Best of The Herd

Colin hopes people finally recognize how talented Justin Herbert is after his impressive performance against the Broncos in the Chargers second half comeback on Thursday night. He gives his best NFL bets for week 16. Plus, longtime college football head coach Dan Mullen joins the show to preview the start of the College Football Playoff. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
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or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
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to The Herd podcast. Oh we got a good one.

(00:23):
It's a Friday show. We're alive in Los Angeles. Can't
wait to roll Blazing five in one hour. I got
a couple of college games in the Blazing five today.
Couple of heaters maybe live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd.
I'm telling you last night was so great because my
two of my favorite coaches in the world are Sean
Payton and Jim Harbaugh. No vault personally, text vault personally,

(00:47):
and then you know I love Vote Nix and Justin
Herbert by the way, just fun. I'm not going to
get into what I said I texted. I text Justin
Herbert after the game last night, just congrats, hell of
a performance, you know, blah blah blah. It was a
close game, winning forever eleven zero three. Sitting there reading
Justin Herbert text back, He's already in bed preparing for.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
The next w Did you compliment him on that touchdown throwner, Davis,
what a fling that was? Oh my gosh, Herbert looking good.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah. Herbert is so talented. He got the legendary coach
to come to him. Harbaugh said, get me to the NFL.
I'll leave the powerhouse. I'm gonna go to him. So
the first half was about Sean Payton scripted plays with
a rookie quarterback short week on the road, and they
were great three touchdown drives. The second half was just

(01:37):
about raw talent. It was about Justin Herbert and harbought half.
Letting Derwin James take over the halftime speech. Herbert's weapons
a converted defensive tackle, back up tight ends and running backs,
and a return specialist. His best receiver is a rookie
and the top receiver talent the first round of last

(01:58):
year is still figuring out how to in the second half, though,
training that's the hardest time to be a quarterback against
the very good defense. Justin Herbert eleven of sixteen, one
hundred and thirty two passer rating, scrambling for a huge
first down in the second half. Both of his touchdown
passes to show you how depleted they are, to show

(02:19):
you what Justin Herbert is working with. Both of his
touchdown passes were the first career touchdown passes for the
guys that caught him. There were shovel passes. There was
a Mahomes moment late when they're trying to eat the clock,
remember that, and he scrambles off to the right and
runs for a first down. It was very Mahomes like.

(02:39):
In the second half, he was not one hundred percent.
They talked about it on the Amazon broadcast before the game,
they talked about it during the game, and that was
a real moment. The first half was about scripting. Sean Payton,
rookie quarterback on the road against the good defense, were
putting stuff on paper and they were excellent. Now the

(03:00):
schemes are gonne. I talk about this all the time.
First half it's a lot of coaching. Second half it
becomes star players. And I thought that scramble by Herbert
felt so much like Mahomes. And I've always heard this, well, well,
Colin Herbert has never won a playoff game. Matt Stafford
did not win a playoff game. Until year thirteen. Context matters.

(03:22):
He had to go get McVeigh and the Rams. Sorry,
justin Herbert as a rookie with a coach that got fired,
set passing completions and touchdown records. As a rookie quarterback
with the thirty second ranked offensive line in the league.
How's Caleb Williams look behind the battle line? R Herbert's

(03:44):
was worse and he broke rookie records. His coach who
got fired. Just think about Caleb situation tire fire, Herbert
set records and oh, by the way, he had the
twenty eighth ranked defense that year, so he was always trailing.
He could only win by shootout. So when I hear
this all the time, well, a playoff game, brock Purdy

(04:06):
has four playoff wins. There is not a general manager
on this planet. If you gave them Herbert or brock
Purdy would take brock Purdy not one. So I thought
last night, in that second half, you were just watching
an all time talent in contextualization matters with you one
young quarterbacks. I mean bow Knicks gets Sean Payton, Caleb
Williams gets Matt Eberflus. Funny, it looks different, but bo

(04:30):
Nick still is in the lower ceiling limited department, justin
Herbert isn't. And oh, by the way, the Chargers had
lost eleven straight games, close games decided by three or less. Well,
what changed last night? Finally, Jim Harbaugh and great coaching

(04:50):
can unleash talent. This is the same defense as last year,
same players, and it's beat up. Why was it so
bad at the end of last year and why is
it so good now? Yeah? So for the Herbert doubters,
I get it. You can talk about playoff wins. But

(05:11):
if you didn't get it as rookie season when most
of us did, if you watch that second half and
didn't get it, I don't know how to help you. Yes,
it was a team effort. Yes, the offensive tackles Joe
Alt has been a revelation at right tackle. Yes, Lad
McConkey Derwin James is just unbelieved pin most talented guy. Yeah,
Boso was playing limpin playing about seventy percent. Yet Khalil Mack,

(05:33):
by the way, a lot of people thought he was
done three years ago. Khalil Max had two great years
with the Chargers last couple of years. Here's Harbaugh on
the win.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
Just a total team effort by everybody, defense, offense, special teams.
You know, the guys you know, just pull it down.
It was, it was. It was phenomenal. The tests and
the challenge is how you're going to respond. And I
knew how our guys would respond. Special group of guys,

(06:05):
just lower guys.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
Okay, now let's talk bo Nicks and Denver. So Denver
was considered a five and a half win team, and
I said, I don't think they'll make the playoffs, but
I'll take him for eight or nine wins. It was
my favorite over bet every year. Last year it was
the Rams. You find a team and you're like, yeah,
Vegas is wrong. Two years ago, three years ago, it
was the Vikings and they won thirteen games. Last year

(06:29):
it was the Rams. This year, I said, Denver's too good.
You can't have Sean Payton. You got some really nice weapons.
Bo Nicks played sixty one college games. They'll be good.
I did think last night it was a really tough
lift rookie quarterbacks on the road, division rivalry against Herbert
and Harbaugh. I had the Chargers winning and they did so.

(06:49):
I thought he was very good on script, and I
think he's going to be really good. But in the
second half, let's be honest, weren't thrown downfield much. The
Denver defense had mistake after mistake and penalley after penley.
But bo Nix's career is pretty clear first two to
three games as he was trying to catch up to
the speed of the NFL game as a lot of turbulence.

(07:12):
Since October, he is fifth in the NFL and touchdown passes,
and one of those receivers a seventh rounder Courtland Sutton.
Mims fifth that he's got more than Stafford, Jalen Hurts,
he's got more than Mahomes, So it's just perspective. Denver
is going to be really good. But when Sean Payton

(07:35):
took it over, they still have a zillion dollars in
dead cap money. Here's the great news for Denver is
they've lost to the Chargers both times close. They lost
to Kansas City on a block field goal. The NFL
and the NBA did something to agree, But the NFL
is a steps league. The first step is finding a
franchise quarterback Boom, they got it. The second step for

(07:58):
this team is getting out from beneath the tonnage of
Russell Wilson's dead cap money after next year, they're done
with it. The fact that Denver and it looks like
to me the AFC playoffs are done. I don't trust
the Colt to the Bengals to win three straight games.
So you watched two playoff teams last night. I think
the Chargers are the better of the two playoff teams

(08:20):
because of Justin Herbert, both coaches hall of Fame, Both
teams have an elite left tackle. Both teams need four
to five more players in the draft. Neither team's a
super Bowl team. They both feel like playoff teams. Denver
in the first half, Chargers in the second half. But
in the end, you got your quarterback, you got your coach,

(08:41):
you just re signed, extended your left tackle, you got
nice weapons. The dead cap money after next year is done.
And I'm watching Bownicks and I'm thinking this is as
good as you're gonna get as a rookie quarterback. They're
not supposed to win games last night. They're not supposed
to go on the road division game short week against
the Harbaugh and Herbert and win. You can have a
good half, you're not gonna win that game, especially when

(09:03):
your defense had multiple penalties on a huge drive. But
if I was a Denver fan, I'd feel great about it.
Here's bo after frustrated.

