The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD - Hour 2 - Joel Klatt Reacts to the Firing of James Franklin

Episode Date: October 15, 2025

Colin is joined by Fox Sports College Football Analyst Joel Klatt to react to the stunning firing of Penn State head coach James Franklin. The two dive deep into the fallout and explain why Ohio State looks like the most complete team in college football this season. Colin also discusses the Josh Allen-Sean McDermott combo and why they will probably win it all. And it is being rumored Penn State is going after Marcus Freeman to fill their HC opening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.

you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hippocrite Wednesdays on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us. From IHeart Podcasts, Saigon. You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam? One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. This is for Vietnam. They're pouring patriots all over here. Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country and it's going to burn out everything.

Listen to Saigon 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 on Fox Sports Radio in noon to 3 Eastern, 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the herd at Fox Sports Radio.com or stream us live every day on the iHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, here we go. It's our number two and a Wednesday.

Great show so far, live in Chicago. It's the herd wherever you may be, and however you may be listening. Thanks for making us on any platform part of your day. Joel Clatt in about five minutes. I was saying one of the things I like about postseason baseball, there's so much urgency. Analytics are important during the regular season, but you get into the playoffs and there's so much urgency that you may bring a starter who pitched brilliantly two days ago and bring him out of the pen.

You're just doing things. I mean, like, watch the Dodgers starting pitching. There's no reason to pull a guy out in the sixth inning. I mean, last night, they let Yoshi go the whole game. You don't do that in the regular season. That's just not the way it works. So analytics, to some degree in the NBA playoffs, it becomes a situational basketball league.

Two-pointers are fine. It's not all three-pointers. And in baseball, everything changes. You're just pitching differently. But I thought they should have kept Blake Snell in the game in game one. and instead they went to the bullpen because I want to take a series lead before I go to a bullpen

that I don't entirely trust. Last night, Yamamoto was good. He wasn't as good as Snell. He was great, but not that great. You already have a 1-0 series lead and you've got a four-run cushion. I would have gone to the pen.

So it's okay. But even the announcers, Ron Darning and the guys, they didn't know quite what they were going to do, and everybody's a brilliant, everybody's a genius about baseball. after the fact, but in real time, nobody kind of knew what Dave Roberts was going to do, and that's the fun of baseball.

And here were the announcers talking about at the 8th. And now if you're Dave Roberts, you have to start thinking seriously about allowing Yamamoto to finish this game. I don't think he's going to finish this game. I don't think so. Because of the big delay in the eighth inning because the offense of the Dodgers, he's going to give him this inning, and I think Banda will probably finish it in the 9th. But let's see. I mean, we're watching baseball from the 70s and 80s now with this kind of starting pitching by the Dodgers.

Yeah, I mean, and here's the thing. The reason I would have kept Snell in game one, he'd retired 17 straight Brewers. Nobody'd hit the ball out of the infield since the third. It was Sandy Kofax. Just let him go. And he's also a very good pitcher post 100 pitches. And again, Yamamoto, Yoshi was great last night. He wasn't quite as dominant.

I've got a four-run cushion. I've got a 1-0 series lead. I've stolen home field advantage. So I would have flipped it. Dave Roberts, who we love, talked about going back to Yamamoto in the ninth. I see a real confidence. I think that's what it is. I think that last year, certainly there was a transition.

And even in the postseason, I didn't give him a whole lot of leash. But I think this year, he's got. confidence for me that third time through at pitch 90, he feels that he's the best option. And so I think for me, that just gives me that confidence. I like my managers to be adaptable and pragmatic. And that's the thing with Dave Roberts. He said after game one, he goes, it was 50-50. Again, the Brewers couldn't get bat on ball.

They did not hit a ball out of the infield since the third inning. I'd have just gone with Snell. But that's it. There is, you know, it's not. You're up to none, two nothing. There's no right answer. That's the fun of baseball. But you do manage it differently now than you do in the regular season.

And I've said the term I've always used is maniletics. It's analytics, postseason's analytics. I'll look at the analytics, but sometimes I want my alpha. I'm just going to go with him. I'm just going to trust him. I don't care what the numbers say. And with that, we bring in Joel Clatt. He'll be calling the Washington at Michigan Games.

That is a really, really good game. A lot of urgency for both. So let's start with this. There's rumors, and they seem pretty substantial, that Penn states like, okay, we know we're spending $700 million in an update to Beaver Stadium. We know we just wrote a $45 million check to James Franklin, and we know we'd have to write $100 million check for Marcus Freeman and his staff. But I hear those rumors, and that's probably the guy I would go after.

