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 Sportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

Thanks for listening to the 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 Sportsradio dot com, or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher on Fox Sports Radio.

Here we go on a Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're packed today. Jimmy Johnson, the Hall of Fame coach in forty minutes. Joel Klatt top of Next Hour, Greg Cosel top of the Final Hour, Star Studed Show, Great final Show. Then four days of watching football, hanging out with family, and our studio lights just went down. I have no idea what happened, but Jmac, we are our audio is alive and well, and how are things? My friend out is to start the day. Uh, yes, this is somewhere in the.

Here we go on a Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, live in Los Angeles. It's the Herd wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We're packed today. Jimmy Johnson, the Hall of Fame coach in forty minutes. Joel Klatt top of Next Hour, Greg Cosel top of the Final Hour, Star Studed Show, Great final Show. Then four days of watching football, hanging out with family, and our studio lights just went down. I have no idea what happened, but Jmac, we are our audio is alive and well, and how are things? My friend out is to start the day. Uh, yes, this is somewhere in the.

World forget to pay a bill.

World forget to pay a bill.

Maybe I'm not exactly sure. It'll take a while. I thought Fox was doing fine. You know, I see them flickering back on our auxiliary lighting. So we apologize for our TV audience. You're here, we go, They're slowly, they're slowly coming back up our auxiliary lighting. That's a first in my career. There we go. By the way, I look better when the lights are off. So I do apologize for the television audience. Uh so, anyway, I hope you have a great time with your fam. J mackwhile the Lively Show today, I saw you cut the facial hair.

Maybe I'm not exactly sure. It'll take a while. I thought Fox was doing fine. You know, I see them flickering back on our auxiliary lighting. So we apologize for our TV audience. You're here, we go, They're slowly, they're slowly coming back up our auxiliary lighting. That's a first in my career. There we go. By the way, I look better when the lights are off. So I do apologize for the television audience. Uh so, anyway, I hope you have a great time with your fam. J mackwhile the Lively Show today, I saw you cut the facial hair.

I had to get rid of it. Got a couple complaints. Uh no, no no management, just friends and family.

I had to get rid of it. Got a couple complaints. Uh no, no no management, just friends and family.

What are you doing all right? Well, first off, J Mack will have more on this. Daniel Jones, the beleaguer quarterback for the New York Giants. Uh he just signed with the Vikings. I'm happy for Daniel Jones. No chaos, great offensive coach. Also, the Vikings get a very experienced, nice kid. We talked about this yesterday. I root for young people to avoid chaos. Maybe when you're older you can handle it. So Daniel Jones, great place for him to go. Offensive coach, weapons, no pressure understudy. Great for the Vikings. They get a big, strong kid with a lot of start, but he loves the NFL. So I want to talk forty nine ers. So the forty nine ers, you know, I just got to a Super Bowl, and they've been sort of the reigning West Coast power for a long time, and they're a very popular franchise. They're a little bit bit like the Yankees. Out east, we're in the summer, everybody's wearing a Yankee hat. Out West, it's a lot of Dodgers and a lot of San Francisco forty nine er hats. There's a huge brand. They fill stadium's home or away. And now I'm seeing a lot of stories now blaming the coach Kyle Shanahan. Late game management is the reason, says an NFL executive to the Athletic. I want to discuss that for a second, and Deebo Samuel is supporting him. But it's funny about blame. For years, Andy Reid, for years in Philadelphia, everybody knew he was smart, but he got called a terrible clock management coach. Oh just the worst. And then Andy Reid got Patrick Mahomes and that all disappeared. And Brady and Belichick for years the Niners were the best clock management efficient situational football team in the world. And then Tom Brady went to Tampa and Belichick looked like every other coach in the league with an average quarterback, penalties, clock management, losing games they led in the fourth court. And funny how that works, isn't it? So when your quarterbacks in San Francisco for Kyle Shanahan or Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance and Brock Purty, who, by the way, maybe a great fit, He's not a great quarterback. Brock Purty doesn't erase your mistakes. Lamar Jackson does, John Elway? Did? Brady? Did? Peyton Manning? Did? Breeze? Did Marino? Did they erase mistakes? Lebron's done this. Lebron has rased a lot of bad coaching moves for a long time in the NBA. Now that's what you know. The great players like a Yannis can do or a Wemby can do. So that's what the great athletes do. I mean USC Caleb Williams remember when he went to USC. They won eleven games. Defense was atrocious. It was atrocious, maybe in the worst tackling defense in the country. USC won eleven games, should have won twelve, but their defense gave up a late touchdown to Tulane. I mean, go look at Mike McDaniel with Tua. When Mike McDaniel has Tua and I don't consider him a great all time quarterback, But with Tua, you're like, man, Mike McDaniel, who that guy is a wizard. Without him, he looks like a bottom five coach. They can't get first downs. So here's the problem for Kyle Shanahan. Brought Perty is smallish hurt. Again. They were in the Daniel Jones sweepstakes. They wanted a veteran back up and by the way, his last twelve starts I looked it up this morning, brought Purty six and six at a ninety five passer rating. That's good. It's not a racer material. It's not Mahomes changing Andy Reid's career and narrative. So you can bang on Kyle Shanahan all you want, but the reason they took such a big swing on Trey Lance is they were hoping he was an eraser. Because even if you're a great coach Andy Reid, Belichick, Shanahan, if you have just a good quarterback and not an eight plus quarterback, this is what happens to you all of a sudden. Now everybody's going, I don't know, he's losing a lot of games. That Kyle Shanahan for the record of the last twenty one Super Bowl winning quarterbacks twenty one eighteen Hall of famers. Go look, go you could google it if Google was around twenty years ago. Go google how much everybody hammered Andy Reid. Now he's considered by a long shot, the best coach in the league. So yesterday on this couple more to go. Starting December twentieth, for the first time ever in the history of college football, we'll have a twelve team playoff. So it used to be at the end you get you know year when I grew up, it was AP voted for it, the media voted for the National Championship Game, which was hoky. And there's BCS and a college playoff. Now for the first time ever, this year we'll have twelve teams. And so last night, two weeks left, they released the playoffs. Now again, do not overreact. Two weeks left. In my lifetime, college football's last two weeks rivalry week and Championship Week. Anything can happen. I'll give you an example. J Mack was right yesterday. I'm gonna reverse my pick. I'm taking USC plus seven and a half points to keep it close on Notre Dame. Why full stadium in La Lincoln Riley's emptying the tank. They got nothing to lose. They feel good after beating UCLA and Notre Dame's only face two ranked teams since September. Every single USC game is close. The coliseum all be there, will be lit. They've got playmakers. Notre Dame steff up in class. USC beat LSU, and they should have beaten Penn State and overtime at home. To me, it's twenty seven, twenty six, twenty eight, twenty seven. Don't be shocked if Notre Dame gets bounced. How about number two Texas for the first time in thirteen years going to College Station to face Texas A and M. What do you think Texas A and M would love to do? How about derail the greatest season for Texas Longhorn football in like since the Mac Brown days. That place is one of the hardest places to play in the country. Marcel Read, the quarterback for Texas A and M. Fishman is good. He's getting better every time we see him. The Aggie's D line exceptional? What was the team that beat Texas Georgia their D line exceptional? Oh, by the way, the Aggies. The Aggies have nothing to lose, Texas all the pressure. Keep your eye on that one. Oh did I mention that Tennessee's at Vandy? Vandy beat Alabama at home? Did I mention Georgia Tech and Georgia Georgia texa good team beat Miami, So everybody freaks out. I can see all the SEC fans. I can't believe where we are ranked a week ago. Just last weekend Ole, Miss Bama, Colorado, and A and M all lost to unranked opponents. So it's not Thanksgiving, it's traps Giving. Watch out for Notre Dame, watch out for Texas, watch out for Georgia. People freak out, don't this is what's great. For the first time in our lives, we get a twelve team playoff. I don't have I just had a coach yesterday tell me he thinks SMU is wildly underrated. Who knows, but my entire life college football regular season was amazing, and then you'd watch a bunch of second tier cheesy bowl games that stuff. Now, twelve team playoff, can't wait? Fired up? I mean about the only game I don't see an upset is Ohio State hosting Michigan. I don't know how Michigan keeps it close. They're bad at quarterback, they're on the road, they don't have big plays. Ohio State will be more aggressive, playmakers everywhere, better at quarterback. A lot of pressure on Ohio State. That one. I don't see an upset. Everything else I wouldn't be shocked. So j Mac Jimmy Johnson later this hour, Joel Clatt Top of the hour. So you basically you got home and people said, get that thing off your face.

