July 22, 2025 • 27 mins
Colin discusses a report that LeBron James considered joining the Mavericks but chose to take the money with the Lakers and why his pursuit of Michael Jordan continues to impact his decisions. After Jerry Jones defends his position as owner and general manager of the Cowboys, Colin explains why this is the primary reason why Dallas hasn't played in a Conference Championship game in 29 years. Plus, he talks to Ohio State head coach Ryan Day about defending their National Championship and what makes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith a generational player
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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
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or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Here we go. It is it Tuesday. We are really
really rolling.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Today, Ryan Dale, Ohio State football coach Nick Wright stops
by today.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It is a Tuesday. We're live.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
It's the Herd. Jmac interesting story. The athletic kind of
broke an interesting story John Hollinger where there were whispers
in league circles that Lebron James, and we talked about
it on this show was looking at as a landing spot.
(01:03):
We've talked about this great front line. Here comes Cooper
flag better coach, and you know, let's be honest, if
he went to Dallas, he would be the centerpiece. Even
though he's older. Lebron in Dallas every time he goes
to a new team for two years, it's like wow,
Whereas in LA it's like Luca's team, and everybody knows
that new owners. It kind of feels like it didn't
(01:23):
not against Lebron, but he's not the future. But this
is interesting, This is really interesting. So the athletic does report.
We've been saying this now, I have been saying this
for three to four weeks. Dallas is a better place
to go. I mean, I get Cooper Flag or Austin Reeves,
I get a d or DeAndre Ayton. But Lebron wasn't
(01:46):
willing and this is what killed it. According to John Hollingdry,
he wasn't willing to leave fifty two million on the
table for a mid level exemption.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
So think about that.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Lebron's a billionaire's billionaire. And my take is with Lebron
Rich Paul told us it was all about winning, it's
not anymore. I think Michael Jordan's still in his head.
He knows in the basketball community, with basketball fans, he's
never going to catch MJ. MJ is six for six.
(02:19):
MJ is more memorable. MJ's got the logo, the brand,
and sells more shoes. He's more romanticized Michael Jordan. There
are a dozen plays to this day that you close
your eyes and think about and you can see Michael
Jordan do it unless you're driving with Lebron. There's one
(02:39):
that chase down block against the Warriors. That's it, and
so I think it Lebron at this point, he's never
going to catch him. He's never going to catch him
in net worth. MJ's networth is three point five billion dollars. Lebron,
even with the massive money he's paid, is one billion.
That's why you want throwing a basketball team. I think
(03:01):
he's chasing Michael. And here's the difference. Michael Jordan makes
you feel something and Lebron doesn't. MJ and I mean
high level salespeople will tell you you want to trigger emotion,
and advertisers and consumers, you want to make people feel
(03:24):
something about a product.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Michael has that.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You wear his shoes, you feel cool, You like being
on that side of the argument. So Michael's richer, more memorable,
bigger brand, and he makes you feel something and Lebron doesn't.
Lebron has kind of bounced around to the best basketball
opportunity every chance he gets. He's been the great basketball
opportunist and I've never criticized him for that. I understand
(03:52):
it his first stop. He got drafted to Cleveland. Seven
years in they couldn't get him another All Star. I
was on the bandwagon and get to Miami. But my taking,
you probably should have stayed in Miami. In fact, I'd
argue the only time Lebron has ever made us feel
something was when he went back to his hometown. When
(04:12):
he went back to Akron and he won in Cleveland.
Remember that letter, I'm going back home, Mador feel something.
Then he won in Cleveland. Major feel something. But he's
sort of been the great basketball opportunists, and he's got
more points and more assists, and he's been to more finals,
(04:33):
but he's never made us feel anything. I said this
the other day Tiger Woods, Major feel something. Scotti Scheffler's
just great. That's the difference. Arnold Palmer was more beloved
than Jack Nicholas. People loved Arnie. Why Major feel certain
way works in politics works in sports. Michael Jordan still
(04:54):
sells more shoes than Lebron. Just to give you the
influence of Michael Jordan. He got Derek Jeter in his
prime to wear his logo football jerseys all over this
country to Jordan logo, and I look at this Lebron
not taking for one time in his career, giving up money,
(05:19):
mid level exception to play with Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, Kyrie, Irving,
Derek Lively better coach.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Now, I'm not going to do it.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
In twenty sixteen, Lebron said it quote, my motivation is
the ghost I'm chasing he played in Chicago. Even with this,
I think Michael's still in his head. So NFL cams
are underway, including the Dallas Cowboys in Auxnard. They've had
a pretty rough twenty nine years, haven't been to a
single NFC championship. So yesterday or the day before, Jerry
(05:58):
Jones was asked, I think a very reasonable and appropriate
question about remaining as general manager.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Stepping away as general manager, ever been even a momentary consideration.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
For your for the yeggs uh yes, momentary A lot
of moments. Now we're getting that to it small fractions
of seconds as you know, you see it. I'm in
senior bowls. Combines all of that, all of that melts
(06:37):
into a real good feeling about where we are, so
that I'm not sitting up there throwing darts about a player.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
The downside to wealth is that it starts to make
you feel you're great at everything. The Cowboys had a
great draft in twenty twenty. That's their last great one.
The goals last great draft was the last four. Their
first two picks last year home run, home run, position
of need corner.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
They nailed both.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I think the minute you start thinking you can do
two to three things exceptionally well, you get into trouble.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Bill Belichick six years ago was the greatest.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Coach in the world, but then he started taking over
the draft in personnel, and New England became the slowest
team in the league offensively. He was toned off to
offense as the league pivoted, and he got rushed out
of town and couldn't get another job. Bill O'Brien, I
think a good coach. Houston Texans made him GMN coach.
