The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show – Best of August 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show covers the latest trends and personnel moves in both the NFL and college football. With a panel of engaged co-hosts and guests Charles Davis (CBS Lead College Football Analyst) and Bruce Feldman (The Athletic, Fox Sports), Dan Patrick delves into team strategies, rookie prospects, the impact of the transfer portal, coaching shakeups, and the evolving college football landscape. The conversation blends statistical analysis, anecdotes, and the show’s signature humor and banter.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Dallas Cowboys' Defensive Shakeup & NFC East Preview

• Quinnen Williams Signing ([02:17] – [07:58])
  • Dan highlights Dallas’ acquisition of Quinnen Williams as a good move, arguing that defensive tackles’ impacts aren’t measured just by sacks.
  • Emphasizes that Dallas had one of the league’s worst defenses last year, despite an elite offense:
    • “They allowed 30 points per game… 32nd in points per game allowed” ([02:48])
  • Points out the need for the Cowboys' defense to reach at least a top-15 level to have a Super Bowl shot.
  • Praises draft pick Caleb Downs: “I did give the Cowboys an A for Caleb Downs. I'd love that pick… I think he'll be their defensive captain eventually.”
• Micah Parsons Deal and Leadership Questions
  • Insight into Dallas not locking Parsons up earlier: “From what I've been told about Micah Parsons, he wasn't a leader and it wasn't a universal, 'hey, we gotta keep this guy.'” ([04:38])
• NFC East Rundown
  • Giants: Expected improvement with John Harbaugh at coach.
  • Washington: Discusses the ‘rookie quarterback window’ and the importance of surrounding Jaden Daniels with talent—Stefon Diggs “not a number one receiver,” but decent.
  • Eagles: Notable point about instability—Jalen Hurts is now working with at least his seventh different offensive coordinator.

“How many offensive coordinators has Jalen Hurts had in his college and pro career? Because I'm guessing he's probably had seven or eight, which is astounding.”
—Dan Patrick, [06:58]

Defensive & Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds

• DraftKings Odds Discussion ([07:58] – [10:43])
  • Defensive: Caleb Downs is not the betting favorite; it’s Reuben Bain Jr. III.
  • Offensive: Jeremiah Love is consensus favorite, followed by Fernando Mendoza and Carnell Tate.
  • Paulie, Dylan, and the group enter into a “pie in the face” bet over rookie of the year picks; banter ensues about arbitrage ("We'll just make up rules on the fly. That's fine." – Dylan, [12:41]).
  • Fun historical comparison between Arkansas’ Darren McFadden & Felix Jones and the current rookie running back situations.

Most Stressful Position in Sports

• Poll Question Segment ([12:56] – [15:53])
  • Inspired by previous Adam Vinatieri interview, the team debates which position is most stressful:
    • Nominees: NFL placekicker, MLB closer, hockey goalie, quarterback.
    • Consensus that placekicker may experience the most acute stress, especially with so few opportunities compared to a baseball closer.
    • Deep dive into the mental stress between kicker, holder, and long snapper:
      • "The holder can only do it completely right, and we expect him to do it completely right every single time. And you get no credit for… That was a lovely hold by that guy." —Paulie, [14:34]
      • Ultimately, “it comes down to the kicker. It's the bottom line.” —Dan Patrick, [15:15]
  • Brief touch on the distinction between mental/physical stress and memorable snow kick in Patriots’ “Tuck Rule” game.

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College Football Focus with Charles Davis

Uniforms and Traditions ([19:59] – [22:18])

• Oregon praised for uniform innovation.
• Fond nostalgia for Penn State’s classic look; hope for a return to retro styles.
• North Carolina and UCLA’s iconic blues noted for TV appeal.

Most Pressing Issue in College Football ([22:18] – [24:01])

• Transfer portal and NIL have created year-to-year roster uncertainty.
• Charles Davis questions when schools and fans might enjoy roster continuity again:

  "Am I going to know these kids a little bit longer than one season at a time? … I don't root for you this year and then root against you next year when you're playing for my rival…"
  —Charles Davis, [22:27]

• Noted: Crowds and TV ratings haven’t waned despite player movement.

Conference Power Rankings ([24:01] – [29:11])

• Charles Davis posits Big Ten as CFB’s top conference now over the SEC.
  • “The evidence in front of us tells us that the Big Ten is, is the conference right now.” ([24:01])
  • SEC fully engaged in the rivalry after years of dominance; Big Ten’s depth highlighted.

“He who hoists the trophy gets to have all the conversation.”
—Charles Davis, [28:45]

Coaching Influence and Conference Evolution

• Urban Meyer brought “SEC speed” to the Big Ten at Ohio State.
• Pete Carroll’s blend of power and speed at USC changed recruiting and style on both coasts.
• “The speed is at every position… I don't think that difference is there now.” —Charles Davis, [28:32]

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Bruce Feldman on College Football Transfers & “Freak List”

Coaches Bringing Their Own Players ([30:00] – [32:46])

• Highlights Cignetti (James Madison → ???), Eric Morris (North Texas → Oklahoma State), and Matt Campbell (Iowa State → Penn State) bringing over key players.
• ADs may see an additional benefit in hires who can transfer “their culture” and a proven core group.
• Penn State dubbed “sneaky good” due to this continuity and favorable schedule.
  • “Matt Campbell’s a really good coach… It wouldn’t shock me if they made the playoff in his first year.” —Bruce Feldman, [32:22]

Coaches Under Pressure ([32:46] – [34:21])

• • Dabo Swinney: Job security high due to two titles.
  • Bill Belichick: New phase for Patriots with low baseline for “substandard.”
  • Lincoln Riley: "If it's another eight win or worse season... this is a pivotal year for Lincoln Riley." —Bruce Feldman, [34:21]

Lane Kiffin at LSU ([34:21] – [35:24])

• Realistic expectation: make the 12-team playoff, due to heavy transfer portal spending.
• Not national title–or-bust in Year 1, but less than playoffs would disappoint.