Speaker 4 (09:10):
The difference and our two games with them has been
seven points, and you know, you just got to find
a way to get.

Speaker 1 (09:17):
Falling ins on one more time.

Speaker 4 (09:18):
And it's that's the frustrating part is you know the difference,
the margin errors one touchdown.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Listen, the biggest issue I have with Denver going forward
and bow Nicks is Mahomes and Herbert four times a
year minimum. That's the problem. The problem isn't Denver side.
They got their stuff figured out, but Mahomes maybe the
best quarterback ever not named Tom Brady. And you watched
Herbert last night, shovel passes off balance, falling away, twenty

(09:46):
five yard touchdown passes, running, limping Mahomes. Like, that's the
problem for Denver. Something you can't really control. J mac
lebron talking yesterday, Harbaugh's kick yesterday at the end of
the half was so Jim Marty, did you even know
that rule? Well, Bill Belichick, there was a something was

(10:08):
done years ago. I was Doug Flutie briefly with Belichick
or something. There was a story done years ago. Flutey
used to practice that, you know, the Boston Kid and Belichick.
There was a story years ago that Belichick loved that play.
So when they went forward, I'm like, oh, this is
the Belichick thing. And if I would have told you

(10:28):
there were two coaches in the last twenty years in
the NFL that would use it, you'd say Belichick and
Jim Harbaugh. They're both traditionalists, right, They're both got their
own authentic way to do it. So I never see it.
I don't even I don't think. I don't think I've
ever seen it.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
Seem like everybody was confused on the field the telecast,
I had buddies in the stadium, like, what is happening?
I did not know. I haven't seen Thatch, so I.

Speaker 1 (10:50):
Knew there was a there are I don't know why.
I wasn't shocked by it, but I didn't really expect it.
I don't think I've ever seen it.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
It felt like it had a kind of a big impact.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
Momentum wise, I thought, no question it did. I mean,
from that moment on, Chargers dominated it. So, oh, here
it is. My staff just said this. Doug Flutie did
a drop kick in two thousand and six, and that
was the first drop kick since nineteen forty one, so
that's something different. I guess. I remember seeing the story

(11:22):
about that and I was like, whatever, Yeah, it was fun.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
But listen, I know you ruled out the Bengals a
couple moments ago. You don't expect him. You know who
they played next, right, Broncos in Cincinnati. So you win
that game and then it's oh, no big deal then
for you just got to be I don't know, Kansas
City in week eighteen. You better hope the Chiefs are
resting players in that one. Broncos could miss the playoffs.

(11:48):
The Bengals. I gotta beg Peyton, your staff texted me
last night. Bengals are alive.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
Sean Payton against that Bengal defense, they may dropped him.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
Both had to throw the ball beyond the line of
super friend thirteen completions at were behind the line of scrimmage.

Speaker 1 (12:03):
What is that? Listen. I look at the AFC playoff picture.
I think it's done. I think it's done.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
You don't get Bengals like, no chance. No.

Speaker 1 (12:13):
I look at the NFC playoff picture, and I think
the NFC West Now I think McVeigh and Stafford are
gonna win the division. I picked them before the season
to win the division. I picked the Niners to start regressing.
I didn't trust Arizona. I didn't know what to make
of Seattle. You were higher on Seattle than I was.
I just I didn't know the coach well.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
By the way, Gino's back at practice, so yeah, that
it would looked like a bad injury. So it's not
over for su.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
Yeah, I think the NFC's got some wiggle room at
the very bottom of it. You know, I wouldn't be
shocked if Seattle got in and Washington didn't. But I
think the Lions, Tampa Bay now because Kirk Cousins, Philly,
the Rams, Minnesota, Green Bay feel pretty solid to me,
you know, Washington, Seattle. I think Seattle's got, in my opinion,

(12:54):
the better roster than Washington. I think Washington's got, to me,
the better quarter back, and I think that means a lot,
maybe a better you know, I'll just say that, I
think I think Washington's got the better quarterback. I think
Seattle's got the better roster, So that one I think's
up for gret. I think the AFC is done Anthony
Richardson's not winning three straight and they have an Indie's

(13:15):
got a better roster than Cincinnati, And I don't think Burl.
I mean Burl's in this spot for a reason. You
can overcome the worst defense in the league.

Speaker 5 (13:22):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 6 (13:31):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis, and together we're
Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You could catch
us weekdays from five to seven pm Eastern two to
four Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the
iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 1 (13:43):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.

Speaker 6 (13:45):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships, what's going on
in the world. We have a lot of fun talking
about the stories behind the stories in the world of
sports and pop culture, stories that well other shows don't
seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact
that we've been friends for the last one years and
still work together. I mean that says something, right, So
check us out. We like to get you involved too.

(14:06):
Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say,
I'd say, the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio,
maybe the most interactive show on planetar. Be sure to
check out Cavino and Rich live on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app from five to seven pm Eastern
two to four Pacific, And if you miss any of
the live show, just search kobin On and Rich wherever
you get your podcasts, and of course on social media.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
That's Covino and Rich. Oh great stuff. Blazing five gonna
include a couple of college football picks. Top of the hour.
Jordan Schulz stops by this hour, some NFL stuff on
job openings. What a great Friday it is, What a
great game last night. I want to talk about something
that's kind of blown up as a big story. I
think I addressed it Monday or Tuesday, got a lot

(14:45):
of play. And the NBA ratings are down fifty percent
since twenty twelve. It's a thing. So the NBA, in
my opinion, is having their Hollywood moment. Hollywood is shrinking.
Streamers have a lot to do with that, in AI
probably fighting some discomfort as well. So the NBA is
having its Hollywood moment. There's there's a big reshaping of

(15:06):
Hollywood consumers in the NBA and then and Hollywood in
the NBA is not exactly sure how it's gonna land.
I thought it was very interesting. This week, Celtics head
coach Joe Missoula was asked about watching the NBA games.
He said, I don't watch him. Oh, I know. There's
many people blaming the media. There's many people blaming the nostalgia,

(15:32):
the old heads. But I thought Lebron James was incredibly
candid when he was asked about some All Star Game
changes coming up. Listen to this.

Speaker 7 (15:45):
It's a bigger conversation. It's not just the All Star Game.
It's our Star game in general. Our game is it's
a lot of free being shot, So it's a it's
a bigger conversation just an All Star game.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
Yeah, ok C Milwaukee NBA Cup. Nobody watched seventy two threes.
Don't blame the consumer now. JJ Reddick a former broadcaster
and podcaster. He has the belief it's outside sources. It's
not the league. It's those outside of the league that's

(16:21):
hard to blame.

Speaker 8 (16:24):
I don't think we as, and I was part of it.
We as the sort of national partners have done a
good job of storytelling of celebrating the game. If I'm
a casual fan and you tell me every time I
turn on the television that the product sucks, well I'm
not going to watch the product. The league is more

(16:45):
talented and skilled than it was eighteen years ago when
I was drafted.

Speaker 9 (16:48):
That's a fact.

Speaker 8 (16:50):
There are more players that are excellent.

Speaker 10 (16:54):
There are more teams that are excellent.

Speaker 1 (16:56):
You know that sounds like to me, the Hollywood crowd
saying you don't understand the aught. Yeah, we get it.
Your movies are too long and they don't relate to
any of us. Yeah, that's it right. If the Dover
Soul's not selling on the menu, take it off the menu.
Put on more steak and chicken farm. Stop blaming the

(17:19):
consumer the storytelling. By the way, baseball's got more great
players over the last ten years than it's ever had.
And it wasn't until two years ago the ratings went up,
and it had nothing to do with storytelling. It had
to do with Rob Manfred tweaking the sport. This is
a game issue. It's not the media's fault. It's not
the fans' fault. It's not the old heads. Lebron nailed it.

