The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Michigan "overrated," USC, Texas, Ohio State, Big Ten vs. SEC

Episode Date: August 14, 2024

Colin Cowherd is joined by 'Always College Football' host Greg McElroy to share their thoughts on the upcoming college football season. Colin & Greg start off with USC and expectations for Lincoln Riley without Caleb Williams. How will USC fare in the new Big Ten and which is the better conference: Big Ten or SEC? How will Ohio State, Texas and Michigan do this season? Who's making the College Football Playoff?  TIMELINE: 2:15 - INTRO 5:00 - USC & Lincoln Riley 17:00 -  Big Ten vs. SEC 27:00 - Ohio State 31:30 - Texas & Steve Sarkisian  37:00 -  Big Ten 46:00 - Michigan without Jim Harbaugh 54:00 - Most Overrated/Underrated  (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.

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year. So one of the things I bang on, and I'm going to bring in my guest, Greg McElroy, the host of always college football, former Bama quarterback 2010 national champ. One of the things I bang on consistently in my audience is the sky has fallen. I see it in politics. You know, if you elect Kamala Harris, we'll go into anarchy. We'll be Venezuela. It's like, it's conspiracy theories, the world's ending, and I kept saying on the 12-team playoff and the NIA on the transfer portal, college football will be different. It'll be magnificent. It'll still be lobsided.

The big dogs will still have the best rosters, but it'll look a little different. It'll end differently. It's going to be fine. So the audience, the consumer is telling you, Greg, we're more excited for college football than ever. In the south, where you have your footprint, there was a lot of consternation about change because the SEC was king, and you worry about the time. Texas money in the Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame money.

What is the sense about NIL transfer portal 12-team playoff as of today in the South? Well, it's still actually really well-received, Colin. I mean, the thing about the SEC is they still are going to have more access to talent just because of just sheer proximity. And while I've used this analogy a couple times, the alumni network is not nearly as big as that of an Ohio state where they have a million living alumni, 60,000 undergrad for the last 100 years, however many years it's been.

The level of intensity and passion that we have in the southeastern part of the United States for the sport and for the teams is unrivaled. So while you make 100, I make 100, you live in Los Angeles, I live in Birmingham, Alabama. I'm going to give $22 out of the 100 to Alabama because that's the team I support. whereas you might give 11.

It's just kind of the way things have worked. But for all intensive purposes, it's kind of been viewed as a personal challenge to the teams in the Southeast to step up from an NIL standpoint, compete with the big dogs. And even if they don't have the deepest pockets, they have access to the most players

and then the portal, when guys might leave for the big payday as a freshman, when they go in the portal after year one, they might be more likely to come back home at their second stock. So a lot of programs have taken that route as well. Yeah. So there's a lot of different things to talk about.

I've said that we need to temper not only expectations, but criticism of coaches when they go to schools. Look how long it took Davos-Sweeney or Jim Harbaugh. So when Harbaugh and Lincoln Riley are interesting comps. So we know they're both good coaches. Nobody disputes that. Jim had a longer resume. And obviously, the transfer portal is a more vigorous.

I mean, there were people transferring 10 years ago, but not to the level now, the machine it is. Right. And I said, but if you really look at Brian Kelly and Harbaugh, you know, they doubled the wins very quickly. But it was sort of pseudo, not can't compete with Alabama, Georgia, but they won the games they should have won. And Brian Kelly gets to a natty and gets blown out. And Michigan, you know, would face Ohio State and it was fool's gold. It took both about seven years, eight years to stockpile talent. where they could play a Georgia-abama, and the games are good.

And you could, on television, you're like, oh, there's pros on both sides. You know, the Mante Tao, Notre Dame team of the national championship, you know, it felt like it would have finished third in the PAC 12, but a lot of it scheduling. So I say with Lincoln Riley, as bad as Notre Dame was and Michigan was, I don't think they were as bad as USC under Clay Hilton. Not only were they four and eight, but people inside the program believe they only have had like 12 NFL, maybe late round players, that it was Lincoln Riley identified after two practices, there's maybe 30 guys we can keep. And so by being a playaway from 12 wins in his

first season was fairly remarkable for those of us closer to the program. And then the second year, they had injuries. Jordan Addison was gone. And frankly, they just know NFL players. It was Caleb, and they kind of shut him down once they lost a couple of games. They had a defensive coordinator completely over a ski. So my takeaway is this idea that USC was going to vie for a national championships, they were way better year one than expectations. That's not really who they were. They were an early Notre Dame or Harbaugh team.

You know, Harbaugh got from five to ten wins year one. That wasn't a national championship team. USC couldn't beat any good teams. They were just beating the crappy teams on their schedule. because of the wizardry of Caleb and the coaching of Lincoln. So my take is, I think we're being too unrealistic, even with a transfer portal to Brian Kelly right now in Lincoln, in that the sport still comes down to high school recruiting

and chemistry and culture, and you can't do it in two years, your thoughts. The problem is you've had guys that have ruined it for everybody, the Josh Heipels of the world that in year one, progress, year two, game changer, right? we've seen it with Urban Meyer. His second year at Florida, I believe they won the national championship. And we've seen it a handful of other times,

Nick Savant at Alabama, 2007, 6 and 6, 7 and 6, 2008, 12 and 0 with a chance in the lead in the fourth quarter to go to the national title. So, yeah, you're right. In normal circumstances, I think it takes four years to get a real evaluation on the trajectory of your team.

