The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 3 - USC, NFL

Episode Date: November 17, 2022

USC head coach Lincoln Riley joins the show to talk about what makes QB Caleb Williams so special and preview their huge game against crosstown rival UCLA   Guest: Lincoln RileySee 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. 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. 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 and learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet, 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.

Thanks for listening to The Heard 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 herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Herd. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. The World Cup is home for the holidays, and Fox Super 6 is celebrating with a $1 million World Cup Brackett challenge. Go to foxports.com slash bracket and enter your picks for a free chance to win a million dollars.

Contest closes November 20th. Don't miss out. It is interesting. J. Mack has brought this up. Kevin Duran is not happy at all with Brooklyn. Would you be? No. next to Edward Sumner, who was a nice

point guard in college. Joe Harris is rumored to be on the trading block. Okay, so he wants out. Yeah. What does Brooklyn need? Picks, players, and picks. So do you go to him and say, we'll give you, you know, we'll give you, either way, we'll give you Jordan Poole,

because you have to make the salaries match and he signed a new deal. We'll give you Jordan Poole, Jonathan Caminga. You know, I mean, you could move off Wiseman. Well, Brooklyn has no big guy. would be desperate for Wiseman. By the way, Wiseman's in year three. He just got sent to the G League. Well, again, I didn't, I'm not, I called somebody yesterday in the Warriors. He just doesn't work with their starting rotation. So they have this old starting group and they have this young backup group and it just, they're trying to bridge it and just doesn't work. But I, but I do think,

if you look at Brooklyn, Steve Kerr's history is he's great dealing with delicate veterans, you know, the egos. I mean, he played on the Jordan team and his protege is Phil Jackson. He's a little psychology feel to him, right? He was a broadcaster, a GM, great at all of them, played with MJ. Curza, really, probably the smartest guy I've ever dealt with in sports. Super bright. And so he'll, he, he is always, you know, delicately handled the KD situation, the staff, Clay's injuries, Draymond Green, the Jordan Pool incident.

Jordan Pool, you need matching salaries. If you gave Golden State a shooter Jordan Pool, a big Wiseman, maybe you give him Kaminga and a couple of draft picks, Golden State's in the win now territory. Moses Moody, I'd keep. I'd like to keep comminga, but it's not working. So you know what I did? I went deep on this topic on my podcast. I tagged Kevin Durant on Instagram.

And Kevin Durant, because he's always on IG, responds. I don't want to go anywhere. And I show him the quote. I'm like, dude, look what you're saying. Look at the Nets right now. There is no hope with this team. Kyrie Irving comes back. Colin, are they even a top eight team in the East?

No. And Kyrie's not coming back next year. So ultimately, the Nets have no picks going forward. got this huge tax bill. You think the owner, what's the best way to reboot this team? Trade Kevin Durant. You're not getting anything for Ben Simmons. And Kevin Durant, like, listen, he would love to be on a good team going deep in the playoffs. The league, listen, the league kind needs him. I know people love talking about Janice and Yokic. Those guys don't move the needle, Colin. You're not opening the show with Yokic. Well, it feels like you're, it's not the reality

of the world. Yeah, I mean, it's like you feel like you're wasting Kevin Durant's last three or four years and this, not not last three or four years, but he's still a top five. player in the league. Brooklyn's local TV ratings are terrible. Like he's lost there. And so to me, it's Brooklyn could get young players, an established Jordan Pool,

who would start for them. And I just think the warriors are trying to bridge this thing. It's a weird, like they win the title. You think they're coming back. They got the young guys. It's just not working. It's possible that James Wiseman just does not fit with these warriors. Well, Luni's

the rebounder, and they like to go. small and they thought Wiseman could run the floor, but this offense is high functioning, fast, read, react, and these young guys are struggling with them. You know what the other tough part is, Clay Thompson. I know he's beloved. They love Clay Thompson in the Bay Area. He's shooting 35 percent. Like every stat shows this is the worst season of his career. He gives this clunky interview where he's like, guys, lay off me. Warrior fans are starting to not turn on him, but it's like, dude, I mean, if you can't defend anybody, maybe you should come off the bench.

And there's some stuff happening in Golden State that's weird, man. And Steph Curry, like you said, playing out of his mind. Oh, he's been fantastic. I think they're leaning toward a move here soon. Remember, they're the highest luxury tax team in the league, and they're like three games under 500? You can't have that if you're Golden State. 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 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

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

don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 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

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. J-MAC with the News. No. Turn on the news. This is the Heard Line News. Let's stay in the NBA. Lakers, by the way, last Saturday, they're 2 in 10.