What are you doing all right? Well, first off, J Mack will have more on this. Daniel Jones, the beleaguer quarterback for the New York Giants. Uh he just signed with the Vikings. I'm happy for Daniel Jones. No chaos, great offensive coach. Also, the Vikings get a very experienced, nice kid. We talked about this yesterday. I root for young people to avoid chaos. Maybe when you're older you can handle it. So Daniel Jones, great place for him to go. Offensive coach, weapons, no pressure understudy. Great for the Vikings. They get a big, strong kid with a lot of start, but he loves the NFL. So I want to talk forty nine ers. So the forty nine ers, you know, I just got to a Super Bowl, and they've been sort of the reigning West Coast power for a long time, and they're a very popular franchise. They're a little bit bit like the Yankees. Out east, we're in the summer, everybody's wearing a Yankee hat. Out West, it's a lot of Dodgers and a lot of San Francisco forty nine er hats. There's a huge brand. They fill stadium's home or away. And now I'm seeing a lot of stories now blaming the coach Kyle Shanahan. Late game management is the reason, says an NFL executive to the Athletic. I want to discuss that for a second, and Deebo Samuel is supporting him. But it's funny about blame. For years, Andy Reid, for years in Philadelphia, everybody knew he was smart, but he got called a terrible clock management coach. Oh just the worst. And then Andy Reid got Patrick Mahomes and that all disappeared. And Brady and Belichick for years the Niners were the best clock management efficient situational football team in the world. And then Tom Brady went to Tampa and Belichick looked like every other coach in the league with an average quarterback, penalties, clock management, losing games they led in the fourth court. And funny how that works, isn't it? So when your quarterbacks in San Francisco for Kyle Shanahan or Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance and Brock Purty, who, by the way, maybe a great fit, He's not a great quarterback. Brock Purty doesn't erase your mistakes. Lamar Jackson does, John Elway? Did? Brady? Did? Peyton Manning? Did? Breeze? Did Marino? Did they erase mistakes? Lebron's done this. Lebron has rased a lot of bad coaching moves for a long time in the NBA. Now that's what you know. The great players like a Yannis can do or a Wemby can do. So that's what the great athletes do. I mean USC Caleb Williams remember when he went to USC. They won eleven games. Defense was atrocious. It was atrocious, maybe in the worst tackling defense in the country. USC won eleven games, should have won twelve, but their defense gave up a late touchdown to Tulane. I mean, go look at Mike McDaniel with Tua. When Mike McDaniel has Tua and I don't consider him a great all time quarterback, But with Tua, you're like, man, Mike McDaniel, who that guy is a wizard. Without him, he looks like a bottom five coach. They can't get first downs. So here's the problem for Kyle Shanahan. Brought Perty is smallish hurt. Again. They were in the Daniel Jones sweepstakes. They wanted a veteran back up and by the way, his last twelve starts I looked it up this morning, brought Purty six and six at a ninety five passer rating. That's good. It's not a racer material. It's not Mahomes changing Andy Reid's career and narrative. So you can bang on Kyle Shanahan all you want, but the reason they took such a big swing on Trey Lance is they were hoping he was an eraser. Because even if you're a great coach Andy Reid, Belichick, Shanahan, if you have just a good quarterback and not an eight plus quarterback, this is what happens to you all of a sudden. Now everybody's going, I don't know, he's losing a lot of games. That Kyle Shanahan for the record of the last twenty one Super Bowl winning quarterbacks twenty one eighteen Hall of famers. Go look, go you could google it if Google was around twenty years ago. Go google how much everybody hammered Andy Reid. Now he's considered by a long shot, the best coach in the league. So yesterday on this couple more to go. Starting December twentieth, for the first time ever in the history of college football, we'll have a twelve team playoff. So it used to be at the end you get you know year when I grew up, it was AP voted for it, the media voted for the National Championship Game, which was hoky. And there's BCS and a college playoff. Now for the first time ever, this year we'll have twelve teams. And so last night, two weeks left, they released the playoffs. Now again, do not overreact. Two weeks left. In my lifetime, college football's last two weeks rivalry week and Championship Week. Anything can happen. I'll give you an example. J Mack was right yesterday. I'm gonna reverse my pick. I'm taking USC plus seven and a half points to keep it close on Notre Dame. Why full stadium in La Lincoln Riley's emptying the tank. They got nothing to lose. They feel good after beating UCLA and Notre Dame's only face two ranked teams since September. Every single USC game is close. The coliseum all be there, will be lit. They've got playmakers. Notre Dame steff up in class. USC beat LSU, and they should have beaten Penn State and overtime at home. To me, it's twenty seven, twenty six, twenty eight, twenty seven. Don't be shocked if Notre Dame gets bounced. How about number two Texas for the first time in thirteen years going to College Station to face Texas A and M. What do you think Texas A and M would love to do? How about derail the greatest season for Texas Longhorn football in like since the Mac Brown days. That place is one of the hardest places to play in the country. Marcel Read, the quarterback for Texas A and M. Fishman is good. He's getting better every time we see him. The Aggie's D line exceptional? What was the team that beat Texas Georgia their D line exceptional? Oh, by the way, the Aggies. The Aggies have nothing to lose, Texas all the pressure. Keep your eye on that one. Oh did I mention that Tennessee's at Vandy? Vandy beat Alabama at home? Did I mention Georgia Tech and Georgia Georgia texa good team beat Miami, So everybody freaks out. I can see all the SEC fans. I can't believe where we are ranked a week ago. Just last weekend Ole, Miss Bama, Colorado, and A and M all lost to unranked opponents. So it's not Thanksgiving, it's traps Giving. Watch out for Notre Dame, watch out for Texas, watch out for Georgia. People freak out, don't this is what's great. For the first time in our lives, we get a twelve team playoff. I don't have I just had a coach yesterday tell me he thinks SMU is wildly underrated. Who knows, but my entire life college football regular season was amazing, and then you'd watch a bunch of second tier cheesy bowl games that stuff. Now, twelve team playoff, can't wait? Fired up? I mean about the only game I don't see an upset is Ohio State hosting Michigan. I don't know how Michigan keeps it close. They're bad at quarterback, they're on the road, they don't have big plays. Ohio State will be more aggressive, playmakers everywhere, better at quarterback. A lot of pressure on Ohio State. That one. I don't see an upset. Everything else I wouldn't be shocked. So j Mac Jimmy Johnson later this hour, Joel Clatt Top of the hour. So you basically you got home and people said, get that thing off your face.

Oh you know, listen, hey, you take some l's, you try some things.

Oh you know, listen, hey, you take some l's, you try some things.

That's what happens.

That's what happens.

He didn't take it out on Daniel Jones. Do you see where he ended up?

He didn't take it out on Daniel Jones. Do you see where he ended up?

Minnesota? That was your big gut? Was that your guests? Yeah? Well, first of all, I'm happy for the kid. I mean, to go to the Giants is a mess. So he goes to like a real team with real weapons and an offensive coach and owners that are non meddling and a winning culture, and he doesn't have to be a starter. So it's like, that's a nice gift for the kid.

Minnesota? That was your big gut? Was that your guests? Yeah? Well, first of all, I'm happy for the kid. I mean, to go to the Giants is a mess. So he goes to like a real team with real weapons and an offensive coach and owners that are non meddling and a winning culture, and he doesn't have to be a starter. So it's like, that's a nice gift for the kid.

So let me ask you, uh, what does this do for the Vikings next year? Do you think it's a given that Sam Darnold is not coming back and Daniel Jones will battle JJ McCarthy for the starting job.

So let me ask you, uh, what does this do for the Vikings next year? Do you think it's a given that Sam Darnold is not coming back and Daniel Jones will battle JJ McCarthy for the starting job.

That's what I think. I think it'll be JJ McCarthy's team and you'll have Daniel Jones backing it up. And I think I think this market because it's such a bad college quarterback market. I mean it's Cam who's got is? You know? Cam and shadu Or are like B plus prospects. They're not A's Jalen Milroll people like, but he's a bit mechanical. He's Anthony Richardson but people a little bit better. So that you don't have a great quarterback draft class. So that means Donald. And because of Aaron rodgers sputtering and kind of turn off on the market, a lot comes with Aaron Rodgers. I think Sam Donald's going to have a very robust market.

