The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast Prime Cuts -,Seahawks Roster Is SCARY, 49ers QB Controversy, Lane Kiffin To NFL? What’s Wrong With The Bills

Episode Date: November 15, 2025

Colin’s top takes of the week. First, he’s joined by John Middlekauff, host of “3 and Out” to break down all the NFL action. They start with the Rams and Matthew Stafford's inc...redible play at QB and why the 49ers could be mired in a QB controversy between Mac Jones and Brock Purdy (3:15). They laud the steady improvement of Caleb Williams and the Bears (1:00), and wonder if the Bills could be searching for a head coach in the offseason after a brutal loss to the Dolphins (25:00). They also point to the Seahawks roster as potentially being the best in the league and can’t identify one weakness (30:45). Then, Colin is joined by Josh Pate to react to the latest in college football. They start off talking about Fernando Mendoza's game winning drive for Indiana against Penn State. Was that Mendoza's Heisman moment and how will that impact Indiana's season going forward (39:00)? They talk about the job Kalen DeBoer has done at Alabama taking over for Nick Saban (48:00) and debate whether Lane Kiffin could leave Ole Miss for the NFL (56:00). All lines provided by hardrock.bet (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.
Starting point is 00:00:12 We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.
Starting point is 00:00:30 you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva. And on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to fupas to scheduling sex. Wait, what sex? Is it just me or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes? They say we can't polish a turn, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Gianna Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam?
Starting point is 00:01:09 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.
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Starting point is 00:02:41 The Volume All right, I'm a football fan for a long time since the 70s. I don't watch football without something to eat and drink. Trust me, it's a whole different ballgame when you're eating. Right now, I got two things today from Uber Eats. Right now, when you buy one large extra most bestest pepperoni pizza from Little Caesars, like this one, you get another one free. By the way, one of these has already been eaten by me and my wife 15 minutes ago.
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Starting point is 00:03:56 There's a lot to talk about. Listen, let's start with a non-competitive game. Rams 42, Niners 20. It's just amazing. The Rams are the least penalized team in the league. No penalties. This is one of those things when I used to cover the Patriots, right? I was when I was on the East Coast.
Starting point is 00:04:18 They went years. And I was always like, nobody fumbles for New England. And I used to tell friends, I'm like, is it a stickum thing? People would field on the ball. No, they're well coached. The Rams for the second year of the least penalized team, you go into a heated rivalry game, no penalties, no turnovers. My take is, obviously, the Niners were all banged up.
Starting point is 00:04:41 But it is so efficient. You can see the coaching. with the Rams. That's what I feel like. Yeah, I mean, the 49ers, their defense is a mass unit, but when you play a match unit and you're a good team, you score on every drive, and that's essentially what the Rams did. And Stafford is a dominant player right now. I mean, he's a legitimate, he's probably had some years. I have to really dive in, but this feels like his highest level of play consistently week in, week out, especially when you factor in his age. Remember, McVeigh all offseason said, listen, we value.
Starting point is 00:05:15 you, like, because of our money situation, we are underpaying Matt Stafford and we know it. They approached this offseason with him much different than they did years ago with the golf situation. They were just transparent about it. They're like, we know we technically have to underpay him. We know he's better than what we're paying.
Starting point is 00:05:30 He's making $40 million a year. I mean, Trevor Lawrence makes more than him, right? Tua makes more than him. Purdy makes more than him. So he is, Puka's an incredible talent. And Devante and him have that, he has like a Rogers level rapport with him
Starting point is 00:05:45 immediately. Immediately. He had no training camp. I mean, give me a break. Yeah. I forgot about that because the back didn't work. It's right. They are, it feels like we're on a collision course right now. We're recording this obviously before the Monday night game, so we'll see the Eagles and the Packers. But I would say the Rams in Seattle look like they're playing at a really high level. The 49ers offense, actually, is playing at a really high level. It's just defense. They're rolling out me and you and they got no chance to stop a good team. I was going to say, if you looked at the box score and didn't look at the score and watch the game, Niners move the ball. I'll say this about Mack Jones.
Starting point is 00:06:22 You know, Mac Jones is a big, sturdy kid. I think he throws a really nice ball. He's not super athletic. But like I get, when I watch him, like I get why he was a great high school college and a pro bowler. Like Mac throws a real ball. He makes good decisions, tight spiral. You know, he moved out and a through a touchdown pass, you know, scrambling to a tight end. It's like I would have no problem as a bridge quarterback for a couple of years going with Mack Jones if I was an NFL GM or a coach. He's one of the better bridge guys in a long, and to me in a while. Yeah, I'd even argue he's probably better than that.
Starting point is 00:07:02 You know, like clearly you watch Sam Darnold. His physical traits are that of a guy that was drafted really high in any draft. Quarterback inflation or back in the 90s. Mac doesn't have those physical attributes, but he's an NFL starting quarterback. But he's on a two-year contract, Colin. Did you see the clip with Brady when they asked him on the pregame show about, you know, Mac Jones? And he said, well, once upon a time, you know, you can't not go to Mac Jones the way he's playing.
Starting point is 00:07:28 And I found myself in a situation a long time ago. And I look at me now. I'm probably not here if I wasn't. And I just went, I actually don't think it's that controversial to say, Purdy's toe doesn't work. He can't even dress for games. So Mac Jones is the quarterback for the entire season. I don't expect Purdy to play.
Starting point is 00:07:46 And if he does, he'll immediately just re-injure his toe. That's what happened. That's the injury he has. He's got a unique injury. It's not one of those things that just heals. He's never going to be 100%. So if he's compromised, Mac Jones just keep playing. To me, Mac Jones plays the rest of the season.
Starting point is 00:08:02 And, you know, the crazy thing is, Colin, we're not that far away from the Bears and the 49ers play in about four or five weeks. And that could potentially be for the seven. Seed. Now, the Niners, they play the cards, the Titans, the Browns. Remember, we talked about at the beginning of the season. The Patriots and the Niners. The Bears schedule gets a little more difficult. Packers a couple times, the Steelers, even the Vikings, I think next week in Minnesota. So the Niners, but they play each other. So if the bears can just kind of hold serve, we could have a pseudo, you know, December playoff game for that seven seed, Niners, Bears, which would be pretty fun. And be, I'm also the Mac Jones thing. Let's say you could trade them this offseason. I, I think, think he's too valuable to the 49 he makes no money he's on a two year seven million dollar contract and purdy is let's face it he he ripped up his arm granted that was the last game of the season but he if that happens in october he misses the season this year i mean what's he going to end up playing two or three games i'm mac jones value to the 49ers i'd argue is more valuable unless you're getting
Starting point is 00:09:00 like a first round pick which you're probably not i'm not giving them away i'm just holding them for this year next year until purdy proves that he can stay on the field oh and the nineers will get calls on Matt Jones. And they'll say, and Kyle, Kyle's been open about it. He wanted to take him. And then I think as the process went on, he kind of went to the guy with, in quotes, more upside. But there's no way Kyle doesn't like him now. Right. Today he's just slink. He didn't have incompletions. I mean, hitting guys on the head. And besides Kittle and McCaffrey, there's a lot of Demarcus Robinsons and Kendrick Borns. He's not throwing to Jerry Rice and John Taylor out there, Colin. No, no. I mean, I'm impressed with Mack Jones. And the other thing we saw in the late window. when rosters get depleted, which they do November on, elite quarterbacks, Goff, Stafford, look at the way late window, Darnold blowout wins.
