The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 3 - Quarterback face

Episode Date: January 11, 2022

Recapping the college football seasonThe return of the quarterback face bracketGuest: Joel Klatt Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

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

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 put on 10. 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 Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional

who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. and just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for listening to The HARD podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday from 12 to 3 Eastern, 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 iHeartRadio app by searching Hurd.

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, Joel Clad is the voice of college football, our lead college football analyst. 44 school records is the Buffalo starting quarterback. Boy, Denver Broncos could use one of you considered that. I have not, no, but they could use a quarterback. They should go get Rogers. Yeah, he's pretty good. I've been told.

Okay, so I'm going to throw this out there. Okay. Mr. Ruffle up feathers. Okay, I'm going to say this because I believe this. if Jameson Williams does not get hurt because after John Metchie got hurt the star receiver you can't lose two star receivers you can't lose Robert Woods and Cooper Cup

that's true you can't lose Jemar Chase and T. Higgins it's not the same team if Jameson Williams for Alabama doesn't get hurt I think Alabama wins you know it was trending in that direction because Alabama was they weren't controlling the game but they were executing at a level which was going to allow them to win the game when he was still available. Off to a good start. I think he had four catches 64, if I'm not mistaken, and it's still early in the game when he gets hurt.

And it was pretty clear Georgia didn't have an answer anymore. He was well on his way to 150 yards, 175 yards receiving, maybe even 200 yards receiving. Which we saw in the first game, they were beating Georgia over the top. That's exactly right. So to me, this is a, you have to go in order. Okay, so Georgia's got the better team overall, Colin, but they don't have the best quarterback. So they're going to win the line of scrimmage. They've got more margin for air because they've got speed, they've got power, they've got a great roster.

There's no doubt about that. So what Alabama was going to have to do was exactly what they needed to do and did in the SEC championship game, which was execute in the passing game, allow Bryce Young to execute in the passing game, protect him enough to get wide receivers open so that they can make plays in the back end. And when Williams left the game, they didn't have that because the young, wide receivers failed miserably in their execution. They were not helping Bryce Young out at all, and Georgia took advantage of that. So at that point, if you're just going down the list, what did Alabama need to do to win? Well, they didn't have the best rosters. They got to execute

in the passing game. Now they lose their best player, so what do you have to do? You've got to get really creative in your play calling and in your play design in order to get guys like Slade Bolden and Brian Robinson the ball in places where they can produce, because they're now your most players. That didn't happen. Bill O'Brien last night really struggled as an offensive play caller for Alabama. In the red zone, they're not very creative. No, and that's been a problem for them all year. In fact, it's the reason why they lost at A&M was because all things being considered equal, they failed on two different series inside the five-yard line. In both

scenarios where they were failing last night inside the 10 and in the scoring area and in that A&M game, they were getting man coverage against them. And he never started moving the formation, using motion, using jet motion to create leverage, never used mesh plays and pick plays in order to get people open. The one touchdown they did get, Latu, the tight end, just had to shove the Georgia defender down. He just two hands shoves them down. In the PAC 12, there would have been 17 flags land on him, but in that game, they were letting them play. But Colin, it was a massive failure from a play-calling perspective for Bill O'Brien. If I'm an Alabama fan, I'm hoping that he gets an NFL opportunity because the two offenses that we saw,

last year the one that won the national championship and this year the one that fails and they're not even close. Now, granted, the personnel is different and I will give you that. There's no doubt about that. The creativity of the play calling and the movement of the formation in order to get the playmakers the ball in space was vastly different between Steve Sarkesian and Bill O'Brien. No question. Last night, Bill O'Brien was using an antiquated, old-school, static type of offense

that was not going to work against Georgia. And I was frustrated for Crimson Tide fans when he was just giving token runs. It's like, well, that's a throwaway play. If you're not going to use misdirection on your run game, if you're not going to use other elements of trying to mess with the eye discipline and the visuals of what the defense is looking at, and you're just going to hand the ball off to say that you did on first down,

right into the middle of the defense of line? They did it a lot. And so, you know, I thought Bill O'Brien really, struggled last night. And Bryce Young was trying to overcome all of that. The injuries, the poor play calling the poor play design, and he couldn't do it. By the way, I love Bryce Young. That kid that from the minute it, you can tell, you know, I look this up. It's not like I, you know, did investigative work, but his dad has like a master's in something. And it's like, you can just tell that family functions at a high level. Oh my gosh. How calm he was last night. Any quarterback that doesn't

think as fast as Bryce Young has six picks. I mean, they were on him. And by the way, I'll say this about George's defense. That is the best closing speed of a front seven. And that includes every Saban defense. They banged on Bryce Young and he threw it, he dirted it away, moved. That kid's ability to make a decision. Russell Wilson has some of it. You'll see this with like the Aaron Rogers.