(17:43):
They got too many threes, and a lot of guys
shouldn't be shooting them. The game's repetitive. JJ Reddick says
the game needs to be celebrated. No, it doesn't. It
needs to be audited. Like Rob Manfred did to baseball.
Baseball's showing you the Way's baseball storytelling now better. No
stars are in the right places, stars are fun to watch.

(18:06):
The game is faster. They got rid of that stupid
defensive shift. Not about storytelling. People wanted to see stars
and more base runners and more runs and more excitement.
Rob Manfred purist didn't like it, made changes boom back
to back years, ratings up. If you changed a three
point shot, I think you should move the arc into

(18:26):
the bench, and so people had to do mid rangers.
Our favorite player ever's Michael Jordan. Do you know that
he didn't shoot threes. Our second favorite player evers probably
Magic Johnson. He didn't shoot him either. The best player
arguably ever is Kareem He didn't shoot him ever. The
best player in the sixties was Russell. Never took one.

(18:47):
I'm supposed to now. Suddenly, with all this in my
brain about basketball, want Whimby at seven four jacking up
thirteen threes a game. Stop blaming the consumer. Eastpaul said,
we got to make changes. We got to change the menu,
we got to be flexible. And by the way, Hollywood's
done the same. They got rid of these niche, independent,

(19:07):
weirdo films, pandering to these weirdos and said, you know what,
how about the Avengers, how about John Wick? How about
Tom Cruise. That's what the audience likes. That's art too, right,
So I don't buy this the it's outside sources. It's
just an easy It's just like blaming the ex wife.

(19:28):
You know, it's her, it's the it's the constant, it's
the White House, it's the president, it's my brother, it's
my boss. How about look in the mirror? How about
change the menu. J Mack with the news, No, no,
turn on the news. This is the herdline news. Don't
get the art.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
You're right, we should give the people what they want.
Just give them only superhero movies and redews from the
nineteen eighties. That's it. Yeah, Hollywood's dead. Anyways, let's get
started with the Jet Scott. Oh gosh, I'm sick of
talking about this team. My favorite sports team, total mess.
So one of the stories yesterday in a big expose
bashing the owner. Woody Johnson was going back to I

(20:11):
believe twenty twenty two when they had a guy by
the name of Mike White at quarterback. Yeah, so after
a loss, he was very upset me threw his helmet. Reportedly,
Jet's owner. According to The Athletic, Woody Johnson said, you
should throw your helmet. U fings suck, which is outrageous.
I mean, that's very outrageous. John rages to have your

(20:32):
teenage kid in the locker room handing out game balls,
and this is just it's it's pathetic, it's bad. Here's
the real interesting thing. Where is this coming from? And
why is Woody closing in on someone?

Speaker 1 (20:45):
No, no, I think it's I think, in my opinion,
it's people who have been let go and are being
marginalized and they're like, yeah, I want you to know
what we went through here. So when you fired. I
always thought when I was doing local TV, and I
was like, not like I am now well, I was like,
you know, kind of a journalist and was going to

(21:05):
games and a lot, and like doing reporting. I always
looked for disgruntled employees. I always looked for fired employees.
So because they're they're sitting out, they're often unemployed and
being made to look bad, and they're getting blamed for everything.
And those people have a right to say, now here's
what really happened. Woody Johnson does not deny this. By
the way, that that Mike White situation, that is outrageous

(21:27):
to me, like an owner. By the way, the Spanoses
are in the locker room, you know, because their kids
have worked forever. And and I get it, like I
do get the owner coming in after. I mean, if
I owned a team, I'd want to watch the guys
sell them by that for a win two. But I
can assure you Dean Spanos and the new Bronco owners
aren't dog cussom players. I'm Dean Spanos on that team

(21:48):
for a long time. When he when he let go
of Anthony Lynn, a coach that wasn't working, So that
was one of the saddest days of his He told
me this, he said, it was brutal. It was brutal
for the family. Like most of these owners don't do
stuff like this. This is bad.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
Yeah, So you know, we own that soccer team in Mexico, right,
so we're minority owners. I've been at games where we
got blasted four zero.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
Yeah you know, and you go.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
In the locker room afterward, you sure as hell, I'm
not talking to the players. Everybody's upset and sad and depressed,
and when you win, you have everybody's dancing. But I'm
not like taking a game ball in present. You're staying
on the outside. Woody Johnson, this is really embarrassing college.
I go back to this, like, if you're a GM
or you're a head coach and you're reading all these
stories and they all are why on earth are you

(22:36):
taking this job?

Speaker 1 (22:37):
Because the roster's good, you'll have aaron for a year.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
You want to deal with this scrib No, I'll guarantee
you take this to the bank. Rabel's not touching this job,
no shot, absolutely not. Rabel's not coming in here. Nobody's
smart wants to deal with this guy. You know who
does desperate guys offensive coordinator, who's like pick me, let
me have my first job as a head.

Speaker 1 (22:56):
That's what they keep hiring coordinators, and it's going to
fail miserably.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
Next up is Jordan love Boy started the year kind
of tough, had some groin and knee injuries. But he
has been on a bit of a heater lately. He's
gone four straight games without a pick, seven touchdowns in
those games. He also has posted passer ratings over one
hundred in each of his last five. Here's his coach
talking about Jordan Love.

Speaker 11 (23:20):
I thinks this is the best ball he's played. Just
when I look at all the little things, like I
explained the other day, in terms of his ability to
manipulate the pocket when he's under dress, getting the ball
to his checkdowns or whatever it may be, I think
he's playing at a really high level.

Speaker 1 (23:37):
Yeah, Greg Cosell likes him. I always lean on Greg
co Sell on Thursdays. What's the film say? The film said,
Jalen Hurts last week was spectacular and he likes what
he's seeing with Jordan Love.

Speaker 10 (23:48):
Well.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
Against Seattle, which has a very good secondary, he was cooking.
He was And I think you got Jordan Love in
our quarterback draft yesterday. It was a nice, nice job
by you.

Speaker 1 (23:56):
I don't know how I got Herbert, Yeah, Herbert.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
It was also a good, good pick.

Speaker 1 (24:02):
And Mahomes and I didn't have the first pick. Malmontays
something you're talking about a GM you want to sign
to an extension. You're looking at.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
Jordan Love. They have these Saints on Monday Night football.
There I touchdown.

Speaker 1 (24:15):
Yeah, there's two, two touchdown favorites. One of them's in
my blazing five. I like both of them, but I
chose the other one because there was a number I liked. Okay,
there's there's there's two big big Green Bay and Buffalo
Art Oh, Buffalo a huge favorites. The difference is, I
think New Orleans has some redeemable town.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
On one's a divisional matchup. Be careful with those. It's
gonna be like eleven degrees in Buffalo, those Lake Effect wins.

Speaker 1 (24:43):
Yeah, Josh Allen doesn't shrink when it's cold.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
Vital story is, Oh, this is surprising to me. So
the Cowboys spent big time for Dak Prescott, Ceedee Lamb
broke the bank. Both of them got massive deals. So
now everybody's looking at Micah Parsons Coln. I don't know
why he would this, but Parson said he is kind
of okay with not getting all of the money.

Speaker 1 (25:06):
Take a listen, I want to hear it.

Speaker 2 (25:12):
Okay, it would just be nice to be surrounded by
good players, you know what I mean? Players that are
gonna help you win championships. To me, having forty mil
and being chipped every play and slid two with three
four people, I don't think that sounds fun. So to me,
it's about keep making a difference. And obviously we're gonna
get Sam Williams back, We're gonna get some others back.

(25:34):
We'll see how it breaks down, but I want to
keep as many guys as possible. However, they're gonna make
that cap work. He's alluding to like not a hometown discount,
but not being like the number one edge Rusher paid,
which well he shouldn't be.