Bad drafts, trades were worse. Remember they gave d Hop
(07:44):
Away for like, you know, a bag of doritos.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Like it was brutal.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
And I think I think the way to do it's
the way Brad Stevens did with the Celtics.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Very very good coach.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
But he's like, you know, this coaching thing is hard
in a lot of travel, and I love basketball. I'm
just going to move upstairs, be a GM eventually a
great one, and give it to the new guy. That's
the way to do it. You're seeing it in college football.
The smart coaches, they don't want to be GM. They
make their school higher.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
One.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Elon Musk brilliant, dabbled in politics. Tesla stocks still down
fifteen percent. It's hard to just do a bunch of
stuff really well unless you're show hey, O Tony. The
Cowboys don't draft well. The Cowboys overpay for good players
and their non existent last couple of years in free agency.
(08:34):
I said this a couple of years ago. How in
the hell could they not pay eight million dollars for
Derrick Henry and the Eagles, with a stacked, often veteran
expensive roster.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Pay for Saquon Barkley. How is that possible?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Philadelphia is paying their quarterback, a receiver, tight ends, three
offensive linemen, everybody but Jalen carter linebackers, safeties, and.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
They still have Dallas Is like, I don't know if
we can.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Afford I'm not sure if we can afford eight million
to improve the worst running back room in the league.
And they couldn't and Baltimore could another well run team.
So but you know, sometimes with Dallas that feel it
feels like nobody's clapped in Dallas since Jason Garrett I
was looking this morning. NFC Championship Game's most recent appearances.
(09:27):
The Bears, Giants, Panthers, Cardinals, Falcons, Saints, Bucks have all
been to a conference championship game, and the Cowboys have
since nineteen ninety five. And Jerry will never give up control.
If you don't believe me, believe him.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
I gave every frigging thing in my life and then
exposed probably two or three times that to get to
set up here, and I danced with that devilin and
I'm dancing with it a few other times along the way.
If you think a little bit of what you write
is going to deter me from sitting up here doing
what I want to do, You're wrong. It's just not
(10:06):
going to do it because I've danced with the devil,
the financial devil, and live to tell about it.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
That's the downside to wealth. You convince yourself you're great
at everything. And I mean think about this. Justin coaching,
forget personnel. They let Dan Quinn walk to retain Mike McCarthy.
A year later, McCarthy walks off out of Dallas, and
Quinn becomes the coach of the rival and the next
superstar quarterback in the NFC. Coaching, free agency, drafting, developing
(10:39):
the cap, he's convinced he knows how to do all
of it.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
J mac. I am so fired up.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
I saw a quote today somebody recently got an extension
of contract extension in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I you know, you and I I think are both
really fast sated to watch JJ McCarthy. We just don't know.
It feels a little like Jordan Love and Green Bay,
where for two or three years we're like, we're just
not getting video. Everybody said it's great, and then we
saw him and it wasn't great, and then it was
briefly great, and then at the end of the last
year it wasn't great again, and you're like, I don't
(11:18):
know what Jordan Love is. Well. I feel like in
the same division. JJ McCarthy. We saw him in college
and then he got hurt, and then we hear stuff
and everybody said it's great, but then there's other reports
that are like, yeah, this thing may not work out. J. J.
McCarthy almost ended up on another team in his division.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, that's coming up next.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern nin am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (11:54):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 7 (11:59):
We never have enough time to get to everything we
want to get to.
Speaker 8 (12:02):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in
our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Yeah, you blubber list me.
Speaker 7 (12:17):
Well, you know what it's called over promise. You should
be good at it because you've been over promising women
for years.
Speaker 8 (12:21):
Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk
life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing
about something or we didn't have enough time, it will
continue on our after show called over Promised.
Speaker 7 (12:35):
Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich make
sure you check out over Promised and also uncensored, by
the way, so maybe we'll go at it even a
little harder. It's gonna be the best after show podcast
of all time.
Speaker 8 (12:45):
There you go, over promising, and remember you could see
on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen Over Promised with
Covino and Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
So one of the things if you're a sportscaster and
live in Chicago, people talk Cubs and Bears and I
get this all the time, like, Hey, what do you
think the Bears is going to do?
Speaker 3 (13:07):
And I keep saying the same thing.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I like the roster, mostly love the coach, really think
the quarterback is talented. I think the family makes it
hard sometimes to operate. It's one of the poor families,
the oldest family that owns an NFL team. And I've said,
I don't really know if Ryan Poles, who just got
an extension, is a great GM. And I think gms,
increasingly in the NBA and the NFL, really matter. There's
(13:31):
been just too many misses for my taste. But this
bothered me this morning. So according to The Athletic, which
we lean on a lot. Ryan Poles apparently told people
that he was very close to drafting JJ McCarthy over
Caleb Williams. No mention of Jayden Daniels. Okay, so the
two quarterbacks everybody's unsure of from that class, Caleb Williams
(13:55):
and JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
He loved both.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
And it's weird because I said, I mean, we could
go find it in our archive. It's somewhere out there.
I said before the draft, I was not a fan
of JJ McCarthy. He never played from behind. I saw
him late in close games. I didn't think he was great.
Can you play from behind? Can you play without a lead?
