December 31, 2024 • 32 mins
Colin and Jason make their picks for the College Football Playoffs. Former head coach Urban Meyer stops by to talk about the state of college football and the challenge facing Bill Belichick as he takes the North Carolina football head coaching job.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
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your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening
to The Herd Podcast. I've called in the bill parcells
(00:22):
of college football. I've always said it's much more difficult
to rebuild quickly at multiple places than to build a
great power. That's nothing against Nick Saban or any coach
that's done that, but Urban Meyer, Bowling, Green, Utah, Florida obviously,
and Ohio State. So what a pleasure to have US
Sports kind of the voice of college football with Joel
Klatt and others. So let's just Nick Saban said this week,
(00:47):
he goes you Buckeye fans got to get therapy on Michigan.
And I looked at it. Ohio State's forty four and
four against everybody else in one four against Michigan. Is
it fair to say right now? And it's been reversed,
Michigan's in the Buckeyes head a little bit.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It's very fair obviously it's happened in the last four
years after a dominant run, and it's got to get
you know, it's got to get changed. And I hear
people say that there's too much emphasis on the game,
and that's you know, I grew up in right outside Cleveland,
Ohio the game. I grew up in the ten year
War with bow and Woody. So that's the way it
(01:25):
is that o'his state and it will never change. So
when someone says they need to back off that game,
I'm like, they don't have to back up off the game,
just gonna win that game.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah. Yeah, people say that when they lose it. When
they win it, nobody says that. I think Oregon's the
fastest team in college football. But in my life I
don't remember a mediocre to below average defensive team winning
a Natty. I think it comes down to I love
the Texas defense, the Buckeye defense, Penn State's defense, Notre
(01:55):
Dame's defense. I don't, and I love Oregon And I
said they're gonna Oregon's gonna beat them. Said this before
the season. They're going to be Ohio State at option.
They're going to lose in a rematch. I just question
Oregon's defense. They'll score. But I watched Penn State do it.
I watched the Ohio State, I watched Boise State. What
do you make of Oregon's defense? Is a personnel issue?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, I love their coordinator, taks To Lapois was actually
all my staff one time, and I think he's one
of the great motivators. I love their defensive line. But
you know what they got exposed against Penn State. I'm
actually going to talk on the Big Ten network about
that briefly, that the Q run game exposed them in
Ohio State. It's not done a lot of Q run game.
If I'm watching that, Chip Kelly and that staff watching
(02:38):
what Penn State did with a non dual threat player
and Drew Aller, they ripped him up and down the
field a little bit with the Q run game. And
then Pribila came there playing the Q run game door.
It's an equalizer. It's where you read a defender for
it's spread option. So you're going to read a defensive
end and you put.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
You know, people have to make judgments and you equate numbers.
You can't load the box because you're always reading one defender.
And they did that with Dreweller. Jeweller. Will Howard's an
excellent runner, so I would anticipate I would see some
of that.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Going back to Oregon's defense, though, I got a little
more confidence Oregon's defense. You watch them in some of
those games. They had ten sax agons Washington. The defensive
line plays with great effort. I really admire their coordinator.
I think they'll play better in this game against a
hot state.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Listen, there are times when as a college coach, even
when you were at Florida or Ohio State, there are
times as a college coach you look across and say, listen,
they're going to be able to do this on us, right,
Like if you face a Banner or Georgia, they're gonna
get a sack or two. Honest, they got NFL dudes.
I look at Oregon's offense and I'm like, you, just guys,
we're going to give up some plays. How do you
(03:45):
stop Oregon because they score on everybody?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, I got theory on that.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And what happened is when you play a soft schedule
like Ohio State's schedule was awful the beginning first three games,
the fifty point favorites, I think in every game and
then what happens is during the during the course of
you go against something called a scout team and here
you are the defensive back of Ohio State. You're playing
the schedule they played, which was I mean, you didn't
(04:08):
see any juice at all all of SD. Your line
up against Oregon and that is the fastest group of receivers,
you know them in Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Those are the two best groups of receivers, and they
were on them.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I watched the game and it looked like, you know,
Ohio State was in quicksand those are fast corners. They
were shocked. Here's the good thing. I don't think they'll
be shocked because they faced them. And I don't know
if coach Day's done this, but I made a comment
earlier on this too that I would there would be
no scout team if I was getting ready to play Oregon.
The corners are not going to go against the scout
(04:38):
team receiver, right, You're going to go against the Jeremiah
and Mecca. You're gonna be going against dudes the entire time.
Because what happens, you get shocked and the game is
on you so fast. If you're not prepared for the
speed they played them once and I would anticipate in
practice they're going against good on good to getting ready
for this game so.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Your entire career. I can go back to Alex Smith
and Chris Leak into t bow. I think we tend
to I'm guilty of this. We just think quarterbacks are
the same every Saturday or Sunday. But the truth is
college kids, as they're growing a confidence is a big part.
And I thought Will Howard lost it against Michigan. I
just lost it. And then I watch him, you know,
(05:19):
against Tennessee, and I'm like, Okay, this is the kid
that I thought could get drafted. What is Will Howard?
I'm not forget the NFL, But what do you like
about Will Howard? Because if they do get into a shootout,
which he did before, tell me the things you see
as a coach.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I like everything about Will Howard. I like an athletic
quarterback and gets you out of trouble what she does.
He's had big scrambles and he makes plays with his
legs as well. Here's the best thing about Will Howard.
His surrounding cast. Yeah, one of the best I've ever
seen on a football field. And the offense line. I'm
not including them. I'm talking the offensive skill. The offense
lines has three major injuries. Yeah, but you're looking at
(05:56):
those two tailbacks, You're looking at three, maybe four receivers
that are all high draft picks. That's the best thing
Will Howard's got going is he's got to be a
distributor and he does not have to be the game winner.
And that's I've had quarterbacks that thrive in those kinds
of situations when you have to go put it on
your shoulders. You know, there's not many quarterbacks can do that.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know. I've said on the show before it's hard
to win a Super Bowl with a shaky O line,
and you can't win a World Series of the bad bullpen,
you can't. But I think a bullpen seventh, eight to
ninth inning, you're facing the best hitters in the world.
You got to have closers and O lines, not when
you're trailing, when you're leading and you can't close the door.
(06:37):
Ohio State's O line, to me, is the weakness of
the team. For the record, I think it's the weakness
of Georgia. So I eliminate Georgia because they're in a backup.
They can't win the Natty. In my opinion, are you
concerned that Ohio State, if they get into a great
game against the great team and they need an eight
minute drive, they don't have the offensive line to do it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Very concerned because I think you're right as we made
it to the final game, final two games when I
was at Florida and Ohio State, and it is it's
a line of scrimmage game because a lot of time,
skill the gates itself. You know, you have great skill
on both sides. So what's going to win? Can you
get four yards for five yards a snap? And like
you said, can you close out a game? Or you
get a first down when you need to? And that's
all offensive line driven. I would say I'd be very alarmed.
(07:23):
They played their best they did against Penn State. They
had a ten or twelve play drive yep, six minute
drive started the one yard line. That was the best
offensive four minute drill I may be ever seen. And
then Seth McLoughlin the center goes down.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
YEP.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
When I got that text, almost fell out of the trail,
like what happened? Because you lose your center at that
point of the season. And they played not very well.
A couple of games. But they played excellent against Tennessee,
so I am concerned. I would be more concerned if
they didn't have the best skill in America.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I want to talk Notre Dame in Georgia. So there's
this sense for a long time because Brian Kelly won
early and then they go play a Natty against BAM
and get rolled. But the last two times he played them,
they went toe to toe with Georgia. I like him.
