The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - It's time for Harbaugh to go to the NFL

Episode Date: January 9, 2024

Colin reacts to Jim Harbaugh and Michigan winning their first National Championship since 1997 and why it's time for Harbaugh to return to the NFL Thoughts on Michael Penix last night vs Michigan The Steelers are not firing Mike Tomlin but it may be time for them to move onSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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FSR. We're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Oh, here we go. It'll be a lively Tuesday, live in Los Angeles. It's the Hurt, wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us part of your day. Oh, Hurt hierarchy, our playoff hierarchy in one hour. Nick Wright, Joel Clatt, everybody joining the party.

Today, it's absolutely great to be here. J-MAC 3413. We both felt Michigan was the side. We loved the Washington quarterback in the story. It became fairly clear early. And we probably saw it in week two, three, four, five, six. Certainly saw it at the end. Who was at the top of the college football map?

Yeah, Michigan. As predicted here yesterday, something of a blowout, they looked like an SEC team yesterday. Power game, defense, everything. Yep. So Michigan wins the Natty due to its secret plan. No, not Conor Stallions. The secret plan of stockpiling NFL talent and then bulldozing everybody from, you know, first week of September on.

It's the same plan, by the way. Georgia had used in the previous two years. LSU before them, Alabama before them years ago, USC. It's a very secretive plan. Yeah, the team with the most talent won. Again, in college football. Jim Harbaugh is an elite all-time coach. College, no question, pro, I think eventually.

His critics were silly, blow-hards, not really connected, had agendas. And after watching the entire night last night, beginning to end, I thought to myself, it's time for Jim to go to the NFL. I didn't think that before the game. But near the end, his brother, there, families there. When he had equal talent,

he beat Saban. When he had equal talent, he beat Ryan Day three straight times. He didn't have that at Stanford. He didn't have that at San Diego. And he didn't have that initially at Michigan. They lost a Michigan State early a few times. But years and years and years of

recruiting and structure, and they had equal talent. Better than, slightly less than, it was at least equal. And he beat everybody. It's time to face Sean McVeigh and Kyle Shanahan and Andy Reed and maybe once again your brother, the best of the best. I watch Pete Carroll get bored with college football. I watched Jimmy Johnson say, I need new challenges.

The NCAA and I love college football, but they're silly. The transfer portal, I'm for it, bit of a mess. isn't it time for him to compete against the best and not worry about beating Rutgers, Maryland, or Purdue's head coach? He's above that, and that's no shot at them. He's an elite all-timer. And Jim Harbaugh thrives under structure. That's what he brought to Michigan.

Structure. Relentless structure. Repetitive structure. College football doesn't provide that. They don't provide it. The sport makes like $6 billion a year. They don't have a CEO. They don't have a president. They don't have a schedule maker.

It's kind of make your own schedule. It's nonsense. And I love the sport. Michigan was not a top five program when he got there. They are the best program now. They are. That was not a top five team ever. I don't think they have the wide receiver talent of Georgia the last couple years or certainly of LSU a few years ago.

But they were so. Harbaugh. They were so Big Ten. They were so resilient. They were just the perfect Jim Harbaugh team. They were those Stanford teams with better players. They were the 49er teams without

quite that NFL talent. Tough, great tackling, relentless, physical, committed, details, almost no penalties. I watched that game last night and I thought, it's time, coach. you did it you brought michigan back they deserved it clearly the best team with that covert plan of recruiting and developing elite talent and then bulldozing people yeah some plan the one everybody

uses but sometimes it's harder to win at michigan you've got a great rival in ohio state the weather's colder sometimes harder to convince the texas california florida kid to come out north but over time he did and there is no question he is at the king the mountain top of college football today and has absolutely earned it now go get a ring in the big boy league

here's the coach after I just want to enjoy this I just want to enjoy this I hope you give me that you know can a guy have that does it always have to be you know what's next what's the future um you know like i said the other day yeah i hope i hope to have a future you know

just one last thing it just i got two great loves uh my love at work you know the people i work with coaches the staff players and have a and and the love i have for my family at home yeah tip of the cap he does it his way he's disruptive he makes many uncomfortable and when people can't beat somebody, they need an excuse because mirrors still work, but nobody wants to look at him. Jim Harbaugh out recruited you, outsmarted you, out physical you, out relentless you, outthought you, and he'll now leave or stay on his terms. That's the way it should be. All right, what about Michael Pennings? Hmm. He didn't play very well last night. Well, Michael Pennix, we've talked about this,

his NFL comp is to us. Let me ask you, how does Tua perform when he's pressured, hurried, doesn't have great protection? Tua looks like a guy. He looks really average. And that's what Michael Pinnock's looked like. Michael Penix is not Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. He's not Steve Young. He's not Brett Farrve.