They had a team meeting to discuss how they could improve, but it appears something clicked because the next day they beat the Nets, right? They got their third win. And after practice this week, Anthony Davis just raving on what went on in that team meeting. Here's what AD said. there were a lot of emotions, guys voicing their opinions, some back and forth, but it was all for the nature of trying to get better. So even though it might be a back and forth, it was, okay, I hear what you're saying,

you hear what I'm saying? So now what's the solution instead of just constantly budding heads? So it was some good dialogue. I'm very curious what that was like. In the locker room, who do you think is coming at AD saying, AD, you're not really holding up your end of the bargain. Stop shooting threes. AD came back at like 37.

18, I believe. Well, it was over Brooklyn. Brooklyn's terrible. A win is a win if you're the Lakers. I mean, hey, they need, who's their third best player, by the way? LeBron, A.D., is it Russ or Lonnie Walker? Well, Walker's young. He's a kid.

So I think Ross is a better player. Lonnie's like a lot of young players. Like you'll have a good night, and then the next night he has four points. Like Jordan Pool last night. Yeah, I mean, that's just what happens with young play. Jordan Poole last night. I don't think he hit a field goal. Yeah, over from the field.

Yeah, Steph had 50. He's getting like, $25 million a year. Yeah, and so, you know, it's, that's the difference between Jordan Poole's talented, but on a night-to-night basis, you don't know what you're getting. The great players, you get the same thing mostly every night. The weird problem with the Lakers, Colin, is I think apathy is starting to sit in. Like, it's just like, okay, they stink.

It's not even like, well, they can maybe turn it around or here's what they could do. How about this? It's just like, they stink. I turned in two nights ago to watch the Clippers. I think it was two nights ago as on the treadmill. My first thought, no Kauai Leonard. I mean, if you're Steve Ballman, we can talk about the Lakers, but at least they got a title in the bubble.

Is Kauai Lenternan going to play this year? Big news, he is questionable. Oh, he's been upgraded to questionable. He never plays. He only took 17 months off for the ACL injury. 17 months. Because I like their front office. I like their roster.

I like their wing defenders. I like their coach. There's so much about the clippers I like. Kauai is holding them back now. I'm curious if Tai Luz starts to push back against Kauai, or can you not do that? Ty Lou is confrontational. Ty Lou will go after him.

Kairi in Cleveland was combustible. I mean, I think Kauai is just too odd. I'm not building my franchise around odd. I can't. I'm with you. All right, let's move on the Bengals. They face the Steelers in the season open. Remember they lost that game, 2320.

I think Burrow had like four or five picks off the appendectomy. Well, he didn't play in the preseason, so he was, yeah, he had a major surgery. However, that was against Mitchell Trebisky. He could not move the ball and they did not want him to screw the game up. Okay. This matchup this week, it's Kenny Pickett. I love it. The line was at five.

It's down to three and a half. I like the Bengals. Interesting. No Jamar Chase? Off a bye. They do get DJ Reader back, allegedly, on that defense. He's apparently practicing. Zach Taylor said he doesn't see a difference between Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.

I don't think anything drastic. You know, I think he's made some good decisions. He can be really accurate with the ball. made some big plays with his feet the other day as well. He's a really good athlete. Gives this guy's a chance to go make a play. So, again, he's a rookie who's got a lot of talent. I think he's doing a good job managing that offense.

I like watching, since the Steelers were my only win last week, I will say this. I like watching Pickett play. I like Justin Fields. Like last year, I just felt he wasn't given a fair shot. I believe this is Kenny Pickett's team. He's got a real good back, a real good tight end, really good receiver. is a veteran coach. If Kenny Pickett fails, some of it's on Kenny.

He had four years to start in the same stadium. Like Justin Fields last year, I'm like, it's a mess. The O-line's bad. Justin Fields finally now, like now has got the right coordinator, two receivers, good tight-in, a couple of backs. And by the way, their old line's been a little better, I think, than most people thought. I like watching these young guys. Now it's like just Trevor Lawrence.

He's got the right coach. They've got players. I think one of the things I really love about this league is watching young quarterbacks when they're not there yet. when they get capable support. Like Mack Jones isn't this year. He's regressed. But it's fun to watch Pickett's games.

He makes mistakes. But if he does struggle, you can't blame the Steelers, because I will say this. He's got some pieces here. I mean, Johnson, Pickens, Naji Harris, the tight end, they've got some pieces here. I kind of love that Colin Cowherd's riffing on the Pittsburgh offense. All that I care about with this team is T.J. Watt.

