The Herd with Colin Cowherd - THE HERD – HOUR 3 – Steve Sarkisian Hot Seat & Notre Dame’s Soft Schedule

Episode Date: August 20, 2026

Colin talks to Chris Peterson about drafting QBs, Steve Sarkisian being on the hot set at Texas, Notre Dame's schedule, and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these.

These are the Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island to serve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed.

I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes, Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood. Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman,

Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook 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 three 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 in the iHeart Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. You know, we've been talking today about only six of 57 quarterbacks that have been drafted

in a five-year stretch, not counting last year's draft, the previous draft. Five. Six of 57 are absolute, no doubt about it. Does it mean they're not criticized, but six of 57 are hits. I think there were 10 quarterbacks drafted this year. Nine, I do not think are franchise. Quarterbacks, Fernando Mendoza, I do. So I think that that 10% hit rate will continue. I asked Greg Coasell based on the opener, what did you see? He does have a pretty refined sense of timing and rhythm, and that's a very difficult thing to teach. I've seen interviews with former quarterbacks. Carson Palmer is very good when you talk to him about it, where he talks about the fact that anticipation is something. You can't really teach. You either have it or you don't. I think that that's one thing Mendoza does have, I don't want to sit here and say he's got at the highest level.

We don't know that for sure by any means until he plays in the league in real games. think he does have a pretty natural sense of it that there's something there to work with. I think it's interesting how he's been labeled as like a pure pocket quarterback and unathletic. But every time we show video of the Miami game or the Penn State game, you know, we didn't see it in the opener. But anytime we see it, he moves actually fine. The throwing, he's a big strong pocket guy who throws it down the field aggressively. that that's and he's super smart and he's very obsessed so we all know that stuff but when we at whenever

we show us college video there's always this sense is you know he is really a pocket quarterback and i remember that miami national championship game when he ran in for a touchdown at that defense had like six NFL guys he didn't look unathletic to me i remember that pen state game on the road he was making all sorts of plays with his feet so when i when i watched him i never thought unathletic Like very rarely these days do you see an unathletic quarterback? I just saw a big guy with a really plus arm who threw it down the field. So I mean, 100% certainty, no. But between what the Raiders are doing and what I see with him, I don't see a lot of miss here.

Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the IHeard Radio app. J. Mack with the News. This is Rob Parker and I'm here with an important public service announcement. Whatever you do, do not listen to the Pauli and Tony Fusco show. Fox Sports Radio asked me to do a promo, but I'm here to do a no-mo. As in, don't listen to this show no-mo. The host are two fools from Philly who have the dumbest takes ever in all of sports talk, and you know if I'm saying that, they must really be bad.

I have no idea why Fox Sports Radio picked this up. but I know where to put it down in the trash can. So please don't listen to the Pauli and Tony Fusco show. No way, no how. Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything.

When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held capped. for nine months. I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the survivor files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive.

Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed.

From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives,

smart pop culture conversations, or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your best. Podcasts. See you between the pages.

I'm Nick Tuturo. You probably know me from NYPD Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Lease Black Klansman. But I'm also from Queens, which means I know pizza. And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Totoro, I deliver pizza from Prince Street Pizza to a new guest. Are you delivering pizza now? Then we sit down for a real conversation. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing my belt? To Alex Rodriguez. Just to let you people know we're talking to one of the goats here. To Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly

out of their mind as I am. And now, we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tuturo. It's called happiness. Delivering happiness. Mariano Rivera. Oh my God. And many, many more. Open your free high-heart radio app. Search

Delivering Happiness with Nick Totoro. And listen now. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the heard-line news. All right, Con, let's start with the 2007 draft. We touched on it a little bit. There's a lot of good quarterbacks, right? We got Arch Manning's in there.

Lenora Sellers is the flavor of the month for some people. Obviously, Dante Moore. Well, Dane Brugler has released his quarterback rankings for the draft. He has Arch 1, Dante Moore 2. I agree. C.J. Car 3. I think you could make a case for him at 2. Interestingly, Drew Mestemaker, who was like a small college guy.

