Best of The Herd

Summary

Podcast Title: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: Best of The Herd
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Host: Colin Cowherd
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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1. Introduction and Technical Glitches

The episode kicks off with a brief advertisement segment promoting Amex Travel services. Shortly after, Colin Cowherd welcomes listeners to a special "Best of The Herd" episode aired live on Thanksgiving Eve from Los Angeles. However, the show experiences an unexpected power outage at approximately 01:20, leading to a temporary disruption. Colin humorously addresses the technical difficulties, maintaining a light-hearted atmosphere despite the setback.

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2. NFL Quarterbacks and Coaching Dynamics

Daniel Jones' Transition to the Vikings

At 02:40, Colin discusses the recent move of Daniel Jones from the New York Giants to the Minnesota Vikings. He expresses optimism for Jones, highlighting the Vikings' stable environment, experienced coaching staff, and strong offensive weapons. Colin notes, “I root for young people to avoid chaos. Maybe when you're older, you can handle it.”

Coach Kyle Shanahan Under Scrutiny

Colin delves into the criticism facing San Francisco 49ers’ coach Kyle Shanahan regarding late-game management. He draws parallels to past coaches like Andy Reid and Bill Belichick, suggesting that the quarterback's performance often eclipses coaching decisions. Colin remarks, “You could bang on Kyle Shanahan all you want, but the reason they took such a big swing on Trey Lance is they were hoping he was an eraser.”

Impact of Elite Quarterbacks

Highlighting the importance of top-tier quarterbacks, Colin emphasizes that great players can mitigate coaching mistakes. He states, “Great players like Lamar Jackson or John Elway can erase a lot of bad coaching moves.”

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3. Expansion of the College Football Playoff

Introduction of the 12-Team Playoff

At 10:55, Colin introduces the historic change in college football with the introduction of a 12-team playoff starting December 20. He explains the potential excitement and unpredictability this format brings, noting, “For the first time in our lives we get a 12 team playoff.”

Key Matchups and Predictions

Colin analyzes upcoming crucial games, particularly focusing on Notre Dame vs. USC and Texas vs. Texas A&M. He predicts a close game in the Notre Dame matchup, stating, “I’m taking USC plus seven and a half points to keep it close on Notre Dame.”

He also discusses the formidable Texas defense, expressing concerns over Texas A&M's ability to overcome them. Colin advises, “I don't think Mexico's going to beat Texas.”

Critique of the Playoff Committee

Colin voices skepticism about the committee's rankings, especially regarding teams like Indiana and SMU. He criticizes the perceived bias towards the SEC, asserting, “The College Football Playoff system is just so flawed.”

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4. Interview with Mark Cuban

Dallas Cowboys' Financial and Roster Challenges

At 17:42, Mark Cuban joins the show to discuss the Dallas Cowboys. He critiques the decision to extend quarterback Dak Prescott's contract, suggesting it strains the team's finances without guaranteeing performance. Cuban states, “I would have never given Prescott a new contract. I’d let him play it out.”

Drafting Quarterbacks and Team Building

Cuban emphasizes the importance of selecting quarterbacks who fit the team’s system and culture. He highlights the potential of top collegiate talents like Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Caleb Williams, mentioning, “Caleb Williams... with a little bit better coaching, I think that he can show that too.”

San Francisco 49ers’ Defensive Struggles

Cuban analyzes the 49ers' ongoing defensive issues, attributing their 5-7 record to frequent injuries among key players. He notes, “Almost all their top players have been hurt at one time or another.”

Future of the Cowboys and Coaching Decisions

Cuban discusses the long-term prospects for the Cowboys, questioning whether changes in coaching could remedy their current struggles. He remains uncertain, “I don't know if changing coaching is going to help them. Because Mike McCarthy's a good football coach.”

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5. NFL Analysis and Super Bowl Predictions

Quarterback-Dependent NFL Landscape

Colin outlines the NFL's increasing reliance on elite quarterbacks, listing stars like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert. He comments, “The league has become very quarterback dependent.”

Super Bowl Bubble Highlights

At approximately 14:10, Colin shares his Super Bowl bubble projections, highlighting teams with top-tier quarterbacks and strong coaching. He mentions, “Josh Allen and the Bills, Mahomes and the Chiefs, Lamar and John Harbaugh, Ravens,” as his primary contenders.