Speaker 1 (25:48):
Miles Garrett and TJ. Watt are better. I'm gonna be
honest with you. Khalil Mack the last two years has
been out of this world, so I don't think he
should be the top paid outside guy. I don't pass Rusher,
I don't. I think the guy at Cincinnati's actually Hendrickson.
I think Hendrickson's great.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
Well, now that I'm surprised at that take, well, do
you buy what Cedee Lamb is the best player at
his position?

Speaker 1 (26:07):
No? No, but in an offensive league he's their only
redeemable high end west.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
So do you think Dak Prescott's the best.

Speaker 1 (26:13):
Obviously, now I wouldn't have paid him that, But I'm saying, Mike,
if you're asking me, edge Rushers, TJ. Watt is one
both in San Francisco, Hendrickson and Cincinnati. Miles, Garrett and
Cleveland are right off the top four. And then you
have a group of guys like Khalil Mack by the way,
Max Crosby. There's about seven guys I would put ahead

(26:33):
of mikeh I think Mike is in that seven to
eighth space. Also, it's a state with no income tax.
It's a huge brand. I mean, he's Bobby.

Speaker 2 (26:41):
Making money off his podcast. But I'm gonna go back
to this. You're telling me he's okay watching the pay
Dak Prescott top of the market, ceedee lamb, top of
the market. But for me, I'm not getting top of
the market. You don't think that's a little Lets.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
Get near the top of the market. I think there's
I've said this about d Wighed for years, the fact
that d Wade went to Miami, never paid state tax,
had pat Riley as the GM spolstrom mostly as the
head coach and one of the top owners. Mickey Errison.
There are times there are values. Sometimes when he went
to Chicago, I'm like, I know you're I know you're

(27:17):
from there, bro, But I would stay like, there are
situations where being the Cowboy quarterback is better than being
paid a little bit more to be the Cleveland Brown quarterback.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
So I would agree with that. However, I don't know
how they're gonna spend the money that you're not giving me.
So unless I like the Miami heat historically amazing.

Speaker 1 (27:37):
You know you have Again, that's a very fatal point.

Speaker 2 (27:40):
Trust Jerry Jones, that's very right thing with the money
you're not giving me.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
No, that's a very fair point. Tom Brady. For years,
I said, for years when Brady was in New England
and they he kept giving up money, and I kept saying,
where's it going? Because they don't have a receiver that
can separate, like outside of Edelman, You're like, where are
all the receivers? So it drove me nuts for years
that Tommy gave up the money and I'm like, where
is it going? You're good at tight end, but you

(28:03):
have bebe running backs. You have Edelman and b receivers,
So I think it's fair. But I do think there
are certain organizations. Manchester United, you're getting a lot of eyeballs,
you know, if you're their strikers. I think there are
organizations I would you know, you can play for the
New York Rangers or the Saint Louis Blues. New York

(28:23):
Rangers I got a rabid, longtime fan base, or Toronto
Maple Leafs, and I think there's value in that.

Speaker 2 (28:29):
So I guess in closing, there was a lot of
chatter about should they trade Micah? Blah blah blah. Do
you think Michaeh's like, WHOA, I don't want to go anywhere.
I'm willing to take less because I want to stay here.
Don't ship me to Siberia or wherever. That's right, Mike
as I kind of covered who would take Micah? Who
would over I think a lot of people would take
mikel Well, no question, but who would over pay for him?

(28:52):
A bad team, a poorly run team Jacksonville?

Speaker 1 (28:55):
Yeah, there you go. Yeah. J mcklanews. Well, that's the news,
and thanks for stopping by.

Speaker 10 (29:01):
The herd lot.

Speaker 1 (29:02):
I just want to point this. I can't wait for
Notre Dame hosts in Indiana tonight. That's in my blazing
five picks. Last year the Big Ten. The Big Ten
stole the king Crown from the SEC. Michigan not only
won the Natty, they played a They played a Pac
ten team didn't have to play an SEC. SEC didn't
even get to the championship This year, Alabama disappointed. Tennessee's

(29:27):
a touchdown under doged Ohio State Carson Beck is not
going to play in the playoffs for Georgia, so they're
not winning a national championship, and at all rests on Texas.
The new guy in the block is the best team,
and Texas, it should be noted, has some offensive struggles.
The last three games I've watched, they're not moving the ball,
so it's very, very interesting. Sources say today that george

(29:50):
is preparing for the College Football Playoff without their quarterback,
so take them out of winning, and so the SEC's
rain is slipping, the Buzzards are skling. Texas, it appears,
will be the only shot to win a Natty. So
the playoff committee was very clear. They said we'll take
a two loss SMU team over a three loss SEC team,

(30:11):
and their reasoning was, Eh, they're not that great this year.
So I saw a story this week, but this one
got a hurt. Alabama's athletic director tells the Tide fans
to fight back and help fund the nil So apparently, hey,
everybody got to have another bake sale down in Tuscaloosa.

(30:32):
Who's making the fudge? I'll do the ginger snaps, you
do the chocolate chip. They're doing bake sales and raffles
down in Tuscaloosa. I'm just saying, if Tennessee gets whacked,
dark days ahead for the King. The King is being
undressed by the boys up north. Joel Klatt yesterday on

(30:56):
why even the SEC's most hopeful team, Texas has a
quarterback problem.

Speaker 12 (31:01):
As yours became more immobile with that banged up ankle,
then the level of stress on just the passing game
and his ability to throw guys open went way up.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
And he doesn't really do that.

Speaker 12 (31:14):
So because of that, there's a ton of stress on
Steve Sarkisian to scheme guys open for him, and when
he faces good defenses, that's tough. I just wondered to myself, like,
if they were struggling, how short is that leash on
quinn yours?

Speaker 1 (31:28):
I think it would be pretty short. Yeah, I agree,
with Joel Klatt, Boys up North Oregon, not going anywhere.
Ohio State, Michigan, Washington will be good in a rebuild.
Just what I see. Very scary times. But hey, here's
a good news. People love bake sales. They love bake sales. Raffles,

(31:50):
car washes all available this weekend in Tuscaloosa. All right,
Blazing five redemption time for Blazing fives a flex at
the top of the hour.

Speaker 5 (32:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon eastern non am Pacific.

Speaker 1 (32:10):
All Right, here we go. What a weekend of massive
college football. The College Football Playoffs starts tonight Indiana at
Notre Dame, Texas and Clemson over the weekend. Penn State's
playing as well, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd,
wherever you may be and however you may be listening.

(32:30):
So J Mack, I' haveing a terrible year betting NFL
my worst ever. Most of the time, I'm fifty five
to fifty six percent, but it's been a year in
which favorites have done well. I tend to take dogs,
so I've been off all year. That's that's the breaks.
Nobody cares, but I will tell you today. I thought
I thought the single best bet of the weekend was
a college bet. Oh and so I thought, I'm gonna

(32:51):
open it up. I'm gonna give people an opportunity. It's
a bet that you and I both agree with.

Speaker 2 (32:57):
Yeah, and it's never too late to turn around. You
remember last year, I think you started, I mean, who
could who remembers nine? Yeah, and you turned it around positive,
so like you could do it. Yeah, it's finished, strong man,
it's not how you start, say finished.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
I like your optimism. So here we go on to Friday,
my Blazing five. Let's blaze it up up.

Speaker 5 (33:19):
It's Collins Blazing five sponsored by Draft Gacks. Indiana had
Notre Dack.

