The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Best of The Herd: 08/08/2018

Episode Date: August 8, 2018

Colin loves that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is finally being aggressive instead of passive-aggressive when it comes to his teammates. He thinks episode 1 of Hard Knocks was a bad look for Browns QB Baker Mayfield. Plus, FOX College Football Analyst Joel Klatt comes in studio to argue with Colin about Baker and his predictions for the CFB Playoff. Presented by Perky Jerky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise,

breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming to her. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening to the Best of Heard Podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday. From 12 to 3 Eastern, 9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the herd at Fox SportsRadio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by search heard.

This is the best of the herd with Colin Cowher on Fox Sports Radio. This is the herd, wherever you may be and however you may be listening. We are live in Los Angeles, Iheart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1. The herd brought to you by Firestone Complete AutoCare. Keep your car running newer, longer. Joy Taylor is joining me. We've got Joel Clatt, Chad Pennington. We've got DeAngelo Hall today.

We've got Nick Wright joining us in about 25 minutes. Joy, it's great to have you in today. Thanks. Good morning, Colin. Good morning, everybody. I don't know how to quantify leadership. What's leadership? Everybody said, Derek Jeter had it.

Arod didn't. Everybody says, Magic had it. Not sure if Kobe did. What is great leadership? I don't know. But I do know what it's not. Yeah, I don't know the healthiest food. in the world, but I know ice cream's not one of them, although I love ice cream.

Aaron Rogers, is he a great leader? Well, I don't know, but I'll tell you this. I used to bang on him for being passive-aggressive. He's now aggressive. Yeah, he came out. Do you hear him yesterday talking about young wide receivers? I like this, Aaron Rogers. One of the worst card sessions we've had.

I don't know how you can make any sense. He literally have what the play would be in our terminology on the card. And the effort level is very low, especially what I'm accustomed to. Yeah, he didn't like him. He said they were terrible. He said at one point he called it piss poor. I like that Aaron Rogers. Again, I don't know what leadership is, but I know what it's not.

I know it's not fake. Let me give you an example of a young quarterback who thinks this is leading. leadership, and I'm here to tell you, this is not leadership from Andrew Luck, a kid I like. I've said this before and probably have to argue. I don't think the Saxon is indicative of how well our offensive line plans. A lot of those, you know, you could probably blame me for holding the ball too long. I feel like I miss some opportunities to help put the game away. The interception could play by the DB, bad ball by me. Yeah, it was a bad read. I threw it late, bad throw. And they make you pay for those in the NFL.

I'm disappointed myself for being a part of a slow start. I know that's not leadership, because nobody in the room bought that. Andrew Luck was drafted. The following two drafts, none of those players remain with the Colts. 30% of them are out of the league. One was an outright bust. Actually, probably four were outright busts. Even the first and second round picks, awful.

I don't know what leadership is, but I know what it's not. I've had a lot of bosses. Inauthentic. Always taking the blame. This one's on me. I don't buy it. I love that Aaron Rogers comes out and ripped his young receivers. I love it.

By the way, if LeBron did that, would we have a problem? If Greg Popovich came out and ripped the player, will we have a problem? If Steve Kerr came out and ripped somebody, will we have a problem? If Bill Belichick came out, Sean Payton came out and ripped the player, would we have a problem? Then why would I have a problem with the best player, arguably, some would say. no argument in the NFL coming out and ripping young teammates. I loved it. You know, there's a bumper sticker.

You ever seen those bumper stickers? You're driving around joy. And the bumper sticker is mean people suck. And you know the bumper sticker I'd put right next to it? Arrogance isn't, don't confuse standards and arrogance. Okay, standards isn't arrogance. They're standards. A lot of times we think old people, they're just cranky, this airline and this food.

No, as people get older, they have seen efficiency. So when they deal with inefficiency, it drives them crazy. One of the great things about doing this business now for 20 plus years, like I've seen really good and I've seen really average. And I'm not going to stand for really average anymore. And nor should you. old people aren't just cranky to be cranky, though some probably are, but they've lived a life of seeing efficiency and inefficiency. And they don't want to do inefficiency anymore. They've been in a good airline.

They've stayed at a good hotel. They've been in a good restaurant with good service. Or they've worked with good young receivers who are committed, talented, listen, and are coachable. And so when they're not, Andrew Luck going out and saying, it's on me, I don't know what great leadership is. But I know what it's not. always taking the blame, never being demanding, love the new hyper-aggressive Aaron Rogers over the formerly passive, aggressive Aaron Rogers. Let me shift to the Dallas Cowboys.

