July 24, 2025 • 31 mins
Colin discussed Caleb Williams struggling in training camp under new head coach Ben Johnson and why all the pressure is now on Williams entering his second season in the NFL. He also explains why college football has never been better despite everyone complaining about the loss of historic rivalries. Plus, he talks to Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian about their huge match up against Ohio State to kickoff the season and expectations for quarterback Arch Manning
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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 Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It is a Thursday, and there is a ton to
talk about. Lincoln Riley, Steve Sarkejian, Mark Sanchez Al joining
us on a July show storms, humidity, heat rolling. It
is the football season's almost underway.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Jamax. Yesterday and little Chicago, let's just say the.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Bears practice went a little sideways and Ben Johnson was
not happy. It was a little volcanic at the Bear's practice.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
And you know I'm leading with that.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Of course you are, yeah, you are Team Chicago right now.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
You love it so per multiple reports, I did see
some of the video. The Bears offense and Caleb Williams
were a disaster yesterday. At one point Ben Johnson barking
at him. He pulled the first team off the field.
It was a disaster for Caleb Williams yesterday and some
of his OTA issues resurfaced, not getting the play right,
(01:33):
looking disorganized, not getting the footwork right. So two things
can be true. I think he's a huge talent, and
I also think his critics are valid. I mean, I
love Tom Cruise, but I think scientology's wacky. Love my wife,
don't agree with her on everything. Smoked a cigar last night. No,
(01:54):
it won't extend my life. Have politicians I like don't
agree with all their policy Two things are true, Kayleb.
Williams is super talented, but you're now starting to see
last year OTAs in camp some of the same problems
not as correctable as many of us think. Can't get
the playwright what I talk about Yesterday, Belichick saying the
(02:17):
best part of Brady he got the play right, no
pre snap penalties, he didn't hold on the ball too long.
And I gotta tell you we're gonna know by early
early October if this guy can play. The coach is fine,
the offensive line's been upgraded, the weapons are good enough.
I don't want to hear about the bears daunting schedule.
(02:38):
Oh second toughest in the league. Nonsense. They're favored in
for their first six games. For their first six games,
it's a bunch of teams rebuilding. New Orleans, Washington, Vegas,
Dallas is rebuilding. Jerry Jones doesn't want to admit it,
but they're rebuilding. That early schedule and even the later schedule.
It's New York, it's Cleveland. There's a lot of reb
(03:00):
building teams. There's not a lot of great defenses until
you get to Baltimore in late October, so you're gonna
know Jayden Daniels coming in with a shaky o line,
complete overhaul organizationally, and one big time weapon Terry McLaurin.
By early October, we were all going with Jayden Daniels,
(03:21):
WHOA We thought he was going to be Lamar Jackson ish.
He's Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
That's the new standard, and I'm not asking you to
chop it up and be dominating. In September. Bow Knicks
with Sean Payton was bad in September, and Sean Payton's
as smart as they get. He had a touchdown, four
picks and a passer rating in the sixties. But bow
Nicks by October seven touchdowns, one pick and a passer
(03:48):
rating of one oh three. Jared Goff owen seven as
a rookie, got Sean McVay. He went from Owen seven
to his first September with McVeigh passerating at one eighteen.
It just doesn't take that long. By the time you're
a senior in high school, you got ten thousand snaps,
seven on seven camps, private coaching, the ability in high
(04:11):
school and college for these top quarterbacks that transfer, yeah,
even in high school to better coaching, better support systems.
So we need major, major elevation, significant improvement by late
September early October. And that's not asking for a lot.
It's a new world. I used to be a believer
(04:32):
give a quarterback until year three. I am now Thanksgiving
of year two and with when you look at Ben Johnson,
better than average, higher when you look at the division
and the early schedule, not a lot of great defenses.
When you look at the O lineup grades, they've spent
money on weapons. This team's built to win right now
(04:55):
that early schedule. The Bears, coming off an awful season,
are favored in for the first games as of this morning.
So I don't want to hear it. Here's cole comit
on the mess yesterday and Ben Johnson pulling Caleb off
the field.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
If you're not doing it right, he's gonna get you
out and he's not gonna just see that stuff continuing.
So it's just a lesson to us that you know,
you got to be on the details. We got to
be on the details going into practice and in order
to get our reps in. You know, you can't be
result driven all the time, especially this time this time
of the year in training camp. You know, you really
got to be detail driven. And Ben's all about the
details and you feel that in every meeting.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So we're gonna have Steve sarkejan On bottom of the hour,
Lincoln Riley, a lot of heat at USC on Lincoln
Riley stops buying Mark Sanchez.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So it's the big ten sec.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
All these coaches are talking right now and that's why
we've had a few of them on with that Ryan Day,
James Franklin. This is a good week for us to
get those guys on the stars of college football, the
big time coaches.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
So I'm all fired up.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I said this, there's heat on Sark sort of like
Ryan Day before he won the Natty last year, everybody
knew Ryan da could coach. I mean, what does the
guy like seventy and ten at Ohio State like? He
struggled with hard, bought the end, but we all knew
Ryan da could coach. But he got into a little
heat when he lost at home to Michigan is a
twenty point favorite, and then he rolled onto the title.
(06:14):
It's same with Sark. Everybody knows he can coach. He
was College Football Coordinator of the Year under Saban. NFL
teams are interested. I think he could in a couple
of years. If he wins a Natty this year, I
think he would be the top college coach candidate to
coach in the NFL. I don't think he will. I
think he's going to stay at Texas. It's one of
the best jobs in all of football. But the truth
is Ohio State Texas is great, and you know what
(06:36):
it shows unpopular opinion rivalries are overrated. Ooh, Dallas and
the New York Giants Bears Packers. Those are one o'clock
window games.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
In the NFL.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
The best rivalry is Kansas City in Buffalo. It has
no great historical context. It's Mahomes against Josh Allen Right,
that's why it's a great rivalry. So the college football
Playoff has created two dynamic advantages that college football didn't
have to have. Number One, December now playoff games sudden
depth like March Madness instead of Rando Bowl games that
(07:12):
nobody attended. You know, the phrase is remember the Alamo,
not remember the Alamo Bowl. Okay, we got rid of
a lot of bad bulls. The second thing, early losses
aren't as punitive, so you could take big swings on
your schedule. You can grow as a football team. I
mean in high school and in the pros, you're allowed
(07:32):
to lose early and still win a championship. Until now,
you couldn't do it in college football. So Ohio State
Texas five years ago, if they would have played, the
loser would have to go undefeated the rest of the way.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
These are nineteen year old kids.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
So in a memo to all you college football rivalry
guys that didn't want the playoff because you thought it
would ding rivalries, nobody cares outside of your fan base.
I mean, I think Iowa and Wisconsin play for a
spin tune or a cheese wheel or an axe or something.
