The season ends in Birmingham, but the offseason started early. In this episode, we recap Appalachian State’s Birmingham Bowl loss to Georgia Southern and break down how transfer portal timing and roster turnover shaped the game. We dive into the portal fallout, highlight notable departures, talk about key players sticking around, and break down the incoming transfers so far. We also look ahead to what this roster reset means as App State turns the page toward spring and the 2026 season.

College football is weird — and this bowl game proves it.

In this episode, we break down how Appalachian State and Georgia Southern — longtime Sun Belt rivals — ended up facing each other in the Birmingham Bowl. From the flukiness of modern bowl tie-ins to the first-ever neutral-site meeting in this rivalry, we explain why this matchup is anything but ordinary.

We revisit the regular-season showdown that Georgia Southern won 25–23, look at what decided that game, and apply those lessons to the bowl preview. We also provide important transfer portal context, including why several players entered the portal early and Coach Shawn Loggains’ stance on portal players remaining available for the bowl game.

It’s a rivalry that hijacked a bowl game — and we’re painting the full picture in Birmingham.

App State closes the season with a tough 30–29 loss to Arkansas State, ending the year at 5–7 and just short of bowl eligibility. In this episode, we break down the flow of the game, the offensive highlights, the big defensive performances, and the moments that made the difference. We talk through what stood out, what held App back, and why this young Mountaineer team still has plenty to build on heading into 2026. We also look ahead to the offseason, talk portal expectations, and discuss the next steps as App turns the page toward a new year.