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USC Trojans beat reporter for The Orange County Register Haley Sawyer visits the Jack Vita Show for the first installment of our three-part 2026 College Football season preview!
In part one, Haley and Jack discuss the biggest storylines heading into the 2026 season. First, they preview the Heisman race, chatting about the top ten players with the highest Heisman odds entering 2026. Will Arch Manning live up to his potential in his second year under center? Will Dante Moore's decision to return to Oregon result in him being the number one pick in the 2027 NFL Draft? Can Trinidad Chambliss improve from his stellar, surprising 2025 season?
Next, Haley and Jack discuss the battle for college supremacy between the Big Ten and the SEC. Which is the superior conference, at the top of the sport? The Big Ten opens the season with the top two teams in the AP preseason poll, no. 1 Ohio State and no. 2 Oregon. With Indiana at no. 6, the Big Ten makes up half of the top-six preseason teams. However, the SEC boasts six (Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, LSU) of the top 11 eleven teams. Which conference is stronger right now?
Later, Haley and Jack debate potential College Football Playoff expansion. Would they like to see a larger CFP field? Jack makes the case for a CFP expansion that would give each conference champion an automatic bid. Do they think playoff expansion is coming? Haley and Jack discuss.
Lastly, Haley and Jack share their favorite college football traditions, and talk about why they love this sport so much. All this, and much, much more, only on the Jack Vita Show!
Next week, we'll be releasing Haley's USC season preview, and Jack's top coaching storylines entering the season! Make sure you are subscribed to the show, so you don't miss it.
You can follow Haley on Instagram and TikTok, and follow her USC coverage all season long in The Orange County Register!

Los Angeles Times columnist Mirjam Swanson makes her Jack Vita Show debut, discussing the staying power of soccer in the United States, coming off a highly successful World Cup.
Jack caught World Cup fever and couldn't miss a game of this tournament, after years of neglecting soccer. Surely, he isn't the only born again soccer fan. So, what happens now? Where do all the new soccer fans go? Is soccer here to stay? Mirjam is here to talk all things World Cup, a day after Spain won its second World Cup in 17 years. Mirjam covered the World Cup this summer for the LA Times, where she recently started as a columnist, after many years spent with the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News and the Southern California News Group. Her work included a compelling column she wrote two weeks ago titled Trump’s World Cup meddling only made matters worse for rattled U.S. squad.
Mirjam and Jack discuss why they believe so many people caught World Cup fever, and what they think the staying power is for soccer. Should new soccer fans turn their attention to the MLS, or to European soccer?
Later, Mirjam and Jack chat Big Brother 2, with special guest, Big Brother 15 fan favorite and Amazing Race alum Elissa Reilly Slater! It's a fun episode that you will not want to miss!
You can follow Mirjam on Twitter (@MirjamSwanson) and find her work in the LA Times!

MLB Pipeline senior prospect and Draft analyst Jonathan Mayo visits the Jack Vita Show less than two weeks out from the 2026 MLB Draft!
He provides an updated look MLB Pipeline's latest mock draft, centered around the Chicago White Sox' critical decision at the top of the board which appears to be between UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Fort Worth Christian High School shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey. This, just two weeks after his colleague Jim Callis visited the show, proclaiming that he would take Emerson over Cholowsky if he had the number one pick.
A common question asked following last episode is why can't MLB teams trade draft picks? Should they be able to trade picks? Would it make for better entertainment? Jonathan shares why the trading of picks is currently not permitted, but that could change in the near future. He and Jack discuss whether teams should be able to trade picks or not. Could the MLB Draft become more like the NFL Draft?
Jonathan explains why he believes shortstops Cholowsky and Emerson top Lackey, a catcher. How much does their position matter, when it comes to drafting best available player? How much does organizational depth play a factor in a team's selection? Then, Jonathan and Jack take a look at the next grouping of players. Gulliver Prep (FL) High School shortstop Jacob Lombard, UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora and Oak Grove (MS) High School outfielder Eric Booth Jr. are regarded by MLB Pipeline as the fourth, fifth and sixth-best players, respectively, in this year's Draft. Jonathan puts them under the microscope.
The MLB Draft Combine took place last week, as well. Jonathan was on-hand for it. He shares some thoughts and takeaways from this year's Combine, which included the nephew of Barry Bonds, Rutgers outfielder Peyton Bonds, turning heads. All this, and much more, only on the Jack Vita Show!

MLB Pipeline Draft and prospect analyst Jim Callis returns to the Jack Vita Show to preview the 2026 MLB Draft and the 2026 College World Series!
Between 1989 and 2019, Jim attended all but one College World Series in Omaha. Due to other work obligations, he hasn't been back to Omaha since 2019. He will finally make his long-awaited return next week! A proud alumnus of the University of Georgia, Jim has enjoyed watching his Bulldogs play. The Bulldogs are hot off a thrilling Super-Regional victory over Mississippi State, but will have their work cut out against a deep Texas Longhorns team. But before setting the stage for the College World Series, Jack and Jim chat about the MLB Draft.
UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky entered the season as the consensus number one overall pick and has comfortably at the top of mock drafts, with the Chicago White Sox picking first for the first time since 1977. However, in recent weeks, Fort Worth Christian High School shortstop Grady Emerson and Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey have been gaining ground. Jim explains why he might take Emerson over Cholowsky, while many scouts believe Emerson has a higher ceiling than the 2025 Baseball America College Player of the Year does. Could the White Sox stun everybody and draft a catcher instead?
There have been recent rumors that the White Sox could pass on Cholowsky due to his financial demands. Jim debunks this, explaining that the White Sox will use the number one pick on whichever player they feel is the best in the Draft and the best fit for their organization.
Later, Jim and Jack chat about MLB Draft prospects to watch for in the College World Series, beginning Friday. Jack shares why North Carolina centerfielder Owen Hull caught his eye, and why he makes an interesting Draft prospect. Then, Jim and Jack preview the College World Series action, sharing their picks! It's a loaded episode you will NOT want to miss!