He's an interesting story. Big 6, 5. strapping dude. He's at Oklahoma State. He's going to put up some numbers. Trinidad Chamblis, I don't know what that's about, because we've talked about him. He's small. He's small. He's not quite Tommy Frazier

college quarterback, but remember Tom. He's just really small. I think he reminds me of DAC, a little more athletic Dak. Wait, Dak's like 6-2, though. Yeah, this kid's like 5-11. He's a, he's more athletic, he's a little smaller, but he plays, he reminded me when I watched

them five times last year, and I always said He's got kind of a DAC delivery. I like him. But I think I would put C.J. Carr, Arch Manning, and Dante Moore ahead of the field. I think the kid at Miami, again, he's seven. Again, I think he'll end up being in the top three. Like, CJ Carr, if you're telling me who's going to win the most games

and play for the national championship, I would guess C.J. Carr and Darry and Mentsa, and that will go, I mean, that will influence a lot of people when they both. Because if you look at, if you start looking at Notre Dame schedule, their only tough game is Miami Arch Manning could have four losses and not be bad but have four losses and people will say they didn't want a lot of big games

because they have so many brutal road games you will not have four losses interestingly so Lenora Sellers is six he is the kind of guy who walks off the bus and you're like that would be my quarterback and then you watch him playing it's just it's not fluid inconsistent yeah so a couple names missing

the kid at USC Mayava you know again I I know when I take him over Chambliss in a heartbeat for the NFL. Well, no, no. Myabah's going to get drafted over Trinidad Chamblis because he's big. He's like six, three and a half. It's funny because I know because of Darnold, everybody thinks I love all USC quarterbacks.

I don't. I do not understand. I watched Jaden Mayaba play at UNLV. And he was wild, not very accurate and wild. And when USC signed him, I thought, man, is he USC? I'm thinking Lincoln Riley's had all these great quarterback. Is he a you? And the first year he kind of played, did not see the field particularly well.

And then then you watch him, full-time starter, and you're like, oh, yeah. I think he is, I thought last year he was the most improved player I saw in college football. Again, big, athletic, good arm, his ball placements gotten so much better. So I think he's good. So Julian Sayan, not on the list, could just be, you know, a size, not eligible, you know, on the underclassman. Josh Hoover, the kid who transferred to in one. And a half, okay, not a power thrower, average arm. San and Hoover, look, to me, are really good college quarterbacks.

Well, and then there's the kid at UCLA, Nico. I think he's talented. Long, moves really well. He's an easy, keep your eye on him guy that probably goes late. fourth or something. But he's a... Six-six. Yeah, I mean, he's an interesting player.

He got a lot of bad press out of Tennessee, but he can play. I mean, there are plays. You could put a YouTube clip of his best four minutes, and you'd go, wow. He can play. Now, finally, I had someone on my podcast hyping up John Mateer. No, he's really good. Oklahoma. So I'm just telling you, I know you say it's like, what, 10% of the quarterbacks have

hit over the last... Mateer's got a big arm. He can play. This class is going to hit because somebody, Mike McCarthy's probably going to get somebody in Pittsburgh next year, and he knows quarterbacks. I'm very optimistic on this class. All right, let's move on to a Colin Cowherd favorite.

Bo Nix, the Oregon legend, who is now at Denver, had six fourth quarter comeback last year, and should have been in the Super Bowl, if not for a fluke injury against the bills. Anyway, Knicks is fully healthy, and he talked about Denver's aspirations

this season with the offense. We want to be just the highest scoring, running passing offense, you know, in the league. And so we want to score points, no matter if it's running, passing, trick plays, you know, whatever. We'll run the fullback dive down the field if it's working. And so we really, yeah, we really want to, you know, be a scoring offense, no matter what it means. And we're going to be balanced. We're going to do a good job of running plays-off plays, and we're going to be attacking people from different ways. And we just have really good,

really good players and we're going to be able to use those guys. I will say this, Waddle's your one, Cortland Sutton's a very high-end two, Mims, Franklin, more than capable threes. That's a pretty interesting receiving core right now. They've got a clear, deep threat number one, and then Sutton's a big body, huge target, too, great in the red zone. I think Mims and Franklin are both explosive. They got some, they got playmakers and speed on the perimeter.