That's my personal opinion. I understand the big dollars are in play here, And also along with, I think tempers flare and egos are involved. And the collective doesn't feel like they're getting what they have paid for. They're going to be quicker to pull the trigger. But at the same time, I completely agree with you. And those that have said that Lincoln Riley is not, he doesn't know what he's doing. He doesn't, he's way out of his.

So far, I saw an analyst, a national analyst call him the other day, say, Oh, his tenure at SC has been a, quote, disaster. Well, to be a win away from the college football playoff in year one with the Heisman trophy winner, sign me up for that disaster most of the week. With two NFL, two NFL players, one of them, Caleb was a sophomore. That team had no talent. And he did a great job with him. The one thing that does concern me, and I've known Lincoln, when I was a commit to Texas

Tech, Lincoln picked me up at the airport. I've known him for 20 years. So it's a little bit close to home with me and followed him to his years at East Carolina, followed him in his time at obviously Oklahoma. So I'm wanting what's best for him as a fan of his and as a fan of the sport. I think it's great when S he's relevant. So I acknowledge all that he's done offensively. But I don't know, this is my observation from a distance.

I don't know if they practice the way they need to practice to be as good. along both lines of scrimmage to compete for championships. And that's the only question I have. And will he be too proud to adjust maybe the amount of full contact periods that they have? Will they maybe do some things offensively in a drill setting that might give the defense a slight advantage? Will they do things like that to help attract more defensive personnel and to create a tougher, more physical mindset? Because I saw last year they were a little banged up in spring.

This was spring of 23. they said after like nine practices, yeah, we're good. We're just going to do, you know, walkthroughs or whatever. At Georgia, they're like, I don't care if we have managers putting helmets on. We're practicing. So I think that's the mindset that I'm just a little concerned about. Sure. I think the, hey, the jury's out right now.

And I'm actually really optimistic about SC this year more than most, calling to be completely honest. They get a schedule break, no Oregon and Ohio State, Michigan and a total rebuild. Same with Washington. and LSU lost Jaden Daniels. That's the loss on their schedule. Everything else is winnable. Their only cold weather game is first week in November in Seattle,

and I'm from there. You may get a sunny 64-degree day. I mean, seriously, you don't know what you're getting until Thanksgiving. So they got a scheduling break. Ohio State and Oregon are clearly the best two teams. I think Penn State's third in the Big Ten. And they get Penn State at home, by the way. They get Notre Dame at home.

So they got a huge, it's almost like the Conner, said, let's give them a break as Lincoln Riley builds up. So they got a huge scheduling break. So I don't think eight or nine are out of the question. But I don't think they're in the same class as Georgia, Ohio, State, Oregon, Texas, Bama. I don't even know if they're in the same class as Missouri. I think Iowa is better than people think. I think Utah's actually good. Ole Miss is excellent. I don't think, I don't know. But I guess my pushback is, if you go back to the first year, folks, they were a play from 12 wins. with two NFL players.

And that was, if you recall, the last two years have been by PACT 12 historical standards, the conference was about as good as it's been. Our basketball school, Arizona won seven straight to end the season beat Oklahoma. Like, we're not the SEC. It was really good by Pact 12 standards.

We had like Oregon State was viable. Right. No question. Yeah. I'm with you, though. I am curious, though, what does success look like in year three? because I look at what was lost with Caleb Williams. And, well, I think Caleb Williams was the ultimate neutralizer.

If there was a talent advantage on the other side, like Caleb could elevate and neutralize that talent. But oftentimes he played so much out of the system. And this is not a negative. I mean, he improvised so much, and he just didn't really stay true to what made Lincoln Riley an eight figure a year head coach. I think that's going to be okay with Miller,

Moss. Or, you know, there's buzz about Mayava having really good and kind of having some momentum. I'm not buying it. But I still think with that weaponry, I think they have four game changers at wide receiver, all sophomores by my dad. I really like SCs personnel offensively. And I think it will allow Lincoln's Exo Acumen to shine this year as opposed to just seeing Caleb run around and create magic the last two seasons. It's like I have a source inside USC football. No, there's no way. I'm shocked to hear that. There's based on how much insider information you have. You have literally touched on something that is the great unspoken with the program,

is that they played actually in more structure in Caleb's first year. Right. By the second year, injuries to the O line, Lincoln got very tentative once the national championship playoff was out to get Caleb hurt. and frankly, he felt he almost owed it to Caleb. You know, he got a Heisman. He didn't want to get him hurt. They didn't trust the offensive line.

And it became kind of an ad libby offense in the last three or four starts for Caleb. And there are people that have told me it'll go back to being Lincoln Riley's offense. It was the first year with Caleb and parts of the second. It's sort of dovetailed. and it's not a criticism of Caleb. It's they didn't want to get him hurt. They didn't trust the O line. They didn't call stuff because they didn't want to put him in a bad spot.

And it really became, there was a backyard feel to a lot of what S he was doing. And Lincoln felt he lost the offense a little. So Miller Moss at the Holiday Bowl ran Lincoln's offense and looked fantastic. Yeah. And so I think to your point, you're literally touching on, that's why you're so connected. You're really touching on something that in the program, there's a feeling that Miller's going to play the tempo. It won't look like Oregon, Dan Lannning, and Bo Nix where it's like, you know, like they're dialing up where to go. It won't be quite that because I do think they have really good young perimeter talent, but it'll be more, it'll be Lincoln's team.