Nobody cares I'm in the Big ten building, nobody cares.
(08:09):
I mean, I'm looking at the Texas Longhorn schedule right now.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Oh, the Red rivalry, read the Red River Rivalry.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I got news for you if you let me, If
you would fly me private to three games this year
for the Texas Longhorns. Number one would be the game
against Columbus Ohio State and Columbus, that's number one. Number
two would be the game at Georgia November, and then
I would figure out if Oklahoma was better than A
and M late November. Maybe their great rivalry is third.
(08:39):
The highest rate of game last year for Texas was
the Georgia gate. It won the Oklahoma game. So college
football rivalries are like family traditions. If you're totally honest
with yourself, you're diluted a little bit by him, like
Grandma's fruitcake it's mid and you know it and Uncle
(09:00):
Hanks peanut riddles stinks. No cap be honest, you know,
I mean, I know you've talked to yourself into thanksgivings.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Ooh is the best. But then Earle gets drunk.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Go sideways and you regret it and you can't wait
to get in the car and drive home.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I don't want to hear about rivalry games.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Ohio State Texas is not only great because the teams
are great, the coaches are great, the traditions are great.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
It's great because the loser can lose again. Ohio State lost.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
At Oregon, lost, is a twenty point favorite, was allowed
to make the playoff and grow as a team, use
that as jet fuel, that ugly loss, the staff and
the players, and win the national championship.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That's how the NFL works. That's how high school football
can work.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Why in college do you get if you lose a
huge game early, you have to go undefeated. So I'm
not into these rivalry games that everybody talks about in college.
Oh the Iron Bowl, when's the last time it mattered? Now?
Michigan in Ohio State remains fantastic. But the NFL is
a ratings powerhouse. What's their biggest rivalry. Honestly, it's Lamar
(10:11):
Jackson against Mahomes. It's Mahomes against Josh Allen. It's quarterback driven,
not regional or rivalry driven. A lot of these great rivalries,
they're one o'clock window games. The biggest Fox rating this
year for college football game, it's gonna be Texas and
Ohio State. That's gonna be the big number, not a
(10:33):
rivalry game. SARTs on coming up around the corner. It
is a lot to add. I will say this. It
is a lot to ask arch manning opening game at
the Shoe against a top three team in Ohio State
with college football national championship momentum, elite coaching staff, and oh,
by the way, Longhorns are rebuilding the old line. So
(10:54):
it is a big ask. I can't wait. Jmck we
got a lot going on. What do you make of
Caleb Williams. Listen, these offensive coaches like Ben Johnson, I
applaud him. He's what's concerning about Caleb Williams. The stuff
that you saw with Eberflus. He's running backwards, can't get
(11:16):
the playoff, negative plays. We worried and saw a little
bit about an OTA's where it wasn't organized, couldn't quite
get the play in on time, and now we're seeing
again is this just something that doesn't get better?
Speaker 4 (11:30):
So his backstory is didn't he follow Lincoln Riley to USC?
Lincoln Riley it takes the USC job. It's like, oh yeah, Caleb,
come on down and he kind of got free reign
to do backyard football.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I'm curious if Lincoln.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Is kind of on board with that, because that was
his style at USC and it kind of worked at
times until it didn't. And now he's carrying those same
traits over into the NFL. And I don't think and
again I'm not going to overblow the Ben Johnson story,
but he clearly is not a fan of that backyard
football stuf.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
He wants you to.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Drop back, process and fire. And if Caleb can't do that, Colin, well,
they're not gonna be. They're not gonna be.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
In a long lag of the great scheme coaches in
the NFL, Ben Johnson is considered a scheme coach, So
Shanahan is a scheme coach. He doesn't want you running around.
Tyny White loves brock Purty. Okay, who's another scheme coach?
So so Mike McDaniels Miami doesn't want your running around.
He wants you to run their play. Who's another great
(12:30):
scheme coach? Sean Payton in Denver. He wants bow Knicks
to run his play under center, not shotgun. Now, we've
talked about that bow Knicks was shotgun last year it
was better for bow Now Sean wants him under center.
Another scheme coach is Ben Johnson, run my play. Defensive
head coaches Sean McDermott's like, you know, he's a great talent, let.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Him move him n the great.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And there's Andy Reid by the way, he's talked about
it like he wants Mahomes to run his play. But
then there is that battle of you gotta let your
guy do his thing. But most of the elite scheme coaches,
they scheme up plays. That was always the knock that
Aaron Rodgers, with both McCarthy and Matt Lafleur, sometimes with
(13:15):
both would kind of do his own thing. It got
really frustrating the McCarthy, and privately, I think it got
frustrating the Matt Lafleur. So this idea of hero ball
it works with some coaches, but Ben Johnson is one
of these guys that draws up winning plays like Shanahan,
run my play. Peyton's very much like that. He got
(13:38):
frustrated with Russell Wilson, who would not run his play
or couldn't see the second or third option went on film.
Peyton would say, yeah, it's open here, it is, so
Ben's gonna get really frustrated, clearly if you can't get
that playoff and you can't get that ball out.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
And you know, the younger generation coming up with quarterbacks.
These guys are social media stars. Let me cook, that's
the big saying. Just let me do me, let me
let me fire, let me be me. And I just
wonder if it's gonna be a radical transformation trying to
rein in Caleb Williams. I don't think it's gonna be easy.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Colin.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
It's gonna take more than a season, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
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Speaker 6 (14:25):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
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Speaker 7 (14:33):
To, and that's why we have a brand new podcast
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in our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
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Speaker 6 (14:47):
And me, well, you know what it's called over promise.
You should be good at it because you've been over
promising women for years.
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Well, it's a Cavino and Rich after show, and we
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Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make
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There you go over promising, and remember you could see
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Speaker 1 (15:27):
So a leadership is hard because you got to do
unpopular things and sometimes alienate co workers. So Tua, who's
an adult, who's a grown up, who's a really smart kid,
has had to deal sometimes it feels like he's had
this sort of babysit. Tyreek Hill and I felt Dak
had to do this with Dez Bryant is that Dak
(15:50):
came into the league very mature and very focused. And
I feel bad when these young quarterbacks, often they're great teammates,
I think they have a you know, there's a certain
burden put on them by people who can't get it together.
And Tua was talking remember Tyreek Hill threatening he wanted
to leave the team. Remember he talked about that or
(16:11):
recently and Tua talked about their relationship and Tyreek Hill.
Speaker 8 (16:17):
It's still a work in progress, not just for me
but for everybody. But everyone knows what he can do
on the field. Everyone respects what he can do on
a feud. But I think, you know he's he's still
trying to figure things out for himself as well, kind
of the man he.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Wants to be.
Speaker 8 (16:34):
And you know, he's not too young.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Like everybody makes mistakes.
