The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - College Football Reaction: Ohio State Has An “Identity Crisis”, There’s No “Special” With USC

Episode Date: November 4, 2024

College Football Reaction is presented by JLab! Colin’s joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” to discuss why Ohio State has an “identity crisis” on offense (2:45), why he believes Oregon is the best team in the country (4:30) and why USC’s inability of recruit has left them lacking “special” (8:45). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 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, 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. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I Heart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume.

All of these college football reactions presented by J-Lab, I'm wearing my J-Lab earbuds right now, they're awesome. They have the best audio products in the game. They're ready to take care of you this football season. Okay, whether you're traveling to watch your favorite team play or just streaming the game at home, find the blue box. That's how I first found it at an airport, Logan Airport in Boston. Find the blue box at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and More, or just visit jaylab.com. Their price points, really good.

All right, John Middlakov, it's time for our hour plus on a Sunday. He is the former NFL scout for the Philadelphia Eagles, three and out podcast. All right, I want to talk. Listen, Ohio State should have put Penn State away earlier, but they're the better team. USC, Lincoln Riley is now 12 and 12. Again, they lead late and lose. Oregon thumps Michigan. I think we've spent so much time looking at Texas and Georgia and Bama and Ohio State and last year, Michigan.

I watched Oregon this weekend. I'm not sure what they're not good at. I'm like, I'll tell you this. The more I watch Oregon, the more I like him. The more I watch Ohio State, the less I like them. I feel like Ohio State offensively, John, has a bit of an identity crisis. They want to run the ball because they've been criticized for not running it, but their best players are all wide receivers.

And then combine that with Will Howard just isn't as good as we thought he was going to be. I figured, I watched them at Kansas State. I thought, you know what, he's getting all these receivers. He may win a Heisman. he's just he's he's he's a good college quarterback i don't see any special and every time i watch ohio state i'm like they leave points on the table they they just it just doesn't feel like i watched oregon oregon is squeezing every freaking ounce of talent out of that roster i mean to go on the road in college even though michigan's not great and just kick the shit out of them i mean the game

wasn't even as close as 3817 i just don't think we're ready to embrace this people out of Outside of the West Coast, don't understand. Oregon's dominated Southern California recruiting in the PAC 12 for about eight years. They just get the best players. They pay for them. And I don't know. I think Oregon's the best team I've seen. I want to hate Ohio State.

I actually thought that was a pretty impressive game yesterday because I thought they shoved around Penn State. They made the big plays when they had to. I mean, Penn State, classic just blew it in the red zone. I mean, Ohio State is missing multiple offensive linemen. I think they had a guy started left tackle and left guard that had never. or even played the position. So they're moving guys around. I'm with you on the quarterback,

but when you look, it's like, I don't love Georgia's quarterback. You know, Dylan Gabriel can throw the ball. I have more faith in him than those guys, but he's kind of small and against a big time defense. Like,

could he be knocked out or whatever? But I hear, yeah, I mean, I think Oregon, if you had to pick a team to win the national championship as we sit here today, it would be Oregon.

But if Ohio State gets healthy, like, I mean, their talent, that's safety that they got from Alabama. Oh, they basically just put him on 40, who, you know, that guy is going to be a top 50 pick.

I mean, against SC, he had like 50 catches in the game. And he did have a great catch in that game. But for the most part, they neutralized him a little bit. And what a, what a letdown by Penn State. If I would have told you they'd be up 10-0 on a pick six, and they would score three-point, you know, with five minutes into the game, score three points the rest of the game, that's pretty embarrassing. You know what I feel like with James Franklin?

And I've met him before, and I do like him. And I see this sometimes in college basketball and football. John Kalapari's a little bit of this. Great recruiter. And I feel like there's nothing else he's great at. I mean, there's some guy, like Jay Wright was great recruiting, developing, building a defense, creating leaders, tight late game situations. I mean, like Jay Wright check every box.

Shoshchewski's offense could be boring, but Mike checked a lot of boxes. So does Bill self. You know, Calipari's like the guy he can sell. and that he deserves credit for that. But when I watch James Franklin, I feel like he's very dependent on having a great offensive coordinator. He can recruit his defense front sevens

are always really formidable. They look like an SEC front seven. They always get a pass rush. I just think he is sort of, I just think he is what I see a lot of. He deserves his money. It's a great program. I like watching them play.

