The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast - Lincoln Riley Interview and Potential CFP Scenarios

Episode Date: December 2, 2021

Subscribe to FOX Sports college football podcast the No. 1 Ranked Show w/ RJ Young on Apple Podcasts: http://sprtspod.fox/numberoneranked & Spotify: http://sprtspod.fox/numberonerankedshow New USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley joins Joel Klatt for an exclusive interview to discuss his departure from Oklahoma and his goals to rebuild the USC football program. Joel also shares his thoughts on the different paths to the CFP for teams ranked in the top 6 in the latest rankings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's up, Kenfolk, it's R.J. Young, I am not on a stepmill. I am, Fox College Football analyst, here to tell you about the number one ranked show podcast. Each week, I sit down with coaches, players, and legends of the game for a unique conversation about all things college football and recruiting. Plus, I share my perspective on the top storylines from Saturday and react to the college football playoff rankings. Subscribe to the number one ranked show with R.J. Young on Apple. Apple podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. All right, welcome into the program. I'm Joel Klad.

This is Breaking the Huddle, a very special live edition of Breaking the Huddle with the Man of the Hour in College football. Lincoln Riley joins us live on set, new head coach for USC. Okay, I say that. You see all these graphics as it sunk in yet. I know we're a day after your press conference, but it's still got to be a little bit jarring for you just to see your picture up there with the SC logo. How do you feel? It hasn't quite sunk in yet. It's still a little surreal, but a very tough decision to leave Oklahoma, obviously, a place I have tremendous love for.

Seven great years there, a tremendous run. My second daughter was born there. I mean, it was great people. So to leave that was not an easy decision, but I just couldn't ignore this opportunity, all that the administration is ready to put into this football program. the history and tradition and I think a feeling across the country that everybody knows what SC can be and the opportunity to get a chance to be a part of that was just something we couldn't say no to. So before we get into everything that SE can be, I'd love to look back because listen, I sat with you when you were first hired at OU and we did games. I mean, I did your first Red River game. And I know how much that opportunity meant to you at the time and that play still means to you,

regardless of what everyone's going to say or think or anything, I know how much it means to you. Was there a specific conversation that was the hardest for you to have over the last 48 hours? They were all tough. The president, Joe Harris and AD Joe Castiglione were so good to me, so that conversation was certainly tough. The conversation with Coach Stoops was tough, you know,

because he was so instrumental, obviously, in bringing me there and has helped guide me throughout this, my entire career and that was tough. Probably the toughest ones with the players. We've been on an unbelievable run with those guys. I love those guys. They have given everything to that program and were so good to me.

So none of that was easy. It was the toughest part about this because there wasn't something wrong with OU. There wasn't anything that they didn't do. They were phenomenal to us. It was just the right time in our lives for a new opportunity. I know some people will understand

I know some people won't, but I have a genuine love for that place. And I mean, I want it to be the second best program in the country. I will root for them and forever be a part of them and link to them. And I'm proud of that. So something I've thought a lot about over the last couple of days and really the last couple of years. And we've talked briefly about this in different context. But the structure of our sport lends itself to this because of the early signing period,

which I was never really in favor from the beginning, lends itself to earlier firings and earlier hirings. Yes. Are you frustrated with the structure of the sport and how it made something like this, your decision, which is not unique throughout the history of college football? It made it so much more emotional. I am because you look at other sports

and it's not really the case. And I do think there's ways that this can be avoided. Because you put, really, we're all in the same boat. Players, coaches, people have to make these decisions so quickly and inopportune times for their current positions that it's not good. It's not healthy for the sport. We're all human beings. This is all our lives.

We've all got to do in these moments what we think is best. But having to make a decision a few hours after your team plays your last regular season game. is not, it is what it is. And I get, I've got to live with the decision that me and my family made and we're going to, but it's, it's not ideal. It's not ideal for anybody. So I hope that we can all,

all of us that do care about college football can take a step back and look at this and say, all right, maybe this isn't good for the game. How can we find a system that works and a calendar that works that where people can finish what they started and have more time and then maybe more appropriate time to make these decisions as they come.

