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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A new era in sports is officially underway.

On today’s episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith, we examine how shifting power structures are redefining college football, college basketball, and the NBA — and why the old rules no longer apply.

We begin with one of the most stunning turnarounds in sports history as Indiana football completes a perfect season and wins a national championship, transforming a program long defined by losses into the sport’s newest standard-bearer. Larry and producer Tony Cordaro break down why this moment may represent a seismic shift in college football — and what it means for the Big Ten, the SEC, and the future of roster building in the NIL and portal era.

From there, we move to college basketball, where Wisconsin Badgers play-by-play voice Matt LePay joins the show to discuss the Badgers’ rise in a loaded Big Ten, the challenge of replacing legends, and how modern roster construction has reshaped the sport. LePay also explains why March success is defined by the second weekend — not just making the tournament.

In the NBA, CBS Sports writer Jasmyn Wimbish stops by to break down:

• LeBron James not being named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career

• The NBA’s changing of the guard and the league’s next generation of stars

• Detroit’s defensive dominance and Cade Cunningham’s rise

• Boston thriving without Jayson Tatum

• New York’s defensive collapse

• Why Oklahoma City remains the team to beat — despite recent stumbles

• Kevin Durant’s quiet climb up the all-time scoring list

We close with today’s Moment of Awe, spotlighting the first-ever 5-on-5 college basketball game, played in 1896 — a single decision that shaped the modern game forever.

Insightful. Historical. Forward-looking.

That’s Sports IQ.

On this MLK Day edition of Sports IQ with Larry Smith, the spotlight is on change — in college football, the NFL, and sports history itself.

Larry is joined by Matt Stevens of IlliniGuys for an in-depth breakdown of the college football transfer portal in the new “House Settlement” era. With NIL money rising instead of falling, Stevens explains why college football still operates as a free-market economy, why roster stability remains elusive, and what the next evolution of player contracts might look like. It’s a candid conversation about money, power, and the future of the sport.

The NFL takes center stage next as Tony Cordaro joins the show to unpack a stunning coaching carousel. With 10 head-coaching vacancies across the league, the guys explore why patience is disappearing, which franchises cycle through coaches the fastest, and how pressure to win now is reshaping the league.

Later, longtime television producer Steve Graham stops by to talk about his new book Lights, Camera, Murder. Graham shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories from decades in sports and entertainment television — including encounters with real-life crime that inspired his debut thriller.

The episode wraps with Larry’s Moment of Awe, honoring Willie O’Ree, who broke the NHL’s color barrier in 1958. Despite racial hatred and partial blindness, O’Ree changed hockey forever — and continues to serve as the league’s Diversity Ambassador more than six decades later.

From portal chaos to coaching history and true sports courage, this episode delivers perspective you won’t find in a box score.

🏈 Topics Discussed in This Episode

• The transfer portal after the House Settlement

• Why NIL money keeps climbing instead of stabilizing

• One-window vs. two-window portal debate

• NFL coaching turnover and franchise instability

• Teams with the most (and fewest) coaching changes in history

• Steve Graham’s career in sports & entertainment TV

• Lights, Camera, Murder — blending true crime with sports media

• Willie O’Ree’s historic impact on the NHL

  🌟 Moment of Awe

Willie O’Ree — the first Black player in NHL history, a Congressional Gold Medal recipient, and a lifelong ambassador for diversity in hockey.

College basketball takes center stage on today’s Sports IQ with Larry Smith as the spotlight shines on an unbeaten Nebraska program rewriting its own history.

Larry is joined by Ben Doody, Executive Editor of the Omaha World-Herald, to break down the Cornhuskers’ best start ever, why this run feels different, and what Nebraska’s rabid fan base is experiencing as national expectations rise. Can this team make a real March push—or even dream bigger?

Then, Purdue play-by-play voice Rob Blackman joins the show to explain why the preseason No. 1 Boilermakers are somehow flying under the radar despite elite consistency, a dominant frontcourt, and another Big Ten title chase. Plus, how Purdue is adjusting travel and preparation for its West Coast swing against USC and UCLA.