Speaker 8 (16:39):
It's just some people, you know, they they're in the spotlight,
you know, and and there their deals get a get
pushed out more than than some others.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
He's being diplomatic. It's time for Tyreek Hill to eventually
grow up again. The Cowboys had to move off des Bryant.
He couldn't Stefan Diggs, who I really like, Josh Allen's
like enough, Kyle Shanahan, Deebo see Steelers on AB. I mean,
the Chiefs won back to back Super Bowls. The minute
Tyreek Hill left, they went with the old slow tight end.
(17:13):
Even the great Randy Moss Brady won Super Bowls pre
and post. I think sometimes I'm not. I mean, I
love AJ Brown, I think he's unbelievable for Philadelphia, but
the heart and soul of that team is Saquon Jalen
Hurts on that offensive line, and that's the way it
should be. I am not arguing about the value of
great wide receivers, but the uglier the weather gets in Cincinnati, Baltimore, Buffalo,
(17:40):
Kansas City, how much is a guy seventy five down
yards down the field with a quarterback who doesn't throw
a lively deep ball in wind? How much value does
it have? And my take is, you know, great wide
receivers are a little bit like those like Christmas tree toppers.
It's the first thing you look at and that they
(18:01):
had value, but it doesn't keep the tree up right,
like you can't build around it. Foundationally. In fact, I've
argued this with football people. I think a great tight
end is more valuable than a great receiver because tight
ends block and help the run game and they don't
get marginalized in December and January with bad weather. They
(18:23):
run shorter, easier to complete routes. So that the two
dynasties in the last twenty five years in this league
were led by Gronk and Travis Kelcey and star quarterbacks,
wide receivers revolving door.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
In New England, wide.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Receivers Frankly and Kansas City have been even more of
a revolving door.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
At least Edelman hung around for a while.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
So star receivers they are great for headlines, I'm not
sure they're great for hardware. And I also I think
it's a burden that you lay on young Dak or
a young quarterback like Tua, that there's some hand holding
here going on. And I think my take, and I
said this last year, I'd move off Tyreek Hill. Somebody
(19:06):
will bite. He's a very very good player. But you
do get to a point when how how much is worth?
Think how good ab was Pittsburgh Mike Tomlin player friendly
is like we've had enough. George Pickens enough already, so
DK metcalf Seattle's like, listen, the penalties are stacking up.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
We got to move off it.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
And I'm not diminishing the value of the person, but
I am saying when Tua has to come out and
go to a podium and you can see him dance
around the very uncomfortable truth, I think it's time to
move on.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
In Miami, be sure to catch live editions of the
Herd weekdays and Noone Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Well, they were thirteen and three last year before losing
to the Buckeyes. One of the reasons I love the
College Football Playoff is that you can play big games
early and even if you lose thirty five thirty, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
You can grow as a team.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
You don't have to go undefeated the rest of the
way to play for the College Football National Championship. The
Buckeyes last year lost as a twenty point favorite home
after losing to Oregon and Notason, and they still made it.
That's why I love Texas and Ohio State plan. My
buddy Sarks joining us coach of the Horns Texas Longhorns,
who I have playing in the National Championship this year
against Penn State. The two best teams I think are
(20:22):
Penn State and you guys. I want you to go back, Sark,
so your USC days, your Washington day's, the Alabama days
and now at Texas. This is a this is a
lot to chew on in week one road game Ohio State.
You guys, Pete Carroll and you guys, you played some
tough games early go back in your career. Is this
(20:42):
Is there anything that reminds you of this kind of
game as an opener.
Speaker 9 (20:47):
As an opener. The only one I could think of,
Colin is when we went to Auburn. I want to think.
I want to say it was two and it was
Liner's first career start. Reggie Reggie Lindell were true freshmen
and we went into We went into Auburn and they
were they were pretty highly ranked team. But but I
(21:08):
don't know of anybody you know, going on the road
playing the defending national champions after having played them in
the semi finals and ended our season last year, and
then we turn around and open with them this year.
It's gonna be hacking a game. But that's you just
touched on it. That's the beauty of this format. Now
that that you can afford to play these games. It's
great for the fans, it's great for college football. Everybody's
(21:30):
talking about it. And I was jokingly saying, you know,
it's so different than the NFL. Nobody's talking about Week
one matchups in the NFL. Everybody's talking about this game.
And then that the idea that I don't think either
of us get punished playing this game. Obviously, we all
we both need to play well throughout the entirety of
the season. But but sure, it's what a spotlight it
(21:51):
puts on both programs and as well as college football.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah, and also it's a litmus test. You'll know a
lot about your team that you couldn't you wouldn't know
if you played a lesser opponent. So here's what I
worry about. Four new offensive line starters. Now you've got
this is a position. You have recruited very very well
in archs Manning. I bet, just like Dad and Eli
and Archie is good at the line of scrimmage. You'll
get that ball away quickly. But it does to go
(22:14):
on the road. Stark, you know this better than anybody.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
The O line.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
You don't have a preseason. These are nineteen twenty year
old guys. That is a cohesion chemistry unit, not just
a talent unit. Are you concerned for new starters on
the road?
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Not the arts thing?
Speaker 1 (22:33):
That's fine, but you don't you don't have an exhibition
game to start. That's a lot to ask. Does it
worry you?
Speaker 9 (22:39):
Well, I think that's why training camp is going to
be so important. And you know, the beauty for the
offensive line is they have to compete against our defensive
front every day, and I think we've got one of
the premier defensive fronts in the country. They're very talented players,
but also a really good scheme, a difficult scheme. But
to your point, them all playing together is one is
(23:00):
going to be critical, and archs does play a part
in that. You know, we're fortunate DJ Campbell's a returning starter.
Cole Hudson rotated with DJ. Played a bunch of football.
Trevor Goosby really at the end of the season. He
was playing against all sorts of high, high caliber opponents
from Georgia to Texas A and M to Clemson, so
he got a lot of experience at tackle. But there'll
be a couple of new faces in there, and I
(23:22):
do think that's going to be one of the keys
for us in the ballgame is I don't want to
say protecting them, but putting them in really good positions
so they can go out and execute and play It
plays a unit.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
So Jeremiah Smith is on a short list of the
most talented college football players I've ever seen. Reggie Bush.
I can remember seeing him as a sophomore and thinking, oh,
he could probably play in the NFL right now. Javon
Curse was kind of like that. When you play a
guy like Jeremiah Smith, do you bracket him, do you
double him? Do you trust your corners? He is so
(23:55):
physically strong that it's one of those you can take him,
do you? I mean? What? How?
Speaker 3 (24:02):
What is a game plan? Is there a perfect one?
Do you just mixed coverages?
Speaker 1 (24:06):
You know?
