College football just got flipped upside down after Indiana football won the College Football Playoff National Championship, and George Wrighster explains why the transfer portal and NIL era created the most unpredictable season ever. On this Unafraid Show live, George reacts to Indiana’s impossible run (beating Alabama football, Ohio State football, Oregon football, and Miami football), why parity is finally here, and why “blue-chip recruiting” isn’t the only championship formula anymore.
Then George dives into the biggest off-field story with massive on-field consequences: Duke football vs Darian Mensah. The star quarterback’s transfer portal saga has turned into a landmark NIL/contract lawsuit that could reshape how schools, collectives, and players operate moving forward. If contracts can be enforced, are players basically employees? If they can’t, how do programs protect roster stability when millions are involved? George breaks down why this case matters for the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the entire sport.
From there, George goes in on the way-too-early college football rankings and why SEC football keeps getting the benefit of the doubt despite recent College Football Playoff and bowl results. He also explains why the Big Ten is starting to look like the real “gauntlet” in modern college football—depth, coaching hires, and transfer portal efficiency across the league.
Finally, George calls out the College Football Playoff calendar as broken—national championship timing, portal windows, class registration, NFL Combine prep—and why pushing expansion to 24 teams would dilute the regular season. If you want the real, simple truth about where college football is headed after Indiana’s title and the portal chaos, this episode is for you.
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Day after the CFP: parity is here + Indiana wins the national championship
03:23 – How unlikely was Indiana? “Miracle on Ice” comparisons
07:07 – Indiana’s championship run: Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Miami
08:03 – Darian Mensah at Duke: why this transfer portal case is different
13:21 – Duke lawsuit + TRO attempt + why this becomes contract law
18:59 – NIL legal history: O’Bannon, Alston, House settlement + what’s next
21:54 – Way-too-early rankings: why SEC teams get overvalued again
25:55 – Big Ten is the new gauntlet: Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Penn State
28:27 – CFP calendar is broken: portal window, classes, NFL Combine prep
33:22 – Expansion debate: 16 vs 24 teams + why 24 is a terrible idea
37:00 – Final message + Unafraid Show schedule
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