ODU football is back. After a 10-win season and a Cure Bowl championship, expectations around Old Dominion have changed, and Mike, Aaron, and Justice open the 2026 season asking what comes next. The O-line rebuild, a defense that could be one of the best in the Sun Belt, and Saturday's opener against Norfolk State are all on the table.

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What's In This Episode

The Offense Turnover Debate Justice and Mike go back and forth on just how alarming ODU's returning-production numbers really are, why the guys who "didn't start" might not be as unproven as the stat sheet suggests, and whether Quinn Henicle is actually a better fit for Kody Cook's offense than Colton Joseph was for last year's.
A New-Look Coaching Staff First impressions on the new offensive coordinator and o-line/receivers staff, and what their backgrounds could mean for how this offense actually looks on Saturdays.
The Defense Nobody's Talking About Aaron makes the case that continuity on defense, from a two-deep loaded with proven production to Blake Seiler staying on as coordinator, could make this one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt, or the Group of Six.
Norfolk State Scouting Report The crew unveils graphics on the Spartans' roster turnover, then spotlights the two Norfolk State players ODU fans need to know before kickoff.
Debuting: "Are We Allowed to Say This?" A brand-new segment where the guys put their names on the bold takes, including a hard number for how much ODU should beat Norfolk State by and where they land on the "anything less than nine wins is a disappointment" debate.
What's a Successful Season? Mike, Aaron, and Justice each set their own win-total bar for 2026, weigh in on the Sun Belt's best running back duo, and the gap between "sustained success" and "conference championship or bust" gets heated.
"We won 10 games last year. We can't go back down to just being a 5, 6 win team. We need to break through that and be like, alright, now we're seeing continued success." Mike, on where he sets the bar for 2026
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Plus: score predictions for Saturday, what the guys want to see (and definitely don't want to see) out of the offense against an FCS opponent, and a story from media day that says a lot about the culture Ricky Rahne has built in Norfolk. Norfolk State enters off a 56-0 win over Winston-Salem State, but the Monarchs have much bigger goals ahead.

"The defense has got a ton coming back. There's so much stability, and not just role players, but significant talent that's coming back, and I don't think that's being talked about enough." Aaron, on why the defense is the most underrated offseason storyline
Watch the full episode above, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. How many games do you have ODU winning in 2026, and what's your final score against Norfolk State? Let us know. More Monarchists Coverage

This episode is brought to you by the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation, with additional support from Brandon Johnson State Farm.