Do you remember what he did to Lyle Collins in the opener? He was a turnstile. I mean, T.J. Watt killed him. T.J. Watt is back. We'll see about Minka Fitzpatrick. Appendectomy. He claims he's going to play after two weeks. That's insane to me.

But let's move on. Final story is tonight's game. Packers hosting the Titans. Tennessee will be missing a ton of starters. They've already ruled out center. Ben Jones, safety. Amani Hooker. Kicker Randy Bullock and Bud Dupree,

their best edge rusher. 2320 Packers. Can I actually? finish the three. I know you're excited. The Packers could be in a good position to get their fifth win of the season. Foxbed has it. Packers' favor by three. So you're going push. I think it's a push. I think Green Bay is going to win by three. Can the Packers stop Derek Henry? Well, they can slow him down. They have the 30th rated run defense according to efficiency stats. 30th. So who do you like? I think if you can get the three and a half, you take Tennessee. Well, yeah, if you give me three and a half.

This is where you got to shop around for the best number, right? That same I do with the zucchini's and salmon. Oh, yeah, yeah. You go to Gelsons. You'll go to the next grocery store. Oh, I bounce around. I'm a Costco guy. I go to Costco, whatever they've got, I'm taking it.

Costco, if you want to throw me some sponsors. There's an old, old, old grocery store in my neighborhood. Name? I'm not going to give away the name. I don't go to the fancy ones. I go to this. I'm the youngest person in there. I'm not kidding you.

I am, I feel like speed racer on a old horse track. It's just a bunch of old people and me in there. They're so kind and gracious. I love it. I thought at this stage you would have somebody grocery shopping. No, I love. Those are freshness centers. I go every day to the grocery store.

I love the grocery store. Freshness centers. Is that really a thing? Oh, I love. I go to the grocery store as much as I can. Everything in there is fresh. Everything. There's pollution everywhere in the world.

Everything in that store is fresh. You go to a hospital, everything's dying. You go into a grocery store. Everything is vibrant and dynamic and growing. Who's writing your material today? The freshness centers, that's good. I love grocery stores. Okay, good to know.

I learned something new about you every day, man. You love grocery stores. Okay, J-Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Heard Lye News. There have been some. This transfer portal in college football is spectacular.

It really is. I mean, LSU, I was sitting there thinking, you know, my rule was always, I want to see the middle of your second year as a coach. That's when USC and P. Pete Carroll hit. It was the middle of Pete's second year. I think they went up to Eugene and beat Oregon. They had lost to Kansas State. This is all fuzzy to me. It lost to Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Manhans is Kansas, Manhattan, Kansas. And they came back. I think they beat Oregon or something. And then it popped. I always feel like Nick Sabin, middle of his second year. Brian Kelly and Lincoln Riley, first year, because you can bring in like 20 starters. So, you know, it's funny. Remember when the transfer portal start? Everybody freaked out. It's just the way we work. This is what social means.

media has done to people. Elon Musk owns Twitter. Everybody freaks out. Just take a deep breath. About three or four weeks, they'll get it figured out. Everybody freaks out. Maybe, maybe not. But it's like the transfer portal, paying players.

Everybody just, oh, my God, I can't believe. Here we go into the second transfer portal in about three weeks. It's okay. Take a deep breath. It didn't ruin college football. It's actually great for the sport because it allows the big brands. LSU, Miami, Texas, Oklahoma, USC. It allows these big brands that are down, if they're down, to get better in one-off season.

And in any sport in baseball, you want the Dodgers, the Giants, the Braves, the Yankees, you want your biggest brands to flourish in college basketball. I saw Gonzaga got whack last night, but you want Duke to win and Kansas to win. It's good for the sport when the big dogs win. So sometimes the big dogs hire the wrong coach. sideways. College basketball, college football, Major League Baseball, whatever. What you want is a network.

We want the big brands back. College football is better when Michigan's right. Doesn't the Big Ten feel better now that Michigan could beat Ohio State? It feels better. It's nothing against Iowa and Nebraska. But I mean, doesn't the PAC 12 feel more formidable? Because USC and UCLA now are really good? You want the big names and the big brands to win.

