January 21, 2025 • 41 mins
Colin gives the Bears credit for landing Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their next head coach with hopes of developing quarterback Caleb Williams but warns about the downside of hiring a first-time head coach. He provides his final Herd Hierarchy ranking the top NFL teams for the 2024-25 season. Plus, Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt joins the show to react to Ohio State dominating their way through the first 12-team playoff and winning the National Championship over Notre Dame
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd
wherever you may be and however you may be listening.
Thanks for making us part of your day. On a Tuesday,
We've got a new national champion in college football. It's
more than just Ohio State. It's the Big Ten. We'll
get to that in about five minutes. In jmac all right,
(00:48):
Rabel was the best candidate in my opinion. He goes
to New England, the place he knows well. The Chicago
bears this big iconic brand. If you seventeen people and so,
I mean they were interviewing baristas, local chefs. They settled
(01:09):
on Ben Johnson. But is it a settler or not.
So here's my take is there were two coaches I
thought needed to be considered in Chicago. Mike McCarthy, who's
had no owner and a medaling owner. I thought he
was uniquely qualified for it. Or Ben Johnson. Is he
going to be Sean McVay or Matt Lafleur or is
(01:30):
he going to be Adam Gase and Brandon Staley. I
don't know. Like young quarterbacks, a lot of it is
where do you land? Jane Daniels got a really good
OC and a veteran coach. Caleb Williams got the Bears.
It is a pay I'm going to tell you. It's
a gravel road in Chicago, full of potholes. Throw in
some politics, and I thought Vrabel and Mike McCarthy were
(01:53):
qualified for it. They have dealt with that nonsense before.
They've gone off road before. Ben Johnson, well, you know
his offense. He's not taking that Lion's a line with him,
or that incredible lions running back room with him, or
the great culture builder Dan Campbell with him. Chicago is
going to be tough to navigate. Matt Nagy got to
(02:13):
the playoffs twice with Mitch Trubisky, and they ran him
out of town. It's a noisy city. They run managers
out of town. They go after players. It's it's Boston,
it's Philly, it's Chicago. Maybe they're Midwest nice, but they're noisy.
Now there's two real positives here. Number one is Caleb
Williams wanted an offensive coach, and I think generationally, age wise,
(02:40):
Caleb Williams was saying, without saying it out loud, I
kind of like this Ben Johnson guy. Here's Caleb Williams
a week ago.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Selfishly, I want an offensive minded guy so I can
bill with him and you know, be with be with
that coach for the next nineteen seventeen, fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, so there you go. Ben Johnson is smart, he's clever,
he takes risks. He just watched an organization get built
up and smart people by proximity. He looked around and okay,
I'm gonna steal some of the things Dan Campbell did.
So Caleb got an offensive guy. And the other thing
to think about is you definitely weakened Detroit, is that
(03:27):
Dan Campbell's not known as a scheme guru or a
scheme wizard. He's a walk around guy. He's a culture creator.
And Ben Johnson was the scheme to that stacked offensive building. Now,
Detroit because the O line goff in the running backs,
they're gonna score. It's gonna be a good offense for years.
Like Philadelphia, there's just too many good players, too good
(03:47):
of an offensive line. Even Sirianni can't screw it up.
But in the end they won't be as clever or creative.
And Ben Johnson's the reason for that. So the question becomes,
is he gonna be Brandon Staley? Is going to be
Adam Gase. He's got a little bit of a quirky personality.
He doesn't feel like he's got that culture thing, that
gravitas of McVeigh. But when Matt Lafleuur got to Green Bay,
(04:10):
he was kind of quiet, kind of reticent. Wasn't a big,
you know, big alpha guy. And he's developed. I think
Matt Lafleur has developed into a great coach. So I
don't know exactly what you get. I always root. I
always root for great athletes to find their Svengali, their guru,
their wizard Chicago. I'm not only hoping it happens. I
(04:33):
think we could all say a little prayer that it happens.
This is an organization that cannot get quarterback right now.
I mean, he can't get it right at all. They've
never had a quarterback throw for over thirty touchdowns. And
even if Ben Johnson works, even if he works, because
Matt Naggi by and large work, he left for the
(04:54):
winning record. Even if he works, will he be as
good as Matt Lafleur, a top five coach? Will he
be as creative as Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota? Will he
be able to build a culture like Dan Campbell? Even
if he's successful and Matt Nagie had a winning record,
this division, the brain power, the cultures in this division
(05:16):
are something else. So I'm hoping it works. All these
young quarterbacks where you land matters and this is a
gravel road with politics and potholes. It can work. I'm
just not sure if it will. All right, So you
(05:37):
watched the game last night. Notre Dame dignified, fighting to
the end, but Ohio State clearly the better team. And
you know, I was thinking about this. I've been talking
about this last couple of weeks with my buddy John
Middlecoff who's on my podcast, and college football not only
has a new champion in Ohio State, and they were
absolutely the best version of Ohio State. I've seen it
(06:00):
a long time. But college football also has a new king,
and it's called the Big Ten. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State,
Oregon USC are wealthy, well healed programs. And the Big
Ten is in the footprint of LA New York and Chicago,
our three biggest cities. In Philadelphia. Philadelphia is full of
Penn State grads. The SEC is big in Atlanta. But
(06:24):
the game has changed now. The game now in college
football is all about nil and collectives. Alabama, their athletic director,
came out three weeks ago. Nick Saban saw this coming
years ago. He got out of there. Saban's a smart guy.
He got out of there. He saw the Texas money,
he saw the Michigan money. Brian Kelly lost a five
(06:47):
star quarterback recruit to Northern Michigan, and Brian Kelly said,
I'll give some of my salary. You don't have to
do that at Penn State, Ohio State, USC, Oregon with
Phil Knight money. This is not just a one off.
Michigan won last year, Ohio State won this year, and
I'd put big money that Ohio State's gonna repeat next year.
(07:08):
Texas will be good. But Texas wasn't even part of
the SEC year ago. Remember all the SEC fans, Oh Texas,
they are now your life preserver in the NIL. They
got big boy money. Texas may in fact have more
than anybody except Phil Knight in Oregon. And so this
(07:28):
year it changed. We have a new king of college
football and it's the Big Ten. They were five and
one against the SEC this year. Notre Dame is not
part of the SEC, but they were clearly better. I
watched when they played Georgia. So you start looking around.
College football has never looked and felt more like the NFL.
(07:50):
And we know what the NFL is about billionaires and
the money historically in the South stays in the South.
SEC grads they may go to New York, lot of
them stay in the South. Big Ten grads from these
enormous schools. Ohio State has sixty six thousand students. They leave,
they go to the West coast San Francisco, LA. They
go to the East coast DC, Boston, New York, and
(08:13):
then they come back and they got money and they
spend it on the teams they love. I mean, you
go look at Michigan State. I have not in the
Big ten. They're two biggest boosters. One owns the Phoenix Suns,
one owns the Cleveland Cavaliers. So I think it's changed.
I think the SEC looks a little more boutique and
the Big Ten now feels a little more bougie. I
(08:36):
think the SEC has gone from intimidating to kind of charming.
There is a new king in college football and it's
not going away. Michigan last year, Ohio State this year.
Massive universities with massive enrollments. Students flee to the coasts
for high paying jobs and then they come back and
(08:58):
give to their schools. Is not to say that the
SEC didn't have talent and didn't have good coaches and
doesn't have that parochial tribal passion that all of us love.
But it's different now. The biggest challenges for Ohio State
this year were Penn State, Oregon, and Michigan. They steamrolled
(09:19):
Tennessee steamrolled them in Texas the big dog.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Now in the SEC, they weren't.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
They didn't look they didn't look as good as Ohio State.
And Ohio State's two best players are coming back and
they will be the two best players in my opinion.
Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs will be the two best
players easily in college football next year. And I mean,
and I talked to it NFLGM this week. He said,
if those guys were eligible for the draft today and
(09:49):
one's a freshman, Jeremiah Smith, he goes, they may go
one and two. This is not just about Ohio State.
The Big Ten officially is the big dog in college football. Hey,
the SEC, it was a nice run. I mean, you
still go beat up on the mountain west of the
Big twelve. Okay, I'm just being obnoxious there. I admit
(10:12):
I was being a little obnoxious. And the SEC is
still great. I'm not saying that. But the last two years,
you've watched the same games I've watched. Ohio State has
better players. Michigan last year had better players Penn State.
Now they lose a defensive end and a tight end.
They're bringing almost everybody back, including a guy that will
be a quarterback that gets drafted high next year. Washington
(10:35):
in a rebuild, USC in a rebuilt Michigan not gonna
look like Michigan this year, much better. It's all changed.