Team-Specific Insights

Colin provides in-depth analysis of various NFL teams:

• Minnesota Vikings: Discusses the quarterback situation post-Daniel Jones’ departure.
• San Francisco 49ers: Emphasizes the need for a defensive overhaul due to persistent injuries.
• Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills: Highlights their strong quarterback play as key to playoff success.

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6. College Football Strategies and Deion Sanders' Impact

Deion Sanders’ Transformative Role

In the latter part of the episode, Colin and co-host Jason McIntyre (J. Mac) delve into Deion Sanders' influence on college football. McIntyre credits Sanders with democratizing success through the transfer portal and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities. He states, “Deion Sanders has fundamentally changed college football forever.”

Indiana’s Rapid Turnaround

McIntyre discusses Indiana University's swift improvement, inspired by Colorado's blueprint under Sanders. He praises Coach Curt Signetti for recruiting effectively and leveraging transfer talents, saying, “They provided a blueprint for how to quickly turn around an organization and a program through the NIL that was totally dormant.”

Playoff Format Critique

The conversation turns critical of the 12-team playoff format, questioning the fairness and logic behind seed placements. McIntyre argues, “The College Football Playoff system is just so flawed,” highlighting inconsistencies in team rankings relative to their performance and strength of schedule.

Future Prospects for Coaches and Programs

The hosts debate the future of prominent coaches like Ryan Day of Ohio State and the potential career moves for influential figures like Deion Sanders. McIntyre speculates on Sanders' likely retention at Colorado due to his unique fit and freedoms, contrasting it with the restrictive nature of NFL coaching roles.

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7. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Colin reiterates the unpredictability and excitement brought by the new college playoff format and the evolving NFL dynamics. He underscores the importance of elite quarterbacks and strategic coaching in determining playoff success. The episode closes with well-wishes for Thanksgiving and a nod to upcoming live segments featuring prominent guests.

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Notable Quotes:

• Colin Cowherd ([02:40]): “I root for young people to avoid chaos. Maybe when you're older, you can handle it.”
• Colin Cowherd ([04:25]): “Great players like Lamar Jackson or John Elway can erase a lot of bad coaching moves.”
• Mark Cuban ([17:52]): “I would have never given Prescott a new contract. I’d let him play it out.”
• Jason McIntyre ([36:55]): “Deion Sanders has fundamentally changed college football forever.”

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Key Takeaways:

• NFL's Quarterback Focus: The league's increasing dependence on elite quarterbacks is shaping team strategies and playoff outcomes.
• College Playoff Expansion: The introduction of a 12-team playoff system is bringing new excitement but also criticism regarding fairness and committee biases.
• Mark Cuban's Insights: Financial and strategic decisions are crucial for the success of NFL teams like the Cowboys, with coaching and quarterback performance being paramount.
• Deion Sanders’ Legacy: Sanders is credited with revolutionizing college football recruitment and program management, setting a new standard for success and competitiveness.

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the "Best of The Herd" episode, highlighting key discussions, insights, and notable quotes. Whether you're an avid listener or new to the show, this overview provides a clear understanding of the episode's main themes and analyses.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

Ah.

[Unknown (possibly an Amex spokesperson)]

And here we have travelers in their natural habitat enjoying guaranteed 4pm checkout at fine hotels and resorts booked through Amex Travel. And they don't even see what's coming at them.

[Colin Cowherd]

We're in.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

We got the table.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yep.

[Unknown (possibly an Amex spokesperson)]

With resi priority, notify they're alerted when hard to get reservations open up.

[Colin Cowherd]

Reservation for two. Save the best for last.

[Unknown (possibly an Amex spokesperson)]

Thanks to AMEX Platinum, the last day vacation brings yet another experience. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms apply. Learn [e-mail] rhythmics we live in a divided country.

[Jeremy Hobson]

I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother.

[Jeremy Hobson]

And every week on the Middle with Jeremy Hobson podcast, we bring them all together with an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the middle.

[Mark Cuban]

Thanks for having me. Jeremy.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the middle.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeremy Hobson]

And listen not to the extremes, but to the people who want to meet in the middle.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Unknown (possibly a Fox Sports Radio host)]

This is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio.

