May 13, 2021 • 41 mins
Colin goes all in on the release of the NFL regular season schedule and why there are 2 teams that clearly benefitted from the structure of their schedule. He explains why all signs are showing you Aaron Rodgers will stay with the Packers despite all the offseason drama. He also tells us which QB in the NFC should already be in the MVP spotlight. Plus, National Champion and former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops joins the show to talk about joining the Big Noon Kickoff Crew and previewing the college football season.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of Herd podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to
three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and FS one. Find your local station for The Herd
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. This
is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on
Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Thursday,
(00:28):
live in Los Angeles. This is the Herd wherever you
may be and however you may be listening iHeartRadio, Fox
Sports Radio and f S one. We got everybody from
Bob Stoops on the show today. Michael Vick will break
(00:49):
down the schedules. You know, Joy, twenty years ago, twenty
five years ago, when I started in this business, I
was way more into the Draft than everybody else was.
I was just obsessed about it to the point where
I've had people come up to me years later and like,
I liked the draft because you were so into it.
Not that I've led people to the draft, but I
(01:09):
was told I would talk about it February, in March
and April twenty years ago, and I also loved the schedule.
And I was mocked for years from making a big
deal out of the schedule, and now networks give the
whole night to the schedule. It absolutely matters who you
play when you play them. It absolutely Coaches will tell
(01:32):
you they look and where's the bye our offensive lines,
young where the worst pass rushes. So I last night
I sat there. It was candy. It was so much
fun for me. Well, you know you are your America's truthteller. Yeah,
you're an innovator, honestly, broker, Yeah, honest broker. You're ahead
of your time a little bit. Yeah, So the schedule matters.
(01:52):
Let's get past that. It of course matters. It absolutely
can change everything. And every year everybody's like, this is
the hardest schedule. This is the easiest schedule. And I
never understand that based on last year's winning percentage, teams
aren't the same. They get new coaches, they get new coordinators,
they get new players during the draft and free agency.
(02:14):
I never understand taking last year's winning percentages and then
going Okay, that's the Steelers have the toughest schedule. I
looked at the Steedler schedule. It's not the toughest schedule.
Not even think it's top five. I'll give you two
examples of what I consider easy schedules, and these are
both really talented teams. These are easy schedules, and I
(02:34):
both these teams have an over under nine and a
half wins. Let's take New England. So what does Bill
Belichick feast on young quarterbacks? Bill Belichick in his career
in New England eighty percent wins against quarterbacks in their
first or second year. Go look at their schedule. They
face six quarterbacks in their first or second year. Two
(02:58):
and the opener, then Zach Wilson a few weeks later,
Zach Wilson, Justin Herbert end of the year, Trevor Lawrence twa.
You could put down six and oho or five and one.
There also six other quarterbacks. Belichick's been running the same
defensive system forever. He's got it down in Stone. Six
other quarterbacks who have either a new coach or a
(03:21):
new system, the Saints, Houston, Carolina, Atlanta, Tennessee, and the
Colts with wins. So those guys aren't new quarterbacks, although
Belichick has owned a few of them. What they are though,
they got a brand new system. So twelve of the
seventeen games edge Belichick. Here's another thing. Belichick's best coach ever.
(03:42):
Six games this year against first time head coaches, huge edge, Belichick.
Those are games coaching can win. He's looking at that
young quarterbacks, first time head coaches. Folks, that is a
favorable schedule for New England nine and a half. I'll
(04:06):
take the over. What was the other schedule? I was
really interested in Cleveland. I thought Cleveland got a scheduling break.
Now Cleveland has to face Kansas City in Arrowhead Week one. No,
that's the worst team to play in the NFL Week
one Andy read off a bye Andy read in September.
They're gonna lose that. But if you look at the way,
because Cleveland has New England on the schedule, Green Bay
(04:27):
on the schedule, a tough division, Kansas City on the schedule,
So it could have been brutal, it's not. It works
in Cleveland's favor. So take the Kansas City game out
oh and one. I said they need to get they
have eight new defensive starters or nine, right, they need
a soft open to get those guys ready. Well after
Kansas City, dysfunctional, Houston and Chicago and Andy Dalton, then
(04:50):
Minnesota rebuilding, then a rookie head coach Brandon Staley. Then
they get Arizona, Denver at home, and Pittsburgh at home.
So after Kansas City, five of their next seven are
at home. They don't have to travel, don't have to
lose any time there, and a lot of these are
dysfunctional offenses. At the end of the year, we said,
they play back to back Ravens, but they get a
(05:12):
break there. They get at Baltimore by Baltimore, but Baltimore
doesn't get a bye in the second game. They face
the Steelers before that second Browns game, big edge Cleveland,
also the Raiders. We said, the Raiders are much tougher
to face in September and early October. They've been a
(05:34):
giant killer. They beat the Saint last year, they beat
the Chain, but they have died because they don't have
the depth. They've died post Thanksgiving. They get the Raiders
later in the year. So I look at that and
I think to myself, Yeah, Kansas City is just everybody.
Kansas City would beat everybody, including Tampa Bay in a
rematch to the Super Bowl with that rebuilt old line.
(05:54):
Kansas City Week one and narrowhead. You don't want any
part of that. After that, it's home games young coaches.
End of the year. They get a break and a
bye with Baltimore. They get the Raiders later than early.
And by the way, they also get Big Ben week seventeen.
Big Ben's and older quarterback. They're not as good late
(06:14):
as they are early, especially for a guy who's never,
you know, manicured his body like Tom Brady. So I
thought New England and Cleveland are nine and a half
win over under bets. I like the over on both.
I thought they both got a scheduling break. That's how
I rate schedules. All right, So here's the other story
(06:34):
yesterday that made news. And I think we're kind of
you know, sometimes everybody talks about hot takes. I always say,
I'm a wet blanket. I'm used these. I always feel
like I'm always like settled down. So let me do
a settle down here. Green Bay signs a one year
deal with Blake Bortles. Settled down. That's an indictment of
Jordan Love. That's all that is. That's telling you Aaron's older,
(06:57):
he's thirty seven, He's been hurt more than once. They're
just telling you Jordan Loves not ready. That's not telling
you Aaron Rodgers is leaving. The Packers only carry two
quarterbacks right now. They need a third. Aaron's older, he
gets hurt. That doesn't tell you Aaron Rodgers is leaving.
It's tell you Jordan Love. We don't think right now
is as good as Blake Bortles. That's the issue. By
(07:17):
the way, yesterday John Coon, former fullback for the Packers,
came out and reiterated, Aaron Rodgers Green Bay is fixable.
Why is that noteworthy? Because John and Aaron are boys,
and that is the third close friend slash ally of
(07:41):
Aaron Rodgers. James Jones, John Coon, aj Hawk on this
show have all used the word fixable. You think it's
a coincidence they're talking to Aaron. Also, the Packers schedule
came out. Five prime time games and six afternoon games
(08:02):
equals eleven total national TV games, more than Dallas leagues.
Oways know what's up. Remember when James Harden and the
Rockets weren't scheduled for Christmas? The league knew he's getting
traded for Tita talks to Silver. He's getting traded. The
league knows something here. They got they got a sense
that Aaron's not going anywhere. Listen, Aaron is trapped, and
(08:24):
I'm more of a ripped the band aid off guy.
If somebody didn't want to be with me, girl quarterback,
I'm out. There's a sea of people. But Aaron's trapped.
Green Bays owns his rights for three years. Where's he
gonna go. I'm gonna retire. I'll right go to Jeopardy.
You gotta stay out for three years. Also, trading Aaron
Rodgers would be a wildly splashy move. If I say
(08:45):
to you, what's the opposite of splashy in the NFL,
you would say Packers. There's no incentive to trade him
because you can't get anything in return. What's Denver gonna
give you, Teddy Bridgewater. So the green Bay roster is
a collection of some veteran players who are very expensive.
It's not a rebuild. It's that you got contracts, guys,
(09:06):
you gotta pay. It is not a rebuild. There's no
incentive to trade him. You have his rights. You've been
to back to back NFC championships. Three of Aaron's friends
are all using the exact word fixable. It's not a coincidence.
Here's what happened. Two weeks ago. The story leagues, he's
(09:27):
out of here. Humor got two weeks later all his friends.
That's fixable. You know what this is. It's human. Aaron
was humiliated on draft night a year ago, humiliated the
draft of Jordan Love. Aaron was pissed, so he waited.
One year. He fired back, and he said, I'm gonna
(09:52):
hurt you like you hurt me, and got real hot
and everybody talked about it. Two weeks later, Aaron's coming back.
It's human. You humiliate me. I'm I'll gonna forget. I'm
gonna humiliate you. What do they always say, I'll forgive.
I'm not gonna forget Aaron. Even his friends have acknowledged
(10:16):
he can be a little petty, a little bit of
a grudge holder. That's okay. A lot of people are.
