The Herd with Colin Cowherd - The Herd - Hour 2 - More on Jim Harbaugh

Episode Date: November 15, 2023

Fox Sport college football analyst Joel Klatt joins the show in studio to tell Colin why he thinks Jim Harbaugh has already told Michigan he is not leaving for an NFL job The Clippers have been a mess since trading for James HardenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Joel Clat, a lot of college football stuff. Michigan. Jim Harbaugh. What a circus. I think Michigan is such a weird spot at the university. J. Mack, I know you love that. the Jets and you can be very emotional. We're all emotional about certain things, like our kids, our family, and sometimes, I've always said there are certain things that make smart men dumb. One of them is sports. Guys get a little emotional.

I'll buy that. So I am a big supporter of Robert Sala. I wasn't when he was hired. I'm like, you know, good looking guy, defensive coach, what does that mean? And I wasn't first year. I was like, I don't know about this. I have over time watched him, tried to be measured in my opinions on him,

and I think he works. So Garrett Wilson said the Jets held a player's only meeting this week. Now the three words you never want to hear from your wife, call me now, from your boss, take a seat, or from your players, players only meeting. It's not what you want to hear. Here's Garrett Wilson on what transpired.

The guys talked, and we all, you know, we had the floor. It was just us. Just make sure that we're all on the same page about where we're at and how the hell we get out of this funk, man. That was really, you know, the message of it. And when it comes from one of the other teammates, it always hits different.

It always resonates a little more. Okay. So let's take a look at coaches who are perceived to be on the hot seat. Brandon Staley, Ron Rivera, Arthur Smith, Robert Sala, Matt Eberflus, Frank Reich, Todd Bowles, Dennis Allen, Sean McDermott. Of that group, Sal is the one I would support overwhelmingly. The Jets aren't regressing, like Buffalo and perhaps the Saints. They're not inconsistent, like the Chargers or sometimes Atlanta. He didn't draft Mackaye Beckton or Zach Wilson.

the two things you should look at for a coach. First of all, has he aced his side of the football? Matt Eberflus, the bear's defense is bad. Brandon Staley, you're a defensive coach. Three years. Why is your defense still awful? This guy's defense is great. He plays with passion.

Defense is great. He's aced his side of the ball. The second thing is the jets are consistent. All their games look the exact same. They're just limited. They're just limited. You're only going to do so much with a backup quarterback. And here's the other thing.

Look at the quarterbacks they've faced. They've all had bad days. Josh Allen, bad day. Patrick Mahomes, bad day. Jalen Hertz, bad day. Justin Herbert, bad day. The Jets have faced great quarterbacks. They're not having good days.

Herbert was unbelievable last week. He wasn't against the Jets. So that's another thing. he makes great quarterbacks struggle. You can run on the Jets a little. I got news for you. 20, 23, there's no perfect team, no perfect defense. The bottom line in this league, if you have a coach,

and every time you play a great quarterback, he plays his worst game of the year, keep the coach. These teams do not, and think about this. Those quarterbacks get the ball a lot because the Jets' offense can't move. So it's like the Jets' defense can't move. defense by the end of a game is worn down. They're not getting the greatest field position because the Jets don't move the ball much or pick up third downs. So those numbers are even more impressive when you contextualize the Jets' offense, which doesn't help their defense at all.

And their defense is still great. So if the nine coaches on the hot seat, the most consistent team to me is the Jets. They may be the most limited in certain spots offensively, but they're the most consistent team. Saints aren't. How's your bets on the Saints go or Atlanta? I don't know what I don't know what I get from the Saints week to week. I have no idea what I get half to half week to week from the Saints. That scares me.

You don't know what you're getting from the Jets' offense. And, you know, Salah picked the O.C. the last time, and now he's got to hack it with Rogers. Like, we've got to give him some knocks for not finding an offensive coordinator for his team. Well, didn't you celebrate Aaron Rogers' arrival? They got him because... I didn't have a choice. Okay. Because the GM picked the quarterback, so they had to reach on Aaron, older quarterback,

and to make Aaron happy you had to get in a third. Nathaniel Hackett and Alan Lazzard and Randall Cobb to domino effect when you miss on a quarterback. I don't blame Solif of that stuff. He's a defensive coach. He didn't make the selection there. It was also a COVID year when the quarterbacks that year played lighter schedules,

weaker schedules. It was a weird year. A funky year, Mack Jones looked great, but Alabama was one of the few programs during COVID was like, yeah, we're going to still practice and hit and lift weights. So there's a lot of factors in it. It's just easy to just look at Saul and

go, well, I get the exact same Jets team every week. That's a great sign. They play to their strengths. There's limitations they can't overcome, but that's a great sign. Do you know your side of the, you can bang on Lincoln Riley. Offense still good. Offense is just fine. The other stuff, bang on him for not higher in the right DC, but he figured out his side.