Do you buy them? What are your thoughts about that? Well, I think that Pat Craft, the athletic director at Penn State is going to take a big swing. I don't think that anybody is off of his list, to be quite honest with you. And if I was Pat Kraft, I would start with the biggest swing possible. I know this sounds crazy, but I think the first call I would make is Nick Saban. And just like, just make sure that that's not going to happen. And then you start going down the list of the other coaches around the country.

I think Dan Laining would get a call. And I think Marcus Freeman would get a call. Now, would Freeman leave Notre Dame? I'm not sure. He just went to the national championship. I'm sure he feels like he can build something special. Is Penn State a better job than Notre Dame? I don't think it is personally, but that's a call that I would make if I was Pat Kraft.

Because, again, this is a good job. I don't know if it is a great job in college football, but in this cycle, it's probably going to be the best job available. Colin, even if Florida were to come open if they make a move off of Billy Napier, Even if Florida State went south and Mike Norville was let go of Florida State, whatever happens at Wisconsin, you know, even if Brian Kelly were to, you know, somehow take a nosedive with LSU, beginning like, let's say, this week, I'm not sure that any of those jobs, maybe LSU is, but Penn State is set up perfectly.

You brought up the investment into the stadium, $700 million into the stadium, they're willing to pay the money to James Franklin to buy them out. They've got support and they've got an athletic director that's willing to win. I think Kurt Signetti should probably get a call. I would be swinging for the fences if I was Pat Kraft because here's the thing is that this reminds me a lot. Maybe not quite to the tier of Georgia, but Mark Rick at Georgia seemed to have a ceiling on that program and they felt like they could go higher. They bring in Kirby Smart and they did go higher. Maybe that's the moment that we're in for Penn State right now where the next guy is going to lift the ceiling of this program and they can,

actually go out there and win some of these top 25, top 10 games that James Franklin has fallen short in. So, USC speaking of Notre Dame, goes to South Bend. I don't think it's a great spot for them. I think the quarterback play at Notre Dame is so efficient. They'll pick on USC's corners, the weakness of their roster. I thought they bullied Michigan. I do not think they'll be able to do this to Notre Dame. I thought it was a very imp-I-I- I said I thought it was bigger than people realized beating Michigan and beating them the way they did. That game was not as close as the score. And I'm not sure Michigan's got the right coach.

We'll talk about that in five minutes. But I don't think USC necessarily matches up well here. It's not as good of a matchup as they had against Michigan. But I think, let me go back to your point about the substance or the substantial moment for USC last week and beating Michigan the way that they did. I started to think to myself, yeah, they've had some big wins since Pete Carroll left. but I can't remember one that was maybe as important because of the way that it was played. This signals to everybody like, hey, maybe we can play at the top end of the Big Ten.

They took the team in this conference that not only won the national championship a year ago in Michigan, but also lays their entire identity in being a physical team and winning the line of scrimmage. And USC won both lines of scrimmage. That's why you saw Lincoln Riley so emotional and joyful after the game is because he knew what that win meant. fashion in which it happened. So that's an important win. Now, the matchup against Notre Dame probably isn't quite as good. And the reason is, and you touched on it briefly, is the balance that Notre Dame has on offense. Because Michigan really can't, well, I shouldn't say can't. They don't throw the ball well in just a dropback scenario. So they have to run the football

and then get their quarterback out on the outside in order to start to throw the ball and be efficient doing so. But that's not the case with Notre Dame. So Notre Dame can run it with Jeremiah Love. He's one of the best backs in the country. And then C.J. Carr has been outstanding. He's been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country. And so they have that balance that would scare you a little bit. And yes, there is an opportunity to throw the ball against USC. Illinois proved that a couple of weeks ago when Illinois ended up beating the Trojans.

And so this matchup maybe isn't quite as good. But I sure feel a lot different about this game as a Trojan fan if I was a Trojan fan today than I did last week at this point. because of the way that they were able to beat Michigan. Now you can at least lean on the fact that, hey, maybe we can run the football. And it's not just going to be a Mayava show on the road in what could be rainy conditions, by the way, 50 with some rain. It's like, it's almost like the Catholic school has a direct line to God, right? It's like, hey, what do you want to do with USC? It's like, give us some rain and some cool weather.

So it could be an interesting one, but I certainly feel like Notre Dame is set up in this game and balance. enough on offense to take advantage. Well, your top 10 as Ohio State, Indiana, Miami, Texas, Ann M, Bama, Texas Tech, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss. I don't have any quabbles with it. Let's talk Oregon. What happened against Indiana. I mean, I'll say this about Indiana, is last year they were a great story.