It's okay, no reason not to like him. But the
NFL knows something. They got all these eleven games, National
TV games. His buddies are all used in the same word,
the Blake Bortles thing. Come on, that doesn't mean anything,
that's if anything. That's that's telling you they don't trust
(10:36):
Jordan Love. Right now, if Aaron got hurt, so I
wouldn't make I think everybody jumped to the conclusion he's gone,
and I think, no, no, no, folks, where's he gonna go?
I mean you, let's say you run the Green Bay Packers.
All of us think we're armchair gms. You run the Packers.
Would you trade him to Denver? Yeah? I would, who
(11:00):
if Jordan Love could play? But the Packers said two
days ago, quote he's a long way off unquote. The
Packers just acquired Blake Bortles, telling you he's a long
way off, unquote, Aaron's not going anywhere. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Easter
nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and
(11:24):
the iHeartRadio app seventeen for seventeen. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
are favored in every single game, a lot of them
eight and a half, nine and a half, six, seven
and a half, ten, six, five and a half, four
and a half seven, They're they're favored in every game.
They will not go undefeated. First of all, there's some
big trap games here. If you look at Tampa schedule.
(11:47):
Week three, they're at the Rams, by the way, that's
a minus one. That's the least they're favored in any game,
So that's a coin flip game. They also face the
Patriots at New England the next week, so they travel
all the way to La go back all the way
to Boston's, and then they come back and play Miami,
which feels a little bit. Miami's used to that lousy
(12:09):
humidity in September. That feels a little trappy to me.
So you've got the Rams on the West coast, then
it's Belichick, which you could overlook the Rams, and then
after the Rams and the Patriots. You don't think there
could be a little let down for Miami. Absolutely in Miami,
let's be honest. Defensively and special teams, you don't blow
them out. They're in against everybody. Later in the year,
(12:32):
they get the Colts on the road on a short week,
they play the Giants Monday night football, come back home,
travel short week, get the Colts on the road, that's
no day at the beach. Then they get Buffalo at home.
But in December. Again, that's a coin flip game. I
think Buffalo is one of the few teams that can
match up toe to toe with Tampa Bay So the
(12:53):
other thing to remember is load management. With seventeen games,
Bruce Arian tends to be very player friendly. You know
he's He's not Tom Thibodeaux. Okay, he's not gonna press
you every practice. It's very likely that Bruce Arians gives
they have receiver depth and defensive line depth. They're gonna
give tight end depth, linebacker depth. They're gonna give some
(13:16):
guys off weeks. You're not gonna have a full strength
Buccaneers team. Now, they're good enough to do that and
still win, but they're gonna give some people time off. Also,
Brady's old, not just quarterback old, he's old. He just
had knee surgery. So you know, Tom is there's no
you know Tom talked, I want to go seventeen and old.
(13:37):
There's a lot of things people say. I can tell
you this. You get old fast in life and in sports.
Peyton Manning got old fast. Like Peyton Manning went from
Super Bowl to oh hell, brock Osweiler is now starting
in Peyton's on the bench. Lebron this year has aged
(13:58):
very quickly, not just getting injured, coming back, getting injured again.
How many days is he gonna tell us he's gonna
play with a high ankle sprain, so you age very quickly.
Brady just had knee surgery. Brady gets dinged. There's enough
good pass rushes on this defense. You got you got
some Khalil Max, the Giants, Washington, Philadelphia, Aaron Donald, Colts
(14:21):
now have a very good pass rush. The Saints. There's
a lot of pass rushes here. By the way, the
Jets defensive lines of strength of their team Miami. So
I just I don't buy seventeen to no. I think
that Rams Patriots Dolphins three game stretch. Nobody's going three
and oh on that. I just thought, I don't see
anybody going three and oh. And remember a lot of
(14:44):
what Tampa was last year. They were trying to find
their way until they got lucky at the end of
the year and played Atlanta a couple times. In Detroit,
they got their mojo going, and then green Bay made
a really bad coaching air. Green Bay had them on
the ropes in Lambeau, and then they got another break
because Fisher got hurt and the Chief's offensive line was
missing both tackles. I'm not saying this is not the
(15:05):
best team in football, but they're not the seventy five Steelers.
This is not the seventy This is not the ninety
five Nebraska Cornhuskers. Literally, their backups were better than everybody.
This has an old, old quarterback coach who would be
more than willing to give some guys some Sundays off
for Monday's off. I think this is going to be
a nice thirteen fourteen win team. Be sure to catch
(15:27):
live editions of The Herd weekdays and nun Easter nine
am Pacific. I've been very lucky in my career. I've
had mostly really good bosses and I've gotten really good support,
and that's really really important, you know, like all of us,
you know, we get some breaks in life, and I've
had mostly good breaks with the companies, the management. I've
(15:48):
had a lot of stability I've had. I had one
brief two year time in Tampa with an organization that
was very chaotic newsroom. Nobody's fault, they had changed ownerships.
It was just it was a tire fire. And by
the way, that that was the two years where I struggled.
And I even said with Odell Beckham, who I like
when Odell didn't have chaos in his life. Odell Beckham
(16:10):
has been great, but he goes to Cleveland and of
New York without Coughlin. At LSU didn't have problems. And
I'm problems at all, and I'm problems with Coughlin early,
and I want the problem. He's somebody that he doesn't
like chaos and I and so I always try to say, listen, dude,
you've been lucky. I've been lucky about that stuff. And
I mean, here's a prime example, Dak Prescott. And I
(16:30):
like Dak. He inherited the best offensive line in football, Zeke,
the biggest brand and an offensive coach Jason Garrett who'd
quarterback in the NFL. Matt Stafford. Matt Stafford inherits the
worst franchise not named the Cleveland Browns. The Lions got
Jim Schwartz, a defensive coach with a terrible offensive line
(16:53):
and no running game. I think Matt Stafford's more talented
than Dak Prescott, so does every GM. Even Stephen Jones
knows it. I don't resent what Dack's done, but he
made one hundred and seven million dollars last year. Dack
did he didn't even play Munch the Cowboys, the old line, Zeke,
Jerry Middle of the country, America's brand. That's a break.
(17:15):
He got a good break. Matt Stafford, super talented, could
not have gotten o worse situation. So Matt Stafford has
been invisible for twelve years in Detroit except Thanksgiving. I
mean literally invisible. What's fascinating is Matt Stafford. Now look
at this RAM schedule Bears, NBC National TV. Two weeks later, Buccaneers.
(17:41):
My guess is it's on Fox, America's Game of the Week.
Two weeks later, Arizona Fox, Amazon five twenty Game of
the Week. Start looking at this NBC Monday Night Football, Niners,
Green Bay Packers, Fox at Arizona that's an ESPN Monday
Night Football, Seahawks, Fox. That'll be that'll end up being
in America's Game of the Week. I would imagine at Baltimore,
(18:03):
San Francisco. Those are ten National TV games from Att Stafford.
This is very Kevin Garnett. Kevin Garnett was great. We
didn't talk about him for ten years in Minnesota. He
goes to Boston. He was the most discussed big in
the game for five years. Every playoff game we were
all glued on that. Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett Rayal Kevin
(18:24):
had always been great, but he ended up in Minnesota.
And that's where I feel for pro athletes. I know,
I know, I know they're all rich blah blah blah,
but God, some guys get breaked. I mean, Dak I
love him, but he inherited three Hall of famers on
the offensive line in their prime in Zeke, and a
coach who had been a quarterback. And by the way,
an owner who loves offensive players. Jerry loves offense. I'll
(18:48):
get it. More weapons. Matt Stafford goes to Detroit and
they can't. I mean, nothing works defensive coach, battle line,
no running game. Listen, Mike Trout is great, but he's
invisible with the Angels. What if Mike Trout was with
the Yankees and had a Hall of Famer hitting behind him,
(19:09):
you couldn't throw him off speed. And by the way,
when Mike Trout comes up in for the second, third,
fourth time, there's runners on basse because the Yankees have
bought all stars. I mean, if you ever think about
Mike Trout's numbers, if he was in New York and
he had Hall of famers behind him, more guys on bass.
I mean, Mike Trout is as he's I don't think
he's won a playoff series. I mean, so again, Mike
(19:33):
Trout's great, How great could he be? Matt Stafford's talented,
but good God, he gets a culture upgrade, a coach upgrade,
an OH line upgrade, a receiver upgrade. Cam akers are
running back upgrade. Now the division's tougher. But you'd take that.
I mean it's it's I'm not an MVP guy. I
hate talking about that. But not only will Matt be good,
(19:54):
the story's good. Like the Kevin Garnett to the Celtics,
that was a great story. It's like this dude does
deserves Ray Allen, doc Rivers, Paul Pearce Rod. He has
earned that. I'm not a big believer in you deserve stuff.