This game is that I think sometimes maybe it's because
the academic of the austere Notre Dame view that we
don't think of Notre Dame as elite recruiters. We think
(08:14):
of Ohio State. I think Notre Dame is more in
the Michigan recruiting, but I think Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Bama, LSU.
It's a whole different ballgame, a whole different ballgame. Oregon's
buying their guys, They're kind of in that space. But
I think when I watched Notre Dame play, I'm like,
they got a lot of dudes, and I think they
match up with Georgia. And I think in our mind
where like George's got better players, I'm not sure they do.
(08:38):
I don't know. You're looking at me like I'm nuts.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
No, I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
I think imagine getting hit in the face by Northern Illinois.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
And picking that team off the mat.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
You know, Marcus Freeman and his staff did that in
the leadership of that team, did it.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I counted him out when I saw that. You know,
Notre Dame's done. How do you regroup from that kind
of a loss? They have?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And I've studied them actually the last couple of weeks
at home. I just would watch the videotape. I think
their toe to toe with Georgia. I think I agree
with you. Georgia's offensive line is not the typical Kirby
Smart It's a week dominant offensive line.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
They're playing a backup quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
I think this is going to be I think this
is going to be wherever as ball last is going
to win this thing.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I always used to think, you know, it's cold weather,
small town isolated academics are hard. I think Marcus. I
think Brian Kelly in the end when he was in
his coaching prime, and I think Marcus has done a
tremendous If you meet Marcus, you can see why he's
a good recruiter. Yeah, I think the sport's a young
man's game, and I think Marcus is one of those
guys that he's he's putting in seventeen hour days. He'll
(09:36):
beat you on the recruiting.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
In the recruiting. I used to coach there for six years, Louis.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I remember Bavy and I would always plan my recruiting
visit around because I recruited the South for Notre Dame.
And if you heard the two words lake effect, do
not bring a kid from the South, don't do it.
And then if you got caught, I would get those cars.
You had real nice cars, and I turn up to
ninety degrees. We'd have a jack in their form. So
recruiting at Notre Dame, but it's not you know, that's
(10:04):
old school now, it's just how much Okay, I think
recruiting is Notre Dame is a great education, but we're
gonna pay you this are you going to go?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
So yeah, I think it's a different world than it was.
All Right.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I'm not a huge quin Ewers fan. He's probably a
Sunday player arch Manning. So I mean, listen, we know this.
Joe Burrow was a buck Eye then he's not. Like,
here's the problem with college football. Now. In the NFL,
you have a starter and then you have a backup
and everybody gets it. In college, Ohio State has to
have two five star, four star guys. You can't just
not as a season expense. So you got arch Manning
(10:38):
in the Royalty in America of the Manning name, and
then you got Quinn Ewers. I think this is a
harder balance than you think. I to have arch Manning
behind you, I would be I would be like, you know,
Peyton's coming to practice. What if Quinn you we are scuffs?
What if they trail at half? What if you see
him lose his confidence? Is that a harder balance? And
(11:00):
we all recognize.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It's a really hard balance. But I would actually tell
our quarterbacks that you're no different to me, even though
you are an offense guarter or tailback. You're struggling the
other guy, especially if deserves a right to play, you'll play.
You know, Nick Saban did that on the I believe
at halftime it won a national championship with made a
quarterback change. So I've had quarterbacks say I don't like
(11:21):
the look at the I had Chris Leek and he
people said, he's looking over his shoulder a table, and
I said, yes, so was the receiver, so was the
middle linebacker. I mean, that's if you were really good players,
you have a good day or someone's going to come
in and get a few snaps. So I'm sure Sarcus
had that conversation probably hundreds of times.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
This fall. To me, it's so much on the player.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Can the player handle the fact that arch might come
in the game, And I don't know that, We're going
to have to find out.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
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Speaker 1 (12:52):
So Penn State crushes SMU and they're looking up at
the next game. They could play Georgia Notre Dame, and
James Franklin puts in the film and these guys are
all like, yeah, they.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Got a good running back.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
You can't fool the players.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I think Boise State, now, Boise State is not built
to play from behind. They get after the quarterback, they
protect their quarterback, they run the football. Boise State's got pros.
I don't know, how do you, as a coach, convince
your team. It's easy to convince, Hey, here comes Tennessee,
here comes Notre Dame Georgia. That's a different ballgame. How
(13:30):
do you convince Boise State Penn State players? Is that
a struggle? That's a real struggle. It's the locker room,
you know.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
If I have grown ass mans players, I'm having meetings
with them. They have to you know, if coaches up there,
I mean, what is it week fourteen? If I'm still
having to do a sales job on my team, it's
probably not a great team. I don't have great leaders.
I would anticipate that's not the case. I'll say this
about genty is that we were there. Yeah, and the
post contact yards is what would be alarming to me.
(13:59):
I would make a video of him running against some
team for sixty yards where he's untouched. I would make
a thirty play highlight tape of post con. I think
he's the best post contact runner I've seen in several
years in college.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
You know, the Michigan State walker was like that.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Yeah, he gets stronger as he gets hit.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, and we witnessed it, and I would make a
twenty five play highlight tape I'd be running that through
the facility and make sure the defense sees it over
and over you and you better get him down because
he's going to get yards after the hit.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Go back to that Penn State Ohio State game. Now,
Will Howard fumbled near the goal line. I thought that
really hurt the momentum of Penn State. But I think
that edge rusher Carter could be one of the five
or six best players in college football Penn State because
Michigan and Ohio State, they just take all the oxygen
out of the room. Penn State is one of those
(14:50):
unique programs that we overlook and it's a top ten program.
Go back to your days facing them. I don't know,
look their talent and maybe it's not Texas or Ohio State,
but there's pros everywhere on that everywhere.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Yeah, I go back to our games.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
We had some we were down and I want to say,
two scores twice in the fourth quarter against him in
twenty seventeen and eighteen. I think James Franklin has done
a hell of a job. Industry doesn't get the credit
he deserves. The fan base, the support is second to
none at state college.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
So yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Never looked at Penn State any differently than the upper
echelon teams.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Maybe others have.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I never did, because I walked out there and there's
Saquon Barkley, you know, Trace McSorley, there's the like you said,
the defensive players they've had. So no, I've never. I've
always looked at them as a top five, top seven program.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Okay, now we got to get serious. Okay, to get serious.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
So yeah, the world so years ago, I think it
was McCaffrey and Leonard Fournett. You're in second tier bowls
and they're like I said at the time, when it
comes to running backs, if you've given me three or
four years and you sit out of the Liberty Bowl,
I get it. We're not talking to Natty. So do
you agree with that premise running backs were the last
(16:05):
players in the NFL in college football? You can take
a shot, you can hit him in the head, you
can hit him anywhere. It's the last player available. If
it's a second tier bowl, I'd let him sit.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Yeah. I don't know. I mean that.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
That did not compute Denzel Ward. The first time this
really happened.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Denzel A.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Ward a first time to call him, great player, great kid.
I mean, I loved his family. We were like this
he comes in. No, I think his coach came into
me and said, I think Denzel Ward is going to
sit out the Cotton Bowl.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I'm like, I've never.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Heard that before. This is before that all started happening,
and I was like, sit out? Why would he sit
out and get ready for the NFL Draft. That was
the first time and that just did not you know,
I use the word compute, like, what do you mean
you're going to sit out on your teammates, etc.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Et cetera.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Cam Ward played one half and left.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
When I heard that, I think I told you earlier
to me that, someone said, coach, what's your thoughts on that?
I'm thinking that's that's like saying the world is square.