I'll give you an example in the NFL when Aaron Rogers was there with young Matt LaFleur. It was kind of Aaron's offense, right? If you watched them last year with Jordan Love, there was the first time I had said this on the air that I watched the Packers and thought, oh, that's Matt LaFleur's offense. Yeah, right. You know what I mean?

And it's not a knock on Aaron, but superstar quarterbacks are going to blow off the coach. They're going to go in the huddle, roll the eyes. Sometimes for self-preservation, I'm going to do what I'm going to do. You wouldn't do that with Sabin. No. But that happens more than people,

think, and I think it happened at SC. That's my point. It's a completely fair assessment. But tell me this, if you're Caleb Williams, are you going to hand it off in an RPO? Probably not. Why would I? We're better with the ball in my hands. I think I'll just kind of, I'll take this thing over and we'll see where we go.

What do you make of the Big Ten as a whole? Because I think you, obviously, with your alignment and do an amazing job covering the sport and appreciate, frankly, on your national platform, how you cover the sport. So many people are like, oh, yeah, we'll do college football because we have to. You do it because you love it. And I appreciate your coverage. But when you look at the Big Ten, I think that they're solid. I think at the top, they're super elite.

Ohio State's the best team in the country, fewest questions. Beyond them, I think Oregon, we've kind of put Oregon in kind of the chosen group of, hey, this group's right there. And they didn't, like their wins last year were fine. Blowing out of Utah team was impressive. but it's not like, you know, we got way been out of shape about, oh, they beat Cal by 30. Like, we kind of annoyed at them, I think, before we needed to. And then we found out against Washington that maybe there's still work to be done.

I think they've done that work. So I think they are now on the inside looking out at the rest of the college football world. But how do they stack up against the SEC? Like when you look at the Big Ten, you size them up, cut them up, 18 deep versus the SEC 16. Who do you think is superior? Well, I think Oregon is something that we haven't seen out West since Pete Carroll and Ed Orgeron. They've just done it differently. They've purchased big bodies.

So I think Oregon stacks up in the – I mean, they went out and they bought the best left tackle on the West Coast in the last several years, two years ago. He started. They went – Phil Knight has essentially said, before I die, I want a national championship, and I'll spend whatever it takes. People talk about the Texas NIL, Oregon's is unlimited. They'll just buy whatever they have to. That's really how it's done. U.S.Cs is 13 million. I have that on 13 million. Depending on the ascension of the program, it could get to 15, but USC's fine. They're not, they're not Texas. They're not A&M. They're not Ohio State. They're not maybe not Georgia. They're not Oregon for sure. So I think Oregon has purchased, and I, this is not a criticism. This is all legal now, right? Right. It's, They've gone, first of all, their marketing is enhanced. Even with Mario Cristobal, they're recruiting to me as the best on the West Coast, the best on the West Coast. USC's is consistently second because of the name brand. But Oregon's been recruiting the West Coast, Crystal Ball landing very well.

If they want a receiver or a DB, they get them. If there's a top edge rusher, they just get them. They own the Northwest mostly for the players they want. It's a very weak recruiting year, in my opinion, in the West Coast this year, especially the Northwest. I think they match up fine. I think I test, Texas looks really big. When they faced Alabama last year, the last couple years, I looked at it and I thought, God, this is what Alabama looks like the last 10 years against everybody else.

You're like, man, Texas passes the eye test. I think Oregon's going to beat Ohio State and Eugene. Yeah. Because I think Dan Lanning has done something that I didn't think a Southern guy was going to do with no head coaching experience. he's immediately, I know what Oregon is. I really do. They play their little Detroit Lions.

Relentless, they play hard. They got, I think privately, they would admit, Kailen DeBore outcoached him. And Washington had a bizarre set of great offensive talent, almost no NFL bodies. And they matched up with Oregon. I mean, frankly, Pennix, deep ball, Dundze, Oregon.

Oregon wasn't getting beat because they were being fooled. It was just a bad matchup. I said it before. Washington was going to beat Texas. They were not going to beat Michigan. And so I think it was, I think I watched Oregon play Washington twice once live. I thought Oregon had more good players. I just thought Washington was a terrible matchup.

So I think Oregon matches up with Ohio State. And I think if you match up with Ohio State, you match up with everybody. I think Alabama's underrated. I think Kalin-Dabor is misdive. magnificent. I think he, you know what he is reminds me of? He's really Chris Peterson. Yeah, he does have some Peterson vibes for sure. Where you're like, they will never be outcoached at Alabama, ever. There are games with Nick Saban where I felt if you had a quarterback that was good off script, you could frustrate Nick. I didn't think he was outcoached. I thought there

were things Nick did better than other coaches. Kalin DeBore, it's almost magical. Like Washington's talent on the defensive side is they had an interior defensive lineman who I think the Rams got undrafted free agent. I mean, yeah, Tuli, Latuli, Nassanoa.

He's just how many talent. So a lot of it was magical. And Chris Peterson gets the Huskies do a playoff and you're like, how? They don't have Alabama's players. So I think Oregon has purchased, recruited and developed players. I think Lannning has a plan.