Speaker 9 (24:06):
It's interesting. I had a chance to coach Julio Jones
for two years uh in Atlanta. Reminds me a lot
of him. So big and physical but yet fast and
then cover ground, so strong at the point of attack
when the balls in the air, you see that, you
see that, you know, just the ability to make contested catches.
And I do think at the end of the day,
(24:29):
a that's where your attention needs to be. But hey,
they got really good coaches. He's going to be moving around.
He's not going to be lining up in one position
all the time. Ideally you've you've got multiple people with
eyes on him and guarding him. But you can't. You
still have to play great team defense, and you've got
to have the ability to stop the run, and you've
got to cover the two other white House they have.
(24:50):
We are two really good players too, So I do
think a multitude of things that you can do well. Uh,
but you better know where number four is at all times.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
So it's interesting when you get quarterbacks that I've always
kind of felt like ideally I was talking to an
NFLGM about this. He goes, I'm not really hiring coaches.
I'm hiring CEOs. A coach to be a CEO. I
don't want him on the headset constantly. Now at college
it feels a little bit different. But you are a
CEO at Texas. You have a great athletic director, but
(25:19):
I mean nil transfer portal, building a staff players. So
how much I know it's Arch's biggest start, yet, how
much freedom does he get at the line of scrimmage?
Speaker 9 (25:31):
In the opener, Well, I mean there naturally, there's going
to be some you know, and we're still formulating that
game plan. That thing is nowhere near sett and Stone,
and we're going against a really good defensive coordinator in
Matt Patrician, which I don't think people are talking to
a whole lot about of here's a guy who's been
an elite defensive coordinator at the NFL level and worked
(25:52):
under coach Belichick's been a head coach with the Detroit Lions,
and so that poses its own challenges too. There's not
a lot of tape, no no tape of him coaching
in college football, and so putting a plan together that
we feel good about also gives Arch a little bit
of freedom to to get us in and out of
some things that, you know, as looks present themselves in
(26:14):
the game because there's so many unknowns. I think is
going to be critical and he's more than capable of
doing that. You know, he's the guys. You know, he's
been been raised watching Tate with with Eli and Peyton
and his dad and his grandpa and everybody. So we're
going to feel good about that. And he's got great
composure and he's been in some fires with us already,
so we'll feel good about it. Do we want to
(26:35):
major in him have an audible on the road. That's
a difficult thing to do, but we're gonna give him
some opportunities to do those things, especially some critical moments.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
So I you know, I was thinking about this. I
talked to urban Meyer about this.
Speaker 9 (26:49):
Is that.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
I an I L's tricky h Lincoln Riley's done a lot,
Brian Kelly has done a lot, Dion Sanders has done
a lot, and those I would argue those there's value
to it, but it is hard to create culture and
chemistry when you're bringing in a player and paying him
three times what you're paying a third year starter.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Like in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Everybody understands there's the salary cap and there's certain guys
that get it, and that's the quarterback in college. I
think the nil. I'm for it, but there is a
danger in the transfer portal not screwing up chemistry.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Where do you land on?
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I mean, have there been guys that you really like
but you're like, you know what, man, I'm not going
to pay this receiver that and bring him into our room.
Like is that something you have to think a lot
about with the NIL.
Speaker 9 (27:41):
For sure, I think you hit the nail on the head.
It happened this offseason we ended up not going on
a player because I didn't feel comfortable about what he
would have had to what it would have cost us
to get him in comparison to other players on that
side of the ball. And we love our culture, and
we've exhausted ourselves in building the culture here at the
(28:01):
University of Texas, and it's really good, and we're navigating
the NIL space I think is good or better than anybody.
I think there's a lot of respect in our locker room.
We believe in production. This is a production based industry, right.
How you perform ultimately is how you get compensated. And
and so I think our players understand that. And so
when you bring somebody in from the outside that all
(28:24):
of the sudden is making more than everybody else, I
think that's when you can run into some problems and
and so you've got to make those decisions because we're
a really good football team. That's the beauty of our sport.
I think teams win championships, not not just a bunch
of talented individuals. And we've got a really good team,
and I'm very cautious to uh to do anything to
(28:45):
to cause you know, any type of you know, feud
or disruption to that what we have going right now.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Finally, what is arch Manning's best trait? Something that you
didn't even have to coach.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
It's just intuitive there, something he just did well the
minute he got on campus.
Speaker 9 (29:04):
Work ethic. His work ethic is incredible, whether it's you know,
studying tape, studying film, studying the playbook, working at his craft,
you know, in the weight room like that. That that is,
whether it's innate in him or uh it was you know,
handed down from his uncles, whatever, whatever it was, his
(29:25):
work ethic is really pretty incredible. And that lends itself
to the teammate that he is too. And again that's
not to take away the arm talent, the deep ball,
the athleticism, all that. I think all those things are
a byproduct of how hard he works at his craft
and how hard he works at being a great teammate.
You know, those those things. I've never had to coach
(29:46):
him on it that he walked in the door was
a great teammate and has worked his tail off from
day one, you.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Know, you're a coach. You could do TV. You did
a little TV, but in the end, you're a coach.
You just love coaching. You're an x as and O's guy,
one of the smarter guys I've ever met that does that.
And I watched Nick Saban on TV, and I think
he's such a coach. Nick such a coach. I don't
think he's coming back to college. Let me ask you
if somebody in the NFL called him, maybe the team
(30:14):
that got Arch Manning or got a great quarterback, do
you think Nick Saban would take the call?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
You know him, you know him well.
Speaker 9 (30:21):
You already have him in Cleveland. I heard you day,
you already have in Cleveland. He's coaching Arch. I only
have Arch for one year. I was going to have
him for two.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 9 (30:32):
You know, hey, he is a great coach and I
loved my time working for Nick. I mean, he really
is a fantastic coach. I think he feels really comfortable
to me. You know, he's really good on TV. I
think he enjoys what he gets to do. He's playing
a ton of golf, which which which he loves doing.
I'm sure, I'm sure you know miss Terry loves having
(30:54):
him at home, so I don't know, you know that
that's obviously a personal thing. As he grows. I know
he's one of, if not the most competitive person I've
ever been around. Some sort of those competitive juices get
flowing pretty good. But man, he looks like he's having
a lot of fun doing television. He looks relaxed, and
he's great for our sport. You know, I know people
are love tuning into it to hear his inside out
(31:16):
all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yeah, you know, it was just speculation on my part.
I you know, I just that's what I do. Steve great,
seeing you you too, man, you too?
Speaker 1 (31:29):
All right, one of my favorite guys, Sark, who's had
just a fascinating journey. I mean, I'm telling you right, Texas,
Ohio State. I mean, I am parked. Pregame game, post game.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
On Fox. That is going to be.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
That's as good an opening game as we've ever had
on that Labor Day weekend. That's as good as it gets.