I don't know what do you say to your like
did he go in and change at halftime? Did he
get in a car and leave? Did he walk out?
I didn't see what happened? Yeah, and they lost?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Does it matter more because he's a quarterback?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Sure, of course that's the number one position. But I'm
just wondering, what do you how that? How do you
know you walk in after the game and you just
you know, you got people play their hearts out. And
I'm not criticizing Camore because I don't know the whole situation.
But someone asked me how I feel about that, Like,
I don't what do you say to your teammates? You
just maybe maybe the attitude. It's just a second rate
(17:35):
Bowl game. I've never looked at it anytime you keeping score,
You're trying to win that damn game.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
And so I don't know. I just I got really
mixed feelings on that.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
So I am a fan of the transfer portal and
the NIL, but things need guardrails, Okay, I'm okay with that.
I think it's hard to figure out the transfer portal
because you have to be on the academic calendar and
it gets in the way. It's right back. That's the
first time I've heard academics in a long time.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
So it's a weird The NIL. I'm gonna propose this
is that listen, Oregon's got Phil Knight and Texas has
two billionaire donors that we just say, listen, you get
eighteen million, that's the top. We know, Purdues got three
and a half to five. Ohio State's going to have eighteen,
but even the NFL has a salary cap. We're just
(18:24):
going to say eighteen is what you can do. Is
that reasonable or do you not like that?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I think is very reasonable, and I think there's logically
you have to have some kind of guardrails, some kind
of system set up. I'm going to tell you this.
I don't think there's any chance though, because that would
mean that the upper echelon schools are gonna have to
give up power. If your house state Alabama, Georgia, you know, Oregon,
the teams with this ridiculous amount of money, you're the
(18:51):
power play right now in college worth. If you imagine
sitting in a room and say, okay, we're gonna back
you guys down and make this more equal. Like the NFL,
fil you got thirty two teams and they're all working
together under the same guidelines.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
College college football is like this.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You got teams that are you know, twenty million dollars salary.
Your buck guy's been twenty twenty and you have teams
that can't do that. Why would those teams ever lower
and raise the others?
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Right now?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I don't see that happening. I keep hearing that. I
just I've sat in those meetings in the SEC. You
think the SEC cares about the Big twelve. No, I'll
answer that question. I said in those meetings, they don't.
They care about the SEC. I send in the Big
ten meetings. You think the Big ten is really concerned
about what happens in the ACC. No, They're concerned about
making sure their programs thrive in the Big Ten. So
(19:40):
you need cooberation and you need more equal footing. I
don't know if I see that happening called logically, yeah,
but I don't see that happening.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
It's going to go to a fourteen to a sixteen
team playoff. I thought the media, I thought everybody overreacted
to the first round. Listen, March madness. You get, you
have blowouts, and if you get a couple of good
Thursday games opening weekend, you feel great. Would you expand it?
Are you okay with Because there's a lot of discussions
that they're going to fourteen. There's also the Mountain West
(20:11):
may not get a bye. We're going to see changes.
It's the first year lighting up everybody of the twelve
teams playoff? What bothers you the most? What do you
I don't like that Penn State's got an easier route
than Oregon. That's not fair Oregon when undefeated won the
conference championship and I got Ohio State is my first game.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yeah, I think there's gonna be Like you said, this
is the first year. There were some mistakes made. Get
used to blowouts. They're going to happen all the time.
I think college basketball is a little bit easier for
an upset than college football, just the masses of the
humanity on the bigger teams, So there's going to be
some adapt adapting. The biggest issue I didn't like is
(20:55):
the fact that there are blowout games. But I don't
know how you get away from that. I agree with
you all, so there's got to be rewards. When I
saw Penn State's path, they're double digit favorite, you know,
and you can see Ohio State and uh not a
high state. I'm not worried about how State, but you're
the team that won it. Like you said, Oregon, they
had a more difficult path than Penn State, and that
does not equate.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah, hey, would you be James Franklin suggested Nick Saban
could be college Football's commissioner, and for years on this show,
we said, how can you be an eight billion dollar
annual business and have no commissioner? I think they need
a strong voice to unify people. Why wouldn't you do it?
You don't have to recruit. It's just a big, strong
guy that knows you have a big personality, you have
(21:38):
strident beliefs. Why wouldn't you do it?
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Why wouldn't I? Or Nick Saban you No, I'm voting
for Nick.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Why wouldn't you do it?
Speaker 3 (21:45):
No interest at all? You know, I just none none.
I just.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
When you're a commissioner of a conference that's let me
put it this way. So imagine the NFL and they say, okay, Roger,
we're going to now put the USFL in with the NFL.
You guys are all gonna be together. And then, uh,
you know, and that's what college sports. College football right now.
Not everybody's not the same, right, they're not operating in
the same guidelines. It's it's and it'll never.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Be that way.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
You take in Ohio State, you take the Wolf Range,
you take Georgia, and then you you're mixing. So I'm
not gonna use name because I want teams to get
mad here. But they're they're not the same, that's right.
So this person has to lower their level, and this
person has raised to get any any type of equilibrium
in a that's not going to happen. Colin, So a
commissioner would take you know, I don't.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
I again, I just because I've sat in those meetings.
You got the haves and you got the have nots.
The haves would have to give up power. Do you
really see that happening? I don't.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Hey, so Belichick, So I know you and Belichick are type.
So I think the coaching's fine. My take has always
been that Bill could barely tolerate Robert Kraft. The idea
he's going to have to deal with a volleyball coach.
I'm like, give me a break. That Bill's going to
(23:05):
come in there and Mike Lombardi, who I know is
another kind of gruff guy. These guys are strident, strong
opinion guys, and all of a sudden, it's like, Hey,
you're going to go to the You're gonna go to
the tennis manch today and support the athletic program.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Give me a break.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
So I think Bill will just get worn out by
the nonsense of college sports. The coachings, find, the recruitings,
find the players come to you. They're collective. Now, you know, Belichick,
did you call him and warn them about some of
the stuff he's gonna have to deal with?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
No, but I think five years ago I would have
cost it. Don't do it.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
You're not going to wake up at six in the
morning and go meet with the social studies teacher in
high school and ask about the fall brother and then
go into the get the transcript and figure out how
he's doing in the geology class and all this, and
then you have to go to a basketball practice and
basketball game that night. But you don't have to do that.
You know how many times the coaches were I heard this.
I didn't realize this. We're out on the road in December.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
None.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
You don't recruit anymore of the month of December. That
used to be when you would fly in that private
jet and he'd be in four to five states in
one day. The way we used to recruit, finish it
a basketball game and then you'd be watching your computer
get ready for bowl game. It's not that way anymore now.
It is simply they come visit you, You find out what
the number is and you pay the number.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
So coach Belichick, when.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
You coach it, why don't you do it again? If
I could take recruiting on, why don't you coach again?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Because I'm a Fox big noon man. They knew I
got a great job here.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Hey, son Taytan was at Fox and now he's coaching
the bronco. You don't have to coach any you have
to recruit anymore.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Let's go back to Bill Belichick. You'll figure it out.
And I can't wait to watch it. He's seventy two
and I'm not a math major, but that's only three
years away from seventy five. So you know, so when
you guys are together, I would be I would love
to hear this.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
I should wire you next time you go talk to him.
I'll give you some questions. So obviously you ask Bill
stuff and you're interested, and then he asked you stuff.