It's the ability to process information quickly. Instantly, instantly. And still execute. I mean, he was still throwing the ball really, really well. Now I want to give Georgia a lot of credit here. Let's talk about that Georgia defense. Oh, Lordy. The old adage is, from a coaching perspective,

is that you've got to run away from power and at speed. Okay, offensively, this is what you're trying to do, whether it's in the passing game or in the running game. Here's the problem. Georgia is both more powerful than you and faster than you at the same time. And so that's why it became very apparent that it was going to have to be all on Bryce Young's shoulders and they were going to have to attack the middle on the seams of the defense,

and they weren't able to do it. That defense for Georgia was fantastic. It was fun to watch because they played hard. Every snap. Joy said this. Just trust your eyes. The hits, the violence and the hits by Georgia. I mean, like knocking Alabama guys.

That's right. 230-pound running backs, bang backwards. It was like, whoa, okay. Ogloma doesn't hit like that. Ohio State doesn't hit like that. People aren't hitting like that in the rest of college football. Joy, you're exactly right. And when you trust your eyes, you also just look at the line of scrimmage.

Which team is owning the line of scrimmage and Georgia owned the line of scrimmage. So it wasn't just the closing speed. It was also the power and that combination is very difficult to beat. Let me throw this out there. Now, I'm pretty perceptive. The ability to see, it's almost X-ray eyes. I can see around corners. You can.

Okay. Well, then that wouldn't be X-ray. That would be like a telescope or whatever it is. Saban was unusually content, the big smile after the game. And as if to say, kid, I'm handing you the baton. I'm not long here. And if anybody's got on this conference, you're my best friend in the conference. Oh, I see.

I viewed it totally different. I thought the same thing about his overall demeanor after the game, even in the press conferences afterwards. Oh, he was wonderful. When he sat down, if you haven't seen it yet, he sits. Bryce Young and Will Anderson are both with him, and then they excuse those two players. And before he does, he says, hold on, sit down for a second. And he says, this game will not define these two young men.

And it was a wonderful answer. Oh, he seems really content. He was like almost like he's... I don't think it was an acknowledgement of his relationship with Kirby, as much as it was an acknowledgement that he knew exactly and knows exactly how much it's taken from a recruiting perspective to get a roster that can beat a team of his that is not nearly well. what it has been over the last few years. This is a young Alabama team, a very young Alabama team.

Folks, they are miles. I don't want to exaggerate. One mile, not miles, one mile ahead of everybody else in college football going into next year. They've got the best offensive player, the best defensive player on their team. This was always a young team. They needed a transfer. They got it from Jameson Williams, and that kind of solidified the passing game for the young Bryce Young. They've recruited incredibly well.

He knows that he's not going anywhere, whereas Georgia, this was their year. They had to, if they weren't beating this Alabama team with the roster that they have. Same thing with Edo and LSU. That's a great point. That was the year. They had to do it. Yeah, they had like nine good NFL players. And, yeah, I mean, sometimes you get, Alabama does it every year.

There was a Clemson team like that. I think the second one was it, Trevor Lawrence, you felt like, well, he's leaving. Well, no, it was, remember, I believe my history may be incorrect here. I believe Clemson played Alabama twice in a row for the national championship, both with Deshawn Watson. They lost the first one where Bama had to kick the onside kick, and then they won the second one. And that one, it was like, hey, you better beat them now because Deshawn's an older player. Yes. They were able to then beat them a second time in a championship game with Trevor Lawrence and Trevor Lawrence's freshman year.

I get what you're saying. All right. Let's pivot off that. Some probing questions now. Are you ready for these? I would love. Don't ducking your stuff. You go to a lot of these cream puff shows and it's layups.

Not here. Hard J. No, Big J journalism. That's right. A couple of journalists. You got Mike Wallace and Chris Wallace. Well, Joy is definitely a journalist. I'm not, verdict's still out on you, but fire away.