It's a collective. It's the NIL. It's more like the
NFL here's ryan day after the big win.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
I just can't say enough about our guys, and you
know what they've overcome to get to this point, and
now I have something to show for it.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Number one goals to win.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
You know, that's where it started for on offense, defensive,
special teams, find a way to win the game. And
then that's what we did here in the playoffs. And
now the stories of these guys will be told because
they've cemented themselves in Ohio State history.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And you know what I love, once you come to
terms with sports isn't perfect. What I love about college
football this year is that Ohio State was allowed to
make mistakes, just like the NFL was allowed to lose
a late season home game. Is that not everybody grows
(11:36):
at the same speed. This Ohio State team had to
get punched in the forehead by Michigan at home to
really galvanize the locker room and become a force that
looked like they were somewhere between college and pro. I mean,
Notre Dame is a really good defense, and there were
times they felt helpless last night. So listen, everybody has
(12:01):
their run. Lebron used to dominate the NBA, so did
Michael So did the SEC this idea though, Hey, this
is just a couple list, is just a blip on
the radar. No, it's not, No, it is not. Jmc well,
the good news is our network's got a relationship with
a big ten. So like if we're in the winning camp.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
Doling out jabs early in the show, just prodding well, I.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Mean, listen, right, you're not wrong. We're watching the same
games I watched the last couple of years. I've watched
these games, and Michigan last year had more good NFL players.
And look at the top of the draft this year.
You could argue Mason Graham and Will Johnson or two
of the four best players. And then there's two Colorado guys.
I mean, look at the top players in college football
this year, it's two Colorado guys. It's two Michigan guys.
(12:49):
I mean, there'll be a lot of Alabama Georgia guys taken.
But you have to be honest about this. The Northern
universities are massive and incredibly well healed, well capitalized organizations.
And now you bring the La market in, you bring
the Seattle market in, you already have Philadelphia, you already
have Chicago, it feels like it is the tide has turned.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
Yes, stuff is cyclical. It's all report that there could
be like fifteen Buckeyes drafted, which could rival the number
that Georgia set the record, like Ohio's state rosters in SAE.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Listen, here's what you should be worried about. Ohio State
suffered multiple o line injuries this year. They were to
the very end, you know, they were moving pieces all
up and down that old line. And Will Howard's a
good quarterback, but he's not like transformational. I mean, they
their perimeter players are frighteningly good. But this was not
(13:46):
an Ohio State team that didn't have some holes. And
they still dismantled everybody.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's funny.
Speaker 6 (13:51):
I'm curious this Will Howard's stuff. A lot of people
excited about him in the draft. Suddenly you watch a
couple of playoff games as they roll people, Oh is your.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
First round pick? No?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
No, no, no no, no, let's slow down.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I mean he can get drafted.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Yeah, you hope me drafted.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Riley Leonard, keep your eye on old Riley Leonard.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
That's a good stats at garbage time last night, down
thirty one seven.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, listen, sometimes that's the only time you can move
to ball in Ohio State's garbage time.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
How about him vomiting after one drive on the sideline.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, that's what the fuck guys do to you.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app heard Hierarchy. Now go
the top ten NFL teams according.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
To College Yes, we're gonna start with eight. We've only
got eight that are worthy of it. The Houston Texans.
They out gained the Chiefs by one hundred and twenty
four yards and had seven more minutes a time of possession.
But they're still a young team. They were god awful
on special teams. They've lost five straight to the Chiefs.
Welcome to everybody's world in the AFC, and they weren't
(14:58):
very good against playoff TA two and six. I feel
like they're a little bit like the Green Bay Packers
or the Chargers. They just need another draft another six players.
Should be very proud considering where this franchise was three
years ago. They're in a really really cool spot going forward.
Texans at eight, number seven, the Rams, that defense they're
(15:20):
not even paying anybody yet. Watch out. They had sixteen
sacks in two playoff games. First team to have ten
plus players with a sack, and Jared Verse looks like
it could be a they have found. They're Lawrence Taylor.
Maybe not Lawrence Taylor, but they're Lawrence Taylor. I don't
know what they're gonna do with Cooper Cup long term
Matt Stafford, but you know what, since joining the NFL,
(15:45):
McVay is nineteen and four in December, he does about
as good a job as anybody not named Andy Reid
figuring out the jigsaw puzzle of teams. Rams at seven,
number six the Lions. In the end, they just weren't
good enough defensively, and I think losing their coordinators when
Dan Campbell's not a scheme guy, could look like Philadelphia
a couple years ago. They did lead the NFL in
(16:07):
point differential and their on line in run game is
just stuff for the record books. They're gonna be good?
Are they gonna be great? Because that's what Buffalo's becoming
in Kansas City's been and what Philadelphia could be. So
I have Detroit at number six, number five, the Ravens,
the Ravens are the Bills two three years ago where
they'll out gain you, out wowya and turn the ball over.
(16:31):
I mean, listen to this oh and twelve all time
in the playoffs when they lose the turnover battle and
they keep losing. They didn't have a punt and average
seven and a half yards against the Bills and lost.
This is what Buffalo did years ago, until Buffalo figured
out efficiency over flamboyant and fireworks. They do have the
number one scoring defense. I love their coach. I love
(16:52):
Lamar Jackson. Ravens at five number four. I think the
Commanders are for real because I think Jayden Daniels even
better than Andrew Luck is absolutely special. Led the NFL
in touchdown passes with an average O line and one
star receiver this year, more than Mahomes or Josh Allen
or Stafford. That's insane. Highest passer rating by any quarterback.
(17:14):
Remember last year when I picked them to make the
playoffs and everybody said, well, there's too much change, and
I said, yeah, they're getting rid of bad people putting
in good people. I don't care about change. If you're
improving everywhere everywhere, you make change. This team, this is
the worst roster Jayden Daniels is ever going to have.
They get the most cap space along with New England.
I think they're up top of the league next year,
near the top, so I think they're a real team.
(17:35):
I think they can beat Philadelphia number three, the Eagles. Listen.
They've won back to back playoff games throwing for under
one hundred and twenty five yards. Their passing offense was
thirty first in the league. There's so much I like
about Jalen Hurts. I don't love him throwing from the pocket,
but I love the receivers, the O line. They're just
a very special team. They do things. They do things
(17:57):
that bad teams do. They move off coach is, they're
you know, like sometimes they're active for the sake it
feels like of being active. But I mean, they almost
had as many rushing yards as the Rams had passing yards.
I think it's the best roster in the NFL. I
think it has been for the last couple of years.
Philadelphia at three, Number two, Kansas City. I mean, and
(18:19):
again I say this, with the best coach and the
best quarterback on the planet, there's not much to say,
but they've They've won an NFL record sixteen straight games,
including the playoffs, with one score games because efficiency does
have at some point limitations, like eventually the you know,
the Patriots didn't get knocked off and lost super Bowls
(18:41):
a couple of times. The one team, the New York Giants,
they were out first. To see this first team in
NFL history to be out gained by one hundred yards,
create no turnovers, and win a playoff game. So, I mean,
part of me is like in all of what they do,
and then part of me is like, I think that
works against everybody, not name the Buffalo Bill number one.
(19:02):
I think they're gonna win the Super Bowl. I think
it's the best version. They're what the Ravens need to
be efficient. They do not give up sacks, they don't
get penalized, they don't turn it over. They can beat
you with Davis or Cook their running back. They've got
two tight ends, they've got three wide receivers. I think
they're old lines, the most underrated in the league. Maybe
(19:24):
not Filly or Detroit, but really really good. I think
this is the year now. I don't necessarily think it's
going to be the year and then another year and
then another year. I don't know if that's it, but
this is really they're the Chiefs without the trophies, front office, ownership, quarterback.
And I thought Sean McDermott, for all the criticism, we
(19:45):
have to be fair in this business. I thought he
had a great weekend from the first series on. I
thought Sean McDermott had an Andy Reid like game penal plan.
They changed in the game, saw that Baltimore was a
little squirrely, didn't have Zay hours. We don't have to
take big swings. Let's just be smart, convert key plays.
(20:06):
And there is my top eight. I've said before, whoever
wins the AFC is winning the Super Bowl. In my opinion,
that's how it's gonna work.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
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Speaker 7 (20:19):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David and together we're
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Speaker 1 (21:16):
Well, I have so much respect for what Notre Dame
did last night. They just keep fighting and fighting and fighting.
And Joel Clatt is now joining us the voice of
college football here at Fox Sports. So I know a
lot of people look at Ohio State. Now, Ohio State
has to rebuild their defense. We'll get to that in
a second. They'll be fine. I think Let's talk Notre
Dame for a second, because I said last night, if
they won, I think if I was the Chicago Bears,
(21:36):
I may have restarted my search. I mean, I do
think he's got a Sean McVay quality. He's got the
he's got kind of the confidence, yeah, the decency, the
player connection. So let's just look at Notre Dame football,
because I think I look at their two deeps pretty good.
