The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Handle With Carr

Episode Date: December 30, 2022

In this hour of The Herd, Colin examines the Dallas Cowboys' potential road through the playoffs following Dak and company's late-season win at Tennessee. Also, Colin notes the mistakes the Las Vegas Raiders have made in handling quarterback Derek Carr's exit—and other organizations in need of a quarterback where he'd likely have instant success. Later, Colin welcomes in college football analyst Joel Klatt of FOX Sports to preview the college football semifinal this weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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9 to noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and FS1. Find your local station for the Hurt at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the IHart Radio app by searching Hurd. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Friday. It is great to be back. And do we have a lot to talk about? Live in Los Angeles, it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, Joel Clatt, huge college football. Saturday coming up, Buckeyes, Georgia, Michigan, TCU. Greg Kosell stops by. I've got my blazing five picks in one hour from now. Now, it's a weird time.

Some of the good teams are resting people. Some of the bad teams are playing for nothing. What will we get this weekend? J-MAC joins me. I am done with airports. It is nice to be back for several months now. How are you? I'm excellent.

How were the slopes for you? Well, I was with my kids. No greater joy as a dad than hanging out with your kids skiing or on a lake. So my kids are wonderful. That was wonderful, but I'm over airports. It's good to know. I took the two days off to play some basketball. do a lot of college football betting.

I'm on a bit of a heater. All right. And get ready for the biggest Jets game in maybe a decade. Well, they're part of my blazing five picks in an hour. So let's start with the Cowboys. They were off a very emotional win over Philadelphia. And they were playing on a short week. Now, they were playing the Tennessee Titans scout team.

They were on a third quarterback. Everybody's rested. Season gone into the tank. So Dallas Stumble didn't look great. But they did win. And Dallas is now five. one since Thanksgiving. It does matter.

The NFL is three seasons. Pre- Thanksgiving, post- Thanksgiving, and playoff. They all feel different in Dallas's winning. In fact, their last two losses have come against outstanding quarterbacks, Aaron Rogers at Lambeau, and Trevor Lawrence at home in Jacksonville. Both were in overtime, so there is reason for optimism around Dallas.

The other good news, if you're a cowboy fan off the win, is even the good teams in the NFC. There's questions about them. The Giants could be a playoff team. It's not a very good roster. Tampa Bay. The offense is anemic. San Francisco on a third quarterback.

Minnesota. Kirk Cousins. And do you trust that defense? Philadelphia. Jalen Hertz is hurt. Nick Sariani's never won a playoff game. So there's a lot of reason for optimism. Now, if the Cowboys are a wild card team,

they'd have to win three straight road games to get to the Super Bowl. I do not think they're buttoned up to do that. But if Philadelphia stumbles against the Saints this week and they have a chance to win the division, now it gets very, very interesting. When Dallas gets into trouble, and you saw it last night, the run game's not working, and they have to ask Dak Prescott to throw 40 times a game.

And even with a win last night, DAC is now 7 and 15 in his career when he throws it 40 or more times. Last night, he got a W and the record is still abysmal. So Tony Pollard was hurt. Dak now has had 10 picks since Thanksgiving. It's a bit of a mess. So here's the good news, though. There is a way for the Cowboys to win, and we've watched it multiple times this season.

strong run game and DAC is an excellent complementary piece. That's the way to win. And here's where it gets really interesting for the Cowboys, and I'm seen as a Cowboy Cynic, not a hater, but a cynic. Eight of the

top 10 run defenses in the National Football League are in the AFC. Dallas won't face them. Outside of the Niners, great run defense. The NFC teams that could be in their way. Minnesota, Giants, commanders, believe it or not, Eagles, Minnesota,

Carolina, Tampa are all middle of the pack run defenses. So we know there's a way for the Cowboys to win. DAC is a complementary piece and the run game is rolling. Now we have a route for the Cowboys to win. They face anybody but San Francisco in the playoffs. So that's where you get your optimism. But if you look at the box score, last night is classic DAC with an 85 passer rating two picks they ask him to throw 41 times. It's just

not who he is. So stay out of that space. Here was DAC after. A win's a win and we're going to take it and we're going to get better from the mistakes and we're going to make sure they weren't proven. But a road win short week, you've got

to take them all. And the style points and all that, that's for y'all who think games are one on paper. Okay, so the other story, it is amazing. Stuff gets going on the internet and nobody pushes back and then all of a sudden you wake up and Derek Carr is terrible. It's like, timeout. Time out, time out. I've always thought my job is to just add some context. Take the emotion out of it. I don't care who wins and loses these games.