But I just don't think, I don't think, I trust them in tight big game situations. I don't. Where were their wide receivers yesterday? You know, for a guy that is a great recruiter, and like you said, they got NFL guys all over that roster. I think that's why it's such a letdown. You go, well, our roster is just as good as their roster.

I actually think their quarterback, who was awful last year, it's kind of grown on me a little bit this year. But their wide receivers make no place. And they're so dependent on the tight end, who's a really good player. but to get them in that spot, they're all bitching and moaning because it's the morning game. They want the night games. Like, guys, it wouldn't have mattered if the game would have been at midnight or at, you know, five in the morning.

You're never beating this team. And I just know, Penn State probably in the playoffs because you've looked at their schedule. They'll have one loss. But I don't take this program seriously at all relative to like competing for national championships. Are they going to have a ton of NFL guys? If you're a scout, do you need to spend five days a week there during the year?

Do you need, yeah. Are they going to win their 10, 11th? 11 games, depending on how the schedule breaks, you will never pick them against Ohio State. You will now never pick them against Oregon. And we'll see if Michigan and USC can get their shit together over the next couple of years. But if those teams are good, you will pick those teams over Penn State as well. And that's kind of crazy because I think this was the first time. It's like, I think Penn State's got a shot.

And then they're up 10-0. And you're like, God, is Ohio State about to get their butt kicked? Yeah. And then you're like, no, they're not. Because they just never make a big play when it has to be made. Obviously, the pick at the end of the first half was devastating. They get that final drive. They're at the goal line, essentially, and they can't punch it in the end zone.

They just run it right up the gut twice, and then they throw it on fourth down. It wasn't even close. And then Ohio State, with all these random offensive linemen, run it right down their throat, the strength of their team, all these NFL guys, and end the game. That's a big win for Ryan Day. And I can be Ohio State header, but that was impressive to go in there. Winning on the road's hard in college, especially when you don't have a superstar our quarterback. When you have a solid guy in Will Howard, winning on the road is hard. It is. So let me touch on USC, Lincoln Riley, 12, and 12. I'll go back to... What's their record right now, Colin?

I think they're four and five or three and what are they? Yeah, I think they're four and five. Yeah. That's pretty crazy, isn't it? If I would have told you year three, they'd be four and five. I think one of the things that gets really disappointing to me, Lincoln Riley said after the game, you know, six plays and we're nine and oh. And it's like, yeah, not really. I do think offensively they'll be better next year. But I think I go back to something. Like they're getting wiped out in the state of California. They're just not recruiting the state.

I don't think he has a love for recruiting. I think there are some guys that really Saban loved it. He had charisma. I think there's some guys that really loved to. I think Sark, Lane Kiffin, there's a handful of guys. I think Ryan Day's probably a hell of a recruiter. Brian Hartline, his, his receipts. seever coach is a great recruiter. I think sometimes Lincoln comes off as very prickly,

very aloof, very detached, overly protective of players. I mean, he cut off media this week. No more media at the practices. It's like, you're four and five. We got better things to do. I think sometimes he's forgetting this is not a rural town. Like this is, we got, we got Sean McVeigh and the Lakers and the Dodgers and Herbert and the Rams. You start cutting people off. It's like I'm considered sort of pro-USC, but when I watch him, I go back to something that I think it's very clear to see. They don't have enough good football players. And, you know, Rick Newheisel won a Rose Bowl at Washington. They beat Purdue.

I didn't think New He didn't think New He was a great coach, but he liked recruiting. He was engaged. He really, really enjoyed the showmanship of it. And Washington's up in the rain in the Pacific Northwest. They had Marcus Tuiasasopoed quarterback. But I always come out of it and I'm like, you know what? If you recruit at college, Charlie Weiss couldn't recruit. He was a smart guy.

He couldn't recruit. I just look at their brand. They have literally one serviceable offensive tackle. They have one running back. They're very pass happy. I look at it and I think to myself, they'll be better next year. I don't see special. I don't see the players.