You got to earn it. Kevin Garnett had earned the
right to be on a notable franchise. Matt Stafford's earned
(20:14):
the right. He got a nothing sandwich, and I think
he's gonna have a terrific year. One more Herd. The
Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live
or on demand whenever you like, Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
(20:36):
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sportspod pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire
gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
(20:57):
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're
a good team like Buffalo or Tampa, Kansas City, you're
gonna win a bunch of games. And then there's the
bad teams that aren't gonna win any And then there's
those teams that we know are competent. They're absolutely I'll
give you three of them. Miami, the Chargers in Dallas
are all I think talented enough to be playoff teams.
(21:19):
That's where the schedule can subtract a game or at
a game, And I want to talk Miami Chargers Cowboys.
I all thought they got a little tough break. So
let's start with Miami. Brian Flores and is trying to
tell everybody Two is the guy. Even though multiple Dolphin
players leaked to the Miami Herald last year. We don't
(21:40):
think he's the guy. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked much more athletic.
Look at the first ten weeks of you got two
of six feet tall, not a big arm, not specially mobile.
You open at Cam six six to six seven, Josh
Allen at Derek car at six five, Carson Wentz, at
(22:02):
Tom Brady, at Trevor Lawrence MVP, Matt Ryan, at Josh Allen,
DeShawn Watson, Lamar Jackson. They are a whole bunch of
special in there, big athletic, great rings, MVPs, and you're
selling that locker room well, I mean two and doesn't
have a big ar, I mean, not especially mobile, but
(22:25):
he is he This is our guy. You can't fool players.
That is a There is no schedule in the NFL
that has more superstar talented level. I mean, you've got
six guys six six six, five six four, Tom Brady, MVP,
Lamar Jackson's the fastest player in the league at his position,
DeShawn Watson. It is nothing but special. For ten weeks
(22:48):
in a tougher division now selling him too is the guy.
I'm just saying, you can. You can try to fool
the press, and a lot of times you'll fool the pression.
I got fool the players. It's not a great break
for Miami schedule, and I like them the Chargers. I
like the Chargers too. A lot of people think they're
a underdog, dark horse super Bowl team. They have a
(23:09):
rookie head coach. Okay, let's go look one, two, three,
four or five six out the first seven weeks they faced.
Ron Rivera been to a super Bowl. Mike McCarthy been
to a Super Bowl. Andy Reid won a Super Bowl,
John Gruden won a Super Bowl, John Harball won a
Super Bowl. Bill Belichick won a bunch of them. That
(23:32):
is a big ask. Brandon Staley has been in the
NFL coaching in total four years in a tough division.
He opens with Belichick, Andy Reid, Gruden, McCarthy, Ron Rivera,
and John Harball. That ain't a break. That is a
(23:53):
I mean, that's walking into the octagon and getting you know,
Connor McGregor in his prime. And then look at Dallas's schedule. Fascinating.
I've said before Dallas this year spent all their draft
capital on defense, as they should next year. It's pretty
easy they're going to spend it on the old line.
It's getting old. Old lines that are old are generally
(24:13):
fine in September and October. The question is are they
healthy late? Look at Dallas's last six games, six good
pass rushes at the Saints, at Washington, at the Giants, Washington,
Arizona brought in JJ with Chandler Jones. Philadelphia. Say what
you want about Philadelphia. They were a mess last year.
The front seven wasn't is That is six big boy
(24:38):
pass rushes. And again I don't mind that they opened
at Tampa and at the Chargers. Those are great pass rushes.
But Tyron Smith's gonna be healthy. He's gonna be upright.
I do worry about Dallas end of the year old
offensive line, which they did not really truly address this year.
What's that old line look like? Is Dak running for
(24:59):
his So it's fun. Be sure to catch live editions
of the Herd weekdays in noon Easter nine am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app
the Jets and Carolina So we know this to be true.
Joy is that we know what u's do tomorrow's headlines today,
kind of predicting what the headlines will be. But you know,
(25:23):
in big cities like you know, New York, the headline,
they got five newspapers, The New York Post, the Times,
the Daily News. Very interesting on the Jets and Carolina.
So Sam Donald goes to the Jets and they replace
him with the next young stars, Zach Wilson, and we
ship Sam off. Well. The NFL puts him right up
(25:44):
against each other week one, very smart. This game may
not mean anything, be marketable at all in week eight,
five nine, but they have Sam at home. They're favored
by three and a half over Zach Wilson. So let's
say they win. Let's say Sam Donald's got them or
experienced by a year head coach. Actually, I will say this,
Caroline's got some good offensive weapons to Behabbard, Christian McCaffrey
(26:06):
running backs. So let's say they win it. Well, Carolina,
then get Sam Darnold. Actually, if they can win that opener,
Saints at home starting a new quarterback. Texans dysfunction, bad
cowboy defense, Philadelphia's rebuilding, Minnesota's rebuilding. It's a lot of
bad defenses. Daniel Jones, a young quarterback, Jalen Hurts, a
(26:28):
young quarterback. Atlanta Falcons are rebuilding. Sam Darnold wins that opener.
It is two months of bad defenses rebuilding in young quarterbacks.
Zach Wilson, Okay, the new kid. Let's say he loses
on the road. Look at his schedule, Look at the
defensive coaches he faces. He then faces Belichick into Vic Fangio,
(26:53):
into Mike Vrabel, into a London game, into Belichick, Sean McDermott,
Brian Flores. That is a gauntlet of some of the
best defensive coaches in the NFL. So just to give
you you know, you know the headline. We always say
the headline will be Darnald. Darn Good is going to
(27:16):
be the headline by about week seven or eight, Sam Darnold,
if he can win that home opener against him, he
gets a huge scheduling bake of break rebuilding defenses, young quarterbacks,
dysfunctional team. Zach Wilson is some of the best defensive coaches,
one after another after another with a rookie head coach.
(27:37):
So you can see that story by October being like
Jets may have made a little mistake here doesn't mean
they did, but you can see a story developing. It
really plays into Darnold's favor early and does not plan
to Zach Wilson and the Jets favor early. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd week dayson noun
(27:58):
Easter nine an emphasis back, how lucky are we? Eighteen
years at Oklahoma, national champion, at ten time Big twelve
coach of the year, one of the great I mean
really top four or five coaches last twenty five years
in college football. He'd be embarrassed by that because he's
a humble guy. Bob Stoops, who's the newest member of
the Big Noon kickoff team Urban Meyer was here. He'd
gone big shoes to fill. But that's why we went
(28:20):
out and got Bob Stoops. It is great to see you.
When your name came up before, I don't know how
far the negotiations were, and you know, they said, well,
what do you what do you make And I said, well,
I think Stoops should go into coaching still. I think
he's got ten years left to coach. And they said,
you know, he may work at Fox, and I thought,
we're gonna get Bob Stoops. So it's great to have
(28:41):
her as part of the team. I appreciate it. Calling.
I'm really looking forward to Big Noons Saturday, working with
the team, working here at Fox. It's been been awesome
with a great team and what great camaraderie already. And
but I'm a little concerned that they brought me on
your show to argue about bread Baker Mayfield, and I
don't I don't think I'm the right guy for you
(29:02):
to beat the Darcue Baker Mayfield about now. He's gonna
do fine, by the way he's got He's gonna do
fine this year. It is interesting. Um, we'll get into
some of the you know, Oklahoma when you were there,
put a lot of guys in the NFL. Similarly they
do it with Lincoln Riley, and a lot of times
a legend leaves almost always and you never find the replacement.
(29:25):
I mean, it's almost a guarantee you can never a play.
I mean, Alabama's gonna have their hands full. And then
you guys get Lincoln Riley. And it almost felt like
to me, because you're you were so selfless that you
could have kept going, but you thought to yourself, I
found the guy. This is perfect. That's what it felt
like to me. No, it's truly that way. I'm you know,
(29:46):
I've always said I wasn't going to be a lifer.
I wasn't going to coach till I wasn't going to
coach till I was old. I guess I'm old, though.
But in the end, I knew the right guy was
there in all the right way. He's just the person,
the man that he is, family man that he is,
the leadership qualities, the way he connected with players. I
(30:09):
just knew this was perfect. That I could step out,
and it would have killed me to have hurt the program.
But I knew if I could step out in the
saint they could continue on in the same manner and
hopefully make improvements. That this is the right time. And
I knew there was strong structure around him that was
still remained in place. Great a d president. Yeah, so
(30:30):
that's why that's and I just thought, you know, I
don't want to miss the right moment. And it was perfect.
And Lincoln's doing a great job now, he's terrific. We
bring him on all the time. Oklahoma's a top five
program all time, top three probably right now. So urban
Meyer's going college to pro and It's interesting because for
years and years, a lot of the guys Pete Carroll
was in the NFL went to college back to the NFL.
(30:53):
Tom Coughlin had even done some NFL position coaching. Urban
had told me years ago, I don't even watch the
NFL Sunday is it's film day. And so I think
Urban smart, curious, intellectual, he'll figure it out. You have
been offered NFL jobs, you didn't take them. If from
all the opportunities you've had, what does it take because
(31:17):
some guys have worked, some haven't college de pro what
would concern you? What would make you hopeful? With Urban?