McVe figured out the Rams' offense in an hour. Didn't always get the defense right, but they figured the offense out overnight. All right. with that Joel Clatt, the voice of college football for Fox Sports. As you know, Michigan, Maryland Saturday, Big Noon. I'll get to that in a second. That game scares me for Michigan. Oh, interesting.

Washington at Oregon State, upset alert, baby. Yeah. That scares me, and Maryland's interesting. Well, Oregon State's favored. I didn't even know that. Yeah, by two. I think Oregon State is going to win. Corvallis is a difficult place to play.

So the Huskies could be in trouble. could be in trouble. They're the underdog in this game. Could Michigan, they're a huge favorite? Yes. Penn State, Ohio State Sandwich game. Worried a little. Okay, so about Michigan, I would argue that Michigan has been the most consistent team in the country. So it doesn't matter who they've played. They've consistently been a really good football team. They've also now shown the ability to do multiple different things in order to go beat you. They've thrown the ball to beat you like they did against Purdue, 37 pass attempts over 300 yards.

and then they just ran it 32 straight times to beat Penn State on the road. So they're incredibly versatile. But you bring up a good point because normally we talk about, well, is this going to be a hangover game? Or we say, hey, is this going to be a look-ahead game? This is actually both. It's a hangover and look-ahead because of Ohio State next week. It'll be interesting. I do think that the Harbaugh saga actually focuses the team.

It actually gets them to focus more. What was it like Saturday? Um, that whole program is pissed. Everybody. I'm not saying that that's right. I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm just telling you like, when you're around the Michigan team program, coaches, athletic director, water boy, ball boy, they are pissed.

And they play like it. They play like it. players are incredibly focused. That's what it was like. And it was a bit surreal to call that game and to have that happen late on Friday. I think, you know, listen, I think the Big Ten would probably, in hindsight, a couple of years from now, they're going to be like, you know what, Friday afternoon at 3.30 probably wasn't the right time to suspend Jim Harbaugh. And they're going to say that, like, well, the Michigan slow played it and we needed to do something during the year because the,

The cheating happened during the year. And listen, that's fine. And if they want to suspend him or suspend someone that embodies the program or penalize the program, that looked heavy-handed. But Thursday, or excuse me, Friday, when they did, it was just, man, first of all, Thamel broke it at 3.30, which means Michigan hears about it as they're landing. They're on the plane. Jim's on the plane.

They're landing. They're getting shown reports, the reports of it. Then the official email hits their inboxes at 348, and then the press release goes out at 349 from the Big Ten. And it's like, I just don't believe that the Big Ten didn't want Jim Harbaugh on a plane going to State College and then suspending him. I just feel like the timing was a little bit off. Yeah. What, I think Michigan's in a strange spot. So they are all in on defending him.

But Jim could go to the NFL and be a top candidate. I've been thinking about this a lot, what you're bringing up. So my thing is they're all in on Jim, but Jim is not necessarily all in on college football. Jim would be the number one candidate for the Bears, for the Chargers, for the... And how long are you all in? Does Jim have to be totally honest? Not really. Does Jim have to be forthright?

Not really. Successful people with options play by their own rules. Jim doesn't have to be forer. right. Now, I think he has great pride for Michigan, but it is a nebulous, odd space for Michigan. I am absolutely behind my coach. What if he lost Ohio State? What if he said I'm leaving? Then you get punished more because you had some knowledge of this labyrinth, this thing going. Sure.

It feels weird to me, right? Okay. So, yes, to everything that you're saying. which leads me to believe, and this is not on any inside information, but this is as an outside observer that understands, I've observed this program and the people in it very closely for the last three years. From the time that they wanted to move on and reduced his pay, you know, after COVID, until now. And I will tell you, like, there is just a huge part of me that believes

believes that he has told the powers that be at Michigan, I'm staying. And that's why they're digging their heels in for him and supporting him. I think he's better for college than he is pro. I think his personality does not work with owners and GMs. I don't think it works.

Or high-paid players, for that matter. You know, it wears out. That's the thing. Is it wears out? He runs hot. He's very collegiate. But for the record, Sabin runs hot. Sure.