Baltimore Orioles beat reporter Matt Weyrich from The Baltimore Sun visits the Jack Vita Show to chat about the O's highly active offseason.
The Orioles are making quick work of the offseason. The club signed former New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract, the richest free agent deal in franchise history. The O's patched up their bullpen, inking closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal.
Baltimore has also been very active in the trade market. Last month, the club dealt promising young pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for outfielder Taylor Ward, in a rare, one-for-one trade. Then, the club turned around and acquired pitching, trading prospects Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Michael Forret, Austin Overn, and a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Shane Baz.
Matt is here to break it all down with Jack, discussing how the Alonso deal came to fruition, and how the O's lineup stacks up with him and Taylor Ward in it. Full transparency, this episode was taped before the Orioles acquired Baz, so Jack and Matt discuss how they expect the O's to address their starting pitching needs this winter. Can Orioles fans expect their team to add another high-profile starting pitcher before Spring Training?
Later, Matt celebrates his James Madison Dukes' playoff berth. Matt is a 2019 graduate of JMU and never thought he'd see the day that his school would be participating in the College Football Playoff. Matt and Jack talk about the College Football Playoff system, and discuss how things shook out this year. All this, and so much more, only on the Jack Vita Show!
You can follow Matt on Twitter, @ByMattWeyrich!

MLB Pipeline prospect analyst and reporter Jonathan Mayo visits the Jack Vita Show to recap the 2025 Arizona Fall League season.
Jonathan has worked at MLB.com since 1999, and is the author of the 2023 book Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars.
The Arizona Fall League just wrapped up its 33rd season, with the Surprise Saguaros winning their third championship in four years. Jonathan spent two weeks this fall in Arizona and got a good look at this year's crop of talent. Which players were he and Jack most impressed by? Was Kevin McGonigle, MLB Pipeline's no. 2 overall prospect, truly the best player competing in AFL this year? Who were some of the other best prospects that played in Arizona this fall?
Who were some of this year's under-the-radar prospects? Who were some guys who were not in the Top 100 coming into the AFL season, that had a nice showing in the desert, and might move into the next Top 100 rankings (coming in January)?
Lastly, how do the Surprise Saguaros keep doing it? What sets them apart from the rest of the league? The Saguaros have appeared in six straight AFL Championship games, and have won the Championship three times over the last four years. Are they the team of the 2020s?
Pick up a copy of Jonathan's book, Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars, and check out his new podcast, Something Worth Saving! You can follow him on Twitter (@JonathanMayo) and Instagram (@jonathanmayob3).

Our Seattle sports guy Mario Lanza (creator of the Funny 115, Survivor: Historian Podcast and Staff Picks Movie Podcast) returns to the Jack Vita Show to lament the end of the 2025 Seattle Mariners season, as the Mariners were eliminated from playoff contention last Monday night. Where did the M's go wrong, and what needs should they address this winter? Along the way, Mario and Jack preview the World Series and chat about trends from this year's postseason. Are teams bunting too much? Why is bunting such a struggle for so many players this time of year? Mario and Jack also discuss the lost art of contact hitting, and why players like Josh Naylor have become so valuable. What did Jack think of the Milwaukee Brewers raising an "L" flag, mocking the Chicago Cubs, after eliminating the Cubbies from the playoffs? Mario and Jack talk about why rivalries are great for the sport. All this, and so much more, only on the Jack Vita Show!

Dave Sims spent 18 seasons as the lead play-by-play broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners, calling M's games on both television and radio. Last winter, he accepted a new job, as the radio voice of the New York Yankees, having lived in New York for over 40 years. In his first year away from Seattle, the Mariners clinched their first trip to the American League Championship Series since their magical 2001 season.
Dave visits the Jack Vita Show to chat about the Mariners' historic playoff run, their chances in the ALCS against a potent Toronto Blue Jays team, his first season in the Bronx, why the Yankees came up short this year, and much more, as he and Jack recap the Division Series round of the postseason and look ahead to the ALCS and NLCS.
What does this Mariners team have that past teams didn't? Dave gives his assessment of the squad, and voices his support for a city that has been extremely meaningful to him. He also discusses what went wrong for the Yankees this postseason, and what needs they will need to address this winter. Does he see the team re-signing Bellinger, who plans to opt out of the final year of his contract?
Dave also grew up in Philadelphia and has been a Phillies fan his entire life. Dave shares his thoughts on the Phillies' early postseason exit, and reveals what course of action he expects the club to take as it faces critical decisions regarding the futures of seasoned veterans Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto and Ranger Suarez, all of whom are set to hit free agency. Dave shares some insider info regarding the prospect of Schwarber returning.
Later, Jack and Dave touch on the Milwaukee Brewers' NLDS victory over the Chicago Cubs, and preview the Brewers' showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. It's an episode you will NOT want to miss!
Follow Dave on Twitter (@davesims_) and Instagram (@tdss), and subscribe to his podcast, Hey Now! The Dave Sims Show, available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever podcasts are found.