You know as much as any It's hard for me
to speak of it since I'm no expert and I
haven't coached in the NFL. So that part of it,
you know, take, you know, you just got to take
for what it is. But to me, it's the schedule,
the length of the length of the season, the length
(31:39):
of preseason, keeping players healthy, managing all of that. You're
going to surround yourself with great coaches at whatever level.
They're going to help you win or not win. So
no one does it by their self in our game.
But so to me, the biggest part would be to
handle that length of a schedule that you know, that
many football games and how to man twenty games that
(32:01):
doesn't account playoffs. You know, Reggie Bush and I were
just talking in back here part of our you know,
big noon Saturday team, and I said to me, it'd
be like I'd be like maybe basketball, I'd be rotating players,
counting how many snaps each guy has had midway through
the year, who's had so many? You know, almost you know,
like again, like basketball, does you just use your entire roster?
(32:24):
I know everyone does, but I mean even in the
rotation of your normal downs as making sure we're keeping
up with how you know, how long a guy's been
on the field. So I grew up with Oklahoma and
Barry Switzer and literally ten guys in the backfield and
one receiver. It was a power program. And then Bob
Stoops come in, and this is one of the things
I've always admired about Saban. Saban just acknowledged we got
(32:47):
to spread it out. The game's changing. You did it
before him. You literally were like, I mean, Oklahoma football
was the running program in America with Nebraska, and you
were like, at some point all right, fellas, run him
out here we go? Do you why were you so
willing to adapt and evolved? Did you go to camps?
(33:07):
Did you? Were you? It was at fear base that
I'm gonna get overwhelmed here if I don't involve. You
know what it was When I first was hired at Oklahoma,
I hired Mike Leach. In the primary reason I hired
Mike Leach he was working as the offensive coordinator with
how Mummy at Kentucky. I'm the defensive coordinator at Florida,
and the person the team that gave me the most
(33:29):
problems and drove me crazy was Kentucky. They had the
most first downs in the league, they had the most points,
on and on and on, and so I called how
Mummy because I knew I couldn't hire him. He wasn't
going to leave his head coaching position. I said, Hey,
can Mike Leach be the run the offense and do
the things you do at Kentucky? He said absolutely. I
just wanted to know could he be that kind of leader?
(33:51):
And Mike is Mike's a leader. He has his own
way of doing things. But but anyway, so I hired
Mike and all he did his show, Tim Couch's high Lights.
When we were recruiting, we really didn't have any quality,
big time quarterbacks on campus. So when Mike arrives, we
get Josh Hypel, runner up in Heisman Trophy went and
(34:11):
also a national champion quarterback. We get Jason White, most
decorated player in Oklahoma history when you look at awards,
and brought us to two national championship games. And then
in Nate Hibbele, who won us a Big twelve championship
and he's a Rose Bowl MVP. Those three guys came
that year that I hired Mike Leach right off the start.
Isn't that funny? The coach who drove you crazy in
(34:33):
the SEC is the guy who hired in Oklahoma because
you couldn't stop him. And by the way, it takes
guts because Mike is his own guy. He says, you know,
loves pirates. If I'd have known him, then maybe I
wouldn't have fired. I'm kidding. I love Mike. He's awesome
and he was a great hire for me. So Texas,
this is interesting. So Oklahoma and Texas top three rivalry
(34:54):
in the sport, and they hired Steve Sarkisian, and I
think he's gonna work and I think Bobby's gonna work
big at USC. He had some personal issues that he's overcome,
but he can recruit. He's got a good eye for personnel.
He's young, he's got a good energy about When Stark
walks in a room, there's a presence to him. Your
thoughts on the task at Texas because they don't have
(35:16):
I watched that draft. There's not a ton of Texas
guy's got drafted this year. Is it a huge rebuild
or are they close? Well, I don't know why would
be a huge rebuild. They've had the top recruiting class
the last three years in the Big twelve and it's
been top ten nationally. So they have players, unlike when
we walked it in Oklahoma that I don't think that
was the case. So bottom line, they have players. To me,
(35:39):
it's about development and and I do believe I agree
with you. I think Steve Sarkisian is a really great coach.
He's got a really good, great track record, and I
believe he'll, you know, he'll he'll do really well, hopefully
just not as well as Oklahoma. So Spencer Rattler Joy
last year is like, you gotta watch this kid. And
I watched a lot of Oklahoma game. So enter Rattlers
(36:00):
the quarterback, and there is a long there's a big
people are suggesting he'd be the number one pick. Wouldn't
surprise me. And it's funny because there's a I mean,
I think he's more naturally gifted than a baker. He's
a little bit of a gun slinger. And it works
in Oklahoma because in the Big twelve there's a lot
of points you can throw the occasional pick. It's okay, right, Well,
(36:21):
now there's a lot of points in the SEC too.
Now that there's some quarterbacks that are throwing the ball around,
so you've always poked the SEC in the ribs. Well,
I'm just saying, look at LSU when you know, and
the last year ago or two years ago, look at
Alabama that the last couple of years, there's you know,
when there's great quality quarterback play, it's hard to deal with.
So Spencer Rattler, if I've never seen him play, what
(36:44):
makes him special? Great release, great arm, just got a
got one of those. He has the ability to throw
the ball at any angle and got a really quick
release and very accurate. How long did you guys recruit
him there? I mean he was he to eighth grade,
ninth grade, and he committed to owe you when I
was there. Holy, he committed young, I want to say,
(37:06):
a sophomore or junior year. And then I stepped away.
But of course Lincoln had the best relationship with him. Yeah,
and uh, of course he stayed with us, knowing Lincoln
was going to be a guy and going to be
as quarterback coach and head coach. By the way, your
son Drake's a receiver at Oklahoma. Do you miss the
juice of game day? Oh? Yeah, you know, nothing in life,
(37:28):
you know, compares to that. You know, people you you
do as a coach, you get addicted to the to
the you know, the excitement of it, the intensity of
it all, and the pressure of it. Oddly you get
you love it, you know, because you really know you're
alive when you're you're pulling in that stadium or walking
walking down that ramp, getting ready to kick it off,
(37:49):
not knowing the outcome. You know, So, uh sure you
miss it. I don't. I don't know that you ever
get used to it, you know. It's but one of
the things I always respected about Oklahoma. You played Notre
Dame m You're just thinking of the big games you
played Ohio State, Alabama, Alabama or to State. You know,
no shot at the SEC. But yeah, I can only
see Citadel so many times on those schedules. You have
(38:11):
always said bringing the big dogs, By the way, that's
not necessarily always great for you, because everybody watches it.
If it's Week one or two and you lose, you
got to build your way back up voter confidence. So
what was Bob Stoop's theory? USC, by the way, has
always done that too. USC wants to schedule big games.
What was your theory on that? Once we won the
national championship in two thousand, I said to our athletic director,
(38:34):
joke As Siglio, and look, if we're gonna be a
big dog, we're gonna play other big dogs. I mean,
we're we're not going to shy away from anybody. And
we didn't, I think in two thousand and three on
our out of conference schedule we had Oregon and Alabama. Yep.
So we were always willing to play big games, you know,
home and a way, you know, take our turns and
(38:55):
never again. We just felt that way, if you're going
to be a ranked top five, ten ranked team, you
you're not afraid to go play anywhere anytime. By the way,
it is funny a lot of college coaches they want
to coach until you know they're on a golf cart
and you know they can. You know they're got to
be helped around campus. You left ten miles early. You,
I mean, now you've got a beautiful wife, great family.
(39:18):
But it is interesting. You are rare most coaches they
stick around forever. What was it do you think in
your DNA that you're like, I'm not gonna be that guy. Well,
I just have always had other interests in life, and
as much as anything, I appreciate and enjoy my own
time and with my family, with my friends doing things
(39:38):
I want to do, and in our profession it's all
consuming and at a certain point I figured, you know,
I've loved what I've done. It couldn't have been better.
I mean, I had so much fun, but it was
just time to gab my own time. And in life.
I don't think you until you open yourself up to
other opportunities, you don't know what else is out there.
So in the end that I miss it yeah, but
(40:01):
do I regret it, no, you know, so it is
just time for me and I felt two, you know,
after eighteen years in one place that I had run
my course there, that it was just perfect time for
me to step away and let the you know, the
program continue with Lincoln Now. Leonard and Reggie are very nice,
but Notre Dame guys. Brady Quinn, you gotta keep your
eye on it. These Notre Dame guys. You gotta just
(40:23):
fire back at Brady. You know, the the SEC guys,
Elie La guys are all laid back. Yeah, they've been
easy on me. So but anyway, it's a great crew,
you know, Brady, said Brady Quinn, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart,
rob Stone, keeping everybody in line. So I'm really excited
about it and can't wait, you know, for the fall.
So lucky to have you. Thank you. Great to see
(40:45):
you again. I appreciate it. Calling. Always good to be
on with you. All right, go Baker, Baker's gonna have
a very by by the way, I picked the Browns
to win the division. You did, Yeah, all right? Joy
knows people only hear the bad stuff. What happens when
I say nice stuff? It just disappears into the ether.