He's a statuesque, beautiful pocket passer. Goff, Tua, Matt Ryan, and all of them under duress erode quickly. They don't have a second gear. Michael used to when he ran, but he's got medical issues, a history that scares GMs. Now, last night didn't help Michael Pennings, but NFL scouts have always been concerned about the previous medical stuff, and they never considered him to be in the same league as Caleb Williams. I talk to executives in the league.

often I text them, I ask, Caleb Williams is going number one. Like a Trevor, Lawrence, or Andrew Luck, it's over. He's going number one. Michael Penix is going to be like almost all these kids drafted out of college. As successful

as where he lands. If he goes to an Atlanta with the top six offensive line, tight end, running back, receiver I like, wonky division, gets an offensive coach. That'd be kind of interesting. Tua, Miami, offensive coach, good weapons.

Tua is pretty interesting with that. But Tua wouldn't work in cold weather with a bad, bad receiving core, have to carry them and run for his life with a defensive coach. He's just not special enough. Michael Pennix, for a college quarterback behind a good old line, great coach, great receivers, is a wonderful player. But Michigan had much better players. recruiting is still the name of the game and Washington is geographically isolated.

I grew up there in the Pacific Northwest. Idaho, Oregon surround them. Michigan, bigger brand, more centralized, the middle of America, bigger conference, Big Ten's got better players. So the windows last night for Michael Pennix were brief and tiny. For the record, last night doesn't help him. But Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes were regularly losing games in college bad and wildly inconsistent.

Michael Penix is a franchise quarterback. Could be late first, second, third. I don't know. I think you've got to consider taking all these guys early because the sport now is so based on coach and quarterback play. But fit matters. Let me ask you, think J.J. McCarthy would have led Iowa State to the nattie? Or do you think Harbaugh mattered and Michigan's O-line and run game mattered?

I know we want to create messias. That's the Western religion. We look up in the sky, Eastern religion. We look inward. We could borrow some of that from time to time. These aren't superstars. They're not gods. They're not messias.

They're kids. Where you land matters. Your coach matters. Your protection matters. The division matters. The GM matters. Michael Pennix is going to be a fine NFL player like Tua if he lands with the right coach. Tua didn't even leave the zip code of the neighborhood. Defensive coach,

struggled. Offensive coach, Pro Bowl. Sometimes it's just that simple. Michael Pennix will be fine. Last night didn't drop him to the fourth round. Certainly didn't help. But what he is, is what Gough, Tua, Matt Ryan are, a beautiful thrower of the football. Where he lands, his coordinator, protection and receivers will overwhelmingly dictate his professional success. Here's the young guy after. It sucks, you know, I mean, we played a good team. You know, they did some good things. You know, I feel like on the officer's side of the ball, we just missed a lot of opportunities.

We're not going to point fingers and nothing like that. You know, it's a lot of love in the locker room, you know, man. Just, you know, everybody's just showing their appreciation for each and every person that, you know, lay their body on the line, you know, not just during the season, but offseason, you know, everything that we've been through. Great kid, great future, great year for the team I grew up loving the Washington Huskies. But last night, Michigan was a different class, and you saw it, six minutes into the football game. Huskies will be just fine going forward as they transition now to the Big Ten. I said last night in my podcast, I said the difference between that game is Washington had a style,

and Michigan had a style. Harbaugh made that look like a Big Ten game. That looked like a Michigan game. Washington was making, wanted it to look like that game against USC or those games against Oregon or Arizona and shootouts. Harbaugh said, no, we're not going to do that. We're going to make it a Michigan Big Ten game. And that's what it was for three and a half hours.