Is give me something? You asked Bill a little bit
of his wisdom because you guys are well, I mean,
he's give me something that Bill said in a fishing
trip or something, and you were like, well, that's smart.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
I would go visit the Patriots very often, and he'd
come every year. Started a Gamesville, Florida, and would visit
with us, and he had the greatest locker room I
have ever witnessed. I would go watch practice, you know,
Tom Brady Willing again ess, you know, Mike Rabel, Rodney Harrison.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
You know, he had that locker room.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And I remember I would actually sat with Tom Brady
and Vrabel and I because I was having some issues
at Florida lockermission.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
I remember that and I was like, how in the
hell do you guys do this?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
And they those players said to me, it's our job
to make sure nothing ever gets to Bill by the
chick's desk.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
That was how strong his locker room was.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
And I would meet with my leaders and use that
as examples, and he got better as time war on.
But and he would always ask me about the spread offense.
I was back in the Alex I got a phone.
I remember Bill Belichick called me when I took the
Florida job, and he said, Hi, this is Bill Belichick,
and I said, I thought that was one of my boys.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Mester. I said, well, this is Pete Rose. How you doing?
And he came down and Josh.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
McDaniels back in the day, and they started running some
of our Alex smithspread offense stuff, so he wanted to
talk football. I wanted to talk locker room. I was
amazed at how he did it at the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, those Patriot teams were no noncredible the best locker
rooms I've ever witnessed. What was the best locker room
you ever had?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I would say the fourteen national champion Buckeyes. You know,
when you're down your third string quarterback, who are your leaders?
Joshua Perry, Curtis Grant, Jeff Hireman. We had just incredible leaders.
And here you took a third string quarterback and had
one of the greatest runs ever because everybody just you know,
Joey Bosa, Zeke Elliott, Mike Thomas.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
You know, did you ever have a game and witness
didn't have you much of Florida Ohio State? You went
in and you knew you didn't have as good as players,
but you couldn't tell the players. Did you ever have
a game and you came out of it and you
thought we shouldn't have won that game?
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Back in the LSU days, LSU the best talent man.
People forget what Les Miles had down there. I mean
they had about a four to five year run. I'd
grabbed my line coach every time when I saw LSU
come out, Tyson, Hell in the hell are you going
to block those guys?
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Third defensive line? Was that good?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
How about ed Orgeron's Joe Brow team?
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Never coached against him, but they looked the party.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
That's the most talented college team I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Yeah, yeah, I've had a couple of those where I'd
look across and so how in the help? But just
you change your game plan. You know, you got to
get the ball off fast, You gotta attack this. We
felt that way actually in the National Championship against Ohio
State when I was at Florida. Get the ball out here,
don't play in here, get the ball out here, And
that's what we did.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Yeah, that's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
The I can't believe you wouldn't. Would you take a call?
Would you take a call? Look a really good program says, hey, listen,
a lot of money down here in blank.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
This wasn't on the rundown. You guys said.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
You're not gonna get away. You look fantastic. You can't
mean what's golf?
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Just grandkid number six? Why Peyton two days ago? So
we're life was good man, all right, you golfing a lot? Yeah,
not very good? We a lot? Who's good?
Speaker 1 (28:16):
You're not good, Donnie Scheffler, nobody else is good. The
great Urban Meyer. We take a break back after this
live in La the Herd.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Eastern non a im Pacific.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Wouldn't it be great if he'd a busy guy? But
if we could, like every Friday, get him on, wouldn't
that be good? Just giving us nuggets and wisdom and
all that stuff. I always think it's just interesting j
Mak when you talk to coaches, because I always tell
the Urban Meyer story. So years ago, I worked at
the other place and I did a radio segment and
I was going to the bathroom when I saw urban
Meyer in the hallway and he was a Florida coach.
(28:47):
And so Jim Tressel was coaching Ohio State and they
were playing two thousand and seven, playing LSU for the Natty,
and I said, Hey, what's gonna happen in the game?
And urban Meyer literally broke the game down. And I
went on the air and I wouldn't tell them where
I heard it, and I said I'll tell you how
I think the game's going to go. And I basically
took what Urban told me and I went and it
(29:07):
turned out LSU won by two touchdowns. But he laid
it out. He just knew. He said, Ohio State keeps
it close, LSU pulls away, they've got two of this,
two of that, blah blah blah, And he just kind
of laid out. And I'm like, I'm watching the game
thinking that's like exactly what happened. So He's always been
somebody I've leaned on for kind of behind the scenes
stuff and how games work.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
You just how much of that do you think changes
with the twelve team playoff because kind of predicting. You know,
some teams played last week, right, yeah, some teams have
been on a ball, like Boise State hasn't played a
game in like twenty four days.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I don't love I don't love the fact that Ohio
State played so well. They're brimming with confidence, and Oregon's
been sitting around with all these nineteen year olds. I think,
first of all, I think buys in the NFL are
overrated unless you have an old team like Kansas City
Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, Joe Tooney, they'll use the time off.
(29:59):
But like Detroit's pretty young and you start looking at
these Baltimore's got some young guys, and Buffalo, it's like,
I don't like buys in football if you're healthy and
ready to roll. Now, Detroit, like Minnesota, Minnesota doesn't want
to Vikings want to play. Yeah, Addison Naylor, Darnold Jefferson.
I don't want those guys taking a bye. I don't
want those guys on the field every I mean so
(30:20):
like there are certain teams in the NFL. Kansas City
can use a bye, but Oregon's Oregon is a fast
California kids everywhere playing at the Rose Bowl. I don't
want them sitting around waiting for a game and getting
distracted and going seeing their families, and I want them
to play.
Speaker 6 (30:37):
So like last week, it was a pretty easy handicap, right,
the four favorites at home rolled everybody. He kind of
had a sense at home.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I think the games are closer to those weather, none
of that, that's all out the window now.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
I think it comes down to coaching. How can you
scheme up? Like Arizona State doesn't have the horses to
hang with Texas.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Right.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
You look at Boise States defense, they could barely stop
Wyoming and San Jose Like those guys score like thirty
points on Bois Boys. He has to come out with
a totally different game plan against Penn State, something they
have not seen. What good coach can cook that up
with three plus weeks to prepare? And I think it
comes down to coaching. And that's why I think Dillingham
keeps it close with Arizona State.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I like him a lot man. He is a coach
on the rise. Can Arizona State keep him?
Speaker 6 (31:22):
I think you just enjoy the ride, you know, you
don't worry about the future, enjoy the moment. Dillingham's here now,
probably in another year, and then after that the big
boys are gonna come calling.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
I like Notre Dame over Georgia. Marcus Freeman, man, that guy. Listen.
College football is a young man's game, and Marcus Freeman
can recruit with the best of them. He's one of
those guys that can put the hours in. I always
thought it was a disadvantage at Notre Dame in recruiting
cold small academics. You know, it is something funny about
(31:54):
Notre Dame Marcus Freeman, I think he said it on
our show. Never had a player transfer out. So the
transfer portal works in Notre Dame's favor because kids that
commit to Notre Dame are beyond just getting paid in football.
You choose Stanford in Notre Dame because it's in your life.
For once you go to Notre Dame and graduate, you
(32:17):
go to a party, you tell people you went to
Stanford to Notre Dame. It's not just hey, I played
football at Florida. Notre Dame players don't transfer out, so
they're going to be able to create cohesion and chemistry
that nobody else in college football because there's only one
academic school that can compete for the title. It's not
Northwestern or Stanford, it's Notre Dame. And so because that
(32:37):
is such a part of the recruiting process, you're going
to Notre Dame that it's an advantage. It's a lot
of high school players, they have great how did they
rebound from that gutting loss? Chemistry and cohesion. You're not
doing that if you got forty eight guys from the portal,
see you tomorrow.