They weren't a great team. I had my reservations. I did say I thought it would be close, but they really dominated the game. Do you buy in, let's talk Oregon, what happened, and do you buy Indiana as a national title contenders. Yeah, so the first part of that is, is I think that Oregon has got to look themselves in the mirror a little bit because physically they got beat up at the line of scrimmage and they couldn't protect their quarterback.

That was a huge issue in particular in the second half. And they didn't really do anything defensively to disrupt the timing of Fernando Mendoza. So Indiana was able to stay balanced and run the football if they needed to and the Mendoza was really good and not pressured much in the pocket. So the line of scrimmage for Oregon, they've got to take a big look in the mirror and actually evaluate what are we right now and what are we going to be moving forward.

I do think that they're talented enough and that's a good enough coaching staff where they can learn from this, grow from this and become better. Remember, Ohio State lost at Oregon last year. They lost against Michigan and became something great afterwards. That's certainly still on the table for Oregon.

Now the second part of your question, I think this win, maybe even more so than USC over Michigan in the way that that happened in the Coliseum, this was a real seismic type of performance because it transitioned Indiana from a good team that we didn't know if they could handle the big boys to, okay, wow, this is a national championship caliber team. I really believe that. They were great on the offensive line. They were terrific on the defensive line. Their quarterback is as good as any out there and their wide receivers make a ton of plays.

I talked with Kurt Signetti on my show earlier this week. He is a process-oriented guy. He's one of the best coaches in America, and they really attack the weaknesses of their opponent as well as anybody. Their coordinators have been terrific. This is, again, a seismic moment in college football and in the Big Ten conference because Indiana just proved to everybody around the country that they're not just a cute story and they're not just a legit team.

That's a team that could beat anybody in America and potentially win a national championship. You know, it's last year I thought Ohio State, it took Chip Kelly a while, and new coordinators do. He was a pro coordinator. He comes in to his buddy Ryan Day, and it took him a while. And then Matt Patricia, Chip leaves. Matt Patricia comes in, and, you know, the Arch Manning struggling, he struggled a lot. Maybe it wasn't Matt Patricia.

But I'm watching that Ohio State defense, and I'm just telling you, turn the volume down on your TV, don't listen to the announcers, don't listen to confirmation bias. Well, no, you guys are good and everything. But my point is they look shots fired in the middle of the question. My goodness. They look faster than college offenses can handle. Ohio State's defense looks too equipped for the average college offense. That's what it looks like to me. I am going to try to disregard that clear personal shot that was taken and try to address the question as it was asked from the substance, Colin.

I will tell you this, that this defense, yes, they're fast. Yes, they're physical. But it's the fact that they can run so much from a schematic perspective and do it well. Their players are really smart. And I think the thing that makes them so difficult is a lot of their players are what I would call hybrid players. So they're versatile. Caleb Downs, probably the most versatile defensive back in all of college football. They can line them up anywhere.

It makes it incredibly difficult to get an indicator of what they're in. Arvel Reese has been maybe the story in college football on the defensive side for how quickly he's rising up draft boards. He could be one of if not the best defender in college football, their linebacker. Oh, by the way, they also have Sonny Stiles, who's a five-star, six, five, 240-pound linebacker that can run. All you have to do is look at some of these opposing offenses, what they've done against other opponents, and then what they don't do against Ohio State. I think this weekend I'm studying Demand Williams getting ready for the Michigan Washington game, which I think is going to be a fantastic game, by the way.

Demand Williams and the Washington offense is one of the best offenses in all of college football. DeMond Williams is like Kyler Murray Light. Yeah. He had just short of, I think, a million yards against Rutgers last Friday night. Right. And then you look at what he did against Ohio State and it was basically nothing. Nothing. And it's because of the scheme and it's because of the length, the versatile nature of their players and the speed with which

they play. Matt Patricia has done an incredible job. Every play, it's a different defensive front and a different coverage and that combination changes throughout the game and it makes it hard on the play caller and the quarterback to decipher what that defense is in. And by the way, they've got some of the better players in the country. Yeah. That defense has allowed me to sit there, watch Ohio State and be pretty comfortable in saying that they have separated themselves at the top tier of college football. That is pretty clearly the best team in college football. And think about this. Colin, they haven't even really gone into third gear. They've just been allowed to play patient, conservative offense, and no game is close. Yeah, the Washington game was a real eye

opener because Washington's offense, sometimes it took out a while to get going against Maryland, but Washington can score at all levels, tight end, running back, quarterback receiver. They got Sunday guys. So I want to talk about Michigan. I have, I've said this for years. it can become, you know, it sounds a little elitist when I say, don't hire the coordinator, don't hire the popular guy on staff, do a global search and get the best coach. So Harbaugh leaves, and they bring in the popular guy and the staff, capable guy, nice guy, but I'm like, it's Michigan.