Speaker 9 (31:49):
It's the hurt
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 Cowver
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
It is a Thursday, and there is a ton to
talk about. Lincoln Riley, Steve Sarkejian, Mark Sanchez Al joining
us on a July show storms, humidity, heat rolling. It
is the football season's almost underway.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Jamax. Yesterday and little Chicago, let's just say the.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Bears practice went a little sideways and Ben Johnson was
not happy. It was a little volcanic at the Bear's practice.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
And you know I'm leading with that.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Of course you are, yeah, you are Team Chicago right now.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
You love it so per multiple reports, I did see
some of the video. The Bears offense and Caleb Williams
were a disaster yesterday. At one point Ben Johnson barking
at him. He pulled the first team off the field.
It was a disaster for Caleb Williams yesterday and some
of his OTA issues resurfaced, not getting the play right,
(01:33):
looking disorganized, not getting the footwork right. So two things
can be true. I think he's a huge talent, and
I also think his critics are valid. I mean, I
love Tom Cruise, but I think scientology's wacky. Love my wife,
don't agree with her on everything. Smoked a cigar last night. No,
(01:54):
it won't extend my life. Have politicians I like don't
agree with all their policy Two things are true, Kayleb.
Williams is super talented, but you're now starting to see
last year OTAs in camp some of the same problems
not as correctable as many of us think. Can't get
the playwright what I talk about Yesterday, Belichick saying the
(02:17):
best part of Brady he got the play right, no
pre snap penalties, he didn't hold on the ball too long.
And I gotta tell you we're gonna know by early
early October if this guy can play. The coach is fine,
the offensive line's been upgraded, the weapons are good enough.
I don't want to hear about the bears daunting schedule.
(02:38):
Oh second toughest in the league. Nonsense. They're favored in
for their first six games. For their first six games,
it's a bunch of teams rebuilding. New Orleans, Washington, Vegas,
Dallas is rebuilding. Jerry Jones doesn't want to admit it,
but they're rebuilding. That early schedule and even the later schedule.
It's New York, it's Cleveland. There's a lot of reb
(03:00):
building teams. There's not a lot of great defenses until
you get to Baltimore in late October, so you're gonna
know Jayden Daniels coming in with a shaky o line,
complete overhaul organizationally, and one big time weapon Terry McLaurin.
By early October, we were all going with Jayden Daniels,
(03:21):
WHOA We thought he was going to be Lamar Jackson ish.
He's Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
That's the new standard, and I'm not asking you to
chop it up and be dominating. In September. Bow Knicks
with Sean Payton was bad in September, and Sean Payton's
as smart as they get. He had a touchdown, four
picks and a passer rating in the sixties. But bow
Nicks by October seven touchdowns, one pick and a passer
(03:48):
rating of one oh three. Jared Goff owen seven as
a rookie, got Sean McVay. He went from Owen seven
to his first September with McVeigh passerating at one eighteen.
It just doesn't take that long. By the time you're
a senior in high school, you got ten thousand snaps,
seven on seven camps, private coaching, the ability in high
(04:11):
school and college for these top quarterbacks that transfer, yeah,
even in high school to better coaching, better support systems.
So we need major, major elevation, significant improvement by late
September early October. And that's not asking for a lot.
It's a new world. I used to be a believer
(04:32):
give a quarterback until year three. I am now Thanksgiving
of year two and with when you look at Ben Johnson,
better than average, higher when you look at the division
and the early schedule, not a lot of great defenses.
When you look at the O lineup grades, they've spent
money on weapons. This team's built to win right now
(04:55):
that early schedule. The Bears, coming off an awful season,
are favored in for the first games as of this morning.
So I don't want to hear it. Here's cole comit
on the mess yesterday and Ben Johnson pulling Caleb off
the field.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
If you're not doing it right, he's gonna get you
out and he's not gonna just see that stuff continuing.
So it's just a lesson to us that you know,
you got to be on the details. We got to
be on the details going into practice and in order
to get our reps in. You know, you can't be
result driven all the time, especially this time this time
of the year in training camp. You know, you really
got to be detail driven. And Ben's all about the
details and you feel that in every meeting.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So we're gonna have Steve sarkejan On bottom of the hour,
Lincoln Riley, a lot of heat at USC on Lincoln
Riley stops buying Mark Sanchez.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So it's the big ten sec.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
All these coaches are talking right now and that's why
we've had a few of them on with that Ryan Day,
James Franklin. This is a good week for us to
get those guys on the stars of college football, the
big time coaches.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
So I'm all fired up.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I said this, there's heat on Sark sort of like
Ryan Day before he won the Natty last year, everybody
knew Ryan da could coach. I mean, what does the
guy like seventy and ten at Ohio State like? He
struggled with hard, bought the end, but we all knew
Ryan da could coach. But he got into a little
heat when he lost at home to Michigan is a
twenty point favorite, and then he rolled onto the title.
(06:14):
It's same with Sark. Everybody knows he can coach. He
was College Football Coordinator of the Year under Saban. NFL
teams are interested. I think he could in a couple
of years. If he wins a Natty this year, I
think he would be the top college coach candidate to
coach in the NFL. I don't think he will. I
think he's going to stay at Texas. It's one of
the best jobs in all of football. But the truth
is Ohio State Texas is great, and you know what
(06:36):
it shows unpopular opinion rivalries are overrated. Ooh, Dallas and
the New York Giants Bears Packers. Those are one o'clock
window games.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
In the NFL.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
The best rivalry is Kansas City in Buffalo. It has
no great historical context. It's Mahomes against Josh Allen Right,
that's why it's a great rivalry. So the college football
Playoff has created two dynamic advantages that college football didn't
have to have. Number One, December now playoff games sudden
depth like March Madness instead of Rando Bowl games that
(07:12):
nobody attended. You know, the phrase is remember the Alamo,
not remember the Alamo Bowl. Okay, we got rid of
a lot of bad bulls. The second thing, early losses
aren't as punitive, so you could take big swings on
your schedule. You can grow as a football team. I
mean in high school and in the pros, you're allowed
(07:32):
to lose early and still win a championship. Until now,
you couldn't do it in college football. So Ohio State
Texas five years ago, if they would have played, the
loser would have to go undefeated the rest of the way.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
These are nineteen year old kids.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
So in a memo to all you college football rivalry
guys that didn't want the playoff because you thought it
would ding rivalries, nobody cares outside of your fan base.
I mean, I think Iowa and Wisconsin play for a
spin tune or a cheese wheel or an axe or something.
Nobody cares I'm in the Big ten building, nobody cares.