Can you play without great protection? Can you play with
(14:19):
the second best coach in the game. Jaden Daniels did
his entire career at Arizona State and lsu. JJ McCarthy
never proved that at Michigan. He had hard baught. That
Michigan team that won the national titles one of the
best college football teams top to bottom talent wise in
the last ten years. So Jaden Daniels was more productive
in college. He's a much better athlete. He threw two
(14:42):
times as many touchdown passes and the same number of picks.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
In fact, JJ.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
McCarthy is the first first round quarterback taken since Christian
Ponder that never had a three thousand yard passing season
in college and no five hundred yard rushing seasons. But
I also said that, and I've said this before the draft,
I said, Jaden Daniels is going to go to Washington
number two. I was told that we beat everybody on
(15:06):
that by about two weeks. And I said, he's gonna
be He's gonna look like Lamar Jackson. He'll be better
in the pocket as a rookie than Lamar Jackson, but
he won't be quite as electric.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
As a runner.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
Check check.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
I didn't think it was a hard comp I thought
it was an easy one. But all you had to
do was minimal homework to figure out he was much
more NFL ready than JJ McCarthy. And here's two stats
in fourth quarter in their college career. Jaden Daniels was unbelievable,
arguably in a better conference, sixty five percent completion percentage
(15:40):
to fifty six for JJ McCarthy. Three times as many yards,
three times as many total touchdowns in the fourth quarter
in his college career. Oh, by the way, that's what
Jaden was is a rookie in the NFL, a great,
bizarrely accomplished fourth quarter or quarterback. Okay, how about trailing
(16:02):
in the fourth row overtime. That's the NFL. No blowout wins,
that's the NFL. Jadan Daniels was a significantly better quarterback.
Trailing in college total touchdowns nineteen to three doubles him
in everything just minimal homework. You knew he was a
better athlete by watching. You didn't have to go scout
him at the games. You knew he was better in
(16:24):
terms of production. But if you just looked at the
stuff that matters for a college quarterback, how are you
when you trail?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Because like, that's the NFL.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
John lwayn Brady trailed a lot, Dan Marino trailed a lot. Peyton,
Manning and Mahomes many of his great early wins, he
trailed a lot.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Are you good trailing? And are you good late? In games?
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Jaden Daniels was a plus plus in both. JJ McCarthy
was c to C minus in both. So when I
read that Ryan Pouls love JJ McCarthy and love Caleb
and there's no mention to Jayden Daniels, I didn't have
a single source of the at least five GMS that
(17:09):
I talked to that thought JJ McCarthy was as good
as prognat prospect as Jaden Daniels, not one. It was
five for five Jaden Daniels, and his comp was an
easy comp. He's not quite as twitchy as Lebar Jackson,
the fastest quarterback in league history, but he's got about
seventy five eighty five percent of that. But it'll be
better than Lamar first couple of years. From the pocket.
(17:30):
It was an easy one.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
I knew it.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Every gam I talked to knew it. In Chicago, like
the two quarterbacks were still not sure they're any good.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
It worries me. It does.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and newon Eastern non a EM Pacific.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Well.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
He's entering his seventh season at Ohio State. He's coached
eighty games and won seventy of them in the National
Championship last year, they won four playoff games by an
average at ten points. Look at that, he's got a
Herd microphone. Boy, you are part of the team here, coach.
I love seeing in that. Let's let's start with this
that your schedule Texas to start, it's rough. Three weeks
(18:08):
later at Seattle at Illinois, best Illinois team in years,
Penn State at Michigan. You've got a quarterback who's really good,
Julian saying, you got to get him ready to roll
really early in that season. How big of a what
do you do as a staff to get that kid ready?
Week one is arguably the toughest game he will play
(18:30):
in his career.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
How do you get him ready to roll?
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Well, it starts early when you when you start off
with a game like this first game of the season,
you know, it's it just has your attention even in July,
and then you know, we've got to have a great August.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
You know, I think in the spring we made a
lot of progress.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
We try to put him in as many game situations
as possible and then go from there. But you know,
he's got a really good supporting group around him. You know,
Licking Keynots is right there with him too. He's had
a great summer. So the two of these guys are
going to compete, you know, all summer and we'll kind
of see how that all shakes out. But put them
in as many competitive situations as possible and see how
they react to it. But ultimately they got really good
(19:10):
guys around them. They need to make routine plays, take
care of the football, and then you know, when it's
fourth and two, find.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
A way to get three yards.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You know, people would look at this and say, boy,
Ryan Day, he's got the national championship. I would argue,
this is a tough year to be a coach at
Ohio State. You lost sixteen starters. You got to navigate
through this nil which is hard for everybody, including Ohio State.
You could draw up plays in front of me for
five hours, but creating chemistry is hard. You've got a
(19:37):
lot of new faces. Let's take us through that. Like
the downside of being Ohio State. As you lose fifteen
guys to the pros every year, you've got a lot
of new faces. How do you build that culture quickly?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Well, I think going back to last year, we had
so many guys decided to come back, and then we
brought in a few older guys in the portal and
then so what happened was, you know, like you said,
you had a mass exodus this year. But that's part
of the cultures is bringing those young guys along and
they were able to not only be a part of
the run, but they played. They just they didn't carry
(20:12):
the water. And so now they have to do that.
And so one of the biggest challenges this offseason was
our team has to grow up. And the faster we
grow up, the faster we're going to be able to,
you know, reach our maximum capacity. And so you know,
the goal was for that to be in the first
game and then you know, we come up for air
and figure out where we're at. But you know, guys
are going to be a little experience going into the season,
(20:32):
but that's college football. You're constantly gonna have turnover like this,
and so this is the first time we've gone through
it before. But having a game like this certainly has
everybody's attention in the summer.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Well, I said yesterday, I picked Penn State to play
for the national championship, and I said the fact that
Ohio State is as good as they are, and the
Big Ten media took Penn State. I said, I think
Penn State's backfield's about as good as a college backfield
can get their old lines excellent. I think it's going
to be a challenge. The good thing you get him,
you get him at home, and that is a big advantage.
You beat him last year there, Now you get them
(21:05):
at home and that's where the field goal are more.
In college football, Let's talk to Penn State game, because
everybody's going to talk about Texas. But it looks like
to me, over the last three years, Ryan, I said
this yesterday, I think the Big Ten at the top
is better than the SEC. I think the NIL is
more powerful. You've got more big markets. You go back
three years when you look at film on Sunday preparing
(21:28):
for the next team, do you notice a significant improvement
in your conference personnel wise, not just from Penn State,
but Illinois and Minnesota and Iowa.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Do you notice it on film?