J. Mack, it wasn't an all-time classic, but I think the Harbaugh story is fascinating. there is all sorts of talk now what's up for Jim i think he's going to go hide my guesses for about four days five days you're going to go hide on an island somewhere and then you'll start hearing stuff you don't think he instantly starts interviewing i mean no i think he's going to go i think he's going to go i think what happens with guys like jim's got a beautiful family beautiful wife kids i think you owe people in your life who support you you you owe them a good week on an island somewhere to have a good time with the kids and the step kids and the

grandkids and and I think my take with Harbaugh, he'll call his agent. He'll say, I'm going to be a little out of pocket for about five, six days, and then you'll start hearing the rumblings. By the way, coaches don't want to get in the way of the NFL playoffs. His brother's going to be planning two weeks. He didn't want to steal the spotlight from his brother if the Ravens win. So my guess is he talked to his agent this morning or last night. He'll lay out what he's interested in. His agent will make calls for a couple of days and there'll be a lot of things released in the press, but he'll give the people close in his life some time, put their arms around him, enjoy him. A lot of people sacrifice for these coaches, for Sabin, for Ryan, for Harbaugh. A lot of family members sacrificed.

They're all in. They give you space. So I think Jim, he'll talk to his agent, but he's on a private jet somewhere going and enjoying himself. It deserves it. As for Pennix, Colin, I was stunned how Michigan was rushing four and getting pressure against six blockers. And even sometimes seven, they were helping having the running back help out. Washington just wasn't ready on the offensive line. The best defensive lineman, the Graham kid, played at Anaheim a couple years ago, and the local schools couldn't get him, and Harbaugh went and grabbed him from Anaheim. He was one of the best defensive tackles in this area in a half a decade.

And last night, he overwhelmed the Washington guys. It felt bad for penics. He had no time to do anything back there. Pocket guys, this is what they look like. If you rush, if the Rams get pressure on Jared Goff, that's what he's going to look like. And just a reminder, Justin Herbert in his final college game in the Rose Bowl threw for 138 yards. And Patrick Mahomes, in his final bowl game, he only played in one,

was sack 10 times against LSU. Like, these are real stats. It happens. I was told to go watch Josh Allen twice. So I was told Josh Allen, his senior year at Wyoming, was really good. So he played Oregon and Iowa. And those are the two games I watched. He got destroyed in both.

They look at traits. Everybody knows what Pennix is. He's not a runaround guy. He's not going to carry a French. He is a beautiful thrower of the football that in the right place with the right protection, like Washington, great coach, good receivers, good left tackle can win a ton of games.

Yeah, 100% agree. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeard 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 unleashed.

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. Clifford 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.

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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. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs?

Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day but just so y'all know I mean at this point Mark this is the second episode where we've discussed crack

so I'm starting to see that there's a through line We also have AIDS on the table right now so Thank you for finishing that sentence I don't think there's a more important year for black people Really?

Yeah for me it's one of the most important years for black people in American history Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast All right, welcome back. Adam Schaefter is reporting that the Steelers are not firing Mike Tomlin.

Of course not. 10 and 7, they're going to make the playoffs. We thought they'd be a wildcard team. That's what they are. Probably wouldn't have been if Joe Burrow doesn't get hurt again, but he did, and Mike's team's in. But Schaefter does say that he's got a year left in his contract. There are some people around the league that believe Tomlin could decide to take some time off like Sean Payton did. I'm actually surprised more successful coaches in the NFL.

and all of football don't do this more often. Mike Tomlin, I know two networks minimum that would bid a big seven figures to get Mike Tomlin on the air. He could also get four or five other head coaching jobs. I think it'd be a great fit with Justin Herbert in Los Angeles with the Chargers. If you look at a history of the league,

if you have a really good quarterback in his prime and a defensive coach, you'll win a lot of games. Also, head coach is a 70 hour a week. week grind, 50 out of 52 weeks a year. Sometimes you need a change of scenery. It's not an indictment on you. Sean Payton got a trophy with an all-time quarterback. And then that quarterback retires.