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
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sportsradio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app
by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Thanks for listening
to The Herd Podcast. I've called in the bill parcells
(00:22):
of college football. I've always said it's much more difficult
to rebuild quickly at multiple places than to build a
great power. That's nothing against Nick Saban or any coach
that's done that, but Urban Meyer, Bowling, Green, Utah, Florida obviously,
and Ohio State. So what a pleasure to have US
Sports kind of the voice of college football with Joel
Klatt and others. So let's just Nick Saban said this week,
(00:47):
he goes you Buckeye fans got to get therapy on Michigan.
And I looked at it. Ohio State's forty four and
four against everybody else in one four against Michigan. Is
it fair to say right now? And it's been reversed,
Michigan's in the Buckeyes head a little bit.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
It's very fair obviously it's happened in the last four
years after a dominant run, and it's got to get
you know, it's got to get changed. And I hear
people say that there's too much emphasis on the game,
and that's you know, I grew up in right outside Cleveland,
Ohio the game. I grew up in the ten year
War with bow and Woody. So that's the way it
(01:25):
is that o'his state and it will never change. So
when someone says they need to back off that game,
I'm like, they don't have to back up off the game,
just gonna win that game.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah. Yeah, people say that when they lose it. When
they win it, nobody says that. I think Oregon's the
fastest team in college football. But in my life I
don't remember a mediocre to below average defensive team winning
a Natty. I think it comes down to I love
the Texas defense, the Buckeye defense, Penn State's defense, Notre
(01:55):
Dame's defense. I don't, and I love Oregon And I
said they're gonna Oregon's gonna beat them. Said this before
the season. They're going to be Ohio State at option.
They're going to lose in a rematch. I just question
Oregon's defense. They'll score. But I watched Penn State do it.
I watched the Ohio State, I watched Boise State. What
do you make of Oregon's defense? Is a personnel issue?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, I love their coordinator, taks To Lapois was actually
all my staff one time, and I think he's one
of the great motivators. I love their defensive line. But
you know what they got exposed against Penn State. I'm
actually going to talk on the Big Ten network about
that briefly, that the Q run game exposed them in
Ohio State. It's not done a lot of Q run game.
If I'm watching that, Chip Kelly and that staff watching
(02:38):
what Penn State did with a non dual threat player
and Drew Aller, they ripped him up and down the
field a little bit with the Q run game. And
then Pribila came there playing the Q run game door.
It's an equalizer. It's where you read a defender for
it's spread option. So you're going to read a defensive
end and you put.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
You know, people have to make judgments and you equate numbers.
You can't load the box because you're always reading one defender.
And they did that with Dreweller. Jeweller. Will Howard's an
excellent runner, so I would anticipate I would see some
of that.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Going back to Oregon's defense, though, I got a little
more confidence Oregon's defense. You watch them in some of
those games. They had ten sax agons Washington. The defensive
line plays with great effort. I really admire their coordinator.
I think they'll play better in this game against a
hot state.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Listen, there are times when as a college coach, even
when you were at Florida or Ohio State, there are
times as a college coach you look across and say, listen,
they're going to be able to do this on us, right,
Like if you face a Banner or Georgia, they're gonna
get a sack or two. Honest, they got NFL dudes.
I look at Oregon's offense and I'm like, you, just guys,
we're going to give up some plays. How do you
(03:45):
stop Oregon because they score on everybody?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, I got theory on that.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And what happened is when you play a soft schedule
like Ohio State's schedule was awful the beginning first three games,
the fifty point favorites, I think in every game and
then what happens is during the during the course of
you go against something called a scout team and here
you are the defensive back of Ohio State. You're playing
the schedule they played, which was I mean, you didn't
(04:08):
see any juice at all all of SD. Your line
up against Oregon and that is the fastest group of receivers,
you know them in Ohio State.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Those are the two best groups of receivers, and they
were on them.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I watched the game and it looked like, you know,
Ohio State was in quicksand those are fast corners. They
were shocked. Here's the good thing. I don't think they'll
be shocked because they faced them. And I don't know
if coach Day's done this, but I made a comment
earlier on this too that I would there would be
no scout team if I was getting ready to play Oregon.
The corners are not going to go against the scout
(04:38):
team receiver, right, You're going to go against the Jeremiah
and Mecca. You're gonna be going against dudes the entire time.
Because what happens, you get shocked and the game is
on you so fast. If you're not prepared for the
speed they played them once and I would anticipate in
practice they're going against good on good to getting ready
for this game so.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Your entire career. I can go back to Alex Smith
and Chris Leak into t bow. I think we tend
to I'm guilty of this. We just think quarterbacks are
the same every Saturday or Sunday. But the truth is
college kids, as they're growing a confidence is a big part.
And I thought Will Howard lost it against Michigan. I
just lost it. And then I watch him, you know,
(05:19):
against Tennessee, and I'm like, Okay, this is the kid
that I thought could get drafted. What is Will Howard?
I'm not forget the NFL, But what do you like
about Will Howard? Because if they do get into a shootout,
which he did before, tell me the things you see
as a coach.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I like everything about Will Howard. I like an athletic
quarterback and gets you out of trouble what she does.
He's had big scrambles and he makes plays with his
legs as well. Here's the best thing about Will Howard.
His surrounding cast. Yeah, one of the best I've ever
seen on a football field. And the offense line. I'm
not including them. I'm talking the offensive skill. The offense
lines has three major injuries. Yeah, but you're looking at
(05:56):
those two tailbacks, You're looking at three, maybe four receivers
that are all high draft picks. That's the best thing
Will Howard's got going is he's got to be a
distributor and he does not have to be the game winner.
And that's I've had quarterbacks that thrive in those kinds
of situations when you have to go put it on
your shoulders. You know, there's not many quarterbacks can do that.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You know. I've said on the show before it's hard
to win a Super Bowl with a shaky O line,
and you can't win a World Series of the bad bullpen,
you can't. But I think a bullpen seventh, eight to
ninth inning, you're facing the best hitters in the world.
You got to have closers and O lines, not when
you're trailing, when you're leading and you can't close the door.
(06:37):
Ohio State's O line, to me, is the weakness of
the team. For the record, I think it's the weakness
of Georgia. So I eliminate Georgia because they're in a backup.
They can't win the Natty. In my opinion, are you
concerned that Ohio State, if they get into a great
game against the great team and they need an eight
minute drive, they don't have the offensive line to do it.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Very concerned because I think you're right as we made
it to the final game, final two games when I
was at Florida and Ohio State, and it is it's
a line of scrimmage game because a lot of time,
skill the gates itself. You know, you have great skill
on both sides. So what's going to win? Can you
get four yards for five yards a snap? And like
you said, can you close out a game? Or you
get a first down when you need to? And that's
all offensive line driven. I would say I'd be very alarmed.
(07:23):
They played their best they did against Penn State. They
had a ten or twelve play drive yep, six minute
drive started the one yard line. That was the best
offensive four minute drill I may be ever seen. And
then Seth McLoughlin the center goes down.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
YEP.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
When I got that text, almost fell out of the trail,
like what happened? Because you lose your center at that
point of the season. And they played not very well.
A couple of games. But they played excellent against Tennessee,
so I am concerned. I would be more concerned if
they didn't have the best skill in America.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I want to talk Notre Dame in Georgia. So there's
this sense for a long time because Brian Kelly won
early and then they go play a Natty against BAM
and get rolled. But the last two times he played them,
they went toe to toe with Georgia. I like him.
This game is that I think sometimes maybe it's because
the academic of the austere Notre Dame view that we
don't think of Notre Dame as elite recruiters. We think
(08:14):
of Ohio State. I think Notre Dame is more in
the Michigan recruiting, but I think Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Bama, LSU.