I want them to be, it's like a produce. I own the store. I'm looking for good fresh material. So Derek Carr is getting benched by the Raiders for the last two games. Why is he getting benched? Well, my feeling is they want him healthy so they can trade him. So Derek Carr and his contract has $40 million guaranteed money. Their injury guarantees.

So if he gets hurt, one of the NFL's poorest owners, Mark Davis, would have to write him $40 million check. They don't want to do that. They want to move off Derek Carr. I think it's a mistake. So the Raiders want him healthy. They want to trade Derek Carr and they want him healthy. and there is no big dead cap hit if they moved him. We've mentioned that multiple times this year.

He is one of the rare good quarterbacks in this league. You can move now and not be a big dead cap hit. I wouldn't move him. I don't think this is a great college quarterback class. I just wouldn't. But I'll say this, just to defend Eric Carr again. He's 31 years old. He's already at 35,000 yards.

That's with multiple coaching. changes, constant chaos, often bad offensive line. He's at 35,000 yards. If he plays just three more seasons, and my guess he'll play double that, he'll play at least six because he's never really been hurt consistently. He's always ready to play. He's a tough kid. If he plays just three more years, that's it. He's 31. He will blow past 45,000 yards passing because he's at 35,000 now and he averages 4,000 a year. So he'll blow past 4,000. 45,000 yards passing. 16 quarterbacks in league history have done that.

Many are Hall of Famers and three that aren't Breeze, Aaron Rogers, and Brady will be. And the guys that have done it who didn't make the hall, Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer, were damn good. Derek Carr's a good quarterback. I say this all the time. I'm always impressed with a kid that came from a young boy or young girl that came from a tough background and made something of themselves.

It's awesome if you're a billionaire, but if you started as a trust fund kid, you don't touch my heart. Derek Carr had to go to Fresno State. Everybody doubted Derek Carr. Didn't have the big arm. Goes to the Raiders, six different coaches. Last year was a circus. Yeah, he throws probably more interceptions that you'd like. But this morning, I went out and I looked at it.

I took out his rookie year because all these quarterbacks struggle as rookies. Trevor Lawrence is great now. He was awful last year. I mean, John Elway first year, Peyton Manning first year, Eli Manning first year, take out his rookie year and subtract this year because he's not going to play a full season. And his numbers are astounding, 95 passer rating, two and a half touchdown interception ratio, over 4,000 yards, 66% completion percentage. And this team right now, outside the left tackle, isn't a very good offensive line.

So teams like the Jets, the commanders, and the bucks, If Brady retires, they just need a quarterback. Jets are not rebuilding. Jets roster's fine. They need a quarterback. That's a playoff team with the quarterback. They may make the playoffs with their quarterback situation now. The commanders with that roster are a playoff team easily with Derek Carr.

Tampa Bay, if Brady left somewhere else, Tampa Bay with Derek Carr in that division, that's a playoff team. If he stays healthy for six, seven more years, that would be my guess, he's going to blow past 50,000 yards passing. That is like an elite, elite, elite club. So Derek Carr's good. Oh, yeah, let me throw this in, adding context to it. Now, I love Patrick Mahomes, but he inherited Andy Reed and Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelsey and Brett Beech the GM and the Hunt family.

Okay, so, and we all know Mahomes is great, right? And he's better than Derek Carr. But since Derek Carr entered the league, do you know what the Raiders defense has been? 32. Six different head coaches. Can we add context? Stuff gets on the internet. Everybody believes in it.

Nobody just goes to Google and looks it up. Yeah, last year, as he carried a wobbly franchise with an interim special teams head coach to the playoffs in the Superior AFC, He threw some picks. Yeah, guess what? It's hard having to pull an entire franchise to the playoffs in the AFC out of the AFC West. Devante Adams, if Derek Carr is traded and I imagine he will be, talked about the guy he played college football with at Fresno State. Obviously, I don't think anybody was excited about it in here. you know, him being one of my really good friends.