Speaker 1 (33:25):
I like Indiana plus seven and a half. It's going
to be in the upper twenties, win chill in the
upper teams. I don't think either offense is going to
be great. I think the game will be fast. It
will be the run game, eating the clock. Indiana is
really well coached, coming off their most dominant performance of
the year, crushing for due. This is not Ohio State

(33:47):
in Columbus. The weather will be a factor. It'll slow
down both offenses. A Notre Dames defense, By the way,
USC got five hundred and sixty yards against him, could
have won that game without pick sixes. The last two
opponents that Notre Dame has faced have both had over
one hundred and ninety yards rushing. So Indiana it's the
second highest scoring team in college football. I think it

(34:10):
is a game with a lot of running. I really
like Indiana's coach. I think Ohio State's a different team
in good weather than Notre Dame in bad weather. I'll
take the Irish to win, but I'm taking the seven
and a half points twenty seven to twenty three fighting
Irish Clemson Texas. Both Jamack and I like the Longhorns

(34:31):
to cover. I don't know how Clemson scores. I could argue,
you know, are they really you know, they don't really
feel like a college football playoff team. Texas is eleven
to zero against everybody not named Georgia. Their offense is sputtered,
but I think their defense could score against Clemson. Clemson's
the only playoff team with three losses from a week
conference zero to two against SEC teams outscored fifty one

(34:55):
to seventeen, and again the Texas defense. That's why their
offense has been so con conservative they may not need
to score more than a touchdown or two. I'm not
sure how Clemson mounts long drives in this game. I'm
gonna swallow the twelve points. I think I'd prefer to
see Arcs manning at quarterback. Texas wins thirty to thirteen,

(35:17):
Rams and Jets at minus three. I'll take the Rams.
First of all, the game means a lot more. This
is a Jets team that had to fight like crazy
to come back and beat an awful, awful Jacksonville team. Also,
I get Stafford and McVeigh coming off extra time because
they played on Thursday. They control their own destiny. They

(35:37):
need to win this game. No turnovers and no sacks.
Last two games. The O line's finally healthy. By the way,
they are five and zero this year. When they don't
turn it over. The Jets, by the way, last four games,
you know they're one score games. They keep it close.
I think it'll be close, but the game means more.
It's been a noisy, noisy week for the Jets. I'm

(35:58):
gonna take the Rams to win and cover twenty seven
to twenty three forty nine ers, said Dolfi I'm gonna
take the Niners minus one to win straight out. Here's
my problem with Miami. People have figured them out. Tyreek
Hill has gone over one hundred yards once in the
last thirteen games. Tua has not completed a pass over
twenty yards in the air before Thanksgiving. And the Niners

(36:20):
are a bully. They're very good against teams that are
below five hundred. They average thirty two a game. They're
coming off extra rest four to oh against teams currently
under five hundred. They remind me a little of Baltimore
when you stack them up against a great team. The
Niners have flaws. When they can bully an average team
like Miami, they win. I'll lay the one point Niners

(36:45):
win twenty eight to twenty four. Atrians said Bills. I
don't like big favorites, but the Bills have won nine
straight regular season home games minus fourteen. I'll lay the points.
They scored thirty plus in eight straight games. They don't
allow sacks, so I don't think Josh Allen will be rushed.

(37:06):
They've only allowed thirteen sacks all year, and they're outscoring
their opponents at home by seventeen a game. The Patriots
have lost four straight, they can't score. There's questions about
the coaching Listen, I get the best NFL team at
home that protects their quarterback against a Girodmeyo team that
has gotten worse whatever they do offensively. People have figured

(37:29):
it out. Point differential. I think the Bills cover thirty
to thirteen are draft Kings. Sportsbook new customers bet five bucks,
get one hundred and fifty and bonus bets. If your
five dollars bet wins, download the app. The promo code
has heard h e RD when you sign up. Yeah,
there we go, J Mack. If you want to look

(37:50):
at the picks. I like the college games this weekend.
I kind of My take is I hate big favorites,
but Green Bay and Buffalo are not only big favorites,
playing really good football. And I think my favorite bet
of the week is Texas minus twelve. I don't know
how Clemson engineers any offense in that game.

Speaker 2 (38:10):
Yeah, I like them. By the way, have you seen
the images from South Bend, Indiana? So you know, very cold.
I got some buddies going to the game. They are
fired up. I like Notre Dame. I'm excited. I can't
wait for the playoff.

Speaker 7 (38:22):
Games.

Speaker 2 (38:22):
Yeah, Texas as well, I'm with you on that for yeah.

Speaker 1 (38:25):
So, I mean Notre Dame Indiana. I think people look
at Indiana and I think it's being overplayed that they're
a fraud. Ohio State good weather at home, that was
a tough place for Indiana. Yeah, okay, but this first
of all, it's not going to be as loud because
people are going to be wrapped up. It is freezing.
And again this is a Notre Dame defense. I went

(38:48):
to the game at the Coliseum, USC moved the ball.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
They got shreded through the are Yeah.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
Yeah so. And also I do think that Indiana is
closer in talent to Notre Dame than they are at
Texas or in Ohio State. I just I felt watching
that game. We were two series in and I'm like, okay,
this is big why football. They don't have the players
the Buckeyes do and Ohio State, by the way, does
that do a lot of people? I don't think. But

(39:14):
I think Indiana can play a Penn State, a Notre Dame,
other teams that are good and compete.

Speaker 2 (39:21):
I hear how much like the winter break comes into
play because a lot of colleges, you know, the kids
are a back off campus. They're not there. I don't
know how juiced up these home stadiums are going to be.
They're calling for a white out in Happy Valley of Pest.
Is it going to be? Are all the students still there?
Are they hanging out? Did they hang around after finals?
Everybody usually wants to get out of dodge. I don't
know what this is going to be like. We've never
seen this before.

Speaker 1 (39:41):
Yeah, no, I mean, and I think any time you've
never seen anything before, it makes it. I can't wait
to watch it tonight. I'm going to the Dome at
cosm Oh. I'm gonna go watch it. I'm gonna see
what it looks like. By the way, if you've never
gone to that thing, there's one in LA and Dallas,
one coming to Atlanta Detroit. If you've never been to
that place. In a snow game, it's incredible to see
what the players are going through. In the officials, I

(40:02):
don't know how you call a game and is official
in snow games, I don't know how you do it.
By the way, I just I want to show you
something that's really I like Jim Harbaugh a lot. I
loved the last night was so much about Jim Harbaugh
going with the old school kick in that football game.
That hadn't happened since a fifty two yarder by Paul

(40:25):
Horning of the Packers in nineteen sixty two. So it was,
you know, it was the end of the half, and
it was a fair catch and there was interference in
a penalty, and so there's a fair catch and you
are allowed to do this. Now none of us have
ever seen this thing before, but now you are on
that penalty, you can kick it from there. And the
Chargers have one of the best kickers in the league,
and so they're like, all right, we're going to kick

(40:46):
it before half. And there's a big difference being down
eleven and being down eight. Okay, down eight, Okay, it's
a one score game and two point conversion. So Dick
or the kicker bang hits it. From that point on,
the Chargers dominated, and I thought it was a glimpse
of the culture that Jim Harbaugh's created. It was. It
was a banged up football team, you trail, but they're opportunistic.

(41:10):
They bring back an old school football play and here
this is so classic. Here's Harbaugh after.

Speaker 2 (41:18):
It loud and Bride like we've never sung it before.

Speaker 1 (41:22):
So he goes out into the city. What tally? Who
could possibly have it better than that? He's a Jim fluencer.

(41:47):
By the way, December fourteenth, last season, they gave up
sixty points to the awful Raiders. This year they secured
a playoff spot ninety seven chance they make the playoffs.
That's that game last night had Jim Harbaugh written all
over it.