The episode wraps with NFL Divisional Round previews, as Larry and producer Tony Cordero break down the matchups, quarterback pressure points, and the teams most likely to punch tickets to the conference championships.

Finally, a jaw-dropping Moment of Awe: an Arizona high school player drops 100 points in a single game, evoking shades of Wilt—on a much smaller frame.

College hoops, NFL playoff intrigue, and a historic scoring night—all in one packed episode.

The improbable has become reality. Indiana and Miami — two programs from vastly different football worlds — meet Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium with a national championship on the line.

On this episode of Sports IQ, Larry Smith and the team break down everything you need to know heading into the College Football Playoff Championship, from on-field matchups to the deeper forces shaping modern college football.

Indiana enters as the No. 1 seed and favorite, powered by elite efficiency, discipline, and a postseason run that has stunned the sport. Miami, the No. 10 seed, arrives battle-tested, physical, and surging behind a balanced offense and postseason grit.

Larry is joined by two insiders who know these teams best:

• Shannon Griffith (Hoosiers.com) breaks down Indiana’s dominance, Fernando Mendoza’s historic efficiency, the Hoosiers’ trench play, and why this run has awakened one of the largest alumni bases in college sports.

• Adam Lichtenstein (Sun Sentinel) provides the Miami perspective — Carson Beck’s redemption arc, the Hurricanes’ punishing run game, and why controlling the line of scrimmage is Miami’s path to a title.

• Why Indiana’s playoff run may be one of the most efficient stretches in college football history

• How Miami’s physical identity and run game can neutralize explosive offenses

• The chess match in the trenches that could decide the title

• Alumni power, TV value, and why football remains the front porch of a university

• Transfer portal changes, NIL ripple effects, and why fewer players are entering the portal

• Major headlines from the NFL, college basketball, and the NBA

On this day in 1892, the rules of basketball were officially published — setting in motion a chain that leads from James Naismith to Kansas, to Dean Smith, and ultimately to Michael Jordan. A reminder of how sports history echoes forward in ways no one could have predicted.

📍 College Football Playoff Championship
🗓 Monday Night
🏟 Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, FL
📺 ESPN

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🔍 Inside the Championship Matchup🏈 What You’ll Hear in This Episode🌟 Moment of Awe

Vanderbilt is one of the final undefeated teams in Division I basketball — and it’s not a fluke. On this episode of Sports IQ with Larry Smith, we go inside the Commodores’ remarkable rise, break down Auburn’s ongoing rebuild across football and basketball, and unpack what’s really happening behind closed doors with the College Football Playoff expansion talks.

Larry and the crew are joined by Henry Oelhafen, Sports Editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler, to explain how Mark Byington’s coaching, transfer portal success, and elite backcourt play have vaulted Vandy into national contention. Later, Peter Rauterkus of AL.com joins the show to discuss Auburn’s coaching transition, portal-heavy roster rebuild, and the challenges of sustaining success in the SEC’s new era.

Plus, Larry revisits a 16-team College Football Playoff model he proposed nearly two decades ago — and why it might finally make sense in 2026 and beyond. From NIL chaos and transfer portal realities to WNBA labor negotiations and historic sports moments, it’s a packed episode you won’t want to miss.

🏀 Topics Discussed in This Episode

• Vanderbilt basketball’s undefeated start and national legitimacy

• SEC basketball power shifts and key upcoming matchups

• Mark Byington’s impact and transfer portal strategy at Vandy

• Auburn football’s coaching change and roster overhaul

• Transfer portal stress from the player and coach perspective

• Auburn basketball after Bruce Pearl’s sudden retirement

• WNBA players union moratorium and looming CBA implications

• Larry Smith’s 16-team College Football Playoff blueprint

• What CFP expansion could mean for conference titles and bowl games

• Moment of Awe: 75 years since the first-ever Pro Bowl at the LA Coliseum