That's what I think. I think it'll be JJ McCarthy's team and you'll have Daniel Jones backing it up. And I think I think this market because it's such a bad college quarterback market. I mean it's Cam who's got is? You know? Cam and shadu Or are like B plus prospects. They're not A's Jalen Milroll people like, but he's a bit mechanical. He's Anthony Richardson but people a little bit better. So that you don't have a great quarterback draft class. So that means Donald. And because of Aaron rodgers sputtering and kind of turn off on the market, a lot comes with Aaron Rodgers. I think Sam Donald's going to have a very robust market.

He could get paid by somebody.

He could get paid by somebody.

Oh absolutely will get the thing about.

Oh absolutely will get the thing about.

McCarthy, I did read that there was like a second surgery he had to have somewhat recently. So it's not a given that JJ McCarthy comes back and it's his team and he's ready to go, right sitting for two years, that could happen.

McCarthy, I did read that there was like a second surgery he had to have somewhat recently. So it's not a given that JJ McCarthy comes back and it's his team and he's ready to go, right sitting for two years, that could happen.

Jordan loves Thatt for was it three?

Jordan loves Thatt for was it three?

Yeah?

Yeah?

Yeah, So I wouldn't be shocked if Daniel Jones was the starting play.

Yeah, So I wouldn't be shocked if Daniel Jones was the starting play.

I mean right now, we went into the season. We didn't know before the season what Minnesota was. Well, now Sam Donald's really good. JJ McCarthy's very promising, and Daniel Jones will be the first or second best backup. This is what I've been talking about with Atlanta. The worst problem to have in the NFL or the best problem. The best problem in the National Football League is, you know, we have one too many quarterbacks. Everybody should want that Atlanta Cousins Penix. That's not an issue. An issue is we don't have an elite corner the Rams. And when you play a team with aj Brown, you play a team with great receivers, not much you can do. You just don't match up. So good day today, I'm gonna release my pre Thanksgiving Super Bowl bubble. Haven't done this in a month. The teams I think can win it usually jmc Unlike your facial hair, it lasts. It is ver it is a harborger of things to come, So we'll do that next.

I mean right now, we went into the season. We didn't know before the season what Minnesota was. Well, now Sam Donald's really good. JJ McCarthy's very promising, and Daniel Jones will be the first or second best backup. This is what I've been talking about with Atlanta. The worst problem to have in the NFL or the best problem. The best problem in the National Football League is, you know, we have one too many quarterbacks. Everybody should want that Atlanta Cousins Penix. That's not an issue. An issue is we don't have an elite corner the Rams. And when you play a team with aj Brown, you play a team with great receivers, not much you can do. You just don't match up. So good day today, I'm gonna release my pre Thanksgiving Super Bowl bubble. Haven't done this in a month. The teams I think can win it usually jmc Unlike your facial hair, it lasts. It is ver it is a harborger of things to come, So we'll do that next.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and neon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and neon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

So it is week thirteen in the NFL starting tomorrow with three games Lions are gonna play. Rest of the country's gonna see him now, not just the diehards and the Lion fans. They take on the Bears, Giants, Cowboys, we'll see I think Packers hosting Miami's fascinating. Get to that in a bit, Jimmy Johnson this hour two. The NFL does a great job. It is there is an illusion of parody. But because over the last decade there's been all these rule changes which have all benefited offense, the league has become very quarterback dependent. So if you have a top ten quarterback, unless your coach is clueless, you're going to be a playoff team. So if you go to look at the AFC, for example, and you're going to see a lot of teams that have really, really good quarterbacks. Mahomes, Oh what do you know? Josh Allen, C. J. Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert. And then you've got a couple of guys in right now bow Knicks. But he's got super Bowl winning coach Sean Payton. You know there's Russell Wilson. Well, he's won a super Bowl and so has Mike Tomlin. So you can see very clearly you got to have the coach or the quarterback, or preferably both if you go over to the NFC right now outside of Seattle and Gino Smith, so Geno's not a star quarterback, and the head coach we don't know about. But Detroit, okay, you got a super Bowl quarterback, Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, you got a super Bowl quarterback. Atlanta, you know, weakest division in football. But Kirk Cousins has been, you know, a top ten quarterback now for a long time in Minnesota, Green Bay and Washington. Now the NFC is the weaker, but be honest about this, Sam Darnold and Kevin O'Connell. Kevin O'Connell looks like a top five offensive coach in this league. He may be a top five coach Green Bay. Matt Lafleur, Shock, Jordan Love, I think an elite quarterback and then Dan Quinn's been to a Super Bowl as Washington's coach, So you start looking around. Now, I don't think Seattle's going to win this division. I think either Matt Stafford or Kyler Murray are going to figure out a way to win this division. And that would be the elite quarterback category. So now here's the great thing about the NFL. You can go from very bad to very good instantly. It's the League of hope. Jim Harbaugh Chargers totally changed the franchise. C J. Stroud, Demiko Ryans changed the franchise. So the great thing about the NFL is the League of hope. It's not like baseball or the NBA or hockey that it takes draft pick after draft after draft pick and you have to change the entire roster. I mean, Chargers basically brought in better coaches. Boom, They're good. They're not great, they're good and so. And what's funny though it is there's an illusion of parody. And I do think week to week anybody can beat anybody. But my Super Bowl bubble, which I do about four times a year, is very familiar. Inside the bubble, Josh Allen and the Bills, Mahomes and the Chiefs, Lamar and John Harbaugh, Ravens. Philadelphia a great franchise, and I think we all think Detroit is loaded. I do think Pittsburgh, Green Bay, the Chargers in Minnesota are just on the periphery, all capable of making the playoffs and winning playoff games. But I think there's five teams super Bowl level quarterbacks, quarterbacks that have been to Super Bowl that can hoist a trophy. So again, it is the League of Hope, the parody thing Macro big picture eighteen game season. Longer season is the more clarity you get early, and I think right now week thirteen, we know who's really really capable of hoisting a trophy.

So it is week thirteen in the NFL starting tomorrow with three games Lions are gonna play. Rest of the country's gonna see him now, not just the diehards and the Lion fans. They take on the Bears, Giants, Cowboys, we'll see I think Packers hosting Miami's fascinating. Get to that in a bit, Jimmy Johnson this hour two. The NFL does a great job. It is there is an illusion of parody. But because over the last decade there's been all these rule changes which have all benefited offense, the league has become very quarterback dependent. So if you have a top ten quarterback, unless your coach is clueless, you're going to be a playoff team. So if you go to look at the AFC, for example, and you're going to see a lot of teams that have really, really good quarterbacks. Mahomes, Oh what do you know? Josh Allen, C. J. Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert. And then you've got a couple of guys in right now bow Knicks. But he's got super Bowl winning coach Sean Payton. You know there's Russell Wilson. Well, he's won a super Bowl and so has Mike Tomlin. So you can see very clearly you got to have the coach or the quarterback, or preferably both if you go over to the NFC right now outside of Seattle and Gino Smith, so Geno's not a star quarterback, and the head coach we don't know about. But Detroit, okay, you got a super Bowl quarterback, Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, you got a super Bowl quarterback. Atlanta, you know, weakest division in football. But Kirk Cousins has been, you know, a top ten quarterback now for a long time in Minnesota, Green Bay and Washington. Now the NFC is the weaker, but be honest about this, Sam Darnold and Kevin O'Connell. Kevin O'Connell looks like a top five offensive coach in this league. He may be a top five coach Green Bay. Matt Lafleur, Shock, Jordan Love, I think an elite quarterback and then Dan Quinn's been to a Super Bowl as Washington's coach, So you start looking around. Now, I don't think Seattle's going to win this division. I think either Matt Stafford or Kyler Murray are going to figure out a way to win this division. And that would be the elite quarterback category. So now here's the great thing about the NFL. You can go from very bad to very good instantly. It's the League of hope. Jim Harbaugh Chargers totally changed the franchise. C J. Stroud, Demiko Ryans changed the franchise. So the great thing about the NFL is the League of hope. It's not like baseball or the NBA or hockey that it takes draft pick after draft after draft pick and you have to change the entire roster. I mean, Chargers basically brought in better coaches. Boom, They're good. They're not great, they're good and so. And what's funny though it is there's an illusion of parody. And I do think week to week anybody can beat anybody. But my Super Bowl bubble, which I do about four times a year, is very familiar. Inside the bubble, Josh Allen and the Bills, Mahomes and the Chiefs, Lamar and John Harbaugh, Ravens. Philadelphia a great franchise, and I think we all think Detroit is loaded. I do think Pittsburgh, Green Bay, the Chargers in Minnesota are just on the periphery, all capable of making the playoffs and winning playoff games. But I think there's five teams super Bowl level quarterbacks, quarterbacks that have been to Super Bowl that can hoist a trophy. So again, it is the League of Hope, the parody thing Macro big picture eighteen game season. Longer season is the more clarity you get early, and I think right now week thirteen, we know who's really really capable of hoisting a trophy.