I think they match up. Throw another shrank. on the Barbie. Get in on UFC 305 live from the land down under. This is going to be fun at Drafking Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of the UFC. The middleweight title is on the line for the main event. You know I go to UFC cards four or five live every year, especially in the summer and in the fall. I buy them. The card is stacked full of, as it says here, blokes and Sheila's. Speaking of stack, if you're new to draft kings, sign up, go to the app. It's real simple. Put in the code, Colin, C.O.

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Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. Deposit and eligibility restrictions apply. See eligibility terms and responsible gaming resources at dkng.com slash MMA. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but in 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 which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before.

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Ha, ha, ha, who. Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune into Pod Meets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I am not as confident with Ohio State because I just have felt for three years. And I'll ask you, Greg, it's not that Michigan beat him. It's how they beat him. They just outrushed them.

They took over all the second half. Ohio State's never been prettier, but they've never been more finesse. I'll ask you, what are they beyond talented? What are they? I think it's a, look, they have been a sports car where winning the Big Ten the last couple of years has required a big diesel vehicle, a duly, if you will. I don't want to say GMC or Ford and like tick people off.

I would say Ford's, Michigan, so that feels fair, right? Let's just go with that. They have an F-150 or an F-250. That was one in the Big Ten the last couple of years. It's just the reality. So I don't think that they're finesse, though. I don't know if that's entirely. And I understand the characterization and the way.

By Ohio State standards, they're finesse. Compared to the Urban Meyer version, 2015 Ohio State versions, that's finesse. But that was a group that was so outrageously talented. I remember watching that game in 2015 against Bama on New Year's Day, the first iteration of the College of Football playoff was Zeke Elliott and Cardale Jones. It's like, these guys are freaks. Not only can they fly, but these guys will pound you.

They are so crazy physical. And I think that the Big Ten has long been a league that was won with physicality. And then Ohio State found, hey, we can win with physicality, but we also have some high-octane machines on the outside that we need to feed. So I think they've kind of gotten away from themselves a bit. And that's why the hire of Chip Kelly was so massive. because if you look 23 consecutive years, the team that has outrushed the other in the game

between Michigan and Ohio State wins the game. You ain't going to outrush Chip Kelly. That's who he is. That's what he believes in. And while people will look at the Oregon nears and think, oh, they were finesse. No, they weren't. Just because they used tempo doesn't mean they were finesse.

That's right. Look at the UCLA years. Oh, because they wear the light blue, they're finesse. No, no, no. UCLA was far from finesse. UCLA ran it down the LSU's throat. Yep. In the Rose Bowl, a couple of years.

years ago. He has gone out and prioritized running back. They go out and quit Quinchon Judkins. They already had Trayvon Henderson. The offensive line is a question mark. But what Chip Kelly can do is they're going to play hard and they're going to get by a little bit running the football with smoke and mirrors. So I think they're traditional run sets that they've used the last couple of years. You're not going to beat Michigan with that because Michigan's got better D-Linman than you have O-Linman. I don't know why. They just do. And they've had that for years. And they're probably going to have it again this year based on what they bring back up front. defensively. But if you have one side of the offensive line blocking one play, the left side of of the office line blocking another play, two completely different plays, you're reading a guy right in the middle, you can't block them so you might as well read them. And you got a pass play off of it. Now you're cooking with gas. So I think Chip Kelly being hired by Ryan Day, Ryan Day acknowledged

that his run game was a blind spot. And that's a really hard thing for coaches to do too. I mean, hey, I've won a lot of games. I've lost five games in my career as a head coach. Like, yeah, I got to acknowledge, though, that that's a little bit of a blind spot. for me. I need Chip Kelly to come in. I'll handle the past concepts. He handles the run concepts. And now we're going to make this thing work together perfectly. So I really like Ohio State this year, but you're 100% right. I mean, Michigan had their number as a terrible matchup, much like you just talked about with Oregon and Washington. Terrible matchup for Ohio State. And I wasn't surprised at all to see Michigan win three straight against him. Yeah. So I'm predicting Oregon

beats Ohio State and Eugene, but Ohio State gets further in the playoff and plays for the national championship. I don't know who they'll play. I think Alabama is the most underrated team. You know, I think Texas and Sark's history, let's talk Texas. I love Sark. There's things he does very well. He really knows, he understands, because he lived in L.A., he understands under Pete Carroll, branding, recruiting. He can really sell Texas. I mean, he watched the master in Pete Carroll, take over college football. Like, he gets branding, he gets recruiting, he gets, you know, all gas, no breaks. He really gets that. That's really, it's like a marketing mentor. His teams can be a little light on the details. Sometimes I think they play with more passion than smarts. I think sometimes I'm

pulling my hair out watching his team play. But I like him. I like his story. He had some personal issues. He's overcome them. Impossible not to root for him. I like him. I really do. I root for people who have been bullied or have struggled or of, you know, people who just fall off the edge and climb back. So I love that story. Hey, Nick Saban made a career out of hiring guys whose careers looked over. He was a life preserver for Lane Kiffin and Sark, and I think that's an incredibly redeemable part of Nick Saban. But you tell me, and I love Texas, but I don't trust Texas. There's a big difference. I fell in love with girls when I was younger, didn't trust them, but I loved them. You know, there's no, right? Like, and that's my perception. I trusted Harbaugh teams.