Yeah, I mean, if you would have told me this would have taken place, after they beat LSU, I wouldn't have believed you. Because it was clear like LSU was going to be a good team. And if they beat Alabama next week on, they're going to be 10 and 2 and be a playoff team. Yeah. You know, so it's for them to end up four and five. And like, are we sure they're, I mean, six and six?

They've proven now they can lose to anybody. I think the craziest part in it hit me last night. I'm watching the game, they're down 20 to 7. And I'm just like, they're about to get rolled. I just turned on other games. I was actually shocked when I went back to my, phone and saw that the game was close, so then I turned it back on. But it's barely November 1st, and they don't matter in the college landscape. Like, you watch and, you know, some of their

fans watched the whole game because they're invested in the program. But I didn't need to watch. I was paying attention because I know we talk about it, but they don't matter. If you talk about college football, you don't need to watch them. No. Which year three, paying them 120 million, this is an epic disaster, Colin. John, they don't have anything reserved. resembling a first round player. They don't have anything. They have a center that'll go in about the third round. They have a safety in about a year, I think will go in the third, kind of a third round player. They have some nice receivers. None feel like first round players. They, they have 13 million dollars in NIL. Go buy an elite left tackle for a million dollars. Go buy the best rush in and

football. They don't have, I mean, Washington's in a rebuild. I'm not sure they have more good players in Washington. And Washington's in a rebuild with Jed Fish in his first year. I would say this. I mean, he's not going and nothing's going to happen, but UCLA has showed some fight this season. Oh, yeah. Like they've at least shown some character. And if he were to lose that game, regardless, I mean, now the record, would you agree, the record's kind of irrelevant? That's right. I don't even know what bowl games mean anymore in this college football. Do bowl games even still exist? But that that would be, it'd be hard to, for people around the program and the money people to take him seriously. I mean, it is right now

at four and five into year three. Like people are on Brian Kelly. I mean, he's, he has a bad half against Texas A&M on the road. You know, when they, they have a million NFL guys. He was kicking their ass for a half. Right. He's, you watch, and I watch a lot of LSU because I love watching the SEC. It's where the best players are. He's doing a pretty good job. And you talk to my scouting buddies are like, it's an impressive operation there. When you go in there, they're like, I would buy stock in this program moving forward. Yeah. That is not the case.

And like you said, the reporter thing, he did that last year. He does it like, Lincoln, why are you even worried about things that are just completely irrelevant to, can you beat Jedfish? I mean, Jetfish should have beat you two years in a row. Remember, they got very lucky to beat him last year. Was that game go to overtime, maybe beat him on the last play of the game?

Yep. Caleb made an incredible play in overtime. Remember, he kind of scrambled. They easily could have lost that game. They were lucky to be 7 and 5 last year because they lose that thing. They're 6 and 6. And it looks like they're headed towards six and six. And I would say you're six and six and you lose to this UCLA team with Deshaun Foster.

They're not paying you $120 million for that. And like you said, think of all of the top coaches. Dan Lannning, I mean, loves to recruit clearly. Like you say, Ryan Day in that program, they recruit their ass off. Kirby Smart, recruiter, Sark, huge. So the top programs, which USC, LSU, you know, Brian Kelly puts a lot of effort into it, they hired you to be their equals. Well, you know, coaching right now is not going that well.

But it's like, okay, college football is not quite the NFL. If you just got the Jimmy's and the Joe's, you could win, especially at SC, what, eight, nine games, no doubt about it. Then you got out-coach to get to undefeated or a one loss. Your Jimmy's and the Joe's. SC didn't, they didn't play Oregon this year, did they? Or Ohio State. They get run out of the stadium with those teams. So they got lucky with their schedule.

it could be way worse, right? Listen, Clay Hilton could not recruit or develop, but he tried. He had an effort. I mean, USC fans come up and ask me, I'm like, go watch the games. They don't have any separators. They're receivers. They have a kid named Lemon, runs good routes, good hands. They don't have anybody that separates.

They got a safety, a center. Woody marks the transfer running backs. A nice player. He's probably a fourth, fifth rounder, nice player. They don't have a second running back in the program. They have one tackle that can play offensively. They have no great pass rushers. They just don't have any good play.