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays and Noone Eastern not a im Pacific all right.

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays and Noone Eastern not a im Pacific all right.

We get ten eleven minutes with Jimmy Johnson not very often, and we get him in studio today, So I love it. Fox Sports NFL analysts, the two time Super Bowl champ, national champ, one of the few college coaches that worked at the NFL level, And I've always said I don't get why the Hall of Fame doesn't include both basketball does. All right, let's start with this. You were known as you loved personnel and you work great at it. You created I mean New York Giants didn't do trades before you made one, and so you are viewed as sort of Sean Payton's got some of this too. You like personnel, you're good at it.

We get ten eleven minutes with Jimmy Johnson not very often, and we get him in studio today, So I love it. Fox Sports NFL analysts, the two time Super Bowl champ, national champ, one of the few college coaches that worked at the NFL level, And I've always said I don't get why the Hall of Fame doesn't include both basketball does. All right, let's start with this. You were known as you loved personnel and you work great at it. You created I mean New York Giants didn't do trades before you made one, and so you are viewed as sort of Sean Payton's got some of this too. You like personnel, you're good at it.

Oh that I spent my time in personnel, you know, around you know, even during the season, you know, looking at free agents, and you know, even watching college foot noh. I I love watching football, and so you know, I was always on top of the game as far as college football. And on top of that, when I first went into the league, I'd been in a lot of those top players homes. I knew their families, and so it gave me an advantage in drafting players.

Oh that I spent my time in personnel, you know, around you know, even during the season, you know, looking at free agents, and you know, even watching college foot noh. I I love watching football, and so you know, I was always on top of the game as far as college football. And on top of that, when I first went into the league, I'd been in a lot of those top players homes. I knew their families, and so it gave me an advantage in drafting players.

That's kind of what Jim Harball has for the next few year, exactly right. Okay, so let's talk about Dallas. What would you do this offseason? There's some tough choices here.

That's kind of what Jim Harball has for the next few year, exactly right. Okay, so let's talk about Dallas. What would you do this offseason? There's some tough choices here.

Well, first of all, they're so financially strapped, you know, with some of these contracts. First of all, I would have never given Prescott a new contract. I'd let him play it out, you know, because he would you know, he's the highest paid player in the league. He's not the best player in the league, and he wasn't going to go anywhere. If he had gone to the super Bowl with him, Hey, he wasn't going to go anywhere. Pay him whatever, you know, and if he, you know, struggled in the playoffs, then you negotiate, or if he got hurt, you saved money. But they're so financially strapped right now.

Well, first of all, they're so financially strapped, you know, with some of these contracts. First of all, I would have never given Prescott a new contract. I'd let him play it out, you know, because he would you know, he's the highest paid player in the league. He's not the best player in the league, and he wasn't going to go anywhere. If he had gone to the super Bowl with him, Hey, he wasn't going to go anywhere. Pay him whatever, you know, and if he, you know, struggled in the playoffs, then you negotiate, or if he got hurt, you saved money. But they're so financially strapped right now.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know what they do. I don't know. If you know, they talk about, you know, change coaching, well, I don't know if changing coaching is going to, you know, help them. Mike McCarthy's a good football coach, yes, and so I don't know that a new coach coming in can solve the problem.

I don't know what they do. I don't know. If you know, they talk about, you know, change coaching, well, I don't know if changing coaching is going to, you know, help them. Mike McCarthy's a good football coach, yes, and so I don't know that a new coach coming in can solve the problem.

Would you consider moving, say a Micah getting a second first round pick and trying to get some inexpensive star players.

Would you consider moving, say a Micah getting a second first round pick and trying to get some inexpensive star players.

You know, Parsons is such a great, great player, it would have to be a boatload of picks to trade him. I wouldn't want to get rid of him. He is their whole defense, and he is a game changer. Al Davis told me one time I was talking about players, and he said, Hey, that particular player, the one I was talking about, Michael Irvin. He wins games for you. You don't want to get rid of a player that wins games for you.

You know, Parsons is such a great, great player, it would have to be a boatload of picks to trade him. I wouldn't want to get rid of him. He is their whole defense, and he is a game changer. Al Davis told me one time I was talking about players, and he said, Hey, that particular player, the one I was talking about, Michael Irvin. He wins games for you. You don't want to get rid of a player that wins games for you.

Good point. This next question is funny. You coach the Hurricanes and the Dolphins, so Tua, not a very Hawaiian kid, is going up the Green Bay. You told me something funny yesterday. I hope you remember it. I asked you, Jimmy, when you were at Miami and hadn't played Boston, how did you prepare your team? And you said to me, I got warmer clothes.

Good point. This next question is funny. You coach the Hurricanes and the Dolphins, so Tua, not a very Hawaiian kid, is going up the Green Bay. You told me something funny yesterday. I hope you remember it. I asked you, Jimmy, when you were at Miami and hadn't played Boston, how did you prepare your team? And you said to me, I got warmer clothes.

I hated cold weather, and you know, both the University of Miami and with the Miami Dolphins, I hated going into the cold weather. And you know, I think the Dolphins are in a situation right now with their schedule. If they could beat Green Bay, they had have an outside chance at a playoff.

I hated cold weather, and you know, both the University of Miami and with the Miami Dolphins, I hated going into the cold weather. And you know, I think the Dolphins are in a situation right now with their schedule. If they could beat Green Bay, they had have an outside chance at a playoff.

They have to win. But they have to win.

They have to win. But they have to win.

They have to beat Green Bay. And they're not going to beat green Bay. You know, a short week against a good football team in twenty degree weather. I don't think that's going to happen.

They have to beat Green Bay. And they're not going to beat green Bay. You know, a short week against a good football team in twenty degree weather. I don't think that's going to happen.

Yeah, I agree with you. I'm gonna talk about cam Ward plays for Miami. You've seen him again. You're a personnel guy. He's a lot of off platform stuff. Big arm, big arm, really big arm, off platform, lot of backyard football. I think he's too good not to draft if you need a quarterback, right.

Yeah, I agree with you. I'm gonna talk about cam Ward plays for Miami. You've seen him again. You're a personnel guy. He's a lot of off platform stuff. Big arm, big arm, really big arm, off platform, lot of backyard football. I think he's too good not to draft if you need a quarterback, right.

Oh, I think he's a top two or three picks. I think Sanders, Travis Hunter, Travis Hunter probably the best player in football. Yeah, you know, but outside of Travis Hunter, as far as quarterbacks, you've got Sanders and you've got Cam Warris.

Oh, I think he's a top two or three picks. I think Sanders, Travis Hunter, Travis Hunter probably the best player in football. Yeah, you know, but outside of Travis Hunter, as far as quarterbacks, you've got Sanders and you've got Cam Warris.

So what would you do knowing he likes to move, he likes to get out of the off script, how would you look at that draft?

So what would you do knowing he likes to move, he likes to get out of the off script, how would you look at that draft?

Colin? It's Caleb Williams.

Colin? It's Caleb Williams.

You know, the same thing.

You know, the same thing.

You got to you know, you got to really am in. You got to say, hey, you take your check down.

You got to you know, you got to really am in. You got to say, hey, you take your check down.

You know.

You know.

You know, he he makes some great plays by being off platform and running around. He makes some great plays, but he also turns the ball over doing that. You know, he's got a great arm.

You know, he he makes some great plays by being off platform and running around. He makes some great plays, but he also turns the ball over doing that. You know, he's got a great arm.

Uh.

Uh.

He probably may have the best arm in all of football. As far as collegiate football.