And the problem is, even great organizations, the spur of the hired Jerry Tarkhanian, Bama hired Mike Price, Billy Gillespie, Mass at Kentucky, you're going to miss on this stuff. So when you miss, do you have to, what you don't want is Kentucky basketball to be in the toilet for seven years? What you don't want is Notre Dame football to be in the toilet or Georgia football for seven years. So the transfer portals eliminated that. You get a coach in, you build it right back up, and LSU and USC are like they're both really, really good. Are they great? Not quite yet. Yeah, there was like a five-year stretch where nobody west of the Mississippi mattered in college football. Now you've got another entire region of the country that's like, whoa, Pac-12 is really strong this year.

It's fantastic. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Paulie Fusco here with Tony Fuscoe. Yo, of course you know us as the host of the number one rated Pauley and Tony Fusco show. World renown. We all know you're sick and tired of these stupid sports shows where the host say stupid things like Tom Brady's the goat or LeBron James is good at basketball, which he is clearly not. See, we give you smart takes, yeah.

And we also bring on so-called famous guests from across the sports world and show them why we know much more than they do. You're off the show! Are you serious? See ya! Listen to the Bali and Tony Fusco show on the IHot 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 what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

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

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. 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 Jek. 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, 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?

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. Well, I said I didn't see how it was possible that USC. I said, I think they're going to lose three games. I don't know who they're two, but you're asking two. I watch Pete Carroll go six and six in his first year. It's hard to turn around a program.

Well, Lincoln Riley's done it. They're nine and one. They're a play on the road in not the greatest officiated game, just my opinion. From being undefeated, they play UCLA in what will be one of the smartest offensive games of the year between Chip and Lincoln. Let me just start with this. Caleb, before the season started, I asked somebody who I trust dearly, NFL background. I said, what do you think of Caleb Williams?

I said, I just watch a little bit at Oklahoma. He goes, you are going to just not believe it. And I said, what do you mean? He said, I'm not going to give it away. So if somebody had never seen Caleb Williams and you had to describe him in a minute about what makes him special, go for it. A really, really unique skill set. you know, Breitkept talks about the athletic guys and what they can do, and he has a cool athletic skill set,

the way that he can move, break tackles, his threat as a runner. But then you combine that with an arm that is and a vision for the game that's really, really unique, especially for a guy his age. You know, you see touch throws. You see the bombs down the field. You see, you know, kind of layered passes in the middle of the defense. I mean, he really can from a skill set. do it all, change arm angles.

And then he's got a cool and tangible side to him, too. He's a good leader. He's a competitor. He's done a good job here early on. Our time here at SC, help him bring this roster together and really being a leader that way. Now, it's been fun to see the guy's progress. I mean, he obviously did a really nice job for us in year one there at Oklahoma

in the back half the year, but he's certainly playing at a much higher level right now. Well, Baker, Kyler, Jalen Hertz, you all got him in the Heisman race. Caleb, in my opinion, is as talented as any. of those. Now, Travis Dye, a little bit of the heart and soul. I think just a grown-up had been around the conference. Players, he got hurt and his backup running back is like crying. It's like they loved him. Are you concerned, I think you'll be productive in the run game, but are you concerned his spirit, his pass blocking? He did a lot of little things you see, but a lot of fans may not. How concerned are you about that loss?

Yeah, Travis was, it still is, in a lot of ways, the heartbeat of this team. I mean, so much of our energy and competitiveness, you know, came from him and we'll still come from him just in a different way. He brought a mentality to the practice field, the way he competed every day that really had a big impact on this program, especially here in year one and being so early. So you're right. We've got some other good players that we think we'll be ready to go produce. We certainly expect them to, but you don't replace Travis Dye all. he brought to the team, all he did on the field, off the field. I mean, he was certainly one of our most valuable players.

And obviously, wish him a speed of recovery. And our guys, they want to honor them. They want to, you know, show him their respect and love, then they need to go play the game the way he did. And if we do that, we'll be okay. Yeah, I was, I think the last time I talked to you, I said, you know, this transfer portal is going to be fine. But you're like, you brought on a third of another team.

I'm like, personalities, different cultures. And I'm like, this is a lot of movement. parts. And yet, this is the closest team I've ever seen at USC. I mean, when a kid drops a ball, he'll go to the sideline, kids rally around him. Is it, it's been a very rewarding season. Is it been one of the more challenging seasons because you have different players, schemes, programs, some of these kids are from the east, the south, the north. Has it been challenging the portal and bringing it all together? Honestly, Colin, it was challenging. to bring it all together, to get all the people here, to get them settled, to make those choices on who you were going to bring in.