Speaker 6 (21:43):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (21:44):
Yes, I think that we have tremendous coaches. I think
James does a great job, Brett does a great job.
You know, you see the different coaches throughout the league.
So I think the Big Ten is attracting the best
coaches in the country. Not to say anyone. You know,
other conferences don't have great coaches, but I think we
have really good coaches. But I also think that you know,
with the you know, the age of the NIL, we're
(22:06):
able to tap into the resources that you know, some
of the big ten areas are able to grab onto
and certainly, you know, Columbus is one of those that
not only has a great infrastructure in the city, but
also the fan base that we have, and I think
that's been powerful along the way to continue to build
and we're positioned really good moving forward, like you said,
But the other part of it is, you know, when
you bring in some of the strongest teams, you know,
(22:28):
four of them from the Pac twelve to make an
eight team team conference, now you're talking about a national
conference that's strong from coast to coast.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Yeah, your schedule is rough.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
The what is the balance? Because I still think I
said this before USC, LSU and Colorado went heavy portal,
and I don't feel like their chemistry has ever been
as solvent as stable as yours. And my take is
there is a balance. I mean, when you can get
(22:58):
a Caleb Downs.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Go get him.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
The kids just absolutely incredible. But do you do you
go back and forth on this is it a little
bit of an emotional balance of how much is high
school and how much is nil? Because I still think
high school football, you know, the odometer, you've been recruiting
him since they were fourteen. Sometimes you get an il
guy Ryan, and you just there's stuff you don't know.
(23:22):
What is the perfect balance to you on that.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
I think it's a great point.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
I think we could talk about it for a long time,
but I think now more than ever, we have to
recruit the right people and then retain them and then
develop them and then keep them in your program, which.
Speaker 6 (23:37):
Is kind of what you saw last year.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
We did add a couple pieces, but the majority of
that team was guys that have been here for four
and five years, and not only the older but you know,
they had a lot of experience and they really wanted
to leave a legacy behind at Ohio State. And to
your point, I think we're all trying to figure that
part of it out. And I think at Ohio State,
you know, we want to make sure as the rules
continue to evolve and really change, like the new format
(23:59):
of the salary cap, and we're all trying to identify
how this third party NIL is actually going to be
figured out and really managed, you know, in the structure
that's going to be in place in enforcement wise. You know,
we're all trying to figure that part of it out.
And I think some programs, you know, their decision is
to be really super aggressive, and there's other programs that
are going to try to be in the middle, and
(24:20):
then some others that are conservative. And I think understanding
that the culture is the number one most important thing
along the way, We've got to make sure the culture
is right.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
And so that's the focus for me. That's the focus
for us.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
We've got to make sure we still have the right people,
recruit the right people in high school and then retain them.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
A couple of years ago, I had said on this show,
I said Jamar Chase was a pro when he was
a sophomore at LSU. Who I said he's planning on
Saturday is that guy would be a number one on
Sundays as a sophomore. He's the best young receiver I
think I've ever seen. And then I watched Jeremiah Smith,
and I'm like, oh no, he's better. How do you
keep somebody that gifted, who's going to win all one
on one matchups? How do you keep him focused? How
(24:59):
do you keep him centered? How do you keep him energized?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
How do you keep him?
Speaker 1 (25:02):
I mean, listen, he's gonna beat coverage there's nobody like
him in college football.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
That can be a challenge for a coach.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
How do you keep him centered and focused and energized
when he is that gifted and can beat singular coverage
so easily and consistently.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
I think the thing that's remarkable about Jeremiah is we
don't have to He does it on his own. He's
self motivated, he brings it every day. Our strength coach
Mick Barratty was talking about the other day when we
do warm up sprints before every workout, he wins every
one of them, he says. The other day he goes,
he wins every single sprint. He just for somebody as
the talented as he is, he has a tremendous amount
(25:40):
of discipline and skill in his life. And I think
that's what's making you know, he's already special, but it's
continuing to make him special.
Speaker 6 (25:47):
You should see him now.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
He's bigger, he's faster, he stronger, he's extremely motivated.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
He wants to win every game.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
When he loses a game, I mean he can't eat
solid food for a long time. I mean, he really
cares about his teammates. He sets an amazing example and
he doesn't need to be motivated. I think that's what
makes him special, and I think a lot of guys
are seeing that in his own way.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
You know, he's not a real, you know, verbal guy.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
He doesn't you know, really you know, get out and
get out in front of things in terms of that.
But he leads the way in terms of his work
ethic and obviously he has so much respect for what
he does on the field. But you know, when you
talk to people who play up against him, I think
his size and his power and his strength and what
really separates him as a player.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, it just I mean, he just comes out of
the uniform like he just there there. You don't have
to be a football expert to watch him come out
of the tunnel and go wow, Ryan Day, the national
championship Buckeye coach. They open on Fox with Texas that,
folks is one for the ages. Get in front of
a TV and enjoy that. It's in Columbus and that
(26:46):
isn't edge.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Ryan. We appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
Thanks call, I appreciate you, man.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
You bet that's going to be when's the last time
an opening game in the college football weekend was that good?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
That I couldn't say that.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
You could argue, well that the two best players in
the country, or Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, those are
the two best players in the country. I had somebody
tell me that Caleb Downs would have gone number one.
You got almost take out quarterback. He would have gotten
number one last year's draft, that's how good he is.
Then you got arch Manning, which is an unbelievable store.
You have two huge brands that I bet you that sets
(27:18):
a record for a Labor Day weekend college football game.
I bet you that sets and everybody tells me on
nobody's watching TV that will set a record. I can't
wait for that thing. Fox gave me my college football
preview book this weekend. I'm sitting there watching the British Open,
the Open with Rory McElroy and Scotti Scheffler and reading
(27:39):
that I'm not going to be I'm not gonna lie
eleven thirty in the morning, a poort, a cold one.