Okay. Jim Harbaugh, if he's got Michigan in a terrible spot, you're out of the hiring cycle. If Harbaugh is bitter about that whole contract cut and he says, I'm gone. You give it to Josh Gaddis and cross. your fingers. The coordinators, the best ones are all gone. Position coach's best one. Michigan's in a tough spot here, and I think Harbaugh is 50-50. I don't know about his status. You've asked about a couple of different things there.

I don't know whether he'll go or not. I'm 50-50 on that as well. I've tried to talk with people in the know. I don't know if he's going to go or not. If he does, I don't believe it will be because of the contract situation. I don't think he harbors ill will about the contract situation. All right. So you don't think of it. I do not think that at all. Okay. If he leaves, I think it would be because college football has changed drastically. Well, and very quickly. In the last two, three years. Now with NIL and the one-time transfer, not that these coaches are, you know, woe is them or anything. They've got great jobs, but it's just different. It's hard to manage rosters. It's hard to recruit your own players constantly. Now you've got to recruit the

transfer portal. Now you've got to have a kid sit in your living room and be like, hey, can I get a state farm deal? And you're like, ah, you know, it's like, Matt LaFleur doesn't have to do that. Everyone's like, well, the NFL, they have all these same things. No, they don't. The coach isn't being asked, can you get me a watch deal and a shoe deal and a car dealership? Yeah. It's so it is different. And I think if he leaves, I think it would be more because of the changing structure of college football than the contract situation. Whether he leaves or not is interesting. And then you bring up what would they do if he does. This is what? what I think is so difficult for them is that they would be stuck. The name that I would look at

would be like a Matt Campbell at Iowa State. Is he looking to try to get out of Iowa State before the Big 12 changes or you go with one of the coordinators? That staff did a remarkable job. If I Matt Campbell, who knows what the Big 12 is in two years, I would move to Michigan in one second. Potentially. Yeah. But I know that they are so happy with their staff at Michigan. So it might be a guy like I'm going to throw this out there again. Please do. Come on. Very controversial.

I'm not afraid of that. So LSU's got a new coach and USC's got a new coach and Oklahoma's got a new coach and there's all these new coaches. Notre Dame's got a new coach. And I know sooner fans think I don't like them. It's a bunch of nonsense. When Lincoln Riley was at Oklahoma, I put him on twice a year. I've been watching Oklahoma since I was a kid.

But I'm watching this transfer portal and they're going to lose their star quarterback, their star receiver, a star corner. They're losing some people. Secondly, secondly, you're going to not only the best conference, but at best, you're now number three behind Georgia and Bama, and LSU is going to have better people your first couple years in the conference. I'm just saying, this transfer portal thing. It's changed the game. You know, it feels like Oklahoma, and I'm not sure why. Am I wrong on this? Well, I think that there's two different things that you're talking about, because I think that the portal impacts them quicker than the SEC move does. The SEC move is still. Right.

down the road a little bit. It just feels like they're losing a lot of stuff for a great program, or am I overvalued? I don't think that you're overvaluing that. In fact, I put out a way too early top 10 already for next year. They're not in it. And the reason Wake Forest is, Arkansas is, OU is not. And the reason is because I don't know how this is going to go. They've lost a lot in the transfer portal, really good players. They're going to have a transfer quarterback come in under a brand new offensive coordinator. I know that Dylan Gabriel and Jeff Levy are both individually very good. How does that mesh?

Who's blocking in front of them? This has been a team that has relied on great running game for now the better part of five, six, seven years. I don't know if that run game is going to be even close to what it has been. The defense has struggled over the last few years. We've known that. That's why Alex Grinch came in and tried to improve them. Now he goes with Lincoln Riley to USC.

They're going from an offensive-oriented head coach to a defensive-oriented head coach. I just think there is a lot of, unknowns with Oklahoma. I have no idea if this is going to work next season. I hope it works for them. I'd still believe that they are Oklahoma. This is still a program. There's a lot of moving parts. Lots to go a lot going on there. Feels like to me, USC is moving very quickly in key spots. Well, so Jackson Dart enters the transfer portal. Okay. And I'm sure you've talked about it a little bit. there is zero reason for a quarterback to transfer away from Lincoln Riley other than he lost his job. Yes.