You ever go to a hotel and hotels got those circular mirrors in the bathroom? They're called like vanity mirrors, otherwise known as confidence killers. And you go look in that vanity mirror, and it magnifies every blemish, right? So you can have a slight imperfection on your skin, and it looks like a civil war scar. And you walk around all day thinking, are people looking at that? No, it was a slight skin imperfection. But when you put a microscope on anything, and that's what those bathroom mirrors at a hotel are, they're like microscopes.

it makes even a slight imperfection look like a major flaw. I read this morning another article telling me the Dallas Cowboys are doomed. Cole Beasley, it says, Cowboys receivers will shock people because the assumption is they're just awful. No, no, Dallas is in the vanity mirror of the NFL. If I looked at the Cowboys and gave them a report card as a team, offensive line, which to me is the most important, unit in the NFL, A plus. Defensive line, they found some good pass rushers, B plus. Running games matter, A plus.

Quarterback head coach, good solid B. Linebackers, when Sean Lee is healthy, a very, very nice group. And they drafted a young kid who I think could be a star. We just see on Sunday night the cowboy game all by itself. On Monday night football, by itself, we see the cowboy game. On Thursday night football, do you know why it is? because every network, CBS, Monday Night Football, ESPN, Fox Thursday, NBC, Sunday night, they won't put the Cowboys on.

And they often play as the only game left on television. Thursday by themselves, Monday night, by themselves, Sunday night, by themselves. That Fox game or that late CBS game, there's usually only one other game being televised in America. Take the Jacksonville Jaguars. Everybody loves the Jacksonville Jaguars. But that isn't a vanity mirror. That's the regular mirror where everybody in the right lining when you dim the lights a little bit, you go to a hotel bathroom, you dim the lights in the big mirror, everybody looks like a supermodel.

You only watched the Jags play twice last year, both times against the Steelers. So you're like, man, Jacksonville, they are unbelievable. Did you watch them play twice against the Titans when they were 0 and 2 and once got beat 37 to 16? and in two games against the Titans threw for a total of 350 yards, did you watch them get beaten by the awful New York Jets? The mediocre Arizona Cardinals, the 6 and 10 49ers.

You didn't see those Jags games. You don't watch the AFC South last year because Deshawn Watson got hurt and six of the eight quarters the Jags faced the Texans. Deshaun Watson didn't play. Tom Savage did. And Andrew Luck got hurt so you didn't watch it. So they went 4-0 against the Colts and the Texans, and they're going to go arguably, in my opinion, 0-4 against them this year.

Okay. Dallas won one less game last year than Jacksonville. Better division. Better conference. When Dallas lost, it was often to quarterbacks who played at a pro-bow level. Jared Goff, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rogers, Russ. Wilson, Carson Wentz. Marcus Marioada

shredded. Shredded the Jags. Josh McCown beat them. Whoever was quarterbacking for Arizona beat them. The Cowboys had one ugly loss all season. Week two, high altitude, went to Denver and

vomited for three hours. It was bad. And then they didn't have another one. Cowboys were also missing Zeke their star running back for multiple games. Tyrod Smith, the best left tackling football, and linebacker Sean Lee, really the glue to their defense. Don't go to a hotel and look at that vanity mirror and think that's giving you an honest perception of yourself. Your skin is mostly fine. Your eyebrows look good. You're an attractive person except in the vanity mirror. Okay, that's, that's a

That's the Cowboys. If I have to see another cowboy article, how it's gloom and doom, it's a good football team. Last two years with a baby quarterback, they've won 22 games. Only the Steelers and Patriots have won more. And you're in love with the Jags, who in a division where Andrew Luck and Deshawn Watson got hurt, had a nice 10-win season. One more W than the Dallas Cowboys in the better NFC East and in the significantly deeper NFC. Hi, everybody, it's Colin. You know I love perky jerky. So much so I invested in it.

Different crazy good flavors. Jammin, Jamaican, sweet and snappy, original. Why do you have to choose? There's no fun in that. The new variety pack is a jerky lover's dream. Fans need choices too. Otherwise, life and sports gets boring real fast. Try a different flavor. Every game, special offer, 40% off all multi-packs. Please use the code heard. It's the best tasting jerky on earth. guarantee. Get it at perkyjurkey.com. Code heard. So hard knocks HBO is on. I've always said, I don't think cameras in any family are good. If you look at the history of reality television, you can go back to MTV's The Real World. You put a camera in front of people and they change

and they amplify and they magnify and I just don't think they're good. I would never want a camera in my locker room, my football locker room. The language can be coarse. I think it changes people. they start playing to the camera. Cleveland Browns were part of hard knocks. And, I mean, let's be honest, Baker Mayfield is going to be interesting. So I think that was a big part of it. Three pieces of video I want you to watch.

Number one, Hugh Jackson has always been kind of a player-friendly head coach. Got an ego. Jason Whitlock calls him hubris Jackson. Got a little bit of an ego, knows his offense, always been kind of a player-friendly coach. Todd Haley is the new offensive coordinator. Remember, he was the guy always yelling at Big Ben, He's not player friendly.