Speaker 5 (42:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 1 (42:12):
Well, he worked at ESPN last couple of years of
college football analysts Mississippi State and Florida and the SEC.
He know it's high end football. And now he's a
coach at UNLV, which has the best collective in the
Mountain West Conference. And he knows Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen.
They worked together years ago. He's now joining us live.
And I remember when the UNLV's facilities were in a dark,
dingy place and now sunshine everywhere for Dan Mullen. Good

(42:35):
for you. Okay, I want to start with this. So
I talked to Urban this week, and you know the
pressure of the SEC. You know, the pressure big football.
And I've always said that Ohio State Dan is an
SEC team North. They're the only SEC team North. Ryan day,
bad performance? Do you like? So after a bad game

(42:55):
at Florida, you know, at Florida and you get a
month off, did it help you or hurt you? What
should I expect from Ohio State off that stinker against Michigan. Well, listen,
it's going to.

Speaker 9 (43:08):
Help their performance in the end when they get on
the field, because they're gonna be a little angry when
they get out there.

Speaker 10 (43:14):
But it hurts.

Speaker 9 (43:15):
That is a long, miserable month of everybody telling you
how awful you are.

Speaker 10 (43:21):
I mean, it's just like it's I mean, it's just dreary.
It's miserable.

Speaker 9 (43:24):
You got to find a way to motivate yourself and
pick yourself up out of it in those situations, which
is not easy to do as a coach. Listen, you know,
fans are so critical of coaches, like you know, I mean,
I think every person Ohio probably thought Ryan just walked
up and kicked their dog that was laying on the front,
you know, and they look at them that way.

Speaker 10 (43:42):
But no one's harder on themselves than the coaches.

Speaker 9 (43:44):
There's no one want I hate to say it, for
all your Buckock fans out there, there's no one in
the state of Ohio that wanted to win that game
more than Ryan Day have put more into it.

Speaker 10 (43:53):
So I know he's awful about it. He's going to
be ready to get back out there on the field.
They need to pull themselves out of that.

Speaker 1 (43:58):
Misery a job like that in Florida. And I want
to pivot to the SEC. So Carson Beck's not playing
for Georgia. I don't think they can win a Natty
without that. And and I'll tell you I think Texas.
I love Texas, but offensively they're so good defensively, They've
gotten a little conservative offensively as a favorite because I
think Texas passes the eyeball test. Would you want to

(44:21):
be Texas where you're kind kind of scuffing a little bit,
but you're the you got the best roster. Is that
a place that's comfortable as a coach because you were
a favorite in a lot of big games at Florida.
Did you like being a little bit of a dog
or did you like being the big dog coming in
with a chest out?

Speaker 10 (44:40):
They're both a lot of fun.

Speaker 9 (44:41):
And listen, I spent a lot of time Assissippi State.
I don't think I think we were in the underdog
about every single week in the SEC, right, and that
was a lot of fun. You have a little chip
on your shoulder. I think you just adjust to both
and as a coach and you get your team to
believe in that. It's hard when you're in Texas say
let's go really get that chip. You have to say,
we have to play our standard, we have to play
to our talent level, we have to do the things

(45:03):
that we're good. We have to be as good as
we are supposed to do and perform that way every week.
It's hard to play the chip on the shoulder card
when you're at Texas. But I'll tell you what, as
a coach, both are fun. Both are great challenges to
go do it. But there's no way they're gonna get it.
Texas has to go and they have to say, hey,
we've played like a dominant team.

Speaker 10 (45:21):
When we've played.

Speaker 9 (45:21):
People were better than when we've played people were equal to.
We have not shown that. And there are two games
against Georgia you saw their offense didn't show up.

Speaker 10 (45:30):
You know they're they're throwing the ball.

Speaker 9 (45:31):
Well, you're watching these clips, they're throwing the ball down
the field scoring touchdowns. If you're gonna play Georgia, you're
gonna play the big teams. You have got to hit
explosive plays down the field throwing the football, and they
haven't been able to do that.

Speaker 1 (45:42):
Yeah, you're not going to get thirteen play drives against
the Georgia Bulldogs. So I was thinking about this tonight.
If I was Marcus Freeman, I got the better roster.
I'm at home. I'm playing in a blizzard. Yeah, Dan,
I'd want to run that puppy, eat the clock, get
out of there. Do I wouldn't want to get tricky.
I got the better roster. I'm at home. Have you
ever gone into a game and maybe not because of

(46:03):
where you coached, where you're the favorite, you got the
better roster. Weather, it can be a problem. Maybe it's
raining sideways in Starkville. Notre Dame's in a weird spot
tonight that the weather is not their ally because sint
because by the way Indiana can run, they can run it.
They're well coached. If you were Notre Dame tonight, with

(46:24):
this weather you're facing, does it change the game plan. No,
Usually when.

Speaker 9 (46:30):
You're the better team, you want to run more plays.
So you know, you don't want to slow it down.
Because if we have better players, better talent, the more
plays we run on the field, the better opportunity our
talented guys have to make something special happen. I do
those see with the weather and listen Notre Dame. I
know they're explosive to have good players with better roster.
They like to run the ball to listen. In TV terms,

(46:51):
I don't see a film coming in this game right now.
This one's going to be over and it's going to
be over fast. You better tuned in early. This is
probably going to go as fast as that army did
because both teams are going to be I think run
the football, be conservative and uh you know, might set
football back and it is going to look like the
poor horsemen.

Speaker 10 (47:09):
Might come up a number name of this one like
the twenties playing.

Speaker 1 (47:11):
Yeah, so listen. I like the transfer portal and the NIL.
I do think everything needs to be managed. I think
you need to have a cap with the NF I mean, hell,
the NFL has got a salary cap. I think you
should have like a sixteen to seventeen million cap so
the gap between Ohio State and Purdue doesn't become forty
million to eight. And I also think the transfer portal,

(47:34):
I don't know exactly what you do. I think we're
getting a little caught up. The truth is USC lost
some good guys. They're gonna find some good guys. I
don't worry too much about it. Is there any and
I love the playoff? Is there anything that worries you
from somebody who has coached in the SEC you've broadcast
now you're in the Mountain West? Anything worry you about
all these changes in college football?

Speaker 10 (47:56):
You know?

Speaker 9 (47:56):
The great thing being out of it for the last
couple of years and not having to deal with the
adjustments on a day to day basis when you see
it from the ten thousand foot of view, I'm more
comfortable coming back into it and haven't seen it and
understand it. The second transfer a portal window they have
after spring practice. I kind of wish they'd get rid
of that, Like, you know what, establish your roster, show kids,

(48:16):
I'm going to go to this school. I'm going to
make a one year commitment, like we're just here for
a year. Coaches can manage their rosters. Players know they
have a chance to develop. This is their team the
signing day. I think if they just tweak the calendar
in college football, they can help me. Hey, the money kids,
if they would, if they if the ends would have
tried to find a way and figure out how to
pay the kids a long time ago, would give them

(48:37):
a little something, it.

Speaker 1 (48:39):
Would have helped them.

Speaker 9 (48:40):
We might not be in this as crazy a situation
as we are, but you know what, the kids deserve
some of the money. There's a lot of money coming
from all the different TV networks, and the kids deserve
some of that money. The opportunity to go make it.
The other thing, I think, though, the hard one, that
the message to give the kids and the message I'm
trying to give the kids, come here. Don't forget we
had about development at some point. You know, if you're

(49:03):
going to a school, a different school every year for
four years, when do you really learn in the system.
Why are you learning to develop? When are you learning
to go take that next step. I've coached quarterbacks my
whole life life. I don't want to I want to
have a quarterback that can coach, develop and start learning
graduate level classes, not just kind of we're gonna try
to dumb it down because we have it for a
year and you can learn a system. I want guys.
Make sure guys understand you need to really spend time

(49:26):
develop yourself, learn your trade and not just be jumping
around from one year to the next.

Speaker 10 (49:31):
But hey, that's the system and they're going to do it.
I understand it. It's great.