You know, the reason why I came here in the first place, I wouldn't be here right now if he wasn't here. So I think everybody knows how I feel about him. And, you know, with that said, there's a process of how things go. And I'm not going to sit here and go on and on. But obviously, I support my guy. The best part about the inner web is that you see some very, very clever, smart, funny people. The worst part is stuff goes down.

like an avalanche and nobody actually does any checking. Just Google his career stats. And remember, he's on his sixth coach. He's like third or fourth GM. I mean, this year he didn't have Hunter Renfro or Darren Waller most of the year. He did have Devonté Adams. But, I mean, go look at the first round picks that Mayock and Gruden whiffed on. This guy's been playing Mahomes twice a year.

Now it's Herbert twice a year. Thank God, Russell Wilson is struggling. Derek Carr would make the Jets, the commanders, the Bucks minimum. Playoff teams next year. He's really good. He's just like a lot of young people, had to overcome a lot. A lot. His franchise move forgot.

How many people have to deal with that? In all the chaos, yeah, we're moving to another state. A lot of players choose to move. The franchise doesn't move and they have to chase it. All sorts of good stuff today. Blazing 5 next hour. Joel Clack, great. College football games.

Capping the season. Two big ones. Then we're down to one. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. 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, 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 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 Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new

week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ah, the voice of college football at this network, Joel Clatt. He's always phenomenal. We'll be Joining us, Michigan, TCU tomorrow. I like the Wolverines by about a touchdown. Also, Ohio State, Georgia.

I think there's going to be points in that one. I'll take Georgia, but I think it's competitive. The Buckeyes put some points up, so do the Bulldogs. Very excited for both games. I want to start with this, though. Jerry Judy is a wide receiver for Denver. Very talented, I've been told for years. Little immature, but he did something that I like,

that he came out and defended these wild rumors about Russell Wilson, some are rumors, some are not. There's discussion that he has a parking space. Okay, first of all, I drive into the Fox parking lot every morning. There's 15 to 20 reserve parking spots. I imagine for senior management. Every place I've ever worked, there's reserved parking spots for managers. I don't think of anything of it.

I'm over there by the dumpster. What do I care? It's a parking spot. I like the exercise. So if he has a parking space, who cares? All my bosses have always had their own parking spots. And then there's the, well, he's got his own room, his own office. Can I just say this?

If I owned an NFL franchise, I would give my GM, his own office, head coach, his own office. When I used to work covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the GM and the coach had their own office, so did the scouting director. And I would consider absolutely if I had a veteran quarterback making over $250 million, I'm a Holmes, you know, that kind of guy. Aaron Rogers, I would consider giving him his own office. Occasionally I'd ask him if I could pull a sponsor in to say hello or a lucky fan group that won a contest. But it gives him some privacy to bring in maybe his other quarterbacks or receivers. I just don't think it's excessive at all.

Maybe I'm off in the clouds. But every company I've ever worked at, mid-level managers get parking spots and offices. Maybe, I don't know. It doesn't seem like a thing. but Jerry Judy, to his credit, the young man deserves some respect here because stuff gets on the internet, it becomes an inferno, and Jerry Judy said stop, stop the criticism of Russell Wilson.

I'm just tired of reading things about my boy and making it seem like, oh, he's not a good teammate, he don't other unnecessary stuff that's not true, and I just want to get it out of the air, like that he is a good teammate, you know, and he is a hardworking teammate, and I just feel like I just needed to get that out there because there's a lot of false narratives going around here that I'm getting tired of of seeing. Okay, again, Russell Wilson may be washed. I think Jason McIntyre and I have been on the side of we can't figure it out. I believe about 70% of the problems are a completely overwhelmed head coach.

Their best offensive lineman on a weak offensive line got hurt in game five. their best running back got hurt in week four, and then they bailed on their backup who kept fumbling. So Russell Wilson here, new system, new coach, tough division, young receivers, battle line, running backs gone early, coach over his skis. I think it's about 70, 30 on other stuff. I could obviously be wrong. There is no precedent from going from 100 quarterback rating four straight years to garbage. There's just no precedent for it.