And he's a better. college fit, but by the time you want to strangle him, you go to the NFL. Yeah, and this is a program that has totally changed in a lot of ways over the last couple of years, and one of those being, it's a really player led team. These

players take an immense amount of pride and not only their coach, but their program. You know, it's a credit to their strength and conditioning staff, certainly, but I would just go back to this point of, I do believe that there's some thought that the way that they are defending him will

will increase the chances that he stays, that he has expressed interest in being there, and this is where he wants to be, this is where his family wants to be. And so because of those factors, Michigan has dug their heels in even further. If there was a 51% chance, a 52% chance that he was gone at the end of this year,

I don't know if the president, Santo Ono is doing what he's doing. I don't know if they're taking as an institution, the posture that they're taking against the big 10 unless they know that this is for the long haul. So I'm so excited for it. I want to ask you about, see, you know, history matters. You're a bit of a college football historian. You, you're your home. I love college football. Yeah, you do. Here's your show. So find me the list to all these Oregon

coaches that leave and how it works. Give Mario a call today or Chip Kelly. It's not a lot of them. Rich Brooks to the NFL. It never gets better. Baladi was smart. Retired, good pension. I'll go golf. That was a smart guy. Good coach. So Dan Lanning, I think, is excellent. And every ball, I want Dan Lanning. I'm going to make an argument, and I've made this for years, because Oregon was not the traditional iconic power in the region, Washington was. They have more history.

Yeah, that's true. Don James, yep, yeah. Oregon is new uniforms, vision, Phil Knight, roll the dice, take chances. It is a great play. They are not ever burdened by history. Right? It's true. Oregon's like, what's the best thing we knew to win?

I used to tell my Washington, but he's all the time. You guys are all burnt. If Washington wore white pants for a game, the boosters freaked out. Oregon has 72 Unis. They may change it half. Nobody cares. It is the most underrated job in the country. Eugene's nice.

Not a state flowers cannabis. I will acknowledge that. But the point is, beautiful town, great visionary. This job from the outside is like, let's get out of here. Go ask the guys that leave. Yeah. Dan Lannings got a top seven job. Mario Cristobal.

Yeah, it hasn't worked out. Even for those guys, and they left because it was like they were going, quote, home. Right? But home or a slide upgrade. That's right. Miami's not an upgrade over Oregon. No, not even close. You know, Miami is trying to do two-for-one tickets this week.

And Louisville's coming to town. Like, that's a big game. Louisville is a ranked team. Next year they're going to do two-for-one wins and just get to Will Citadel eight times. Wow, that's unbelievable. No, I'm just thinking when Dan... I agree with you. I think Dan one, number one, Colin, Dan Lending is amongst the young coaches in college football.

He and Ryan Day are the two best. I mean, Lincoln is still young, so you include them. But Dan Lannning is an excellent coach, and he is building something there that has real staying power and sustainability. Physical, no flash. That's right. Physical. I've watched them twice live. They make no, no, no, no. And by the way, it's not a team.

and this is not a knock on Kaelin-de-Borne in Washington. It's not. But next year you don't have Michael Pinnick's. You know, Washington's the 102nd-second ranked scoring defense in America. Right. They're going to pull back. Their recruiting has not been Oregon. Well, and you're going to lose those receivers. And it's not a one-pillar program, but, man, you're leaning heavily on one-pillar, which is the quarterback.

And even though Bo Nix is very experienced and he's playing at a really high level, it's not a one-pillar program. You look at their too deep when I was preparing for their game. game against Utah. It's littered with young players that are going to be there for two more years. Five-star guys that can rush the passer, size and strength at the line of scrimmage. Dan Lannning doesn't have to go anywhere, anywhere. He could wait until Kirby leaves, Nick leaves. Like, if he really wanted one of two jobs, one of three jobs, maybe, but he can wait there and win. Let me give you just a quick other point. There are coaches that are at places that have to capitalize

on the success that they're having right now. Let me give you a great example of this. Matt Campbell, the head coach at Iowa State. Matt Campbell, two years ago, could have gotten any job in America. And he didn't. And he stayed. He was, by the way, he slow played USC, which is why they went to Lincoln Riley in the first place.

So there's a lot of that going on. Well, guess what? Iowa State is a harder place to sustain the success. And now, all these jobs are opening up. Guess what name you don't hear? Matt Campbell. Right. That's not the case at Oregon. You will be able to win year over year over year. Remember, this is a program that even with their last coach was able to go to Ohio State and win in the shoe, Oregon's not going anywhere. Oregon's the only place in the West Coast that goes to L.A. and beats USC on players

when USC's good. That's correct. That's the place. Okay. Let me throw this out. So I have never lived in Texas, and I'm not sure why this is true. But when I was a kid growing up, you had Oklahoma Nebraska, Texas has all these powers. Penn State. I always love Texas. Was it the uniform, their style, their fight song? So I, in the recesses of mine, then you add Sark to the mix, and I've always liked it. You love it. You do. I love it.