Playoff Expansion & TV Power Dynamics ([35:24] – [38:00])

• ESPN wants a 14-team playoff; Big Ten pushing for 24.
• TV networks driving structure; Fox & ESPN in a rivalry as heated as the SEC–Big Ten one.
• "It's as much an ESPN vs Fox component here… it's pretty messy and we'll see where it's going to land." —Bruce Feldman, [37:39]

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Feldman’s 'Freak List' for 2026 ([38:00] – [43:48])

• Origin: Highlighting athletic outliers who wow both scouts and fans. Examples include:
  • Nick Harbor (South Carolina): 6'6", 240 lbs, faster than Calvin Johnson.
    • “He's actually an inch taller than Calvin Johnson and he's even faster than Megatron.” —Bruce Feldman, [39:14]
  • Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State WR): 23.5 mph, 225 lbs, “stronger and tougher” than Marvin Harrison Jr., with a drive born from being cut from a pee-wee team at age seven.
  • Amari Washington (Oregon DT): 6'3", 330 lbs, runs almost 21 mph; can squat 855 lbs, double reps.
    • “He runs almost 21 miles per hour… I mean, he's 330. … He could do more. We kind of cut him off.” ([42:27]–[43:04])
  • Feldman explains the "freak" designation as celebrating rare, next-level athleticism that could define impact players for the season.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “It would have been easier if you told me who hasn't been his [Jalen Hurts’] offensive coordinator.” —Dan Patrick, [07:38]
• “That window of opportunity, when you have a rookie quarterback… you got three years, a three year window.” —Dan Patrick, [05:50]
• “I think if they get to nine wins… at least that'll be progress.” —Bruce Feldman on Lincoln Riley, [34:21]
• “You have a team that they were actually very good. They were rolling. They were 5 and 0. Rocco Beckt, who's a real leader there…” —Bruce Feldman on Penn State, [31:15]
• “He who hoists the trophy gets to have all the conversation. And again, you mentioned the jabbing. The SEC used to not engage… The SEC is fully engaged now, which tells you the Big Ten has their attention.” —Charles Davis, [28:45]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:17]–[07:58]: Cowboys' defensive overhaul & NFC East rundown
• [07:58]–[12:52]: Rookie of the Year odds & pie-in-the-face betting
• [12:56]–[15:53]: Most stressful job in sports (kicker vs. others)
• [19:59]–[29:11]: Interview with Charles Davis: uniforms, conference strength, program changes
• [30:00]–[43:48]: Bruce Feldman interview: coaching moves, transfer portal, TV/Playoff drama, Freak List deep dive

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Conclusion

This edition of The Dan Patrick Show offers a fast-paced, insightful look at NFL and NCAA football—mixing thoughtful analysis and statistics with Dan Patrick’s trademark jokes and the playful camaraderie of experts and regular guests. From the Dallas Cowboys' playoff hopes to the seismic changes in college football, and from TV network intrigue to the incredible “freak” athletes to watch this fall, the episode both informs and entertains sports fans who want insider perspective, lively debate, and plenty of reasons to look forward to the upcoming seasons.

Transcript

[Dan Patrick]

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[Charles Davis]

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[Bruce Feldman]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Bruce Feldman]

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[Dylan]

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[Bruce Feldman]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Fred Armisen]

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[Dan Patrick]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Fred Armisen]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Dan Patrick]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised, not just words, but a song about.

Well, I thought you were all going to write a song.

I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia AO rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Charles Davis]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Bruce Feldman]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Charles Davis]

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[Bruce Feldman]

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[Dan Patrick]