It's a whole different ballgame, a whole different ballgame. Oregon's
buying their guys, They're kind of in that space. But
I think when I watched Notre Dame play, I'm like,
they got a lot of dudes, and I think they
match up with Georgia. And I think in our mind
where like George's got better players, I'm not sure they do.
(08:38):
I don't know. You're looking at me like I'm nuts.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
No, I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
I think imagine getting hit in the face by Northern Illinois.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
And picking that team off the mat.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
You know, Marcus Freeman and his staff did that in
the leadership of that team, did it.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I counted him out when I saw that. You know,
Notre Dame's done. How do you regroup from that kind
of a loss? They have?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And I've studied them actually the last couple of weeks
at home. I just would watch the videotape. I think
their toe to toe with Georgia. I think I agree
with you. Georgia's offensive line is not the typical Kirby
Smart It's a week dominant offensive line.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
They're playing a backup quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
I think this is going to be I think this
is going to be wherever as ball last is going
to win this thing.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
I always used to think, you know, it's cold weather,
small town isolated academics are hard. I think Marcus. I
think Brian Kelly in the end when he was in
his coaching prime, and I think Marcus has done a
tremendous If you meet Marcus, you can see why he's
a good recruiter. Yeah, I think the sport's a young
man's game, and I think Marcus is one of those
guys that he's he's putting in seventeen hour days. He'll
(09:36):
beat you on the recruiting.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
In the recruiting. I used to coach there for six years, Louis.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I remember Bavy and I would always plan my recruiting
visit around because I recruited the South for Notre Dame.
And if you heard the two words lake effect, do
not bring a kid from the South, don't do it.
And then if you got caught, I would get those cars.
You had real nice cars, and I turn up to
ninety degrees. We'd have a jack in their form. So
recruiting at Notre Dame, but it's not you know, that's
(10:04):
old school now, it's just how much Okay, I think
recruiting is Notre Dame is a great education, but we're
gonna pay you this are you going to go?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
So yeah, I think it's a different world than it was.
All Right.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I'm not a huge quin Ewers fan. He's probably a
Sunday player arch Manning. So I mean, listen, we know this.
Joe Burrow was a buck Eye then he's not. Like,
here's the problem with college football. Now. In the NFL,
you have a starter and then you have a backup
and everybody gets it. In college, Ohio State has to
have two five star, four star guys. You can't just
not as a season expense. So you got arch Manning
(10:38):
in the Royalty in America of the Manning name, and
then you got Quinn Ewers. I think this is a
harder balance than you think. I to have arch Manning
behind you, I would be I would be like, you know,
Peyton's coming to practice. What if Quinn you we are scuffs?
What if they trail at half? What if you see
him lose his confidence? Is that a harder balance? And
(11:00):
we all recognize.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It's a really hard balance. But I would actually tell
our quarterbacks that you're no different to me, even though
you are an offense guarter or tailback. You're struggling the
other guy, especially if deserves a right to play, you'll play.
You know, Nick Saban did that on the I believe
at halftime it won a national championship with made a
quarterback change. So I've had quarterbacks say I don't like
(11:21):
the look at the I had Chris Leek and he
people said, he's looking over his shoulder a table, and
I said, yes, so was the receiver, so was the
middle linebacker. I mean, that's if you were really good players,
you have a good day or someone's going to come
in and get a few snaps. So I'm sure Sarcus
had that conversation probably hundreds of times.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
This fall. To me, it's so much on the player.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Can the player handle the fact that arch might come
in the game, And I don't know that, We're going
to have to find out.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Easter not a em Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
Covino and Rich 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 (12:08):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 5 (12:10):
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.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
That we've been friends for the last twenty years and
still work together. I mean that says something, right, So
check us out.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
We like to get you involved too, take your phone calls,
chop it up.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
As they say, I'd.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Say, the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe
the most interactive show on planetar. Be sure to check
out Covino 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 Covino and Rich wherever you get
your podcasts, and of course on social media that's Covino
and Rich.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
So Penn State crushes SMU and they're looking up at
the next game. They could play Georgia Notre Dame, and
James Franklin puts in the film and these guys are
all like, yeah, they.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Got a good running back.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
You can't fool the players.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I think Boise State, now, Boise State is not built
to play from behind. They get after the quarterback, they
protect their quarterback, they run the football. Boise State's got pros.
I don't know, how do you, as a coach, convince
your team. It's easy to convince, Hey, here comes Tennessee,
here comes Notre Dame Georgia. That's a different ballgame. How
(13:30):
do you convince Boise State Penn State players? Is that
a struggle? That's a real struggle. It's the locker room,
you know.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
If I have grown ass mans players, I'm having meetings
with them. They have to you know, if coaches up there,
I mean, what is it week fourteen? If I'm still
having to do a sales job on my team, it's
probably not a great team. I don't have great leaders.
I would anticipate that's not the case. I'll say this
about genty is that we were there. Yeah, and the
post contact yards is what would be alarming to me.
(13:59):
I would make a video of him running against some
team for sixty yards where he's untouched. I would make
a thirty play highlight tape of post con. I think
he's the best post contact runner I've seen in several
years in college.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
You know, the Michigan State walker was like that.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Yeah, he gets stronger as he gets hit.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, and we witnessed it, and I would make a
twenty five play highlight tape I'd be running that through
the facility and make sure the defense sees it over
and over you and you better get him down because
he's going to get yards after the hit.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Go back to that Penn State Ohio State game. Now,
Will Howard fumbled near the goal line. I thought that
really hurt the momentum of Penn State. But I think
that edge rusher Carter could be one of the five
or six best players in college football Penn State because
Michigan and Ohio State, they just take all the oxygen
out of the room. Penn State is one of those
(14:50):
unique programs that we overlook and it's a top ten program.
Go back to your days facing them. I don't know,
look their talent and maybe it's not Texas or Ohio State,
but there's pros everywhere on that everywhere.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Yeah, I go back to our games.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
We had some we were down and I want to say,
two scores twice in the fourth quarter against him in
twenty seventeen and eighteen. I think James Franklin has done
a hell of a job. Industry doesn't get the credit
he deserves. The fan base, the support is second to
none at state college.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
So yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Never looked at Penn State any differently than the upper
echelon teams.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Maybe others have.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I never did, because I walked out there and there's
Saquon Barkley, you know, Trace McSorley, there's the like you said,
the defensive players they've had. So no, I've never. I've
always looked at them as a top five, top seven program.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Okay, now we got to get serious. Okay, to get serious.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
So yeah, the world so years ago, I think it
was McCaffrey and Leonard Fournett. You're in second tier bowls
and they're like I said at the time, when it
comes to running backs, if you've given me three or
four years and you sit out of the Liberty Bowl,
I get it. We're not talking to Natty. So do
you agree with that premise running backs were the last
(16:05):
players in the NFL in college football? You can take
a shot, you can hit him in the head, you
can hit him anywhere. It's the last player available. If
it's a second tier bowl, I'd let him sit.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Yeah. I don't know. I mean that.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
That did not compute Denzel Ward. The first time this
really happened.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Denzel A.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Ward a first time to call him, great player, great kid.
I mean, I loved his family. We were like this
he comes in. No, I think his coach came into
me and said, I think Denzel Ward is going to
sit out the Cotton Bowl.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I'm like, I've never.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Heard that before. This is before that all started happening,
and I was like, sit out? Why would he sit
out and get ready for the NFL Draft. That was
the first time and that just did not you know,
I use the word compute, like, what do you mean
you're going to sit out on your teammates, etc.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Et cetera.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Cam Ward played one half and left.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
When I heard that, I think I told you earlier
to me that, someone said, coach, what's your thoughts on that?