(08:09):
I mean, I'm looking at the Texas Longhorn schedule right now.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Oh, the Red rivalry, read the Red River Rivalry.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I got news for you if you let me, If
you would fly me private to three games this year
for the Texas Longhorns. Number one would be the game
against Columbus Ohio State and Columbus, that's number one. Number
two would be the game at Georgia November, and then
I would figure out if Oklahoma was better than A
and M late November. Maybe their great rivalry is third.
(08:39):
The highest rate of game last year for Texas was
the Georgia gate. It won the Oklahoma game. So college
football rivalries are like family traditions. If you're totally honest
with yourself, you're diluted a little bit by him, like
Grandma's fruitcake it's mid and you know it and Uncle
(09:00):
Hanks peanut riddles stinks. No cap be honest, you know,
I mean, I know you've talked to yourself into thanksgivings.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Ooh is the best. But then Earle gets drunk.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Go sideways and you regret it and you can't wait
to get in the car and drive home.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I don't want to hear about rivalry games.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Ohio State Texas is not only great because the teams
are great, the coaches are great, the traditions are great.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
It's great because the loser can lose again. Ohio State lost.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
At Oregon, lost, is a twenty point favorite, was allowed
to make the playoff and grow as a team, use
that as jet fuel, that ugly loss, the staff and
the players, and win the national championship.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
That's how the NFL works. That's how high school football
can work.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Why in college do you get if you lose a
huge game early, you have to go undefeated. So I'm
not into these rivalry games that everybody talks about in college.
Oh the Iron Bowl, when's the last time it mattered? Now?
Michigan in Ohio State remains fantastic. But the NFL is
a ratings powerhouse. What's their biggest rivalry. Honestly, it's Lamar
(10:11):
Jackson against Mahomes. It's Mahomes against Josh Allen. It's quarterback driven,
not regional or rivalry driven. A lot of these great rivalries,
they're one o'clock window games. The biggest Fox rating this
year for college football game, it's gonna be Texas and
Ohio State. That's gonna be the big number, not a
(10:33):
rivalry game. SARTs on coming up around the corner. It
is a lot to add. I will say this. It
is a lot to ask arch manning opening game at
the Shoe against a top three team in Ohio State
with college football national championship momentum, elite coaching staff, and oh,
by the way, Longhorns are rebuilding the old line. So
(10:54):
it is a big ask. I can't wait. Jmck we
got a lot going on. What do you make of
Caleb Williams. Listen, these offensive coaches like Ben Johnson, I
applaud him. He's what's concerning about Caleb Williams. The stuff
that you saw with Eberflus. He's running backwards, can't get
(11:16):
the playoff, negative plays. We worried and saw a little
bit about an OTA's where it wasn't organized, couldn't quite
get the play in on time, and now we're seeing
again is this just something that doesn't get better?
Speaker 4 (11:30):
So his backstory is didn't he follow Lincoln Riley to USC?
Lincoln Riley it takes the USC job. It's like, oh yeah, Caleb,
come on down and he kind of got free reign
to do backyard football.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I'm curious if Lincoln.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Is kind of on board with that, because that was
his style at USC and it kind of worked at
times until it didn't. And now he's carrying those same
traits over into the NFL. And I don't think and
again I'm not going to overblow the Ben Johnson story,
but he clearly is not a fan of that backyard
football stuf.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
He wants you to.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Drop back, process and fire. And if Caleb can't do that, Colin, well,
they're not gonna be. They're not gonna be.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
In a long lag of the great scheme coaches in
the NFL, Ben Johnson is considered a scheme coach, So
Shanahan is a scheme coach. He doesn't want you running around.
Tyny White loves brock Purty. Okay, who's another scheme coach?
So so Mike McDaniels Miami doesn't want your running around.
He wants you to run their play. Who's another great
(12:30):
scheme coach? Sean Payton in Denver. He wants bow Knicks
to run his play under center, not shotgun. Now, we've
talked about that bow Knicks was shotgun last year it
was better for bow Now Sean wants him under center.
Another scheme coach is Ben Johnson, run my play. Defensive
head coaches Sean McDermott's like, you know, he's a great talent, let.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Him move him n the great.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And there's Andy Reid by the way, he's talked about
it like he wants Mahomes to run his play. But
then there is that battle of you gotta let your
guy do his thing. But most of the elite scheme coaches,
they scheme up plays. That was always the knock that
Aaron Rodgers, with both McCarthy and Matt Lafleur, sometimes with
(13:15):
both would kind of do his own thing. It got
really frustrating the McCarthy, and privately, I think it got
frustrating the Matt Lafleur. So this idea of hero ball
it works with some coaches, but Ben Johnson is one
of these guys that draws up winning plays like Shanahan,
run my play. Peyton's very much like that. He got
(13:38):
frustrated with Russell Wilson, who would not run his play
or couldn't see the second or third option went on film.
Peyton would say, yeah, it's open here, it is, so
Ben's gonna get really frustrated, clearly if you can't get
that playoff and you can't get that ball out.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
And you know, the younger generation coming up with quarterbacks.
These guys are social media stars. Let me cook, that's
the big saying. Just let me do me, let me
let me fire, let me be me. And I just
wonder if it's gonna be a radical transformation trying to
rein in Caleb Williams. I don't think it's gonna be easy.
Speaker 5 (14:13):
Colin.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
It's gonna take more than a season, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and neon eastern non am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (14:25):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern. But here's the thing, we
never have enough time to get to everything we want
to get.
Speaker 7 (14:33):
To, 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. Yeah, you blubber lit lame.
Speaker 6 (14:47):
And me, 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 7 (14:52):
Well, it's a Cavino 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 6 (15:06):
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 7 (15:16):
There you go over promising, and remember you could see
on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to over Promised
with Cavino and Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
So a leadership is hard because you got to do
unpopular things and sometimes alienate co workers. So Tua, who's
an adult, who's a grown up, who's a really smart kid,
has had to deal sometimes it feels like he's had
this sort of babysit. Tyreek Hill and I felt Dak
had to do this with Dez Bryant is that Dak
(15:50):
came into the league very mature and very focused. And
I feel bad when these young quarterbacks, often they're great teammates,
I think they have a you know, there's a certain
burden put on them by people who can't get it together.
And Tua was talking remember Tyreek Hill threatening he wanted
to leave the team. Remember he talked about that or
(16:11):
recently and Tua talked about their relationship and Tyreek Hill.
Speaker 8 (16:17):
It's still a work in progress, not just for me
but for everybody. But everyone knows what he can do
on the field. Everyone respects what he can do on
a feud. But I think, you know he's he's still
trying to figure things out for himself as well, kind
of the man he.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Wants to be.
Speaker 8 (16:34):
And you know, he's not too young.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Like everybody makes mistakes.
Speaker 8 (16:39):
It's just some people, you know, they they're in the spotlight,
you know, and and there their deals get a get
pushed out more than than some others.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
He's being diplomatic. It's time for Tyreek Hill to eventually
grow up again. The Cowboys had to move off des Bryant.