Nobody hears it. All right, Bob, good stuff.
Thanks for listening to the Best of Herd podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to
three eastern, nine to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and FS one. Find your local station for The Herd
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. This
is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on
Fox Sports Radio. Ah, here we go on a Thursday,
(00:28):
live in Los Angeles. This is the Herd wherever you
may be and however you may be listening iHeartRadio, Fox
Sports Radio and f S one. We got everybody from
Bob Stoops on the show today. Michael Vick will break
(00:49):
down the schedules. You know, Joy, twenty years ago, twenty
five years ago, when I started in this business, I
was way more into the Draft than everybody else was.
I was just obsessed about it to the point where
I've had people come up to me years later and like,
I liked the draft because you were so into it.
Not that I've led people to the draft, but I
(01:09):
was told I would talk about it February, in March
and April twenty years ago, and I also loved the schedule.
And I was mocked for years from making a big
deal out of the schedule, and now networks give the
whole night to the schedule. It absolutely matters who you
play when you play them. It absolutely Coaches will tell
(01:32):
you they look and where's the bye our offensive lines,
young where the worst pass rushes. So I last night
I sat there. It was candy. It was so much
fun for me. Well, you know you are your America's truthteller. Yeah,
you're an innovator, honestly, broker, Yeah, honest broker. You're ahead
of your time a little bit. Yeah, So the schedule matters.
(01:52):
Let's get past that. It of course matters. It absolutely
can change everything. And every year everybody's like, this is
the hardest schedule. This is the easiest schedule. And I
never understand that based on last year's winning percentage, teams
aren't the same. They get new coaches, they get new coordinators,
they get new players during the draft and free agency.
(02:14):
I never understand taking last year's winning percentages and then
going Okay, that's the Steelers have the toughest schedule. I
looked at the Steedler schedule. It's not the toughest schedule.
Not even think it's top five. I'll give you two
examples of what I consider easy schedules, and these are
both really talented teams. These are easy schedules, and I
(02:34):
both these teams have an over under nine and a
half wins. Let's take New England. So what does Bill
Belichick feast on young quarterbacks? Bill Belichick in his career
in New England eighty percent wins against quarterbacks in their
first or second year. Go look at their schedule. They
face six quarterbacks in their first or second year. Two
(02:58):
and the opener, then Zach Wilson a few weeks later,
Zach Wilson, Justin Herbert end of the year, Trevor Lawrence twa.
You could put down six and oho or five and one.
There also six other quarterbacks. Belichick's been running the same
defensive system forever. He's got it down in Stone. Six
other quarterbacks who have either a new coach or a
(03:21):
new system, the Saints, Houston, Carolina, Atlanta, Tennessee, and the
Colts with wins. So those guys aren't new quarterbacks, although
Belichick has owned a few of them. What they are though,
they got a brand new system. So twelve of the
seventeen games edge Belichick. Here's another thing. Belichick's best coach ever.
(03:42):
Six games this year against first time head coaches, huge edge, Belichick.
Those are games coaching can win. He's looking at that
young quarterbacks, first time head coaches. Folks, that is a
favorable schedule for New England nine and a half. I'll
(04:06):
take the over. What was the other schedule? I was
really interested in Cleveland. I thought Cleveland got a scheduling break.
Now Cleveland has to face Kansas City in Arrowhead Week one. No,
that's the worst team to play in the NFL Week
one Andy read off a bye Andy read in September.
They're gonna lose that. But if you look at the way,
because Cleveland has New England on the schedule, Green Bay
(04:27):
on the schedule, a tough division, Kansas City on the schedule,
So it could have been brutal, it's not. It works
in Cleveland's favor. So take the Kansas City game out
oh and one. I said they need to get they
have eight new defensive starters or nine, right, they need
a soft open to get those guys ready. Well after
Kansas City, dysfunctional, Houston and Chicago and Andy Dalton, then
(04:50):
Minnesota rebuilding, then a rookie head coach Brandon Staley. Then
they get Arizona, Denver at home, and Pittsburgh at home.
So after Kansas City, five of their next seven are
at home. They don't have to travel, don't have to
lose any time there, and a lot of these are
dysfunctional offenses. At the end of the year, we said,
they play back to back Ravens, but they get a
(05:12):
break there. They get at Baltimore by Baltimore, but Baltimore
doesn't get a bye in the second game. They face
the Steelers before that second Browns game, big edge Cleveland,
also the Raiders. We said, the Raiders are much tougher
to face in September and early October. They've been a
(05:34):
giant killer. They beat the Saint last year, they beat
the Chain, but they have died because they don't have
the depth. They've died post Thanksgiving. They get the Raiders
later in the year. So I look at that and
I think to myself, Yeah, Kansas City is just everybody.
Kansas City would beat everybody, including Tampa Bay in a
rematch to the Super Bowl with that rebuilt old line.
(05:54):
Kansas City Week one and narrowhead. You don't want any
part of that. After that, it's home games young coaches.
End of the year. They get a break and a
bye with Baltimore. They get the Raiders later than early.
And by the way, they also get Big Ben week seventeen.
Big Ben's and older quarterback. They're not as good late
(06:14):
as they are early, especially for a guy who's never,
you know, manicured his body like Tom Brady. So I
thought New England and Cleveland are nine and a half
win over under bets. I like the over on both.
I thought they both got a scheduling break. That's how
I rate schedules. All right, So here's the other story
(06:34):
yesterday that made news. And I think we're kind of
you know, sometimes everybody talks about hot takes. I always say,
I'm a wet blanket. I'm used these. I always feel
like I'm always like settled down. So let me do
a settle down here. Green Bay signs a one year
deal with Blake Bortles. Settled down. That's an indictment of
Jordan Love. That's all that is. That's telling you Aaron's older,
(06:57):
he's thirty seven, He's been hurt more than once. They're
just telling you Jordan Loves not ready. That's not telling
you Aaron Rodgers is leaving. The Packers only carry two
quarterbacks right now. They need a third. Aaron's older, he
gets hurt. That doesn't tell you Aaron Rodgers is leaving.
It's tell you Jordan Love. We don't think right now
is as good as Blake Bortles. That's the issue. By
(07:17):
the way, yesterday John Coon, former fullback for the Packers,
came out and reiterated, Aaron Rodgers Green Bay is fixable.
Why is that noteworthy? Because John and Aaron are boys,
and that is the third close friend slash ally of
(07:41):
Aaron Rodgers. James Jones, John Coon, aj Hawk on this
show have all used the word fixable. You think it's
a coincidence they're talking to Aaron. Also, the Packers schedule
came out. Five prime time games and six afternoon games
(08:02):
equals eleven total national TV games, more than Dallas leagues.
Oways know what's up. Remember when James Harden and the
Rockets weren't scheduled for Christmas? The league knew he's getting
traded for Tita talks to Silver. He's getting traded. The
league knows something here. They got they got a sense
that Aaron's not going anywhere. Listen, Aaron is trapped, and
(08:24):
I'm more of a ripped the band aid off guy.
If somebody didn't want to be with me, girl quarterback,
I'm out. There's a sea of people. But Aaron's trapped.
Green Bays owns his rights for three years. Where's he
gonna go. I'm gonna retire. I'll right go to Jeopardy.
You gotta stay out for three years. Also, trading Aaron
Rodgers would be a wildly splashy move. If I say
(08:45):
to you, what's the opposite of splashy in the NFL,
you would say Packers. There's no incentive to trade him
because you can't get anything in return. What's Denver gonna
give you, Teddy Bridgewater. So the green Bay roster is
a collection of some veteran players who are very expensive.
It's not a rebuild. It's that you got contracts, guys,
(09:06):
you gotta pay. It is not a rebuild. There's no
incentive to trade him. You have his rights. You've been
to back to back NFC championships. Three of Aaron's friends
are all using the exact word fixable. It's not a coincidence.
Here's what happened. Two weeks ago. The story leagues, he's
(09:27):
out of here. Humor got two weeks later all his friends.
That's fixable. You know what this is. It's human. Aaron
was humiliated on draft night a year ago, humiliated the
draft of Jordan Love. Aaron was pissed, so he waited.
One year. He fired back, and he said, I'm gonna
(09:52):
hurt you like you hurt me, and got real hot
and everybody talked about it. Two weeks later, Aaron's coming back.
It's human. You humiliate me. I'm I'll gonna forget. I'm
gonna humiliate you. What do they always say, I'll forgive.
I'm not gonna forget Aaron. Even his friends have acknowledged
(10:16):
he can be a little petty, a little bit of
a grudge holder. That's okay. A lot of people are.
It's okay, no reason not to like him. But the
NFL knows something. They got all these eleven games, National
TV games. His buddies are all used in the same word,
the Blake Bortles thing. Come on, that doesn't mean anything,
that's if anything. That's that's telling you they don't trust
(10:36):
Jordan Love. Right now, if Aaron got hurt, so I
wouldn't make I think everybody jumped to the conclusion he's gone,
and I think, no, no, no, folks, where's he gonna go?