And then Sean coached for a year and with four different quarterbacks went nine and eight and said, yeah, I'm not going to grind myself to dust to maybe make the playoffs and then get run once I'm in it. And by the way, Mike Tomlin worked his butt off, they're 10 and 7, and they're going to face Buffalo where they're a 10.5 point underdog. It's a hell of a season to get Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett in a really good division of the playoffs. And it was amazing that Sean Payton went 9 and 8 with four quarterbacks after Drew Brees retired. But both these coaches, Sean Peyton and Tomlin, have seen greatness at quarterback,

and they know what isn't great. And it wasn't Trevor Simeon in New Orleans. And it's not, you know, Mason, Rudolph or Kenny Pickett. They're pros. They deserve respect for being pros. But when you've seen greatness, you know what isn't greatness. Right. It's like LeBron decided to leave Cleveland for the first time after he went to the Olympics

and went, oh, that's what it's like to play with A guys. I'm going to go to Miami and finally play with a bunch of A guys. And so I just think my. Tomlin, he's got half a dozen options. It is not in any way an indictment to take a deep breath. I think what he provides for the Steelers, they got coming out of their ears and eyes, toughness and alpha and structure and development. That's what he's great at. But I do think they need a little finesse, a little clever, a little sea around the corner offensively, and that's not his strength. What he provides would be great. He's one of the great podium guys in the history of the league.

The networks would love him. I've been told that by two. network executive. They love Tomlin. They view him as the number one free agent on the market. The number one analyst player to go to a network. It's Tomlin. And I know the Chargers would be interested. Who wouldn't be?

He's one more than Vrable, and people love Vrable. But it's okay to take a deep breath, sometimes change scenery. I think it'd be smart. I think he's going to bang his head against a wall and grind himself to dust with quarterbacks. Folks, the last time he played Josh Allen without Big Ben, Tomlin lost 38 to 3. Okay, 38 to 3. J. Mack's already predicting this week's going to be a blowout. I'm not sure. But you're not winning, you're not hoisting trophies, and that's the standard for Tomlin with what you currently have at that position. Jay Mack with the news.

No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. Start with the Philadelphia. Oh, no, not the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm sorry, the New York Jets. I was trying to skip over my favorite team in the league. Because, you know, we keep talking about Aaron Rogers. And he met with the media yesterday, Colin. He spoke about flushing the BS within the organization

and spoke about the team being on the hot seat next season. Just feeling like a lost year. And then I missed out on obviously a lot of opportunity. Just thinking if I'd been out there, things would have been a little different. Obviously, we're all going to be on the quote-unquote hot seat next year. You know, it's going to be an important year for all of us. And I love that. I mean, I think that's fantastic.

I mean, we should approach that every single year. So what have you done for me lately? If you have a down year or bad year, there's going to be people calling to move on, and especially when you're 40 years old. Yeah, I mean, I think he's absolutely right. I've said this before. I think he's really talented, but I think when you look around football and look at Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow and Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, Aaron does not feel he's in that class anymore.

And here we have Caleb Williams coming in and some young quarterbacks. C.J. Stroud's already really, really good. So I think it's going to be a pressurized year. Aaron's fine. He's got $150, $200 million in the bank. But Robert Saul is going to have to win. Nat Hackett. I still contend that unless they get a lot of it, you know,

get the left tackle right, and they probably will draft that number one, I don't think Aaron can make it through 17 games with this offensive line. Unless you're a young athlete in your prime physically. This is still not built. This organization is not built for a 40-year-old coach, a 40-year-old quarterback off surgery. So he's got to be in great shape. He's got to be careful. He better get rid of the ball quickly. But this is a tough lift, not just for Aaron. This would be a tough lift for Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Impulsive owner, defensive coach, OC that's okay, O line that's bad, one legit receiver. This is a big lift for anybody.

Do you say OC that's okay? Nathaniel Hickett. Did you say he's okay? Stop. Don't do that. Listen, you know I'm a Jets fan. I have been forever. This is the least excited I've been about a Jets off season in a long time. They screw up week 18 and beat the Patriots, right? So now you drop from 6 to 10. I'm doing my mock draft for Fox Sports now. The best two tackles are off the board. Do we want the third best tackle?

You want to roll the dice there? It's just nothing to be excited about. Rogers is not somebody that you can really cheer for. Now, week one, he's firing three touchdowns. It's a different story. But honestly, Colin, I don't want six, seven more months of this mumbo-jumbo from this guy. I'm just not that excited about the team right now. Well, there's a lot of teams that are better.

