With Valentine's Day around the corner, we take a look at the 2025 storylines we secretly loved. Whether scrappy teams held things together with gum and chicken wire, coaches who turned programs around overnight, or the moments that didn't make national headlines, we talk through the things that got our hearts pumping. Think Wisconsin winning games with their punter as the leading passer, Houston quietly going 10-3, Arch Manning actually getting better when pundits left him for dead, and much more. In this episode, we share our own picks before opening it up to the Verballerhood, whose submissions cover everything from Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State to the absurdity of Lane Kiffin's move to LSU, Arkansas fans learning to love heartbreak, Indiana fans debating whether to protect their hearts or go all in on Curt Cignetti, and much more. Plus, a brief Super Bowl debrief, a Timothée Chalamet conversation, and the debut of Dan's bucket of wrenches. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro / Super Bowl recap6:27 - What we're doing today8:51 - Dan's "winning despite" teams (Duke, Mizzou, Minnesota, Wake Forest)10:58 - Steve Angeli and Syracuse's collapse without him13:34 - Wisconsin as a bucket of wrenches17:08 - Northwestern's what-could-have-been season19:21 - Jason Eck and New Mexico's nine-win season22:16 - Penn State's leaked Pat Kraft audio25:08 - Ty's Quick Hits: Mason Heinschel, Houston's quiet 10-3 season, Arch Manning actually got better29:29 - Dan's Quick Hits: Arizona's nasty defense, SMU's post-playoff rebuild, Double transfers31:51 - Kenny Dillingham staying at Arizona State35:15 - Arkansas tried37:20 - Indiana, Curt Cignetti, and protecting your heart44:19 - Fernando Mendoza's F-bomb and industry plant theory45:34 - Cal, the Wilcox era, and the Mendoza that got away46:56 - Lane Kiffin-LSU drama49:23 - Georgia ripping rivals' hearts out50:17 - North Texas's record-setting season51:38 - Player shoutouts: Jeremiyah Love, Ahmad Hardy, Jacob Rodriguez, Jayden Maiava53:40 - Quick fan hits: Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Oregon, Purdue57:34 - Ball State tried to be the worst57:47 - Florida State's first month58:26 - Rutgers' top-50 offense / Arizona retaining Seth Doege and Noah Fifita59:54 - ESPN cinematography and best broadcast productionSupport the show!: https://www.patreon.com/solidverbalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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