[Colin Cowherd]

Here we go on a Thanksgiving eve Wednesday live in Los Angeles, it's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, we're packed today. Jimmie Johnson, the hall of fame coach in 40 minutes. Joel Klatt, top of next hour. Greg Cosell, top of the final hour. Star studded show. Great final show. Then four days of watching football, hanging out with family, and our studio lights just went down. I have no idea what happened, but J. Mac, we are our audio is a. And well. And how are things, my friend?

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

Well, power outage to start the day, huh?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yes.

[Colin Cowherd]

Somewhere in the world somebody forget to pay a bill? Maybe. I'm not exactly sure. It'll take a while. I thought Fox was doing fine. You know, I see them flickering back on our auxiliary lighting, so we apologize for our TV audience. Here we go. They're slowly. They're slowly coming back up our auxiliary lighting. That's a first in my career. There we go. By the way I look better when the lights are off. So I do apologize for the television audience. So, anyway, I hope you have a great time with your fam. J. Mac will have a lively show today. I saw you cut the facial hair.

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

I had to get rid of it. Got a couple complaints, no management, just friends and family.

[Colin Cowherd]

What are you doing? All right, well, first off, J. Mac will have more on this Daniel Jones, the beleaguered quarterback for the New York Giants. He just signed with the Vikings. I'm happy for Daniel Jones. No chaos. Great offensive coach. Also, the Vikings get a very experienced, nice kid. We talked about this yesterday. I root for young people to avoid chaos. Maybe when you're older, you can handle it. So Daniel Jones, great place for him to go. Offensive coach, weapons, no pressure, understudy. Great for the Vikings. They get a big, strong kid with a lot of start, but he loves the NFL, so I talk 49ers. So the 49ers, you know, just got to a Super bowl, and they've been sort of the reigning west coast power for a long time. And they're a very popular franchise. They're a little bit like the Yankees. Out east, we're in the summer, everybody's wearing a Yankee hat. Out west, it's a lot of Dodgers and a lot of San Francisco 49er hats. There's a huge brand. They fill stadiums home or away. And now I'm seeing a lot of stories now blaming the coach, Kyle Shanahan. Late game management is the reason, says an NFL executive to the Athletic. I want to discuss that for a second. And Debo Samuel is supporting him. But it's funny about blame. For years, Andy Reid. For years in Philadelphia, everybody knew he was smart, but he got. He got called a terrible clock management coach. Oh, just the worst. And then Andy Reid got Patrick Mahomes, and that all disappeared. And Brady and Belichick. For years, the Niners were the best clock management, efficient situational football team in the world. And then Tom Brady went to Tampa, and Belichick looked like every other coach in the league with an average quarterback, penalties, clock management, losing games. They led in the fourth quarter. Funny how that works, isn't it? So when your quarterbacks in San Francisco for Kyle Shanahan are Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, who, by the way, may be a great. He's not a great quarterback. Brock Purdy doesn't erase your mistakes. Lamar Jackson does. John Elway did. Brady did. Peyton Manning did, Brees did, Marino did they erase mistakes? LeBron's done this. LeBron has erased a lot of bad coaching moves for a long time in the NBA. Now that's what, you know, the great players like a Giannis can do or a Wemby can do. So that's what the great athletes do. I mean, USC, Caleb Williams, remember when he went to USC, they won 11 games. Defense was atrocious. It was atrocious. It may have been the worst tackling defense in the country. USC won 11 games, should have won 12. But their defense gave up a late touchdown to Tulane. I mean, go look at Mike McDaniel with Tua. When Mike McDaniel has Tua and I don't consider him a great all time quarterback, but with Tua, you're like, man, Mike McDaniel, whoo. That guy is a wizard. Without him, he looks like a bottom five coach. They can't get first downs. So here's the problem for Kyle Shanahan. Brock Purdy is smallish, hurt again. They were in the Daniel Jones sweepstakes. They wanted a veteran back up. And by the way, in his last 12 starts, I looked it up this morning. Brock Purdy, 6 and 6 at a 95 passer rating. That's good. It's not eraser material. It's not Mahomes changing Andy Reid's career and narrative. So you can bang on Kyle Shanahan all you want, but the reason they took such a big swing on Trey Lance is they were hoping he was an eraser. Because even if you're a great coach, Andy Reid, Belichick, Shanahan, if you have just a good quarterback and not an A plus quarterback, this is what happens to you. All of a sudden now everybody's