Next year.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Yes, I think Notre Dame is not going anywhere.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
They're gonna have probably the best offensive line in the
country next year. Yep. And both backs back Love and Price,
so they're gonna be able to run the football. The
question is going to be quarterback and what they do,
whether they go portal or they go with young guys,
And that remains much easier to solve today than twenty
years ago. But Marcus Freeman, more specifically to the way
you kind of led with that with that question, he
(22:17):
has elevated Notre Dame football. I want to be very clear,
Brian Kelly did an excellent job at Notre Dame because
what Brian Kelly did was he raised their level from
a historically good program to just a really good program.
In and of themselves. He was winning ten games, he
was making playoff appearances, went to a National Championship game.
Although you could see the gap between that BAMA team
(22:38):
and Notre Dame. Now Brian Kelly moves on and Marcus
Freeman gets the job. Marcus Freeman has risen the level
of Notre Dame from a very good program to an
elite level program. They were in a one possession game
in the fourth quarter of a National championships. Watched those
as you get you watch their second you watch their speed. Yes,
they it's there. They are elite speed now. And I
(23:00):
will say in the second half, you know, they played
Ohio State about as well as anybody in the playoff.
I mean Ohio State was running rough shot over Tennessee
and Oregon and and yeah, Texas played him well, and
that was a tough game. But that second half, Marcus
Freeman had had a level of grit and toughness that
can only be forged through a great culture, and he's
building a great culture at Notre Dame. I will say this,
(23:23):
after last last night, I think Marcus Freeman, if he
decides to stay there, and obviously he's going to have
NFL suitors, whether it's now or even in the subsequent years.
If Marcus Freeman stays at Notre Dame for any length
of time, I think he wins a national championship at
Notre I.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
I think that they really agree.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
I think also pressed elite program, they don't want to
go to the Big Ten, which is significantly better than
the ACCA. So there's some wins on that program. I
mean there's some baked in ws like for Big Ten,
nobody's going undefeated. I mean, it's just it's just too tough.
Notre Dame's schedule this last year was just not that difficult.
(24:01):
That's what made the Northern Illinois loss of shocking, because
after they beat Texas A and M, it's like there's
not another loss on the schedule. And even with the
I don't think that the ACC is a great conference.
Right now, I'll know their depth, and so Notre Dame's
in a really good position and they will be right
back in the in the thick of things next year.
I'd be shocked if they're not. I think they're in
the best position in college football is that they don't
(24:24):
have to play in the Big Ten or the SEC.
They get to play in a week conference. But because
they have a national brand, they can recruit at an
elite level. I think Notre Dame is positioned even better
than Ohio State because every other year you got to
go to ann Arbor and you're going to have to
go to Otson and you'll go to West Seattle and
it's just so let's pivot to Ohio State the offense
(24:46):
next year, and the portal makes it much easier. Ohio
State is going to find a quarterback. They've got so
many damn good receivers. Well, I think the quarterbacks are
largely there. I just don't not to interrupt the car
right well, no, that's Notre Dame. DJ car is going
to be a freshman for Notre Dame for Ohio State.
Right now, you've got Julian Say, I'm transferred from Alabama
last year at this time, after Nick Saban retired, he's
(25:07):
been in the program, and then he'll be in a
competition with a five star recruit who's now on campus
and will be practicing this spring named Tevian Saint Clair.
So they're likely going to go with the young player.
But here's the thing, is like, if we want to
give the benefit of the doubt to programs like Georgia
for the way that they recruit, and rightly so, because
of the rosters that they build. Even when they lose
(25:29):
great players, you understand that the players behind them are
also great players. You made a point in the last
segment and I will one hundred percent agree with this.
The best offensive player in college football next year is
Jeremiah Smith. The best defensive player in college football next
year is Caleb Downs. Well, that's a heck of a
start of a foundation if you're going to try to
rebuild they also, if you will, They also have a
(25:50):
young running back. Two guys are leading to the pros.
They have a good running back in the fold. Yes,
their old line will be better next year because they
had so many injuries this year.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah, the injury issue was huge.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
So the guys that started against Notre Dame, that interior
will be back. So like for instance, this will give
you an example of kind of their line of scrimmage.
Michigan against Alabama and the Rose Bowl technically didn't have
their starters playing defensive line on fourth down. Those were
(26:21):
all technically reserves. Right. This is Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant,
Derek Moore, Josiah Stewart. Well, they came back and they
were quote new starters this year on the defensive line.
But it's not like they're not new starters. So something
similar could be said about this Ohio State offensive line.
These guys that just played a playoff, four straight top
(26:41):
ten teams, four straight wins of double digits, running the football,
doing all of those things, those three are going to
be back. Yeah, that's going to be a big point
I think of strength for Ohio State going into next season. Now,
some will push back and saying I'm being la provocateur.
I do not see that. I have made the argument
that the key number in college football is sixty six thousand,
(27:04):
because that's how many people go to Ohio State, and
that Big ten students flee the Midwest for jobs on
the coast. Southern kids, the weather's good, the economy in
the south's been growing for a long time. They graduate
SEC schools and they stay in the South, and there's
nothing wrong with that. But these Big ten kids from
(27:24):
Munster universities. Thirteen of the twenty three biggest universities in
America are Big ten, sixty six thousand, fifty eight thousand,
and seventy. They go out with those big ten degrees.
They go to New York in LA and DC and
Boston and LA and sen for just going make big money.
And they gave it right back to their school. And
if the collective in the NIL I mean Bama came out,
they're ad, and Bama's ad said, can you guys give
(27:47):
fifty bucks like we're running out of cash? Nick Saban
saw that three years ago when he complained about Texas
coming into the conference. Nick saw it three years ago. Financially,
this is a money game. Now, I think it. I
think Penn State, those graduates are all over Philadelphia.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
New York.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
So yes, yes, I mean, listen, you are right in
a certain respect. I don't think it gives them like
some substantial margin or benefit over other programs. Programs in
the South can raise a lot of money. No, I'm
not saying that. But when Bama comes out and said
when Brian Kelly and I think that's a specific Alabama issue.
(28:27):
I don't think Georgia has that issue, or Texas has
that issue, or A and M or Tennessee unless you does.
Brian Kelly said, I'll give you a million dollars of
my salary. Briandy didn't have to do that. Well, I mean, listen,
Ryan Day had to give up play calling duties and
go and fundraise last December in order to keep his
roster intact. So listen again, I don't think you're wrong.
(28:48):
It's the biggest largest living alumni base in college sports
is the Big Ten alumni base, and so that is
that is a big deal in this era where fans
can have more of a meeting impact through their donations
to NIL. Now, the reason I'm pausing is is because
the structure of college football moving forward will change and
is changing and needs to change all of those things.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
In April, we're largely going.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
To have this settlement come out through the House Settlement,
which is going to allow for revenue sharing. Well, that's
going to put even more programs at a higher level
with funds that they have because they can use program
funds for their players. So every team in the SEC
and the Big Ten is going to have roughly eighteen
and a half million dollars just to spend on players
(29:35):
as essentially salary. Okay, so that's going to continue to
equalize out college football. Let me just give you an example.
I don't think any conference is just going to dominate
from here moving forward. Well, I don't either, but I
think the Big Ten moved ahead of the SEC well
certainly because they have the last two champions, right, So
they have the last two champions, and you see the
level of play at the top end, and next year
(29:56):
the Big Ten's probably going to be even stronger than
it was. Well, I think there's no question. So yes,
the Big Ten is experiencing a really solid performance in
terms of on the field performance and strength in particular
at the top end. However, when I look at college football,
like I did a way too early top ten for
next year and that episode comes out on my show
(30:17):
on Thursday, and doing the exercise, I was like, dang,
three years ago, Colin, I could I could immediately write
four teams at the top. And then you start scratching
your head and you're like, oh, who's I don't know
who's actually good, who's not very good. The exercise was
here's the top four and then there's everybody else, and there.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
Was quite a gap.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
It's not like that. It's not like that anymore. You're
going to go into next season. I have an argument,
like I'm going to put Penn State spoiler alert. Number
one in the country. There's certainly top three, okay, and
largely because they're going to follow a very specific blueprint
that has worked for Michigan and Ohio State in the
last two years. And I can get into that, you
know later. But you could talk me into them being sixth.
(30:59):
You can I put Clemson at seven. You could talk
me into them being eighteen. I'm telling you, from from
one to eighteen in college football next year, It's kind
of like you can talk me into or out of
any one of those teams. What do you do with Michigan,
What do you do with Alabama? What do you do
with South Carolina and Leonara Sellers, What do you do
(31:19):
with Florida? What do you do with LSU and neuss
Meyer coming back? What do you do with Ohio State
trying to replace their defense? What do you do with
Georgia trying to replace the What do you do with Logan?