I trusted Sabin teams. I trust Georgia teams. God, Texas is, there's in a big spot, I'm just like, ah, how do you view them? It's perfectly fair. Here's my frustration with Texas. You see what they should be. And you see what they could be and what they sometimes are, a la the Alabama game last year,

the Texas Tech game at the end of the season. Yeah. The Oklahoma State game and the Big 12th title. It's like, you see. what they're capable of. And it's like, my God, there's no one, this is the most complete team in the sport. Like they're winning it. Like Michigan doesn't want to see them.

Bama doesn't want to see them. Florida State doesn't want to see them. Like nobody wants to see Texas, except for Washington because they're going to throw it over their head. Yeah. But for whatever reason, you don't still get that performance every week. And you don't really get that performance every quarter. Like when I saw and you, look, if you watched the best teams in the sport for a number of

years, whether it was the Urban Meyer led Ohio State teams. whether it was the Nick Savon-led Alabama teams. The Pete Carroll led USC teams. Something miraculous had to happen for them to lose games. I mean, it was like miracle, right? Like Sanchez has to go to Corvallis on a Thursday. It's running sideways. You know, and it's like the team has no business losing to Oregon State,

but because of the circumstance, they lost. Urban Meyer at Florida, like Jevinsneeded, game of his life, scored 21 and beat him 21, 20 on the last second field goal or whatever it was. Nick Saban, I mean, Johnny Mansell had to have the most ridiculous thing ever. Cam Newton had to have the most ridiculous thing ever. Kick sixes. Like, weird stuff had to happen for those teams to lose. You look at Texas, they'll play to the level of the competition.

And I can't understand why. Oklahoma last year, you have three turnovers in the first quarter. Biggest game of the year. At that point, after beating Texas or beating Bama three, four weeks earlier, you have, you know, you block a punt, you get back in it, you know, you end up almost winning the game, and then you give up a drive at the end, quarterback draw, really to set the drive up,

and then they go right down the field and score. Then you look at TCU, 5 and 17, you win by 3. You look at the offensive performance against Iowa State, and you're like, what was that? You know, there's just some performance at Kansas State. They're in overtime, and Kansas State's got the ball inside the five for four consecutive plays can't score. I mean, that to me is,

Strange. The year before that, if you want to go back a year before, they lose to Texas Tech on the road. I mean, just circumstantial losses that just really don't make sense. So I understand the thought process because they are navigating to a league now where the TCUs of the world don't exist anymore. That's no disrespect to Texas Christian at all. They're a good program. They're going to do great things.

They're going to be back in the playoff hunt again at some point because of the league that they play in. But if you took TCU and put them in the SEC, I don't think it'd fare very well. Yeah. It's the reality. We saw that on the national championship stage a couple years ago. So they're going to have to play on a consistent basis with more regularity. And that's, I think, the next step in the evolution to building Texas foundation that Sark wants to build. It doesn't matter who you're playing against, where it's at, what's the score. This is the expectation. This is the standard. And we've got to play to that standard every week.

Yeah. It's, I think what's happening in the Big Ten and the SEC is, Texas and Oklahoma are both going to discover that you can end up going and facing Missouri and you think, oh, LSU in two weeks, we've got, you know, we got better personnel and you look up and you trail. Georgia went to Missouri. That was it last year or the year before, and you're like, Missouri is kicking their ass. You don't get that in the Big Ten. Now, Purdue once crushed Ohio State.

I think that was an urban team. It was like, what is happening? I think he had one. It was like 2017. Yeah, that was a tough one at the end. that was like, what was that? But that happens a lot in the SEC, where you're like, you think it's the game before the game,

and you're in Columbia, and you're like, we're getting pushed around. Yeah. And so I don't think Texas and Oklahoma, you can talk about it. You have to live it for a year. That doesn't exist in the Big Ten, whereas Ohio State has significantly better personnel

than a good program, Wisconsin, like almost every position. So it was like you may have had a Penn State, Rody, and Michigan. They kind of match up. And so the difference is, whereas Texas, Oklahoma are going to go into the SEC and go, all right, we got to take a deep breath here. This is a little more consistently difficult than we thought. I think the inverse is true.

I think Ohio State's going to go, oh, shit, at Seattle, at Eugene. I think the PAC 12 teams going are more creative. I think they're much better at home. People have no idea how good, tough it is to play in Seattle and November. Everybody's talking about the cold weather in Purdue. Go to Seattle when it's raining November 18th. So I think the Ohio states, I mean, Buckeyes don't go to, Gene. No, it's 58,000. It's the loudest stadium I've ever been in my life except Gainesville.

So I think the Ohio's, the Big Ten is thinking, oh, all these soft teams. Washington and Oregon playing crappy weather. Ohio, UCLA is irrelevant now that Chips left. U.S.C. Lincoln's very clear. You don't face a lot of Lincoln Riley offenses, by the way, in the Big Ten. So I think the SEC is going to be shocking to Texas, Oklahoma. I think the PAC 12 schools. creativity, Jedfish, Lannning, Lincoln Riley, you're going to find out they're not Iowa and Purdue, that they,

both of those programs, Oregon and USC are buying good players. They have real collective. So that's my take. Your thoughts on that, my take on that. I think it's 100% accurate. And we've all said,

and I got into an argument with a buddy of mine who I respect greatly. And I asked him, hey, what kind of style of football will win out in the Big Ten? Can the RPO and the high-volume offense could that potentially find its way to immediate success in the Big Ten? Or is it going to be a line of scrimmage league?