He's angry friendly. He's friendly with anger all the time. He's just yelling and screaming and intense, and he's putting his hands. They're on the same staff. Hugh's an offensive guy. Todd Haley's an offensive guy. Oh, good luck. So here was that moment when you saw both things,

Haley's frustration and opinions and Hughes' sort of ego and player-friendliness on display. They played to their reputations. We need to get so much done. Our team has to get mentally tougher. able to fight through the that we got to fight through. We got to change this drastically. And if we got guys that haven't done sitting around doing nothing, you know, I just don't know how we're gonna do it.

Well, I respect you saying that. I mean, I used to sit in the same chair. Let me finish. Whoa, let me finish. I used to sit in the same chair as you guys sat in. The chair I sit in, a little different in chair you guys said it. I get to watch from a different lens. Al taught me a long time ago.

You know, what is it that Al give it to me? What's your team to do whatever the hell you want? It's your team. You do it the hell all you want. Okay, so this one's mine. So that's just the way it's going to be. Okay, so we got Hughes Ego on display. He didn't need to say that.

And Todd Haley's strong opinions on display, getting frustrated with players. Good luck with that. It's going to be Greg Williams also a defensive coordinator in that room. He's a yeller and a screamer and an ego guy. You got a lot of egos in that locker room. Offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator head coach, a lot of egos. Belichick suppresses him. He gets the ego.

in that locker room, your coordinator's head coach, you got egos. Good luck. Number two, Jarvis Landry wide receiver. I really appreciated this moment. Jarvis Landry was a very good player for the Miami Dolphins. Hard worker. When you watch Hard Knocks, he is easily the best player they have. When you watch the highlights and you watch Jarvis Landry, now with the Cleveland Browns,

it's pretty obvious you're going to get a full dose of Jarvis Landry a lot with them this year. Here's his moment. If you can practice, practice. You can't get no better. Ain't nobody going to get better by being on the sideline if you ain't hurt.

If you're not hurt, you've got to practice. Because you make other more than work even harder. Now they had more fiss of getting hurt because you don't want to practice because you've been a

all that weak don't live here no more. That don't exist. It's contagious, bro. Like, it's really contagious. It's contagious. Okay, I like that.

Des Bryant was pulling down the room. Jarvis Landry is trying to inspire the room. I like that. Now, I don't want you doing that every day. And I don't want you doing that to coaches. But he is around that room. He's their best player. And if you watch the tape and Hard Knocks,

he is easily their best player. And he is telling you, I'm setting the standards. Okay, you guys got to play through pain. This sport's about pain. I love that moment. Again, I don't want to see it every day. I don't want to see him like Des going after a coach.

But that wasn't debasing. That was inspiring in small doses. I love that. Okay, it's time to get to the Baker Mayfield moment. Baker, by the way, is likable. He's fun. There were some stuff you watch and you laugh at. I'm not denying that.

I liked him when I had him here. But there's this piece of tape. Bandab, I don't love it. Here we go. I guess that's what you said when you said it was different. I tried to tell you. And what time do you normally get up in the morning? I was a little bit later this morning. No, no, I know.

But what time you normally come over? Depends on what I'm going to, sir. Huh? Try and get in about two hours before. Okay. Do you ever come in with your boy five? He does his own little workouts in the morning. Where's your own little workout in the morning?

Huh? Where's your own little workout in the morning? Start starting your career, how you work. want you, you see what I'm saying? It's a competition. All in everything you do, baby. You know how to do it. He was late to the first practice.

You keep telling me he's not Johnny Mansell. You keep sending me tweets. He's not Johnny Manzo. Think Sam Darnold was late to his first practice? Peyton Manning, John Elway, late to their first practice. Russell Wilson late to his first practice? Come on now, man. Late to your first practice?

But Colin everybody loves him. Yeah, when he shows up late to his first practice. Tyrod Taylor showed up an hour and a half early. Well, he was saying Tyrod shows up earlier than Baker. Baker said he's two hours earlier than everybody else. Tyrod's just earlier than Baker is early. He wasn't late to practice. He was just later than Tyrod is early.

By how much? I think he said an hour. But he's still two hours early to practice. I get what Hugh is saying. Like if you want to be the starting quarterback, get there when the starting quarterback is there. Tyrod gets it at 5 a.m. When Russell Wilson came into this league, I just joined Twitter.

I had just joined Twitter. And this was like, you know, eight years ago or something, seven years ago. Russell Wilson would tweet in the facility, and you could check the time. And it was 505 a.m. in Seattle. Just saying, Tyrod Taylor's beating you to the facility by an hour. Am I crazy? I don't think, well, I mean, I don't think we should represent that he's late to practice when he's not late.