I'm not sure I want Michigan to be your first job. Harbaugh had coached in college. He coached in the NFL, and it took Harbaugh a long time at Michigan to get going. And so my take was, I know that's the popular. choice. I love Marsh and I love Underwood. But I doesn't, I mean, I'm watching Michigan get pushed around and I don't remember Harbaugh teams getting pushed around like that. Did Michigan, did they got the right guy? Well, here's the pushback I would give you is that

when your team is having top-end success, a succession plan has actually been the blueprint that has worked best. Think of Ohio State from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day, from Oklahoma, Bob Stoops to Lincoln Riley. You know, you can have the global search. Yeah, I understand that sentiment, but the problem is that that locker room felt like they didn't need a change. And you don't want to disrupt the culture of something that is working. It's different when you've got to fire James Franklin.

And then there is a clear mantra of like, we're going to build something different or go to a different location when a coach is underperforming. But when you're performing at the highest level, The succession plan is actually what has worked in college football. And the fear, even though you don't want to operate out of fear, but the fear would have been, if you were Ward Manual, the athletic director, that if you would have brought someone in from the outside,

even if it was a home run, right? You know, and you win the press conference. Do you retain the roster? And that's a question. Do you retain the culture? That's a question because we've also seen teams that are really close, that are good cultures, that are good football teams, but want to go to greatness, and they make the wrong hire.

Bill Callahan at Nebraska, possibly Luke Fickle at Wisconsin. And so you change that culture of something that you've been for a long time and your players believe in and it can go south. And I think that was the predicament that Michigan was in when Jim Harbaugh left. Sharon Moore is at a really important time in his tenure at Michigan. That loss was ground shaking in a lot of ways in that building because of the way that it happened. As big as it was for USC, it's probably,

even worse for Michigan because of the way that it happened, they have to get back to first principles. What made you great in 2021 that started the run toward a national championship, physicality, stopping the run, running the football. See, if you do three things at Michigan really well, you can probably win. Stop the run, run the ball, cover kicks. That's what Jim Harbaugh did. Now, it started to grow after J.J. McCarthy became a veteran quarterback and they get some guys like Blake Corum and things like that are in their offense. But those foundational things, that's what Sharon has to go back to. I would be pretty surprised if they didn't run the football 45, 50 times this week

to get back to First Principles, Michigan identity. Joel Clatt, college football, the voice at Fox. Good to see anybody. I mean, I didn't even take a shot at, you know, weekly radio hosts and why you wouldn't want to listen to those guys. Well, I feel like I took one right between the eyes. You stay in Chicago or via remote and it's just like, bam. Listen, this show is hard.

I mean, I have no kidding yourself. It's like it's like going to Columbus in October. It's hard. You got to be ready. You show up here. You better be ready. Good seeing you. You too, bud.

So if you made your picks, Jay Mack, I already got my, I sent my picks in today, my NFL picks. I send in seven every week and I get down to five. Where are you at? You're at seven? No, I start with seven. I send them seven. the guys, I tell them seven games I like, and then Friday, as the staff knows, I pair them down to five. Well, unlike you, I like to see a good injury report before I fire on teams.

Like, I don't know, the Niners. I mean, who's telling who's going to show up for the Niners? I did fire onto that Cleveland, Miami game. You know, that's the wise guy, the Sharps. The Sharps like Cleveland. Are you willing to lay after-tax dollars, right, that you hard-earned on? Dylan Gabriel. Yeah.

That ain't easy. And then the Lions game, I'm on that one as well. That would be Lions Buccaneers. Hey, are you getting to your Big Luke? When are you getting your big Lucas story? You're really fired up about that, huh? Why do you say big? Don't you mean your skinny Luca story?

Everybody, J. Mack was so fired up because Luca dropped 25 last night against G-League Johnny in some preseason game. Oh, my God. You're going to be incorrigible this season. Oh, by the way, I know LeBron's hurt and we're all very worried, but Luca looked pretty good running that offense last night, Colin. I know it's only preseason, but Luca JJ Reddick. That's a winning combo right there.

Against the El Segundo Knights, who do they play? 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. Hi, this is Jay. I'm the producer of the Paul and Tony Fuscoe show. Usually in these promos, they ask you to listen to the show. I'm here to ask you, please don't listen to this show. The host are two absolute morons who have the dumbest takes on sports imaginable.