But I will say this. is that, and this is probably a good thing. You know, most comedians, honestly, should be liberal because they should be fighting power. It's funer to make fun of rich, powerful people. It's not funny to make fun of poor people and people that are being overwhelmed in life. Most comedians should be liberal. They should fight, so should newspaper people. They should be fighting corporations and power.

And that's something that gets lost is that it's okay. The media sometimes it does lean left, fighting in their view for the little guy. Hey, listen, I work at Fox. We're conservative. I'm totally okay with it. My friends in the media, probably 60, 40, 70, 30 Democrat over Republican, I don't care. Good people, good people.

But I do think, and this is why this matters, is that sometimes Russell Wilson comes off as very corporate, says whatever the owner wants, says whatever. very, it doesn't come off as authentic. He's, he's get me my money, beautiful wife, corporate guy, little cringy, and the media doesn't love him. You know, for a long time, they loved Aaron Rogers, you know, the contrarian until that vaccine stuff. So, you know, my takeaway is I get why some of the media don't like certain people who come off as powerful and corporate. But it does feel a little bit like we're piling on here. Nathaniel Hackett wasn't even a coordinator in Green Bay. Was he even truly a play caller consistently? I mean, Aaron, they say, runs what Aaron wants to run.

He blew off Mike McCarthy for years, and McCarthy had a Super Bowl. McCarthy's got the Cowboys going to finish like 13 and 4. Maybe Russell's washed. I could certainly, I don't know how to explain it, but, and I get some of the animosity here toward him, but it does feel like parking space? Really? That's got you worked up? I mean, if you've ever worked at a corporation, mid-level managers have him. He's got his own office. Who gives a rip? I do.

I talk into a microphone for a living. Now, half the time I come into it and Bradshaw's asleep on the couch eating all my snacks. It just feels a little bit like piling on, and Jerry Judy, to his credit, came out and defended his guy. Jay Mack with the news. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Franchise quarterback, you spend a quarter of a billion dollars on, has his own office.

I'm stunned at that development. I'm like, what the heck? All right, let's get started, Colin with the big news out of Philadelphia. Jalen Hertz, the likely MVP this season if Mahomes doesn't overtake him, return to practice for the first time since his shoulder injury was listed as limited. You see him here going through some drills. I don't see any extra padding around the collar. like he could go.

Yeah. Instead of Gardner Minchew, but they're hosting the Saints this Sunday. I think the bigger news than Jalen Hertz is Lane Johnson, Colin. I dug up this stat. Lane Johnson, when they're missing, their great right tackle. The last three years, three and ten, that's what their record is. He is a great offensive lineman, instrumental to the run game, the past protection. He may be the best right tackle in league history.

He's certainly up there. He's in the discussion. And without him, they have just not looked like the same team. That's right. This is a dangerous spot, I feel like, against the Saints. Coming off that kind of disheartening loss to Dallas. Yeah, I know. I want to go Saints, but I look at the Saints' injury report.

They're missing. Their left tackles out. Alvin Kamara is not practicing. I don't know what to make of this, but do you think, if you're an Eagles fan, do you want to see Hertz back out there? I do because I think they're a team that doesn't want to play at San Francisco. Remember, they blew out Minnesota. You know, you don't want to go to Minnesota.

So I feel outside of the Niners, I feel every other good NFC playoff team needs to play at home. Now, I think Cincinnati could win anywhere. Kansas City could win anywhere. Buffalo, I think mostly could win anywhere. I think Philadelphia, Seriani's never won a playoff game. Jalen Hertz never won a playoff game. They need to be at home.

I think they're taking this game very seriously. I mean, you look at the NFC, four teams have a positive point differential. That's it in the entire conference. And one of them is the Vikings who went outside in Philly and got destroyed. This weekend will say a lot about the Vikings in Green Bay. Next up, Tom Brady, this is a wild stat. He's officially spent half of his life in the NFL. Yesterday was his 8,292nd days since being drafted by the Patriots.

He had lived 8,292 days before that. He was informed of this incredible stat during his press conference yesterday. Here was Tom Brady's response. That's crazy. You know, the stats and data is everywhere. It's a data-driven world, but that's crazy. It's hard for me to imagine. So I've loved it.