Speaker 9 (49:35):
We had a bunch of players go to the portal
after our bowl game the other night. Don't go look
at opportunities here at UNLV. But I mean my phone's
blowing up with guys that want to come play. You know,
we have the opportunity. The great thing you said the playoffs.
I think we have a great path of the playoffs
are you want to be Look at boys, we have
beaten Boise in the championship game last year. I'm sitting
on a buy right now. I'm going to be hanging

(49:56):
out with you. We're in a good time in Vegas
and we're sitting on a ybe to watch you know,
SMU and Penn State game to Varcitie who we're going
to play in the second round. So I love our
path and I think college football is doing some things
the right way. They just need to get everybody on
same page to tweak it, to make it the best
for the student athletes, the players, the high school kids
coming in. Just put a little barrier around it and

(50:19):
and just clean it up a little bit and get
out of it.

Speaker 10 (50:22):
We can't get out of our own way sometimes.

Speaker 1 (50:24):
Well, I just saw the world's best fake punt that
you and LV went over cal you were in a
tennis That's the best fake pip I've ever seen in
my life. And I want to I want to say,
you had a cushy job as a broadcaster. What did
your wife say when you said, Hey, I want to
go back coach again.

Speaker 10 (50:39):
She's She's like, like what.

Speaker 9 (50:41):
I thought we were kind of retired with this broadcasting life,
like somewhat you know, out of this world. And uh,
you know what, It's crazy how a lot of people
say what's going on is you know, I've had a
lot of people call with interest offer different jobs over
the last couple of years. And it was just something
that you said, I was enjoying broadcasting. I was really
joint TV. Somehow something about this job hit a spark

(51:04):
in me. Yeah, you know, I don't know of it.
We have great facilities here, yep. The Fratida Football Complex.
That family has done a great job, had given us phillies.
We played allegied Stadium in an NFL stadium, one of
the nicest stadiums in football.

Speaker 10 (51:16):
At any level around the world. You're in a great market.

Speaker 9 (51:20):
Las Vegas is a great place to live, as you know,
and you know we have so much going on.

Speaker 10 (51:25):
It kind of got.

Speaker 9 (51:26):
Me really excited the path to the playoffs. I'm thinking,
I think I'm gonna go have some fun. We're gonna
go coach some ball, have some fun and have a
good time and see if we can get ourselves in
the playoffs and win a championship here at UNLV.

Speaker 1 (51:38):
Yeah, the weather's a little better than Bristol, Connecticut. No
shot at my former employer. Hey, it's great seeing you
say hi to the people at UNLV. Fatida family has
been amazing in that community. Unbelievable family. Dan Mullen youn LV,
the Mountain West that got a little collective money. Thank
you Dan for coming on the show. I do appreciate it.

(51:58):
He did a great job you yep, yep, Yeah, I
did wonder when I saw him take that job, I thought.
I bet his wife thought, Okay, we're gonna do the
broadcasting thing. You know, it's interesting about recruiting now. It
used to be it had to be on the road
all the time. What's happened a little bit now with
a collective. The players come to you, they come on
your campus in the summer spring. It's like, all right,
what do you want to make here's what we have.

(52:20):
It's a different ballgame. J Mac with the news, No.

Speaker 5 (52:28):
On the news, this is the herd Line news.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
You know we like Texas a lot. Yes, again in
the game this weekend, but there the quarterback situation is
really starting to get tricky.

Speaker 9 (52:40):
Well.

Speaker 2 (52:40):
Sark was asked about the Quinn viewers' archmanning stuff, specifically
about this potentially being yours's last game as a Longhorn,
and Sark was not happy with the question.

Speaker 13 (52:51):
You know, Quinn obviously needs to make a decision after
this season is over. But if this ends up being
his last game.

Speaker 1 (52:59):
No hypothetical. So I'm not doing hypotheticals.

Speaker 13 (53:01):
Next one that it's not a hypothetical if this ends
up being his life's game. I thought about his can
you talk about his impact and that he's had in
the three years that he's been here, or he has
not had an impact.

Speaker 2 (53:16):
I'll answer the question as it pertains his impact.

Speaker 1 (53:19):
Now, I'm not going to answer the question with a hypothetical.
So do you want to rephrase the question? Yeah, I
mean it's I get it. I'm not gonna take your question,
which hasn't happened, and give you an answer to frame
for a column. It hasn't happened. So I'm not gonna
his last game again.

Speaker 2 (53:37):
But by the way, there's chatter there's Texas fans out
there who think, listen art just starting next year. If
Quinn isn't ready for the NFL or doesn't get a
high grade, he goes transfer columns and he's gonna be
somewhere else, then.

Speaker 1 (53:48):
Okay, but let's wait until it happens. Why should I
feed you a column?

Speaker 2 (53:53):
That's fair. I'm just saying I don't know. I understand
the question, and I understand the non answer. Does that
make sense?

Speaker 10 (53:59):
Is that?

Speaker 8 (53:59):
Is that?

Speaker 1 (53:59):
Okay? I don't I'm not blaming you for asking the question.
I've always said in my entire career, when I ask questions,
you have a right not to answer. And if you
say I'm not going to answer. I'm not going to
reframe it and try to trick you, which the writer did.
So my take is if I was sarked, I wouldn't
have answered it either. I'd say, I'm not going to

(54:20):
take that narrative and give you a column.

Speaker 2 (54:21):
What do you think about this?

Speaker 1 (54:22):
In fact, sark said would you like to reframe it?
And the guy, the stubborn media guy, went back to
it. It's like, I'm not going to give you a column. Well,
where are.

Speaker 2 (54:30):
You on this whole Arch vers Viewers like Arch is.

Speaker 1 (54:32):
The better quarterback, He's more mobile.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
I like him the better quarterback.

Speaker 1 (54:35):
Now I think Arch manning. Oh but I've never been
a Youers fan. I don't think he's a first or
second round pick. I think he's a fifth round. I
think he's no. I think he's it's a lot of
Kenny Pickett. To me, he's fine, he's back up. I
don't think he's a starter in the NFL. I don't.

Speaker 2 (54:51):
Oh my, that's a take.

Speaker 1 (54:53):
Well. I didn't think Zach Wilson was a starter in
the NFL. I didn't think Daniel Jones was. I didn't
think Tibo.

Speaker 2 (54:58):
Was second overall. Can you believe I.

Speaker 1 (55:00):
Called those before they happened, and I knew Sam Darnold
was magic.

Speaker 2 (55:05):
Yeah, it just took six years to eclip with the
magic finish. Let's go to the NBA. NBA fans, Nick
Timberwolves trade, remember that in the summer massive Carl Anthony
Towns returned to Minnesota last night, former number one pick
by the Wolves. Set after the game, personally, this game
wasn't just another game, and if anyone told you otherwise,

(55:26):
that's a lie. Kat went off. He had thirty two
and twenty, didn't miss a three pointer. Anthony Edwards said
that while he was mad as team lost, he was
happy to see Kat do well. Nick's going to blow
out Cat flexing.

Speaker 1 (55:41):
Now whatever what. I've seen him play.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Fucking positive NBA and look at you.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
I've seen him play live four times. He's been great
three of them. But when I need him in big spots,
I've always had my questions. I still contend he's part.
He is part of a package and eventually goes after
Giannis and Millwa. I believe that draft picks Karl Anthony Towns.
Maybe og is hot.

Speaker 2 (56:07):
Take summer get arriving early arts dating better than you
were you know, do you think you weres now? I
think arts would be starting if you were better.

Speaker 1 (56:15):
I think there's a lot of politics involved. I think
there's a lot of walking on eggshells to be involved.
I think this is the bottom line is if ARC
starts Quinn, youres like, I'm out of here, then I
don't have a backup quarterback.

Speaker 2 (56:26):
I lobby now. Karl Anton Towns is one of the
best games of his career. I know, I know he's been,
but thirty and twenty against his old teams, Like, it's
kind of impressive. In you're and you want to ship
him to Milwaukee celebrate the NBA. NBA baby, it's fantastic.
Final story. Let's go back to the NFL. The Detroit Lions.