Starting point is 00:09:55 When you have a B quarterback, and Mac, I'm telling you, if Max's a backup, he's the best backup in the league. To me, he's a bridge or a franchise guy. And he struggled to compete today. So what you saw in the late window, this is something I've been on now for years, John. The bottom of the NFL by November looks like the bottom of the NBA. It's unwatchable because the league is so quarterback dependent.
Starting point is 00:10:19 If you don't have a star quarterback, because everybody's being, I mean, the Rams are lucky. They don't get penalties. They don't get hurt. I mean, nobody's hurt. By and large, everybody's banged up right now. Everybody's dinged up. The Packers are dinged up. The Niners are dinged up.
Starting point is 00:10:32 You know, it's just the way the league is. It really helps to have a horse quarterback. And you saw it today. So, you know, Rams in a blowout win, 4226 as we went on the air and that game wasn't quite done. I want to talk about the Bears for a second. So Chicago beats New York 2420. And so it was Caleb Williams and Jackson Dart, and Jackson Dart outplayed him for the first three quarters. But there is something, I've said this about Caleb Williams multiple times, John.
Starting point is 00:11:05 He doesn't get hurt and he doesn't throw in her. perceptions. Jackson Dirk gets hurt a lot and he'll throw picks. Now Jackson, I thought, he plays with a ton of confidence. He throws a nice ball. Jackson played really, really well. He had a couple of touchdown runs. One was a 24-yard run was a big time run. Both those quarterbacks can really way above average movement, way above average. Now, again, Caleb had a great fourth quarter. But when I watch the game and you have to watch the whole game, there's becoming an issue with Jackson DART. He's blue tentant. He's getting banged up a lot. This is my Brock Purdy thing. If you're a little smaller, or you play with a lot of confidence, Baker Mayfield used to do that first couple years. He played with more confidence
Starting point is 00:11:47 than he should have. Somebody would pick him off. He'd square him up. It's like, bro, you're a quarterback. You're not a free safety. Would it worry you the Jackson Dart, concussion today, the constant blue tent visits and the injuries? I think it worries me with all these young quarterbacks. They all have a style, you know, I would say Caleb Williams style is the same thing. He's just built more like a tank. They all scramble around and run around. I mean, Jaden Daniels is nowhere to be found. Where'd he get hurt running? You know, I mean, this is the new age. We watch football every Saturday for four plus months and it's fantastic, but they're all moving around. So back in the day, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, one, all those guys are huge. The
Starting point is 00:12:30 quarterbacks now are smaller. I mean, they're definitely smaller, but they move around. To me, Jackson Dart, the play that he got injured on, the one that he fumbled, it was like a quarterback power, which had worked earlier in the game. So when you're calling those plays and the guy's name's not Cam Newton, you know, this is the NFL. You know, he got rocked by like three guys. And I mean, there were a lot of plays. The strength of Caleb was on full display today. How many sacks did he break out of? I actually think there's an element that I, it's like, I'm not I'm going to sound critical, but he almost throws too hard. There were so many balls that were dropped by those guys throughout the game.
Starting point is 00:13:09 It's probably, you know, you're there, right? How cold is it in Chicago? You probably can't feel your hands. Balls are probably, I bet some of those guys are going to wake up in the morning with sore hands. And, but on the balls where Jackson Dart was completing him, it was more rollout lobs. It's hard to complete the Brett Farb. Farv's players used to talk about this in Green Bay. Like, it is hard to catch his ball.
Starting point is 00:13:28 Yeah. So did Elway is. In December and November. And I just thought, like, it's not that. Rome is a bad player, but you catch that. I would say Caleb Williams has right now as strong of an arm as anyone in the end of. He let a couple rip today where you're just like, that's Josh Allen, if not stronger. It was Jesus.
Starting point is 00:13:45 How about he? He rolled right. I was impressed. I've been hard on him. I thought I was impressed today with how he played. In the weather or two? He rolled right. He threw a ball to DJ more in the end zone.
Starting point is 00:13:57 He caught it, but he was out of bounds. John, it was 40 yards. I swear to God it was a line drive. to left field. It was about as high as the shortstop. It was a freaking rope in a windy, cold environment. And DJ Moore to his credit caught it, but it was out of bounds. The word I always used with Caleb, and I'd never used it with any quarterback before is just horsepower. He is a V8. I mean, it is. He is, and here's your thing. The knock on him, Caleb is, you know, he holds the ball too long, but I was thinking about this today.
Starting point is 00:14:26 He doesn't throw picks. So when his mind is, yeah, I'm going to hold it longer than other guys, because my escapeability outside of Lamar Jackson is probably second best in the league. So first of all, I'm stronger than Lamar Jackson. So if I do get hit, I mean, he rolls, you can't. He breaks tackles. Like a younger Russell Wilson. Yeah, or Big Ben, where a defensive player gets on his shoulder
Starting point is 00:14:50 and he just brushes him off. So I think a lot of him holding the ball is, I just trust that I'm going to escape. And, you know, I watched it a couple of times today when he had that big run down the sideline. And I'm like, if he was a running back, you wouldn't want to size him up if you were a safety. I mean, he's a big dude. I remember we did this maybe like week two.
Starting point is 00:15:10 And one thing that jumped out to me, you know, because last year their games were just so, I mean, they had, what, like a 10 game losing streak? I mean, they didn't matter. It was bad. You watch him this year. He is way more athletic than I think people thought coming out. Also, you know, when you're judging him against Arizona and Arizona State and Colorado, right, in college, you see him against these NFL guys. he's running faster than them. Now, I'm not saying he's Lamar Jackson, the open field, but he is way faster than I expected.
Starting point is 00:15:38 I thought he kind of won them the game down the stress today. He made huge play after huge play. And obviously it flipped when Dart gets hurt and Russell Wilson. It was just, man, it's hard to come in in a game where it's freezing cold, but, God, he looks terrible. So Caleb's fourth game winning drive in six weeks. And my whole life, I have. have watched the Bears lose games like they're winning.