What do you do with Oregon? Right So, college football
is in such an amazing place right now, and I
think that we're just going to continue to get kind
of equalized out driving more parody moving forward. Okay, So
(31:44):
I got to get to the bottom of this. So
Dion Sanders, Cowboys coach, that thing disappeared.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
I told you that, I told you he's not going
to Dallas.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Well, but with all due respect, did I not? You did?
The playmaker? Mike Lurban said he was? You said he was?
And I'm caught between two guys. I like, Okay, So
was it? Did Colorado step up and pay him more?
Was he trying to get more money from the Buffs.
I don't want to like step on everything because I
(32:15):
know it's it's not fun. Nothing is finalized. Listen, is
he signing his extension?
Speaker 4 (32:20):
I don't know that.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
He doesn't need to. He could leave his contract as is.
I know that there's been extension conversations. Okay, I know
Colorado has come significantly up. I think he would like
them to come up in several areas, not just his salary,
but possibly assistant pool, facility stuff, commitment to nil outside
of revenue sharing. So there's there's there's there is talk
(32:43):
and like any negotiation, whether he was going to go
to Dallas or not go to Dallas, or stay at
Colorado or not stay at Colorado.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
When you're in a position like that, he's.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Doing, and his management team is doing what he should,
which is try to generate as much leverage as possible.
Having conversations with Jerry Jones is leverage.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Yeah, you know, I think.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
From Jerry's perspective it might be the same thing. But
I will just continue to say, and I'm going to
be very consistent about this, He's a great fit at
Colorado because Colorado has given him the keys to the castle.
He has turned Colorado into prime. They are the prime Buffaloes.
They said, hey, man, are traditions yours. Do whatever you
want with our program because we need you. And because
(33:22):
of that, he's become a great fit there and they've
really embraced him. Can't do that at the NFL level,
just based on the structure of the NFL and some
of the ownership hierarchy issues that you get with management.
So I think he's in a good spot. I hope
he stays and I believe that he will. Okay, I
have Ohio state number one next year, Texas to Penn
state three, and then the rest of the big ten
(33:42):
after that. Hey, listen, that's good. All I'm saying is,
you know, people, this is this way. You can't stockpile
talent anymore if you in the SEC. Alabama and Georgia
used to have the best starting unit and then their
back up could probably also beat your starting unit. You know,
(34:03):
like they were too deep with a team that could
win a national championship, win a conference title everywhere else.
Let me throw this out. You can't do that in
my lifetime. Jeremiah Smith is the most NFL capable NFL
ready freshman I've ever seen. Oh okay, good, I like
this object. I'm sure it's good. I went and looked.
There's only one other for me, but continue, Adrian Peterson.
(34:24):
That's exactly right. Okay, So I look I went this morning.
I get up early in the morning, you know, me grinding, Yeah,
sit up at like three forty. And when I was
doing that, I looked at the Minnesota Vikings and the
Cincinnati Bengals receiving cores, and I'm like, no, he makes
those two. He makes. He's nineteen. He makes every NFL roster,
(34:50):
and outside of Minnesota and Cincinnati, I'd argue he starts
for everybody. He's got to play two more years of
college football, which means in four years, Jeremiah Smith is
the best receiver in football. He's the number one on
any team in the NFL. I believe he has a
chance to be an all time great. He's got a
chance to be one of the greatest wide receivers that
we've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
His combination of size, speed.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
His no body fat, no body fat body control ability
to catch the ball, his route running ability, which you
saw on display last last night. Like he's he's the
best freshman I've ever seen. And so quick story. Okay,
So in two thousand and four, I was still playing
and we Colorado. I'm the quarterback of Colorado and we
(35:34):
go to play against Oklahoma a lifetime ago. I'm about
to be forty three, so I'm a man that sounded
like Mike Gundhy.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
I almost went Mike Gundy there.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
But okay, So we go to play the Big Twelve
Championship game against Oklahoma. They're number one in the BCS
at the time. This is Jason White's Heisman year. I
believe or he was coming.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Off of that.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
I remember that year.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
They had just an excellent team. Excellent team.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Orlando Brown is their tackle, and a freshman running back
named Adrian Peterson. We played at Arrowhead Stadium. It's December
third whatever it is. And I went out for you know,
pregame warm ups, and I look over and like, they're
an impressive team. They're number one in the country. Dan
Cody is over there like they've gotten dudes right, and
Adrian Peterson I was like, oh my gosh, he's like
(36:22):
he's gonna kill us.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
What are we gonna do?
Speaker 1 (36:24):
I remember specifically in that game we had a smaller corner.
He was probably about I don't know, five nine, one
hundred and eighty five pounds, fast quick, you know, all
this thing. He's a corner and Adrian Peterson gets this
gallop going you don't remember the angry gallop that and
he starts running and he kind of bounces this ball
outside in our corner. Jarrett Burrell was his name, goes
(36:45):
up to make the hit, and I was like cringing
before it happened. I was like, no, don't do it, Jared,
like this is gonna be so bad. And he looked
like the cartoon chicken.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
What gets hitting?
Speaker 1 (36:54):
The feathers go everywhere, and I'm just like, Adrian Peterson
was incredible. And so that was the best foot I'd
ever seen as a true freshman in my life. And
then I walked out in spring football last year and
I went to see an Ohio State practice and I said,
oh my gosh, that kid is incredible. And every one
(37:16):
of those players, including a Mecca Abuka, looked at me
and I said, how good is he? And he says,
he's the best we've had. That's Ohio State saying that.
Players at Ohio State saying that, who had just seen
Marvin Harrison junior helped me. Garrett Wilson, Chris o'lave, Jackson Smith,
(37:37):
and Jigba Jamison Williams who had to transfer in order
to be an All American, all first round wide receivers,
and every one of them, they're just like, oh, yeah,
he's he's the best. He is the best wide receiver
I've ever seen at his age period. He would be
a top three pick in the draft. Now. No. I
had a GM tell me a week ago, if Caleb
(37:58):
Downs and Jeremiah Smith were available, this is a week graft.
He's like, I'm not so sure they're not one and two.
He goes, he goes, the value of Travis Hunter is
going to be interesting. I don't think his talented as
Caleb Downs. I really don't. Yeah, but you have to
understand like that whole receiver corner. Yeah, exactly, Well nonsense, Oh,
I'm sorry, sorry. I just impact greatly the game on
(38:20):
both sides of the football.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
That's none.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
It Pick a lane, Pick a lane. I'm just gonna
get back to the fact that I think Smith could
be an all time great, all time great wide receiver.
I truly believe he will be a ten time All
Pro whenever. And I know that, like I don't want
to put the cart before the horse, want to put
(38:45):
too much pressure on this guy. Okay, so we agree
with Jeremiah Smith and Adrian Peterson give me the just
and threes. So we both agreed that I would have
agreed Adrian Peterson and and Jeremih Smith looked different. Has
there been another player in I in football? Yeah? Oh man,
did you?
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I mean there were?
Speaker 1 (39:05):
There have been true freshmen that have been great players,
but not that looked like that that they like. Maurice
Colrett was a great true freshman player, right, he was
terrific led them to a national championship, But he didn't
look like he could go dominate the NFL that year.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
He was just a great college player that year. You know,
you understand the difference.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
I'll tell you a guy, I'm Peterson and Smith look
like they could go dominate the NFL now, like put
him in the Super Bowl. I will say this, Kirby
Smart has told people Brock Bauers is the most talented
player he's ever had. Let me say something. He was
at Napa High School, Wine Country, So I saw how
tough can you be from Wine That's what I thought.
So I looked at his high school video and I'm like,
(39:45):
he put to terrible league. And then I watched him
as a freshman at Georgia and I'm like he was good.
I'm like, he's eighteen. The Raiders split him out wide
and he's beating corners up to the feet. Yeah, it's and
yet still he like, as a true freshman, Smith is
the best player on the field.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
I know.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Period. It's It's wild. It blows my mind, it really does.
I think Peterson's young. The only other eighteen year old
that I've ever seen that it's gonna be like, oh,
you can dominate the professional ranks right now. It was
Lebron James. That's the category that those guys kind of
fall into. It's pretty good, all right. I don't mean
to rub it into the SEC. I mean that's not
(40:29):
who I was.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
So revisionist.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
I have sat on this couch for many years, and
I'm just going to tell you American people I have
I have heard this whole idea that like, oh, the
northern schools, it's snows, it's cold, No one's ever going
to go there again.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
It's over.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Northern schools are never going to win again in their lifetime.
You said that about Notre Dame, you said that about Michigan,
you said that against about Ohio State. Everything's changed now,
apparently very immature back then. You've grown up, grown up
a lot, all right, buddy, it's great.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
It's great to see you as well.
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noone Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here we go live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd
wherever you may be and however you may be listening.