So you know Sean Payton as well. anyone. Do you think the reason the offense was a little more league average was because A, Peyton had a loaded defense and he said, I'm not going to let my young quarterback lose me games. Let's play cautious. Let's not rip it up down the field. Let's not our defense win us games. I think that and Bo Nix is still young. He had 61 college starts. But most of these quarterbacks, we talked about this two days ago, year three is the big pop year. Like everything slows down. So I think Nix is growing. And I think, yeah, I think

Sean Payton, it's just like Mike McDonald's with San Darnold. Like Sam, you're great. Just don't make that throw. If you don't turn it over, we're going to win. I think most coaches think that way. If you feel you've got the better roster and a really strong defense. So I'm not trying

to drive a wedge here between Knicks and Peyton, although there was that brief war of words over the injury, remember? Yeah, they argue. But the way Nick's is talking, highest scoring offense. I want to throw the ball a lot. Davis Webb's out here trying to prove himself. Well, they're going to throw it because their receivers are better than their backs.

They're going to throw the ball a lot. With that defense? I think they're, yeah. I don't want to lose games, man. I'm playing it safe. Oh, Nix, your guy, the gunslinger, we shall see. Final story, Con, let's go to the Chargers. Gosh, they can never be. Stay healthy. The Chargers got some bad news this week. Their new center, who they just signed this offseason, Tyler Beiotich,

out indefinitely after what they're calling is, suffering ACL damage. They do not say it's torn. They don't know what the injury is. It's just damaged. He's going to be out indefinitely. They're seeing more doctors this week. The Chargers were one of three teams with 11 different starting offensive line

combos last year. That was most in the league. So the backup is, I believe, a second year rookie. And so now there's talk about playing musical chairs on the offensive line. Well, they drafted a kid out of Florida second round. I think his last name is Slash. lot or he was the top-rated center. So he'll probably move him to center.

That's my guess. I mean, they drafted three Interior O. linemen, so. Yeah. They attacked it. This is bad news, but I'll be honest. I'm still trusting in Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert to put up massive numbers. Colin, so remember I teased that model that I'm building through AI.

Watch out for the Chargers as an over team. I mean, it would not be shocked if they hung a 40 piece on the card. right out of the gate. Cardinals are terrible. Chargers have McDaniel. Remember what he did in Miami. And he brought over a lot of his guys. Brought in a fullback. He brought in blockers. They're going to open a can on the Cardinals in week one. Yeah, that line's a nine? No, 10 and a half. Wow, that's a big week one. Biggest spread of the week, yeah. J. Mackville News.

Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Hurdline News. It was considered one of the top two or three coaches in college football for a decade and a half. Peterson now works at Fox Sports. He's kind enough to be joining us live. Coach, you're part of that elite 11 quarterback camp. We just did something today. We went back five drafts.

Now, we didn't count this past draft, the Fernando draft. We went back the previous five drafts. 57 quarterbacks were drafted. Exactly six are viewed as franchise quarterbacks. Six. Caleb, Drake May, Bo Neck, C.J. Stroud, who had a rough year, Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Jaden Daniels, of an injury. We're going to wait for another year.

So with all the rules changing in the NFL for coaching, all the camps like Elite 11, 7-on-7 summer camps, with a smart coaching, 6 of 57. Why do you think there's such a low hit rate? I mean, that's the million-dollar question. No one can figure it out. But we struggle in college to figure it out. You know, you got these hot shot high school quarterbacks that you're like, this guy is it.

And then half of them are it and the other half aren't. And it's the same game in the NFL. But I really think it's because of two reasons. I think every time you jump up a level, it really is a different game. And the quarterback position is a developmental game. And no one really has much time anymore to develop any way. buddy. Like when you go to the NFL from college, the speed of the game is just so much different. The sophistications of the defense so much different. The margin for air is like this big.