But what troubled me more about that interaction was that the Baker's body language kind of wiggling away from him. You know, like when you're scolding your kid and they're kind of trying to walk away, like put a little space so you stop yelling. That was more of the issue. Like, just stand there and have a conversation with your head coach. If you want to be the starter, he's telling you, he would, you know where you were talking about how owners kind of make suggestions to coaches? Hugh Jackson wasn't. wasn't making a suggestion. Right.

That was not a suggestion. He was telling you get there the same time or earlier than Tyrod gets there if you want to be the starter. That's what he was really saying. What was that, John? So already he has to remind him to get in earlier. He just started. But he's already getting in earlier.

He's already coming in two hours earlier than everyone else. You ever work with somebody? You ever work with a slacker who thinks putting in 45 hours a week is really putting in the time? And it's like, everybody else is putting in 58, 62. Totally. Baker's like, hey, I was here before the, a lot. Yeah, the guy you're competing with was here an hour 15 ago.

I agree with you. I don't want to misrepresent. My bad. Late to practice is not. Just later. Later than the other guy is early. Right. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific.

On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Years and years and years ago when cell phones came about. Used to be, you know, a lot of people grew up and they didn't have cell phones. You had this thing at your house. And I can remember when I was a kid, I'd be on the phone and somebody would pick up the phone. They'd go, hey, get off the phone. Dad's got to make a call. It'd be like, I'm talking to my friend.

Hey, get off the phone. My sister, Marlene, would get out. Hey, get off the phone. And then they came up with cell phones where everybody could talk individually on their own phone. I love cell phones. But when cell phone companies came out, here was the deal. They gave you the phone for free. Short-term bling.

Suckers fell for it. They just gave you the phone. What they wanted to do is sign you to a two-year contract. They'd give you the phone for free, but you had to sign a two-year contract. Short-term bling! Ownership was the real thing. Aaron Rogers came out yesterday. I really liked the new Aaron Rogers.

He's aggressive, not passive-aggressive. He was talking about the NFL's franchise tag, I think is awful for players. I hate it. It's terrible. Aaron Rogers now is trapped. He has no leverage. Two years left in his deal, and then they can franchise tag him three years. Aaron said, I think we would be better if we did not allow the franchise tag. That gives the team all the power over your future. It obviously restricts player movement. Oh, God, you're right.

In the NBA, Otto Porter of the Washington Wizards has more leverage in power than Aaron Rogers in the NFL. I hate the franchise tag. Players, it was introduced in 1993, and players fell for it. Hey, franchise tag. That means I'll be one of the top five paid players at my position. All right. Short-term bling. But the ownership was the thing.

Owners love the franchise tag because you have no leverage. You have no power. They can threaten to franchise tag you. They can call your agent and say, all right, go ahead. out. You'll look like a schmuck. The fans will hate you. The franchise tag is an owner's best friend. Sure, they give up short-term cash, but they don't have to relinquish any long-term ownership of their product. The player. Aaron Rogers is nailing this. In 1993, the players got worked by the owners, and they should do everything in their power, including whatever they've

got to do to get rid of the franchise tag. Cell phone companies gave you the phone. They gave you the bling. Ownership was the thing. They had you under contract. I don't like it. I've never liked it. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd.

Weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. We do it on Wednesday or Thursday. Usually Wednesday, you ask questions. I try to decipher it and give you answers. Here we go. Buy seller hold. Time to buy. Colin will decide if he'll buy it. Sell?

Or hold. By sell or hold, the Cowboys will have a 1,000-yard receiver this season. I think they could have a receiver with 90 catches, but they'll be a little Dak and Dunk. Last year, Des only had 838 yards, and he was their home run threat, and Dak and Des never really played great together. Remember, Alan Hearns is the only receiver on Dallas's roster who's ever had a thousand-yard season. season. And in two years with DAC, he loves to spread the ball around. But he's not great as a deep thrower. They've never had in two years a thousand-yard receiver. So John, sell, sell, Cowboys will not have a thousand-yard receiver. By-sellor hold, Baker Mayfield will not start a single

game in 2018. Remember, Tyrod Taylor was benched last year. I mean, his story was great, took the bills to the playoffs. He was bench last year. For Nathan Peterman. But for Nathan Peterman, who I think has a catalog with outdoor men's clothing. Each of the nine number one overall quarterback selected since Carson Palmer have started a game in their rookie season.

Gough, James Winston, Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, Matt Stafford, Jamarcus Russell, Alex Smith and Eli Manning. John Sell, sell, sell! Baker Mayfield will start games this year. By seller Hold, Jimmy Garoppolo will account for

more touchdowns than Russell will Offensive lines matter. The Niners isn't great. The Seahawks is utter trash. I don't think when people hear Garoppolo, they quite understand what he did last year. The 49ers were 17th in passing yards a game before he started. They were first in the games he started.

