Matt Vitzthum never set out to climb the coaching ladder. He just kept showing up and doing the work.

A Division III football player at Wartburg College, Vitzthum learned early that the game gives you far more than it asks in return. He stuck around after his playing days, sat quietly in the back of meeting rooms, and filled notebooks with lessons learned, absorbing everything he could.

Nearly two decades later, he's the head football coach at the University of South Dakota.

Vitzthum joins Seth Saunders to talk about the people and experiences that shaped his journey, the culture he's helping build in Vermillion, and what it takes to win in the unforgiving Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Along the way, they discuss the coaches who mentored him, the development of Yotes quarterback Austyn Modrzewski, the upcoming border rivalry matchup with North Dakota, and why consistency might be the most underrated quality in a leader.

But the conversation's most revealing moments come when the discussion moves away from football.

Coach Vitzthum reflects on what it means to be a husband, a father, and a mentor to young men - and the lessons he's learned about pursuing a career without losing sight of what matters at home.

It's a conversation about embracing the moment you're in, doing the work nobody sees, and understanding that the measure of a life extends well beyond the scoreboard.

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"
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Inquiries: seth@preferredwalkonshow.com

Walk-On grit. All-American film.

Is Notre Dame overrated? Can Indiana knock off Ohio State? And is anybody buying Texas as a top-10 team?

It's a PYA (Plant Yo' A**) Saturday on The Preferred Walk-On Show, and Seth and James are breaking down one of the most loaded college football slates of the season.

The fellas are making picks for Ohio State–Indiana, Notre Dame–BYU, Alabama–Tennessee, Georgia–Auburn, Florida–Texas, Missouri–Ole Miss, Wisconsin–UCLA, Oklahoma State–Houston and Mississippi State–LSU.

Plus, Indiana's undefeated run, Bob Chesney's turnaround at UCLA, JMU's move to the American, and three fantastic FCS matchups featuring South Dakota State-North Dakota, Idaho State-Weber State in the battle for the Train Bell Trophy, and Idaho and Montana for the Little Brown Stein.

And yes, we've got a best bet of the week. Seth has some strong feelings about Notre Dame laying 10.5 points in Provo.

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.

Saturday gave us another reminder that nothing in college football stays settled for long.

George Somerville of The College Chaps joins Seth for the first Sunday Walk-Through to unpack a weekend that reshaped the conversation around several teams.

Alabama walked into Starkville and overwhelmed one of the hottest stories in the sport, with Keelon Russell making his own case for the spotlight. Missouri brought Florida crashing back to earth with a dominant performance in Columbia. Kentucky erased a 17-point deficit at South Carolina before Will Stein put the game - and maybe Shane Beamer's time in Columbia — on ice with a two-point conversion in overtime.

The guys discuss whether Alabama should now be viewed as one of the very best teams in America, what Florida’s loss means for Jon Sumrall, why Missouri continues to be overlooked, and whether Shane Beamer is running out of runway at South Carolina.

Then it’s on to Minnesota, where P.J. Fleck and Minnesota reclaimed the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2014, before closing with an early look at next weekend’s heavyweight showdown between Georgia and Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Plus: the changing Big Ten picture, UCLA’s resurgence, Gunner Stockton’s next test and the problems Keelon Russell presents for Kirby Smart’s defense.

The Sunday Walk-Through: coffee on one side of the Atlantic, afternoon tea on the other, and college football everywhere in between.

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.

Follow George Somerville and The College Chaps for more interviews, analysis and college football coverage from across the pond.

The College Chaps
YouTube: The College Chaps
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Instagram: @TheCollegeChaps

George Somerville
X: @GeoSummerville
Instagram: @GeoSummerville

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.

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.

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.

College football is back — and so is James, back alongside Seth as The Preferred Walk-On Show kicks off its seventh season.

Before the first full Saturday of the season, we’re putting some early 2026 takes on tape: the teams nobody is talking about enough, potential conference disruptors, a Group of Six playoff sleeper and our picks for 10 of the most interesting games on the Week 0 slate.

Could Syracuse make noise in the ACC with a healthy Steve Angeli? Is Houston a legitimate Big 12 title contender under Willie Fritz? How dangerous could Missouri be with Austin Simmons? And could Navy actually find its way into the College Football Playoff?

Then, Week 0 picks, including:

🏈 William & Mary vs. Villanova
🏈 TCU vs. North Carolina in Dublin
🏈 San Jose State vs. USC
🏈 NC State vs. Virginia
🏈 Jacksonville State vs. North Dakota State
🏈 Monmouth vs. Tennessee Tech
🏈 Eastern Kentucky vs. Western Carolina
🏈 Stephen F. Austin vs. McNeese
🏈 Hawaii vs. Stanford
🏈 Memphis vs. UNLV

Plus: the Fran Brown factor at Syracuse, why Seth came away impressed with SMU at ACC Media Days, Willie Fritz’s rebuild at Houston, the FargoDome advantage, a little William & Mary homerism and why “Week Zero” deserves a much better name.

College football Saturdays are back.

And as Buck Showalter once said: the good old days are right now.

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.

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.

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.