I'm thinking that's that's like saying the world is square.
I don't know what do you say to your like
did he go in and change at halftime? Did he
get in a car and leave? Did he walk out?
I didn't see what happened? Yeah, and they lost?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Does it matter more because he's a quarterback?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Sure, of course that's the number one position. But I'm
just wondering, what do you how that? How do you
know you walk in after the game and you just
you know, you got people play their hearts out. And
I'm not criticizing Camore because I don't know the whole situation.
But someone asked me how I feel about that, Like,
I don't what do you say to your teammates? You
just maybe maybe the attitude. It's just a second rate
(17:35):
Bowl game. I've never looked at it anytime you keeping score,
You're trying to win that damn game.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
And so I don't know. I just I got really
mixed feelings on that.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
So I am a fan of the transfer portal and
the NIL, but things need guardrails, Okay, I'm okay with that.
I think it's hard to figure out the transfer portal
because you have to be on the academic calendar and
it gets in the way. It's right back. That's the
first time I've heard academics in a long time.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
So it's a weird The NIL. I'm gonna propose this
is that listen, Oregon's got Phil Knight and Texas has
two billionaire donors that we just say, listen, you get
eighteen million, that's the top. We know, Purdues got three
and a half to five. Ohio State's going to have eighteen,
but even the NFL has a salary cap. We're just
(18:24):
going to say eighteen is what you can do. Is
that reasonable or do you not like that?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I think is very reasonable, and I think there's logically
you have to have some kind of guardrails, some kind
of system set up. I'm going to tell you this.
I don't think there's any chance though, because that would
mean that the upper echelon schools are gonna have to
give up power. If your house state Alabama, Georgia, you know, Oregon,
the teams with this ridiculous amount of money, you're the
(18:51):
power play right now in college worth. If you imagine
sitting in a room and say, okay, we're gonna back
you guys down and make this more equal. Like the NFL,
fil you got thirty two teams and they're all working
together under the same guidelines.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
College college football is like this.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You got teams that are you know, twenty million dollars salary.
Your buck guy's been twenty twenty and you have teams
that can't do that. Why would those teams ever lower
and raise the others?
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Right now?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I don't see that happening. I keep hearing that. I
just I've sat in those meetings in the SEC. You
think the SEC cares about the Big twelve. No, I'll
answer that question. I said in those meetings, they don't.
They care about the SEC. I send in the Big
ten meetings. You think the Big ten is really concerned
about what happens in the ACC. No, They're concerned about
making sure their programs thrive in the Big Ten. So
(19:40):
you need cooberation and you need more equal footing. I
don't know if I see that happening called logically, yeah,
but I don't see that happening.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
It's going to go to a fourteen to a sixteen
team playoff. I thought the media, I thought everybody overreacted
to the first round. Listen, March madness. You get, you
have blowouts, and if you get a couple of good
Thursday games opening weekend, you feel great. Would you expand it?
Are you okay with Because there's a lot of discussions
that they're going to fourteen. There's also the Mountain West
(20:11):
may not get a bye. We're going to see changes.
It's the first year lighting up everybody of the twelve
teams playoff? What bothers you the most? What do you
I don't like that Penn State's got an easier route
than Oregon. That's not fair Oregon when undefeated won the
conference championship and I got Ohio State is my first game.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Yeah, I think there's gonna be Like you said, this
is the first year. There were some mistakes made. Get
used to blowouts. They're going to happen all the time.
I think college basketball is a little bit easier for
an upset than college football, just the masses of the
humanity on the bigger teams, So there's going to be
some adapt adapting. The biggest issue I didn't like is
(20:55):
the fact that there are blowout games. But I don't
know how you get away from that. I agree with
you all, so there's got to be rewards. When I
saw Penn State's path, they're double digit favorite, you know,
and you can see Ohio State and uh not a
high state. I'm not worried about how State, but you're
the team that won it. Like you said, Oregon, they
had a more difficult path than Penn State, and that
does not equate.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah, hey, would you be James Franklin suggested Nick Saban
could be college Football's commissioner, and for years on this show,
we said, how can you be an eight billion dollar
annual business and have no commissioner? I think they need
a strong voice to unify people. Why wouldn't you do it?
You don't have to recruit. It's just a big, strong
guy that knows you have a big personality, you have
(21:38):
strident beliefs. Why wouldn't you do it?
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Why wouldn't I? Or Nick Saban you No, I'm voting
for Nick.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Why wouldn't you do it?
Speaker 3 (21:45):
No interest at all? You know, I just none none.
I just.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
When you're a commissioner of a conference that's let me
put it this way. So imagine the NFL and they say, okay, Roger,
we're going to now put the USFL in with the NFL.
You guys are all gonna be together. And then, uh,
you know, and that's what college sports. College football right now.
Not everybody's not the same, right, they're not operating in
the same guidelines. It's it's and it'll never.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Be that way.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
You take in Ohio State, you take the Wolf Range,
you take Georgia, and then you you're mixing. So I'm
not gonna use name because I want teams to get
mad here. But they're they're not the same, that's right.
So this person has to lower their level, and this
person has raised to get any any type of equilibrium
in a that's not going to happen. Colin, So a
commissioner would take you know, I don't.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
I again, I just because I've sat in those meetings.
You got the haves and you got the have nots.
The haves would have to give up power. Do you
really see that happening? I don't.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Hey, so Belichick, So I know you and Belichick are type.
So I think the coaching's fine. My take has always
been that Bill could barely tolerate Robert Kraft. The idea
he's going to have to deal with a volleyball coach.
I'm like, give me a break. That Bill's going to
(23:05):
come in there and Mike Lombardi, who I know is
another kind of gruff guy. These guys are strident, strong
opinion guys, and all of a sudden, it's like, Hey,
you're going to go to the You're gonna go to
the tennis manch today and support the athletic program.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Give me a break.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
So I think Bill will just get worn out by
the nonsense of college sports. The coachings, find, the recruitings,
find the players come to you. They're collective. Now, you know, Belichick,
did you call him and warn them about some of
the stuff he's gonna have to deal with?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
No, but I think five years ago I would have
cost it. Don't do it.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
You're not going to wake up at six in the
morning and go meet with the social studies teacher in
high school and ask about the fall brother and then
go into the get the transcript and figure out how
he's doing in the geology class and all this, and
then you have to go to a basketball practice and
basketball game that night. But you don't have to do that.
You know how many times the coaches were I heard this.
I didn't realize this. We're out on the road in December.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
None.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
You don't recruit anymore of the month of December. That
used to be when you would fly in that private
jet and he'd be in four to five states in
one day. The way we used to recruit, finish it
a basketball game and then you'd be watching your computer
get ready for bowl game. It's not that way anymore now.
It is simply they come visit you, You find out what
the number is and you pay the number.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
So coach Belichick, when.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
You coach it, why don't you do it again? If
I could take recruiting on, why don't you coach again?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Because I'm a Fox big noon man. They knew I
got a great job here.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Hey, son Taytan was at Fox and now he's coaching
the bronco. You don't have to coach any you have
to recruit anymore.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Let's go back to Bill Belichick. You'll figure it out.
And I can't wait to watch it. He's seventy two
and I'm not a math major, but that's only three
years away from seventy five. So you know, so when
you guys are together, I would be I would love
to hear this.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
I should wire you next time you go talk to him.
I'll give you some questions. So obviously you ask Bill
stuff and you're interested, and then he asked you stuff.