I was totally committed to that beer and Texas, Ohio
State and the Open live in Chicago.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
It's third
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
noon 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 3 (00:27):
Here we go. It is it Tuesday. We are really
really rolling.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Today, Ryan Dale, Ohio State football coach Nick Wright stops
by today.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It is a Tuesday. We're live.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
It's the Herd. Jmac interesting story. The athletic kind of
broke an interesting story John Hollinger where there were whispers
in league circles that Lebron James, and we talked about
it on this show was looking at as a landing spot.
(01:03):
We've talked about this great front line. Here comes Cooper
flag better coach, and you know, let's be honest, if
he went to Dallas, he would be the centerpiece. Even
though he's older. Lebron in Dallas every time he goes
to a new team for two years, it's like wow,
Whereas in LA it's like Luca's team, and everybody knows
that new owners. It kind of feels like it didn't
(01:23):
not against Lebron, but he's not the future. But this
is interesting, This is really interesting. So the athletic does report.
We've been saying this now, I have been saying this
for three to four weeks. Dallas is a better place
to go. I mean, I get Cooper Flag or Austin Reeves,
I get a d or DeAndre Ayton. But Lebron wasn't
(01:46):
willing and this is what killed it. According to John Hollingdry,
he wasn't willing to leave fifty two million on the
table for a mid level exemption.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
So think about that.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Lebron's a billionaire's billionaire. And my take is with Lebron
Rich Paul told us it was all about winning, it's
not anymore. I think Michael Jordan's still in his head.
He knows in the basketball community, with basketball fans, he's
never going to catch MJ. MJ is six for six.
(02:19):
MJ is more memorable. MJ's got the logo, the brand,
and sells more shoes. He's more romanticized Michael Jordan. There
are a dozen plays to this day that you close
your eyes and think about and you can see Michael
Jordan do it unless you're driving with Lebron. There's one
(02:39):
that chase down block against the Warriors. That's it, and
so I think it Lebron at this point, he's never
going to catch him. He's never going to catch him
in net worth. MJ's networth is three point five billion dollars. Lebron,
even with the massive money he's paid, is one billion.
That's why you want throwing a basketball team. I think
(03:01):
he's chasing Michael. And here's the difference. Michael Jordan makes
you feel something and Lebron doesn't. MJ and I mean
high level salespeople will tell you you want to trigger emotion,
and advertisers and consumers, you want to make people feel
(03:24):
something about a product.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Michael has that.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You wear his shoes, you feel cool, You like being
on that side of the argument. So Michael's richer, more memorable,
bigger brand, and he makes you feel something and Lebron doesn't.
Lebron has kind of bounced around to the best basketball
opportunity every chance he gets. He's been the great basketball
opportunist and I've never criticized him for that. I understand
(03:52):
it his first stop. He got drafted to Cleveland. Seven
years in they couldn't get him another All Star. I
was on the bandwagon and get to Miami. But my taking,
you probably should have stayed in Miami. In fact, I'd
argue the only time Lebron has ever made us feel
something was when he went back to his hometown. When
(04:12):
he went back to Akron and he won in Cleveland.
Remember that letter, I'm going back home, Mador feel something.
Then he won in Cleveland. Major feel something. But he's
sort of been the great basketball opportunists, and he's got
more points and more assists, and he's been to more finals,
(04:33):
but he's never made us feel anything. I said this
the other day Tiger Woods, Major feel something. Scotti Scheffler's
just great. That's the difference. Arnold Palmer was more beloved
than Jack Nicholas. People loved Arnie. Why Major feel certain
way works in politics works in sports. Michael Jordan still
(04:54):
sells more shoes than Lebron. Just to give you the
influence of Michael Jordan. He got Derek Jeter in his
prime to wear his logo football jerseys all over this
country to Jordan logo, and I look at this Lebron
not taking for one time in his career, giving up money,
(05:19):
mid level exception to play with Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, Kyrie, Irving,
Derek Lively better coach.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Now, I'm not going to do it.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
In twenty sixteen, Lebron said it quote, my motivation is
the ghost I'm chasing he played in Chicago. Even with this,
I think Michael's still in his head. So NFL cams
are underway, including the Dallas Cowboys in Auxnard. They've had
a pretty rough twenty nine years, haven't been to a
single NFC championship. So yesterday or the day before, Jerry
(05:58):
Jones was asked, I think a very reasonable and appropriate
question about remaining as general manager.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Stepping away as general manager, ever been even a momentary consideration.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
For your for the yeggs uh yes, momentary A lot
of moments. Now we're getting that to it small fractions
of seconds as you know, you see it. I'm in
senior bowls. Combines all of that, all of that melts
(06:37):
into a real good feeling about where we are, so
that I'm not sitting up there throwing darts about a player.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
The downside to wealth is that it starts to make
you feel you're great at everything. The Cowboys had a
great draft in twenty twenty. That's their last great one.
The goals last great draft was the last four. Their
first two picks last year home run, home run, position
of need corner.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
They nailed both.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I think the minute you start thinking you can do
two to three things exceptionally well, you get into trouble.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Bill Belichick six years ago was the greatest.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Coach in the world, but then he started taking over
the draft in personnel, and New England became the slowest
team in the league offensively. He was toned off to
offense as the league pivoted, and he got rushed out
of town and couldn't get another job. Bill O'Brien, I
think a good coach. Houston Texans made him GMN coach.
Bad drafts, trades were worse. Remember they gave d Hop
(07:44):
Away for like, you know, a bag of doritos.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Like it was brutal.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
And I think I think the way to do it's
the way Brad Stevens did with the Celtics.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Very very good coach.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
But he's like, you know, this coaching thing is hard
in a lot of travel, and I love basketball. I'm
just going to move upstairs, be a GM eventually a
great one, and give it to the new guy. That's
the way to do it. You're seeing it in college football.