going, yeah, I don't know. He's losing a lot of games that Kyle Shanahan. For the record of the last 21 Super bowl winning quarterbacks, 2118 hall of Famers. Go look. Go. You could Google it if Google was around 20 years ago. Go google how much everybody hammered Andy Reid. Now he's considered by a long shot, the best coach in the league. So yesterday there's a couple more to go. Starting December 20, for the first time ever in the history of college football, we'll have a 12 team playoff. So it used to be at the end you get, you know, when I grew up, it was AP voted for it. The media voted for the national championship game, which was hokey. And there's BC as a college playup now for the first time ever this year, we'll have 12 teams. And so last night. Two weeks left. They released the playoffs. Now again, do not overreact. Two weeks left in my lifetime, college footballs last two weeks, Rivalry week and championship week. Anything can happen. I'll give you an example, J. Mac was right yesterday. I'm going to reverse my pick. I'm taking USC plus seven and a half points to keep it close on Notre Dame. Why? Full stadium in la. Lincoln Riley's emptying the tank. They got nothing to lose. They feel good after beating UCLA and Notre Dame's only face two ranked teams since September. Every single USC game is close. The Coliseum I'll be there, will be lit. They've got playmakers. Notre Dame step up in class. USC beat LSU and they should have beaten Penn State in overtime at home. To me it's 27, 26, 28, 27. Don't be shocked if Notre Dame gets bounced. How about number two, Texas for the first time in 13 years going to College Station to face Texas A and M. What do you think Texas A and M would love to do? How about derail the greatest season for Texas Longhorn football in like since the Mac Brown days? That place is one of the hardest places to play in the country. Marcel Reed, the quarterback for Texas A and M. The freshman is good. He's getting better every time we see him. The Aggies D line exceptional. What was the team that beat Texas? Georgia. Their D line Exceptional. Oh, by the way, the Aggies. The Aggies have nothing to lose. Texas, all the pressure. Keep your eye on that one. Oh, did I mention that Tennessee's at Vandy? Vandy beat Alabama at home. Did I mention Georgia Tech and Georgia? Georgia Tech's a good team. Beat Miami so everybody freaks out. I can see all the SEC fans. I can't believe where we are ranked a week ago. Just last weekend, Ole Miss, Bama, Colorado and A and M all lost to unranked opponents. So it's not Thanksgiving, it's traps giving. Watch out for Notre Dame, watch out for Texas, watch out for Georgia. People freak out. Don't. This is what's great. For the first time in our lives we get a 12 team playoff. I don't have. I just had a coach yesterday tell me he thinks SMU is wildly underrated. Who knows? But my entire life, college football regular season was amazing. And then you'd watch a bunch of second tier cheesy bowl games, that stuff. Now 12 team playoff. Can't wait. Fired up. I mean, about the only game I don't see an upset is Ohio State hosting Michigan. I Don't know how Michigan keeps it close. They're bad at quarterback. They're on the road, they don't have big plays. Ohio State will be more aggressive playmakers everywhere. Better at quarterback. A lot of pressure on Ohio State. That one I don't see an upset. Everything else, I wouldn't be shocked. So JMac, Jimmy Johnson, later this hour. Joel Clatt, top of the hour. So you basically you got home and people said get that thing off your face.

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

You know, listen, hey, you take some Ls, you try some things. That's what happens. Didn't take an L on Daniel Jones. Do you see where he ended up?

[Colin Cowherd]

Minnesota. That was your big. Was that your guess? Yeah. Well, first of all, I'm happy for the kid. I mean to go to the Giants is a mess. So he goes to like a real team with real weapons and an offensive coach and owners that are non meddling and a winning culture and he doesn't have to be a starter. So it's like that's a nice gift for the kid.

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

So let me ask you, what does this do for the Vikings next year? Do you think it's a given that Sam Darnold is not coming back and Daniel Jones will battle J.J. mcCarthy for the starting job?

[Colin Cowherd]

That's what I think. I think it'll be JJ McCarthy's team and you'll have Daniel Jones backing it up. And I think, I think this market, because it's such a bad college quarterback market, I mean it's Cam who's got, you know, Cam and Shadur are like B plus prospects. They're not A's. Jalen Milroe people like, but he's a bit mechanical. He's Anthony Richardson, but people think a little bit better so that you don't have a great quarterback draft class. So that means Darnold and because of Aaron Rodgers sputtering and kind of turn off on the market, it's a lot that comes with Aaron Rodgers. I think Sam Darnold's going to have a very robust market.

