The weekend edition of Sports IQ with Larry Smith delivers a wide-ranging look across the sports landscape — from NHL playoff races and Olympic hockey to NFL coaching trends and a powerful preview of an upcoming NBA conversation you won’t want to miss.

CBS Sports NHL writer Austin Nivison joins producer Tony Cordaro for a deep dive into the NHL at the halfway mark of the season. The conversation covers Team USA’s Olympic hockey roster, contenders and pretenders in both conferences, the resurgence of the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado’s dominance out west, Tampa Bay’s quiet return to elite form, and what moves could be coming at the NHL trade deadline.

Later in the show, Larry and Tony preview a special upcoming interview with longtime NBA executive Pete Babcock, whose new book Courts of Justice blends basketball history with civil rights and activism. Babcock shares remarkable, previously untold stories involving Red Auerbach, the integration of the NBA, and how basketball became a vehicle for social change — offering insight that left both hosts genuinely speechless.

The episode also breaks down:

• Major NFL coaching hires and the analytics behind offensive vs. defensive head coaches

• Conference Championship Weekend matchups and storylines

• Why experience still matters at quarterback in today’s NFL

• A Moment of Awe honoring LeBron James becoming the youngest player ever to reach 30,000 career points

The college basketball season is officially heating up, and today’s episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith dives straight into the heart of it.

Larry is joined by Brian Barnhart, the longtime voice of Illinois basketball, to preview one of the Big Ten’s biggest matchups of the season as the red-hot Illini head to Mackey Arena to face Purdue. With Illinois riding an eight-game win streak and dealing with key injuries, Barnhart breaks down what’s changed defensively, why this team is deeper than ever, and how they match up against the Boilermakers.

Later, Kevin Brockway of The Gainesville Sun joins the show to analyze the defending national champion Florida Gators, who have surged back into SEC contention after a rocky start. Brockway explains what clicked for Florida, how chemistry and experience are driving their recent run, and what lies ahead in a loaded SEC race — plus a look at major changes surrounding Gators football under new head coach John Summerall.

The episode also hits major headlines across sports, including:

• Nebraska’s stunning rise to the top of the Big Ten

• Ongoing NIL and legal battles reshaping college athletics

• NBA and NFL updates

• And a special Moment of Awe honoring Kobe Bryant’s iconic 81-point performance, one of the greatest individual nights in basketball history

Smart analysis, strong opinions, and the stories that matter — this is Sports IQ with Larry Smith.

Indiana football has officially entered the history books — and college sports may never look the same.

On this episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith, Larry is joined by Shannon Griffith of Hoosiers.com to break down Indiana’s stunning 16–0 national championship season, what it felt like inside Hard Rock Stadium, and why this title represents a true paradigm shift in college football. From NIL and the transfer portal to coaching culture and roster construction, Indiana’s rise may have rewritten the blueprint.

The show also dives head-first into the growing legal chaos in college athletics, including Duke’s lawsuit against quarterback DeMensa and Alabama big man Charles Bediako’s challenge to NCAA eligibility rules. Are contracts enforceable anymore? And is college sports heading toward total free agency?

Later, Michael Warren of Heavy.com joins Larry to preview NFL Conference Championship Weekend, breaking down Patriots–Broncos, Rams–Seahawks, coaching advantages, quarterback injuries, and why this Final Four feels refreshingly wide open.

Larry also delivers a pointed take on Mick Cronin’s postgame rant after UCLA’s win over Purdue, examines early preseason ranking bias, and wraps the show with a bizarre Moment of Awe involving a referee flop that has to be seen to be believed.

🏈 Topics Discussed in This Episode

• Indiana football’s 16–0 national championship run

• Why this may be the greatest turnaround story in modern sports

• NIL, the transfer portal, and roster age advantages

• Duke suing its own quarterback — what it means for contracts

• Alabama player suing NCAA over G-League eligibility

• Mick Cronin vs. the Big Ten: travel complaints unpacked

• NFL Conference Championship Weekend preview

• Coaching experience vs. momentum in the playoffs

• The changing power structure of college athletics

• Moment of Awe: A referee flop that stunned high school basketball

🎙 Sports IQ with Larry Smith
Smart conversations. Real insight. Beyond the buzzer.

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