He probably may have the best arm in all of football. As far as collegiate football.

Yeah, uh.

Yeah, uh.

He can make the plays, he can make the right decisions. But as far as an offensive coach, you've got to really me in and keep him from making all those scrambles trying to make the great play. Just take what's there?

He can make the plays, he can make the right decisions. But as far as an offensive coach, you've got to really me in and keep him from making all those scrambles trying to make the great play. Just take what's there?

Do you worry at all? You know? Detroit's rolling over people. That's like a college basketball team. Like you think to yourself, boy they get to March Madness, they don't have close games. But I don't think that plays in football. I think if you're good, you're good. Your great teams rolled over a lot of people. Maybe not the Eagles every week, but good teams. Do you worry though? When the opposite is evident? Kansas City only plays close games?

Do you worry at all? You know? Detroit's rolling over people. That's like a college basketball team. Like you think to yourself, boy they get to March Madness, they don't have close games. But I don't think that plays in football. I think if you're good, you're good. Your great teams rolled over a lot of people. Maybe not the Eagles every week, but good teams. Do you worry though? When the opposite is evident? Kansas City only plays close games?

I think there's two things there. First of all, those close games I actually think helps their football team and that it gives them confidence that they can win the close game. They can win at the end when you got Patrick Mahomes and it's a one score game, you got a shot, you know right there. But by the same token, I think it's also an indication that you're not quite as good as what you used to be when you got to Detroit. That's rolling over teams. They are a physical, physical football team. It's hard to beat a physical football team, and so I think with Kansas City, it gives them confidence about winning those close games, but by the same token, an indicator they may not be quite as good as what some of the opponents that are going to face in the playoffs.

I think there's two things there. First of all, those close games I actually think helps their football team and that it gives them confidence that they can win the close game. They can win at the end when you got Patrick Mahomes and it's a one score game, you got a shot, you know right there. But by the same token, I think it's also an indication that you're not quite as good as what you used to be when you got to Detroit. That's rolling over teams. They are a physical, physical football team. It's hard to beat a physical football team, and so I think with Kansas City, it gives them confidence about winning those close games, but by the same token, an indicator they may not be quite as good as what some of the opponents that are going to face in the playoffs.

Yeah, I don't think Defensively they are as good, not as good as a young Last weekend right brought them right back down a couple of.

Yeah, I don't think Defensively they are as good, not as good as a young Last weekend right brought them right back down a couple of.

Different acts, right, And that's an indicator when you get to the playoffs against the really good teams, you may be vulnerable.

Different acts, right, And that's an indicator when you get to the playoffs against the really good teams, you may be vulnerable.

Okay, So I want to ask you about the forty nine ers. I said, it's one thing if everybody in the building when you were in Dallas, everybody knew it was a rebuild. You needed players. I mean, you probably didn't have to talk people into that trade. Maybe Jerry Jones you did, but your coaches knew we move hershonal against seven dudes. What's hard, Jimmy, is when everybody in the building isn't sure you're supposed to rebuild. So if you go look at the last twelve games with the Niners, they're five and seven, they're paying like eight different guys, they're best players. Trent Williams, George Kittle, Deebo are hurt a lot. And my take is, listen, I look at Detroit and Philly, in Kansas City, in Buffalo, San Francis. Doesn't look like that, right. I think they look and think inches. The last five times, Jimmy, they play the Chiefs their own five and lost by blowout four times, right, I think they need a big reboot. Is it hard? Because they're good? They don't feel special to me?

Okay, So I want to ask you about the forty nine ers. I said, it's one thing if everybody in the building when you were in Dallas, everybody knew it was a rebuild. You needed players. I mean, you probably didn't have to talk people into that trade. Maybe Jerry Jones you did, but your coaches knew we move hershonal against seven dudes. What's hard, Jimmy, is when everybody in the building isn't sure you're supposed to rebuild. So if you go look at the last twelve games with the Niners, they're five and seven, they're paying like eight different guys, they're best players. Trent Williams, George Kittle, Deebo are hurt a lot. And my take is, listen, I look at Detroit and Philly, in Kansas City, in Buffalo, San Francis. Doesn't look like that, right. I think they look and think inches. The last five times, Jimmy, they play the Chiefs their own five and lost by blowout four times, right, I think they need a big reboot. Is it hard? Because they're good? They don't feel special to me?

They don't. They don't seem special because they've got their best players injured, you know, and they're not able to go over and roll over teams the way they did before and dominate teams because they were physical. They've had you know, the green Law has been hurt. You know, they almost all their top players have been hurt at one time.

They don't. They don't seem special because they've got their best players injured, you know, and they're not able to go over and roll over teams the way they did before and dominate teams because they were physical. They've had you know, the green Law has been hurt. You know, they almost all their top players have been hurt at one time.

Those two guys missing every week.

Those two guys missing every week.

Yeah, and that that adds up. And on top of that, once these players get older and get more injuries, the next year, they're gonna you know, the percentage of them being injured is going to go up each year.

Yeah, and that that adds up. And on top of that, once these players get older and get more injuries, the next year, they're gonna you know, the percentage of them being injured is going to go up each year.

It's more and more and more.

It's more and more and more.

And a guy is not going to get injured, you know, and be injured for two or three years and all of a sudden become healthy, you know, And so it adds up. And so that tells me that something's got to change.

And a guy is not going to get injured, you know, and be injured for two or three years and all of a sudden become healthy, you know, And so it adds up. And so that tells me that something's got to change.

Yeah, I want to end with this. The rookie quarterbacks. You got bow Knicks, you got Caleb, you got Jayden Daniels. I think Panis and JJ McCarthy could be good. Drake May's shown me something. Is there one of them you look at and you really like.

Yeah, I want to end with this. The rookie quarterbacks. You got bow Knicks, you got Caleb, you got Jayden Daniels. I think Panis and JJ McCarthy could be good. Drake May's shown me something. Is there one of them you look at and you really like.

I like Jayden Daniels and he hasn't played as well the last few weeks.

I like Jayden Daniels and he hasn't played as well the last few weeks.

Maybe it hurt.

Maybe it hurt.

He may be banged up a little bit, and teams are starting to play him a little bit better. They're scheming a little bit better on defense. Uh, But I like him a lot, maybe like him more than any of the rest of them. As far as Caleb Williams, we haven't seen all the things that he can do. I mean, he was the guy coming out of college I think with a little bit better coaching, and he didn't have it his first few weeks or the first part of the season a little bit better coaching than and I think that he can show that too. I love him in course with bo Nicks, Yeah, he's got Sean Payton. Sean does a great job.

He may be banged up a little bit, and teams are starting to play him a little bit better. They're scheming a little bit better on defense. Uh, But I like him a lot, maybe like him more than any of the rest of them. As far as Caleb Williams, we haven't seen all the things that he can do. I mean, he was the guy coming out of college I think with a little bit better coaching, and he didn't have it his first few weeks or the first part of the season a little bit better coaching than and I think that he can show that too. I love him in course with bo Nicks, Yeah, he's got Sean Payton. Sean does a great job.

Do you know Sean pretty well?

Do you know Sean pretty well?

Yeah? As Sean you know, Sean does a great job with young quarterbacks, and I think the two of them have meshed. Yeah.

Yeah? As Sean you know, Sean does a great job with young quarterbacks, and I think the two of them have meshed. Yeah.

You know, it's funny. As you went through the Troy Aikman years, you knew very quickly you're a personnel guy. You knew he was great. But when you're losing early with these young quarterbacks like Jaden's hit a plateau, Caleb is losing now bow nicks, he's fortunate. Is it hard when you're trying to build a young quarterback's confidence and they're losing every weekend.

You know, it's funny. As you went through the Troy Aikman years, you knew very quickly you're a personnel guy. You knew he was great. But when you're losing early with these young quarterbacks like Jaden's hit a plateau, Caleb is losing now bow nicks, he's fortunate. Is it hard when you're trying to build a young quarterback's confidence and they're losing every weekend.

I remember my second year with Dallas. I tried to get Troy into the Pro Bowl and he didn't make it. He injured his shoulder. You know, before one of our last games. We would have made the playoffs had he not injured his shoulder. Now I'm sitting down on the practice field, I said, I said Troy, I said, guy, sorry, you didn't make the Pro Bowl. And he said, coach, don't worry about me. He said, you keep bringing in talent around me. I'll go to plenty of Pro Bowls. And so he had that confidence, and he knew that we were a young team and we were building, and he knew eventually we would start winning a bunch of games.