So the accuracy, you know, the anticipation, all those things take a while to get up to speed. In college, I never worried about size, arm strength, quickness, really in processing things. but it's so magnified in the NFL that if you don't have those things, you're going to struggle. So I think it's a bit of a different game, and it's a developmental game for most guys, and the window is so short or it's next guy. Right. Are you a Fernando Mendoza fan? Is there one thing, because you had such success at Washington and at Boise State with your quarterbacks,

is there one or two things about Fernando that you either like that encourage you or something that may discourage you about him as a pro? Well, I think he's the perfect guy to be talking about with this topic we are talking about. Like I watched him at Cal the whole time he was there. I watched him practice. I went down with Justin Wilcox and stood there when he was a young guy and I'm thinking,

this guy's got some talent. Then he becomes a starter. And he's kind of up and down through his career. There was flashes where you're like, wow. And then there's other flashes where you're like, wow, on the other side of things, that's not very good. Then he gets with the master. The best is getting. Signetti. And he just reels him in. And it was phenomenal. So he had this time to really develop a cow. He learned a lot of things at Cal, probably good and bad. Gets with Signetti. They tighten you.

him down and they know exactly what they want in their system. And voila, look what happens. Isn't that interesting? When you saw him at Cal, what did he do that you didn't? Tell me the times when he struggled at Cal, what did he do that you went, oh, I don't like that? Well, it was decisions, you know, it's always decision makings with quarterbacks. Sometimes they're like, are you seriously going to try to throw that in there? And you get it in there.

And at other times it's a bad turnover or you're hanging on the ball too long. You just take a brutal hit and a sack and fumble. So you just saw a lot of, you know, I don't want to say a lot, but you saw enough inconsistency when he was at Cal that kind of drive you crazy. Because you could feel like he had really good traits. He's big, arm strength. He can see everything. He's athletic enough.

But you just didn't see the consistency. And he goes to Indiana. And that's all you saw was tremendous consistency, game in and game out. I want to talk about the college game. the preseason top 25, 17 of the 25, Big 10 SEC. Obviously, those are kind of the AFC, NFC of college football. There's some interesting stories within this. You know, one of the ones I defended Steve Sarkesian today, who you replaced at Washington.

Yeah, I think you replaced Sark. We know he's a good recruiter. That's always been said. But it's funny. Kirby Smart won a Natty, his sixth year at Georgia. Ryan Day won at his sixth year at Ohio State. Harbaugh, his ninth year at Oregon. Dabo, Mac Brown and Dabo, their eighth year at their schools.

And Sark's going into year six, and people are breathing down his neck. And I'm like, guys, the last three years, he's been in the top three, like 17 weeks. There's only a couple of schools, like Ohio State that have been in that class. I mean, you replace Sark. You know him a little bit. Is it fair that, hey, he's at Texas? That's just the way it is. Or do you think that, I mean, where do you like,

because for years I felt like I had to constantly defend Ryan Day. I'm like, he's losing to Georgia. Give me a break. What do you feel with Sart? What if this year they lose three games, the schedule's tough? Where do you land on that? Yeah, I think what you're telling me is maybe not only the quarterback is a developmental game. Maybe the head coaching thing is a developmental game.

And depending on the place you're at, There is no patience with high expectations. And certainly Texas is one of those places. But I really, you know, obviously being a West Coast guy, Sark being a West Coast guy, our paths have been intertwined and I've followed him closely. I have tremendous respect and admiration for what he's done. I think he's got Texas right there knocking on the door. So the only thing I don't like at all about Texas this issue,

year is their schedule. And Colin, let me just say this. I know we talk about schedule, but schedule is everything. When I look at the discrepancy between some of these teams out here that have really favorable schedules, and some play these brutal schedules, I can't tell you how big of a deal that is. And the reason is, is because it is really, really hard to throw your fastball every weekend. As much as you talk to your kids about like, this is the biggest game of the season, and they usually are because they get bigger and bigger, the more you win, and as the season goes on.

But it is very hard to play at your emotional peak every week. And so you better have some really elite talent that sometimes can just get you through it when you don't have your best game. But if your schedule is so difficult, then it's going to catch you sooner or later. and Texas's schedule is pretty difficult. Same thing with Ohio State. I mean, I love both those teams, Ohio State and Texas, but I don't like as much as Oregon and Notre Dame because of schedules.

You know, it's funny. Lincoln Riley is facing the same sort of Sark pressure, and what's been fascinating to me is they're very good at home. And then you send them on the road, and I've always felt smart takes the lead in football, toughness wins the game. You've got to be tough at the end. You've got to run the ball.