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VGW Group void where prohibited by law 21 terms and conditions apply. You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. Cowboys locked up Quinn and Williams yesterday and that's a great move because I think he's a really good player. Sometimes we look at defensive players, defensive linemen, and we go, well how many sacks did he have? That's not what Quinn and Williams is all about. That's not what Aaron Donald was about. That's not what Warren Sapp was about. That was just clog the middle double team. And that will help the guys on the edge get to the quarterback. But if you look at the Cowboys defense last year, I mean, they were historically bad last year. They allowed 30 points per game. They were 32nd in points per game allowed. They were 30th in takeaways. They were 22nd in sacks, 29th in interceptions, 23rd in rushing yards allowed. You had one of the best offenses in the NFL and you had the worst defense. What does that give you? That gives you an average season. The Cowboys with the offense and an average defense, they will be in the playoffs and they will be a force. But you look back on the Micah Parsons deal, and Dallas won that deal. I think a lot of times we grade, you know, you got to grade. Oh, what's the grade for this? It's like grading a draft pick. I. I gotta wait a little while to, you know, grade a draft pick. Now, I did give the Cowboys an A for Caleb Downs. I'd love that pick. They went up and they got him, and I think he'll be their defensive captain eventually. But the Cowboys have made some smart moves here. You, you got to capitalize on this. You know, you got Pickett on that franchise tag. Is he going to be there after this? You're already paying, you know, CD Lamb Dak is getting paid. Like, you are supposed to be really good on offense. Now, can you get the defense to play up to an average level? If they're a top 15 defense, I think they have a chance to go to the NFC title game. I really believe in the offense that much. But the defense, defense has got to get off the field and you got to stop giving up 30 points per game. But you go back to the Micah Parsons deal, and I've said before, Jerry Jones could have signed him, you know, six months earlier, probably, and saved a lot of money and kept him there. But from what I've been told about Micah Parsons, he wasn't a leader and it wasn't a universal, hey, we got to keep this guy. You bring in Quinn and Williams, he just does his job. You know, you plug him in and from what I'm told, he can is a leader and he's a clubhouse guy. That's what I'm told. The Caleb Downs, I think you put him in, let him go. He's just one of those guys, maybe he can be a Troy Palomalo for them. Just somebody that you go make plays. But I think Dallas is making some smart moves now. The Giants are going to be better with John Harbaugh as their coach. Washington's tricky because here you have a franchise quarterback, took you to the NFC title game and you've given him Terry McLaurin. Okay, you tried with Debo Samuel. Now you bring in Stefan Diggs. Okay? Laramie Tunil got hurt. I think they might be headed down that road again. Where you go, man, that window of opportunity, when you have a rookie quarterback, a young quarterback, and you know that you're not going to be paying him 50 or 60 million dollars yet, but the clock is ticking. As soon as you draft one of those quarterbacks, the clock starts ticking because you have to surround him. You got three years, a three year window. It's like Seattle when Seattle had Russell Wilson. They could keep the defense, they could keep Marshawn lynch, they could keep, you know, wide receivers, they could keep offensive linemen, but the clock was ticking. And then all of a sudden Russ is going to get paid and you have to let some defensive players go. But that's the NFL. The window is there in Washington, but are they going to take advantage of it? Stefan Diggs, to me, is not a number one receiver, but he had decent numbers last year for New England. I like Terry McLaurin, but Terry McLaurin is not a guy who's going to remind you of Tyree Kill, but he's a really good receiver. Jaden Daniels, coming off the injury, coming back, is he going to play differently? So I think that's tricky. The Eagles, they got a new offensive coordinator. Stop me if you've heard that before. How many offensive coordinators has Jalen Hurts had in his college and pro career? Because I'm guessing he's probably had seven or eight, which is astounding. Number go back to college. I think he had a new one each year, and I think every year in the NFL he's had a new offensive coordinator. Yeah, Paulie.

[Paulie]

Shockingly, it's out there. Jalen Hurts had Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkeesian, Brian Dable and Mike Loxley who shared him in 2017-18. Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma. Then in the pros, Doug Peterson, Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, Kevin Batullo and now Sean Manion.

[Dan Patrick]

That's amazing. Stat of the day brought to you by Panini America. The official trading cards of the Dan Patrick show. It would have been easier if you Told me who hasn't been his offensive coordinator. Paulie.

[Bruce Feldman]

Wow.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, we'll have a play of the day coming up. We have a poll question as well. Dylan will do the honors there. We'll talk some college and pro football as well. 877-3-DP show email address tpdanpatrick.com Twitter handle @DP Show I was curious. I got a hold of DraftKings. I said, who is going to be the defensive rookie of the year? Now, I was going to pick Caleb Downs, but I would be incorrect. Reuben Bain Jr. III is the favorite and his short arms. So when he goes to get the trophy, it'll be, you know, Bill Lane Beer had short arms. I always remember that they. And I had, like, alligator arms there. But Reuben Bain Jr. III is your favorite. David Bailey. David Bailey. Didn't he do a. A song with Phil Collins? Oh, Philip Bailey. Philip Bailey. Lover Sonny Style. Sonny Styles was a big deal prior to the draft. It was like, man, he is testing off the charts. He's in. He's in D.C. he's a commander. Then it's Caleb Downs and then Arvel Reese. No relation to Angel Reese, at least. I'm not sure. He's probably a better shooter. Offensive rookies of the year, the best odds. Now, this is surprising. Okay, does anybody want to guess who is the favorite for according to DraftKings? Offensive Rookie of the Year? Paul.

[Paulie]

Weirdly, I think it's going to be Mendoza.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, Todd. I'm going to go Love. All right, Dylan.

[Dylan]

I got a copy. Todd.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, Jeremiah Love. Marvin, make it three for three. Okay. Jeremiah Love is the favorite. Second favorite, Fernando Mendoza. Third. Carnell Tate. Jordan. Tyson. Jadarian Price is my pick. Makai Lemon and then Carson Beck. Those are your odds for rookie of the year. Offensive rookie of the year. Yes, Paul, I am so with you

[Paulie]

on Jadarian Price out of Notre Dame, I'm willing to go pie in the face. Call my shot. Larry Bird, if you want to join me. Or join you. Jadarian Price with the Seahawks.

[Dan Patrick]

Wait, you just said Fernando Mendoza.