And then in the beginning to kind of implement it all and put everybody on the same page. But this season, I think a lot of good teams, like, you don't have those headaches, right? The players, they handle a lot of the things internally. There's not a lot of dissension in the locker room. There's not a lot of selfish guys in the locker room. It's very team first. And I've felt that the whole way. In some ways, the season's been easier.

than a few that I've been through the years just because of how well this team has got along and the camaraderie and I think how much they all want to win for each other. We certainly have a lot of guys with individual goals, and we want them to have that. But I do think this team very much believes in the team concept. You can see it with the way we've played and the way we have come together on such short notice. Listen, you can't solve all your issues in one-off season. You and Brian Kelly at LSU have gotten darn close, but it's a competitive battlefield out there recruiting. So teams have been able to run against you. Now you face UCLA, and as clever as you are offensively,

Chip is really smart, and his run games are just a pain to defend. And that's been a little bit of a liability for you. Do you have to take more chances defensively? How do you get them off the feet? I mean, the way to beat USC to me would be get Caleb Williams off the field. Like, are you concerned about that? that, that run game and in some limitations defensively you could accomplish? Yeah, it'll be a big part of the game. I mean, Chip has always done a tremendous job

offensively, and he's got several guys, obviously, that have played a lot of ball for him. Clearly, you know, Charbonnet and DTR have played a lot of ball. They're both very productive players. They've got a good offensive line, good skill around them. And so that's a challenge. And I think the thing you've got to do is you've got to make sure and be very disciplined in the way you play. because they're going to throw a lot of different looks at you and try to get you off your game. And then you've got to finish the plays, right? That's the one thing that shows up with these guys.

They're good enough players. A lot of times people are there and they still don't get them down. So we've got to be able to get guys on the ground. We've got to be able to finish plays. And then the flip side is when we get a chance to make those big plays defensively of our own, we've got to go make them and put that back on them. You've been in a lot of big games. Red River Shootout, Bedlam.

Those are big games. Rivalry games, you know, I was talking, one time Peyton Manning said this. He said, you have an NFL regular season game. Then you have division games. And then you have playoff games. He goes, they all feel different. So, I mean, the battle for Los Angeles, you've been in some of these games. As a coach, you know, I can see a young coach overcoaching, overthinking.

Do you enter a rivalry game? Is there anything? Do you have to like, for instance, young players? A lot of these guys played against each other in high school. Is it a different approach playing UCLA this week? I don't know if it's a different approach, but I think you have to identify with the guys. Like everybody has understood, it is going to feel different.

You're right. These games, they are different. There is, and then when you add in, obviously, all the opportunities on the back into this game, sure. I mean, the atmosphere is going to feel different. The excitement's going to feel different. These are games, especially for guys here on the West Coast. They've been watching all their lives and now that they get a chance to participate in it.

So I think we certainly realize that and understand that, but then it goes back to, okay, it's going to feel different. Now, what do we have to do to go play well in this game? And that comes down to the plan that you lay out for them as coaches. And then players, they have to take that plan, believe in it, go into an environment and an atmosphere like that and go put it on display the entire game for four, four quarter. and longer if needed. And that is, that's the mentality. So this will be the first one of these that we've been in together. We're going to lay out a plan for our guys, and hopefully they approach it as well as they

have most of the other challenges this season. You know, the one part that you inherited that's pretty interesting, I always thought last couple of years, USC's O line was a little underrated, and you said very early when you took the program over. You said, we don't really have to rebuild that part. There's players here. I just saw something yesterday. It's the number one rated offensive. line in the country or one or two. Is that, if I said to you, is there a pleasant surprise in this job? Because you had to rebuild it.

Would it be the O line? That's fair to say. It's definitely one of them. You had guys, you could tell when we got in here even early on on that O line that that wanted to win, that wanted to do it the right way. You could tell that would be building blocks, not just like for the O line, but like the entire team, right? Like these are the kind of guys from a cultural standpoint that we

want to have. And it was cool to have that from the beginning. Yeah. We can build it around these guys. And obviously that position being so critical really worked out in our favor. So it's a great group. We've got some guys that played a lot of ball that this place means the world too. Josh Henson, our O-Line coach, has done a tremendous job with them. Yeah. They've played at a high level, really, the entire year. Okay, so you basically put together a recruiting class on hope and optimism. Now you've got a lot of wins. I mean, I mean, you've had over 500 yards, I think, in four straight. Let me see, look at the line here.