Don't listen to this show so it can get canceled. Whoa, whoa, what the hell are you doing in our studio? Get him, Paulie. Ignore that fool. Listen to the Pauline Tony Fusco show on the IHart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. He's still moving. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news.

What's the news? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there.

But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Oh, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 Letter help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and headwriter, 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. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and I-Hart Podcast presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah.

This is my best friend, Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the Hipsons High School. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later. We're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips, wider. This is a podcast.

We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey. With all the snacks and drink. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white color or something here? Just take it.

Oh, what are y'all doing? Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Could you imagine? I would buy it. Go.

Go. Go. Go. Hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky. I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic.

You're lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh. Listen to soccer moms on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through live. one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean.

I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adamania Arriva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden I'd had hanginess happening on my own.

I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Food swings, night sweats, food buzz, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be? Getting naked at 50 with the new guy.

That one's kind of hard, you know? Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Lockhe's going to have the best team in baseball. Mariner's are going to get to the World Series

potentially. What do you think this West Coast World Series would mean for the East Coast fans? Are they going to stay up late? Well, years ago, there was a subway series. Metz met the Yankees in the World Series. And I remember that. Everybody in the, you know, the Northeast media kind of toned after the rest of the country, predicted big numbers.

Nobody watched. It was at the time, like a very lowly rated World Series. it felt very New York. I think the Dodgers are a big enough brand. It'll feel like, you know what? It'll feel like big versus small. David versus Goliath. That's what it'll feel like.

Remember years ago when Michael Jordan faced the Utah jazz. So everybody was saying, oh, Utah is a small market. Nobody would watch. But it felt like David and Goliath. You had the legendary dynasty against Stockton and Malone and small market, Utah, almost collegiate feeling.

And it got huge numbers. The Jordan Flu game, but the Jordan flu game, and it was Jordan. and the truth of the matter was, the story was captivating, and Utah was really, really good. And I think the Mariners are really, really good without it. They don't have the Dodgers dominant starting pitching,

but they're really good. Mariners are good. That Jordan jazz stuff, that was in like 97. There was no iPhone. There was no streaming. I mean, honestly, if NFL Thursday night stinks, you know, second quarter, I'm firing up Netflix and seeing what's on or Amazon Prime. Like, I'm checking out movies.

You couldn't do that back then. I know those Jordan numbers, I'm not really buying that. I will say the Mariners are an interesting story because of the Griffey Jr. angle. Everybody loves Griffey Jr., right? Everybody has that upper deck card. There's a history with that team that they never really made it through. And I do think you're right.

There will be a gravitational pull toward them against the evil empire West Coast edition. But the problem is the Dodger. Milwaukee is certainly the Mariners equal this year. You know, it's a mid-payroll team with no real holes. Milwaukee's totally outclassed. I mean, game one, they could not get bat on ball. They couldn't get the ball to the infield. And so, and like, last night, the Dodgers had, I mean, they stranded runners left and right.

Dodgers should have blown them out. So it does. You're starting to see it. Like, you can watch the Dodgers. And it's like, there's just no breaks in their batting order. Yeah. They're, I mean, it's, it is hard to go one, two, three against the Dodgers. It's, I mean, maybe in the first couple of innings when a starter, Peralta's got his best stuff.

It's throwing the hardest, maybe. But, I mean, I mean, by the time. Let me get to the second time around the order. I mean, Teoscar Hernandez is hitting these moon shots. I mean, Max Muncie is, I mean, he has been so good in the postseason for the Dodgers. Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts. They don't even need their bullpen. That's really the key is they haven't needed their bullpen.

And you're not mentioning Otani. By the way, I know Otani's the man and the Yankees stink. You know, put judges postseason numbers next to Otani. We can have a conversation if you want to now. J-Mack with the news No No no no Turn on the news

This is the herd line news Let's start with the team Listen there's the most we've talked Tennessee Titans Colin all season I'm fired up Love to talk about The Mike Vrabble

Revenge game The Patriots come to town To face the wobbly Titans They fired their coach I just saw online There will be no video tribute For Mike Vrable Returning to Tennessee

Video tributes are stupid The Tennessee interim coach is a guy by the name of Mike McCoy. Chargers fans certainly remember him. Colin, I see you rolling your eyes. Listen, it's a plug and play. If you want to take the points in the Titans, you've got to plug your nose because that's a stinky, stinky team. Andy Reed's been fired. Vrable's been fired.

Belichick's been fired. Like, you know, Pete Carroll. The reality in this league is when you let guys like Mike Vrable out of the building, what are you doing? Like, ask yourself this. When Robert Sala left the Jets building, you let the best coach leave the building. Well, you know, we're...