The smart coaches, they don't want to be GM. They
make their school higher.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
One.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Elon Musk brilliant, dabbled in politics. Tesla stocks still down
fifteen percent. It's hard to just do a bunch of
stuff really well unless you're show hey, O Tony. The
Cowboys don't draft well. The Cowboys overpay for good players
and their non existent last couple of years in free agency.
(08:34):
I said this a couple of years ago. How in
the hell could they not pay eight million dollars for
Derrick Henry and the Eagles, with a stacked, often veteran
expensive roster.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Pay for Saquon Barkley. How is that possible?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Philadelphia is paying their quarterback, a receiver, tight ends, three
offensive linemen, everybody but Jalen carter linebackers, safeties, and.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
They still have Dallas Is like, I don't know if
we can.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Afford I'm not sure if we can afford eight million
to improve the worst running back room in the league.
And they couldn't and Baltimore could another well run team.
So but you know, sometimes with Dallas that feel it
feels like nobody's clapped in Dallas since Jason Garrett I
was looking this morning. NFC Championship Game's most recent appearances.
(09:27):
The Bears, Giants, Panthers, Cardinals, Falcons, Saints, Bucks have all
been to a conference championship game, and the Cowboys have
since nineteen ninety five. And Jerry will never give up control.
If you don't believe me, believe him.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
I gave every frigging thing in my life and then
exposed probably two or three times that to get to
set up here, and I danced with that devilin and
I'm dancing with it a few other times along the way.
If you think a little bit of what you write
is going to deter me from sitting up here doing
what I want to do, You're wrong. It's just not
(10:06):
going to do it because I've danced with the devil,
the financial devil, and live to tell about it.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
That's the downside to wealth. You convince yourself you're great
at everything. And I mean think about this. Justin coaching,
forget personnel. They let Dan Quinn walk to retain Mike McCarthy.
A year later, McCarthy walks off out of Dallas, and
Quinn becomes the coach of the rival and the next
superstar quarterback in the NFC. Coaching, free agency, drafting, developing
(10:39):
the cap, he's convinced he knows how to do all
of it.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
J mac. I am so fired up.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
I saw a quote today somebody recently got an extension
of contract extension in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I you know, you and I I think are both
really fast sated to watch JJ McCarthy. We just don't know.
It feels a little like Jordan Love and Green Bay,
where for two or three years we're like, we're just
not getting video. Everybody said it's great, and then we
saw him and it wasn't great, and then it was
briefly great, and then at the end of the last
year it wasn't great again, and you're like, I don't
(11:18):
know what Jordan Love is. Well. I feel like in
the same division. JJ McCarthy. We saw him in college
and then he got hurt, and then we hear stuff
and everybody said it's great, but then there's other reports
that are like, yeah, this thing may not work out. J. J.
McCarthy almost ended up on another team in his division.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, that's coming up next.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and Noone Eastern nin am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (11:54):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 7 (11:59):
We never have enough time to get to everything we
want to get to.
Speaker 8 (12:02):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in
our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Yeah, you blubber list me.
Speaker 7 (12:17):
Well, you know what it's called over promise. You should
be good at it because you've been over promising women
for years.
Speaker 8 (12:21):
Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk
life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing
about something or we didn't have enough time, it will
continue on our after show called over Promised.
Speaker 7 (12:35):
Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich make
sure you check out over Promised and also uncensored, by
the way, so maybe we'll go at it even a
little harder. It's gonna be the best after show podcast
of all time.
Speaker 8 (12:45):
There you go, over promising, and remember you could see
on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen Over Promised with
Covino and Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
So one of the things if you're a sportscaster and
live in Chicago, people talk Cubs and Bears and I
get this all the time, like, Hey, what do you
think the Bears is going to do?
Speaker 3 (13:07):
And I keep saying the same thing.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I like the roster, mostly love the coach, really think
the quarterback is talented. I think the family makes it
hard sometimes to operate. It's one of the poor families,
the oldest family that owns an NFL team. And I've said,
I don't really know if Ryan Poles, who just got
an extension, is a great GM. And I think gms,
increasingly in the NBA and the NFL, really matter. There's
(13:31):
been just too many misses for my taste. But this
bothered me this morning. So according to The Athletic, which
we lean on a lot. Ryan Poles apparently told people
that he was very close to drafting JJ McCarthy over
Caleb Williams. No mention of Jayden Daniels. Okay, so the
two quarterbacks everybody's unsure of from that class, Caleb Williams
(13:55):
and JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
He loved both.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
And it's weird because I said, I mean, we could
go find it in our archive. It's somewhere out there.
I said before the draft, I was not a fan
of JJ McCarthy. He never played from behind. I saw
him late in close games. I didn't think he was great.
Can you play from behind? Can you play without a lead?
Can you play without great protection? Can you play with
(14:19):
the second best coach in the game. Jaden Daniels did
his entire career at Arizona State and lsu. JJ McCarthy
never proved that at Michigan. He had hard baught. That
Michigan team that won the national titles one of the
best college football teams top to bottom talent wise in
the last ten years. So Jaden Daniels was more productive
in college. He's a much better athlete. He threw two
(14:42):
times as many touchdown passes and the same number of picks.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
In fact, JJ.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
McCarthy is the first first round quarterback taken since Christian
Ponder that never had a three thousand yard passing season
in college and no five hundred yard rushing seasons. But
I also said that, and I've said this before the draft,
I said, Jaden Daniels is going to go to Washington
number two. I was told that we beat everybody on
(15:06):
that by about two weeks. And I said, he's gonna
be He's gonna look like Lamar Jackson. He'll be better
in the pocket as a rookie than Lamar Jackson, but
he won't be quite as electric.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
As a runner.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
Check check.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
I didn't think it was a hard comp I thought
it was an easy one. But all you had to
do was minimal homework to figure out he was much
more NFL ready than JJ McCarthy. And here's two stats
in fourth quarter in their college career. Jaden Daniels was unbelievable,
arguably in a better conference, sixty five percent completion percentage
(15:40):
to fifty six for JJ McCarthy. Three times as many yards,
three times as many total touchdowns in the fourth quarter
in his college career. Oh, by the way, that's what
Jaden was is a rookie in the NFL, a great,
bizarrely accomplished fourth quarter or quarterback. Okay, how about trailing
(16:02):
in the fourth row overtime. That's the NFL. No blowout wins,
that's the NFL. Jadan Daniels was a significantly better quarterback.