The 49ers were 28th in points per game before Garoppolo started. They were second, 29 a game, when Garoppolo started. He now has an upgraded offensive line at center and right tackle. So John, buy, bye, bye, Garopolo throws for more touchdowns than Russell Wilson, who once again in Seattle will be running for his life without O line. By Seller Hole, the Green Bay Packers will earn a first round buy. By NFC standards, they have an incredibly workable schedule. I believe they'll start off 6-0.

Chicago at home, Vikings at home, Washington, Bills, Lions, Niners. Five and one at worst, six and oh to start. And remember, historically in this division, and I don't think anything will change this year, he dominates Detroit and he dominates Chicago. My guess is he goes 4-0 against those two, and he beats Minnesota in at least the early game as Kirk Cousins has a new system and a new coordinator. So John, buy, bye, buy. Packers win the division.

When 11 games, get a first round by. It's actually not happened very many times. No, only two times in 10 years has Aaron gotten a vibe. By seller hold, Jared Goff will throw more touchdown passes than Aaron Rogers. Well, last year, Jared Doff had quite a year. 28 touchdown passes. But I kind of feel like last year was his first year. and that this year, people are going to look at that Rams team.

Now they've got real video on golf. Not that he won't be good, but he's got more mouths to feed, higher expectations, and the NFC in their schedule now. It's a first place schedule is tougher for the Rams. And Aaron Rogers has had four years of over 33 touchdown passes. Goff last year was remarkable and had only 28. So John, sell, sell, sell. Jared Goff will not throw for more TD passes than Aaron Rogers.

They run the ball a lot too. Yep. Last one, buy seller hole. Jay Gruden will win more games this season than John Gruden. Six of the first eight weeks. The Washington Redskins face, Andrew Luck, Aaron Rogers, Drew Breeze, Cam Newton, and Dak Prescott. Two weeks later, Matt Ryan. This is an easy one.

Oakland's in a division with Patrick Mahomes. How good to he. Case Keenham, pretty average. How good is he? I say John. Sell, sell, sell. Washington faces more good quarterbacks, and I think it's going to be close.

But in the end, I think John's going to win a game more than Jay. By the way, I do revise my NFL picks. I get one chance to revise my NFL picks. The Raiders are a team I'm going to revise. Slightly. One more herd? The herd streams 24 hours a day, 7-8. a week within the IHeart Radio app.

Search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. By the way, I forgot to tell you, I saw Dana White this weekend. Dana was mad at me and he thought I was, we were fighting. We had a Oh, I wonder why. I'm not going to get into it, but I bet I can guess. Dana White, uh, I said something and he fired

back at me and called me a moron. He told you a moron. That's rude. Well, whatever. So we met, it was very good. And we solved all our problems. I really liked it. Sometimes I'm a moron. Like briefly. for like a second, then the moron part leaves and the genius part comes back in. By the way, we're for good sportsmanship.

Hyundai's new shopper assurance program, transparent pricing, flexible test driving, go to Hyundai, USA.com slash shopper assurance. I'm so excited for my next guest because he's going to defend Baker Mayfield's awful appearance on hard knocks. I'm going to give you my final four in college football. I love them. Let's bring him on. Joel Clatt.

I am so fired up for you today. There we go. Hi, Joy. Joe? How are you? So let me start with this. I know, right? Hi, Colin.

Hi, Joel. Here's the downside to go into Alabama, Clemson, Ohio, State, Oklahoma, USC big dog programs. Here's the downside. Is that the program every year brings in a guy that plays your position, and he's often better than you. So Jalen Hertz goes to Alabama, good quarterback wins title. And then Alabama says, hey, we're going to go get another quarterback, too, because we did that every year. And the guy they bring in, yeah, he's way better than you. And now Jalen Hertz's like, well, you know, I.

coaches didn't talk to me. And my takeaway is the upside to going to Purdue as a five-star player. You're going to play for four years. The downside to playing at Alabama as a five-star guy is, if you don't compete every day at practice, there's an NFL guy right behind you. I got nothing against Jalen Hertz, but it's like, I don't know,

I kind of side with Alabama on this one. Well, listen, I've got a lot of thoughts on this, but candidly, they don't have to do with Jalen specifically. You know, so what I'm about to say probably will be attributed to Jalen Hertz, and it's not meant for Jalen Hertz. Okay. I'm going to use the term we as kind of a royal we as in all of us who have played the position of quarterbacks.

You did, Colorado. We are the worst. We are entitled or in large part selfish. And you have to be. I'm not, that's not a knock. You have to be to play that position. Only one goes out there. All right?

I'm not trying to be best friends with my backup quarterback. Why? Because I got to beat them out. Right? I got to keep them back there so that I can go play so I can help us win. So I understand probably better than some what this dynamic is like. What I'm frustrated with is the fact that we, the football community, in particular from a young age, are now treating quarterbacks like individual sport athletes.