Some of these owners, you do not ever let Mike Vrable out of your building. That's why New England was the easiest prediction I made this year. I said they'll double their win total. It's bad organizations. There's nobody to blame. All these fans want to yell, game is rigged. No, your owner stinks.

Your GM stinks. your coach stinks. Bad teams have bad ownership and bad front offices. If you let Mike Vrable go, bad things happen to your organization. Shame on you. I totally agree. Now, Con, let's spin it forward. You know, we like to see around corners. Who's the next Harbaugh? Who's the next Vrable? Is there someone out there who's had success and is on the market and is a slam dunk? This guy's going to get your team to the postseason in a year or two. Is there somebody out there? You get one of those every four years. I mean, there's just, there's just, there's no guarantee. Like, Sean Payton was a guarantee. Yes.

Vrable was a guarantee. Harbaugh was a guarantee. Those are all in like the last four years, though. That's three of them. There's got to be, we just got to think. If you're asking me, who would make sure the Jets were watchable, Mike McCarthy? Thank you. I like that. I'm just telling you, I'm going to start pounding the drum for him, because I do think he's a winning coach. By the way, he left Dallas. How's Dallas playing this year? I know they're plucky, but they're not 11 wins. They're not like a contender like they used to be.

Remember, Mike McCarthy left Dallas on his turn. Exactly. He knew that the bottom was falling out of that organization. Is there anyone else? Do we need to expand our mind a little? Is there anyone else on the market we need to come up with? Let me think real quick. No, I mean, no guarantees.

Well, I was going to say a certain guy who's coaching in Chapel Hill. right now, but I think the bloom was off that rose, huh? Bill's brand has taken such a weird turn and a beating and, like, you know. You're going to buy low stock. Bill Belichick is trading for pennies on the dollar right now. He knows a little about winning in the football league. Who's going to need a coach next year? Well, probably the Giants.

We're Bill coached previously. I think Davele's getting run. Maybe the Jets, maybe the Miami Dolphins. Dolphins for sure. Dolphins for sure. Tennessee Titans job is already open. Who else has been under? I don't think Harbaugh is going to get run from Baltimore. Mike McCarthy down in Miami, you could do a lot worse. That's probably who I'd hire. It's an offensive league. Dack had great years with him. You could do a lot worse than Mike McCar.

How about Arizona with Gannon? Is he going to get run? I think he's a good coach. Oh, interesting. You love firing guys. I like people. What are you talking about? You're the one fire. people left and right. All right, let's move on to the Philadelphia Eagles, Colin. The offense has been pretty terrible, and everybody wants answers. Nick Siriani gave his offensive corner, Kevin Petulow the dreaded vote of confidence.

Petulow talked about his relationship with the players. I think the comment, you know, Elaine had, and what's great about the players is the communication with all of us is constant, right? Whether it's during game, whether it's during the week, even on days off, you know, things like that. So that's been really, really good and productive for us. And I think it was very productive. We had a good meeting yesterday as an offense of unit. And so I think we're in a spot working forward. See that line coming down. It was two and a half yesterday. Now one and a half. Colin, I got to say this guy's in a no-win spot. Okay? You take over his O.C. for a team that

won the Super Bowl. Yeah. I mean, the only way to keep your job is what? Repeat? Like, he's, it feels a little, I know they're not playing great. But it doesn't not feel like sky is falling at four and two for the Eagles? Can we take a deep breath in Philly or is that not allowed? Well, Philadelphia's best case, worst case, best job, worst job scenario in that the pressure, it's like Kentucky basketball. It's literally not fair to be a coach. I mean, Calipari kept getting to sweet 16s or at least getting into the tournament. He won a Natty and they were never really satisfied. Now, he lost a couple of games in the tournament to bad teams and it was time for a new voice, but there are these

kind of places where like Ohio State football and and I think Philadelphia and pro sports has almost a collegiate delusion and zealotry and a lot of it's because Howie Rosebin is so respected is that everybody's like, well we always have the best GM

and the best players so our coach has to win now. Philadelphia does things that bad organizations do, but it doesn't affect them. They fire good coaches or winning coaches and they get rid of good quarterbacks or productive quarterbacks. and they take big swings and it usually works. So Philadelphia has got a little low-level chaos in terms of who's the coach, who's the coordinator,

who's the quarterback, they'll move off people. I'm telling you right now, everybody loves Jalen hurts. But Greg Cosell's been telling us this for years. From the pocket, he's mediocre that he's not, he's a smaller quarterback. So you have to win a certain way in Philadelphia, and the more Jalen throws, the less effective the offense is. So you have to just own the fact. You've got to get the O-line in the running game right. Everything else in Philly feeds off that.