Trailing in college total touchdowns nineteen to three doubles him
in everything just minimal homework. You knew he was a
better athlete by watching. You didn't have to go scout
him at the games. You knew he was better in
(16:24):
terms of production. But if you just looked at the
stuff that matters for a college quarterback, how are you
when you trail?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Because like, that's the NFL.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
John lwayn Brady trailed a lot, Dan Marino trailed a lot. Peyton,
Manning and Mahomes many of his great early wins, he
trailed a lot.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Are you good trailing? And are you good late? In games?
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Jaden Daniels was a plus plus in both. JJ McCarthy
was c to C minus in both. So when I
read that Ryan Pouls love JJ McCarthy and love Caleb
and there's no mention to Jayden Daniels, I didn't have
a single source of the at least five GMS that
(17:09):
I talked to that thought JJ McCarthy was as good
as prognat prospect as Jaden Daniels, not one. It was
five for five Jaden Daniels, and his comp was an
easy comp. He's not quite as twitchy as Lebar Jackson,
the fastest quarterback in league history, but he's got about
seventy five eighty five percent of that. But it'll be
better than Lamar first couple of years. From the pocket.
(17:30):
It was an easy one.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
I knew it.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Every gam I talked to knew it. In Chicago, like
the two quarterbacks were still not sure they're any good.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
It worries me. It does.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and newon Eastern non a EM Pacific.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Well.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
He's entering his seventh season at Ohio State. He's coached
eighty games and won seventy of them in the National
Championship last year, they won four playoff games by an
average at ten points. Look at that, he's got a
Herd microphone. Boy, you are part of the team here, coach.
I love seeing in that. Let's let's start with this
that your schedule Texas to start, it's rough. Three weeks
(18:08):
later at Seattle at Illinois, best Illinois team in years,
Penn State at Michigan. You've got a quarterback who's really good,
Julian saying, you got to get him ready to roll
really early in that season. How big of a what
do you do as a staff to get that kid ready?
Week one is arguably the toughest game he will play
(18:30):
in his career.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
How do you get him ready to roll?
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Well, it starts early when you when you start off
with a game like this first game of the season,
you know, it's it just has your attention even in July,
and then you know, we've got to have a great August.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
You know, I think in the spring we made a
lot of progress.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
We try to put him in as many game situations
as possible and then go from there. But you know,
he's got a really good supporting group around him. You know,
Licking Keynots is right there with him too. He's had
a great summer. So the two of these guys are
going to compete, you know, all summer and we'll kind
of see how that all shakes out. But put them
in as many competitive situations as possible and see how
they react to it. But ultimately they got really good
(19:10):
guys around them. They need to make routine plays, take
care of the football, and then you know, when it's
fourth and two, find.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
A way to get three yards.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You know, people would look at this and say, boy,
Ryan Day, he's got the national championship. I would argue,
this is a tough year to be a coach at
Ohio State. You lost sixteen starters. You got to navigate
through this nil which is hard for everybody, including Ohio State.
You could draw up plays in front of me for
five hours, but creating chemistry is hard. You've got a
(19:37):
lot of new faces. Let's take us through that. Like
the downside of being Ohio State. As you lose fifteen
guys to the pros every year, you've got a lot
of new faces. How do you build that culture quickly?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
Well, I think going back to last year, we had
so many guys decided to come back, and then we
brought in a few older guys in the portal and
then so what happened was, you know, like you said,
you had a mass exodus this year. But that's part
of the cultures is bringing those young guys along and
they were able to not only be a part of
the run, but they played. They just they didn't carry
(20:12):
the water. And so now they have to do that.
And so one of the biggest challenges this offseason was
our team has to grow up. And the faster we
grow up, the faster we're going to be able to,
you know, reach our maximum capacity. And so you know,
the goal was for that to be in the first
game and then you know, we come up for air
and figure out where we're at. But you know, guys
are going to be a little experience going into the season,
(20:32):
but that's college football. You're constantly gonna have turnover like this,
and so this is the first time we've gone through
it before. But having a game like this certainly has
everybody's attention in the summer.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Well, I said yesterday, I picked Penn State to play
for the national championship, and I said the fact that
Ohio State is as good as they are, and the
Big Ten media took Penn State. I said, I think
Penn State's backfield's about as good as a college backfield
can get their old lines excellent. I think it's going
to be a challenge. The good thing you get him,
you get him at home, and that is a big advantage.
You beat him last year there, Now you get them
(21:05):
at home and that's where the field goal are more.
In college football, Let's talk to Penn State game, because
everybody's going to talk about Texas. But it looks like
to me, over the last three years, Ryan, I said
this yesterday, I think the Big Ten at the top
is better than the SEC. I think the NIL is
more powerful. You've got more big markets. You go back
three years when you look at film on Sunday preparing
(21:28):
for the next team, do you notice a significant improvement
in your conference personnel wise, not just from Penn State,
but Illinois and Minnesota and Iowa.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Do you notice it on film?
Speaker 6 (21:43):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (21:44):
Yes, I think that we have tremendous coaches. I think
James does a great job, Brett does a great job.
You know, you see the different coaches throughout the league.