I remember my second year with Dallas. I tried to get Troy into the Pro Bowl and he didn't make it. He injured his shoulder. You know, before one of our last games. We would have made the playoffs had he not injured his shoulder. Now I'm sitting down on the practice field, I said, I said Troy, I said, guy, sorry, you didn't make the Pro Bowl. And he said, coach, don't worry about me. He said, you keep bringing in talent around me. I'll go to plenty of Pro Bowls. And so he had that confidence, and he knew that we were a young team and we were building, and he knew eventually we would start winning a bunch of games.

And you did you brought in some good players? It's week thirteen cold, you know. Jimmy, yesterday when I asked him, I said, did you like coaching in cold weather games? He said, Colin, I was a worst coach because I was so worried about cold.

And you did you brought in some good players? It's week thirteen cold, you know. Jimmy, yesterday when I asked him, I said, did you like coaching in cold weather games? He said, Colin, I was a worst coach because I was so worried about cold.

I was trying to stay warm.

I was trying to stay warm.

The great Jimmy Johnson, of course, he is going to be with the crew tomorrow at four for the Giants and the Cowboys. Every week Fox NFL Sunday number one pregame show for about thirty years running. We lose count. There's so many Emmys stacked in this building and you're a huge part of it. Coach. Thanks for coming on today. I right enjoyed it calling Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, Ronda, and.

The great Jimmy Johnson, of course, he is going to be with the crew tomorrow at four for the Giants and the Cowboys. Every week Fox NFL Sunday number one pregame show for about thirty years running. We lose count. There's so many Emmys stacked in this building and you're a huge part of it. Coach. Thanks for coming on today. I right enjoyed it calling Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, Ronda, and.

Everybody one more heard The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you like.

Everybody one more heard The Herd streams twenty four hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you like.

Now, let's bring on the voice of college football at Fox Sports, Joel Collant, who is doing Michigan at number two Ohio State sub Dude, how you doing? Happy Thanksgiving? Happy Thanksgiving to you? So I don't get too worked up on the twelve team PLAYFF ago two weeks ago. Okay the rankings you mean, yeah, yeah, okay, I mean Notre Dame going to USC. They haven't played a ranked team since September. All SC games are all SC games look the exact same. Now. USC is not nearly built in the fashion to compete with Notre Dame. You think it's a terrible matchup for USC, What about what a terrible Texas? Texas A and M. A bad matchup for Texas A and M. So let's go over both of them. USC. You've got to be tough in the trenches because with Jeremiah Love in this run game, including Riley Leonard who can run the football a little bit. For Notre Dame, you've got to be great stop in the run, which means you've got to have a great defensive line. That's exactly where USC is thin right now. If they want to win, they would want to get you in space, and they want to just say like, okay, let's let's equate talent on the outside and then they've they've got some weapons. But if you take them into a phone booth and you say like, hey, let's go play a trenches game, they're not built for that. Right now.

Now, let's bring on the voice of college football at Fox Sports, Joel Collant, who is doing Michigan at number two Ohio State sub Dude, how you doing? Happy Thanksgiving? Happy Thanksgiving to you? So I don't get too worked up on the twelve team PLAYFF ago two weeks ago. Okay the rankings you mean, yeah, yeah, okay, I mean Notre Dame going to USC. They haven't played a ranked team since September. All SC games are all SC games look the exact same. Now. USC is not nearly built in the fashion to compete with Notre Dame. You think it's a terrible matchup for USC, What about what a terrible Texas? Texas A and M. A bad matchup for Texas A and M. So let's go over both of them. USC. You've got to be tough in the trenches because with Jeremiah Love in this run game, including Riley Leonard who can run the football a little bit. For Notre Dame, you've got to be great stop in the run, which means you've got to have a great defensive line. That's exactly where USC is thin right now. If they want to win, they would want to get you in space, and they want to just say like, okay, let's let's equate talent on the outside and then they've they've got some weapons. But if you take them into a phone booth and you say like, hey, let's go play a trenches game, they're not built for that. Right now.

Now.

Now.