[Paulie]

That was my guess of the odds. Oh, not my generic. Price is going to get the ball.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, yeah. I like him a lot. That. That's one of those. When they got him, I go, man. People might not realize because Jeremiah Love was so great, but they didn't lose much. When he came in the game, he was like, damn, that guy's really good. Now, it's not a situation like Thurman Thomas at Oklahoma State and then Barry Sanders was His backup. And Barry Switzer had the famous line of, oh, whatever you do, do not hurt Thurman Thomas because we don't want Barry Sanders to come in. Yes. Dylan Paul. I'll take that.

[Dylan]

That bet. Do I get the field? If you get to Darien Price, I'll

[Paulie]

give you any two other players.

[Dylan]

Any two others?

[Paulie]

Yep.

[Stugots]

Like this.

[Dylan]

I'm going to take Jordan Tyson.

[Dan Patrick]

Whoa.

[Dylan]

And I'll take Jeremiah Love, too.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, Arbitrage. Gutsy. Really gutsy.

All right.

[Dylan]

Carson Beck.

[Dan Patrick]

Carson Bank's gonna get some playing time. Yeah. Yes. Marvin.

[Bruce Feldman]

It's more like the Arkansas running back

[Dan Patrick]

duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

[Paulie]

Oh, good.

[Dan Patrick]

Saucy. That was great.

[Bruce Feldman]

They were so good.

[Dan Patrick]

They were fun. They were fun. Did both end up with the Cowboys? Because I. I think at different points they did.

[Stugots]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

I think Felix Jones started with the Cowboys. Yeah. And then.

[Paulie]

Dare me fat.

[Dan Patrick]

Ended up with the Cowboys later on. Yeah. All right, we'll get some phone calls in here. We'll settle on what is the poll question going to be for the first hour. Dylan, at least give us a sampling.

[Dylan]

A little sampling.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Dylan]

What would you say is more valuable?

[Dan Patrick]

Wait a minute, hold on. Paulie wants to amend his bet.

[Dylan]

Oh.

[Paulie]

I would like to ask for. To add to my bet. I'd like to add Carson Beck to my rookie of the year picks.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, well, I'm going to ask you, Dylan, if you're going to allow Paulie, who. Who made the big proclamation of who was going to be the rookie of the year, and now he wants to bring in Carson Beck.

[Charles Davis]

Yeah, sure.

[Dylan]

We'll just make up rules on the fly. That's fine.

[Paulie]

Like baseball.

[Dylan]

I'll get. You know what? I'll do that.

[Dan Patrick]

Two. Two to two.

[Dylan]

I get Jordan Tyson and Jeremiah Love. You get Carson Beck and Jadarian Price.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. All right, what else? So we have our poll question.

[Dylan]

Yeah. Well, I have one off of our vinitary interview yesterday. I was thinking about, okay, what's the most stressful position in sports? Not necessarily difficulty or physically demanding, but stressful. So, like, obviously NFL place kicker. Very high up that list. I'd say maybe an MLB closer. Hockey goalie.

[Dan Patrick]

No, it's a quarterback.

[Dylan]

But not like stressful. Like that's because of the position. So demanding and you need to do a million different things, but, like, singular moment, like, this is on the line. You have to walk up there, kick a field goal.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. I guess it's a kicker. I mean, in baseball, there's so many games. You have a blown Save you, you know, you just have a short memory, and then you move on. But with a kicker, you got 17 games and, you know, it feels like every game comes down to a kick that's made or missed. So, yeah, I would see a place kicker.

[Dylan]

What if it's like Game 7, World Series, bottom, the ninth.

[Dan Patrick]

But you didn't say that.

[Dylan]

I'm adding qualifying.

[Dan Patrick]

What if it's. The super bowl is on the line as it has been for Adam Bennett? Terry.

[Paulie]

Yeah, it's probably pretty stressful.

[Dan Patrick]

I like that he won two Super Bowls by kicking, but he said that the most important kick or the most impressive kick, I don't know how he framed it, was, you know, the tuck game where in the snow in New England and the conditions. And he said, no, that. That was the toughest kick I've ever had that got him into the Super Bowl. Yeah. Paulie.

[Paulie]

More stress on the kicker or the holder? The holder can only do it completely right, and we expect him to do it completely right every single time. And you get no credit for. Man, that's a nice hold. That was a lovely hold by that guy.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, we will single out somebody if they. We. We do say, oh, my God, you know, they grabbed that. Or that was, you know, on the ground or something like that. But normally we don't mention who the holder is, or you'll. You'll mention the name or. But you won't remember the name. Yes.

[Dylan]

Dylan, what about the guy snapping the ball? You air mail a long snap. No, that. That seems stressful to me.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. It comes down to the kicker. It's the bottom line.

[Dylan]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

There's a process here. What does it come down to? Because you can have a perfect snap, a perfect hold, and you have a

[Dylan]

botched kick, but if you have a snap that goes over his head, there's no kick to begin with.

[Paulie]

True.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Dylan. You're welcome. Yes, Todd.

[Bruce Feldman]

There's also a big distinction between physical and mental stress in that situation. That's why I guess he picked the Raiders game.

[Dan Patrick]

When you got to deal with the

[Bruce Feldman]

snow and everything, that would be physically more difficult. But if it's in your head, I

[Dan Patrick]

got to make this kick. The super bowl is on the line. I have a chance to win this

[Bruce Feldman]

game now with this kick. That, to me, would be more in your head mentally.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Todd.