I mean you, let's say you run the Green Bay Packers.
All of us think we're armchair gms. You run the Packers.
Would you trade him to Denver? Yeah? I would, who
(11:00):
if Jordan Love could play? But the Packers said two
days ago, quote he's a long way off unquote. The
Packers just acquired Blake Bortles, telling you he's a long
way off, unquote, Aaron's not going anywhere. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Easter
nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and
(11:24):
the iHeartRadio app seventeen for seventeen. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
are favored in every single game, a lot of them
eight and a half, nine and a half, six, seven
and a half, ten, six, five and a half, four
and a half seven, They're they're favored in every game.
They will not go undefeated. First of all, there's some
big trap games here. If you look at Tampa schedule.
(11:47):
Week three, they're at the Rams, by the way, that's
a minus one. That's the least they're favored in any game,
So that's a coin flip game. They also face the
Patriots at New England the next week, so they travel
all the way to La go back all the way
to Boston's, and then they come back and play Miami,
which feels a little bit. Miami's used to that lousy
(12:09):
humidity in September. That feels a little trappy to me.
So you've got the Rams on the West coast, then
it's Belichick, which you could overlook the Rams, and then
after the Rams and the Patriots. You don't think there
could be a little let down for Miami. Absolutely in Miami,
let's be honest. Defensively and special teams, you don't blow
them out. They're in against everybody. Later in the year,
(12:32):
they get the Colts on the road on a short week,
they play the Giants Monday night football, come back home,
travel short week, get the Colts on the road, that's
no day at the beach. Then they get Buffalo at home.
But in December. Again, that's a coin flip game. I
think Buffalo is one of the few teams that can
match up toe to toe with Tampa Bay So the
(12:53):
other thing to remember is load management. With seventeen games,
Bruce Arian tends to be very player friendly. You know
he's He's not Tom Thibodeaux. Okay, he's not gonna press
you every practice. It's very likely that Bruce Arians gives
they have receiver depth and defensive line depth. They're gonna
give tight end depth, linebacker depth. They're gonna give some
(13:16):
guys off weeks. You're not gonna have a full strength
Buccaneers team. Now, they're good enough to do that and
still win, but they're gonna give some people time off. Also,
Brady's old, not just quarterback old, he's old. He just
had knee surgery. So you know, Tom is there's no
you know Tom talked, I want to go seventeen and old.
(13:37):
There's a lot of things people say. I can tell
you this. You get old fast in life and in sports.
Peyton Manning got old fast. Like Peyton Manning went from
Super Bowl to oh hell, brock Osweiler is now starting
in Peyton's on the bench. Lebron this year has aged
(13:58):
very quickly, not just getting injured, coming back, getting injured again.
How many days is he gonna tell us he's gonna
play with a high ankle sprain, so you age very quickly.
Brady just had knee surgery. Brady gets dinged. There's enough
good pass rushes on this defense. You got you got
some Khalil Max, the Giants, Washington, Philadelphia, Aaron Donald, Colts
(14:21):
now have a very good pass rush. The Saints. There's
a lot of pass rushes here. By the way, the
Jets defensive lines of strength of their team Miami. So
I just I don't buy seventeen to no. I think
that Rams Patriots Dolphins three game stretch. Nobody's going three
and oh on that. I just thought, I don't see
anybody going three and oh. And remember a lot of
(14:44):
what Tampa was last year. They were trying to find
their way until they got lucky at the end of
the year and played Atlanta a couple times. In Detroit,
they got their mojo going, and then green Bay made
a really bad coaching air. Green Bay had them on
the ropes in Lambeau, and then they got another break
because Fisher got hurt and the Chief's offensive line was
missing both tackles. I'm not saying this is not the
(15:05):
best team in football, but they're not the seventy five Steelers.
This is not the seventy This is not the ninety
five Nebraska Cornhuskers. Literally, their backups were better than everybody.
This has an old, old quarterback coach who would be
more than willing to give some guys some Sundays off
for Monday's off. I think this is going to be
a nice thirteen fourteen win team. Be sure to catch
(15:27):
live editions of The Herd weekdays and nun Easter nine
am Pacific. I've been very lucky in my career. I've
had mostly really good bosses and I've gotten really good support,
and that's really really important, you know, like all of us,
you know, we get some breaks in life, and I've
had mostly good breaks with the companies, the management. I've
(15:48):
had a lot of stability I've had. I had one
brief two year time in Tampa with an organization that
was very chaotic newsroom. Nobody's fault, they had changed ownerships.
It was just it was a tire fire. And by
the way, that that was the two years where I struggled.
And I even said with Odell Beckham, who I like
when Odell didn't have chaos in his life. Odell Beckham
(16:10):
has been great, but he goes to Cleveland and of
New York without Coughlin. At LSU didn't have problems. And
I'm problems at all, and I'm problems with Coughlin early,
and I want the problem. He's somebody that he doesn't
like chaos and I and so I always try to say, listen, dude,
you've been lucky. I've been lucky about that stuff. And
I mean, here's a prime example, Dak Prescott. And I
(16:30):
like Dak. He inherited the best offensive line in football, Zeke,
the biggest brand and an offensive coach Jason Garrett who'd
quarterback in the NFL. Matt Stafford. Matt Stafford inherits the
worst franchise not named the Cleveland Browns. The Lions got
Jim Schwartz, a defensive coach with a terrible offensive line
(16:53):
and no running game. I think Matt Stafford's more talented
than Dak Prescott, so does every GM. Even Stephen Jones
knows it. I don't resent what Dack's done, but he
made one hundred and seven million dollars last year. Dack
did he didn't even play Munch the Cowboys, the old line, Zeke,
Jerry Middle of the country, America's brand. That's a break.
(17:15):
He got a good break. Matt Stafford, super talented, could
not have gotten o worse situation. So Matt Stafford has
been invisible for twelve years in Detroit except Thanksgiving. I
mean literally invisible. What's fascinating is Matt Stafford. Now look
at this RAM schedule Bears, NBC National TV. Two weeks later, Buccaneers.
(17:41):
My guess is it's on Fox, America's Game of the Week.
Two weeks later, Arizona Fox, Amazon five twenty Game of
the Week. Start looking at this NBC Monday Night Football, Niners,
Green Bay Packers, Fox at Arizona that's an ESPN Monday
Night Football, Seahawks, Fox. That'll be that'll end up being
in America's Game of the Week. I would imagine at Baltimore,
(18:03):
San Francisco. Those are ten National TV games from Att Stafford.
This is very Kevin Garnett. Kevin Garnett was great. We
didn't talk about him for ten years in Minnesota. He
goes to Boston. He was the most discussed big in
the game for five years. Every playoff game we were
all glued on that. Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett Rayal Kevin
(18:24):
had always been great, but he ended up in Minnesota.
And that's where I feel for pro athletes. I know,
I know, I know they're all rich blah blah blah,
but God, some guys get breaked. I mean, Dak I
love him, but he inherited three Hall of famers on
the offensive line in their prime in Zeke, and a
coach who had been a quarterback. And by the way,
an owner who loves offensive players. Jerry loves offense. I'll
(18:48):
get it. More weapons. Matt Stafford goes to Detroit and
they can't. I mean, nothing works defensive coach, battle line,
no running game. Listen, Mike Trout is great, but he's
invisible with the Angels. What if Mike Trout was with
the Yankees and had a Hall of Famer hitting behind him,
(19:09):
you couldn't throw him off speed. And by the way,
when Mike Trout comes up in for the second, third,
fourth time, there's runners on basse because the Yankees have
bought all stars. I mean, if you ever think about
Mike Trout's numbers, if he was in New York and
he had Hall of famers behind him, more guys on bass.
I mean, Mike Trout is as he's I don't think
he's won a playoff series. I mean, so again, Mike
(19:33):
Trout's great, How great could he be? Matt Stafford's talented,
but good God, he gets a culture upgrade, a coach upgrade,
an OH line upgrade, a receiver upgrade. Cam akers are
running back upgrade. Now the division's tougher. But you'd take that.
I mean it's it's I'm not an MVP guy. I
hate talking about that. But not only will Matt be good,
(19:54):
the story's good. Like the Kevin Garnett to the Celtics,
that was a great story. It's like this dude does
deserves Ray Allen, doc Rivers, Paul Pearce Rod. He has
earned that. I'm not a big believer in you deserve stuff.
You got to earn it. Kevin Garnett had earned the
right to be on a notable franchise. Matt Stafford's earned
(20:14):
the right. He got a nothing sandwich, and I think
he's gonna have a terrific year. One more Herd. The
Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week within the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live
or on demand whenever you like, Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
(20:36):
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sportspod pushing the
same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire
gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book,
and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and
listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app,
(20:57):
Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're
a good team like Buffalo or Tampa, Kansas City, you're
gonna win a bunch of games. And then there's the
bad teams that aren't gonna win any And then there's
those teams that we know are competent. They're absolutely I'll
give you three of them. Miami, the Chargers in Dallas
are all I think talented enough to be playoff teams.