Can you imagine if they lose to the Vikings, Colin, fall to four and three? Well, the wise guys, you know what side they're on. Eagles. O'Connell off a buy. Oh. Now, I'm just saying, at four and three, I'll be honest. You know, we keep it real on this show. Authenticity's big.

I thought your A.J. Brown take was horrible. I never chimed in on it. I will say if they fall to four and three and it's like, we need to change things up. All of a sudden, your A.J. Brown takes out. Seems pretty good. What can we get this guy out of here? We need to change a juju in the locker room. Only thing that ruins a great locker room is drama. That's it. Yeah.

That's the only thing that ruins a great locker room. Injuries are drama. They're not dealing with that many injuries. It's drama. All right. Final story is MVP odds for the NFL this season. Listen, Patrick Mahomes is number one. Should not surprise anybody. He's been good. Baker, Mayfield, and Josh Allen are tied for second. your guy, Drake May, checking in at fourth. I don't know. I'll let you go off.

Where's Sam Darnold on this list? I mean, Sam Darnal's been second best quarterback in the league this season after Baker. I would go Baker won Mahomes, two, Darnold three. We're at the one-third of the way, Mark. Like, you don't call a horse race one-third of the way through. You know, like, I'm not going to go over for. Don't, whatever you're doing, don't bet on Mahomes to win the MVP at plus 175. Or way better numbers weeks ago, guys.

Come on. Yeah. How about Drake May? What a great story. He's been quite good. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurd-Ly News. Patriots have as many wins now as they had all last season.

And if you look, they have the easiest remaining schedule in the league. So you spend $275 million or whatever it was on free agency. You get the coach and the quarterback right. I'm serious, though. You let Mike Frable out of the building. Shame on you. I mean, Michigan lost Harbaugh. Harbaugh was going to go. But sometimes, like when Robert Salah got fired, and he goes to San Francisco,

and they're all banged up, and the defense is playing out of its mind. Just good rule, even if somebody, if you own a company and somebody's struggling in a unit or a department, but they're really smart and really talented, don't let them out of the building. There's not that many smart, talented people. Vrabel's really smart, and they just let them walk. I'm going to fire you. Okay. How you've been since then?

I don't know. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it.

Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with Deanna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic.

Yes. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How can it be getting naked at 50 with a new guy?

That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter. And dive into it unfiltered and unbothered and ask, How Hard Can It Be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva

as part of My Cultura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcast presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. This is my best friend, Janet. And we have been joined at the Hipsons High School. Absolutely. Now a redacted amount of years later,

still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips, wider. This is a podcast we're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey with all the snacks and drink. Sidebar. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Oh, they had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Do you want a white collar or something here? Just hit it. What are y'all doing? Microphones? Are you making a rap album? Oh, I would. Come on. Could you pull? I would buy it.

Cut through the defense like a hot knife through sponge cake. That sounds delicious. Oh, you're lucky. I'm not a drug addict. You're lucky I'm not an alcoholic. You're lucky I'm not a killer. I love this team and I'm really trying to be a figure in their lives that they can rely on. Oh.

Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thinking thoughts this week, you know, Buffalo for about a six-year run here, we've had them just a notch below like a Philadelphia or a Kansas City. But after losing to New England and then losing to Atlanta and Michael Panics kind of shredding them, they're just not that good defensively. And, you know, Sean McDermott, let's be honest, Josh Allen has not let this franchise down in the playoffs. Sean McDermott's defense has let them down in the playoffs. So that's a burden he's got to bear.

Robert Mays, a podcaster, sports writer from the athletic stop by this week and talked about just this defense and why it's not working now. When Joe Brady took over, they developed this really downhill run game that they could rely on, and now they have this flexibility where if we need to throw the ball 40 times, we can't. If we need to run the ball 40 times, we can't. That evolution has not happened on defense. All they're doing now is they're tinkering within the same world in which they've always existed. And I think that's where you're seeing some of the limitations.

ultimately that does fall on the coach the bill's offense figured that out we're going to be the dominant we're going to be the enforcers now the bill's defense has never gotten there and i think you're seeing how that's holding them back right now yeah i mean they struggle with the jets they struggle with the saints they struggled with the dolphins they've struggled with the one and five ravens their top five draft picks were all defense now one of them is yet to play as a corner harriston but they acquired joey bosa they paid guys in the offseason defensive players. So they drafted it, they acquired it, they paid it, it's still bad. They're allowing 5.8 yards per rush. And that is the worst since the 1934 Cincinnati Reds and I swear they're a baseball

franchise. So it's bad. Like apparently Joe Nuxall wasn't a good tackler or something. It's just bad. And Nick Wright brought a very interesting point up about the McDermott-Josh Allen partnership. Every single coach quarterback combo that has ever won at least one Super Bowl together, won their first Super Bowl together within five years of being together. For McDermott and Allen, and by the way, Lamar and Harbaugh, this is year eight. No one else has taken this long to have it happen, and then it actually happened. So history tells us for either of those teams to get over the hump, they probably will need to at some point make a change.