You're welcome.

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app

[Stugots]

Stigatz here I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to iHeart. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. It's called Stugots and Company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls.

[Dan Patrick]

I love you guys show. It's one of my favorites.

[Stugots]

A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you could expect from Stugots Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Stugots Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review Stugots Co. And God bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dan Patrick]

Here's something worth knowing Chat GPT now has a new way of working for bigger, multi step projects Chat GPT work. Give it a goal and connect it to the tools where work happens and it can help create finished work from start to finish. Say you're preparing for a launch of a new campaign. Instead of jumping between different tools all day, Chat GPT can pull together information from your files, organize research, help, draft strategy, and build a working brief that you can review and refine. Need to bring in team feedback? ChatGPT can summarize updates and help review your work while keeping the project moving. What makes ChatGPT work different is simple. It's not just answering questions. It can stay with the project for hours if needed. Work across the tools you already use and help turn an idea into something finished. While you review progress, redirect the work and approve important actions, put ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get started chatgpt.com select work mode available on plus and Pro plans hey Portlandia fans.

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[Fred Armisen]

Here you know us. Or rather you know them. Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance, Spike and yes, the Chicken.

[Dan Patrick]

We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia. AO Rewatch our brand new podcast.

[Fred Armisen]

Each week we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process.

[Dan Patrick]

How did any of this get made. Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it.

[Fred Armisen]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Dan Patrick]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised not just words,

but a song about I thought he was gonna write. I thought you were all gonna write a song.

I remember you thinking that.

[Fred Armisen]

Listen to Podlandia Ayo rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Charles Davis]

Tyler redick here from 2311 racing another checkered flag for the books.

[Bruce Feldman]

Time to celebrate with Chumba.

[Charles Davis]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Charles Davis]

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And now get early access to our biggest sale of the year. Save 25% on the new Comfort Next Luxe for a limited time only at a Sleep number store or sleepnumber.com hey, Charles Davis will give the formal introduction CBS lead college football analyst. He'll be working with Brad Nest, Boise State at Oregon. Then he's got Mississippi State, Minnesota, USC at Rutgers. Great to see you again. We were just talking uniforms. Yeah, best college uniform or uniforms is who.

[Charles Davis]

Well, Oregon ushered in the era, Dan, that that took us to now we're often you turn on their TV and it might take you a minute to realize who's playing depending on what's going on. So Oregon and all their combinations with the great names. I remember the lightning yell we mentioned Mississippi State. They went down there to Starkville a bunch of years ago and they're lightning yellow to play and the whole deal. I feel like their combinations are really hard to beat. But it's been very interesting watching even traditionalists take on new new looks, trying new things, doing things that maybe the older fan base wasn't a fan of but the younger kids love. But I'm just going to leave you with this, Dan. I'm hoping Penn State will go back to the uniform that had the single stripe down the side. The numbers on the helmet think that was rip angle early Joe Paterno they wear it once a year now. I think it's their best look.

[Dan Patrick]

North Carolina has good, good looking, average football, but they got good uniforms.

[Charles Davis]

North Carolina, UCLA often pops. Remember when they would make the Rose bowl and if you were a Northern kid, as I was, and you're turning on in January 1st and you're watching UCLA and that in that great blue, you're like, whoa. And you see the sunshine and the, you know, the great shots as you come over the Rose bowl, you think to yourself, that's a really good looking uniform as well. North Carolina, as you mentioned, with their Tar Heel blue, as they like to call it, there are a number of places that have them and they just keep getting better. And I remember when Cliff Kingsbury took over at Texas Tech, he had it written into his contract as the head coach that he had final approval of uniforms.

[Dan Patrick]

I like that. I like that. Okay, the overriding question going into college football this season is what?

[Charles Davis]

When are we going to settle in and people will quit having to worry about do I have a new roster this year, do I have, you know, is my quarterback going to leave because the NIL isn't quite good enough right after the spring or what have you, you know, am I going to know these kids a little bit longer than one season at a time? I think a lot of that is starting to happen and percolate. I don't know that we totally hit it yet, Dan. We're hearing that five for five, five, you know, five years to play five seasons. So the red shirting gets off the table and the one time transfer, which I think for the average fan is something they're kind of looking forward to, even as they acknowledge player movement. And the kids getting paid is not a big, not as big a deal as maybe we thought years ago. Because I do know this. When the NIL started, I was eager to watch college football and college football fans and say, okay. For years I've had a number of fans tell me I like college football better than the pros. Why? Well, these kids are playing for love of the game. They love their school. They're just playing for books, okay? Now they're playing for real money. And I have not seen the crowds diminish. I've not seen the TV ratings decline. So that was never really the issue. I don't think people really begrudge that as much as they'd like you to stay around a little bit longer. And I don't, I don't root for you this year and then root against you next year when you're playing for

[Dan Patrick]

my rival, if I gave you the Big Ten or the SEC to win the national title, who would you take this year?