We've got individual coaches for quarterbacks. They've got individual quarterback coaches even in high school. They've got all the seven-on-seven leagues. And they're trying to go to the elite 11, which they do great things at the elite 11. but again, you're treating them like an individual sport athlete. So the problem with that is that you become so self-absorbed that you lose the ability to fight through adversity. And I see in college football a narrative right now forming that we've got a lot of really talented young quarterbacks that have no idea how to fight through adversity. I call it the only child syndrome in quarterbacking.

They've never fought for their position. You know, if you're an only child, you never fight for any food at the dinner table. It's all handed to you, right? I was the youngest of four. If there was like a casserole out, it was on. You got to get yours. Tuna casserole, whatever it was. It could be like cash brown and hamburger or something like that.

You know what I mean? Gulosh. I mean, but I think that we've lost that ability right now with young quarterbacks to just go fight for your position. You are not entitled to anything. And I'm talking, again, all of you young players. go compete for and win your position. The backup running back or the starting running back is not concerned with how many times he spoke to the coach

or who communicated with him about the depth chart. It's the depth chart. Go work your way up the depth chart and go forward from there. Two polarizing people I want to talk to. First Baker Mayfield, who I've been marginally critical of. Marginally. You've got a witch on a picture. He has some defenders.

So yesterday it was on heart. You call it defending. I call it keeping a real. Thank you. Okay, Baker Mayfield was on hard knocks. Yep. Listen to this exchange. Troubling to say the least.

Here we go. Do we have it? Hard knocks. Baker Mayfield. I guess that's what you said when you said it was different. I tried to tell you. And what time do you normally get up in one? I was a little bit later this morning.

No, no, I know. But what time do you normally come over? Depends on when we sir. Huh? Try and get in about two hours before. Okay. Do you ever come in with your boy five? He does his own little workouts in the morning.

Where's your own little workout tomorrow? Huh? Where's your own little workout tomorrow? You start starting your career how you want to, you see what I'm saying? It's a competition. All in everything you do, baby. You know how to do it. Tyrod Taylor was there an hour, an hour and a half earlier than Baker Mayfield.

Probably doesn't bother you. You sleep in guy? Where's clat? Hey, coach, I was here like eight minutes early. Hey, remember what was it about? I think it was like four and a half minutes ago you said like, yeah, sometimes I'm a moron. Well, you're a moron right now.

Do you remember that? I mean, you said it. I'm just using your own words. You said that. So you're okay with him showing up an hour and a half? Here's the problem with your take right now. Is that every rookie in the national football league is having that exact same conversation with their coach.

The coach is having that conversation with said player. It just so happens that these two have a microphone right there. And it's featured on hard knocks. And it plays to your name. narrative, so you use it. It's just like the selective clips that you use for the Ohio State game about him, quote unquote, not celebrating with his team, even though he did because you cut the clips off early. Here's the problem with this clip is that not only does every coach have this conversation with every rookie in the National Football League, but it's a fake

conversation. Let me tell you why. Because this coaching tactic is not correct. It's just not. I don't agree with this coach speak for the reason of every player is different. Every pattern is different. Every work habit is different. Drew Brees and Tom Brady don't do the exact same things. Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees don't do the exact same things. Brady and Manning weren't the exact same type of player. Nick Fulz didn't watch nearly the amount of film that Peyton Manning did,

yet he's still a Super Bowl MVP. You do not have to be a clone to have success in the National Football League. The coach is trying to make himself feel better and more secure by seeing that guy in at a certain time, the time in which the coach wants him. But work habits are so different. You go to the Counten Ohio Hall of Fame ceremonies last week, and you go to all the gold jackets, and you say, what were your work habits? And you're going to get a litany of different answers.

Some guys work out well in the morning. That's when their body is right. They like to watch film in the morning. Maybe they like to watch film after practice. Maybe their body's not right to work out until after practice. I'm saying is that this is a coaching conversation that one is only being had to make the coach feel better about himself and happens with every single rookie and I don't think we should blow it out of proportion. Baker is a football guy. He's going to be prepared and I think he's going to start and

should start for the Browns this season. Yeah, you know those guys in Canton that wear the gold jackets that played quarterback? Not a lot of junk grabers in there. They didn't grab their junk in games. I mean, do you want to go back and look at every one of those players? By the way, the reason is, You don't think Warren Sapp was a little colorbacks. All I'm saying is why are the cameras at Hard Knocks? They're not with Sam Darnold because he didn't grab his junk. He didn't have a police video. Part of the reason the cameras are there because Baker was a circus.

That's all I'm saying. Baker was not a circus. If you want to enable kids, that's fine. That's not how I parent. All I know is the guy walked on twice. He exceeded expectations every single season of his entire career. He won the Heisman trophy, which doesn't say much about your NFL prospects. But the fact remains he was a football guy. Did he make a couple of mistakes? Yes.