By the way, T.J. Watt out for the Steelers against the bills. That just came down. Sorry, that was a story ago, but I saw that. My screen I went, should have had that three minutes ago? Had I seen it? Oh, boy. Listen, it's tough. It's tough division.

I'd be more excited if I was a Falcons fan, right? Oh, new coach. Who's going to be our quarterback? What could we do? Like options, the jets are locked in to everybody. They kept the whole staff. Yep. The dumb quarterback, I'm just kind of over it.

All right, now let's move on now to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, this game is starting to get more intriguing to me, Colin. So Jalen Hertz got dinged up over the weekend, a finger. AJ Brown not looking great. Devante Smith also injured. Hertz expected to go, but Brown, his status is kind of up in the air. Here's Nick Siriani, who does not seem to be a happy camper right now. We'll see as the week progresses.

You know, obviously bummed that Cam and AJ had to come out. We obviously missed Devonte yesterday. We need all hands on deck to do the things we want to do. And we'll see how the week progresses. Hopeful on everybody. obviously besides Sydney but we'll see and I'll give you more information

as the week continues to roll on of all the playoff games this was the one betting line I like Philadelphia is minus two and a half I don't think Tampa's a huge home field edge I do think Philadelphia wins this game won't look great how could they look great they haven't look great all year they haven't

given us four successive quarters of great offense but I do think if they can bring back some receivers and get healthy they're the better team this is the one game I did feel was it's blazing five or not. This was the one that felt like Philadelphia can win this game by three or more. Listen, they are this year what they are. The staff is just not as good as last year.

And we look at coaching all the time. I saw Michigan the last 25 years. There's a reason they won the Natty. And a big part of it's Jim Harbaugh. And so the coaching really matters. And I think right now this coaching staff is very ordinary. and I don't think ordinary staffs can win Super Bowls. San Francisco, the Rams, Baltimore, Kansas City have elite staffs.

Buffaloes is, despite a change at midseason, pretty good. So I think this is a one and done. This is a two-and-done team. Philadelphia is not winning a second game, but they're going to beat bucks. That'd be tough. In Las Vegas right now, you can't find a two-and-a-half. So it's interesting. Injury report doesn't look great, but people in Vegas have pushed the Eagles up to three.

Do you remember their first meeting this year? It was a Monday Night Football game. I do not. Eagles won. They were favored by four and a half. They rushed for 200 yards. Tampa Bay was held to 174 total yards of offense. Now, this is September.

The Eagles were a little bit better. They got to the Red Zone five times. They were just one for five. They could not finish. I remember that, yes. They dominated Tampa Bay in that. Yes, I remember that. Soup to nuts.

DeAndre Swift running all over the place. I think we're going to see another one of these. Colin, look at the teams Tampa beat down the stretch. Like that Green Bay defense is a joke. The Carolina Panthers are not good at football. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like they beat a bunch of bad teams. I think the Eagles are a little undervalued here because the perception is

they're reeling and they're all being beat up. I think the Eagles got this. Yeah, I think, I think, listen, if you look at personnel and you put down the top 15 players, about 10 of them are Eagles. They got better players. Maybe more. Final story is Bill Belichick met with Kraft yesterday and is

at this moment still the head coach of the Patriots. However, There is speculation from the athletic Jeff's how, Jeff Howe, who says, if Belichick stays, which I guess is on the table, he plans on bringing back Josh McDaniels, who was jettisoned by the Raiders. I don't know what to believe here anymore. I just, Bill, can we just know, like, I don't want this to drag out, you know, Aaron Rogers, Brett Farv style. Well, I think we all, I mean, this has been sort of the indictment on the organization, which is they're always looking in the rearview mirror. and the McVeys and the Shanahan's are always finding the next

Demico Ryan, you know, the next Zach Taylor. There's some of these organizations in the NFL with younger coaches. They're finding these young guys out of nowhere. They sit on the staff for three years and get head coaching jobs and do really, really well. Bill's answer is always, let's go back to the past. And I said this yesterday.

That's the Chicago Bears. The biggest part of every season is hoping the next quarterback becomes the quarterback and then honoring former Bear Greats from the 80s. And it's like you don't want to be that as an organization. So to me, if that's the solution, if that's Bill's answer, that's not working here. Let's get somebody new.