[Charles Davis]

Well, all bias acknowledged because I'm calling the Big Ten on cbs, but the evidence in front of us tells us that the Big Ten is, is the conference right now. And I know it's really hard to take that bias out. Dan, you and I both know that because of what I do, I believe that I can speak without it. And I played in the sec, so you would think there's your easy default. Because you know, when I roll back in the SEC country, having just said the Big Ten is a better conference right now, I will be a trader, let alone a dang Yankee. So put it all together. But look at what was happening. Because when the SEC was riding high, the conversation was always, well, are they as deep as people think? You know, yeah, they're really top heavy. And you know the rest of the conference. Well, now that the Big Tens won three in a row, what is the first thing that's been lobbed out on their top heavy? Are they really that deep? Well, the answer is yes, they are very deep. I mean, if you get sit there, let's say the first tier is Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana, whatever combination you want. Right now, that's your top tier, right? What's your next tier? Usc, Michigan, Iowa? I mean, we're starting to, we're starting to get into this a little bit now. Wisconsin played better at the end of last season. Start to throw. Started throw names in there. Minnesota wins eight a year, no matter what.

[Dan Patrick]

Penn State's going to be good. Penn State's going to be good with Matt Campbell, Penn State.

[Charles Davis]

And let's face it, Michigan and Penn State are two blue bloods, right? Both have have a lot of uncertainty going back to, let's just call it last season. Could either program have done a better job in replacing the people running the program than to going to Kyle Whittingham at Michigan and Matt Campbell at Penn State?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, good point.

[Charles Davis]

Those are two home run hires and you said Penn State will be good. I agree with you. Schedule wise, they have it really right where they want it. Ohio State's the top contender with the worst schedule because they play everybody. A lot of them are on the road. But if there's a program that's like an NFL program and an NFL team, it's Ohio State. So I expect them to navigate it.

[Dan Patrick]

He's Charles Davis, CBS lead college football analyst, and he'll open up with Boise State at Oregon. That'll be on September 5th. I do like the. The jabbing back and forth with the Big Ten in the sec. I think it's good because it used to be it was just the SEC and the Big Ten wanted to play like the sec. And now I had a friend say, I thought when Urban Meyer went from Florida to Ohio State, he was changing the Big Ten because he was. He was. Its speed was a bigger issue, you know, not power in the Big Ten. But I have a friend who's a USC fan and said USC changed the Big Ten and SEC because of the talent that, you know, Pete Carroll would take into the Big Ten games or the sec, that he didn't lose games. So I don't know who influenced who, but those were two examples.

[Charles Davis]

Yeah, two great examples, really. And you can argue them from every direction. I'll just put it to you this way. What Pete Carroll put together out at usc at a time that the SEC was really emerging, is starting to take over college football. And then guess what? Out west, now we're talking about out West. And Dan, at that time, we weren't looking at the Pac 12 like they were on the outside. We were just wondering who the Giant was going to be. Because there have always been teams that come out of the PAC 12 that can play with anyone. Don James's teams at Washington, Terry Donahue's teams at ucla, you know, just. Just to name a couple. Any pick, any coach who was coaching USC at that time. So it was always out there. But what Pete did was, was mash the combo together, the power and the speed and the country really. Got a look at Matt Leinert's first start as a sophomore, USC, in the season opener at Auburn, and beat him 23 zip. And it wasn't that close. And we all suddenly, okay, what are we dealing with here now? And you saw what happened from that point on. So we can argue it every which way. What Urban did, going to Ohio State with the speed, sure, but speed wasn't just track stars, Dan. The speed is at every position. And what they like to say in the SEC was a hole that opens in the SEC closes after a yard or two. A hole that opens in other conferences closes after three or four. There's your difference. I don't think that difference is there now. Now that's the same speed thing that you got in Ohio, you know, in the Big Ten, the same speed of any good program out there.

[Dan Patrick]

It's all.

[Charles Davis]

It's all across the country. But right now, the Big Ten rules it and that's just the way it is. He who, he who hoists the trophy gets to have all the conversation. And again, you mentioned the jabbing. And I'll just leave it with this. The SEC used to not engage. Remember it was, yeah, say what you want. The SEC is fully engaged now, which tells you that the Big Ten has their attention fully.

[Dan Patrick]

Great to talk to you. We'll catch up with you soon. Thanks for joining us, Charles.

[Charles Davis]

Thank you, Dan. Great to talk with you again. You take care.

[Dan Patrick]

That's Charles Davis. He's the lead college football analyst. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. Bruce Feldman covers college football for the Athletic and Fox. We were just talking about how Signetti leaves James Madison and brings in a wave of his players. And Matt Campbell is leaving, you know, Iowa State, bringing in a wave of his players at Penn State. I, how, I don't, I don't know if Lane Kiffin did this at Ole Miss, going to lsu, like how, how often does this happen with coaches?

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah, Dan, I think the biggest example of this is Signetti because obviously it took him two years to win a national title, took over the, the all time losing his program and they go 16 and oh last year, I mean if you look at one of the I think more intriguing hires of the off season was Oklahoma State replacing Mike Gundy. They hire Eric Morris, Leech Disciple 1 Big at North Texas. Not only does he take Drew Mestemaker who led the nation in passing last year as a freshman, but they bring a bunch of his players with him from North Texas to Oklahoma State. That was a one win team. I think they'll go from one win to be a bold team at the very least because in large part they were able to bring a lot of guys and I think when people ads were interviewing him they knew that an additional selling point was we're not just getting the coach, we're getting a lot of his players. So obviously you saw that. Certainly as you said with Matt Campbell, Chris going from Iowa State, it's Rocco backed, it's a bunch of other really good players and those guys are guys who help them really set the culture.