Thanks for making us part of your day. On a Tuesday,
We've got a new national champion in college football. It's
more than just Ohio State. It's the Big Ten. We'll
get to that in about five minutes. In jmac all right,
(00:48):
Rabel was the best candidate in my opinion. He goes
to New England, the place he knows well. The Chicago
bears this big iconic brand. If you seventeen people and so,
I mean they were interviewing baristas, local chefs. They settled
(01:09):
on Ben Johnson. But is it a settler or not.
So here's my take is there were two coaches I
thought needed to be considered in Chicago. Mike McCarthy, who's
had no owner and a medaling owner. I thought he
was uniquely qualified for it. Or Ben Johnson. Is he
going to be Sean McVay or Matt Lafleur or is
(01:30):
he going to be Adam Gase and Brandon Staley. I
don't know. Like young quarterbacks, a lot of it is
where do you land? Jane Daniels got a really good
OC and a veteran coach. Caleb Williams got the Bears.
It is a pay I'm going to tell you. It's
a gravel road in Chicago, full of potholes. Throw in
some politics, and I thought Vrabel and Mike McCarthy were
(01:53):
qualified for it. They have dealt with that nonsense before.
They've gone off road before. Ben Johnson, well, you know
his offense. He's not taking that Lion's a line with him,
or that incredible lions running back room with him, or
the great culture builder Dan Campbell with him. Chicago is
going to be tough to navigate. Matt Nagy got to
(02:13):
the playoffs twice with Mitch Trubisky, and they ran him
out of town. It's a noisy city. They run managers
out of town. They go after players. It's it's Boston,
it's Philly, it's Chicago. Maybe they're Midwest nice, but they're noisy.
Now there's two real positives here. Number one is Caleb
Williams wanted an offensive coach, and I think generationally, age wise,
(02:40):
Caleb Williams was saying, without saying it out loud, I
kind of like this Ben Johnson guy. Here's Caleb Williams
a week ago.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Selfishly, I want an offensive minded guy so I can
bill with him and you know, be with be with
that coach for the next nineteen seventeen, fifteen years.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, so there you go. Ben Johnson is smart, he's clever,
he takes risks. He just watched an organization get built
up and smart people by proximity. He looked around and okay,
I'm gonna steal some of the things Dan Campbell did.
So Caleb got an offensive guy. And the other thing
to think about is you definitely weakened Detroit, is that
(03:27):
Dan Campbell's not known as a scheme guru or a
scheme wizard. He's a walk around guy. He's a culture creator.
And Ben Johnson was the scheme to that stacked offensive building. Now,
Detroit because the O line goff in the running backs,
they're gonna score. It's gonna be a good offense for years.
Like Philadelphia, there's just too many good players, too good
(03:47):
of an offensive line. Even Sirianni can't screw it up.
But in the end they won't be as clever or creative.
And Ben Johnson's the reason for that. So the question becomes,
is he gonna be Brandon Staley? Is going to be
Adam Gase. He's got a little bit of a quirky personality.
He doesn't feel like he's got that culture thing, that
gravitas of McVeigh. But when Matt Lafleuur got to Green Bay,
(04:10):
he was kind of quiet, kind of reticent. Wasn't a big,
you know, big alpha guy. And he's developed. I think
Matt Lafleur has developed into a great coach. So I
don't know exactly what you get. I always root. I
always root for great athletes to find their Svengali, their guru,
their wizard Chicago. I'm not only hoping it happens. I
(04:33):
think we could all say a little prayer that it happens.
This is an organization that cannot get quarterback right now.
I mean, he can't get it right at all. They've
never had a quarterback throw for over thirty touchdowns. And
even if Ben Johnson works, even if he works, because
Matt Naggi by and large work, he left for the
(04:54):
winning record. Even if he works, will he be as
good as Matt Lafleur, a top five coach? Will he
be as creative as Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota? Will he
be able to build a culture like Dan Campbell? Even
if he's successful and Matt Nagie had a winning record,
this division, the brain power, the cultures in this division
(05:16):
are something else. So I'm hoping it works. All these
young quarterbacks where you land matters and this is a
gravel road with politics and potholes. It can work. I'm
just not sure if it will. All right, So you
(05:37):
watched the game last night. Notre Dame dignified, fighting to
the end, but Ohio State clearly the better team. And
you know, I was thinking about this. I've been talking
about this last couple of weeks with my buddy John
Middlecoff who's on my podcast, and college football not only
has a new champion in Ohio State, and they were
absolutely the best version of Ohio State. I've seen it
(06:00):
a long time. But college football also has a new king,
and it's called the Big Ten. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State,
Oregon USC are wealthy, well healed programs. And the Big
Ten is in the footprint of LA New York and Chicago,
our three biggest cities. In Philadelphia. Philadelphia is full of
Penn State grads. The SEC is big in Atlanta. But
(06:24):
the game has changed now. The game now in college
football is all about nil and collectives. Alabama, their athletic director,
came out three weeks ago. Nick Saban saw this coming
years ago. He got out of there. Saban's a smart guy.
He got out of there. He saw the Texas money,
he saw the Michigan money. Brian Kelly lost a five
(06:47):
star quarterback recruit to Northern Michigan, and Brian Kelly said,
I'll give some of my salary. You don't have to
do that at Penn State, Ohio State, USC, Oregon with
Phil Knight money. This is not just a one off.
Michigan won last year, Ohio State won this year, and
I'd put big money that Ohio State's gonna repeat next year.
(07:08):
Texas will be good. But Texas wasn't even part of
the SEC year ago. Remember all the SEC fans, Oh Texas,
they are now your life preserver in the NIL. They
got big boy money. Texas may in fact have more
than anybody except Phil Knight in Oregon. And so this
(07:28):
year it changed. We have a new king of college
football and it's the Big Ten. They were five and
one against the SEC this year. Notre Dame is not
part of the SEC, but they were clearly better. I
watched when they played Georgia. So you start looking around.
College football has never looked and felt more like the NFL.
(07:50):
And we know what the NFL is about billionaires and
the money historically in the South stays in the South.
SEC grads they may go to New York, lot of
them stay in the South. Big Ten grads from these
enormous schools. Ohio State has sixty six thousand students. They leave,
they go to the West coast San Francisco, LA. They
go to the East coast DC, Boston, New York, and
(08:13):
then they come back and they got money and they
spend it on the teams they love. I mean, you
go look at Michigan State. I have not in the
Big ten. They're two biggest boosters. One owns the Phoenix Suns,
one owns the Cleveland Cavaliers. So I think it's changed.
I think the SEC looks a little more boutique and
the Big Ten now feels a little more bougie. I
(08:36):
think the SEC has gone from intimidating to kind of charming.
There is a new king in college football and it's
not going away. Michigan last year, Ohio State this year.
Massive universities with massive enrollments. Students flee to the coasts
for high paying jobs and then they come back and
(08:58):
give to their schools. Is not to say that the
SEC didn't have talent and didn't have good coaches and
doesn't have that parochial tribal passion that all of us love.
But it's different now. The biggest challenges for Ohio State
this year were Penn State, Oregon, and Michigan. They steamrolled
(09:19):
Tennessee steamrolled them in Texas the big dog.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Now in the SEC, they weren't.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
They didn't look they didn't look as good as Ohio State.
And Ohio State's two best players are coming back and
they will be the two best players in my opinion.
Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs will be the two best
players easily in college football next year. And I mean,
and I talked to it NFLGM this week. He said,
if those guys were eligible for the draft today and
(09:49):
one's a freshman, Jeremiah Smith, he goes, they may go
one and two. This is not just about Ohio State.
The Big Ten officially is the big dog in college football. Hey,
the SEC, it was a nice run. I mean, you
still go beat up on the mountain west of the
Big twelve. Okay, I'm just being obnoxious there. I admit
(10:12):
I was being a little obnoxious. And the SEC is
still great. I'm not saying that. But the last two years,
you've watched the same games I've watched. Ohio State has
better players. Michigan last year had better players Penn State.
Now they lose a defensive end and a tight end.
They're bringing almost everybody back, including a guy that will
be a quarterback that gets drafted high next year. Washington
(10:35):
in a rebuild, USC in a rebuilt Michigan not gonna
look like Michigan this year, much better. It's all changed.