Or, hey, you're not running it on us. Like, no matter what, you look at all the Big Ten teams. I don't care if you're Northwestern or if you're Michigan State. Like, the whole identity of Big Ten football is like, you're not running it between the tackles. We're going to have 330 pounds, six foot one. dudes that grew up on farms that have been doing farmers walks with 400 pound dumbbells for 20 years since childhood. And just for fun, they go bail hey, like you're not moving these defensive tackles.

So they got to get a little creative in the run game from time to time. But that's been the identity. The Pac-12 played the game on the perimeter. Right. It doesn't mean they can't go toe-to-to-to. I mean, they can. They can. But it was a perimeter game.

And that's why Utah, I think, found great success in the Pack-Tool. 12 in the last few years because they can play the perimeter game, but they really were rooted with brass knuckles. You know what I mean? Like their core was brass knuckles. They forced their tight ends to block 100%. They're like you're having to find

extra edges. Yes. Yes, 100%. So here's the thing that I'm curious about. I don't care how bad SC's defense has been. Yeah. If Iowa has to score 30 to win, can they do it? And Iowa is a team that I, they're in the AP top

25, like they're a team that I have great respect for. Yeah. But in the event in which, hey, it's a race to 28, you ready to go? I really don't know how many teams, the Minnesotas of the world, the Iowa's of the world, the Illinois of the world, how many of those teams are going to be comfortable getting into shootouts? Because I know SC will be perfectly fine. You want to play to 50? We'll go first one there. Yeah. I think Washington will be perfectly fine in that setting as well. And the event in which the defense is a bad day. The office is a step ahead. Are you comfortable getting the 42 to win? Because I don't know how many teams of the Big Ten are. The other thing is SC comfortable winning a

game 1310. Because you go play a team like Nebraska or a team like Iowa. That might be a game that you run into. And I don't know, will Lincoln get frustrated? Will Lincoln get impatient like he did at Oklahoma? And the reason why Iowa State became a thing under Matt Campbell is because he could frustrate Lincoln Riley because it can never manufacture big plays. They would just play three safeties over the top. You're not throwing a deep. You'd take a bunch of checkdowns. And I bet if you have to snap

the ball 17 times on an offensive drive, you're going to get greedy, you're going to get impatient, and you're going to throw us one. So that was kind of the M.O. So I'll just think it's going to be fascinating to see how that all works. But I think the Big Ten is probably collectively sleeping on how physical the Pack 12 is.

Not that that's their bread and butter. It's not. And they won't be as physical as the teams that they face in the Big Ten. But I think that they can go toe to toe more than people are probably assuming at the moment. Hey, what's up, everybody? John Middlecock here from Three and Out podcast. The NFL season is right around the corner. And if you want some of the best football content out there, I got you covered. Training camp through the preseason, throughout the entire season,

subscribe and follow the Three and Out podcast with me, John Middlecough on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraging. 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. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds.

Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have

Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time.

You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden I'd had hanginess happening. on my own. I was like, what the hell is that?

I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How high can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard, you know? Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try.

So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, How hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone, it's Ryder Strong and Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. And now the PodMeets Twirled podcast. We're two men who were completely clueless to reality TV, who now have covered Dancing with the Stars, traitors, and we're gearing up for the season finale of Survivor. So yeah, now we're experts.

I know we annoyed a lot of our listeners by our severe lack of survivor knowledge. That is the point of the show. I'm just going to remind you. I have watched some survivor. I obviously haven't watched enough. Did people not like it? Yeah. Just because we?

Yeah. We'll be recapping the big conclusion of the 50th season from the final attempts at gameplay to the desperate pleas of finalists to a bunch of who. Ha, ha, ha, who. Again, we are experts. So make sure to tune in to Pod Meets Twirled for all our Survivor 50 takes. Listen to PodMeets Twirled on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So I want to address something.

People, I always think it's funny because I have defended Jim Harbaugh, who I think was viewed as my pesky rival years ago because a clunky interview I did, but that was not. The truth behind the scenes, I had reached out to him and his family. So, and Jim's been great. That the reason I have defended Michigan and Conner Stallions is this. If in society, we decided suddenly that bank robberies were legal, I would have a hard time buying into throwing somebody in jail for jaywalking. That the number one thing you were never allowed to do in college football, it was the death penalty was by high school players.

by any player, but buying a high school player is a death penalty. That's now not only legal, it's encouraged. It's the model. So I'm a crooked mustache on a sideline pass with a fuzzy iPhone. It just, it seems ticky, tacky. Now, is it appropriate? No, it's not appropriate. Is there a level two violation?

Absolutely. But when I read that of the multitude of, of level two violations. One of them was verifying an Instagram account by a Michigan assistant. I'm like, timeout. So you can get into a bidding war for a sophomore linebacker from Ann Arbor. That. So my take has been, it's all nonsense, is that the culture and the world changed. And jaywalking doesn't matter to me anymore. You let, you let bank robberies now are legal. And we see this stuff in tech, politics, the world changes. So, 10. years ago, I would have been much more punitive on Michigan. Like, hey, you can't do that because you

couldn't do anything. Now I'm like, guys, it's bidding wars for high schoolers. I don't even care anymore. I really don't care. Whatever you do, you do. So that's my take. Throw it back at me and why I'm wrong. I don't entirely disagree with you. I think that when you look at, look at the, world of coaching through a lens of morality. You're probably, let's just be honest. It's one of those, if you're not cheating, you're not trying. If you can't beat them, join them. It's like it's eat or be eaten.