Starting point is 00:16:04 And this, by the way, it's different. Denver's winning, but the quarterback play is awful. The quarterback play with Chicago's wildly dynamic. And what's interesting, Caleb's gotten better late in games. He may not be as good on the script that he was in the first four weeks. Like now he's doing stuff on his own. And I mean, right now this season, in the fourth day, he had 77-year-old. passing, a passing touchdown, 109 passer rating, 52 yards rushing, and a rushing touchdown.
Starting point is 00:16:36 Okay. And again, that's not the script. That's the opposite of the script. Those were crucial drives to win the game with a ton of pressure. Yeah, I think he's a hit. I listen, winning games is like today I watch the Coles. Oh, God, drove me crazy. They won the game. This is, that's why with analytics sometimes I'm like, I'm going to get points sometimes, not the touchdown. I need to win the game so we all keep our mortgage, right? Well, to me, the Bears game, if that had been a priority in Chicago, but let's say it's a 75 degree November, early November game game. You know, perfect weather. Let's even say like 60. I'd be like, well, the Giants are terrible.
Starting point is 00:17:19 When it's freezing cold, that makes the game very difficult. I don't care who you're playing. I'm sure you saw some of that Wisconsin, you know, Washington game. Iowa, Oregon game, it is hard to play in those environments. No one can feel their hands, hard to breathe. I have way more respect. I don't judge scores. You know, you're not going to hit many explosive plays in the passing game.
Starting point is 00:17:41 What is all what, you know, if you go back and I saw it firsthand because they played the Niners, when LaFleur got there and they resurrected Rogers career, they were playing these home games in Green Bay. It's freezing cold. So your vaunted pass attack does not work as well. and University of Washington has one of the best wide receivers in the league, one of the best quarterbacks in the country. They couldn't operate. They have a great offense.
Starting point is 00:18:04 It doesn't function. Oregon has NFL players everywhere. They couldn't function. So it's like I just go, hey, if you got to win a game 13 to 10, I actually think, and it's an awesome, listen, if you're a Bears fan, you apologize to nobody about winning games after the last thing. The Giants, this thing, I defended probably three or four weeks ago. I'm like, listen, he went all in on this quarterback.
Starting point is 00:18:28 He was right, right? I mean, there is, if you just pull GMs right now, I think 32 of them would take Jackson Dart over Cam Ward today. Now, their careers aren't written, but today, Brian Dayball was right about the quarterback he liked. Problem is his team. I mean, that's, I think I read today a stat that that's his fourth game in which he had a second half lead of 10 plus points.
Starting point is 00:18:49 And obviously, he's had now multiple double digit leads in the fourth quarter in which they implode. I mean, today, he kicked a field goal. They had 12 men on the field, but Russell's in the game, not dart. He declines the penalty and takes the points instead of just getting the first down. And listen, I thought like, hey, you don't want to risk fumbling. You're up 20 to 10. How are the bears going to score?
Starting point is 00:19:09 But then it bit them in the ass. And there were reports, you know, local radio. People have connections to ownership that said the ownership was close after the Denver Bronco game. And this feels, you know, you're up 20 to 10, you're cruising. maybe they give them a little break because darts in the tent, but man, it's, it's hard to, it's hard to kind of fend off the arrows, Colin, when you keep having these devastating losses. Yeah, it's, um, nothing's, these New York football teams, it's just, it's just, it's a, it's a football swamp. Like, people just go to drown in these places. I think, Justin Fields didn't have a hundred yards
Starting point is 00:19:49 today total and they won, didn't total running and passing. That's so bad. All right, today's show is brought to you by our new presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. They're a great partner. On Hard Rock Bet, there's always something to bet on. If you haven't tried your first bet on Hard Rock Bet yet, there's still time for you to get $150 bucks in bonus bets. If you win, just place a $5 bet.
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Starting point is 00:21:11 This week's crunch time performer brought to you by McDonald's new Buffalo Ranch Sauce is Jonathan Tater. Wow. Was he great? Went to Berlin. Carried the Colts on his back. 244 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and the Colts wild come from behind overtime, went over the Falcons. Taylor's performance was satisfying, just like the first bite of the bacon, creamy buffalo McCrispy.
Starting point is 00:21:37 Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, new? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas, we invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts.
Starting point is 00:21:50 Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down?
Starting point is 00:22:14 Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey Jonas, and then I wrote down in my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Starting point is 00:22:31 or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Hey, I'm Joe Rodano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor.
Starting point is 00:22:46 I'm a comedian. and recently I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, hope from a hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice.
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Starting point is 00:23:30 available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming.
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Starting point is 00:24:28 from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Orsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. And they holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew.
Starting point is 00:24:48 Pinky has financial issues. I like the boozy style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real Housewives franchise, the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television,
Starting point is 00:25:11 I'm not just watching it. I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 paramed apocal chin here you do.
Starting point is 00:25:42 So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be with the Adamania Arriva, 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.
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Starting point is 00:26:37 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Miami 30, Buffalo 13. it was 16-0-0 dolphins at half. An interesting number is Josh Allen had 3.53 seconds to throw. That's his highest since 2018. Nobody's open. So they didn't make a big move
Starting point is 00:27:01 at the trade deadline. And I think everybody thought they should probably add a piece because Kansas City's defense. But they had 90 yards at half. They didn't pick up a first down on third in the first half. and this is a Miami team. We thought quit three weeks ago.
Starting point is 00:27:22 We always talk about quarterbacks. You get until the second year, Thanksgiving second year. I think we've just got to be brutally honest with Sean McDermott here. It's not just Kansas City. There's just too many games where you're just like, I mean, Buffalo should never look like that, ever. They should never look like. that. I understand in college when you have two top 10 teams play each other and then the
Starting point is 00:27:50 following week, you're playing a two-win team and you're tied at halftime. Like these are 19-year-old guys. This is a team that's now, for the last five years, been one of the top, what, two or three teams in the entire league? And they've got older players here. I mean, they've got a lot of 27, 28, 29-year-olds. The coach has been there, I think, since 2017. Josh has now been the starter for a long time. It's not just on Sean. It's also, you know, the quarterback, you know, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, they take a lot of that responsibility as well. So, so today was embarrassing. I mean, it truly, well, it was, it should have been 14-0. I think the kicker missed an extra point. It was 14-0 or 13-0 before you even blinked.