Because the track record for Lincoln Riley with quarterbacks is too good. There's nobody else out there doing what he's doing. At this point, it's unmatched when Jalen Hertz is going to the playoffs with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kyler Murray is doing what he's doing with the Cardinals. And my favorite, Baker Mayfield, has totally transformed the Browns organization, even though he gets no credit whatsoever on a show like this. I mean, I'm just saying that the Browns were a total disaster, and now they're actually a playoff feasible team,

whether they're doing that or not. But I digress. The track record for Lincoln Riley is exquisite in the modern college football for developing players to go to the National Football League. Caleb Williams has said specifically, he's looking for the place that's going to set himself up best for his next career in the National Football League. If Caleb Williams is legitimately looking at that

and not just an NIL deal, he will end up at USC. Well, I had a little extra time, but you drop that Baker thing and an advertiser say, let's get them all the other. It's just the way it works. All right, Kla, that was pretty good stuff. Congrats. What a year. What a year.

What a year? Spectacular. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but in It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

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

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, 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 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-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 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 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. Thank you 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. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition

of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine,

Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app.

Search learn the hard way and listen now. And I'm going to do Joy Taylor. Are you ready to go? With the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. What's that?

Congrats to Georgia. Yes. An amazing football season. College football champions. There's been a lot of questions regarding Russell Westbrook's fit with the current Lakers roster. Weird, yeah. According to Dan Wokey of the Los Angeles Times,

there aren't many teams that would be interested in taking Westbrook off the Lakers' hands. Yeah, but what about those triple doubles? He said the athletic Sam Amick reported this week that the Lakers have had internal discussions about the possibility of trading Russell Westbrook. But according to my sources around the NBA, the appetite for that player making 44 million this season and 47 million. Yeah. Can you –

Can you NBA fanboys – and I'm talking media, can you now apologize to me? I'll wait for your cards and letters because I've been on this for six years. The triple double meant nothing. And the big picture, it's not winning basketball. And I'm not going to bang on Westbrook because he has provided exactly what the Lakers knew he could do and what he can. I mean, yeah, that's – he's giving him everything he does. He's given him everything he does. The question with Westbrook was, is he going to be able to transform his game?

No. Similarly to the way that James Harden adjusted his game, you know, we've seen guys like Chris Bosch adjust their game to accommodate other stars so that you can win. and that's clearly not what Westbrook is doing. What Westbrook is doing is exactly what Westbrook has always done, but it doesn't fit this. And this is my issue with organizations all the time across all sports. So bring in players that you have plenty of evidence of what they are. And then when they are exactly what they've always been,

you're upset at the player. Yeah. Well, no, we're upset at yourself. You're projecting something onto somebody else. We do this in life all the time. We know people. We know exactly what they do, exactly how they behave, exactly what they want out of life. And then we project this expectation onto them

and they don't perform. And you're like, why aren't you being what I want you to be? Because I'm not. I'm me. I don't owe you anything. I'm doing exactly what I was supposed to do. So trade deadline is February 10th. There is going to be some movement. There's some Philadelphia stories out there.

And the Lakers are seventh in the Western Conference standings. At this point, it seems like they're going to have to make it work with Westbrook. So Christian McCaffrey has been plagued by injuries in his career. But the Panthers GM, Scott Fitterer, has no interest in trading him away. I think there's a report back in November that we were actually trying to trade him. And that was not true. What I did tell him, though, is, hey, listen, as a GM, I'll take any call. Call and make any offer you want.

That doesn't mean we're going to do it. Doesn't mean we're shopping you. I'll listen. I look at Christian as the foundation piece on this team on those building blocks. We're a better team when he's on the field. He's one of the elite players in the NFL. There's no doubt that Christian McCaffrey's absence played a huge role in them struggling this year. You cannot be that reliant on a player that is not your quarterback.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I wouldn't trade him. I wouldn't, but I would draft another running back. Yeah. Yeah, it's like, St. Juan Barclay. You're not going to be able to move him. But if I'm the Giants, you have to go get another dependable running back because you can't depend on him. And that's, it's okay.

Like running backs is the only position in offensive football. You can blindside, you can hit up top. You can't regulate the violence out of the running back position. Right. You can wide receiver. You can quarterback. And so, listen, they don't last long. And so, like when Urban Meyer drafted a running back in the first round, everybody said, well, they already have a good running back league.