Does he have a chip on his shoulder? Yes. Let it play out. I mean, you want to bury the kid before he plays a game in the NFL because Hugh Jackson had some make my feel so, make myself feel better about myself conversation with Baker Mayfield. Listen, that that conversation, Hugh Jack, like, save it. It was just very passive aggressive on Hugh Jackson's part. Of course it was. If you want him to come in earlier than Tyrod or the same time as Tyrod, say, hey. Just so you know, you're in a quarterback competition and the starting quarterback gets in earlier than you. So you say you want to be a starter. Maybe you should consider coming in earlier than him at the same time on you.

But just say, oh, you know, Tyrod, he's a little earlier than you, you know. Hey, Goulet. Let me ask you this. Got a couple enablers we're working with here. Let me ask you an honest question. All right. If Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Brady each had different work habits and Fitzpatrick showed up an hour earlier than Brady, does that make Fitzpatrick a better quarterback? Oh, that's just a hypothetical.

You're just, now you're just throwing... Why? I'm just asking you, if player A shows up an hour early to whatever it is. Showing up early matters. And player B doesn't. Does that make player A better at his craft? No, it doesn't. Hey, Joey, what time do I get here anymore?

Guy in Schaubuigan rolls in off the toilet, reads the paper, and does a show. Yeah, Goulai and I hear like four in the morning. You do get here very early. Good for you. Okay, let's talk about another polarizing guy because I won that argument. So, okay, here's my, I'm getting to my final four in college football. And by the way, one of these teams you're going to push back on is going to be wrong. Yeah.

Okay. So hardball. Let me defend hardball on this. Okay. There was a really poor call against Ohio State in year two. Okay. They got a fur, they stopped the Buckeyes. Yeah, it was a poor spot.

I think it was a poor spot. It's a controversial spot. Okay. If it's a good spot, Michigan wins goes to the playoff in his second year. we have now created a narrative because of two plays. A punter dropped a ball against Michigan State. You know, by the way, as Parsell's a bad coach, because Tony Romo dropped a snap in Seattle at a playoff game.

And because a referee gave a bad spot in Columbus. Otherwise, he would have been 11 and 11 and 1 heading to the playoff. Yeah, I don't disagree with you. Parvalk takes ridiculous levels of heat. Well, I think it's agenda driven. there are people that don't like him. So he rubs people the wrong way and he's going to bear the brunt of criticism

from those people. And they choose to create a false narrative very similar to what you do with Baker Mayfield just to hate on him. And they do the same with Jim Harbaugh. So at least you understand now what you're doing because that's what some people do against Jim Harbaugh. The fact remains is he won in five against his biggest rivals.

Yes, he is. And would he like to change that? Absolutely. But like you said, a punt snap and a bad spot. and this narrative is completely different. The fact of the matter is, if you look at what Michigan was before Jim Harbaugh got there, and what they are now, everybody in the world would say they are exponentially better off. And that's the fact.

He's won at every single level he's coached at, almost every single year. He exceeds expectations, save for last season. We'll see what happens this year. I will tell you this, that's a great defense. It's the most talented quarterback he's had at the college level since Andrew Luck. I think Michigan has a really good chance to win the East Division. I have to go to Notre Dame at Ohio State and at Michigan State. I don't love their schedule.

Hard early, hard late, hard in the middle. Okay, here we go. So I think I've done a pretty good job through the years. You know, top tens, who knows? Yeah. But I do think there are based on three things that matter to me. Hard to win a national title without a really good coach. Yeah.

Hard to win a national title without really good personnel. And it is harder, even for Alabama to win a national title, when you have like three tough road games. Okay. So you need the coach. The personnel and schedule matters. Here's my college football playoff. Clemson has an elite coach, the best defensive front, arguably since like the Miami

Hurricane days, three NFL guys. Maybe ever. I mean, four guys in the top two rounds up front. It's incredible. They will suffocate most teams. Alabama's got my personnel. Defense won't be quite as good. But their schedule is so bad.

It doesn't matter. It's awful. So they got the coach, the personnel. Penn State. Now, we know the Big Ten, Joel, is really good. Especially that division. Okay. So they're going to get a team in.

Yeah. Even if you have a one or a two-loss team, the conference is going to be so much better than the Big 12, so much better than the PAC 12. Penn State. So Michigan goes to Notre Dame, to Michigan, to Ohio State. Ohio State goes to TCU, Penn State, and Michigan.

Wisconsin goes to Iowa, who has the best quarterback, maybe in the country. Watch that kid be a top 10 quarterback. Stanley. At Michigan, at Penn State. Penn State. Wisconsin at home. Ohio State at home, easy at a conference.

They have to go to Michigan in Saturday, November 3rd. I'll take Penn State in the national championship. And by the way, Washington doesn't play USC and gets the host Stanford. Those are my four pushback. I can't push back against Clemson and Alabama. I would be shocked if they were not in the playoff. I think the other two spots are where you're going to see most of the disagreements, right? I think that Penn State is a really good team.