[Dan Patrick]

I think Penn State's sneaky good this year. You know the schedule and now I know we've said this before about Penn State, but your assessment of the Nittany lines is what I'm with you.

[Bruce Feldman]

I mean look, you have a team that they were actually very good. They were rolling. They were 5 and 0. Rocco Beckt, who's a real leader there, he's one of the better college quarterbacks in the country. His dad was a former NFL player, Anthony Beck, he was a key piece, but he started, you know, he had a bunch of injuries. He broke down the whole secondary last year at Iowa State had injuries. I think they were down like four of their top five defensive backs. Now you take those guys, most of them, to Happy Valley. There's some good players left, you know, that were left behind. Tony Rojas is one of the best linebackers in the country. Was there. I just think it's like James Franklin did a really good job in Happy Valley, but it felt like things had maybe gotten gotten a little stale there. That's why the coaching change happened. Matt Campbell's a really good coach. Nobody could, nobody did what he was able to do in Ames, Iowa, and now he goes there and then you hit on, I think the other key piece of this, the schedule is about as favorable as it could be for a Big Ten team. You know, USC has to go there. It's a long cr. You know, cross country trip. It might be a whiteout game. I think that that's a team that it wouldn't shock me if they made the playoff in his first year because of how many guys he brought with him who know what it takes to win and I think will really help develop a winning attitude, you know, and just a mindset because I just think his message is a lot different than James Franklin's and I think that a lot of those guys will probably respond to the change.

[Dan Patrick]

If I gave you these three coaches, which one can ill afford a substandard season? If I said Dabo Sweeney, Bill Belichick or Lincoln Riley, you know, Dabo is

[Bruce Feldman]

a made man there. He's won two national titles. I think he's fine. Bill Belichick has all sorts of issues going on behind. You know, I don't even know what substandard would be for them now. They went 4 and 8 like when Mack Brown was there, they weren't this bad. And even in the year, bad year Larry Fedora had when they won two games, they weren't like the laughing stock of college football.

[Charles Davis]

Right.

[Bruce Feldman]

So, you know, if he has another four and eight season, I can't imagine that he's going to want to deal with that again. You know, you got, you got a lot of off field issues. They've, you know, really tried to Reboot how they're doing things. If they don't get going fast. I be surprised if he came back for a third season. With Lincoln Riley, expectations are higher. They signed a number one ranked recruiting class. I think people are, people have been very frightening, frustrated, you know there with because it's year five. I mean he started out well and then they didn't. They came close to making the playoff but then it's been disappointment. I think if they get to nine wins, whether they make the playoff or not, at least that'll be progress. If it's another eight win or worse season, I, you know, I think people will around USC and meaning the money, people will start to think, you know what this is just not going to work out. So this is a, this is a pivotal year for Lincoln Riley.

[Dan Patrick]

Talking to Bruce Feldman on loan from the Athletic and Fox Sports words the expectations for Lane Kiffin in year one or what

[Bruce Feldman]

realistically probably get to the playoff. I mean they spent a ton of money in the portal. You bring in Sam Levitt who led ASU to a playoff two years ago. They, you know, bring in some really high level defensive players both on the D line and in the secondary. Tie Benefields from Boise State's one of the best players in the country. Lane has him and Charlie Weiss. I, I think you have really good offensive coaches. You know, they shouldn't have been as bad as they were last under Brian Kelly. Things kind of fell apart there. I think realistic expectations is make the playoff. They have enough talent and they're paying him a lot of money. I think the, it doesn't mean oh this is a bad hire if he doesn't make the playoff in year one. I don't think it's national title or bust. But I think the realistic expectation it's a 12 team playoff. You should be with the Portal and what you brought in a legit playoff team.

[Dan Patrick]

I'm curious where you stand on this. Obviously working with Fox, but it feels like the networks are all kind of. ESPN reportedly is devising what a 14 team playoff. You know, Big Ten wants 24. Like it feels like we got a lot of odd, you know, even numbers. But explain the philosophy or logic here of everybody kind of navigating musical chairs.

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah, I think so much of it. Look, you know, you and I both worked at ESPN for a long time, a long time ago. We know how the power structure works. And that was the, you know, the really the one thing ESPN can claim more than anything is like we run college football and you have the sec, which along with the Big Ten, they're the two biggest brands. Fox, you know, again, as you said, I work at Fox, you know, full disclosure, they have the Big Ten. And so I think if you're looking at it from a business model, which honestly, let's not sugarcoat it, that's what this is all about, right? It's about, you know, TV money and it's about viewers. And if you go to 24 games, 24, 2014 playoff, the feeling is you will get, the hope is that you'd get better games in the non conference. You will get more compelling games that maybe wouldn't have mattered so much if they didn't have a playoff, you know, playoff potential around it. You know, I think with ESPN side of this is they've wanted to box Fox out. I think as much as the rivalry between the Big Ten and the SEC is really nasty and it's probably gotten nastier now in the last year. Just with the Big Ten winning the third national title in a row, you know, it's. Somebody's been able to unseat the SEC from the mountaintop. Right. And so I think that's what's going with that is it's as much an ESPN vs Fox component here and the kind of behind the scenes, whatever you want to call it, palace intrigue of that, it's pretty messy and we'll see where it's going to land. But again, you have these two big brands and I'm not just talking about the SEC and the Big Ten that I feel like are out there. And then you also have these other, you know, you know, I don't even call them TV networks, but these other. Because it could be new money coming in in terms of, you know, it's just cbs, NBC. Now all of a sudden you have bigger money, you know, broadcasting companies because of, because of what they can, what they can stream.