I've certainly loved my opportunity to play, and it's been a lot of, you know, it's memories and relationships. I've certainly had my fair share of all those. Relationships, key word there, for backwards hack guy, Tom Brady. Relationships. Well, there are...

Derek Carr and Josh McDaniels in Vegas. We've been on this for a while, right? No, you've been on that one big. I'm kind of a skeptic on that one, but you are very much into, I mean, let's be, do we both agree, the Raiders are moving off Derek Carr? Oh, that's a given. Apparently, they don't even want him like in the facility this week because of the bad, negative vibes, you know, all the players defending him.

So your options are Josh McDaniels now. This is his second go as a head coach. It's starting badly. What would you want? A rookie quarterback or Brady? Or I think Jimmy Garoppolo is really. the only other. You're not going for Ryan Tannahill. That's not happening. And you're not going for a kid.

And just a reminder. So the guy they're starting this week is Jared Stidham. A lot of people scoff. Who's Jared Stidham? What has he done? You know where he was before Vegas, right? Yeah. In New England with Josh McDaniels. Jackson. Jackson-Dill's likes his guys who know his football. Jared Stidham knows his game.

Tom Brady knows Josh McDaniel. It's just a, it seems like a natural fit, Colin. But you don't think Jared Stidham's the answer. No, hell no. Oh, sorry. No, I do not think That was a little early for a hell no. All right, let's wrap up with the biggest game of Sunday in the 4 p.m. window East Coast time. Gino Smith revenge game against the Jets.

They drafted him back in 2013. His first four seasons there included a lot of futility. And I think he got punched out by a teammate, right? Yeah. Linebacker clocked him in the face. He's talking about facing the Jets with a playoff spot on the line for Seattle. He says he's not focusing on the revenge aspect against his former team. We need a win so we can get to the playoffs.

off. You know, obviously, there'll be some speculation, some talk about that. You know, I mean, it comes with the territory. It's to be expected. You know, I got a lot of love for the Jets, the organization, and a lot of people that are still there that were there when I got drafted. So for me, in this team, it's, you know, business as usual, another week to prepare and a tough challenge for us to go out there and, you know, try and get this win. We need it. By the way, the season started all of us laughing at Russell. Wilson and Pete Carroll really knew what he was doing. Gino's not the answer without a run game, and they have to go to the draft where there's

about one quarterback per year that's a franchise quarterback. So remember, like, that divorce looked like Seattle slam dunk. But what's happening with Gino now without a consistent run game? He's Gino Smith. Kevin Lockett, did, or sorry, Tyler Lockett returned from injury this week. if he may play, they don't know if he's going to go yet, that would be huge for Gino in Seattle. I think the Jets, I don't want to say Mike White's locking this one up, Colin, but I don't know.

I feel good about Mike White. Who do you feel more confident in going into this game? Gino Smith in Seattle, who is definitely slip sliding down. I mean, I think they haven't covered six games in a row. Right. Or Mike White, who has looked good against Minnesota, look good against the bills. Well, I don't want to build my franchise around either, but I do think Mike White will win this weekend. That's what I feel.

All right. Feel good. You know going into week 18, a lot of Jets talk on the herd for sure. Let's ring in the new year with the Jets in the playoff mix. All right. J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lye News.

I don't talk a ton of basketball, as you well know, until we get into kind of February and the NFL crowns its champion. But this is interesting. I said last week, I thought the Lakers, the bus family should sell the franchise. I think they're over their heads, second generation business, not going well,

scouting department, front office. It's just really poorly run, has been for a long time. And I also think LeBron James deserves better. He's having another remarkable season. Top 10 in scoring. Looks great. LeBron James, I was gone a couple days ago, expressed his frustration now that Anthony Davis has hurt about this team, the roster, and the situation he's in.

I'm a winner and I want to win. Playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA. It's not in my DNA anymore. I don't want to finish my career, you know, playing at this level from a team aspect. I'm going to still be able to compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ball. club with the right pieces. So I have defended LeBron a lot through the years, probably 85, 90 percent pro LeBron. I do think he's the best overall basketball player I've ever seen, along with MJ and Magic

Johnson. They're just different. But I have no sympathy here. LeBron James chose Los Angeles to get rich, and he did. This was not a good organization when he got here. They were off five straight losing seasons. He then signed an extension recently. He also wanted Westbrook.