Let's move forward now. Here's the opportunity. You've got to come out to the West Coast. The West Coast, I don't have to tell you, the Pac-12 has been down. Knowing what USC was, what something like a flagship can be on the West Coast for college football in general,

which I know is important for the sport, how much did all of that play into your decision? Just the stature and the history and the tradition of USC. That was a huge part. because it's been done here, and so it can be done here. And I think when you start to think about the possibilities, it's potential versus current investment.

Yeah. And if you have the big possibilities, the big potential, which USC clearly has, I mean, you could argue maybe more than any program in the country, that's great, but if that's all you're relying on, then you're probably going to get some of the results that you've had there over the last several years. If there's a complete buy-in and investment and a hunger by all the people that support this program or part of this program to do everything possible to get it where it needs to be, that combination is dangerous.

Sure. It is. And that combination is what ultimately, you know, drove us to making the decision to come here. So in this day and age, we just saw Mel Tucker take a job really late in the process at Michigan State go through a COVID year and then had 40. some players to his roster this year and bang, here they are playing meaningful games in November. How quickly, realistically, do you think you can transform the roster to something that's competing on the top end of the Pac-12? I think it can happen quickly.

I do. That's my confidence in this place and the staff that we're bringing in. And I think a lot of these recruits and potential players out there, future players at SC, are going to see what me and my family. saw. They're going to see the potential and everybody knows the logo, everybody knows the history, but they're going to see the current investment and they're going to see that USC is going all in on this football program. And I think when they see that and they start to see the vision of what this can be, I think we're going to have a lot of people that want to come play ball here.

And I think we've, this staff has a track record of success of being able to compete consistently at a high level. And I think it's going to be a great combination. I can't wait to get started. We're going to take a quick break, much more. with Lincoln Riley when we come back. Stay right there. Okay, you've mentioned future players in a lot of interviews, you know, and that's the lifeblood of college football is recruiting. You do not succeed without players. Even Coach Stoops talked about it, you know, in your exit about, oh, you being about the players. I know you would agree with that. I agree with that. You know, I had to play some of those guys. Trust me. You know, I know what that's all about. So when you look at what has happened in

college football, I look at it from 30,000 foot, you know, view and we we've talked about this a little bit you look at all of the guys from the pack 12 footprint that are not just playing elsewhere but dominating throughout college football cj stroud and chrysal lave at ohio ohio ohio ohio ohio muo ui molo out you've got brys young at alabama spencer was from rattler was from arizona you've got bjean robinson was from arizona dj ui ungalele this footprint has been ravaged by the other parts of the country. How important is it that you start building a little bit of a fence

and you keep those people at arm's length, which is what Pete was able to do in the early 2000? That's critical. And I think the thing for us is we can't expect these guys to come here just because it's SC. Being SC is a starting point, but again, they need to see the progress. They need to see what we saw,

what caused us to want to come out here, the investment and the belief and the hunger to get this program to back where it rightfully should be. It's a process to get that done. I think a lot of that falls on the staff. A lot of that falls on the people that support this program to continue to invest and continue to push. And these guys are going to see that. And again, that's why this decision was so right for us. We felt that.

And these future guys are going to feel it as well. I know you've talked about the investment in the program, and that's certainly apparent. How much of this decision had to do with that recruiting base, though, knowing that you're a car ride from a top recruiting class in the country. It's huge, huge. I think the respect for the talent out here, the respect for the way these guys are coached and developed out here. And there's a comfort level recruiting out here. We've always had success recruiting in this area, recruiting on the West Coast. I love the kids that not only recruiting them, but the kids we've been able to bring in our programs and develop.

And we've had a high success rate with not only signing them, but then becoming very successful and doing very well. So it feels very comfortable. You got an amazing experience at OU. And Bob hired you from East Carolina. And then two years later, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. You're the head coach for the Sooners. But I do know as a competitor. because we're all competitors. I'm a competitor, even in my industry. You know, you want to

establish yourself and build something. Was there any part of this that you wanted to go and build something that was yours and not something that you were continuing? No, no, there wasn't. Because there's, you know, these jobs, there's challenges in every single job. And there was challenges at OU and would have continued to be challenges at OU. I think, I think for me, it was so much more about what this place could be in the excitement level of that. I took over OU at a phenomenal time. Bob Stoops, one of the greatest coaches in history. I mean, you know, helped me get that job.