And we know Josh doesn't work as a head coach, flat out. Denver, Raider, doesn't work at all. But he is a good coordinator, but you can't, there's nobody else on the market. A, I don't think it's a great job. I just don't want to follow a legend like Bill Belich. You know how tough that is? I think it's okay. okay to follow a legend if the last

four years of the legend were ugly and grumpy and I think a new offensive mind a good draft. You get Ben Johnson in there. He ain't winning with this offensive personnel, Colin. Like, they just don't have dudes. And uh-oh, what do you got?

Schefter and Ian Rappaport, the Titans have fired Mike Vrable. So it was a power struggle and they have let go of Mike Vrable who's a very good coach. Now, that's interesting. Does Vrable know he's the leader in the clubhouse for the Patriot job. And when the Titans' ownership came to him, he said, you know, go pound sand.

And they fired him. And he knows, okay, now that allows me to go get the job. Right. So there's a big difference between hiring a head coach and a culture builder, right? We don't know if Ben Johnson can build a culture. We know he could call plays. Vrable developed a culture in Tennessee. They were tough.

That was a really strong team. Yeah. So my guess is Vrable believes he's going to get either of the. Chargers job or he's going to get the Patriots job. He can get the Washington job. Brable's going to get a job. Okay. So his takeaway is when they came to him, the Titans and asked for sacrifices, he's like, yeah, not going to happen. And then they're like, okay, we're going to cut bait. We're going to fire you, which he doesn't care. You know, most of these, if you got a job lined up, fire me. Who cares? So if you're Washington, you're going Vrable over Belichick. I know people

don't want to hear that. I would absolutely. I don't even think it's a question. Hey, listen, I said with the Chargers, Harbaugh's my first choice for the Chargers. There's an argument. Tomlin and Vrable are both excellent choices. Excellent. We think Tomlin's off the table. Yeah, you're right. He probably wouldn't do it. But I would set him down.

The Chargers need to hire a head coach. And Washington, frankly, needs to hire a head coach. This is a very rare year. This is a great year for candidates. I mean, a lot of time, nothing against Dan Quinn. But there'll be years when a Dan Quinn, a good coordinator who was good briefly on a team, is your best candidate. I've got Vrable. I think you have to call Tomlin.

Belichick wouldn't be my choice, but he's out there. And then I got Harbaugh, and then I have a young offensive coach that everybody loves. It is a great year for candidates. Washington's new ownership, they're calling all these big dogs to help. Hey, we got Ben Johnson, we can make a move on, or we got Brable, who you want? I would go Harbaugh. No, I don't. Well, I mean, time out.

Okay, fine. Think about this. Jim Harbaugh just said I got two great loves in my life. Family and football. his brother is in Baltimore. Jim takes Washington. The parents are an SUV ride between their sons. This is all about family.

He gets the most cap space. Harbaugh gets the most cap space in Washington. He goes to the NFC doesn't have to face his brother, which he hated playing him in the Super Bowl. So Jim can go to the NFC. That would be great. He can be close to his brother. Their parents can live between the two of them.

cap space, good roster. Sam Hal is a workable quarterback for until Thanksgiving, and they have the number two pick. And by the way, I bet you Harbaugh recruited Drake May. I bet you he recruited Jaden Daniels in the portal. So he knows all these quarterbacks firsthand. I'm telling you, Chargers is the best job. But for Harbaugh, Washington is a very strong second job with Jim.

Washington, John in Baltimore. or parents between the two. You know the league would love if Washington could get back to being one of the premier franchises in the league. A huge brand. Massive TV market, big brand, battles with the Cowboys, you know, Thanksgiving Day Harbaugh versus whoever Jerry Jones has his coach. I'm not going to pencil in McCarthy. But that, you're right. Washington makes a lot of sense for Jim Harbaugh. And then who do the charges lean on then?

Vrable or? Mike Brable. Yeah, that's not, listen, that's not a terrible concept. In the history of the league, here's who we know hoist trophies. really great quarterbacks mostly in their prime, often with a defensive coach. I mean, you can go back to Terry Bradshaw. You can go back to Pete Carolyn Russ, Belichick and Brady. Now, Andy Reed and Mahomes are running it now, but in the history of the league.