It's a little bit of punch you in the mouth football the last seven to eight minutes. If you lead, you need a big, strong third downs, pick up the first down. You don't want to throw it. So smart takes the lead. Lincoln Riley takes the lead. Like 85% of the time.

Tough wins the game. And I've watched them on the road since he's been at USC. And Chris, they do not play at the same level of intensity or toughness. And then there are teams, Mike McDonald with the Seahawks. In two years in Seattle,

they're 15 and 2 as a road team. And they have the furthest flight. Nobody flies more over a season than Seattle. So the Seahawks are remarkable. USC is not the same team. How do you change it? Do you leave a day early? Do you change practice?

Because you watch USC at home, you think they're a top six program. On the road, they're not a top 20. Yeah, I think you're on it, Colin, in terms of the smart, tough thing. And the way I think about that a little bit is, you know, a lot of this comes from the head coach and a lot of these guys you're talking about are these defensive coaches. Well, what's one trait that every defensive coach has? Like, it is going to be this tough mentality, right?

But the way I think about it a little bit is, too, I think a lot of times these offenses are the smart part of things, this, you know, really great execution. and you've got to be physical on both sides and special teams to win big. But I think about the offense is being really smart and highly executing at a high level. And I think about the defenses are the ones that really bring that toughness, especially on the road. And what I think, and if you look at UFC, they've had a handful of games that could have gone either way,

and they've gone against them in the last couple of years. And in my opinion, for the most part, it hasn't been the offense. It's been the defense not being able to get a stop late in the game. games. Well, what I do think is I think this. I think Gary Patterson at USC, the defensive coordinator, is going to make a difference. Like, I've known Gary my entire life. I was the little old short quarterback at UC Davis, and Gary Patterson was on that defensive staff when I was playing. And I'm like, who is this guy? Like, he brought it at a different level in terms of intensity, energy, and he will do that for USC. And so I am really interested.

in USC. I was down there and got to watch them practice a couple weeks ago. It looks different. The talent looks different. It reminds me back in the day, even before Pete Carroll, but when Pete was there, the competitive depth, the O-line, D-lines, they're getting back to these big dudes. It's like, okay, I've seen this play out before. And so I like what's going on at USC. I like the addition of Gary Patterson. I think that Jaden Myaw, if he can take that next step and Gary really brings what we're talking about here to the defense, I think USC is going to be right there. Again, another team, the only thing I don't like about them is, they got a hard schedule.

Yeah, they do. By the way, I don't know if you ever played at Notre Dame. I'm surprised how good they've been in the NIL era. You know, there was always an understanding at Notre Dame. they wouldn't pay the head coach or the assistance what other schools did they didn't have beautiful facilities they were above that it was an academic power they were absolutely above that then lou holts argued back and forth about guys you got to let some guys in here we can't compete for national championship uh without certain players and so and then marcus freeman takes it over and they have

the best corner in the country they may have the best safety in the country they may have the best linebacker in the country i've watched them they are so physical they're so well coached I think C.J. Carr could end up being the first or second best quarterback. I don't know how much you know about Notre Dame. I have been shocked by their willingness to play the game financially and just say, all right, guys, back up the Brinks truck. We're going to go toe to toe with Georgia and Bama. We're going to spend money.

I didn't think, I love it. But are you a little surprised that in this NIL era, they would be favored to win the SEC today if they were in it? I don't think there's any question. Are you surprised? hats off to Notre Dame for making that adjustment because they're smart enough to know if they don't

they will quickly be irrelevant I think I love like everybody does Marcus Freeman I think he's as good as they come in college football and probably be an unbelievable pro coach I love the history of Notre Dame for college football

but I'm going to go back to that schedule Notre Dame has one of the biggest advantages in all of college football. It's crazy. They play three games where it's like they're going to have to show up and play good. So yeah, you got it right there. I mean, so we're talking about at BYU. That'll be interesting. Miami's going to be a nice blood bath.

And then SMU will have some talent, but they get them at home. And I'm not saying those other teams can't do something, but they're going to have so much better talent. And they're so good defensively that, I mean, Miami may be the only team seriously that moves the ball on them consistently. Their defense is unbelievable. I think that Notre Dame is probably going to finish and should the regular season, ranked number one in the country. Yeah. Because it's just to what you're looking at with their talent and depth that they have and the schedule they're playing, they should roll.