And I'm not condoning what went down at Michigan. I will never do that. But here's my thought. And I come from the Nick Sabin School of Personal Accountability. Right. Okay. This is my own personal opinion. If you steal my signs, that's on me.

That's my own personal opinion. Now, I played Tology and the NFL. Every single time I was sitting on the sideline, not as a starter. I'm trying to steal signs. Every single time. NFL, go and look, 2013 Cincinnati Bengals against New York Jets. I had gotten cut by the Jets earlier in the year.

Gino Smith was playing quarterback. Pac-Man Jones is playing left corner. I'm staying on the sideline. I know Martin Morningweg and the entire West Coast often signals. Geno signals under to the wide receiver. I tell Pac-Man under, under, Pac-Man jumps, it takes it to the house. All is fair. If Marty Morningwegg and they know that I was with them in camp and I was now on the Bengals

and you are going to just keep it as is, you're going to keep the same signal. If I were morning-morning egg, this signal, the under signal, that would have been a stop and go. That would have been an under and go. because Pac-Man would have jumped it and they would have been out the gate for a touchdown. I think we won that game like 49-7 or something along the lines of that.

It was a lot to a little. So I think back at my career and if you wouldn't change your signals and that gave me access to them, I was to be able to create a competitive advantage. Now, a bridge too far is using recording devices. That to me is completely uncalled for. And unnecessary.

But the gamesmanship of stealing signals on game day, that's life. And we're trying to get other information about guys that might have played there in the past or whatever. Like, if you can get information, say, hey, guy transfers from Michigan to Ohio State. You think the Ohio State coaches aren't asking the player that transferred in from Michigan about Michigan schemes? Of course they are. It's not illegal. But it probably wouldn't be very smart for the Michigan coaches in that scenario to use

the same signals that they used when that player was on their team. So I think that while it looks really bad in the court of public opinion and while people think it had an impact on the integrity of the game, it's hard to disagree with that. But also things could have been done by the opposing team to not allow Connor Stallion's information to become relevant on game day. So that's my whole thought process on it, but I think your, I think your reasoning for feeling the way you feel is perfectly fine, but my reasoning just coming from a player's perspective. Yeah. Probably we're kind of saying the same thing. It's just coming from it at a slightly different angle.

Yeah, Ohio State felt two years before it was announced it was happening. And my take is, okay, if you're not switching stuff up, especially for Michigan, it's one thing if you keep some of your signals. but the Michigan game is you prepare for that differently. And if you knew two years out they were doing it, I don't want to see, I don't want to hear that, you know, they stole our signs. If you don't have, to your initial point, separate signs for the Michigan game.

I mean, Urban Meyer talks about they were, they scouted Michigan every week. You win that game. John Cooper won 11 games a year. He couldn't beat Michigan. All right? Harbaugh was a bum four years ago. He was winning 11 a year.

He couldn't beat Ohio State. So to me, it's like if you knew about it two years ago and you were investigating it, then you had to have been changing your signals or you have bad coaches. So I think we both get to the same spot is that it's not perfect. It's kind of, but it's murkier than people are saying, is what I'm saying. It's murkier. Everybody's stealing signs. I love your Marty Morning Went stuff because I've had pro players, the backup quarterback's job in the NFL.

That's it. That's it. That's why I have an NFL pension. because I was good at that. I couldn't throw it, but I'm going to figure out your signals. I'm going to know your protection adjustments. Like, we're going to figure this thing out. It might be quarter four before I get it, but I'm going to try.

I can promise I'm going to try. Okay. Let's do most overrated, underrated teams and close it out this way. I think Michigan is the most overrated in the top 25. They lost not only depth. They lost like leaders. They lost like locker room leaders, you know, 50 years seniors. They also lost the best quarterback.

Harbaugh's had, who I watched him before he got hurt, meniscus tear, had a terrific debut. It's very difficult to lose not only quality starters, but veteran quality starters, like who were clubhouse leaders. I think Michigan will not be a top 20 team overrated. I think underrated, I don't know, I think Brian Kelly's going to figure it out. He's so good. he's so good. And I look at all those teams above him and I'm like, yeah, they're not going to beat Georgia, maybe Alabama, Ohio State.

But people have them 11th, 12, 13th. I'm like, no, they're better than Utah. And I love Utah. They're better than Utah. Though Utah returns a guy that's, I think, has been starting quarterback for them for 11 years, Cam Rising. So a little underrated LSU, a little overrated, a lot overrated Michigan. What say you? Yeah, I'm good with the Michigan. We're on the same page there. My problem with Michigan is I've just heard a lot of buzz. It's hard a little bit with that place to, all right, is this real or is it not? I've heard a lot of positive buzz about their offense and Alex Orgy and how much he's progressed. And I've seen him run. I know he's a superstar with the ball on his hands, but I've also only seen him throw one pass. I've heard that he's got a monster arm and I tried to watch him in preseason or in pregame warmups every time I

I've called a Michigan game. And when I was on the field, I stood right behind him and watched him throw it. I thought Tuttle threw it pretty good, too, by the way, for Michigan. So I thought, hey, when JJ leaves, they'll probably going to be all right at quarterback regardless. But I just, I look at the rest of the top 10. Ohio State, they're going to be there, no doubt. So if you're going to quantify it as quote, overrated, Ohio State's going to be there. George is going to be there.