Defensive coaches with great quarterbacks in their prime, so both sides of the ball are taken care of. I'm an offensive coach guy, but you can't tell me, D'Amico Ryan's keeps the score under the 21 mark. CJ Stroud get you to the 23-24 mark, you win your division. So I'm not anti-defensive coach. I think they work with elite quarterbacks in their prime, and they keep the score under 22 points. That's exciting times. Fun, good stuff.

J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Lie News. Brabils, I've talked to Mike a couple times. Vrabel-Sharp. Tomlin, Vrable, Harbaugh. it is a robust market for coaches.

A lot of times you get out there and you're like, let's try this college guy or let's try it. This is not a situation to save it and Urban Meyer. Jim Harbaugh has been in the NFL overnight fix the Niners. They were a mess. Overnight fixed him. He does that everywhere. Overnight you're good.

Four or five years later, you're potentially great. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, we're Kavino and Rich. Fox Sports Radio every day, 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern. But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to. And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Overpromised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two-hour show.

We never get to everything. Honestly, because this guy is over-promising things we never have time for. Yeah, you blubber lips. Blame and me. Well, you know what? It's called Over-Promise. You should be good at it because you've been Oprah Promising Women for years. Well, it's a Kavino-en-Ritch after show, and we want you to be a part of it.

We're going to be talking sports, of course, but we're also going to talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Overpromised. Well, if you don't get enough, Kavino and Rich, make sure you check out OverPromise. And also, uncensored, by the way. So maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's going to be the best after show podcast of all time. There you go. Overpromising.

And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to Overpromised with Kavino and Rich on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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 podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the

VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode, with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack,

so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sunday on Fox. Iconic rivals collide on Super Wild Card Weekend. As Jordan Love leads the Packers against Dak and the Cowboys, it all kicks off at 4 Eastern One Pacific on Fox. I said before, either Green Bay wins close or Dallas blows them out. That is a really interesting game. We got Lions Rams. Packers Cowboys.

boys. Oh boy. That's good stuff. So a Jim Harbaugh, obviously, he's going to be on the market. Mike Vrable just got fired. By the way, who cares? This whole fired thing, who cares? He's great. Try to find a good coach that hasn't been fired. Pete Carroll's been fired, Belichick been fired, Andy Reid fired, Harbaugh fired. It doesn't matter. Vrable now is fired. They're all great. They're all great coaches. And so Jim Harbaugh now has the option to go to the NFL very much. a Michigan man could stay and he talked about winning the nanny. Personally, I can now sit at the big person's table in the family. They won't keep me over there on the little table anymore.

My dad, Jack Harbaugh, won a national championship. And my brother won a Super Bowl. So it's good to be at the big person table from now on. Yeah, it matters. He's a made man. We all knew DeCaprio could act, and Phil Mickelson was great, and Andy Reid was tremendous. But Oscars and Grand Slams and Majors and Natties and Super Bowls put you in a different class, from great to a group of the greatest.

Now, he's not always the most likable, but here's why I've always defended Jim Harbaugh. It doesn't matter if it's tech or media or politics or football. there is a relentlessness and a hardness needed to survive. In the history of competitive fields, when the book is written and the question is asked, how did you get there? The answer is never, I just hung out and had a good time.

Flip flops and beer showed up most days. That is never the answer. Hard people get you through hard times, and you need them. And they're not always lovable and likable and embraceable. But if you want to be liked, there's a lot of levels of coaching. You can do it. But winning Super Bowls and winning Natties is holding people responsible,

holding people to a high standard, firing people. Sometimes you consider friends, tough decisions daily and weekly and annually. And that's what Jim does. That's the story of successful coaches and tech and politicians. It's a tug-of-war. It's a balance. every day. And if you're uncomfortable with that, you're not going to be great. Saban, Pete Carroll, people think, oh, Andy Reid's just this jolly fellow. No, go ask the guys that

play for Andy Reid. He'll run you're right out of the building. He'll sit your butt at the end of the bench if you don't deliver. So I have always been a Harbaugh guy. I think his critics are silly. He's not always the most likable. He's a disruptor. And that Michigan team looked like great college football teams look Relentless, which is when the book is written and the questions are asked, that's the line between Mickelson

and Tiger and Serena and the great ones, and Andy Reed and Harbon, Peyton. Toughness, relentlessness, hard jobs take people. They're real hard sometimes and I love the guy for it. All right, so another guy who's viewed as sort of a jolly fellow