He helped me to prepare for that job. I couldn't have taken over a better situation, especially for a first-time head coach. I give him all the credit in the world for that. And it was great for me. The flip side of that is the very first year you were expected to win every game. And so it's, there's always given time. You almost did it that year. We almost did.

And so, no, I, I just think that would be an egotistical way to look at it. Sure. There was going to be challenges no matter, no matter where I coached. This was just the right challenge at the right time. And just, it felt right. It did. And as much as I love OU and always will, this was, this was the right timing for us. I heard you and saw you with Scott,

been pelt last night and and you told him the first conversation was Sunday morning that you had with USC i think i'll be on like i think a lot of people are like no that there's no way that it happened that late in the process um the whirlwind of what happened from bedlam to to that moment is that a blur for you now in hindsight it is it is because it it didn't feel real and and i honestly never saw myself I was leaving OU. I mean, I really, I really, we've had a lot of conversations about that, and I can attest to that. You've told me countless times about NFL jobs and so on. That was the first conversation, Sunday probably, I don't know, 11 o'clock that morning, somewhere in there was the first conversation that I've ever had with anybody else from another

football team as long as I've been at OU. I've just, I've never, some great opportunities from time to time came up, but I never had any desire to even. explore it, but I did with this one. I did. And I as much as I almost didn't want to, I couldn't ignore how I was feeling and the true intrigue I had. And like said, once we had the conversation, it did. It came together so quickly, probably faster than, again, like we talked about, probably faster than ideally I would have liked it too. But I'm, I'm thankful for how the leadership at OU handled it. They were gracious and no surprise, but they were phenomenal. and then the opportunity to tell my guys there,

which was, it sucked. It was terrible. But to have the chance to do that, I'll forever be thankful for. Tough moment in that room. Yeah, what can you say? You know, I mean, you've got so many people there that you love and then you tell them you're going to another school.

But the players were great. I got a chance to speak with a lot of them after. You know, I think the players there know, know me well enough to know that I do care about them. And I wouldn't take this if I didn't feel like it was the right opportunity for me and my family. So it was tough, but there's a lot of longstanding relationships there. And I'm glad I got to do it in person. I'm very thankful for that.

All right. What can we expect? What does the Lincoln Riley team at USC in the Coliseum look like? I mean, I've covered you a lot. So I feel like I have a decent idea of what your identity will be. Is that where you're going to be putting in blueprint here? That's a plan. I mean, I think they're certainly going to have to adapt to the players, the roster that we have here.

But we've had a lot of success in what we do, and we believe in that. We'll continue to adapt. We'll continue to develop and move as the game does. But, yeah, I mean, I think it's rebuilding the roster. I think it's bringing in a great staff. I think it's going to work and putting together a team that this entire L.A. area, all the Trojan family, can be very proud of. So yeah, being in that stadium yesterday, being in the Coliseum, doing the press conference, you kind of look down there and imagine I haven't been there on a Saturday night.

You know, I haven't been there when that place is full and is electric. And so I get, we've got to do our part to create that, but that's going to be a great journey. Well, the one difference is that you better create some electricity or they won't come. That's right. That's right. Well, we'll get that part handled. I'll tell you what, I appreciate you sitting down. I know that you're going to be out and about recruiting and building that roster, building that staff.

I appreciate you for coming in. And good luck, man. Thank you. All the pressure in the world now. Hey, I'm used to it. You got it. Thanks. All right, bud.

Appreciate it. Okay, the CFP, the playoff, what do we got going on here this weekend? This is really what it boils down to, folks. If the favorites this weekend and conference championship games win, what you're going to see, at least in my estimation, is Georgia go to the playoff, Michigan go to the playoff, Cincinnati go to the playoff, and Oklahoma State go to the playoff. Those are the four teams that are favored. Now, in this college football year, do we really expect everybody that's favored to win? No, I think last week we saw Wisconsin lose, we saw Ohio State lose,

we saw Alabama basically pull a game a rabbit out of their hat. They're late in the Iron Bowl against Auburn, so probably not. The one that's interesting is Notre Dame, because at 11 and 1, their only losses to Cincinnati, I think that they have a shot at the United. the playoff without a coach. Brian Kelly hired to be the new head coach for LSU. I mean, this is fascinating, folks. I still think that Notre Dame is alive for a playoff spot, and now Brian Kelly goes and he's going to be the new head coach for the LSU Tigers. This is a guy that has been wildly successful at Notre Dame. He's Notre Dame's all-time leader as far as wins.