They should be in good shape. And the coaches, you know, they're not going to take anybody for granted. going to get them ready to play, but going back to our other conversation, how much schedule matters. That's the only thing. And, you know, again, going back to SC, and they've taken so much heat about not playing these guys, even from the SC fans. I've got USC's back 1,000% on this. I wouldn't want to play them either. Yeah. I mean, who USC's playing and who's Notre Dame needs USC, not the other way around. Exactly. And so, I don't know, it just seems like, that's the beauty of college football. There's so much like unfairness and lack of parity, which can drive us crazy,

but it's also one of the beauties of college football. Yeah, if they were playing Notre Dame this year, their schedule would have back-to-back Oregon and Washington and then back-to-back-back, Ohio State, Indiana, Notre Dame. I don't have it from me. And throw in Penn State and U-Dub. It's just an... Penn State and you-dub, right? Sleepers. Yeah. Yeah, Penn State probably is my sleeper. Chris is always, it's great seeing you. Yeah, thank for having me on. Good luck to you guys. All right, thanks. No, he was great today. The, um, yeah, man, if you put USC schedule up, and they did play Notre Dame. And you guys were all having a pity party. Oh, this is unbelievable. Look at their schedule if you put Notre Dame in it. It's absurd. You just, I would just tell you

today, zero chance to make the playoff. You're talking about 20-year-old kids. They don't play well on the road. They just don't. I mean, go look last year at Miami, how good Miami was. Go, go look at Miami on the road. I could be wrong on this. When they lost to Louisville, was that at Louisville? I mean, they lost to SMU and Louisville. So USC, Oregon, Washington, Penn State, back to back, to back. You know how hard it is for a college team to go undefeated? And then if they did play Notre Dame, it would be inserted, my guess, where the Maryland game is. You would, face the Buckeyes at Indiana and at Notre Dame in three straight weeks.

Folks, that's six games against top 15 teams if Penn State's as good as I think. It's ridiculous. Let's see. Yeah. Okay, so Miami lost to SMU on the road. They lost to Louisville

at home. I mean, but that's a prime example. They're favored. They go on the road to SMU and they lose. Lou Holtz used to say this. You do not get the same team. every week in college football. NFL football, married, kids, paid, suburb house, you know, guys are going home with their families after no midterms, no college girlfriend, no minimal hours.

Like NFL, you kind of get the same team everywhere. I mean, Tom Brady, over 20 years, may have had four stinkers in the regular season. Like, oh, he just, he had one at Cleveland one year. It was just, and one at Buffalo. But you get the same guy. an excellent college team. Four times, you'll go on the road three times, and you're like, what has happened to our football team?

It's the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Get Bell, Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus. From $94 a month, price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.com for details and to check availability. Connection is everything. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them.

I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files. I just remember this low, taunting voice next to my ear saying, shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me. I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive.

Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for-you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. This is Prose Society, the weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island deserve the same level of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and

the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. Someone says. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations, or a community

of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. See you between the pages. I'm Nick Terturo. You probably know me from NYPD Blue, The Longest Yard, or Spike Lee's Black Klansman. But I'm also from Queens, which means I know pizza.

And on my new podcast, delivering happiness with Nick Titoro, I deliver pizza from Prince Street pizza to a new guest. Are you delivering pizza now? Then we sit down for a real conversation. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing my belt? To Alex Rodriguez. Just to let you people know,

we're talking to one of the goats here. Bill Burr. I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now, we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tuturo. It's called Happiness. Delivering Happiness. Mariano Rivera. Oh, my God. And many, many more. Open your free High Heart Radio app.

Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Totoro. And listen now. Saturday night is baseball night in America. And this week, it's showtime. Catch Shoah and the Dodgers versus the Pirates. or in other regional action, it's Cubs Mariners or Giants Red Sox. Check local listings for the game in your area. Saturday, 7 p.m. Eastern on Fox.