Maybe they will be through recruiting and development and things in the future, but not right now. So USC they're not built to beat this Notre Dame team, even at home, even at home. Meanwhile, in that Texas Texas A and M game, it's similar in the sense that A and M has to be able to run the ball because they don't throw it well. They have a freshman quarterback who's getting better. He's getting better, but when they don't have Le'Veon Moss on the field. They run the ball for under four yards of carry last week against Auburn, and they can't throw it very well. So it's like, Okay, well, wait, so you mean to tell me your offense is stagnated because your running back is out, And now you've got to face Texas, which has a great pass defense with jad a barn who's a Thorpe Award final Les Makuba who transferred in from Clemson. I just don't see how A and M is able to score a lot of points against this Texas defense that frankly is one of the better defenses in all of college football. I feel the same way with Michigan. If you're gonna beat Ohio, State. You gotta have to score. Oregon did it, Indiana tried. I don't think Michigan has the firepower, do they? Yeah? You know they finally had it last week. Do you see they scored fifty against Northwestern. Now, granted that's Northwestern, So I'm not saying that all of a sudden their offense has arrived. But their offense is better now than it was early in the season. But I agree with you. I just I don't get the sense. Here's the thing about Ohio State. So Ohio State just has answers. Whatever type of game you want to drag them into, they probably feel like they can win that game. Yeah, and that's not the case with every team. Yeah, they feel like they could probably go win a talent equated game just throwing the ball with their wide receivers and Will Howard. They probably like with their run game, even with the banged up offensive line. But when you have Travon Henderson and Quinshaw Judkins, you feel like you can go win a running game like they did with Penn State, and they finished the game on the field, grinding out downs in a four minute offense. They feel like they can go out there and win a defensive oriented game. They're the number one rank defense both total and scoring defense in the country. They've done it both rushing the passer and sitting back and playing zone. So like all of a sudden, you look at this team and there's an incredible amount of balance and answers. Regardless of what you ask of them, they can at least provide an answer. And I think that's a big credit to Ryan Day in the way that he built this roster and this team. But Michigan doesn't have that this year. They did last year and they had answers against Penn State, but now, you know, without JJ McCarthy, it's like, what are you on third down? You know, like JJ McCarthy, the reason he was a top ten pick is because of what he did on third down. He was the number one quarterback in the country on third down. He kept him on the field, he protected the defense, he won the time possession. Those extra first downs turned into great field position. And now when you don't have that, it's like, Okay, now the defense is more exposed. You don't have the field position and you're not getting the ball down the field. So Michigan's going to have to pull a bit of a rabbit out of their hat in this one, and they're going to have to do so in the same physical fashion that they did the previous three iterations of this when they won the game. You know, speaking of cold weather, you were talking about cold water supposed to be like mid twenties and windy, so it could be a game in which you got to run the football fifty times. Do you trust Michigan's offensive line this year to run the ball fifty times against Ohio State? No, that's not the D Line's great D line's great two top twelve draft picks on the d line and a great corner Will Johnson. I know, and it's been a bummer. Will Johnson has been out basically the back half of the year, so they've had to move their nickel Zeke Berry out of the outside and he plays corner. I hope Will is healthy and gets healthy because he's a terrific player. So I was a little reality check for SEC fanboy yesterday on the show. I said, you know, when you stole Texas and Oklahoma from the Big twelve, you're like, that's what we do. The downside is Alabama now didn't get the middle Tennessee State. They had to go to Norman and they got humiliated. Yeah, and I don't have any sympathy for it. Well, we play a tougher schedule. Well, I mean, dude, sorry, I just I bristled because like, they don't play nine conference games, they play eight. Oregon had to play eight consecutive weeks of Big Ten play no SEC. The team comes close to that. Now. Now, I'm not saying that Georgia's schedule has been easy or Alabama's schedule has been easy. The top of the SEC is terrific, it really is. The problem is is that you lose me and you lose the benefit of the doubt when you start losing to five loss Oklahoma and seven loss it was Kentucky. It wasn't that Alabama lost in Oklahoma. They got smashed. They weren't competitive. Correct, absolutely correct, And that's a problem. And that's a problem. And now people are like, well, what's the path for Alabama and the playoff? No path? I mean, I know, the committee kind of can't let no. You can't let bam in. I don't think so you can't let Baman. I don't think that is over. It's over with some chaos. I think they would get consideration. I'll let you lose to a big dog and I'll give you a mulligan. Vandy was the mulligan. Sure you don't get a second mulligan with a twelve team playoffs. No, I I listen, I agree with you. I mean, you lost a tough game at Tennessee and that's a good game. I'll give you that the really good team, and I'll give you a gain. And Vandy on the road. You're like, Okay, there's your mulligan, and he's pretty good this year. You cannot go to oh you by the way, and their previous six games against the FBS. FBS, they were one and five. Yeah, and they got their doors blown off, you know, so like that, that's my frustration with all this, and then and then to see them sitting there at thirteen. Now, like the committee, the Committee has such a clear bias towards the SEC and have forever, which is like, I know that that's kind of baked in, but it's real. Meanwhile, Indiana gets ranked behind SMU. Indiana's got a tougher strength of schedule. Their loss was to the number one, number one defense in the country in Ohio State. On the Road. Meanwhile, SMU lost to BYU. They've got like a five point win over Nevada, Like, come on, like, what are we doing? The college football playoff system is just so flawed. And at the heart of the flaw is this committee that like the committee has has no rationale for the things that they do. They take the path of least resistance generally speaking, even though they didn't do that last year, and they give us these rankings, like you cannot tell me that Indiana should be ranked behind SMU. That's not a thing. Yeah. The I will say this about Indiana is it didn't bother me. When Will Howard did the sig thing for Kurt Signetty, you know, the coach. I thought Indiana came in a little hot, a little co for my taste. Yeah, I'm a man of a humble servant to American listeners. Clearly I didn't like their attitude. They were a little much for me. And I think Ohio State said you're Indiana kill pill. Good season. There's no doubt that the approach that Kurt Signetti has taken very aggressive. It's been very aggressive. Yeah, And I want to touch on both sides of this. If if you don't mind. But there's no doubt that there was a lot of folks at Ohio State that were like, come get some Yeah, like let's go. This is a big this is where, this is where we live. Yeah, you know you've been dreaming of getting here and you think you're breathing this rarefied air. No, no, no, we live this three hundred and sixty five days a year. And there was definitely that feeling. Now, having said that, if you're Kurt Signetti and you take the job at Indiana and you go there and you you walk around the campus and you walk around the building, and you get this sense that like, hey, everyone's just excited for like nothing. There's no energy towards success. It's always like, well, how are you going to do it here? You really think you can win here? And to him, so he wants to build something, He's like, I have to rattle the cage here. And while he's rattling the cage at Indiana, trying to communicate this like, hey, guess what produce sucks and Michigan does too, and Ohio State does too, and he's saying all these outlandish things, you have to understand he's not doing that to try to communicate to Purdue or to Michigan or to Ohio State or any other fan base. He's doing that for his own fan base and for his own program. And he and I have talked about that. He's like, listen, I would have handled this a lot differently if this was a different place. But I had to rattle the cage hard here at Indiana to try to shake loose some sort of belief that we could actually do this and we could do it in a quick fashion. Barry Alvarez did that, you know, thirty forty years ago at Wisconsin. Is that you ever hear this story about Barry Albarez who he came into Wisconsin and everybody's said, uh, oh boy, our facilities, who need an upgrade? He goes, I love them. Yeah, be proud of these facilities at Wisconsin. These are great facilities. We're not changing the damn thing. Great camp Randall's great. And and by the way, Dion did that at Colorado. He did when he got the job at Colorado, everyone was there like, well, how are you gonna recruit in the middle of the country, And oh man, Colorado has been down and destitute for for two decades, Like what are you doing? Why did you take that job? And he came in and he was like, look at this place, Look at this place. This place is great, you know, and he immediately built it up to something that maybe the people that were there didn't even see. And that's what Signetti was doing. And Dion drew a lot of ire for that early last year in his first year, and now Signetti has has drawn a lot of ire for that in his first year at Indiana. I know that you're cozy with some of these big name coaches, so I'm gonna put you in a tough spot. Okay, Oh okay, So I said, let's hear it, so Ohio State and Ryan Day's in a weird spot. Everybody's like, he's gotta beat Michigan. The problem is when he does, you're not gonna get any credit. Yeah, you're like, oh, they'd be a hardball's gun. And then he beats Oregon, You'll be like, we got better players and they already beat us, so revenge his heart. He won't get any credit for that, even though Oregon may be the best team in the country. It's weird if he beats Michigan and Oregon and beating Oregon anywhere is hard. And then he goes and plays Tennessee and he loses his first game. When they spent twenty million, people gonna be like, oh, they'll be all over him. The only team in this tournament, there is only one result. They'll be allowed to lose in overtime to Texas and the Natty maybe maybe maybe thirty five. Ohio State's the only team. Yeah, the coach. Many will subscribe to you, we got the wrong coach unless he gets to the new I listen. I agree with this and Ryan. Ryan is a ridiculously successful coach. His record of the timeout, his record is sixty six and nine. It's wild. It's wild. He's got the highest winning percentage of any coach with over sixty games. And he has remade this program and built it into something that has answers like this is a different team this year than they've had over the last three years. And by the way, so him stepping away from play calling duties, that was a huge step for him because he's one of the elite play callers in college football. So he Kippen struggle with that he steps away from play calling duties, but look what it has provided them. Look at this calling.