It's a collective. It's the NIL. It's more like the
NFL here's ryan day after the big win.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
I just can't say enough about our guys, and you
know what they've overcome to get to this point, and
now I have something to show for it.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Number one goals to win.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
You know, that's where it started for on offense, defensive,
special teams, find a way to win the game. And
then that's what we did here in the playoffs. And
now the stories of these guys will be told because
they've cemented themselves in Ohio State history.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And you know what I love, once you come to
terms with sports isn't perfect. What I love about college
football this year is that Ohio State was allowed to
make mistakes, just like the NFL was allowed to lose
a late season home game. Is that not everybody grows
(11:36):
at the same speed. This Ohio State team had to
get punched in the forehead by Michigan at home to
really galvanize the locker room and become a force that
looked like they were somewhere between college and pro. I mean,
Notre Dame is a really good defense, and there were
times they felt helpless last night. So listen, everybody has
(12:01):
their run. Lebron used to dominate the NBA, so did
Michael So did the SEC this idea though, Hey, this
is just a couple list, is just a blip on
the radar. No, it's not, No, it is not. Jmc well,
the good news is our network's got a relationship with
a big ten. So like if we're in the winning camp.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
Doling out jabs early in the show, just prodding well, I.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Mean, listen, right, you're not wrong. We're watching the same
games I watched the last couple of years. I've watched
these games, and Michigan last year had more good NFL players.
And look at the top of the draft this year.
You could argue Mason Graham and Will Johnson or two
of the four best players. And then there's two Colorado guys.
I mean, look at the top players in college football
this year, it's two Colorado guys. It's two Michigan guys.
(12:49):
I mean, there'll be a lot of Alabama Georgia guys taken.
But you have to be honest about this. The Northern
universities are massive and incredibly well healed, well capitalized organizations.
And now you bring the La market in, you bring
the Seattle market in, you already have Philadelphia, you already
have Chicago, it feels like it is the tide has turned.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
Yes, stuff is cyclical. It's all report that there could
be like fifteen Buckeyes drafted, which could rival the number
that Georgia set the record, like Ohio's state rosters in SAE.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Listen, here's what you should be worried about. Ohio State
suffered multiple o line injuries this year. They were to
the very end, you know, they were moving pieces all
up and down that old line. And Will Howard's a
good quarterback, but he's not like transformational. I mean, they
their perimeter players are frighteningly good. But this was not
(13:46):
an Ohio State team that didn't have some holes. And
they still dismantled everybody.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
It's funny.
Speaker 6 (13:51):
I'm curious this Will Howard's stuff. A lot of people
excited about him in the draft. Suddenly you watch a
couple of playoff games as they roll people, Oh is your.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
First round pick? No?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
No, no, no no, no, let's slow down.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I mean he can get drafted.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Yeah, you hope me drafted.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Riley Leonard, keep your eye on old Riley Leonard.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
That's a good stats at garbage time last night, down
thirty one seven.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, listen, sometimes that's the only time you can move
to ball in Ohio State's garbage time.
Speaker 6 (14:14):
How about him vomiting after one drive on the sideline.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, that's what the fuck guys do to you.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
in noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app heard Hierarchy. Now go
the top ten NFL teams according.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
To College Yes, we're gonna start with eight. We've only
got eight that are worthy of it. The Houston Texans.
They out gained the Chiefs by one hundred and twenty
four yards and had seven more minutes a time of possession.
But they're still a young team. They were god awful
on special teams. They've lost five straight to the Chiefs.
Welcome to everybody's world in the AFC, and they weren't
(14:58):
very good against playoff TA two and six. I feel
like they're a little bit like the Green Bay Packers
or the Chargers. They just need another draft another six players.
Should be very proud considering where this franchise was three
years ago. They're in a really really cool spot going forward.
Texans at eight, number seven, the Rams, that defense they're
(15:20):
not even paying anybody yet. Watch out. They had sixteen
sacks in two playoff games. First team to have ten
plus players with a sack, and Jared Verse looks like
it could be a they have found. They're Lawrence Taylor.
Maybe not Lawrence Taylor, but they're Lawrence Taylor. I don't
know what they're gonna do with Cooper Cup long term
Matt Stafford, but you know what, since joining the NFL,
(15:45):
McVay is nineteen and four in December, he does about
as good a job as anybody not named Andy Reid
figuring out the jigsaw puzzle of teams. Rams at seven,
number six the Lions. In the end, they just weren't
good enough defensively, and I think losing their coordinators when
Dan Campbell's not a scheme guy, could look like Philadelphia
a couple years ago. They did lead the NFL in
(16:07):
point differential and their on line in run game is
just stuff for the record books. They're gonna be good?
Are they gonna be great? Because that's what Buffalo's becoming
in Kansas City's been and what Philadelphia could be. So
I have Detroit at number six, number five, the Ravens,
the Ravens are the Bills two three years ago where
they'll out gain you, out wowya and turn the ball over.
(16:31):
I mean, listen to this oh and twelve all time
in the playoffs when they lose the turnover battle and
they keep losing. They didn't have a punt and average
seven and a half yards against the Bills and lost.
This is what Buffalo did years ago, until Buffalo figured
out efficiency over flamboyant and fireworks. They do have the
number one scoring defense. I love their coach. I love
(16:52):
Lamar Jackson. Ravens at five number four. I think the
Commanders are for real because I think Jayden Daniels even
better than Andrew Luck is absolutely special. Led the NFL
in touchdown passes with an average O line and one
star receiver this year, more than Mahomes or Josh Allen
or Stafford. That's insane. Highest passer rating by any quarterback.
(17:14):
Remember last year when I picked them to make the
playoffs and everybody said, well, there's too much change, and
I said, yeah, they're getting rid of bad people putting
in good people. I don't care about change. If you're
improving everywhere everywhere, you make change. This team, this is
the worst roster Jayden Daniels is ever going to have.
They get the most cap space along with New England.
I think they're up top of the league next year,
near the top, so I think they're a real team.
(17:35):
I think they can beat Philadelphia number three, the Eagles. Listen.
They've won back to back playoff games throwing for under
one hundred and twenty five yards. Their passing offense was
thirty first in the league. There's so much I like
about Jalen Hurts. I don't love him throwing from the pocket,
but I love the receivers, the O line. They're just
a very special team. They do things. They do things
(17:57):
that bad teams do. They move off coach is, they're
you know, like sometimes they're active for the sake it
feels like of being active. But I mean, they almost
had as many rushing yards as the Rams had passing yards.
I think it's the best roster in the NFL. I
think it has been for the last couple of years.
Philadelphia at three, Number two, Kansas City. I mean, and
(18:19):
again I say this, with the best coach and the
best quarterback on the planet, there's not much to say,
but they've They've won an NFL record sixteen straight games,
including the playoffs, with one score games because efficiency does
have at some point limitations, like eventually the you know,
the Patriots didn't get knocked off and lost super Bowls
(18:41):
a couple of times. The one team, the New York Giants,
they were out first. To see this first team in
NFL history to be out gained by one hundred yards,
create no turnovers, and win a playoff game. So, I mean,
part of me is like in all of what they do,
and then part of me is like, I think that
works against everybody, not name the Buffalo Bill number one.
(19:02):
I think they're gonna win the Super Bowl. I think
it's the best version. They're what the Ravens need to
be efficient. They do not give up sacks, they don't
get penalized, they don't turn it over. They can beat
you with Davis or Cook their running back. They've got
two tight ends, they've got three wide receivers. I think
they're old lines, the most underrated in the league. Maybe
(19:24):
not Filly or Detroit, but really really good. I think
this is the year now. I don't necessarily think it's
going to be the year and then another year and
then another year. I don't know if that's it, but
this is really they're the Chiefs without the trophies, front office, ownership, quarterback.
And I thought Sean McDermott, for all the criticism, we
(19:45):
have to be fair in this business. I thought he
had a great weekend from the first series on. I
thought Sean McDermott had an Andy Reid like game penal plan.
They changed in the game, saw that Baltimore was a
little squirrely, didn't have Zay hours. We don't have to
take big swings. Let's just be smart, convert key plays.
(20:06):
And there is my top eight. I've said before, whoever
wins the AFC is winning the Super Bowl. In my opinion,
that's how it's gonna work.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon eastern non am Pacific.
Speaker 7 (20:19):
Hey, Steve Covino and I'm Rich David 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 (20:32):
Why should you listen to Covino and Rich.
Speaker 7 (20:34):
We talk about everything life, sports, relationships.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
What's going on in the world.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
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 twenty years and still work together, I
mean that says something, right.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
So check us out.
Speaker 7 (20:52):
We like to get you involved too, 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 Kobe none Rich wherever you get your podcasts, and
of course on social media that's Cavino and Rich.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Well, I have so much respect for what Notre Dame
did last night. They just keep fighting and fighting and fighting.
And Joel Clatt is now joining us the voice of
college football here at Fox Sports. So I know a
lot of people look at Ohio State. Now, Ohio State
has to rebuild their defense. We'll get to that in
a second. They'll be fine. I think Let's talk Notre
Dame for a second, because I said last night, if
they won, I think if I was the Chicago Bears,
(21:36):
I may have restarted my search. I mean, I do
think he's got a Sean McVay quality. He's got the
he's got kind of the confidence, yeah, the decency, the
player connection. So let's just look at Notre Dame football,
because I think I look at their two deeps pretty good.
