to discuss the mindset behind his remarkable journey and the lessons that continue to shape the way he leads Western Carolina. Bell explains why he believes luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation , how his own walk-on experience changed the way he evaluates and develops players, and why Western Carolina has awarded scholarships to numerous walk-ons who proved they could help the Catamounts win. Bell shares the characteristics he believes are essential to building winning programs—particularly his search for talented, high-character self-starters who are willing to work when nobody is watching. The conversation also explores Western Carolina’s “Live on the Edge” philosophy, the difference between simply making a roster and becoming an indispensable player, and why Bell believes the 2026 Catamounts have the depth and physicality to compete for a Southern Conference championship. ⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction and Coach Bell's Background 01:20 Rebuilding Belief at Western Carolina 03:08 Overcoming Being Overlooked in High School 05:13 Moments of Belonging and Confidence 08:39 Influence of Coach Spurrier and Offensive Philosophy 10:32 Building Winning Teams Across Levels 12:51 The Meaning of 'Load' and Playing Aggressively 14:09 From Walk-On to Scholarship Player 15:31 Excitement for the 2026 Season 17:06 Coach Bell's Impact on Players' Lives 19:42 Advice for the Final Game and Life Lessons 21:33 Supporting Western Carolina and Future Goals If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Preferred Walk-On Show for in-depth interviews with the coaches, players, and leaders shaping college football. New episodes every week. The Preferred Walk-On is the people's college football show. Hosted by Seth Saunders, with James Kehm joining as featured co-host, the show covers college football's full Division I landscape: every Power Four conference, every Group of Six matchup, and every corner of the FCS. Walk-On grit. All-American tape. Apple Podcasts & Spotify — search "The Preferred Walk-On Show" Instagram — @preferredwalk_on TikTok — @preferredwalkon Facebook — facebook.com/PreferredWalkOn X / Twitter — @PreferredWO Want to reach The Scout Team? Sponsorship packages available: Walk-On Partial Scholarship Full Ride Inquiries: seth@preferredwalkonshow.com Walk-On grit. All-American film.

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