(56:46):
It felt like three weeks ago they were the darlings
of the NFL. But the injuries, oh my gosh, destroying
this team. A lot of people are starting to doubt
the Lions, the line coming down against the Bears. But
defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, he's got no doubts.

Speaker 14 (57:01):
Yeah, we're twelve and two and the sky's falling. We're
going to the playoffs. Win a damn win a tournament.
Why in the hell of skyfl for us? What do
we have to sit back and.

Speaker 1 (57:14):
Be sad? I mean we didn't after you guys.

Speaker 14 (57:16):
We let you guys do that ologized to co play football.
But why should we sit back and wallow and think
the sky's falling?

Speaker 1 (57:25):
Just dumb.

Speaker 2 (57:27):
Like that?

Speaker 3 (57:28):
Like that.

Speaker 1 (57:28):
He's good, he's good at the podium. He was a
mouthy cornerback back in Yeah, I've not got no problem
with it. By the way, I don't know this, I'm
just throwing it out there. How many former cornerbacks are
NFL head coaches. Dion's obviously a college coach. It's a
it's a funny position that it's it's a big personality position.

(57:49):
So you'd think there'd be more like college coaches that
were corners. Has there been an NFL coach who was
a great corner?

Speaker 2 (57:55):
What was Dan Kemp? He was a tight end? Maybe?

Speaker 1 (57:58):
Well he won the corner. Yeah, you didn't look real twitchy.
You're right.

Speaker 2 (58:02):
There's some random positions out there, and a lot.

Speaker 1 (58:05):
Of it personality positions. So I would think there'd be
corners in college because you gotta sell. I mean, Dion's
a prime example, big charisma.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
Yeah, you've got that RIZ.

Speaker 1 (58:15):
Is that what they call it? Oh, I like that.
I haven't used that. I just started using mid and lip.

Speaker 2 (58:20):
Yeah, so RIZ on Christmas Eve making the cookies that
to my house on Christmas Day. The kids will laugh
at you.

Speaker 1 (58:26):
I'll tell you. I'll tell you I'm gonna stand on
business with a rizel.

Speaker 2 (58:32):
That was said correctly. We'll just let it lie cares.

Speaker 1 (58:36):
I thought that was all right.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
J Mack with the news, Well, that's the news, and
thanks for stopping by the herd.

Speaker 1 (58:45):
Line News all sorts of stuff. I was great watching
that game last night. I don't know about everybody else,
but I was watching that game last night. My takeaway was, oh,
we're watching playoff teams. If you go look at the
AFC right now, at the playoff picture, it's done. I
love Burrow, but they're not winning three straight games and
Denver's not losing all these games. So I think the
AFC playoff picture. And here's what's funny. The NFL extended

(59:07):
to seventeen games. It's already done. We got three games left,
and they're going to extend to another game. That's why
I don't like extending the NFL season ween is the
league has become more quarterback centric, teams separate faster, folks.
The AFC playoffs are done. They're all over. Anthony Richardson
can't win three straight. Although I think they beat the

(59:29):
Titans this weekend. Miami's two finesse. They're not winning three
straight games. And I think you can give Joe Burrow
an outside shot outside five percent chance. But the NFL
extends their season. What's the point The AFC's done, We
got three games left, go to the NFC. Now the NFC,
I think if the Rams win this weekend and the
Niners lost and Seattle lost, then it's starting to feel

(59:54):
like it's done. Okay. If so, I think there's a
little bit on the bottom them to this. But we
all know right now Atlanta, unless Panics comes up and
lights the world on fire, Detroit, Philly, Tampa, Minnesota, Green
Bay are in. So what is interesting is the NFL
has expanded the season, and they're going to expand it

(01:00:15):
to eighteen is the last four to five weeks of
the regular season. Ninety percent of the playoff teams are done.
Don't you want that's I've said this about baseball for years.
Speed the game up, check, get rid of the defensive
shift check, lop off forty games, get to one hundred
and twenty games, stop playing in cold winter weather. You

(01:00:35):
want to get your season done by about October fifth
because you start playing late October. Good luck with football,
all right, hol hold on, hold on, good luck.

Speaker 2 (01:00:44):
You want to lop off? How many games in the baseball.

Speaker 1 (01:00:46):
Schedule twenty home games per team?

Speaker 2 (01:00:49):
Twenty home You think the owner is going to good
be No, I don't.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
Think they will because they're all greedy. But my take
is baseball got rid of their time issue, got me
to watch more. They got rid of the defensive shift issue.
Now they have to create at least a little scarcity,
make the games matter. I've said this for years. If
I was the NBA, I always felt sixty eight regular
season games create urgency. First round playoffs three game series,

(01:01:16):
second round series five games five seven a seven round
first games, first round playoff series one against an eight.
I have no reason. I mean, Lebron never even barely
lost games against eight. S.

Speaker 2 (01:01:31):
Garbingserre at play here. This is a business for these billionaires.
This is a business for the league's More games equal
more money, pretty simple. More games teams in the playoffs equal,
more teams get money.

Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
I don't have a problem with more teams in the playoffs.
I have a problem as we have this phone. People
are now on their phone more than watching TV. They're
almost on streaming and social more than TV. Yeah, okay,
so the games have to matter. Hockey's regular season down,
NBA regular season hemorrhaging. It's part of that is there's

(01:02:04):
a lot of arguments. Some of it is as we
are more distracted, and we're all more distracted. You have
to make the games matter. You can't make hockey, baseball
and NBA regular season matter. The baseball ratings last year meh.
The playoffs were cute. But again, but that's from the
our perspective.

Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
Look on the inside, the owners are making money hand
over fist. They don't care that ratings are down. It
doesn't impact them. The only people who should care about
the ratings are the TV broadcast partners.

Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
Right, yes, but if they got beef. But I will
tell you this prime example Baseball. Right now, Fox and
ESPN are not opening up their wallets for base That's
when the discussions really well, and that's when they're starting.
I mean, Baseball signed a deal with Roku this year.
I'm not joking. It was thirty million dollars. Each team

(01:02:56):
got a million. I mean that that is desperate. That's
like embarrassed the NBA. It may be a business, but
any business that's trending in the wrong direction, be careful.

Speaker 2 (01:03:06):
They just got their new deal. They are fluss with cash.
It was what a billion dollar deal. I mean, they
got so much money, Colin, They're not really worried about this.
I would not be shocked if you heard from the NBA.

Speaker 1 (01:03:16):
But remember here in the coming television. The television revenue
in these sports is like thirty percent of it. Attendance
is also. Attendance is not really that big of an issue. Well,
if again, when businesses start to erode, Baseball attendance wasn't
an issue. Then about five years ago it's an issue.
Then three years ago it became a real issue. Now

(01:03:37):
the television money has become again. Drip drip, drip is right,
it's just like the cable people cutting cable. But did
you see what the Sun's owner did this week? I
loved it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
Awesome. I think we should see more billionaires doing this,
the teams you own.

Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
Yeah, these NBA guys making all this money, Matt, what's
the last thing? Yeah, basically said two dollars menu for
food for everything. I thought it was great.

Speaker 2 (01:03:59):
That's amazing. One of my favorite dude, bro, I went
to the Chargers game. Do you know how much a
beer costs in an NFL fourteen? No, eighteen dollars for
one drink, and then like three tacos are like twenty
five dollars. I mean, Colin, the prices are exorbative. But
I gand it to these guys. They're business guys. They're
making tons of money. That's all they care about.

Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
I think there are lines in the sand we're getting
close to crossing, and we're not fans. All this TV
streamer money's great. That's thirty percent of the revenue. The
other thirty percent before you get to marketing and merchandising
and parking and sales and tickets and suites. It's regular
guys going to games, regular people going to games. So
the TV money pays a lot of the bills, it

(01:04:42):
doesn't pay all of them. It doesn't pay all of them.