Starting point is 00:28:28 Two had a couple, he threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Jalen Waddle. Yes. And it was like, okay, 14-0 or 13-0, Bill starts slow. I've seen them happen, and then ended up winning 35 to 20 or something. And they never got out of the malaise. And it started raining. It was probably humid. And they just looked lifeless. Josh threw one of the worst interceptions I've ever seen him throw. I don't know if he's on the wrong page with the wider seat.
Starting point is 00:28:52 You just threw it right to the wide receiver or to the cornerback. They had an awful fumble early in the game when they were driving. They just looked lost. And that's a type game when your main rival now, who's back, is winning. And now has a lead, kind of a commanding lead because they already beat you and their schedule's so easy. So they're not going away. Andy, you just look big picture. This is going to be the worst team of the Vrabel era for the next couple years when you factor in how young it is, right?
Starting point is 00:29:20 You just listed a couple guys that just started playing. Their left tackle, it's his rookie year. Their quarterback is the second year. This is the first year of the coaching staffs together. So like their arrows pointing up. And I think it kind of reflects that the bills can really get up for the Chiefs. And for whatever reason, I remember hearing like Houston Rockets, maybe because Kenny Smith say, you know the sad part is right when we got good, Jordan retired, they could never stop the team.
Starting point is 00:29:44 And we always played the Bulls well. And if we ever saw them, we would have stopped that streak because they would have had no shot because they had no center. We were a team that we played them really well. In basketball, it happens a lot, right? Your matchup, football kind of happens sometimes, but if you're good enough, whatever. For whatever reason, the bills matchup,
Starting point is 00:30:00 because their pass rush is good, they treat that game in the regular season like the Super Bowl. They just look like the best team in the league when they play the Chiefs. Before and after, then they look much more pedestrian. Today, though, was, I don't know. I mean, I felt like it was one of the more embarrassing performances of the Allen, Sean McDermott little area. Oh, I think it may be the most. I thought it may be they lost a few years ago at home on the opener to the Steelers, and they were a favorite.
Starting point is 00:30:28 And I was like, what in the hell is that? I thought that game against the Saints this year, it was competitive. I was like, oh, what would bother me today is that Miami in the first half, average six and a half yards of play. So in my take is it would be one thing if the offense sputtered, your defensive coach. John, I've been on this forever. What do you do with your side of the ball? That wasn't just Josh Allen. Like that defense had no energy.
Starting point is 00:30:56 That defense, I mean, they generated this incredible pass rush against Kansas City. And really, I mean, two is one of the easiest guys to rush in the league. And he had time to throw. They ran the ball. You think New England, are you taking New England as we sit here today? Do you think New England's more likely to win the division? New England's got the better coach. I think New England, now with Williams and Trayvon Henderson, it's like, oh, I feel like New England now is on the up.
Starting point is 00:31:29 Like, they're an ascending team. I don't think Buffalo is. I mean, we forget before that Kansas City game. I mean, we'd seen them, Buffalo go to Atlanta and get worked. I mean, they've had that Saints game they won at home was trouble. Like, they've had a lot of... Somebody told me this in the league at the beginning of the year. They said, Buffalo doesn't have nearly the roster people give it credit for.
Starting point is 00:31:51 They're like James Cook, Josh Allen, Oliver, the defensive lineman. Who's hurt? They're like, you know, Dawkins, the left tackle. I was talking to an exec in the league, and he's like, you know, he goes, the better rosters are the Rams and the Eagles and the Lions and the Packers. Kansas City. He's like, Ravens. He's like, Buffalo's roster's not that good. Josh, left tackle quarterback running back, interior D-Linman. That's where they went and got Bosa. I mean, they've drafted a lot of draft capital on their defense. That's where they went and got
Starting point is 00:32:25 Bosa, who played well against, you know, Kansas City. Seattle 44, Arizona 22, it was 35-0. So, you know, it's just impossible to keep that up. And Donald had a couple of just, like, funny, like bizarre turnovers that ball bounces off a tight ends helmet. You know, I'm going to throw this to you. I got Pete Carroll and John Snyder, you know this, battled. They battled. And there was a little tug of war on Pete's kid and John Snyder. And I'm not going to go into too many details.
Starting point is 00:33:04 But Pete and John, John almost left for Detroit. Remember that years ago? Yeah. because he wanted his final say, well, since Pete's been out of the building, John Snyder's two drafts have been A-plus A-plus. He is now, and I think John, Jason Light, Howie Roseman, Howie's a dealmaker.
Starting point is 00:33:24 I'm not sure there's many guys better than John Snyder. It's just personnel, college personnel drafting it. There's not a lot of guys better. Again, I think Jason Light and Tampa's really good. That's Seattle roster. I wrote this down. young, fast, physical. You can turn the sound down, John, against Washington and against Arizona.
Starting point is 00:33:44 It looks like a college mismatch. They are so fast. They are so physical. Donald's in total control of the offense. Play action, run game, deep game. I don't see the hole. I really don't see the hole with this team. They drafted that safety.
Starting point is 00:34:05 That kid's a banger. The South Carolina. safety, I don't see the weakness with the team. I think the point of difference they have. They obviously play the Rams as upcoming week, which is an incredible game, is their DBs are good and the Rams aren't. I think that's the difference because the offenses are both elite. Pass rushes are awesome.
Starting point is 00:34:23 Coaching staff's high-end. If you and me were the NFL, like in college, how they have the college football committee, and you rank them 1 through 12, I would rank Seattle after this week number 1. It would be my number 1 team. and if you just watch them without the sound on, obviously today, but over the last couple weeks, the team speed in which they had,
Starting point is 00:34:44 I think the L-O-B team with Pete is probably the most physical team I've ever seen live. I do think the fastest team I've ever seen live is the Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos, their defense. Every single guy could run fast. A defensive lot, it was Demarcus Ware, Vaughn Miller, Wolf, Malik Jackson, Trevathan. They had a keep to leap. Their speed and physicality was just, I've never seen anything. And I've saw them live a bunch of times.
Starting point is 00:35:10 This team has some similarities to those two teams. Younger. Kind of taken the league by storm. Every guy, I mean, like you said, Emin Worry, he's like six. He is their potential Kyle Hamilton. But they already had some good D.Bs. Right? They drafted the kid Witherspoon from Illinois.
Starting point is 00:35:27 They already had Wulin. Obviously, their linebacker play is fast once they got Ernest Jones. their head coach. I mean, we talk so much and rightfully so about these offensive coaches. He's got a chance to be pretty special. His demeanor, he has a very modern demeanor. You know, like when you watch Vrable, Vrable is not the throwback of like what I grew up on guys screaming.