I like Texas Longhorn football. Are they getting boxed out here? What's going on? Yeah, so Texas, if you take a look at the playoff rankings release, Texas is in a really precarious spot, really precarious spot. because here's here's what can happen to Texas. Everyone just imagines, and this whole year, and I've said it too, I've fallen into this trap.

Oh, Texas would be fine. When all their games, they control their own destiny, they're going to be in the playoff. 12 and 1, Texas, as a big 12 champ, they'll be in the playoff. Well, hold on for just a second. Number one, there's three ways that they can get boxed out of the playoffs. And they're all, like, kind of likely. One is you can have four undefeated power five champs.

That's an obvious one. Florida State, whoever out of the Big Ten, Washington and Georgia. And then they're out. Okay. And at that point, they would be like, okay, tip your cap. Those teams are undefeated. But then there's two other ways.

The committee is telling us right now, Oregon, you're better than Texas. Which means that if Oregon wins out, avenges their only loss to Washington, they're going to win in an argument over Texas because that's what the committee is telling us right now. And then here's the third one. Are you hearing the propaganda being thrown out for Alabama?

I know. it the drumbeat for Alabama it's incredible it's incredible it's incredible it's like the first thing that gets talked about on the release show they're immediately like well Alabama you know and and I know that they lost that pesky loss to you know Texas at home but look how much better they're playing I always love that argument yes like they're the only team that's gotten better over the last six weeks it's it's wild to me but it's there it's there and it's loud and it's getting louder. And I'll be the first one to tell you, yes, Alabama has gotten a lot better. There's no doubt. They lost by double digits at home to a team that didn't have to attempt

to pass in the last seven minutes of the game in the fourth quarter and ended the game with their offense on the field. In my crazy world, and I know me and Mugatu taking crazy pills, that win should mean something for Texas. But watch out. Watch out, because that narrative is starting. It has started and that drumbeat is getting louder and louder and louder. And if I was Texas, I would be incredibly nervous right now. Yeah, one network that does sports is a propaganda network for college football. Then there's Fox. Okay, let's talk about Chip Kelly.

Here's my thing on Chip. Wow. Eight and four, nine and three. This year, it's the best the conference has been. He's six and four, and it's a circus at quarterback because of the injuries, and they're still playing great defense. They're running the ball. It's at UCLA.

Take a deep breath. Okay. You're talking about there's smoke around like, well, are they going to fire? Yesterday it was like they're going to. It's like, what are you guys doing? They're six and four. What would USC be without Caleb Williams? Wouldn't be six and four.

Okay, so you love analogies, right? That's what they say. Okay, so a chef goes in there and he's given incredible ingredients to make a meal. Wagyu, beef, you know, it's like, it's the best of the best, right? It's fresh beet. Fresh, all of the fresh beats. and he makes just an average meal. Yeah.

He leaves you disappointed. Average chef. He's an average chef. And guess what? He's probably going to lose his job. Now, a chef walks into a kitchen and he's got just like, stuff. You know, like, well, what can I cobble together here to make a meal?

And he makes a meal that's like, well, you know what? That's pretty good. That's a really good chef. Here's where this analogy goes. Texas A&M and UCLA. Texas A&M. gives their chef, the head coach, every reason to be successful. They get all the money in the world. They get all the staff in the world.

They get all the facilities in the world. All the support in the world, which is why they expect a great meal. This is why they're willing to spend $76 million to get rid of Jimbo Fisher because they're giving him wagoo and then he puts a flank steak on the table. And it's like, no, no, no, that's not what we've done for you. That's not what we've supported for you. Now you go to UCLA. and it's a program that does not support the football program to the level of what they expect the coach to give them. And he's overachieved to what they have done from a financial backing for that program. Now, I'm just telling you, like, okay, like he's overachieved based on the support that he gets and they want to fire him?

Now, now, Chip would even admit. I know Chip. I've had a beer with Chip. Chip would acknowledge that, hey. Hey. I'm in here big time. I'm just saying. I shook his hand once.

Chip would acknowledge he's quirky. He laughs at his personality. He's not sucking up the donors. He doesn't love recruiting. They're good in the portal. So there is some of that where I wish Chip would kind of lean in a little more. But again, are you going to find a smarter guy who in the best year of the conference where they can't figure out a quarterback who's healthy is going to give you six and four?