They don't have enough quality. If you took the best 10 Ohio State players and the USC, the best 10, Ohio State's got eight of them. Well, is there a chance that like the point of difference of Lincoln, who was supposed to be this genius offensive guy, the gap between him, like Jed Fish, an offensive guy who's coached with the best in the business and his staff has a Belichick and a carol. obviously Dan Lannning staff is elite. You know, Ryan Day and Chip Kelly don't suck. I mean, you look around the conference, you go, you got to beat some pretty well-coached staffs. Iowa's a well-coached staff. You got some of these teams that's just going to be very, very difficult for them if they are not recruiting the –

I mean, Pete Carroll and his heyday had the best of both worlds, right? Elite staff, elite players. Go to Rivals.com, 2025, recruiting California, A&M, Texas, Oregon. Texas A&M, LSU. There's no U.S.C.'s got one rush in, good kid from about 30 minutes outside of L.A. up north. They're not getting any of the players. Well, think about this.

If you're a kid right now, let's say you're 17 years old, for your entire life starting at like eight, nine years old when you kind of start really understanding sports, SC's never been relevant. So you don't remember like Matt Liner thrown to Dwayne Jarrett. You weren't even born. So it's like, maybe you're born. those six, those teams have already, they were done. So how, this notion of, like, momentum's a real thing. Right. I think Schaefter had a report today. Like, people are interested in going to the commanders.

Don't blame them. I would be too. No one would have said that eight months ago. Things change faster than ever in society. If you're a kid, like, I'd want to go to Oregon. I'd want to go to Georgia. I'd want to go to LSU. I'd want to go. Hell, South Carolina beat the crap at A&M. They look cool. You know, Ohio State. Why would you want to go to SC? What have they done over the last? I would just say 10 years to be, if you're a young kid, like, I want to go there. We talk about it a lot because we remember these moments. Yeah. They do not.

Yeah. And now with social media and stuff, their moments are, they don't even exist. So I think he has a lot to overcome. And this gets to the thing is like, can he build from scratch? Because that's what this needed. And it doesn't look like he really can. Yeah. Where Jed Fish is a good example, went to Arizona.

That was a disaster. What he proved that he was able to do. And look at Arizona this year. They stink again. Yeah. It's like that, that is. really difficult to do to go to a program just in general in college football that's down and out, let alone a non-power program and turned into a 9-10 win team. He took over Bob Stoop's team,

which he inherited, I don't know, a team full of over under probably 20 NFL guys. Yeah, start in the league right now. Yeah. I mean, what worries me, even the guys outside of Caleb Williams that he brought from Oklahoma to USC, this is one of the first warning signs. He brought about six guys from Oklahoma to USC, one could play. One. One guy can play. And the Jordan Addison move, which obviously was a really good move. You know, they had Caleb, like, is he getting Jordan Addison this offseason? Like the equivalent of that guy? No chance. I mean, they've got one of their starters in the D-line is from Wyoming. One of the starters in their O line is from Wyoming. They're cherry picking Wyoming players in the transfer portal. Like, they're just not, they just don't have a good enough sales pitch. And that's college football and basketball. I think. I think. I think. I. I I think the sad thing is if you're a big, you know, L.A. SC booster and money guy, you look around college football, it's not like there are these programs that are head and shoulder. Like, it is very winnable right now. Yeah. I would say most of these teams, like you said, Oregon has really got their swag back after beating Ohio State. But I have watched Georgia against Florida. They don't look great. I mean, it's not like Ohio State. This is their best team in the last 20 years. Probably wouldn't even be a top five team in the last 20 years.

So you look around college football, you go, well, Alabama's kind of me for the. their standards. LSU's got some issues. Notre Dame. Yeah. We should, yeah. What are we doing here? We can't, we can't even sniff those. We can't even beat Washington. What's Washington? A seven-win team? That's a problem, Colin. That's a problem. John Middlakov, former NFL scout three and out. As always, buddy, great talking to him. See you, Colin. Fight on, baby. That's all we can do. Thanks so much for listening. If you've enjoyed the podcast, take a moment.

rate and review. 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.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you. get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clivert Show on the IHeard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics

from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith, rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.