This is a two running back league. The Cowboys with Zeke and Tony Fogg's a two running back league. It definitely is. And you can't be that reliant on one player that's not your franchise quarterback. If you lose your franchise quarterback, okay, we can all admit, look, it might be a bit of a struggle for you this season and we know why. But you can't be that reliant on Christian McCaffrey. He's played in the 10 possible 33 games in the last two seasons on top of the fact that he's not physically reliable. Like that is the story in Christian McCaffrey at this point in his career.

He's probably not going to be available the whole time. So is he completely dynamic when he's out there? Sure. But you can't rely on him to be out there. So it's great to have him. You might not want to trade him, but you definitely have to accommodate for his possible absence. So Brian Daibel, the Bill's offensive coordinator,

is thought to be at the top of the list for a few teams as a potential head coach for next season. According to Ian Rappaport, the Dolphins and Bears have requested permission to interview Daible for the head coaching openings. head coach openings. Dables, the first known candidate for the Dolphins vacancy. He has been the Bill's offensive coordinator since 2018 and one assistant coach of the year in 2020. He was also OC for the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, and at the University of Alabama. The Bears are reportedly interested in Brian Flores. Tom Pelliseros said the Bears have been the first confirmed interview with Brian Flores. So a little swapping around with the coaching interviews. The Bears

are reportedly interviewing Doug Peterson tomorrow as well. So once the season starts to trickle out, we'll get more information about who's going to end up landing where. I love this time of the year. This is bad news for the bills, though.

Well, let's just get through the weekend and revisit it. I mean, look like we knew that these top coordinators were probably going to end up taking jobs, but that's a tough replacement for the Buffalo Bills. Coming up next, Joy with the news, first of all. Well, that's the news. And thanks for

stopping by. The herd News. Our quarterback face bracket, I do it every year, sometimes absolutely dreadful results. I pick the winner based solely on quarterback. The quarterback face bracket regrettably returns in five minutes. It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in 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 IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

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

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 picket 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. Thank you 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 Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own

experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tript Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines,

as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app, Search learn the hard way and listen now. All right. We called the quarterback face bracket. We've done this for years, three or four or five.

First couple of years were utterly disastrous. Management was not fond of it. Humiliated by the lack of accuracy. So I pick all the playoff games based on who is the better quarterback in that moment. Yes. Let's start in the AFC. The first AFC wildcard game is between the Steelers and Chiefs. So Big Ben or Patrick Mahomes?

Mahomes. Big Ben has the lowest passing yards per attempt among all quarterbacks. And so this is not real close right now. You watch the Steelers. It's a lot of underneath stuff. The next AFC wildcard game is Patriots Bills, so Mac Jones or Josh Allen. Well, considering Josh is the first player in league history with 4,000 passing yards and 750 rushing yards. Not real close, Josh Allen. All right.

next AFC wildcard game is Raiders Bengals, so Derek Carr or Joe Burrow? You know I like both, but I'm knowing Joe Burrow leads the NFL in over the top big plays. He's got a better receiving core. Joe Burrow right now is an inch better than Derek Carr, and I think he's ascending. Whereas with Derek, I think we know what we have, which is a very good quarterback. But Burrow, to me, is moving into that top five or six level. Okay, so the AFC divisional round would be Bengals Titans. Well, Ryan Tannehill has the worst TD interception ratio of every playoff quarterback.

21 TD's 14 picks. So Burrow is the better talent. He's ascending. He's better now. He'll be much better in two or three years, Joe Burrow. The other AFC divisional round would be Bill's Chiefs. Okay, now this is not easy. This is where a guy like me makes my money on stuff like this.

Here's the difference. Huge arms, big talents. The difference is, as much as I like Josh, Allen. He has a propensity for the mistake. Mahomes is one of the few quarterbacks ever. I get all the upside, very few picks. So these may be the two best quarterbacks in the league for the next 10 years, but I'll take Mahomes here narrowly. So that makes the AFC championship game, Bengals, Chiefs, so Burrow or Mahomes? Okay. So Mahomes has eight games with 100 plus passer rating. Burrow, more interceptions sacked more.

So you're asking me, today, I think Mahomes is the more spectacular arm talent. I think he is less prone to mistakes. Mahomes gets to the Super Bowl. Okay, let's go to the NFC. The first NFC wildcard game is Eagles, Bucks. So Jalen Hertz or Tom Brady? Went back and forth on this. But Brady leads football in completions, passing yard, touchdown passes.