Starting point is 00:35:49 He doesn't. He's not as maybe he does. He's a player's coach. Yeah, when the doors are shut, I think he's on him in the meetings. But on the sideline, he's very common collected. I would say Mike McDonald, it almost feels like, is he on a couple zanis or something? Like he's show, but he, there's no,
Starting point is 00:36:05 because he knows, like he is, he is very, and his team reflects that. And I would say this, they, they're a personnel move of trading Gino and signing Sam is got a chance to be an all-timer. I mean, that's got a chance to be, because they didn't give Sam, I mean, he's going to end up probably, I mean, he's not going anywhere for a while. They gave him $100 million over three years. I mean, it's relative to the other contracts we've seen, Colin, around quarterbacks. Well, it's 55 million guaranteed. So the salary, the cap hit is just nothing.
Starting point is 00:36:35 JSN looks like Jerry Rice. I knew the guy was good, but this year he is, it's like Puka. But this guy was, we knew more about JSN than Puka because of Ohio State and first round pick. But you knew after a couple weeks, Puka was a rookie. Like, is this real? And then it just never stopped. You know, JSN like, is he really this good? And every single week, it's like he's unstopped.
Starting point is 00:36:56 Well, and JSN was like a five-star recruit first. I think he was a first round receiver. Pick 20, I think. Yeah, the only question was, is he a one? Everybody knew he was really good. Now you're like, yeah, he's just, contested catches, speed. Then they go get Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans. And, you know, he now has the offensive coordinator that he had in New Orleans.
Starting point is 00:37:19 Now he's in Seattle. Yeah. Again, this is a big play offense. What I like about Seattle, they can grind you down if they have a lead. They can run the football if they have a lead. They're a big playoff. they can play from behind. You know, I'm just, I'm writing this down throughout the course of the game,
Starting point is 00:37:38 JSN first receiver to a thousand. It's not that weird with Seattle where they average six and a half to seven yards of play. Like, it happens regularly. And there is something to be said of trusting your eyes. I think this is now, even more than Mike McDonald, I think it's John Snyder's organization. And I've texted Snyder a couple times. He travels.
Starting point is 00:38:05 I mean, he's at every weekend. He is a, you got to go to these games. Like they always say to sell a company, you have to take a thousand meetings. John Snyder's on a plane every weekend. He doesn't scout off the TV or film. He wants to go to the games. And, I mean, they're just in an, when I watch them play, I'm like, when you're a big play offense and your quarterback has mobility, So you can go down the field, the quarterback, you can move the pocket,
Starting point is 00:38:32 you can grind people with a lead. You know, it's like Detroit if Goff had mobility. And that's the whole, like Goff doesn't. But Detroit's a big playoffence and can grind you down. Just think of Detroit's offense. And then if Jared Goff could move, you'd be like, shit, what do you do? But we've seen Detroit do that for three years. I think Seattle, like if you don't pay attention like we do, obviously people that do this for a living,
Starting point is 00:38:57 shit, man, they're, they're embarrassing teams. How often do you get a 35-0-0 lead in the first half of a pro-football game? And Arizona had been playing well. Even their record's not that great. They have been in every single game they played this year. They controlled Dallas a week ago. They easily could be, you know, coming into this game. They could have been six and three.
Starting point is 00:39:19 I would say the thing with John Snyder, when you think about, we talk about offensive coaches, you're like, if JJ can't play for Kevin O'Connell, that's a JJ issue, not a Kevin issue. If you can't play for Kyle Shanahan, that's a U-issue. And that skill is why those guys are going to be paid at the top of the market until they retire from the NFL. John Schneider, he was the guy that pounded the table against Pete Carroll for Russell Wilson and ultimately got him to relent and draft him. Obviously, that changed the course of their franchise. When they pivoted off Russell, and remember John wanted to do it earlier,
Starting point is 00:39:50 try to trade him to the Cleveland Brown so he could draft Josh Allen. That's who he was going to take. then he trades for Gino or gets Gino as a backup. And they were cool with like, I think we can handle this for a little bit. And he was right. Gino was actually, and they got Drew Locke. Remember, they won a Monday Night Football game against the Eagles with Drew Locke, who is the worst of this whole group.
Starting point is 00:40:08 And then he pivots to Sam Darnold. Like, I would say as a quarterback evaluator, John Snyder's as good as it gets from a GM perspective. And if that's going to be the guy that you're going to invest most of your money into as a franchise, his skill, let alone his ability to build the team. I mean, this is now like how many different iterations of the team? The LOB team, remember, then they transitioned in the late 2010s. They were still good.
Starting point is 00:40:33 They weren't going to Super Bowls, but they were never, they didn't have four-win seasons. They were winning nine to 11 games. And now, I mean, what do they look like to you? A 14-win team? Oh, they're just. If Devante Adams, who kind of hurt his back at the end of the game, we'll have to monitor that throughout the week. I like, I think that's going to be a tough, way tougher for Stafford. I do, too.
Starting point is 00:40:54 Sharpest young voice in college football, Josh Pate, I love having him on. I got to tell you, through the years when I talk to, most of my sources aren't players or coaches. They've always been executives because I probably absurdly have always fashioned myself is if I didn't do this, I'd want to be a GM, not a coach, not a player. I like all the architecture of building stuff. And when you talk to them about players, I remember when Josh Allen came out of Wyoming. And I would talk to GMs and they're like, okay, did you see the throw against, you know, it wasn't against Oregon or Iowa.
Starting point is 00:41:31 There's a throw. And it's remarkable how often it's a play a moment, a drive. And a scout goes, okay, the Penn State game for Sam Darnold at the Rose Bowl. That's the one everybody went, whoa, whoa, this is different. Fernando Mendoza, so first of all, he was going to go to Yale. He settled on Cal. So the kids obviously, and Indiana is a good school. So we know he's got brain power.
Starting point is 00:41:56 We know he's 6'5. We know all that stuff. That last drive on the road, Penn State, couldn't run, face the defense, made three throws, the one in the back of the end zone. Like, I'm like, okay, that's a Sunday player. That's not normal. That's Herbert at Oregon, you know, carrying average people around him, not average. but because I think, I think Indiana's got good players. They don't have Ohio State guys, maybe.
Starting point is 00:42:25 But I watched that drive and I'm like, oh, he has to come out. That's the number one player in college football. I don't care about Ohio State's linebackers and corners. That's the impression it had on me. It was just sitting on the couch going, oh, my God, this looks like Sunday. What was your takeaway on it? I thought it was, there are very few moments like this, but I was watching it in an airport.
Starting point is 00:42:47 First off, seeing a big sporting moment, in a big football moment in an airport, it's always unique. Because it's really a unique setting, and you're not there often if you cover the game. So that was, number one was just the takeaway of how surreal it is that, wow, the entire world's fixated on Indiana football in this moment. I thought it was one of those moments where you see someone come of age, like you know someone's got potential. And then all of a sudden, it just happens.