I think they're out of their mind. I don't get it. And the quarterback thing doesn't get talked about enough. He's trying to break in a true freshman quarterback. You know, then he's got Colin Schley. He's a runner. And at first when I saw his name, I was like, is that Ned Schneebly from old school? No, no, no.

Colin Schley, not a knock against Colin. I'm just telling you it's like, okay, is it hard to win? I get it. Scoring 17 points in the last two weeks against Arizona and Arizona State total. that's okay that's that's a bad look he's over delivered based on what you gave him he beat lSU two years you gave him materials for tuna

noodle casserole and he gave you like an amazing lobster mac and cheese yeah good call on that thank you that is delicious it is just making me hungry now yeah it is delicious um yeah you know i'm i'm gonna call him up maybe another beer whoa too

easy i'll tell you though when you do when you have a beer with him he's very open about stuff he's he the guy is one of the small smartest people I've ever. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's going about everything. Oh, my guy's going a thousand miles an hour. And you're exactly right.

And this is, a lot of this is that he won't play the game. No, he won't. You know, and, and, and, but man, you know, I'm talking about with, like, with the boosters and all that. But, but again, it's like, you, this, the expectation and the support is off. Whereas, you say what you will about Texas A&M. Oh, my God. They expect a lot out of their coach.

And you could say, like, well, they haven't really been that. But guess what? It's a big. least support them to the level that they expect them to play. To bank. They got nothing but money. I don't know where they get it, but they got nothing but money down there. Nothing but money. They flash the big check, $160 million. It's like, this is what we will use to fire our coach. Okay, give me Clats top ten. I don't care about the other top ten. I want Clats top ten.

You're the only guy that has the courage to say Florida State and that lousy conference is overrated. There's eight great teams, really good teams, right? And they're the ones that are the least consistent. They're the one I believe in the least. I don't know if I'd have Penn State in there, whatever. They're fine. Once you get past eight, though, it really doesn't matter. What are you going to put in there, Missouri? Yeah, but I think you appropriately have Bama, seven, eight, yeah.

I mean, that's about right. Washington has to be above Oregon because they beat them. You know, people are saying like, hey, your Michigan, Georgia is off. Okay, that's fine. I think those two could be interchangeable. Yeah. All right, Cla, what are you doing the rest of the day? Working.

What are you doing the rest of the day? I'm going to, I have a call. What GM are you calling? No, I'm going to lunch with a contemporary. That's amazing. It's ambiguous. It was. You're a man of mystery, Colin.

Yeah. And by the way, talking about play the game. When I walk by management here, I don't make eye contact. Oh, wow. I want them to think, is he mad at this? Wait, does that work? And then Shanks was like, so kind of like Tiger used to walk?

He would be mad at me. So like, like, because Tiger used to be amazing and just like not making eye contact with anybody. I don't make it with the bottom. You walk through a room and not look at anyone and everyone's like, pooh, that was wild. That's you. That's what you're doing in the halls? That's part of my psychological game. We've got tight halls here.

That's amazing you do that. I'm going to try it. Hi, Colin. Look the other way. Oh, look at the, oh, wow. Yeah. Get in their head. That's what you want to do with management.

I highly recommend it. How's that going? Well, it's going well for you. I have a great parlay for you this weekend. Thanks to Draft King Sportsbook. New users. use the code herd, H-E-R-D when you download the app. Now for my parlay pick of the week via Draft King Sportsbook.

I always take good teams that have been humiliated the week before. Jags got hammered by the Niners. I'll take them minus six and a half to cover at home against the Titans. No way the Rams beat the Seahawks twice. Seattle's minus one. A better, younger, healthier team. I'll take Seattle. Broncos at home minus two.

I know it's a short week off the Seattle. the Monday night football win, but I think the Josh Dobbs story has limitations. Go Denver. If you want to take the Hurd, parley, check out Draft King's sportsbook. New users, please use the code herd. H-E-R-D when you download the app. 21 plus in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler. In New York, call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope & Y 4-467-369. See show notes for full details. 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 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 Jett. 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 all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, 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 for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple, podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, welcome back. The show sponsored by BetterHelp. It's online therapy, 10% off. If you sign up today, B-E-T-T-E-R-H-E-L-P.com slash Herd-J-Mack with the news.

No, no, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Herdline News. So Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have had some massive fourth quarter struggles, including last week against a Brown's Lone's Lowe. Lamar was one of five passing, had that unfortunate pick six that cost me money, so I'm still salty about the Ravens. But John Harbaugh was asked about Lamar's poor fourth quarter, and he still backs his quarterback. Lamar competes, he fights, he plays hard. You're going against the best defense in football, the schemes, and it's crazy situations.