So, I mean, just think about that is what Nick is saying, and it's factually true. If you're really an elite coach in those first four or five years, go back to Shula Marino, those are the Super Bowl years. Because then they get older, they get beat up, they get expensive, you have limitations. In modern football, you're going to make hay early. I mean, McVeigh got golf to a Super Bowl early, and then he won it with Stafford. But they were winning a lot of games. with golf and McVeigh, and they got to a Super Bowl.

So if you can't get to a Super Bowl, you can say, well, it's like Phil Mickelson. We know he wasn't Tiger. He could still win majors when Tiger was in his prime. He would have won more without Tiger, but he could still Sunday on the leaderboard finish on top. If you're going to be great, you've got to do it in certain years. And, you know, it's not like Neckworth where people generally get rich late. when the quarterback's first five or six years, your ability to spot him, polish, refine, elevate, and surround him with elite talent.

Now you're at a point where, well, he's very expensive. And that's why Brett Veets, the general manager of Kansas City, you have got a hit on fifth and sixth and seventh. So Kansas City is the perfect match where they've been kind of, you know, a lot of smoke and mirrors at wide receipts. for two or three years. I do think Rishi Rice is really talented and really has questionable judgment. But they have hit on enough mid to low round draft picks that, okay, that you have to figure out a way once you pay back and Patrick and Herbert. You've got to start hitting on fifth rounders.

You need cheap labor. And so I look at Buffalo right now. And they, you know, now, again, I think their top pick, Harris in the corner, has not played. I think he's going to play. That could solve some of it on the back end. But, you know, you got to get when the getting's good. And you know, I've said this. I watched Cam Newton and Ben Rathlisberger age overnight because they took so many hits. And you probably have four great years of Josh out. And then he'll be great beyond that, but he won't be quite the same. So other big story today, it's pretty significant. The rumors are out.

that Penn State, and they got a lot of money, Penn State spending $700 million on a stadium upgrade, $45 million to get rid of the guy behind me, James Franklin. Rumors are they want Marcus Freeman, and they probably have to spend $100 million on a six-year deal for he and the staff. They've clearly got no issues financially, and my take is, you know, Notre Dame's a special place. It's not that special. You better pay Marcus Freeman. because I can remember a lot of misses after Lou Holtz. We can all remember the misses.

Ty Willingham, Bob Davy, good gentleman, misses. Notre Dame's hard. And, you know, Notre Dame, Brian Kelly won there and later admitted it's tough. It's a tough place. You've got the academic umbrella. You've got a lot of pressure. It's iconic. You know, it's not always the easiest place to get a kid from Texas when he goes up there

and sees that it's cold all the time and it's out in the middle of nowhere. So you've got to pay the money for Marcus Freeman. Notre Dame, you've got to step up. And by the way, when you get a great coach or a great CEO or a great employee, that's the reality of it. Sometimes you've got to tear the contract up and start over. So that's who I would target, Marcus Freeman. I didn't even, I mean, listen, here's how the agent game works. Media gets frustrated fans.

I don't think Marcus Freeman's interested in it. I don't. I think Notre Dame's a better job. I didn't think that maybe seven, eight years ago, but then Brian Kelly turned it around Marcus Freeman. I think Notre Dame is a better job than Penn State. But I think Penn State's a better job than all but about seven jobs in college football. I think there's seven.

It's not Michigan. It's not Notre Dame. It's not Ohio State. I'd rather coach at USC or Texas, probably Georgia, but it's good. Penn State's a good job. Hour three. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what?

We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. 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 podcast. If you're watching the latest season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, you already know there's a lot to break down. Gorsha accusing Kelly of sleeping with a merry man. They holding Kay Michelle back from fighting Drew. Pinky has financial issues. On the podcast, Reality with the King, I, Carlos King, recap the biggest moments from your favorite reality shows, including the Real House Wise franchise. The drama, the alliances, and the T everybody's talking about.

Hear this and more. Listen to Reality with the King on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us. From IHeart Podcasts, Saigon. You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam? One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. This is for Vietnam. They're pouring patrols all over here.

Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country, and it's going to. going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.