Have you heard of that picture for the San Francisco Giants that just got called up the tugboat guy? It's a fascinating story that as fastball is 91 miles an hour, which is pretty low in Major League Baseball today. But because of his arm angle and where the ball comes out of his jersey, it's, it's, it's, like they call it the invisible pitch, that people can't hit it. And he's this guy that, you know, he's just like kind of heavyset. You know, the trade, he doesn't throw particularly fast. Nothing tells you based on the velocity and the placement of his pitches that he should be difficult to hit. I read his story last night, but because of where the ball, look it up, the tugboat.

He's a picture that is called up by the San Francisco Giants. I'm literally fascinated to find. out how it works because apparently they say it's his arm angle and where the ball comes out that the mound is 60 feet, six inches from the plate and it feels like a 45 foot pitch that the ball kind of pops out and the way he's wind up is and how he hides the ball, how it comes out of his jersey and the arm angle, they call it the his pitch is called the invisible. It's the invisible pitch and that you can't, I don't know why I'm so fascinated by this kid, but the tugboat for the San Francisco Giants. That's the big story. We were talking about A.J. Brown and J.

Hurtz and they haven't spoken. And not every quarterback wide receiver combo are best friends. But there's graphics out here. And it really does point to sometimes even great players can kind of get in the way of teammates. So when AJ, that's fascinating. When A.J. Brown is targeted seven or fewer times, the Eagles were 13 and no. When he was targeted eight or more, they were not. nine and six. They scored more than a field goal more when he was targeted seven or fewer times. They won by 13 points plus minus, their point differential. They rushed for more and Hertz passer rating went from a C quarterback to a Hall of Fame

quarterback. Literally Jalen Hertz and the Eagles offense was significant. It was a different offense. One offense is, uh, maybe. not the Titans, but one offense is the Atlanta Falcons. The other offense, you know, was the Chicago Bears last year. Like a different team, one score in 28, one score in 24. Four point difference swing, points per game is the difference between

playoff team and non-playoff team and often very good playoff team and non-playoff team. So it's, it should be noted. They had a joint practice. A.J. Brown and J.Hertz today, apparently, there's very, videotape of them hugging it out after practice. Greg Coasell earlier on what he thinks A.J. Brown will provide with his new team, New England. A.J. Brown is a true boundary X, meaning the single receiver to the short side of the field. There's not that many of those guys in the NFL.

A.J. Brown has shown the ability to do that in his career. And there's no question that the Patriots, as good as Drake May was last year, they didn't have that kind of receiver. So that kind of receiver does nothing but help your offense. Yeah, there's not that many sideline guys that really change the game, and A.J. Brown is absolutely one of those guys. So Chris Peterson, Greg CoSell, Bulls stop by today. And, yeah, I mean, he's just a big target.

There's not many corners that, I think that's Jalen Johnson right there. He beats. Yeah. But, again, a quarterback has to feed the family. A receiver wants to be fed. and so in a wide receiver, you know, the boundary receiver, and by the way, it's hard to complete the ball up the boundary. You often face the best corner, you know, those are harder throws, lower percentage throws.

You know, when the quarterbacks and the receivers have drama, it's almost always the wide receiver needing catches, needing attention. Lincoln Riley, by the way, is on our show tomorrow. I'm going to bring up that schedule because I defended him on that Notre Dame thing. And Chris Peterson's a coach. he's like, yeah, totally. I mean, the only people that were upset with that were former players of USC that were all worked up. Well, back in my day, back in your day, you didn't have a college football playoff.

You didn't even have a Pac-12 championship. Pete Carroll was like, if the team was good, you're going to play for the Natty. You get so many steps and levels you've got to qualify for now. Conference championships, the college football playoff. We'll see you tomorrow. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life. exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files.

Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important, your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks

Pride and Prejudice and Love Island to serve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook.

Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us.

Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nick Tutro. Probably know me from NYPD Blue, the longest yard, or Spike Lease Black Klansman. And on my new podcast, Delivering Happiness with Nick Totoro, I deliver pizza to a new guest. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins. What are you doing, my belt? To Bill Burr.

I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am. And now, we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John Tuturo. It's called Happiness. Delivering Happiness. And many, many more. Open your free High Heart Radio app. Search Delivering Happiness with Nick Tuttle. And listen now.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.