(21:19):
That's where the schedule can subtract a game or at
a game, And I want to talk Miami Chargers Cowboys.
I all thought they got a little tough break. So
let's start with Miami. Brian Flores and is trying to
tell everybody Two is the guy. Even though multiple Dolphin
players leaked to the Miami Herald last year. We don't
(21:40):
think he's the guy. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked much more athletic.
Look at the first ten weeks of you got two
of six feet tall, not a big arm, not specially mobile.
You open at Cam six six to six seven, Josh
Allen at Derek car at six five, Carson Wentz, at
(22:02):
Tom Brady, at Trevor Lawrence MVP, Matt Ryan, at Josh Allen,
DeShawn Watson, Lamar Jackson. They are a whole bunch of
special in there, big athletic, great rings, MVPs, and you're
selling that locker room well, I mean two and doesn't
have a big ar, I mean, not especially mobile, but
(22:25):
he is he This is our guy. You can't fool players.
That is a There is no schedule in the NFL
that has more superstar talented level. I mean, you've got
six guys six six six, five six four, Tom Brady, MVP,
Lamar Jackson's the fastest player in the league at his position,
DeShawn Watson. It is nothing but special. For ten weeks
(22:48):
in a tougher division now selling him too is the guy.
I'm just saying, you can. You can try to fool
the press, and a lot of times you'll fool the pression.
I got fool the players. It's not a great break
for Miami schedule, and I like them the Chargers. I
like the Chargers too. A lot of people think they're
a underdog, dark horse super Bowl team. They have a
(23:09):
rookie head coach. Okay, let's go look one, two, three,
four or five six out the first seven weeks they faced.
Ron Rivera been to a super Bowl. Mike McCarthy been
to a Super Bowl. Andy Reid won a Super Bowl,
John Gruden won a Super Bowl, John Harball won a
Super Bowl. Bill Belichick won a bunch of them. That
(23:32):
is a big ask. Brandon Staley has been in the
NFL coaching in total four years in a tough division.
He opens with Belichick, Andy Reid, Gruden, McCarthy, Ron Rivera,
and John Harball. That ain't a break. That is a
(23:53):
I mean, that's walking into the octagon and getting you know,
Connor McGregor in his prime. And then look at Dallas's schedule. Fascinating.
I've said before Dallas this year spent all their draft
capital on defense, as they should next year. It's pretty
easy they're going to spend it on the old line.
It's getting old. Old lines that are old are generally
(24:13):
fine in September and October. The question is are they
healthy late? Look at Dallas's last six games, six good
pass rushes at the Saints, at Washington, at the Giants, Washington,
Arizona brought in JJ with Chandler Jones. Philadelphia. Say what
you want about Philadelphia. They were a mess last year.
The front seven wasn't is That is six big boy
(24:38):
pass rushes. And again I don't mind that they opened
at Tampa and at the Chargers. Those are great pass rushes.
But Tyron Smith's gonna be healthy. He's gonna be upright.
I do worry about Dallas end of the year old
offensive line, which they did not really truly address this year.
What's that old line look like? Is Dak running for
(24:59):
his So it's fun. Be sure to catch live editions
of the Herd weekdays in noon Easter nine am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app
the Jets and Carolina So we know this to be true.
Joy is that we know what u's do tomorrow's headlines today,
kind of predicting what the headlines will be. But you know,
(25:23):
in big cities like you know, New York, the headline,
they got five newspapers, The New York Post, the Times,
the Daily News. Very interesting on the Jets and Carolina.
So Sam Donald goes to the Jets and they replace
him with the next young stars, Zach Wilson, and we
ship Sam off. Well. The NFL puts him right up
(25:44):
against each other week one, very smart. This game may
not mean anything, be marketable at all in week eight,
five nine, but they have Sam at home. They're favored
by three and a half over Zach Wilson. So let's
say they win. Let's say Sam Donald's got them or
experienced by a year head coach. Actually, I will say this,
Caroline's got some good offensive weapons to Behabbard, Christian McCaffrey
(26:06):
running backs. So let's say they win it. Well, Carolina,
then get Sam Darnold. Actually, if they can win that opener,
Saints at home starting a new quarterback. Texans dysfunction, bad
cowboy defense, Philadelphia's rebuilding, Minnesota's rebuilding. It's a lot of
bad defenses. Daniel Jones, a young quarterback, Jalen Hurts, a
(26:28):
young quarterback. Atlanta Falcons are rebuilding. Sam Darnold wins that opener.
It is two months of bad defenses rebuilding in young quarterbacks.
Zach Wilson, Okay, the new kid. Let's say he loses
on the road. Look at his schedule, Look at the
defensive coaches he faces. He then faces Belichick into Vic Fangio,
(26:53):
into Mike Vrabel, into a London game, into Belichick, Sean McDermott,
Brian Flores. That is a gauntlet of some of the
best defensive coaches in the NFL. So just to give
you you know, you know the headline. We always say
the headline will be Darnald. Darn Good is going to
(27:16):
be the headline by about week seven or eight, Sam Darnold,
if he can win that home opener against him, he
gets a huge scheduling bake of break rebuilding defenses, young quarterbacks,
dysfunctional team. Zach Wilson is some of the best defensive coaches,
one after another after another with a rookie head coach.
(27:37):
So you can see that story by October being like
Jets may have made a little mistake here doesn't mean
they did, but you can see a story developing. It
really plays into Darnold's favor early and does not plan
to Zach Wilson and the Jets favor early. Be sure
to catch live editions of The Herd week dayson noun
(27:58):
Easter nine an emphasis back, how lucky are we? Eighteen
years at Oklahoma, national champion, at ten time Big twelve
coach of the year, one of the great I mean
really top four or five coaches last twenty five years
in college football. He'd be embarrassed by that because he's
a humble guy. Bob Stoops, who's the newest member of
the Big Noon kickoff team Urban Meyer was here. He'd
gone big shoes to fill. But that's why we went
(28:20):
out and got Bob Stoops. It is great to see you.
When your name came up before, I don't know how
far the negotiations were, and you know, they said, well,
what do you what do you make And I said, well,
I think Stoops should go into coaching still. I think
he's got ten years left to coach. And they said,
you know, he may work at Fox, and I thought,
we're gonna get Bob Stoops. So it's great to have
(28:41):
her as part of the team. I appreciate it. Calling.
I'm really looking forward to Big Noons Saturday, working with
the team, working here at Fox. It's been been awesome
with a great team and what great camaraderie already. And
but I'm a little concerned that they brought me on
your show to argue about bread Baker Mayfield, and I
don't I don't think I'm the right guy for you
(29:02):
to beat the Darcue Baker Mayfield about now. He's gonna
do fine, by the way he's got He's gonna do
fine this year. It is interesting. Um, we'll get into
some of the you know, Oklahoma when you were there,
put a lot of guys in the NFL. Similarly they
do it with Lincoln Riley, and a lot of times
a legend leaves almost always and you never find the replacement.
(29:25):
I mean, it's almost a guarantee you can never a play.
I mean, Alabama's gonna have their hands full. And then
you guys get Lincoln Riley. And it almost felt like
to me, because you're you were so selfless that you
could have kept going, but you thought to yourself, I
found the guy. This is perfect. That's what it felt
like to me. No, it's truly that way. I'm you know,
(29:46):
I've always said I wasn't going to be a lifer.
I wasn't going to coach till I wasn't going to
coach till I was old. I guess I'm old, though.
But in the end, I knew the right guy was
there in all the right way. He's just the person,
the man that he is, family man that he is,
the leadership qualities, the way he connected with players. I
(30:09):
just knew this was perfect. That I could step out,
and it would have killed me to have hurt the program.
But I knew if I could step out in the
saint they could continue on in the same manner and
hopefully make improvements. That this is the right time. And
I knew there was strong structure around him that was
still remained in place. Great a d president. Yeah, so
(30:30):
that's why that's and I just thought, you know, I
don't want to miss the right moment. And it was perfect.
And Lincoln's doing a great job now, he's terrific. We
bring him on all the time. Oklahoma's a top five
program all time, top three probably right now. So urban
Meyer's going college to pro and It's interesting because for
years and years, a lot of the guys Pete Carroll
was in the NFL went to college back to the NFL.
(30:53):
Tom Coughlin had even done some NFL position coaching. Urban
had told me years ago, I don't even watch the
NFL Sunday is it's film day. And so I think
Urban smart, curious, intellectual, he'll figure it out. You have
been offered NFL jobs, you didn't take them. If from
all the opportunities you've had, what does it take because
(31:17):
some guys have worked, some haven't college de pro what
would concern you? What would make you hopeful? With Urban?
You know as much as any It's hard for me
to speak of it since I'm no expert and I
haven't coached in the NFL. So that part of it,
you know, take, you know, you just got to take
for what it is. But to me, it's the schedule,
the length of the length of the season, the length
(31:39):
of preseason, keeping players healthy, managing all of that. You're
going to surround yourself with great coaches at whatever level.