And I just wouldn't rather have any quarterback in the league than Lamar Jackson in a tough situation. You know, we all try to do our best in every situation. We all try to build and improve, you know, through all these. experiences that we have and he's no different. I just love his competitiveness. I'm Lamar Jackson guy. That's my guy. I believe in him. And I'll take him in every fourth quarter situation from here until the end of, until I'm done coaching. I'll tell you that. So proud of him and we'll roll with Lamar Jackson. You win 80% of your starts with Lamar Jackson. You'll never get fired for having Lamar Jackson. And if I was a coach, this idea that everybody's perfect. Josh Allen's now

turnover prone. Take out Mahomes. Everybody's got an issue. Herbert's not winning enough games. Lamar Jackson wins almost 80% of his starts in the tougher AFC in the best division in football. As a coach, damn right it'd have his back. Everybody's got an issue outside of Mahomes. Here's a weird stat I saw. Least time spent trailing through 10 games over the last 40 years. The Ravens rent third all time.

Yeah, because he gives you a lead. Okay, here's the problem. Four teams were 10 and 0. The Ravens are only 7 and 3, and you can pinpoint two of the losses, kind of sort of on Lamar, the Pittsburgh and this one. Well, the Pittsburgh loss go to dropped touchdown passes too. I think there were two in that game.

Well, there was an interception in the end zone. Yes, there were those. And I think he had a fumble. It's just weird. Like, is this Ravens team dominant? I just looked at the line. The screen says three and a half. Some places it's going back to four.

Trey Hendrickson, it sounds like we'll play for. the Bengals, which is huge. Yeah. I just don't get how this is in three in a divisional matchup. Well, the big money likes Baltimore a lot. And for this game? Yeah. At four?

Well, not at four. They're three and a half pushing it up to four. But if Hendrickson's playing... He's not worth half a point. I think he's... He's good. Again, he's a defensive line. He's a top of eight-nine defensive lineman crusher.

What's up with Ronnie Stanley, Marlon Humphrey? The numbers love the Baltimore Ravens' season. They say they're an amazing team. They are an amazing team. It's okay to lose a game close in division. It's okay. I mean, this idea is like, oh, what do you make of Baltimore?

They're great. What do you make? Nobody's going 17 and no, grow up. They're a really good team that lost because Deshawn Watson was 14 of 14. These divisional guys, we saw New England beat Buffalo. We saw the Jets beat Buffalo. It happens all the time. We saw the Rams destroy the Seahawks.

Divisional games, Peyton Manningo said this. There's regular season games, divisional games, playoff games. They all have different intensity. Seven divisional matchups this weekend. Tread cautiously. And by the way, one of us was pounding the table this summer for Lamar Jackson when he was in that contract squabble, if you will, with Baltimore. One of us was pounding the table for the jets to go after Lamar Jackson. Yeah.

Anyways, let's move on to Dan Campbell and the Lions. Seven and two tied for the second best record in the league. Campbell, man. He's a gambler. You know, Riverboat Ron has that nickname. We need to give it to Dan Campbell. who loves to go for it on fourth down. Here's what Campbell said about assessing risk. I tell my family this.

Just wear a diaper before some of these games. I'll give them an alert and say, put them on and be ready to roll. I had a feeling going into that game. We needed to be aggressive. And I loved our matchup offensively. And I just knew our guys would respond. It's certainly in that moment.

It felt like the right thing to do. You know what? I didn't think this was ever going to be nearly this good. He has been such a ray of optimism, hope and sunshine. This guy is really, I would say, again, he hasn't won a playoff game yet. But if I said to you, surprisingly good coaches, I think Campbell and Nick Seriani, judging by their opening press conference and their resumes have literally been shockingly, I think Nick Seriani, who makes fun of his opening press conference.

I called people on Seriani. They're like, I don't know, less than 50% chance at hits. I mean, people just didn't know. It's like, and Dan Campbell, everybody loved Campbell, but again, what was the resume? He's been a home run. That team has an absolute, every time I watch the Lions, he sells, this is what we're doing this week. You know, you always feel they've got an identity. Every week, every game.

I never feel like when they got beat by Baltimore. Throw a game off this. Every year there's a game, everybody stinks. I just think he's done a great job. We don't do, you don't care much about awards you like to say, but he has to be the front runner for coach of the year. I don't know who, I mean, I know people like Damico Ryans and Houston, which is fine. Yeah. But they're looking at the number one seat.