I think Texas and Oregon are going to be there. I think Bam is going to be there. So the top five feel very, very, very. safe. People have been saying Notre Dame, look at their schedule. Like, Notre Dame, they could go nine and three and not be at a team ranked in the top 25. By the way, end the year on the road in L.A. and also, I don't know how good Riley Leonard is. I have no idea what he is. I know that Mike Denbrock, their OC, though, did a pretty good job with Jaden Daniels, whose skill set was similar to Riley Leonard's when he arrived from Arizona

State. So I think the development portion of bringing him along, Riley Lembert's been, naturally kind of an inaccurate passer on the downfield throws. That's got to grow. His whole career. His whole crazy wild. Yeah. Still optimistic, though, that it's in there because I've seen the underneath throws. If you can throw the underneath stuff, you can throw the intermediates, you can throw

the deeps. It's just changing the arm angle, changing the shoulders, changing the trajectory, all that. I think Den Brock will do a pretty good job with them. I really do. Because I think it's a comparable player to what they brought in with Jaden Daniels. And that obviously worked out very well. I can't take them out of the top 25, though. Their schedule is too manageable.

I mean, the toughest games book in the season, SC and A&M. And people say, well, Florida State. I think Florida State going to South Bend is a pretty good spot. People say maybe Louisville. Well, you don't think Notre Dame's had that one circled? They got blown out by Louisville last year at their place. So I think Notre Dame's appropriately ranked.

Ole Miss, if people are not on their bandwagon, it's because they aren't familiar with what Lane Kiffin's done from talent acquisition standpoint. They're not overrated. They're appropriately rated. You're just not comfortable with seeing them ranked that high. Then you look at Penn State. They're going to be rock solid.

I am worried a little about their offense, but their defense will keep them in it, especially with their schedule they have. They're going to be fine. Their schedule's very manageable in the Big Ten, I think. Missouri, I think, is the other that I would say maybe slightly over our skis there. So Missouri and Michigan, the two that I'm just not so sure about.

Missouri, I think it's 11, Michigan at 9. As far as underrated. Now, you're going to say I'm crazy. I know this. I'm comfortable with this. I've been singing the praises all offseason. I did this last year for a team and ended up working out. I love Miami this year.

I love Miami this year. They come in at number 19. Now, a lot of people are going to sit there and say, well, it's Miami. We do this every year. You know, the same people that are saying that right now are the same people that said, well, why are we building up Texas? Like, Texas hasn't done anything since 2009. Why are you continuing to say that they're going to be good this year?

Because they were. On paper, Texas going into last year was great. Now it's about allowing it to come to fruition. Miami on paper is great. Now it's just about can they take the next step as a program and not beat themselves? This was one of the best teams in America in the first half of the season last year. And they turned the ball over against Georgia Tech, give the big play on the fumble and the couple touchdown, you know,

then the end of that has a huge ripple effect throughout the rest of the season. Tyler Van Dyke can't shake the turnover woes and he gets benched. And they give Florida State all they want. And then their starter who replaced Van Dyke gets hurt. Van Dyke's back in the lineup. I mean, it was just a disastrous season last year. They've upgraded a quarterback with Cam Ward. He doesn't turn it over.

They couldn't score in the red zone with any regularity last year. Well, what helps in the red zone quarterback run game? Cam Ward can run it. They went and got the best running back available in the portal in Damien Martinez, and that was kind of a revolving door of players last year with three or four different guys. We're all solid. None have rushed for 1,200 yards into season like Damien Martinez did last year. The offensive line was a strength last year.

It's strength again. They get their top two wide out the back. Defensively, they have the best edge defender in the ACC who's only going into his sophomore year in Ruben Bain. They added three more five stars and a couple guys in the portal. They are stocked. The one question mark is secondary. And by all accounts, that group is playing well above what they anticipated at this point of the season. So I think Miami, people are going to be, I think people are going to look at them and say, well, we're just here we are again.

We always pump up the blue bloods. I think Miami is extremely capable with the personnel they have. And I'd be surprised if they're not in the mix in the ACC and ultimately in the mix for the playoffs. Greg McElroy, what a pleasure to see you. You've crushed it. You are as thorough and as entertaining and fair. And that's a thing. College football can be regional and tribal, despite the fact that you live in the South and cover the SEC. I've always thought in a sport that is often way too regional, you are the king of common sense. And I just love. You really are. You know your. That means a lot. No, you know your stuff. You really bring a lot of credibility, in my opinion, to what you do. Because I have to cover everything. I'm a mile wide. You're a mile deep. and your knowledge is just supreme.

You're really great. I think I hope the audience enjoy this as much as I did, buddy. Well, it's always so great to visit with you. And I told you already in the interview, thank you for all you do for college football. It really means a lot. I don't say that in your tongue and cheek either. You could cover the NFL three hours a day

and the fact that you carve out a little slice for college football almost every day means a lot. You do so much for us in the fall. So we appreciate the coverage you give us. Good to see you, man. Good to see you, buddy. 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, 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, Cliver 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 Clifford show on the Iheart 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. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 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 here, 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.

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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen and learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed human.