Next year.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Yes, I think Notre Dame is not going anywhere.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
They're gonna have probably the best offensive line in the
country next year. Yep. And both backs back Love and Price,
so they're gonna be able to run the football. The
question is going to be quarterback and what they do,
whether they go portal or they go with young guys,
And that remains much easier to solve today than twenty
years ago. But Marcus Freeman, more specifically to the way
you kind of led with that with that question, he
(22:17):
has elevated Notre Dame football. I want to be very clear,
Brian Kelly did an excellent job at Notre Dame because
what Brian Kelly did was he raised their level from
a historically good program to just a really good program.
In and of themselves. He was winning ten games, he
was making playoff appearances, went to a National Championship game.
Although you could see the gap between that BAMA team
(22:38):
and Notre Dame. Now Brian Kelly moves on and Marcus
Freeman gets the job. Marcus Freeman has risen the level
of Notre Dame from a very good program to an
elite level program. They were in a one possession game
in the fourth quarter of a National championships. Watched those
as you get you watch their second you watch their speed. Yes,
they it's there. They are elite speed now. And I
(23:00):
will say in the second half, you know, they played
Ohio State about as well as anybody in the playoff.
I mean Ohio State was running rough shot over Tennessee
and Oregon and and yeah, Texas played him well, and
that was a tough game. But that second half, Marcus
Freeman had had a level of grit and toughness that
can only be forged through a great culture, and he's
building a great culture at Notre Dame. I will say this,
(23:23):
after last last night, I think Marcus Freeman, if he
decides to stay there, and obviously he's going to have
NFL suitors, whether it's now or even in the subsequent years.
If Marcus Freeman stays at Notre Dame for any length
of time, I think he wins a national championship at
Notre I.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
I think that they really agree.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
I think also pressed elite program, they don't want to
go to the Big Ten, which is significantly better than
the ACCA. So there's some wins on that program. I
mean there's some baked in ws like for Big Ten,
nobody's going undefeated. I mean, it's just it's just too tough.
Notre Dame's schedule this last year was just not that difficult.
(24:01):
That's what made the Northern Illinois loss of shocking, because
after they beat Texas A and M, it's like there's
not another loss on the schedule. And even with the
I don't think that the ACC is a great conference.
Right now, I'll know their depth, and so Notre Dame's
in a really good position and they will be right
back in the in the thick of things next year.
I'd be shocked if they're not. I think they're in
the best position in college football is that they don't
(24:24):
have to play in the Big Ten or the SEC.
They get to play in a week conference. But because
they have a national brand, they can recruit at an
elite level. I think Notre Dame is positioned even better
than Ohio State because every other year you got to
go to ann Arbor and you're going to have to
go to Otson and you'll go to West Seattle and
it's just so let's pivot to Ohio State the offense
(24:46):
next year, and the portal makes it much easier. Ohio
State is going to find a quarterback. They've got so
many damn good receivers. Well, I think the quarterbacks are
largely there. I just don't not to interrupt the car
right well, no, that's Notre Dame. DJ car is going
to be a freshman for Notre Dame for Ohio State.
Right now, you've got Julian Say, I'm transferred from Alabama
last year at this time, after Nick Saban retired, he's
(25:07):
been in the program, and then he'll be in a
competition with a five star recruit who's now on campus
and will be practicing this spring named Tevian Saint Clair.
So they're likely going to go with the young player.
But here's the thing, is like, if we want to
give the benefit of the doubt to programs like Georgia
for the way that they recruit, and rightly so, because
of the rosters that they build. Even when they lose
(25:29):
great players, you understand that the players behind them are
also great players. You made a point in the last
segment and I will one hundred percent agree with this.
The best offensive player in college football next year is
Jeremiah Smith. The best defensive player in college football next
year is Caleb Downs. Well, that's a heck of a
start of a foundation if you're going to try to
rebuild they also, if you will, They also have a
(25:50):
young running back. Two guys are leading to the pros.
They have a good running back in the fold. Yes,
their old line will be better next year because they
had so many injuries this year.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah, the injury issue was huge.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
So the guys that started against Notre Dame, that interior
will be back. So like for instance, this will give
you an example of kind of their line of scrimmage.
Michigan against Alabama and the Rose Bowl technically didn't have
their starters playing defensive line on fourth down. Those were
(26:21):
all technically reserves. Right. This is Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant,
Derek Moore, Josiah Stewart. Well, they came back and they
were quote new starters this year on the defensive line.
But it's not like they're not new starters. So something
similar could be said about this Ohio State offensive line.
These guys that just played a playoff, four straight top
(26:41):
ten teams, four straight wins of double digits, running the football,
doing all of those things, those three are going to
be back. Yeah, that's going to be a big point
I think of strength for Ohio State going into next season. Now,
some will push back and saying I'm being la provocateur.
I do not see that. I have made the argument
that the key number in college football is sixty six thousand,
(27:04):
because that's how many people go to Ohio State, and
that Big ten students flee the Midwest for jobs on
the coast. Southern kids, the weather's good, the economy in
the south's been growing for a long time. They graduate
SEC schools and they stay in the South, and there's
nothing wrong with that. But these Big ten kids from
(27:24):
Munster universities. Thirteen of the twenty three biggest universities in
America are Big ten, sixty six thousand, fifty eight thousand,
and seventy. They go out with those big ten degrees.
They go to New York in LA and DC and
Boston and LA and sen for just going make big money.
And they gave it right back to their school. And
if the collective in the NIL I mean Bama came out,
they're ad, and Bama's ad said, can you guys give
(27:47):
fifty bucks like we're running out of cash? Nick Saban
saw that three years ago when he complained about Texas
coming into the conference. Nick saw it three years ago. Financially,
this is a money game. Now, I think it. I
think Penn State, those graduates are all over Philadelphia.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
New York.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
So yes, yes, I mean, listen, you are right in
a certain respect. I don't think it gives them like
some substantial margin or benefit over other programs. Programs in
the South can raise a lot of money. No, I'm
not saying that. But when Bama comes out and said
when Brian Kelly and I think that's a specific Alabama issue.
(28:27):
I don't think Georgia has that issue, or Texas has
that issue, or A and M or Tennessee unless you does.
Brian Kelly said, I'll give you a million dollars of
my salary. Briandy didn't have to do that. Well, I mean, listen,
Ryan Day had to give up play calling duties and
go and fundraise last December in order to keep his
roster intact. So listen again, I don't think you're wrong.
(28:48):
It's the biggest largest living alumni base in college sports
is the Big Ten alumni base, and so that is
that is a big deal in this era where fans
can have more of a meeting impact through their donations
to NIL. Now, the reason I'm pausing is is because
the structure of college football moving forward will change and
is changing and needs to change all of those things.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
In April, we're largely going.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
To have this settlement come out through the House Settlement,
which is going to allow for revenue sharing. Well, that's
going to put even more programs at a higher level
with funds that they have because they can use program
funds for their players. So every team in the SEC
and the Big Ten is going to have roughly eighteen
and a half million dollars just to spend on players
(29:35):
as essentially salary. Okay, so that's going to continue to
equalize out college football. Let me just give you an example.
I don't think any conference is just going to dominate
from here moving forward. Well, I don't either, but I
think the Big Ten moved ahead of the SEC well
certainly because they have the last two champions, right, So
they have the last two champions, and you see the
level of play at the top end, and next year
(29:56):
the Big Ten's probably going to be even stronger than
it was. Well, I think there's no question. So yes,
the Big Ten is experiencing a really solid performance in
terms of on the field performance and strength in particular
at the top end. However, when I look at college football,
like I did a way too early top ten for
next year and that episode comes out on my show
(30:17):
on Thursday, and doing the exercise, I was like, dang,
three years ago, Colin, I could I could immediately write
four teams at the top. And then you start scratching
your head and you're like, oh, who's I don't know
who's actually good, who's not very good. The exercise was
here's the top four and then there's everybody else, and there.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
Was quite a gap.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
It's not like that. It's not like that anymore. You're
going to go into next season. I have an argument,
like I'm going to put Penn State spoiler alert. Number
one in the country. There's certainly top three, okay, and
largely because they're going to follow a very specific blueprint
that has worked for Michigan and Ohio State in the
last two years. And I can get into that, you
know later. But you could talk me into them being sixth.
(30:59):
You can I put Clemson at seven. You could talk
me into them being eighteen. I'm telling you, from from
one to eighteen in college football next year, It's kind
of like you can talk me into or out of
any one of those teams. What do you do with Michigan,
What do you do with Alabama? What do you do
with South Carolina and Leonara Sellers, What do you do
(31:19):
with Florida? What do you do with LSU and neuss
Meyer coming back? What do you do with Ohio State
trying to replace their defense? What do you do with
Georgia trying to replace the What do you do with Logan?