Starting point is 00:43:13 Right. And sometimes it's just a moment. Like sometimes guys just hit a lucky shot or make a lucky throw. But it's rare, you don't get lucky three times like that on the same drive. It's something that's in you. It's potential you have. And it's not that he hasn't shown flashes. If you're paying attention to college football, you knew about him.
Starting point is 00:43:32 If you're paying attention to the mock drafts, you know about him. But you've been waiting for that. Okay. So like, you were talking about scouting there. I've always sort of disagreed with the approach of boiling down a player in your mind to, like, highlight culture. Like I think of one or two throws. I've always wanted to shave the best in the best. the worst off and take what's in the middle, and that's the player. And that's hundreds and hundreds
Starting point is 00:43:54 and hundreds of plays. But with Mendoza, he's lesser known. To the general public, you just, I guarantee there's a whole army of college football fans out there that know the name Fernando Mendoza. And they know he's the quarterback in Indiana. They probably hadn't even watched him a whole lot. That was when they saw him. And that matters, that matters for your Heisman crowd. But that also matters for that locker room. It's one thing to go in there and win 38 to 10. Like A&M just went and took care of Missouri. And Marcel Reed didn't have to do on that Saturday what Fernando Mendoza did. And I just could not help, but in the moments afterwards, go back to Oregon last year. Oregon just goes wire-to-wire undefeated. Yeah, that one, like close games early before they got
Starting point is 00:44:36 their act together, and they go undefeated and they're totally clean. And they go in the playoff, first round by, and then they get Ohio State and they just get drug. And that was the first time they really tasted their blood. And Indiana looked like they were on a trajectory to maybe do that. And instead, they didn't have to suffer the consequences of loss, but they dealt with something. They dealt with having a crawl over broken glass to get a win. And I mean, I'm never going to be in a major college football locker room as a player, but I cannot imagine what that flight home was like. I can't imagine what it's like to look in the mirror, man, as him. Just look in the mirror. Everyone's been talking you up. But sometimes there can be a little imposter syndrome. There can be a little
Starting point is 00:45:14 self-doubt, there can be none of that with him anymore. It was amazing to watch. Yeah, great second half. Penn State marched up and down the field with their backup quarterback over and over and over. And you were like, oh, my, we got, we got, I almost tweeted, Who's your daddy? I was so close to the play on words. I was like, we're going to get an upset. And then he took that ball. And I was just like, wow, that's impressive. You know, this weekend, Oklahoma, Bama, I like Bama, Iowa, U.S. I take the points. I think it's 2726 either way.
Starting point is 00:45:49 Iowa was a tough matchup on USC. Texas, Georgia. I'll take Georgia. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news.
Starting point is 00:46:00 We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend.
Starting point is 00:46:13 But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Jonas, guys. I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. We were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the
Starting point is 00:46:27 early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas,
Starting point is 00:46:43 and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my advice and thoughtful solutions.
Starting point is 00:47:19 Sike! I'm a comedian! I'm not qualified to give good advice! Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit. Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrat, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hippocrat as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection.
Starting point is 00:48:06 This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio
Starting point is 00:48:50 app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Georgia accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They hold him
Starting point is 00:49:05 Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. I like the bougie style of Housewives show. I think it looks like it's going to be interesting. On the podcast, reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise,
Starting point is 00:49:24 the drama, the alliances, and the team everybody's talking about. As an executive producer in reality television, I'm not just watching it, I understand the game. As somebody who creates shows, I'll even say this. At the end of the day, when people are at home, they want entertainment. To hear this and more, listen to Reality with the King on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 00:49:50 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.
Starting point is 00:50:15 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 Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get to fly. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball.
Starting point is 00:50:40 Like, 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. I want to talk about Kalen DeBore. That's what I want to talk about. So I said when Saban left and Kalen DeBore took over, I said that's the greatest handoff in the history of college football. Generally, you give it to somebody on the staff because that's what the players want. It doesn't work.
Starting point is 00:51:15 Where you bring in somebody and the culture doesn't work. You're just a winning guy. and Kaelin-Dabor, Sioux Falls, Fresno State, Washington, he was 25 and 3. People assumed, well, it's Bama. He didn't have to rebuild anything. I said, no time out. That's a whole different ballgame. This is Bama, NIL.
Starting point is 00:51:36 That's a whole different ball game. Secondly, he is different than Nick. And there's going to be things he likes, coordinators he does, doesn't. I'm like, he was almost punished because everybody thought Nick handed him a Rolls-Royce. And I'm like, no, he handed him a used Rolls Royce. It wasn't as dominant as it was two years earlier. Georgia now had his good or better players. And the NIL world had changed.
Starting point is 00:51:58 Texas now could just buy players. So if you watch Bama and you watch Kaelin DeBore with quarterbacks, I think Ohio State's the best team I've seen. I think Bama's two. I think Bama is the second best team in the country. I don't think Indiana quite have. as the personnel. A&M's beaten a lot of teams that fire their coaches, so I'm not quite sure I buy that yet. They haven't played like Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Georgia, Bama. What do you make
Starting point is 00:52:31 a Kalin-de-Bore, the doubters, the critics, and where they are? I mean, a lot of the doubt and the criticism was just folks wanting Alabama to fall off. It's been a long time since you could really take reasonable shots at Alabama. And I grew up in the South, so like I know the vibe about Alabama around the South. So there's some of it where people are kind of wishcasting. They're hoping that they're right about doubting Kaelin DeBoer. And then there was another crowd that just flat out, you know, thought that he took, like you said, a seamless baton handoff, and it should be full stride in any kind of fall off, any kind of looking at the clock, and we're off pace a little bit. That indicates that he's an imposter. And then you get to backfill
Starting point is 00:53:12 with all these pre-cooked theories people have in the South about how, if you're not from here, you can't recruit here. And how's he going to recruit at Alabama? And he doesn't know this place. He doesn't know the culture. So, you know, the same stuff they said about Brian Kelly. Ended up being valid. Not because he wasn't from the South. It's because he didn't work to the degree you need to work at LSU. So the thing about Kalin is the style he won with at Washington's, what you need to pay the most attention to. The 2023 Washington season, what they have like seven one possession wins or something like that. So they were, win at a bunch of close games, but there's so much, there's some randomized nature to that.
