Hour 3 - Stay Away!

September 17, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

It was a spider. During a press conference, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen lost his train of thought mid-answer because a spider crawled across the podium. The moment went viral, and on his late-night show, Ben Maller used it as the setup for his daily riddle, eventually revealing the answer: a small, non-deadly spider had spooked the NFL star. That oddball moment was the lightest thread in an hour otherwise devoted to the messy, unregulated state of modern football—college and pro alike.

Maller’s throughline for the hour was that the rules in football, particularly at the college level, have become a kind of theater: they are enforced selectively, admitted to only after the damage is done, and bent by the sheer weight of money. He walked through three distinct stories to make the case, each illustrating a different flavor of institutional failure.

The Players Stuck in the Terminal

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What you'll learn

1 Hour 3 - Stay Away! — Timestamped Outline
2 (05:02) **Episode Open & Topic Tease** - Ben Maller sets up three stories: NFL banning players who tried to return to college, NCAA admitting replay error in Michigan-Western Michigan, and six college programs nearing $50M payrolls
3 (08:14) **NFL Bans Players Who Left Camps for College** - The NFL sent a memo declaring Xavian Harris and Dequan Wright ineligible for the 2026 NFL season after they tried to transfer back to college following training camp releases
4 (14:30) **NCAA Admits Replay Error But Won't Change Result** - The NCAA confirmed replay protocols were not followed on Michigan's Hail Mary win over Western Michigan and that "the outcome would have been different" — yet refuses to overturn the result
5 (19:47) **Six College Programs at $50M Payrolls** - The Athletic reports Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, and Miami are spending near or above $50 million on player compensation
6 (25:01) **Maller Riddle of the Day** - Ben poses the riddle: Josh Allen lost his train of thought during a press conference because something "paid a visit"
7 (36:36) **Caller Segment: Steve in Manhattan** - A caller rambles about the Jets, Titans, Arch Manning, the 2027 draft, and AM radio legislation

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Ben Maller

Show Notes

Ben Maller discusses if Zxavian harris and Dae'Quan Wright were done dirty by Lane Kiffin and LSU, the NCAA's message on Western Michigan getting screwed by Michigan on the replay shenanigans, half a dozen power programs pushing $50 million payrolls, #AskBen, and much more!

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