40 plus points and 500 plus total yards in the last month every game. So now when you go recruit, it's, and we told you what it was going to look like, here's what it looks like. Are you noticing, Lincoln, inroads nationally, regionally, are you sensing the ascension of what your game plan was for that? We absolutely are. You're right. It's the guys that jumped on here.

early on had to do it with kind of the idea of USC being good. Obviously USC's been good for a long time, but here in recent years, they haven't seen that. And so they had to believe in, you know, what we were bringing in, the staff, this kind of new era. And I'm glad now that all those recruits out there are able to see the trajectory of this, because I think it is real and it's very real what this place has been and what it can be again. And we think it's well on its way of doing that. And so it is. It's being able to recruit once you have some of that proof and once you have that proof of concept is so much easier because you can say, look, all right, here's what happened. Here's a trajectory. Put yourself in that position. What does that look like and how far can

we take this? It's fun to think about. Obviously, there's a lot going on right now, a lot of great opportunities for this team. But when you look at the future, it's hard not to be pretty excited. Yeah. You know, it's interesting when I watch your teams, you really, not just to suck up here, but I was telling a friend is that I can see your coaching. I can see your coaching. I'll be like, oh, that's really clever. Oh, that's, I like what he's doing here. There was a couple things you did at the Arizona game. And I was like with a buddy, I'm like that. They know, it's funny, the feeling out process to football, I sometimes watch you, and I can sense your game plan, but you do a lot of stuff half to half. I see an impact in that. What's your favorite part?

From whistle to whistle, what is your favorite part on Saturday? That's a good question. Probably the close games, like the tight moments, especially like the fourth quarter, when teams are, teams are tired. You've played a lot of reps. It's been a battle. And like now it's going to all be decided, you know, right here in this moment and there's nowhere to hide. And I think that that competition, both the players on the field, the coach is making the best decisions they can, you know, getting in those late game two-minute scenarios, I think that's the best. I mean, I love all parts of it. I've always loved the competition that great college football provides. But the end of games and having to really rally and finish as a team, especially on the road, there's nothing better. Yeah, I'm glad you

enjoy those. I don't like the close games, to be honest with you. I don't like them at all. I really don't at all. I'm glad you're having the time of your life because I'm on the couch not having the time of my life watching those things. Lincoln, congratulations, 9-1, UCLA, the game of the day in college football. So much fun to watch. And what a pleasure. Thanks for stopping by, coach. Anytime.

Thought on. All right. Lincoln Riley. Yeah, they've been in some really interesting games. So they were in a close game. Oregon State won. Close game. Arizona was closer than you think.

think one. Cal was closer than you'd want. This will be close. Then they have Notre Dame, potentially a Pac-12 championship. They can clinch the Pac-12 championship game appearance with a win against UCLA. The Utah game was so classic late night, Pac-12 at night, just a wild, I was in Utah that weekend. Crazy game. One of the five best games of the college football season, for sure. Alabama, LSU. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I don't know. I think, listen, I, I, my scouts and my friends in this profession. When I ask them about this game, they're like,

Chip Kelly is as good at building a run game and fooling you as anybody in college football. And Lincoln Riley is as good as anybody manipulating you in the past game. So you're going to watch really high functioning coaches. And when you watch these two coach, you can really see the coaching. I was talking about this the other day with a friend of mine. And I said, football is not that complex. Like, you can see a smart game plan.

You can see when a coach, what they're trying to do, manipulate the boundary, trying to, like when Utah played USC, they clearly thought our tight ends are better than their weak side linebackers. We're going to attack that. And they had huge success. So I can't wait. I'm so fired up. I might be holding a USC ticket to win the national title 80 to 1 from. January. So I'm invested in USC. I'm rooting for USC. You bet them 80 to 1?

80 to 1. They were 80 to 1. That was before they got Caleb and a bunch of other, Jordan Addison and everybody. Yeah. Well, Michigan and Ohio State, one's going to knock the other out. And if Georgia gets upset... As long as you can avoid Georgia in the first round of the playoff, I think you got a chance. Georgia ain't losing to TCU. Right. We know that. Assuming TCU gets through. By the way, TCU's story is an awesome one, right? If you follow them, they're a good story this year.

Well, Sunny Dykes, was it Cal? It could do anything at Cal. But it goes to Fort Worth. Yeah. Pretty good. Hey, over the holidays, property crimes, spike, burglaries, packaged thefts, spike. Go to SimplySafe home security. 50% off right now.

Holiday special. Simplysafecollan.com. There is no safe like SimplySafe. See tomorrow. 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 I-Heart 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-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to and 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 AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 podcast.

guests. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.