Starting point is 00:53:47 But when you get a big sample size of one possession games and you're that good in one possession games, there's more than just luck to that, that skill. Bama had been used to win in 42 to 10. And so he's come down here and even in the games where they're winning, it's a lot of what he did at Washington. It's one possession games and it aggravates people so much because they want to run for 250 yards and they can't run the ball this year. And yet they're still scaling their offense despite not being able to run the ball, which I think is the biggest feather in the cap of Ty Simpson. Mendoza's doing it with a ground game. Julian's doing it with a ground game. Bama can't run and Ty Simpson still does it. That's all I would say about him if I were promoting him for the
Starting point is 00:54:28 Heisman. But DeBoer, year one in that building this week, Colin, a year ago, they were in the thick of the playoff race. They're going to go to Oklahoma and they get their doors blown off. blown off. And that was really when the ant bed got kicked. That's really when all the rumors started spilling out. That's when all the, you know, the truth started getting dealt because they didn't feel like they had anything left to play for. So you start hearing some grumbling and you start really finding out how oil and water that building had been. Some of the old guards, some of the new guard. And he walked in and I want to remind everyone, he walked in at the weirdest possible time, Maybe in the recent history of college athletics, because he takes the job, Saban retires, and it was weird, like an early January kind of thing.
Starting point is 00:55:13 So he takes the job, and the portal opens for 30 days, but they can't take. They can only lose for 30 days. That's right. And then you patch it up as best you can't. Julian saying was there, by the way. He leaves. Caleb Downs was there. He leaves.
Starting point is 00:55:28 Well, then you go through Spring Ball. And I remember talking to him about this after it happened. And he didn't make any excuses. I was almost trying to make excuses for him. But it was a situation where you had to run your spring practice knowing that after spring ball, when you really want to get down guys' throats and you want to try and install as much culture as you can, they could just leave. There's a post-spring portal window.
Starting point is 00:55:52 And they could bail on you. These aren't your players. You didn't recruit them. How are you going to have a roster going into the season? So they had to kid glove their way through spring ball a little bit. And even then, like you get to the fall. and you're trying to build the plane in the air. And it used to be a nice plane.
Starting point is 00:56:09 And so no one's going to accept any kind of turbulence up there. And that Oklahoma game is where it really came undone a little bit. And that's where you really started hearing it. So it's so crazy to fast forward a year from now. It just so happens to be they're in the thick of it again. Oklahoma's coming in again. I'm interested that you said you like Bama because a lot of people like Oklahoma this week. I love Bama this week.
Starting point is 00:56:30 I'm interested in why it is you like Bama. because I got one reason. Well, I guess my take is, I think the offensive coaching at Bama, I tend to believe that offensive coaches are tinkers. So I think DeBore and his coordinator, you know, like when they went to Georgia, you're like, oh, that's a perfect game plan. I think defensive coaches, Venables, tend to have, this is what we are, and we're just going to be more forceful.
Starting point is 00:57:04 I tend to think with defensive teams, you often get what you get and you get it by like week four. I think offensive coaches. Ryan Day is a great example last year. God, you watched the Michigan game. Then a week later, you watch Tennessee. And then a week later you watch Oregon.
Starting point is 00:57:16 You're like, oh, shit, they didn't peak until the second week of the playoff. They're tinkers. Chip Kelly was always that at all. He was always tinkering. So I tend to think Alabama is just getting better. They're just, every week I feel like they're two possessions better, whereas I feel kind of like I know what
Starting point is 00:57:36 Oklahoma is. I've seen the best of Oklahoma. That's very good. But I think 10 being the best, one being not good. I think Alabama is about a seven. I think they're going to get to about an eight and a half. Now, Ohio state's a nine and they may just stay there. But it's why I think Bama is the second best team in the country. I think they've got a tinker as a coach. I watched them at Washington, just manipulate, tinker, improve. Anyway, that's my take is that I think four weeks ago I may have felt differently. I think the offensive coach over the defensive culture, I like Bama. So I'm with you. They are beating people on Saturday a lot. Staff-wise, like they are, they got one of the best staffs in the country, offensively especially. So here's what's
Starting point is 00:58:24 interesting about that. If you watch the LSU game last week, they're coming out of a buy. theoretically you should just be shot out of a cannon. We're ready to peak in November. They won 20 to 9, I think it was. If you watched the game, you saw how much meat was left on the bone offensively. You saw how much just off the fingertips type explosive passes they missed on. And I think that is part one of the separation Saturday. You just focus on precision and accuracy all week after a game like that. And then number two, Oklahoma's real hallmark is they can shut you down running the ball. I'd almost feel more uncomfortable for Alabama if part of their offense was built on the ground game. They already don't do anything on the ground.
Starting point is 00:59:05 Lesser teams have shut them down running the ball. So what Oklahoma's built to take away, you can't take away from Bama because they already don't do it, and yet they still scale their passing game anyway. And the two other offenses that they've seen that can do through the air of what Bama can are Ole Miss and Tennessee. And I think one through for 319 and the other one threw for 380 or something like that against them. So it's going to be a real high profile game. It'll be a good fight. I think Alabama is going to have one in the thing by double digits in the end.
Starting point is 00:59:33 So Lane Kiffin, I've known Lane for a long time. And I think Lane's smart. I think he's, again, gotten better and better. I made this argument is that you can bounce around Ole Miss, LSU. You can bounce around. They're all, I mean, these days, if Ole Miss can pay 10, LSU pays 11, there's less pressure at Ole Miss, I'd stay at Ole Miss. It's Oxford's beautiful.
Starting point is 00:59:55 Then I said, I think actually he could be an NFL. coach. And like Harbaugh, he'd walk into the sport for the first three years. He knows all these players way better than your GM does. Also, like a Miami, because of the contractual situation, it's going to be your quarterback for a year. But you probably got to draft your next quarterback. And most of these guys are second round quarterbacks. Well, he knows Nussmeyer and he knows Simpson. He knows all these guys. South Carolina kid. He knows all of them. So by the second round, nobody's going to know those quarterbacks better than Lane Kiffin. He either recruited him, played him, played against him.
Starting point is 01:00:35 Do you think Lane Kiffin, do you think he's considering the NFL? Yeah, I think he is. I think several of them are. I think there's some names considering the NFL that would totally and completely put jaws on the ground if the names ever got public. I think these guys are always considering the NFL. Now, you'd never get the truth out of most of them. But yeah, I mean, look, you know the kind of mentality it takes to succeed at the highest level of college football, especially if you specialize on a side of the ball, goes hand in hand with the kind of mentality that thinks I could win in the NFL.
Starting point is 01:01:14 I could win on Sundays. I want to test myself against the best. I want to see how my offense does. And especially with Lane, like you've got the Oakland Raiders chapter in his past. You don't think he wants to make good on that? Yeah. I'm a believer. I'm a believer.