And let's be honest about Tom, his greatest strength. could be pre-snap. He's seen literally everything. The next NFC wildcard game is Niners Cowboys. So Jimmy G or Doc Prescott? Well, Dak gives me more mobility. I never worry about it and getting hurt. And I think DAC makes fewer big mistakes. Now, I think DAC has some limitations at the ceiling level, but so does Jimmy G. So Dak wins here. I get the better athlete, more consistent player. Garoppolo in a two-minute drill is hard to take my eyes off of. That in the square chin, but I'm taking Prescott here.

Back. All right. The next wildcard game is Cardinals Rams. So Kyler Murray or Matthew Stafford? Now this one, I thought a lot about this one. This is why I'm going to take Stafford. He leads the NFL in second half passer rating. He can drive you nuts.

But this, the history of the NFL playoffs is who wins the second half? Matt Stafford is the best fourth quarter quarterback in the league. He's got his issues, fewer mistakes than. Tyler, less mobility. But that's the best quarterback in the fourth quarter in the entire league. So a narrow win for Stafford. The NFC divisional game would be Rams Packers, Matthew Stafford, or Aaron Rogers. I just had a stat here I like with this one.

Let me look at this one. Oh, okay. This comes down to two high ceiling guys. One makes a lot of mistakes. One makes none. So playoff football. It's not always who wins it. loses it, I take Aaron.

The other NFC, the divisional game would be Cowboys, Bucks, Dak Prescott, or Tom Brady. I think Tom's going to win this one. And I also think we go back to the pre-snap thing. You can throw anything at Tom. By the way, the last two times he's beaten Aaron Wright. What do we worry about the Cowboys? They beat the NFC East.

But Dak kind of needs the running game to beat everybody else and they don't. Brady's often better in the big spots. Aaron Rogers, Patrick Mahom. Tom Brady. So the NFC championship game, Bucks, Packers, so that's Brady or Aaron Rogers. Again, a lot of you right now, you're asking me if they play in three weeks, who do I want? Brady leads the NFL and wins, touchdown passes, passing yards over the last two years, including the playoffs, and has beaten Aaron twice. If they meet in one game, and you know who the pressure is going to be on, it's not on Tom, the pressure is going to be on Aaron Rogers. Because

like Tom's the old guy with a wheelbarrow full of cash, you've got to beat the old guy. I would take Tom Brady. In one game, one game, I would take Brady in one game. So that's the Super Bowl, Chiefs, Bucks, Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady. Now again, corporations often decide who to give a big extension to. These are the moments for me, the crisis moments. in Collins quarterback playoff face bracket.

I've watched them play several times. Brady. I've watched them play. I still feel Patrick Mahomes, the mechanics sometimes leave him. I feel in big spots. He's been a little uneven. We had a seven-week stretch

where Patrick Mahome was off. I think if Leonard Fournette comes and Tom gets to play action, chiefs don't really run the ball convincingly or regularly. in a one game situation, Brady Mahomes. I've seen it twice in the playoffs. Oh, and two.

Is this? So you have the bucks winning back to back Super Bowls then? No. This is what the face bracket. I want no responsibility for this stupid thing. This is what the face bracket says. I'm taking if they play. Okay, for instance, Brady Rogers.

There's arguments to be made. But I know when they meet, it's going to come down to the final series or two. Who do you trust? I trust in those moments, Tom Brady. So there's the quarterback face bracket. Cincinnati fans love that. The best part about this, if it doesn't go right, it's not my responsibility.

It's their heads and their faces. It's not my responsibility at all. So there we go, the quarterback face bracket. Nobody's ever copied this. You know, in broadcasting? You ever noticed that? No other shows. Nothing's new, but this seems to live.

exclusively on the herd. Yeah, like no other producers said, boy, that's a gem. We've got to take that and we've got to do our version of that. It's never happened with a quarterback face bracket. All right, Joel Clatt, Moose Johnston, Peter Schrager. There's got, you know, this coaching stuff. That Joe Judge stuff is interesting. He interviewed, but there's still reports,

it's a little static. It's a little fuzzy in New York. What do you bet in the next 48 hours we have a story? Good bet. That's a good bet. All right. Speak for Yourself is around the corner and a Tuesday. Is there any sports on TV tonight?

I may have a night off. Take Ann out. It's the herd. 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 I-Heart 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, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilts, conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. 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 Hardweight with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a lot of life.

licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor. It signals to the world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.