Is give me something? You asked Bill a little bit
of his wisdom because you guys are well, I mean,
he's give me something that Bill said in a fishing
trip or something, and you were like, well, that's smart.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
I would go visit the Patriots very often, and he'd
come every year. Started a Gamesville, Florida, and would visit
with us, and he had the greatest locker room I
have ever witnessed. I would go watch practice, you know,
Tom Brady Willing again ess, you know, Mike Rabel, Rodney Harrison.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
You know, he had that locker room.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And I remember I would actually sat with Tom Brady
and Vrabel and I because I was having some issues
at Florida lockermission.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
I remember that and I was like, how in the
hell do you guys do this?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
And they those players said to me, it's our job
to make sure nothing ever gets to Bill by the
chick's desk.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
That was how strong his locker room was.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
And I would meet with my leaders and use that
as examples, and he got better as time war on.
But and he would always ask me about the spread offense.
I was back in the Alex I got a phone.
I remember Bill Belichick called me when I took the
Florida job, and he said, Hi, this is Bill Belichick,
and I said, I thought that was one of my boys.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Mester. I said, well, this is Pete Rose. How you doing?
And he came down and Josh.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
McDaniels back in the day, and they started running some
of our Alex smithspread offense stuff, so he wanted to
talk football. I wanted to talk locker room. I was
amazed at how he did it at the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, those Patriot teams were no noncredible the best locker
rooms I've ever witnessed. What was the best locker room
you ever had?
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I would say the fourteen national champion Buckeyes. You know,
when you're down your third string quarterback, who are your leaders?
Joshua Perry, Curtis Grant, Jeff Hireman. We had just incredible leaders.
And here you took a third string quarterback and had
one of the greatest runs ever because everybody just you know,
Joey Bosa, Zeke Elliott, Mike Thomas.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
You know, did you ever have a game and witness
didn't have you much of Florida Ohio State? You went
in and you knew you didn't have as good as players,
but you couldn't tell the players. Did you ever have
a game and you came out of it and you
thought we shouldn't have won that game?
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Back in the LSU days, LSU the best talent man.
People forget what Les Miles had down there. I mean
they had about a four to five year run. I'd
grabbed my line coach every time when I saw LSU
come out, Tyson, Hell in the hell are you going
to block those guys?
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Third defensive line? Was that good?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
How about ed Orgeron's Joe Brow team?
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Never coached against him, but they looked the party.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
That's the most talented college team I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Yeah, yeah, I've had a couple of those where I'd
look across and so how in the help? But just
you change your game plan. You know, you got to
get the ball off fast, You gotta attack this. We
felt that way actually in the National Championship against Ohio
State when I was at Florida. Get the ball out here,
don't play in here, get the ball out here, And
that's what we did.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Yeah, that's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
The I can't believe you wouldn't. Would you take a call?
Would you take a call? Look a really good program says, hey, listen,
a lot of money down here in blank.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
This wasn't on the rundown. You guys said.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
You're not gonna get away. You look fantastic. You can't
mean what's golf?
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Just grandkid number six? Why Peyton two days ago? So
we're life was good man, all right, you golfing a lot? Yeah,
not very good? We a lot? Who's good?
Speaker 1 (28:16):
You're not good, Donnie Scheffler, nobody else is good. The
great Urban Meyer. We take a break back after this
live in La the Herd.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Eastern non a im Pacific.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
Wouldn't it be great if he'd a busy guy? But
if we could, like every Friday, get him on, wouldn't
that be good? Just giving us nuggets and wisdom and
all that stuff. I always think it's just interesting j
Mak when you talk to coaches, because I always tell
the Urban Meyer story. So years ago, I worked at
the other place and I did a radio segment and
I was going to the bathroom when I saw urban
Meyer in the hallway and he was a Florida coach.
(28:47):
And so Jim Tressel was coaching Ohio State and they
were playing two thousand and seven, playing LSU for the Natty,
and I said, Hey, what's gonna happen in the game?
And urban Meyer literally broke the game down. And I
went on the air and I wouldn't tell them where
I heard it, and I said I'll tell you how
I think the game's going to go. And I basically
took what Urban told me and I went and it
(29:07):
turned out LSU won by two touchdowns. But he laid
it out. He just knew. He said, Ohio State keeps
it close, LSU pulls away, they've got two of this,
two of that, blah blah blah, And he just kind
of laid out. And I'm like, I'm watching the game
thinking that's like exactly what happened. So He's always been
somebody I've leaned on for kind of behind the scenes
stuff and how games work.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
You just how much of that do you think changes
with the twelve team playoff because kind of predicting. You know,
some teams played last week, right, yeah, some teams have
been on a ball, like Boise State hasn't played a
game in like twenty four days.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I don't love I don't love the fact that Ohio
State played so well. They're brimming with confidence, and Oregon's
been sitting around with all these nineteen year olds. I think,
first of all, I think buys in the NFL are
overrated unless you have an old team like Kansas City
Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, Joe Tooney, they'll use the time off.
(29:59):
But like Detroit's pretty young and you start looking at
these Baltimore's got some young guys, and Buffalo, it's like,
I don't like buys in football if you're healthy and
ready to roll. Now, Detroit, like Minnesota, Minnesota doesn't want
to Vikings want to play. Yeah, Addison Naylor, Darnold Jefferson.
I don't want those guys taking a bye. I don't
want those guys on the field every I mean so
(30:20):
like there are certain teams in the NFL. Kansas City
can use a bye, but Oregon's Oregon is a fast
California kids everywhere playing at the Rose Bowl. I don't
want them sitting around waiting for a game and getting
distracted and going seeing their families, and I want them
to play.
Speaker 6 (30:37):
So like last week, it was a pretty easy handicap, right,
the four favorites at home rolled everybody. He kind of
had a sense at home.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
I think the games are closer to those weather, none
of that, that's all out the window now.
Speaker 6 (30:50):
I think it comes down to coaching. How can you
scheme up? Like Arizona State doesn't have the horses to
hang with Texas.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
Right.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
You look at Boise States defense, they could barely stop
Wyoming and San Jose Like those guys score like thirty
points on Bois Boys. He has to come out with
a totally different game plan against Penn State, something they
have not seen. What good coach can cook that up
with three plus weeks to prepare? And I think it
comes down to coaching. And that's why I think Dillingham
keeps it close with Arizona State.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I like him a lot man. He is a coach
on the rise. Can Arizona State keep him?
Speaker 6 (31:22):
I think you just enjoy the ride, you know, you
don't worry about the future, enjoy the moment. Dillingham's here now,
probably in another year, and then after that the big
boys are gonna come calling.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
I like Notre Dame over Georgia. Marcus Freeman, man, that guy. Listen.
College football is a young man's game, and Marcus Freeman
can recruit with the best of them. He's one of
those guys that can put the hours in. I always
thought it was a disadvantage at Notre Dame in recruiting
cold small academics. You know, it is something funny about
(31:54):
Notre Dame Marcus Freeman, I think he said it on
our show. Never had a player transfer out. So the
transfer portal works in Notre Dame's favor because kids that
commit to Notre Dame are beyond just getting paid in football.
You choose Stanford in Notre Dame because it's in your life.
For once you go to Notre Dame and graduate, you
(32:17):
go to a party, you tell people you went to
Stanford to Notre Dame. It's not just hey, I played
football at Florida. Notre Dame players don't transfer out, so
they're going to be able to create cohesion and chemistry
that nobody else in college football because there's only one
academic school that can compete for the title. It's not
Northwestern or Stanford, it's Notre Dame. And so because that
(32:37):
is such a part of the recruiting process, you're going
to Notre Dame that it's an advantage. It's a lot
of high school players, they have great how did they
rebound from that gutting loss? Chemistry and cohesion. You're not
doing that if you got forty eight guys from the portal,
see you tomorrow.
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