What do you do with Oregon? Right So, college football
is in such an amazing place right now, and I
think that we're just going to continue to get kind
of equalized out driving more parody moving forward. Okay, So
(31:44):
I got to get to the bottom of this. So
Dion Sanders, Cowboys coach, that thing disappeared.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
I told you that, I told you he's not going
to Dallas.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Well, but with all due respect, did I not? You did?
The playmaker? Mike Lurban said he was? You said he was?
And I'm caught between two guys. I like, Okay, So
was it? Did Colorado step up and pay him more?
Was he trying to get more money from the Buffs.
I don't want to like step on everything because I
(32:15):
know it's it's not fun. Nothing is finalized. Listen, is
he signing his extension?
Speaker 4 (32:20):
I don't know that.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
He doesn't need to. He could leave his contract as is.
I know that there's been extension conversations. Okay, I know
Colorado has come significantly up. I think he would like
them to come up in several areas, not just his salary,
but possibly assistant pool, facility stuff, commitment to nil outside
of revenue sharing. So there's there's there's there is talk
(32:43):
and like any negotiation, whether he was going to go
to Dallas or not go to Dallas, or stay at
Colorado or not stay at Colorado.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
When you're in a position like that, he's.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Doing, and his management team is doing what he should,
which is try to generate as much leverage as possible.
Having conversations with Jerry Jones is leverage.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Yeah, you know, I think.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
From Jerry's perspective it might be the same thing. But
I will just continue to say, and I'm going to
be very consistent about this, He's a great fit at
Colorado because Colorado has given him the keys to the castle.
He has turned Colorado into prime. They are the prime Buffaloes.
They said, hey, man, are traditions yours. Do whatever you
want with our program because we need you. And because
(33:22):
of that, he's become a great fit there and they've
really embraced him. Can't do that at the NFL level,
just based on the structure of the NFL and some
of the ownership hierarchy issues that you get with management.
So I think he's in a good spot. I hope
he stays and I believe that he will. Okay, I
have Ohio state number one next year, Texas to Penn
state three, and then the rest of the big ten
(33:42):
after that. Hey, listen, that's good. All I'm saying is,
you know, people, this is this way. You can't stockpile
talent anymore if you in the SEC. Alabama and Georgia
used to have the best starting unit and then their
back up could probably also beat your starting unit. You know,
(34:03):
like they were too deep with a team that could
win a national championship, win a conference title everywhere else.
Let me throw this out. You can't do that in
my lifetime. Jeremiah Smith is the most NFL capable NFL
ready freshman I've ever seen. Oh okay, good, I like
this object. I'm sure it's good. I went and looked.
There's only one other for me, but continue, Adrian Peterson.
(34:24):
That's exactly right. Okay, So I look I went this morning.
I get up early in the morning, you know, me grinding, Yeah,
sit up at like three forty. And when I was
doing that, I looked at the Minnesota Vikings and the
Cincinnati Bengals receiving cores, and I'm like, no, he makes
those two. He makes. He's nineteen. He makes every NFL roster,
(34:50):
and outside of Minnesota and Cincinnati, I'd argue he starts
for everybody. He's got to play two more years of
college football, which means in four years, Jeremiah Smith is
the best receiver in football. He's the number one on
any team in the NFL. I believe he has a
chance to be an all time great. He's got a
chance to be one of the greatest wide receivers that
we've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
His combination of size, speed.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
His no body fat, no body fat body control ability
to catch the ball, his route running ability, which you
saw on display last last night. Like he's he's the
best freshman I've ever seen. And so quick story. Okay,
So in two thousand and four, I was still playing
and we Colorado. I'm the quarterback of Colorado and we
(35:34):
go to play against Oklahoma a lifetime ago. I'm about
to be forty three, so I'm a man that sounded
like Mike Gundhy.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
I almost went Mike Gundy there.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
But okay, So we go to play the Big Twelve
Championship game against Oklahoma. They're number one in the BCS
at the time. This is Jason White's Heisman year. I
believe or he was coming.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Off of that.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
I remember that year.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
They had just an excellent team. Excellent team.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Orlando Brown is their tackle, and a freshman running back
named Adrian Peterson. We played at Arrowhead Stadium. It's December
third whatever it is. And I went out for you know,
pregame warm ups, and I look over and like, they're
an impressive team. They're number one in the country. Dan
Cody is over there like they've gotten dudes right, and
Adrian Peterson I was like, oh my gosh, he's like
(36:22):
he's gonna kill us.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
What are we gonna do?
Speaker 1 (36:24):
I remember specifically in that game we had a smaller corner.
He was probably about I don't know, five nine, one
hundred and eighty five pounds, fast quick, you know, all
this thing. He's a corner and Adrian Peterson gets this
gallop going you don't remember the angry gallop that and
he starts running and he kind of bounces this ball
outside in our corner. Jarrett Burrell was his name, goes
(36:45):
up to make the hit, and I was like cringing
before it happened. I was like, no, don't do it, Jared,
like this is gonna be so bad. And he looked
like the cartoon chicken.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
What gets hitting?
Speaker 1 (36:54):
The feathers go everywhere, and I'm just like, Adrian Peterson
was incredible. And so that was the best foot I'd
ever seen as a true freshman in my life. And
then I walked out in spring football last year and
I went to see an Ohio State practice and I said,
oh my gosh, that kid is incredible. And every one
(37:16):
of those players, including a Mecca Abuka, looked at me
and I said, how good is he? And he says,
he's the best we've had. That's Ohio State saying that.
Players at Ohio State saying that, who had just seen
Marvin Harrison junior helped me. Garrett Wilson, Chris o'lave, Jackson Smith,
(37:37):
and Jigba Jamison Williams who had to transfer in order
to be an All American, all first round wide receivers,
and every one of them, they're just like, oh, yeah,
he's he's the best. He is the best wide receiver
I've ever seen at his age period. He would be
a top three pick in the draft. Now. No. I
had a GM tell me a week ago, if Caleb
(37:58):
Downs and Jeremiah Smith were available, this is a week graft.
He's like, I'm not so sure they're not one and two.
He goes, he goes, the value of Travis Hunter is
going to be interesting. I don't think his talented as
Caleb Downs. I really don't. Yeah, but you have to
understand like that whole receiver corner. Yeah, exactly, Well nonsense, Oh,
I'm sorry, sorry. I just impact greatly the game on
(38:20):
both sides of the football.
Speaker 4 (38:21):
That's none.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
It Pick a lane, Pick a lane. I'm just gonna
get back to the fact that I think Smith could
be an all time great, all time great wide receiver.
I truly believe he will be a ten time All
Pro whenever. And I know that, like I don't want
to put the cart before the horse, want to put
(38:45):
too much pressure on this guy. Okay, so we agree
with Jeremiah Smith and Adrian Peterson give me the just
and threes. So we both agreed that I would have
agreed Adrian Peterson and and Jeremih Smith looked different. Has
there been another player in I in football? Yeah? Oh man,
did you?
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I mean there were?
Speaker 1 (39:05):
There have been true freshmen that have been great players,
but not that looked like that that they like. Maurice
Colrett was a great true freshman player, right, he was
terrific led them to a national championship, But he didn't
look like he could go dominate the NFL that year.
Speaker 4 (39:20):
He was just a great college player that year. You know,
you understand the difference.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
I'll tell you a guy, I'm Peterson and Smith look
like they could go dominate the NFL now, like put
him in the Super Bowl. I will say this, Kirby
Smart has told people Brock Bauers is the most talented
player he's ever had. Let me say something. He was
at Napa High School, Wine Country, So I saw how
tough can you be from Wine That's what I thought.
So I looked at his high school video and I'm like,
(39:45):
he put to terrible league. And then I watched him
as a freshman at Georgia and I'm like he was good.
I'm like, he's eighteen. The Raiders split him out wide
and he's beating corners up to the feet. Yeah, it's and
yet still he like, as a true freshman, Smith is
the best player on the field.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
I know.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Period. It's It's wild. It blows my mind, it really does.
I think Peterson's young. The only other eighteen year old
that I've ever seen that it's gonna be like, oh,
you can dominate the professional ranks right now. It was
Lebron James. That's the category that those guys kind of
fall into. It's pretty good, all right. I don't mean
to rub it into the SEC. I mean that's not
(40:29):
who I was.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
So revisionist.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
I have sat on this couch for many years, and
I'm just going to tell you American people I have
I have heard this whole idea that like, oh, the
northern schools, it's snows, it's cold, No one's ever going
to go there again.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
It's over.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Northern schools are never going to win again in their lifetime.
You said that about Notre Dame, you said that about Michigan,
you said that against about Ohio State. Everything's changed now,
apparently very immature back then. You've grown up, grown up
a lot, all right, buddy, it's great.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
It's great to see you as well.
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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