So I think the Big Ten is attracting the best
coaches in the country. Not to say anyone. You know,
other conferences don't have great coaches, but I think we
have really good coaches. But I also think that you know,
with the you know, the age of the NIL, we're
(22:06):
able to tap into the resources that you know, some
of the big ten areas are able to grab onto
and certainly, you know, Columbus is one of those that
not only has a great infrastructure in the city, but
also the fan base that we have, and I think
that's been powerful along the way to continue to build
and we're positioned really good moving forward, like you said,
But the other part of it is, you know, when
you bring in some of the strongest teams, you know,
(22:28):
four of them from the Pac twelve to make an
eight team team conference, now you're talking about a national
conference that's strong from coast to coast.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Yeah, your schedule is rough.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
The what is the balance? Because I still think I
said this before USC, LSU and Colorado went heavy portal,
and I don't feel like their chemistry has ever been
as solvent as stable as yours. And my take is
there is a balance. I mean, when you can get
(22:58):
a Caleb Downs.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Go get him.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
The kids just absolutely incredible. But do you do you
go back and forth on this is it a little
bit of an emotional balance of how much is high
school and how much is nil? Because I still think
high school football, you know, the odometer, you've been recruiting
him since they were fourteen. Sometimes you get an il
guy Ryan, and you just there's stuff you don't know.
(23:22):
What is the perfect balance to you on that.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
I think it's a great point.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
I think we could talk about it for a long time,
but I think now more than ever, we have to
recruit the right people and then retain them and then
develop them and then keep them in your program, which.
Speaker 6 (23:37):
Is kind of what you saw last year.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
We did add a couple pieces, but the majority of
that team was guys that have been here for four
and five years, and not only the older but you know,
they had a lot of experience and they really wanted
to leave a legacy behind at Ohio State. And to
your point, I think we're all trying to figure that
part of it out. And I think at Ohio State,
you know, we want to make sure as the rules
continue to evolve and really change, like the new format
(23:59):
of the salary cap, and we're all trying to identify
how this third party NIL is actually going to be
figured out and really managed, you know, in the structure
that's going to be in place in enforcement wise. You know,
we're all trying to figure that part of it out.
And I think some programs, you know, their decision is
to be really super aggressive, and there's other programs that
are going to try to be in the middle, and
(24:20):
then some others that are conservative. And I think understanding
that the culture is the number one most important thing
along the way, We've got to make sure the culture
is right.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
And so that's the focus for me. That's the focus
for us.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
We've got to make sure we still have the right people,
recruit the right people in high school and then retain them.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
A couple of years ago, I had said on this show,
I said Jamar Chase was a pro when he was
a sophomore at LSU. Who I said he's planning on
Saturday is that guy would be a number one on
Sundays as a sophomore. He's the best young receiver I
think I've ever seen. And then I watched Jeremiah Smith,
and I'm like, oh no, he's better. How do you
keep somebody that gifted, who's going to win all one
on one matchups? How do you keep him focused? How
(24:59):
do you keep him centered? How do you keep him energized?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
How do you keep him?
Speaker 1 (25:02):
I mean, listen, he's gonna beat coverage there's nobody like
him in college football.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
That can be a challenge for a coach.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
How do you keep him centered and focused and energized
when he is that gifted and can beat singular coverage
so easily and consistently.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
I think the thing that's remarkable about Jeremiah is we
don't have to He does it on his own. He's
self motivated, he brings it every day. Our strength coach
Mick Barratty was talking about the other day when we
do warm up sprints before every workout, he wins every
one of them, he says. The other day he goes,
he wins every single sprint. He just for somebody as
the talented as he is, he has a tremendous amount
(25:40):
of discipline and skill in his life. And I think
that's what's making you know, he's already special, but it's
continuing to make him special.
Speaker 6 (25:47):
You should see him now.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
He's bigger, he's faster, he stronger, he's extremely motivated.
Speaker 6 (25:52):
He wants to win every game.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
When he loses a game, I mean he can't eat
solid food for a long time. I mean, he really
cares about his teammates. He sets an amazing example and
he doesn't need to be motivated. I think that's what
makes him special, and I think a lot of guys
are seeing that in his own way.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
You know, he's not a real, you know, verbal guy.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
He doesn't you know, really you know, get out and
get out in front of things in terms of that.
But he leads the way in terms of his work
ethic and obviously he has so much respect for what
he does on the field. But you know, when you
talk to people who play up against him, I think
his size and his power and his strength and what
really separates him as a player.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, it just I mean, he just comes out of
the uniform like he just there there. You don't have
to be a football expert to watch him come out
of the tunnel and go wow, Ryan Day, the national
championship Buckeye coach. They open on Fox with Texas that,
folks is one for the ages. Get in front of
a TV and enjoy that. It's in Columbus and that
(26:46):
isn't edge.
Speaker 3 (26:47):
Ryan. We appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
Thanks call, I appreciate you, man.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
You bet that's going to be when's the last time
an opening game in the college football weekend was that good?
Speaker 3 (26:57):
That I couldn't say that.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
You could argue, well that the two best players in
the country, or Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, those are
the two best players in the country. I had somebody
tell me that Caleb Downs would have gone number one.
You got almost take out quarterback. He would have gotten
number one last year's draft, that's how good he is.
Then you got arch Manning, which is an unbelievable store.
You have two huge brands that I bet you that sets
(27:18):
a record for a Labor Day weekend college football game.
I bet you that sets and everybody tells me on
nobody's watching TV that will set a record. I can't
wait for that thing. Fox gave me my college football
preview book this weekend. I'm sitting there watching the British Open,
the Open with Rory McElroy and Scotti Scheffler and reading
(27:39):
that I'm not going to be I'm not gonna lie
eleven thirty in the morning, a poort, a cold one.
I was totally committed to that beer and Texas, Ohio
State and the Open live in Chicago.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
It's third
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