It's a poorly run basketball operation, has been for a decade, and they should be open now to trading him. LeBron is represented by Rich Paul and Clutch Sports. I believe there are six different clutch sports players on this roster, some obviously better than others. And the AD Westbrook moves are all over LeBron's finger, Prince, as is Pat Beverly, although I don't have any verification of that, but Pat Bev is exactly what LeBron historically likes, feisty veteran players who've been around the block, who've been in

playoff series. But he chose Los Angeles to get rich. He did not choose it because it was the best ownership group, the best scouting department, the best roster. Contrary to that, there were multiple options that were significantly better. He chose to get rich and build his brand and bring ADV. there. And he got a bubble championship and is now, I imagine he's a billionaire. His business has done fabulously well. But the Lakers now need a reboot. And he's a very tradable player. Ask yourself this. Is Luca going to keep scoring 45 points a game in Dallas? Doesn't he need a running mate? I'd call the Mavericks tomorrow. Miami and Cleveland are both going to make the playoffs in the east, but neither has the man. Milwaukee. Chris Middle

can't stay healthy. Joe Ingalls coming off an injury isn't what he used to be, probably. So, I mean, to me, this is the perfect opportunity. The Lakers need to reboot, a rebuild. They don't want to give up those picks. Trade, you're already bad. Trade LeBron. Get a bunch of picks. Maybe get some rotational guys. Have sort of an identity because you don't have one now. But in this instance, this is what LeBron wanted. Branding, getting really wealthy, and man has he, and I couldn't be happier for him and his friends in Los Angeles. I really couldn't. I think LeBron's a really good dude. This was never the best basketball decision. We all knew that. They were off five straight losing seasons and had a roster full of unproven kids outside of Kyle Kuzma.

Did anybody really like any of them at the end, or does anybody like any of them today? All right. Joel Klat is around the corner, Blazing Five top of the next hour. and Greg Kosell. We are stacked on a Friday. Happy holidays to all of you doing the traveling. I know it's a headache wherever you may be back in a second. It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays at noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the

biggest sports headlines. Accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only

legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 plethora. 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. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind

podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So good to have you in. Joel Clad is the voice of college football at this network.

Love having them on. He just called that thrilling Oregon win over North Carolina. Has there ever been a bad holiday bowl? They may change sponsors, but the outcomes are always great. Okay, so let's start with Michigan TCU. I know that Harbaugh can be awkward and a little intense, but I tend to look for threads. You know, I've seen him do like the Jim Schwartz thing and the hard slap on the back,

and I've had coaches say he can be kind of an awkward guy and my takeaway is I'm awkward. whatever, I can't be. But at Stanford Niners in Michigan, the one thing he always brings, his team becomes the toughest in the conference, eventually. And I feel bad for TCU. I think it's a good matchup.

You've never really wavered on Harbaugh. I don't think you have, have you? No, I don't. I mean, I remember, shoot, I might have been on the train before you were. I still remember, we did. Gus and I called his first. game at Michigan. You remember that? You had just come over. Yeah. And we were doing a pregame show at Utah, and they were about to play that Utah team. Now, if my memory serves me correct, Utah ended up

winning that game. But that was the Jake Rudok, Michigan team. And I said on that show that I thought that that year, Michigan would end up being a top 10 team. And they were. And I felt that way because of what you just said. Like they will eventually become the toughest team in the conference at the line of scrimmage. And he's going to do that or die trying, like he said in press conferences before. The bottom line is that this Michigan team this year is a team that does not panic when they're in close games because they know they'll eventually wear you down. Michigan's got right now the best offensive line in the country.