I will just say, Lions fans, take a deep breath. If Ben Johnson leaves, right, goes take a head coaching job. I 100% guaranteed this team will regress next year. A thousand percent. Well, they will step back because even though they're going on forward on fourth down, who's called those plays? It's not Dan Campbell. It's Ben Johnson. Okay, so they can regress. I think their offensive line quarterback play and draft picks are too good to sharply decline.

Also, their division, bears don't have a quarterback, Vikings don't have a quarterback, Packers don't. I'd be careful about a sharp decline. Again, if somebody drafted Caleb Williams and Drake May in the division, you know, or somebody went and got... Let's see what Minnesota does. Let's see what the bears do. Let's see what they do for head coach. I'm sure. A lot of stuff up in the air. Final story, we're a little bit of week over away from the game on Fox.

Ohio State, Michigan, clashing for the 119th time. Tom Brady, obviously a Michigan alum. Got a great story from his time in Ann Arbor. He made a tongue-in-cheek bet with Ohio State alum C.J. Stroud ahead of the matchup on this Let's Go podcast. All right, so we got a bet. So if Ohio State wins, which I don't really feel as well, whatever, We're going to see. How about this? You get one of my Super Bowl rings. And if Michigan beats Ohio State, then you've got to give me all your youth, your agility, your time in the 40, and all your future years in the NFL.

How about that? That's a bet. I've never bet my Super Bowl rings. So this could be, I'm a little, I should be a little nervous. Yeah, I'm not going to take you Super Bowl. So I'm not going to lie. That's yours, bro. I want to get my own.

I will, I, Ohio State. fans are convinced the only reason Michigan is winning is they're cheating. They don't want to acknowledge 19 to 20 draft picks or the fact that this is the most physical team and consistent team in college football. Last week were they cheating? They didn't throw a pass in the second half. So I just don't think Ohio State matches up with Michigan at all. I told a friend this the other day. CJ Stroud is shockingly good. They got to We got beat badly at home by Michigan with C.J. Stroud. Do you think C.J. Stroud is worth a touchdown? Well, McCarthy outplayed him in that game. McCarthy was unbelievably.

Well, coaching matters as well. Yeah. So I'm saying, is C.J. Stroud worth a touchdown? Is the shoe worth three points? So to me, Michigan is worth. Michigan gets a 10-point advantage this year. Forget the fact they're three to four points better than last year, but the C.J. Stroud factor, they couldn't beat them, with C.J. Stroud.

They don't have anything resembling C.J. Stroud this year at quarterback. You're not going to go on the road and beat Michigan with a quarterback. You can beat them. They did go on the road and beat Notre Dame. Notre Dame is not in Michigan's class. Yes, correct. But that's still a great... And Notre Dame outplayed them for a big chunk of that game.

Notre Dame should have won that game. Yeah. That was a great ending. Yeah. You're not going in... You're not going to go into the best Bama teams, best Georgia teams, best Michigan team ever with an average quarterback and win. Now, if you have if you have a Cam Newton against Nick Saban. Or you've got, you know, I mean, again, you know how good he was.

Yeah, he was a great college player. But I just, I think Ohio State fans are a little delusional on that. Yeah, by the way, I missed all that stuff that Clat was talking about with this Alabama push. I have heard none of that. Maybe I'm not listening to the same people he's listening to. Alabama in the playoff? Well, there is one network with a lot of propaganda. First of all, they're not beating Georgia on the SEC time.

No, they're out. No chance. No, no. Jay Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News. Did you know Discover wants to make everybody feel special?

That's by with your Discover card, you have access to 24-7 customer service as well as zero-dollar fraud liability. You'll never be held responsible for unauthorized purchases. Learn more at Discover.com slash credit card. Limitations apply. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd. in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Listen to comeback stories. I'm Darren Waller.

You may know me best as a tied-in for the New York Giants. You may also know me for my story of overcoming addiction and alcoholism. You may have heard a few of my tracks as an artist or a producer. You may have seen the work that I've done through my foundation.

And you may know my friend and co-host Donnie Starkens as well. He's a mindfulness teacher, a yoga instructor, a life coach, A man fully invested in seeing people reach their fullest potential. And we've come to form this platform of comeback stories to really highlight not only our own adversity, but adversity in the lives of well-known guests with amazing stories. Catch us every week on comeback stories on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking.

What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s.

To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because, of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, 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 for finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We have Michigan and Maryland. What a week it's been for the Wolverines. As of now, Coach Jim Harbaugh will not be on the sidelines pending an appeal as they try to stay undefeated and make a push for the playoff. Big noon kickoff live from Maryland at 10 a.m. Eastern.