And he has been to the playoff. He took them to a national championship. game. He's the, you know, their recent success of 10 win seasons, double-digit win seasons has been unprecedented in their history. And it's one of the more rich histories in all of college football. But Brian Kelly, you know, gets caught up in what is the modern day coaching carousel? LSU reportedly giving him nine figures, $100 million.

I know a lot of people are going to take exception with the way that Brian Kelly left Notre Dame or even the way that Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma. But folks, that's the nature of the sports. I talked about a little earlier with Lincoln Riley. The structure of college football incentivizes every single entity within college football, whether it's a player, a coach, a program, or a conference to operate in their own best interest. Brian Kelly didn't have any choice because of the way that the recruiting calendar is set up. If he was going to take this opportunity and take nine figures, $100 million, then he had to do it right now.

Even before we know what the outcome of the season is going to be with Notre Dame, who's still in line for a potential playoff birth. So the problem is not with Brian Kelly, it's with the structure of the sport. I don't think that the problem is with Lincoln Riley. It's with the structure, excuse me, of the sport. We need to change the calendar in college football. I will be arguing that in the offseason. This is a calendar that can help protect players and protect coaches from things like we've seen in the last couple of days. So Brian Kelly heads to LSU, Lincoln Riley heads to USC. Notre Dame is still alive in the playoff, Oklahoma.

State's still alive in the playoff, and it should be a wild and fantastic week of conference championship games. It's going to be an awesome game in Indianapolis. Big Ten Championship game coming up on Saturday night. Gus Jenny and I are going to be there. Big Noon. Kickoff is going to be there. Saturday, 8 p.m. Eastern on Fox's first Big Ten

Championship that does not involve either Ohio State or Wisconsin since 2015. A lot of new blood, even in the CFP discussion, and as well as well, here in the Big Ten. Iowa is won five of the last seven against Michigan. Both of these teams are seeking their first Big Ten title since they actually shared. They were co-champs in 2004. But folks, when you talk about this game on the field, you have to start with and maybe even finish with number 97 for Michigan, Aidan Hutchinson. Okay, so last week they were facing the best

passing offense in college football in Ohio State. So his impact was going to be felt. And it was, three sacks last week against Ohio State. That matched a career high. Six sacks in the last three games, as you can see. And he leads the Big Ten with 13 sacks. That's a single season record for Michigan. And what he's doing in big moments for a team that has Big Ten aspirations and college football playoff aspirations, I really believe that Aiden Hutchinson is not only going to get some love for the Heisman Trophy, but depending on what happens this weekend, Aidan Hutchinson can and maybe should win the Heisman Trophy. So a wild year in college football where we got new blood all over the place, right?

In the conference championship games, we got Pitt and Wake Forest in the ACC. We got Oklahoma State with a chance of the college football playoff. This year has been phenomenal. Last weekend was incredible in rivalry weekend. All those scenes, whether it was at the big house or in the Iron Bowl or in Bedlam. That was phenomenal Americana, folks, and I love it. And in a year like that, don't you think we also need new business? blood in the Heisman trophy.

I do, and I think we should have two defenders, Will Anderson and Aidan Hutchinson, that both go to New York. The winner this weekend is going to play a huge part in where we go as far as who wins that trophy on Saturday. Michigan and Iowa on Saturday night, folks. Michigan win, and you're going to the college football playoff. Iowa is looking for that Rose Bowl birth and a Big Ten championship under Kirk Farrens.

It's going to be a fabulous game. I can't wait to get there, folks. Remember, 8 p.m. Eastern on Fox. Gus, Jenny and I will have the call. And prior to that, about 7 p.m. Eastern, you're going to have big noon kickoff. Everyone will be there. Rob, Matt, Reggie, Coach Stoops, everyone's going to be there, and it's going to be phenomenal. Folks, enjoy the weekend of college football.

We are almost there. Heisman time, playoff time. It's coming up this weekend. College football remains number one. Thanks for watching.