They've got a Heisman trophy caliber player at quarterback, and he's 14 and 0 at home. So that home schedule bodes well for them. Now, what I'm concerned with with Penn State is that they lose Joe Moorhead, their coordinator, they lose Saquan Barkley, their dynamic running back. They lose Mike Kosciki, their tight end, and Deshawn Hamilton, very good slot receiver who was great on third down. That's just on the offensive side. They lose both defensive tackles, the Cothran, not brothers, they weren't brothers, but both last name Cothran.

They lose Jason Cabinda, maybe the strongest leader in all of college football, and Marcus Allen in all-conference safety. So all of a sudden, right down the middle of your defense, you're getting weaker. I think Penn State could struggle with all of those losses. I know they still have James Franklin and Trace McSorley. That's great to have your head coach. He's also a great recruiter. He's recruited very well.

It will be tough for them just because of all those losses. Their schedule certainly helps them out. Now, Washington, the only pushback on Washington is their schedule in conference has this little anomaly. They go to UCLA and then the very next week they travel to Oregon. Oregon is off a buy. Ooh. That's dangerous. Oh, that is. That's very dangerous. And quite frankly, they have to beat Auburn. And then if they beat Auburn, then they're going to be allowed to maybe slip up and potentially even lose. I do think that's a tough one. Auburn's rebuilding their offensive line. I think Washington should win. They should. There's two NFL quarterbacks there. Auburns is a better prospect at quarterback in the NFL. Auburn's rebuilding their old line. And Auburn's had two crucial wide receiver injuries. So I think Washington wins a fair. low-scoring football games. Just to give you

an idea, Oklahoma has not played back-to-back consecutive week road games since 2011. And Washington's got to go consecutive week road games, the second being at Oregon, a true contender with a top 10 pick at quarterback. Yes. Off a

buy. That's a really good call there. That's a rough one. Okay, so in review, you whiffed on the Baker-Mayfield opinion, but you were pretty good everywhere else. You know, listen, you're so funny. First thing you're like, we've got to be tough wrong quarterbacks. And then I got that junk grabbing Baker Mayfield guy and you're like, you're too tough on quarterbacks, coward.

Let's be honest about it. All I said is that quarterbacks need to fight through adversity. And guess what that kid did? I mean, listen, he walked on, had to go to a different school. He's fought through adversity. You want a guy that's going to compete for and win a job? It's Baker Mayfield. Tyrault's got no shot.

Hey, by the way, Baker Mayfield's going to be their quarterback. I got a lot of pushback on the show yesterday from a lot of people. By the way, Baker, I was almost like a proud father. When he came on this show, he just crushed you. It was like an empty soda can. Like, you know, you step on an empty soda can. It was so good.

Give me a break. So I said this yesterday on the show, and Joy pushback on this. I mean, seriously, I said, she goes, could you tackle somebody in the NFL? And I said, well, if I was a free safety, had an angle and Baker's running down the sideline. Oh, so he's the one you're going to tackle. I can chop his legs out. Okay. You don't think so.

No. I mean, you don't think I can tackle. Baker Mayfield. Clearly. Okay, I'm a free safety. I've got an angle. And he's, you know, kind of slowly jogging down the field. I couldn't pop those legs.

I would give you like a 0% chance. I think Colin's going through something, Joel. He's going to pull up to work tomorrow in like a pink or green Lamborghini or something. Is there a little bit of life going on right now? I mean, you're not, you're not tackling Baker Mayfield. You don't think anybody in the NFL I could tackle. What about this? Your only chance is breaking up.

Brady. You guys, you know, I mean, you're both middle-aged guys running slowly around the field. I mean, maybe you could bring him down. I'd literally go to tackle him. I'd be like, hey, man, I can't. What do you think, Joy? Tom Brady, is that his best chance? And listen, this is not a, this is not a shot at Colin, but I think sometimes we get a little too close to athletes and we forget that they're professional athletes. I know. I agree. I totally agree. People have no concept how good professional athletes are. Right, but the difference is. Okay, let's do this. Could I tackle you? No. Oh, down a sideline? No, I take your pretty boy face right out.

Not a chance. I would go headhunting for you. Now, this I fully support and I feel like we should just go to a field and find out. You would be in concussion protocol. I'd go right after you. I've been in plenty of concussion protocols and I don't think you could break a pain of glass. We need this on tape. Last night, a blown call changed a game.

This morning, the internet lost its mind. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. In every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves,

their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlic. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends.

Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, guys? This is Clifford Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clifford Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Quarterback on office blue 42.

Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio. app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano.

It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast, Point Game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game 7, Marquis keep coming to him.

He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the I Heart Race. video app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.