They're going to help you win or not win. So
no one does it by their self in our game.
But so to me, the biggest part would be to
handle that length of a schedule that you know, that
many football games and how to man twenty games that
(32:01):
doesn't account playoffs. You know, Reggie Bush and I were
just talking in back here part of our you know,
big noon Saturday team, and I said to me, it'd
be like I'd be like maybe basketball, I'd be rotating players,
counting how many snaps each guy has had midway through
the year, who's had so many? You know, almost you know,
like again, like basketball, does you just use your entire roster?
(32:24):
I know everyone does, but I mean even in the
rotation of your normal downs as making sure we're keeping
up with how you know, how long a guy's been
on the field. So I grew up with Oklahoma and
Barry Switzer and literally ten guys in the backfield and
one receiver. It was a power program. And then Bob
Stoops come in, and this is one of the things
I've always admired about Saban. Saban just acknowledged we got
(32:47):
to spread it out. The game's changing. You did it
before him. You literally were like, I mean, Oklahoma football
was the running program in America with Nebraska, and you
were like, at some point all right, fellas, run him
out here we go? Do you why were you so
willing to adapt and evolved? Did you go to camps?
(33:07):
Did you? Were you? It was at fear base that
I'm gonna get overwhelmed here if I don't involve. You
know what it was When I first was hired at Oklahoma,
I hired Mike Leach. In the primary reason I hired
Mike Leach he was working as the offensive coordinator with
how Mummy at Kentucky. I'm the defensive coordinator at Florida,
and the person the team that gave me the most
(33:29):
problems and drove me crazy was Kentucky. They had the
most first downs in the league, they had the most points,
on and on and on, and so I called how
Mummy because I knew I couldn't hire him. He wasn't
going to leave his head coaching position. I said, Hey,
can Mike Leach be the run the offense and do
the things you do at Kentucky? He said absolutely. I
just wanted to know could he be that kind of leader?
(33:51):
And Mike is Mike's a leader. He has his own
way of doing things. But but anyway, so I hired
Mike and all he did his show, Tim Couch's high Lights.
When we were recruiting, we really didn't have any quality,
big time quarterbacks on campus. So when Mike arrives, we
get Josh Hypel, runner up in Heisman Trophy went and
(34:11):
also a national champion quarterback. We get Jason White, most
decorated player in Oklahoma history when you look at awards,
and brought us to two national championship games. And then
in Nate Hibbele, who won us a Big twelve championship
and he's a Rose Bowl MVP. Those three guys came
that year that I hired Mike Leach right off the start.
Isn't that funny? The coach who drove you crazy in
(34:33):
the SEC is the guy who hired in Oklahoma because
you couldn't stop him. And by the way, it takes
guts because Mike is his own guy. He says, you know,
loves pirates. If I'd have known him, then maybe I
wouldn't have fired. I'm kidding. I love Mike. He's awesome
and he was a great hire for me. So Texas,
this is interesting. So Oklahoma and Texas top three rivalry
(34:54):
in the sport, and they hired Steve Sarkisian, and I
think he's gonna work and I think Bobby's gonna work
big at USC. He had some personal issues that he's overcome,
but he can recruit. He's got a good eye for personnel.
He's young, he's got a good energy about When Stark
walks in a room, there's a presence to him. Your
thoughts on the task at Texas because they don't have
(35:16):
I watched that draft. There's not a ton of Texas
guy's got drafted this year. Is it a huge rebuild
or are they close? Well, I don't know why would
be a huge rebuild. They've had the top recruiting class
the last three years in the Big twelve and it's
been top ten nationally. So they have players, unlike when
we walked it in Oklahoma that I don't think that
was the case. So bottom line, they have players. To me,
(35:39):
it's about development and and I do believe I agree
with you. I think Steve Sarkisian is a really great coach.
He's got a really good, great track record, and I
believe he'll, you know, he'll he'll do really well, hopefully
just not as well as Oklahoma. So Spencer Rattler Joy
last year is like, you gotta watch this kid. And
I watched a lot of Oklahoma game. So enter Rattlers
(36:00):
the quarterback, and there is a long there's a big
people are suggesting he'd be the number one pick. Wouldn't
surprise me. And it's funny because there's a I mean,
I think he's more naturally gifted than a baker. He's
a little bit of a gun slinger. And it works
in Oklahoma because in the Big twelve there's a lot
of points you can throw the occasional pick. It's okay, right, Well,
(36:21):
now there's a lot of points in the SEC too.
Now that there's some quarterbacks that are throwing the ball around,
so you've always poked the SEC in the ribs. Well,
I'm just saying, look at LSU when you know, and
the last year ago or two years ago, look at
Alabama that the last couple of years, there's you know,
when there's great quality quarterback play, it's hard to deal with.
So Spencer Rattler, if I've never seen him play, what
(36:44):
makes him special? Great release, great arm, just got a
got one of those. He has the ability to throw
the ball at any angle and got a really quick
release and very accurate. How long did you guys recruit
him there? I mean he was he to eighth grade,
ninth grade, and he committed to owe you when I
was there. Holy, he committed young, I want to say,
(37:06):
a sophomore or junior year. And then I stepped away.
But of course Lincoln had the best relationship with him. Yeah,
and uh, of course he stayed with us, knowing Lincoln
was going to be a guy and going to be
as quarterback coach and head coach. By the way, your
son Drake's a receiver at Oklahoma. Do you miss the
juice of game day? Oh? Yeah, you know, nothing in life,
(37:28):
you know, compares to that. You know, people you you
do as a coach, you get addicted to the to
the you know, the excitement of it, the intensity of
it all, and the pressure of it. Oddly you get
you love it, you know, because you really know you're
alive when you're you're pulling in that stadium or walking
walking down that ramp, getting ready to kick it off,
(37:49):
not knowing the outcome. You know, So, uh sure you
miss it. I don't. I don't know that you ever
get used to it, you know. It's but one of
the things I always respected about Oklahoma. You played Notre
Dame m You're just thinking of the big games you
played Ohio State, Alabama, Alabama or to State. You know,
no shot at the SEC. But yeah, I can only
see Citadel so many times on those schedules. You have
(38:11):
always said bringing the big dogs, By the way, that's
not necessarily always great for you, because everybody watches it.
If it's Week one or two and you lose, you
got to build your way back up voter confidence. So
what was Bob Stoop's theory? USC, by the way, has
always done that too. USC wants to schedule big games.
What was your theory on that? Once we won the
national championship in two thousand, I said to our athletic director,
(38:34):
joke As Siglio, and look, if we're gonna be a
big dog, we're gonna play other big dogs. I mean,
we're we're not going to shy away from anybody. And
we didn't, I think in two thousand and three on
our out of conference schedule we had Oregon and Alabama. Yep.
So we were always willing to play big games, you know,
home and a way, you know, take our turns and
(38:55):
never again. We just felt that way, if you're going
to be a ranked top five, ten ranked team, you
you're not afraid to go play anywhere anytime. By the way,
it is funny a lot of college coaches they want
to coach until you know they're on a golf cart
and you know they can. You know they're got to
be helped around campus. You left ten miles early. You,
I mean, now you've got a beautiful wife, great family.
(39:18):
But it is interesting. You are rare most coaches they
stick around forever. What was it do you think in
your DNA that you're like, I'm not gonna be that guy. Well,
I just have always had other interests in life, and
as much as anything, I appreciate and enjoy my own
time and with my family, with my friends doing things
(39:38):
I want to do, and in our profession it's all
consuming and at a certain point I figured, you know,
I've loved what I've done. It couldn't have been better.
I mean, I had so much fun, but it was
just time to gab my own time. And in life.
I don't think you until you open yourself up to
other opportunities, you don't know what else is out there.
So in the end that I miss it yeah, but
(40:01):
do I regret it, no, you know, so it is
just time for me and I felt two, you know,
after eighteen years in one place that I had run
my course there, that it was just perfect time for
me to step away and let the you know, the
program continue with Lincoln Now. Leonard and Reggie are very nice,
but Notre Dame guys. Brady Quinn, you gotta keep your
eye on it. These Notre Dame guys. You gotta just
(40:23):
fire back at Brady. You know, the the SEC guys,
Elie La guys are all laid back. Yeah, they've been
easy on me. So but anyway, it's a great crew,
you know, Brady, said Brady Quinn, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart,
rob Stone, keeping everybody in line. So I'm really excited
about it and can't wait, you know, for the fall.
So lucky to have you. Thank you. Great to see
(40:45):
you again. I appreciate it. Calling. Always good to be
on with you. All right, go Baker, Baker's gonna have
a very by by the way, I picked the Browns
to win the division. You did, Yeah, all right? Joy
knows people only hear the bad stuff. What happens when
I say nice stuff? It just disappears into the ether.
Nobody hears it. All right, Bob, good stuff.
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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