Starting point is 01:01:29 Saban never did it. I'm a believer he wanted to make good on the Miami Dolphins part. Didn't like all of the other extracurricular that comes along with the NFL relative to college. But yeah, I think he would consider it. I think they actively consider it all the time. What I don't know, and I think this is really what the decision comes down to, is what do you personally value the most beyond football? Like some guys hate recruiting. They're looking at the first exit door to get to the NFL.
Starting point is 01:01:56 Others, they think it's their wheelhouse. They think that's one of their strongest suits. They actually love being around young people. I will never forget when I was coming out of college down in Columbus, and I heard you talking about Parcells one day, and you described him as a meatball with arms, that is what stuck with me. That is what NFL coaches look like relative to college coaches
Starting point is 01:02:18 because you're around adults all day instead of younger adults. So past that, yeah, I think he is considering it. You know, let me throw this at you. I had a really smart guy tell me this, a current college coach, and he was talking about Ole Miss and the limitations. He said, offensive recruits will follow the coach. Right. They'll follow Sark Lane, Kaelan.
Starting point is 01:02:43 Offensive players, they want to know who the coach is, what the system is. Great defensive players. They want to go to Georgia, Texas, LSU. Not about scheme. I want to get taken care of. I want an I'll look an I'll check. I got to play in the trenches. That's the limitation of Ole Miss.
Starting point is 01:03:03 When I asked somebody about Ole Miss, they said, Lane's always going to get offensive guys. Offensive guys follow the coach. Defensive guys don't. He's never going to have George's defensive personnel. He's never going to have BAMIS. He's never going to have Ohio states. Defensive guys go to the big schools.
Starting point is 01:03:19 You see all sorts of great offenses in the history of college football. You can go to Hawaii. You go to BYU. You can go Indiana. And see a lot of the top 10 college defense of all. all the time. It's a lot of Georgia, Bama, LSU, Michigan. And so this coach said, Lane knows he's limited. When he faces the big dogs in the SEC, he'll have to outscore him. He's not stopping them. And so that's just something I, that's something to think about. I thought
Starting point is 01:03:48 it was very, very wise. I think it's been taken into consideration. When you do your pros and cons, there's not going to be a clean list under the cons for any of these jobs. Right, right. So, at Ole Miss. That's what you have to ask. But then if you're Lane Kiffin, you have to ask, all right, but what state do I reside in? I reside in Mississippi. The one thing that you're going to say about Mississippi is it pumps out NFL front,
Starting point is 01:04:11 future NFL front defensive talent every year. Now, historically, they've gone to other schools, but that's why it's been case by case a nightmare to play Mississippi State or Ole Miss in a certain given years, because they're just freak shows out of Scuba and Philadelphia and Columbus, and you've never heard
Starting point is 01:04:27 of those places. Yazoo City, Mississippi, But they got future first round NFL draft picks coming out of there. I would think to myself, man, if I can keep enough of those guys home, I'm going to get the offensive guys. But like, you're right. That is the case. If I'm representing him and selfishly, I want him at LSU or I want him at Florida. I want him at Florida because I'm saying, dude, they've got the track record of offense like you want,
Starting point is 01:04:51 Spurrier, even when Urban was there. The difference is you can get the defensive talent down there as well. That's what I'd sell him on. Yeah, Sark. told me this when he was at Washington. He said, I can get first round receivers and tight ends and quarterbacks at Washington. It's defensive tackles. You can't get him in the northwest. We just don't have, we may have one every other year who's an elite defensive tackle. And so, you know, that's why, you know, I just think it's a reality of, even in Southern California, as great as that
Starting point is 01:05:22 state is, right now, USC, if you look at their interior D-line recruiting, there's Texas, there's There's a Oklahoma kid. There's a Texas kid. There's a Minnesota kid. Not a lot of L.A. kids on that defensive front. Now, Lemon the receiver, Lanes from Arizona, you know, Mayava, they got it in Vegas, a running back walk-ons from Calabasas. USC's offensive talent. You know, it's a lot of L.A. kids and West Coast kids.
Starting point is 01:05:49 But, no, I think Lane's a great example of the willingness to evolve as a human. human being. I think Lane today is just a much better human being. Not that I know him that well, but there were a lot of people out on Lane, and he went small school one, and I think Nick Saban deserves a lot of credit. Saban took a beat-up lane and a beat-up Sark. I mean, I tell you a lot about Nick Saban. Those guys were not, they had lost a lot of glare in college sports. I think, I mean, that 25, 2015 team he had alone, just doing. Doing a deep dive on that staff alone, pretty unbelievable at Alabama that Saban had. But, I mean, I remember when Lane was at Alabama.
Starting point is 01:06:37 I remember when Sark had gotten to Alabama. And you're hearing the stories behind the scenes. And you're thinking to yourself, I mean, like one of the greatest magician tricks that I thought about Nick Sabin when I first came to sort of see behind the curtain is everyone watched them and they're this machine and they're winning. And so you think, oh, they're free of all the crap that every. else has to deal with. And then you find out there's tons of infighting there. All of these coaches are alphas. All of these coaches are type A's. And he's just, it's like herding cats. And he somehow did it. But to do what he did for Lane slash with Lane, to do the same thing for slash with Sark, that's pretty unbelievable. But the other part of that is at some point, it doesn't matter how much
Starting point is 01:07:21 someone else is trying to help you if you don't want to help yourself. So yeah, a ton of credit to Nick Saban, absolutely. It's not like Kiffin's having to rediscover himself at Publix. Like he is coaching major college football. But at some point, you got to look in the mirror and realize I'm a full grown adult. Like, it's up to me. And thankfully, he did that. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions.
Starting point is 01:08:04 Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano.
Starting point is 01:08:19 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 finally. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis coming to you, he's like, you know I love you, dog.
Starting point is 01:08:37 You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be? I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS. Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to futas to scheduling sacks. Wait.
Starting point is 01:09:00 What sex? Is it just me or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes? 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. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You think you're in control until you realize you're not. As they're having this gun battle, thousands of feet up in the air, many of the boys, Let's start to puncture the aircraft.
Starting point is 01:09:33 I thought we were going to die then. The Knife is a podcast about the moment ordinary lives take an unexpected turn. Real people, real stories, and the split second that changes everything. New episodes drop every Thursday on the Exactly Right Network and the IHeart Podcast Network.
Starting point is 01:09:50 Listen to The Knife on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This week on Crimless, Rory and I welcome a very special guest. When I did a podcast, I wear my sleep masks. I like where this is going. So if you guys will indulge me. That's right.
Starting point is 01:10:06 The incredibly talented and hilarious Will Ferrell on an episode dedicated to crimes committed by people named Will Ferrell. You're good for 300 crimes? Yeah. We got two. I'm ready to go right up to present day. Listen to Crimless on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human

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