He couldn't Stefan Diggs, who I really like, Josh Allen's
like enough, Kyle Shanahan, Deebo see Steelers on AB. I mean,
the Chiefs won back to back Super Bowls. The minute
Tyreek Hill left, they went with the old slow tight end.
(17:13):
Even the great Randy Moss Brady won Super Bowls pre
and post. I think sometimes I'm not. I mean, I
love AJ Brown, I think he's unbelievable for Philadelphia, but
the heart and soul of that team is Saquon Jalen
Hurts on that offensive line, and that's the way it
should be. I am not arguing about the value of
great wide receivers, but the uglier the weather gets in Cincinnati, Baltimore, Buffalo,
(17:40):
Kansas City, how much is a guy seventy five down
yards down the field with a quarterback who doesn't throw
a lively deep ball in wind? How much value does
it have? And my take is, you know, great wide
receivers are a little bit like those like Christmas tree toppers.
It's the first thing you look at and that they
(18:01):
had value, but it doesn't keep the tree up right,
like you can't build around it. Foundationally. In fact, I've
argued this with football people. I think a great tight
end is more valuable than a great receiver because tight
ends block and help the run game and they don't
get marginalized in December and January with bad weather. They
(18:23):
run shorter, easier to complete routes. So that the two
dynasties in the last twenty five years in this league
were led by Gronk and Travis Kelcey and star quarterbacks,
wide receivers revolving door.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
In New England, wide.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Receivers Frankly and Kansas City have been even more of
a revolving door.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
At least Edelman hung around for a while.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
So star receivers they are great for headlines, I'm not
sure they're great for hardware. And I also I think
it's a burden that you lay on young Dak or
a young quarterback like Tua, that there's some hand holding
here going on. And I think my take, and I
said this last year, I'd move off Tyreek Hill. Somebody
(19:06):
will bite. He's a very very good player. But you
do get to a point when how how much is worth?
Think how good ab was Pittsburgh Mike Tomlin player friendly
is like we've had enough. George Pickens enough already, so
DK metcalf Seattle's like, listen, the penalties are stacking up.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
We got to move off it.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
And I'm not diminishing the value of the person, but
I am saying when Tua has to come out and
go to a podium and you can see him dance
around the very uncomfortable truth, I think it's time to
move on.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
In Miami, be sure to catch live editions of the
Herd weekdays and Noone Easter not a Empacific.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Well, they were thirteen and three last year before losing
to the Buckeyes. One of the reasons I love the
College Football Playoff is that you can play big games
early and even if you lose thirty five thirty, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
You can grow as a team.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
You don't have to go undefeated the rest of the
way to play for the College Football National Championship. The
Buckeyes last year lost as a twenty point favorite home
after losing to Oregon and Notason, and they still made it.
That's why I love Texas and Ohio State plan. My
buddy Sarks joining us coach of the Horns Texas Longhorns,
who I have playing in the National Championship this year
against Penn State. The two best teams I think are
(20:22):
Penn State and you guys. I want you to go back, Sark,
so your USC days, your Washington day's, the Alabama days
and now at Texas. This is a this is a
lot to chew on in week one road game Ohio State.
You guys, Pete Carroll and you guys, you played some
tough games early go back in your career. Is this
(20:42):
Is there anything that reminds you of this kind of
game as an opener.
Speaker 9 (20:47):
As an opener. The only one I could think of,
Colin is when we went to Auburn. I want to think.
I want to say it was two and it was
Liner's first career start. Reggie Reggie Lindell were true freshmen
and we went into We went into Auburn and they
were they were pretty highly ranked team. But but I
(21:08):
don't know of anybody you know, going on the road
playing the defending national champions after having played them in
the semi finals and ended our season last year, and
then we turn around and open with them this year.
It's gonna be hacking a game. But that's you just
touched on it. That's the beauty of this format. Now
that that you can afford to play these games. It's
great for the fans, it's great for college football. Everybody's
(21:30):
talking about it. And I was jokingly saying, you know,
it's so different than the NFL. Nobody's talking about Week
one matchups in the NFL. Everybody's talking about this game.
And then that the idea that I don't think either
of us get punished playing this game. Obviously, we all
we both need to play well throughout the entirety of
the season. But but sure, it's what a spotlight it
(21:51):
puts on both programs and as well as college football.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah, and also it's a litmus test. You'll know a
lot about your team that you couldn't you wouldn't know
if you played a lesser opponent. So here's what I
worry about. Four new offensive line starters. Now you've got
this is a position. You have recruited very very well
in archs Manning. I bet, just like Dad and Eli
and Archie is good at the line of scrimmage. You'll
get that ball away quickly. But it does to go
(22:14):
on the road. Stark, you know this better than anybody.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
The O line.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
You don't have a preseason. These are nineteen twenty year
old guys. That is a cohesion chemistry unit, not just
a talent unit. Are you concerned for new starters on
the road?
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Not the arts thing?
Speaker 1 (22:33):
That's fine, but you don't you don't have an exhibition
game to start. That's a lot to ask. Does it
worry you?
Speaker 9 (22:39):
Well, I think that's why training camp is going to
be so important. And you know, the beauty for the
offensive line is they have to compete against our defensive
front every day, and I think we've got one of
the premier defensive fronts in the country. They're very talented players,
but also a really good scheme, a difficult scheme. But
to your point, them all playing together is one is
(23:00):
going to be critical, and archs does play a part
in that. You know, we're fortunate DJ Campbell's a returning starter.
Cole Hudson rotated with DJ. Played a bunch of football.
Trevor Goosby really at the end of the season. He
was playing against all sorts of high, high caliber opponents
from Georgia to Texas A and M to Clemson, so
he got a lot of experience at tackle. But there'll
be a couple of new faces in there, and I
(23:22):
do think that's going to be one of the keys
for us in the ballgame is I don't want to
say protecting them, but putting them in really good positions
so they can go out and execute and play It
plays a unit.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
So Jeremiah Smith is on a short list of the
most talented college football players I've ever seen. Reggie Bush.
I can remember seeing him as a sophomore and thinking, oh,
he could probably play in the NFL right now. Javon
Curse was kind of like that. When you play a
guy like Jeremiah Smith, do you bracket him, do you
double him? Do you trust your corners? He is so
(23:55):
physically strong that it's one of those you can take him,
do you? I mean? What? How?
Speaker 3 (24:02):
What is a game plan? Is there a perfect one?
Do you just mixed coverages?
Speaker 1 (24:06):
You know?
Speaker 9 (24:06):
It's interesting. I had a chance to coach Julio Jones
for two years uh in Atlanta. Reminds me a lot
of him. So big and physical but yet fast and
then cover ground, so strong at the point of attack
when the balls in the air, you see that, you
see that, you know, just the ability to make contested catches.