Mike McCarthy, right? Just a nice guy. So Jerry Jones was talking this morning. So yesterday we talked about on the show, Jerry didn't give him a vote of confidence. So Jerry's talking again. He does that a lot, AM Radio, and Dallas about his coach in the playoffs. I couldn't be more pleased with what he's done and how he's coached. He has really made as big a difference from his head coaching vantage point as anybody could from any vantage point in the NFL. He's the big difference this year.

Okay, he does need to beat Green Bay. Quarterback in his first year, youngest playoff roster since the 1974 Buffalo Bills on the road. Yeah, they've got to beat Green Bay. But if they lose to Matt Stafford and McVeigh, next round, I'm good. If they lost next round to a stacked Niners roster or the OA's competitive and viable Eagles, after beating Green Bay keeps his kids.

I mean, outside of maybe a Jim Harbaugh, who are you sure that could do better than 12 wins in a playoff win with Dak Prescott? 12 and 5, 12 and 5, 12 and 5. This is not Lamar Jackson. This is not Josh Elm. This is Dak Prescott. He is built two high-pressure jobs, one without an owner, one with a meddling one, the Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. Dallas has the best record the last three years in the entire NFC. Not the Niners.

McCarthy and Dallas. and do you know they have the second best record last three years of the NFL to Mahomes and Andy Reed? So you've got to beat Green Bay. There are games that are important when you have a veteran quarterback, when you're at home, when you have more experience, got to beat Green Bay. But after that, I'm good with keeping him if they lose.

It may drive people crazy, but if they, in the next round, go into overtime against the Rams and Stafford makes a play to Cooper Cup that Dax's not capable of making, I'm okay with it. I am. I think it's, it's, there's not a lot of people in this world when in 12 games, three years in the NFL with Dak Prescott. Who's good?

Who's B plus? But he's not, he's, he's not a guy. Dax's not a guy that has shown over his career. He's going to go on the road and going to win these, uh, elite games against elite quarterbacks. He struggled at home in some of those games. So it's, it's easy to pounce on Mike McCarthy. He absolutely has to beat the Packers.

And they're favored by, I think it's a touch. I mean, they're favored by what they should win by. It feels like it's going to be about a 33-26 game where the better defense, at home, more experienced roster is going to win by about a touchdown. I think the line is right, seven or eight. It's seven and a half. I probably like the dog. If it was at seven, I'd probably bet Dallas, but they should win, and I think they will win.

And I do think there's potential for it to get out of control fast if Dallas takes a lead. They've always played well at home with a lead. But I also think if it turns into a shootout, nobody in this league has four good corners, and the Packers have four young, really, really good wide receivers, and that could be problematic for any team they play in the playoffs, not named San Francisco. All right, J-Mack, Nick Wright, herd hierarchy at the top of next hour. My first playoff herd hierarchy. Of course, there's 14 teams in and only 10 spots, so four of the playoff teams I do not have in the

herd hierarchy. I can't wait for it. with that that Packard Cowboy game, Detroit and Rams. I will say this. Because the weather is going to be so bad and cold in Buffalo and in Kansas City, this idea that Miami can't go on the road and keep it close, Kansas City is not dropping 27 a game this year. They're dropping about 22, 20.

Well, if you add 6 degrees, Kansas City is going to have a fumble, drops. I think Miami, Kansas City, Miami can run the ball, has a chance to be very competitive. Am I wrong? Well, the Chiefs, you're right. They haven't been able to put people away. They don't have that knockout punch. It's funny.

Patrick Mahomes kind of looks like an ordinary quarterback when he doesn't have superstars throwing the ball to. Weird thought, right? I know that make people's head explode. But Mahomes, he does not look extraordinary this year. Now, Trevor Lawrence goes and gets Calvin Ridley, still looks pedestrian. Weird year in the NFL.

I think we see one big upset this weekend. Oh, absolutely. Our two next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you, at your podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it, with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to Look Back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.