They've got a great defensive line. And it is the reason, Colin, why they're such a good second-half team. They are the best second-half team in the entire country. Their point differential is plus 200 and, I think, what, six in second half of football games. And that's a bad matchup for TCU. The reason is because TCU relies on coming back in the second half so often. They've got five second-half comebacks. I don't think that's going to be afforded them because the terms of the game generally are played.

with the Michigan offensive and defensive line, and that's what eventually wins out. You know, if there was a single quarterback in college football this year that will not go in the first round, but will end up having a nice career, I would guess it would be Max Duggan the kid at TCU. My guess is he could end up starting being a backup, but when I watch him play, I'm like he kind of moves.

He's got an arm. There's a lot of hutzpah. I like it. What do you make of him in this offense? Because the way to beat Michigan, if you could get lucky here, is you get a crazy shootout with a hot quarterback. What do you make of him? That's right.

Well, first of all, you're exactly right about the blueprint to beat Michigan. They've got to play from the lead, and they've got to create big plays early. Now, they've got a great wide receiver on the outside, Quentin Johnson. He's an NFL guy. They've got a good NFL back and Kendra Miller. You know, like they've got some pieces. There's no doubt. And one of the things that they do best is throw the ball down the field and create big plays.

explosive pass plays. In fact, Duggan's third in the Power 5, Colin, when you look at passes that travel at least 20 yards or more, he completes 50% of those. That's third in the Power 5. He's got 18 touchdowns of passes that travel 20 or more yards. So if I'm TCU,

I'm going out throwing haymakers because I've got to play from the lead, right? You've got to take away the terms of the game from Michigan and their line of scrimmage. So what you're saying, and now to kind of the first point, of your question, which was Duggan and maybe his future prospects. I covered him.

I also covered Brock Purdy. There's a lot of similarities there. A lot of similarities. Now, Brock might be a bit of a more refined passer, but Duggan is a more gritty, you know, do it with his leg style of guy. And both of them are very smart. They're probably a little undersized for the NFL. They're going to be overlooked, but they're great.

competitors and they are the catalyst for teams overachieving at the college level. I thought Purdy was the catalyst along with their running back, Breece Hall at Iowa State. And then Dougan, obviously, what he's done at TCU has been outstanding. But that's, they remind me a lot of each other. Yeah. I think Ohio State's going to score some points on Georgia. I don't think they'll beat him, but I think it's going to be, we don't see this much with Georgia, a little bit of a shootout.

teams in the high 20s, low 30s. I do. Your takeaway on Ohio State's offense against this vaunted Georgia defense. Yeah, so the thing about Georgia's defense is that if you're a team that really needs to be balanced or really, really like needs the run game to jumpstart your team, they're just going to totally shut you down. Right? Because Jalen Carter is too good. And that run defense is too good. Now, If you're a team that has the talent to win one-on-one matchups in the straight dropback game, then you can move the ball on Georgia. And I think the evidence is clear of that, even in the last two years. In fact, when you look at the last 38 games that Georgia has played, I believe they've only lost three of them.

And in only four of those games, they've given up over 400 yards of total offense. Well, they're one and three in those games. The latest to do that, by the way, was LSU. LSU just did something that we haven't seen in the Kirby Smart era. They had 10 pass plays of 20 or more yards, explosive pass plays. So if I'm looking at like, okay, I'm going to try to create a team that could give Georgia problems. I'm not saying they're going to win, but give them problems. I would say good NFL style quarterback, really good intricate passing scheme, and players on the outside that can win.

Oh, hello, Marvin Harrison, Jr., right? Jameson Williams from last year at Alabama or Metsche. last year from Alabama in that SEC championship game. So for me, this is a matchup that at least Ohio State, they've got the pieces to go out there and play with Georgia and make this a game. And I firmly believe what you're talking about. I think Ohio State's going to be able to score a little bit. The bigger question for me is how they perform in the red zone offensively,

because that's where they struggled against Michigan. They were one of four scoring touchdowns in the red zone. And then how do they handle Stetson Bennett? Because this is the one thing that we don't talk about in this game, by the way. Colin, Stetson Bennett, in his last five games against top 15 teams, he's 72% over 285 yards passing, 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. They've got great tight ends, Brock Bowers being one of them. Can Ohio State stop them? I don't know.