And I do think at the end of the day,
(24:29):
a that's where your attention needs to be. But hey,
they got really good coaches. He's going to be moving around.
He's not going to be lining up in one position
all the time. Ideally you've you've got multiple people with
eyes on him and guarding him. But you can't. You
still have to play great team defense, and you've got
to have the ability to stop the run, and you've
got to cover the two other white House they have.
(24:50):
We are two really good players too, So I do
think a multitude of things that you can do well. Uh,
but you better know where number four is at all times.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
So it's interesting when you get quarterbacks that I've always
kind of felt like ideally I was talking to an
NFLGM about this. He goes, I'm not really hiring coaches.
I'm hiring CEOs. A coach to be a CEO. I
don't want him on the headset constantly. Now at college
it feels a little bit different. But you are a
CEO at Texas. You have a great athletic director, but
(25:19):
I mean nil transfer portal, building a staff players. So
how much I know it's Arch's biggest start, yet, how
much freedom does he get at the line of scrimmage?
Speaker 9 (25:31):
In the opener, Well, I mean there naturally, there's going
to be some you know, and we're still formulating that
game plan. That thing is nowhere near sett and Stone,
and we're going against a really good defensive coordinator in
Matt Patrician, which I don't think people are talking to
a whole lot about of here's a guy who's been
an elite defensive coordinator at the NFL level and worked
(25:52):
under coach Belichick's been a head coach with the Detroit Lions,
and so that poses its own challenges too. There's not
a lot of tape, no no tape of him coaching
in college football, and so putting a plan together that
we feel good about also gives Arch a little bit
of freedom to to get us in and out of
some things that, you know, as looks present themselves in
(26:14):
the game because there's so many unknowns. I think is
going to be critical and he's more than capable of
doing that. You know, he's the guys. You know, he's
been been raised watching Tate with with Eli and Peyton
and his dad and his grandpa and everybody. So we're
going to feel good about that. And he's got great
composure and he's been in some fires with us already,
so we'll feel good about it. Do we want to
(26:35):
major in him have an audible on the road. That's
a difficult thing to do, but we're gonna give him
some opportunities to do those things, especially some critical moments.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
So I you know, I was thinking about this. I
talked to urban Meyer about this.
Speaker 9 (26:49):
Is that.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
I an I L's tricky h Lincoln Riley's done a lot,
Brian Kelly has done a lot, Dion Sanders has done
a lot, and those I would argue those there's value
to it, but it is hard to create culture and
chemistry when you're bringing in a player and paying him
three times what you're paying a third year starter.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Like in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Everybody understands there's the salary cap and there's certain guys
that get it, and that's the quarterback in college. I
think the nil. I'm for it, but there is a
danger in the transfer portal not screwing up chemistry.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Where do you land on?
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I mean, have there been guys that you really like
but you're like, you know what, man, I'm not going
to pay this receiver that and bring him into our room.
Like is that something you have to think a lot
about with the NIL.
Speaker 9 (27:41):
For sure, I think you hit the nail on the head.
It happened this offseason we ended up not going on
a player because I didn't feel comfortable about what he
would have had to what it would have cost us
to get him in comparison to other players on that
side of the ball. And we love our culture, and
we've exhausted ourselves in building the culture here at the
(28:01):
University of Texas, and it's really good, and we're navigating
the NIL space I think is good or better than anybody.
I think there's a lot of respect in our locker room.
We believe in production. This is a production based industry, right.
How you perform ultimately is how you get compensated. And
and so I think our players understand that. And so
when you bring somebody in from the outside that all
(28:24):
of the sudden is making more than everybody else, I
think that's when you can run into some problems and
and so you've got to make those decisions because we're
a really good football team. That's the beauty of our sport.
I think teams win championships, not not just a bunch
of talented individuals. And we've got a really good team,
and I'm very cautious to uh to do anything to
(28:45):
to cause you know, any type of you know, feud
or disruption to that what we have going right now.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Finally, what is arch Manning's best trait? Something that you
didn't even have to coach.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
It's just intuitive there, something he just did well the
minute he got on campus.
Speaker 9 (29:04):
Work ethic. His work ethic is incredible, whether it's you know,
studying tape, studying film, studying the playbook, working at his craft,
you know, in the weight room like that. That that is,
whether it's innate in him or uh it was you know,
handed down from his uncles, whatever, whatever it was, his
(29:25):
work ethic is really pretty incredible. And that lends itself
to the teammate that he is too. And again that's
not to take away the arm talent, the deep ball,
the athleticism, all that. I think all those things are
a byproduct of how hard he works at his craft
and how hard he works at being a great teammate.
You know, those those things. I've never had to coach
(29:46):
him on it that he walked in the door was
a great teammate and has worked his tail off from
day one, you.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Know, you're a coach. You could do TV. You did
a little TV, but in the end, you're a coach.
You just love coaching. You're an x as and O's guy,
one of the smarter guys I've ever met that does that.
And I watched Nick Saban on TV, and I think
he's such a coach. Nick such a coach. I don't
think he's coming back to college. Let me ask you
if somebody in the NFL called him, maybe the team
(30:14):
that got Arch Manning or got a great quarterback, do
you think Nick Saban would take the call?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
You know him, you know him well.
Speaker 9 (30:21):
You already have him in Cleveland. I heard you day,
you already have in Cleveland. He's coaching Arch. I only
have Arch for one year. I was going to have
him for two.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
I don't know.
Speaker 9 (30:32):
You know, hey, he is a great coach and I
loved my time working for Nick. I mean, he really
is a fantastic coach. I think he feels really comfortable
to me. You know, he's really good on TV. I
think he enjoys what he gets to do. He's playing
a ton of golf, which which which he loves doing.
I'm sure, I'm sure you know miss Terry loves having
(30:54):
him at home, so I don't know, you know that
that's obviously a personal thing. As he grows. I know
he's one of, if not the most competitive person I've
ever been around. Some sort of those competitive juices get
flowing pretty good. But man, he looks like he's having
a lot of fun doing television. He looks relaxed, and
he's great for our sport. You know, I know people
are love tuning into it to hear his inside out
(31:16):
all this stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yeah, you know, it was just speculation on my part.
I you know, I just that's what I do. Steve great,
seeing you you too, man, you too?
Speaker 1 (31:29):
All right, one of my favorite guys, Sark, who's had
just a fascinating journey. I mean, I'm telling you right, Texas,
Ohio State. I mean, I am parked. Pregame game, post game.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
On Fox. That is going to be.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
That's as good an opening game as we've ever had
on that Labor Day weekend. That's as good as it gets.
Speaker 9 (31:49):
It's the hurt
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Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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