Helium Boys: USC Alamo Bowl preview, Notre Dame rivalry ceases, DC rumors and ranking Pop Tarts

Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino return behind the microphones for another episode of the Helium Boys Podcast, a serious non-serious USC football podcast. The Helium Boys are back to preview the Trojans' bowl game matchup against TCU in San Antonio and look at a wide array of college football, and USC-specific, topics after USC and Notre Dame mutually announced the discontinuation of their rivalry and high-profile Big Ten programs hired big-time coaches. The episode opens with the Helium Boys staple 'Two-Minute Drill' that features Shotgun railing on both Notre Dame and USC for not being able to come to a resolution that would have resulted in the continuation of their 100-year old rivalry that has previously taken a global war or global pandemic to keep it from being played. The podcasters then dive into the bevy of comments left on Spotify, answering questions and then ultimately having the randomizer select a winner for a Trader Joes gift card. They then jump into a number of news items since the last Helium Boys episode, including the possibility of USC having to look for a new defensive coordinator soon. They also look at the continuously evolving 2026 roster, discussing the latest transfer portal losses, NFL departures, re-signings announced by USC and the last group of players that have not had their future endeavors revealed After a break, the podcasters dive into a preview of the Alamo Bowl matchup against the Christian Horned Frogs of Texas, including the key storylines, players and matchups before predicting why the Trojans will win and why they will lose. The podcast duo also answer your mailbag questions discussing trench play, Biletnikoff statistics and the most memorable moments of the 2025 season. After some 'Take It or Leave It' questions for Shotgun, the episode concludes with Chris and Shotgun ranking the Pop Tarts that were participants in the People's National Championship that is also known at the Pop Tarts Bowl.