[Dan Patrick]

You put out your freak list of 20, 26, you've been doing this for a couple of decades, putting out the freak list. Explain the mindset of putting this out.

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah, so it started back when I [e-mail] looking for offseason contact and content in the dead of the summer. And it, it was because there's always, you know, whether it was Javon Curse or Randy Moss, you'd hear about the freak guy or whatever. And it felt like a bunch of programs would have that guy who everybody was just wowed by. It could be like a 330 pound defensive lineman who could, you know, do, do backflips or any kind of things like that. And then it's grown and grown. Over the last few years, I've added not, not just, you know, big name schools, but FCS players. This year we have a Division 2 guy who's one of the. He's arguably the best defensive player, best player in, in Division 2. He's at Harding University in Arkansas. Runs 4, 4, scored 28 touchdowns last year, bench presses 400 pounds and on top of it, he hunts snakes. And if you want to see it, look at the pictures of, of this kid and he'll play in the NFL. But it's just like there, there are a lot of fun stories in it and you know, it's been great this year. Our number one guy is Nick harbor from South Carolina. And the quick nutshell on him is he's actually an inch taller than Calvin Johnson and he's even faster than Megatron. You know, is he as good a receiver? No. Can he be almost as good? That's the hope down the road, but like right now you're talking about a guy who is 6, 6, around 240 pounds, has run a 10, 100. And you know, like he is just a remarkable athlete. How remarkable? He's number one. Jeremiah Smith is number two. So if you're Topp Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State, you're pretty special.

[Dan Patrick]

Jeremiah Smith, what was clocked at 23.5 miles per hour.

[Bruce Feldman]

That's insane. He's. And he's almost 225 pounds, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, how does he. We thought Marvin Harrison Jr. Was a lock that like this guy can't miss. Can Jeremiah Smith miss

[Bruce Feldman]

unless there's an injury? I don't think he would miss the, the one comparison that jumped out at me because he came into Ohio State, he's a Florida kid. The people down there said this is the best receiver, you know, that we have developed down here or come come through here. Which is saying a ton considering all the South Florida players and receivers. And he came in like Andre Johnson, but he came in like Andre Johnson. When Andre Johnson was in the NFL, Andre Johnson was not like that. When he first got to Miami, he was raw. This guy was 6, 3 plus 200. And now he's 2, almost 225 he runs. But I think the biggest wow thing with him is his drive to be great. You know, I've been around him a bunch. You know, I did a big story on him two years ago and he got there about that hunger and that drive. And I think there's a lot of maturity in there too. Like, he's way wise, advanced beyond his years, but to work and work. And again, I. I think he's not. Not to knock Marvin Harrison Jr. Because he's a really good player and he's big and he's. He's athletic. This guy is stronger. I think this guy's tougher. And I also think maybe, you know, you know, part of this is Martin Harrison Jr's dad was a NFL great, you know, and this, you know, Jeremiah Smith, when he was 7 years old, got cut from a. From a peewee football team and was crying. And his dad, you know, it's like he was not. Not coming from, you know, didn't grow up in. In that world.

[Dan Patrick]

Wait, how do you get cut from a peewee football team?

[Bruce Feldman]

Man, it's hardcore in Deep south, you know, Florida, Miami, they don't mess around. I mean, it's. And it left a huge impact on him, and that is driving him. I mean, literally, it was driving his dad to like, two different, you know, workout setups for him, like, almost daily. And this kid, I mean, still kind of a kid, has such a burning desire to be great. And I think because of that kind of hard edge, kind of rough beginning of it, he's not let him. He's never got complacent. It's pretty awesome to see how he has channeled all that.

[Dan Patrick]

I saw the video of Amari Washington. He's number three on your freak list. Explain the defensive tackle from Oregon.

[Bruce Feldman]

Yeah, I mean, he's 6, 3. He's around 2, 300, 330 pounds. And he runs almost 21 miles per hour. Right. Like, that would be fast if you're 230 pounds. He's 330. You know, we have him doing a Hatfield squat, which isn't quite the traditional squat you might see in. In your gym, you know, on the Corner, but with £855 and doing it twice. And Dan Lanning told me he was like, yeah, he could do more. We. You're strong enough. We don't. We kind of, you know, kind of cut him off. Had his. Had a really good year last year. He decided to come back. Their whole D line basically all said, hey, we're all in it. We're coming back. Obviously, Dante Moore's come back. Dan Lanning's got a really good thing. I mean, by the way, I asked Dan Lenning this because he was, you know, he was at. As an assistant at Alabama, at Georgia, and he saw those, like, you know, first round guys, you know, Jalen Carter and a lot of these guys who've gone on to the NFL, and he's like, Amari Washington has that kind of explosiveness right now. I mean, are they quite as deep as as Georgia was back then? Probably not. They're good. I don't know if they're quite as deep as that, but this guy is a key piece if they make a national title run because he can be so disruptive and makes a lot of plays.

[Dan Patrick]

Great to talk to you, Bruce. We'll catch up with you during the season.

[Bruce Feldman]

My pleasure. Thanks, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

Bruce Feldman, this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.