Maybe they will be through recruiting and development and things in the future, but not right now. So USC they're not built to beat this Notre Dame team, even at home, even at home. Meanwhile, in that Texas Texas A and M game, it's similar in the sense that A and M has to be able to run the ball because they don't throw it well. They have a freshman quarterback who's getting better. He's getting better, but when they don't have Le'Veon Moss on the field. They run the ball for under four yards of carry last week against Auburn, and they can't throw it very well. So it's like, Okay, well, wait, so you mean to tell me your offense is stagnated because your running back is out, And now you've got to face Texas, which has a great pass defense with jad a barn who's a Thorpe Award final Les Makuba who transferred in from Clemson. I just don't see how A and M is able to score a lot of points against this Texas defense that frankly is one of the better defenses in all of college football. I feel the same way with Michigan. If you're gonna beat Ohio, State. You gotta have to score. Oregon did it, Indiana tried. I don't think Michigan has the firepower, do they? Yeah? You know they finally had it last week. Do you see they scored fifty against Northwestern. Now, granted that's Northwestern, So I'm not saying that all of a sudden their offense has arrived. But their offense is better now than it was early in the season. But I agree with you. I just I don't get the sense. Here's the thing about Ohio State. So Ohio State just has answers. Whatever type of game you want to drag them into, they probably feel like they can win that game. Yeah, and that's not the case with every team. Yeah, they feel like they could probably go win a talent equated game just throwing the ball with their wide receivers and Will Howard. They probably like with their run game, even with the banged up offensive line. But when you have Travon Henderson and Quinshaw Judkins, you feel like you can go win a running game like they did with Penn State, and they finished the game on the field, grinding out downs in a four minute offense. They feel like they can go out there and win a defensive oriented game. They're the number one rank defense both total and scoring defense in the country. They've done it both rushing the passer and sitting back and playing zone. So like all of a sudden, you look at this team and there's an incredible amount of balance and answers. Regardless of what you ask of them, they can at least provide an answer. And I think that's a big credit to Ryan Day in the way that he built this roster and this team. But Michigan doesn't have that this year. They did last year and they had answers against Penn State, but now, you know, without JJ McCarthy, it's like, what are you on third down? You know, like JJ McCarthy, the reason he was a top ten pick is because of what he did on third down. He was the number one quarterback in the country on third down. He kept him on the field, he protected the defense, he won the time possession. Those extra first downs turned into great field position. And now when you don't have that, it's like, Okay, now the defense is more exposed. You don't have the field position and you're not getting the ball down the field. So Michigan's going to have to pull a bit of a rabbit out of their hat in this one, and they're going to have to do so in the same physical fashion that they did the previous three iterations of this when they won the game. You know, speaking of cold weather, you were talking about cold water supposed to be like mid twenties and windy, so it could be a game in which you got to run the football fifty times. Do you trust Michigan's offensive line this year to run the ball fifty times against Ohio State? No, that's not the D Line's great D line's great two top twelve draft picks on the d line and a great corner Will Johnson. I know, and it's been a bummer. Will Johnson has been out basically the back half of the year, so they've had to move their nickel Zeke Berry out of the outside and he plays corner. I hope Will is healthy and gets healthy because he's a terrific player. So I was a little reality check for SEC fanboy yesterday on the show. I said, you know, when you stole Texas and Oklahoma from the Big twelve, you're like, that's what we do. The downside is Alabama now didn't get the middle Tennessee State. They had to go to Norman and they got humiliated. Yeah, and I don't have any sympathy for it. Well, we play a tougher schedule. Well, I mean, dude, sorry, I just I bristled because like, they don't play nine conference games, they play eight. Oregon had to play eight consecutive weeks of Big Ten play no SEC. The team comes close to that. Now. Now, I'm not saying that Georgia's schedule has been easy or Alabama's schedule has been easy. The top of the SEC is terrific, it really is. The problem is is that you lose me and you lose the benefit of the doubt when you start losing to five loss Oklahoma and seven loss it was Kentucky. It wasn't that Alabama lost in Oklahoma. They got smashed. They weren't competitive. Correct, absolutely correct, And that's a problem. And that's a problem. And now people are like, well, what's the path for Alabama and the playoff? No path? I mean, I know, the committee kind of can't let no. You can't let bam in. I don't think so you can't let Baman. I don't think that is over. It's over with some chaos. I think they would get consideration. I'll let you lose to a big dog and I'll give you a mulligan. Vandy was the mulligan. Sure you don't get a second mulligan with a twelve team playoffs. No, I I listen, I agree with you. I mean, you lost a tough game at Tennessee and that's a good game. I'll give you that the really good team, and I'll give you a gain. And Vandy on the road. You're like, Okay, there's your mulligan, and he's pretty good this year. You cannot go to oh you by the way, and their previous six games against the FBS. FBS, they were one and five. Yeah, and they got their doors blown off, you know, so like that, that's my frustration with all this, and then and then to see them sitting there at thirteen. Now, like the committee, the Committee has such a clear bias towards the SEC and have forever, which is like, I know that that's kind of baked in, but it's real. Meanwhile, Indiana gets ranked behind SMU. Indiana's got a tougher strength of schedule. Their loss was to the number one, number one defense in the country in Ohio State. On the Road. Meanwhile, SMU lost to BYU. They've got like a five point win over Nevada, Like, come on, like, what are we doing? The college football playoff system is just so flawed. And at the heart of the flaw is this committee that like the committee has has no rationale for the things that they do. They take the path of least resistance generally speaking, even though they didn't do that last year, and they give us these rankings, like you cannot tell me that Indiana should be ranked behind SMU. That's not a thing. Yeah. The I will say this about Indiana is it didn't bother me. When Will Howard did the sig thing for Kurt Signetty, you know, the coach. I thought Indiana came in a little hot, a little co for my taste. Yeah, I'm a man of a humble servant to American listeners. Clearly I didn't like their attitude. They were a little much for me. And I think Ohio State said you're Indiana kill pill. Good season. There's no doubt that the approach that Kurt Signetti has taken very aggressive. It's been very aggressive. Yeah, And I want to touch on both sides of this. If if you don't mind. But there's no doubt that there was a lot of folks at Ohio State that were like, come get some Yeah, like let's go. This is a big this is where, this is where we live. Yeah, you know you've been dreaming of getting here and you think you're breathing this rarefied air. No, no, no, we live this three hundred and sixty five days a year. And there was definitely that feeling. Now, having said that, if you're Kurt Signetti and you take the job at Indiana and you go there and you you walk around the campus and you walk around the building, and you get this sense that like, hey, everyone's just excited for like nothing. There's no energy towards success. It's always like, well, how are you going to do it here? You really think you can win here? And to him, so he wants to build something, He's like, I have to rattle the cage here. And while he's rattling the cage at Indiana, trying to communicate this like, hey, guess what produce sucks and Michigan does too, and Ohio State does too, and he's saying all these outlandish things, you have to understand he's not doing that to try to communicate to Purdue or to Michigan or to Ohio State or any other fan base. He's doing that for his own fan base and for his own program. And he and I have talked about that. He's like, listen, I would have handled this a lot differently if this was a different place. But I had to rattle the cage hard here at Indiana to try to shake loose some sort of belief that we could actually do this and we could do it in a quick fashion. Barry Alvarez did that, you know, thirty forty years ago at Wisconsin. Is that you ever hear this story about Barry Albarez who he came into Wisconsin and everybody's said, uh, oh boy, our facilities, who need an upgrade? He goes, I love them. Yeah, be proud of these facilities at Wisconsin. These are great facilities. We're not changing the damn thing. Great camp Randall's great. And and by the way, Dion did that at Colorado. He did when he got the job at Colorado, everyone was there like, well, how are you gonna recruit in the middle of the country, And oh man, Colorado has been down and destitute for for two decades, Like what are you doing? Why did you take that job? And he came in and he was like, look at this place, Look at this place. This place is great, you know, and he immediately built it up to something that maybe the people that were there didn't even see. And that's what Signetti was doing. And Dion drew a lot of ire for that early last year in his first year, and now Signetti has has drawn a lot of ire for that in his first year at Indiana. I know that you're cozy with some of these big name coaches, so I'm gonna put you in a tough spot. Okay, Oh okay, So I said, let's hear it, so Ohio State and Ryan Day's in a weird spot. Everybody's like, he's gotta beat Michigan. The problem is when he does, you're not gonna get any credit. Yeah, you're like, oh, they'd be a hardball's gun. And then he beats Oregon, You'll be like, we got better players and they already beat us, so revenge his heart. He won't get any credit for that, even though Oregon may be the best team in the country. It's weird if he beats Michigan and Oregon and beating Oregon anywhere is hard. And then he goes and plays Tennessee and he loses his first game. When they spent twenty million, people gonna be like, oh, they'll be all over him. The only team in this tournament, there is only one result. They'll be allowed to lose in overtime to Texas and the Natty maybe maybe maybe thirty five. Ohio State's the only team. Yeah, the coach. Many will subscribe to you, we got the wrong coach unless he gets to the new I listen. I agree with this and Ryan. Ryan is a ridiculously successful coach. His record of the timeout, his record is sixty six and nine. It's wild. It's wild. He's got the highest winning percentage of any coach with over sixty games. And he has remade this program and built it into something that has answers like this is a different team this year than they've had over the last three years. And by the way, so him stepping away from play calling duties, that was a huge step for him because he's one of the elite play callers in college football. So he Kippen struggle with that he steps away from play calling duties, but look what it has provided them. Look at this calling.

Check this out.

Check this out.

So this year, you go into this year with Chip Kelly calling the offensive plays and Jym Knowles on the defensive side, and they're going through the year and everything's hunky dori, and then bam, you lose at Oregon. And now again this guy is falling because or at Ohio State, you can't have one bad day, you can't have one bad court. He didn't even have a bad day. No, they you know, they get a flag thrown and was it right? Was it right? I don't know. They lose the game by a point at a and the sky is falling because it's Ohio State and you can't lose a game at Ohio State. But what did he do? Because he made the decision to be a CEO, he was able to go in and look in at the defense and say what do we need to change in this defense? He was able to do that with his offense and like, what do we need to do with the offensive line lineup in order to make us better. So now when you look at their team from the Oregon loss on defense, they've changed a little bit and evolved. The previous three years, his team was never able to evolve because he was so integrated in the offensive side, so the defense never got extra eyes on them. The offense never got extra eyes on them. Now he's a true CEO, and so Chip gets extra eyes on the offense. What can we do in the run game? What should we do with the offensive line? Jim Knowles gets extra eyes on the defense. What should we do with the pass rush? Why did we not get to Dylan Gabriel, But now we're getting to Curtis Rourke because they changed and evolved. Rather than a straight four man rush, they started to bring the extra man in a blitz, started to slant, they started to stunt, They started to do these things that has allowed them to have success. And that only happens if he evolved as a coach himself, stepped away from play calling duties and became more of a CEO. It's not a story that's often told, but like, that's what you need to do. By the way, guys that call their own plays don't win the national championship. Yeah, you gotta give it up. The last guy I think was Jimbo for Florida State. It just doesn't happen. Yeah, And so you're right about the standard and him going into this, and then the last point that I would make this playoff format and we should be we should be.