I don't know, especially after what we saw in their last game out against Michigan. So, you know, I see that it doesn't bother me, but I'm not. I totally get why this bothers sort of traditionalists when you see a great player sitting out of a bowl game. Now, I've always said, if I was a running back and it's a second-tier bowl game, Leonard Fernette, Abisjean Robinson, like, hey, man, we recruit four a year at this school. I've given you everything I've got. Beating Washington's not the end of the – I'm okay with some guys sitting out bowl games. Does it bother you? No, I've, you know, when it first started happening, I think the first, the first one that I was like, oh my gosh, you know, a bit shocked was Christian McCaffrey.

Yeah. Why don't you agree that that was kind of the first one of the trend? And, you know, but that was, if I'm not mistaken, that was a sunbowl, to your point, a running back, maybe a, you know, not one of the premier bowls out there. I've kind of landed on this philosophy. I think it has to do with value. First and foremost, anybody that makes this decision, I won't begrudge them this decision. They've put themselves in this position

and done enough to feel like they're making a decision for their future. So that's first. Secondly, just in terms of like, are they making the right decision or not, I've kind of landed on the players that really can't help themselves in their draft stock. It's probably a good decision not to play.

But there are, guys that can make themselves a lot of money by putting out a great performance. Right. And, you know, if you can help your draft stock, well, why wouldn't you play? I know it's a risk reward proposition. So first things first, I do not begrudge anybody their decision. You make your decision and you move on. And that is what it is. But if you could still help your draft stock, I think that you might be making a poor financial decision at times if you're opting out. I only have a minute left. I don't know if you noticed USC was awesome this year.

Oklahoma under 500. I just saw it on TV somewhere. Is that thing going to work? Because I think Cliff Kingsbury is going to be available. If you're a sooner fan, little concerned how clunky it was? Yes. And there's also some reasons for optimism.

You know, coming down the stretch, they played a lot of one-score games. You know, they were three and six down the stretch and that could have easily been a nine and three season. season. And they recruited really well. I mean very well. Getting Peyton Bowens, that safety is a big get. So I'm actually not concerned for Oklahoma moving forward. They're still Oklahoma. I think Brent Vinnables can get it done. And that was a great game, by the way, against Florida State. So I'm not concerned about OU. Okay. There you go. You're very positive. I like that during the holidays. A lot of negativity. Our airline industry is crashing. So not literally, but maybe they're computer systems. So we need positive vibes here today. Joel Clatt, as always, my friend, you always look prepared.

This guy rolls out of bed, ready to talk college football. You look like the voice of college football. There we go. Good seeing you, my man. I appreciate you. Happy New Year, bud. All right, he has got a podcast. Joel Clatt.

Joel Clat show three times a week. New episode drops. Yeah, I watched about half of Oklahoma, Florida State. Florida State finally has a right coach. You know, it's hard to replace the Bobby Bowes. and the paternos and the legends. And it looks like Florida State, Norville's got the right coach.

They had a lot of explosive plays. Every time I look up, I was at a bar with some buddies. Like there was a massive play, like a chunk play for like 30, 40 yards for FSU. It kind of looked like the Danny Canal FSU era, way back in the day when they were like fun to watch. Yeah, I mean, if just eyeball test, Florida State's got a bunch of good players now. By the way, Michael Pennix of Washington?

Now, he didn't play well last night. I thought he was all right. I mean, that guy's got a live arm, man. If he could stay healthy, Colin. Watch out. No, the draft next year, you're going to get Caleb Williams, the Carolina kid. Drake May, who looked really good. And Pennix.

And Caleb and Drake May are can't miss. Can I put a sleeper on your radar? KJ Jefferson of Arkansas looks a lot like Jalen Hertz. 6.3.240 can run. You're like a buck 40 on the ground in their bowl game, and he can throw it. So, TCU, Michigan tomorrow, Georgia, Ohio State tomorrow, The Cowboys pick up a win. Greg CoSell right around the corner.

Greg Jennings later this hour. This is just such a great time of the year. It's going to be a weird weekend professionally. Some guy, we were just talking about this. Do the Chargers now? How many starters do they play? Do they play Bosa? Because they could play either Cincinnati or Jacksonville in the playoffs

and you don't want to face Burrow. A lot of interesting stuff. It's the hurt. Another podcast from some SNL. late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman

help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics. where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway

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