And then it's Michigan, Maryland on Fox. By the way, the Nuggets didn't play particularly well. Jamal Murray's hurts. We won't be back for a while. I do not remember an NBA season. where I felt there were two teams, one in the east, the Celtics, and one in the West, the nuggets that are virtually going to be, if healthy, unbeatable, and just put them in the finals. Now, neither has a bench. And, you know, to get these rosters and to pay for their stars, there's no bench. That leaves them a little vulnerable.

But Boston is Drew Holiday, works, Porzinger's, Dangerous, Brown, Tatum, and Yokic, Gordon, Porter, KCP, Jamal Murray comes back. The Clippers are funny. They're now 0 and 5 with James Hardin. They're like the Warriors small, but without the Warriors' chemistry or leadership. So they've become a terrible fourth quarter team. You know, they've got a star that doesn't talk, Kauai. They've got two former MVP's that need the ball and I think are past their prime.

I think Paul George is terrific. I love Paul George. But last night's a great example. They led by four, three minutes left. Denver tried to give it to him. Reggie Jackson missed two free throws, had a couple of turnovers, and they still lost. So they were blaming the refs after, even though the free throw disparity wasn't that big. It was like 32, 24.

It was reasonably close. So, you know, the clippers aren't a threat to be the championship team. They're just very, very dysfunctional. They don't have size either of the Warriors, but they're more functional. but it's very rare. You know, the NBA is, you know, they're really trying to give everybody a shot in this league, but there are just players that are way better than everybody else, Yokic, and then there are organizations that are smarter than everybody else,

and I think the Celtics are really, really got smart people in the building. Brad Stevens has done a really good job. But I do not. And I always feel like a lot of things have to, I mean, I never go into a season thinking since the Tim Duncan Spurs, you're like, yeah, they're going to be really good in the West. Or the KD Warriors, you know, by end of year one, you're like, yeah, they're going to control this thing. Nobody's beaten Denver if Jamal Murray's healthy. They don't have a bench, and nobody's beat in Boston if they're healthy.

And they don't have a bench either. So it leaves them a little vulnerable. You go on the road. You don't get calls. One of your star gets in foul trouble, or you get dinged up. They'll be a vulnerable road team because, you know, at home you can plan a motion. you always get the whistle. Denver at home and Boston at home,

I think you're going to roll through the playoffs. And J. Mack, you may disagree with me on that. I think Philadelphia is interesting. Their chemistry is better. Lakers shot the heck out of the ball last night. I listened for 10 minutes on radio. I don't think they missed a shot. But I think we've got two dominant teams.

And I'll tell you, I don't root against athletes, but the James Harden, Ben Simmons stuff, Kyrie Irving, the players that are indifferent, out of shape, difficult. There is something, the basketball gods are not doing the Clippers any favor. They're 0 and 5 with James Hardin. And does it sound like it would work? Kawhi, Paul George, Westbrook, James Hardin.

Does that sound like it'd be a great fourth quarter chemistry unit? I think it will work. I think it will take time. I'm not concerned. You notice, interestingly, final like 5, 6, 7, 8 minutes last night, no Westbrook. Tyloo is starting to tinker. They're going to figure it out. There's too much talent for them to fail.

I'll push back a little bit on the nuggets. They're playing heavy minutes for their starters. Well, they have no bench. Exactly. Now, at the trade deadline, they may wiggle a little. They went deep into the playoffs last year, won the finals. They have like 17, 18 games in the playoffs. And now you're going to do that again, and the West is going to be tough.

I'll give you a team to watch. It's a bit of a hot take. Keep an eye on the Minnesota Timberwolves who match up really well. with Denver. Rudy Gobert is one of the few guys who can stop Yokic. It's weird. We became like a small ball league where it's everybody wants to be switchable on defense. Nobody can switch on to Yokic, but Rudy Gobert gives him problems. Keep an eye on the Timberwolf. They got some. And Ant is gone from young player with promise to great player. Yeah. And you're in with the coach. Didn't he come on the show last year? Yeah, he's a great guy. He's a really good coach.

Yeah. Yeah. So they're they're an interesting unit. To your point, though, Denver went big. Minnesota went big. The world's going small. And those two teams said, no, we're going to go with size. So they went contrary into the league's current trend. And they look really good. They look really, really good.

People can bash Rudy Gaubert all they want. You know, he's a better defender on Yokets than Anthony Davis. That's a fact. You're going to take that to the bank, folks. Like, Anthony Davis has no chance against Yokens. It would be fun for Minnesota. That'd be fun. Minnesota, Denver and the conference finals, I don't know that the league would love that.

I'm here for it. Hour 3 next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. 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 I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliver Show. This is a place for raw, unfields of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.