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

He could get paid by somebody.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh absolutely. He will get paid.

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

The thing about McCarthy, I did read that there was like a second surgery he had to have somewhat recently. So it's not a given that JJ McCarthy comes back and it's his team and he's ready to go.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right.

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

Sitting for two years. That could happen. Jordan Love, set for. Was it three?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

So I wouldn't be shocked if Daniel Jones was starting.

[Colin Cowherd]

But I mean right now we went into the season, we didn't know before the season what Minnesota was Well now Sam Darnold's really good. JJ McCarthy is very promising and Daniel Jones will be the first or second best backup. This is what I've been talking about with Atlanta. The worst problem to have in the NFL or the best problem? The best problem in the National Football League is, you know, we have one too many quarterbacks. Everybody should want that. Atlanta Cousins panics. That's not an issue. An issue is we don't have an elite corner, the Rams. And when you play a team with AJ Brown, you play a team with great receivers. Not much you can do. You just don't match up. So good day today I I'm going to release my pre Thanksgiving super bowl bubble. Haven't done this in a month. The teams I think can win it usually J. Mac, unlike your facial hair, it lasts. It is, it is very, it is a harbinger of things to come. So we'll do that next.

[Unknown (possibly a Fox Sports Radio host)]

Be sure to cat live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartRadio app catch Jon.

[Jon Stewart]

Stewart back in action on the Daily show and in your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. From his hilarious satirical takes on today's politics and entertainment to the unique voices of correspondents and contributors, it's your perfect companion to stay on top of what's happening now. Plus, you'll get special content just for podcast listeners, like in depth interviews and a roundup of the week's top headlines. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

So it is week 13 in the NFL starting tomorrow with three games Lions are going to play. Rest of the country is going to see them now, not just the Die Hards and the lion fans. They take on the Bears, Giants, Cowboys. We'll see. I think packers hosting Miami's fascinating. Get to that in a bit. Jimmy Johnson this hour too. The NFL does a great job. It is there is an illusion of parody. But because over the last decade there's been all these rule changes which have all benefited offense, the league has become very quarterback dependent. So if you have a top 10 quarterback, unless your coach is clueless, you're going to be a playoff team. So if you go to look at the afc, for example, and you're going to see a lot of teams that have really, really good quarterbacks. Mahomes. Oh, what do you know. Josh Allen, C.J. stroud, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert. And then you've got a couple of Guys in right now, Bo Nix, but he's got super bowl winning coach Sean Payton and oh, there's Russell Wilson. Well, he's won a Super bowl and so has Mike Tomlin. So you can see very clearly you got to have the coach or the quarterback or preferably both. If you go over to the NFC right now outside of Seattle and Geno Smith. So Geno's not a star quarterback and the head coach we don't know about, but Detroit, okay, you got a Super bowl quarterback. Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, you got a Super bowl quarterback. Atlanta, you know, weakest division in football. But Kirk Cousins has been, you know, a top 10 quarterback now for a long time in Minnesota, Green Bay and Washington. Now, the NFC is the weaker. But be honest about this. Sam Darnold and Kevin O'Connell. Kevin O'Connell looks like a top five offensive coach in this league. He may be a top five coach. Green Bay, Matt LaFleur, Shock, Jordan Love, I think an elite quarterback. And then Dan Quinn's been to a Super bowl as Washington's coach. So you start looking around now, I don't think Seattle's going to win this division. I think either Matt Stafford or Kyler Murray are going to figure out a way to win this division. And that would be the elite quarterback category. So you. Now here's the great thing about the NFL. You can go from very bad to very good instantly. It's the League of Hope. Jim Harbaugh, Chargers totally changed the franchise. C.J. stroud, D'Amico, Ryan's changed the franchise. So the great thing about the NFL is the League of Hope. It's not like baseball or the NBA or hockey that it takes draft pick after draft pick after draft pick and you have to change the entire roster. I mean, Chargers basically brought in better coaches. Boom. They're good. They're not great. They're good. And so, and what's funny though, it is there's an illusion of parity. And I do think week to week, anybody can beat anybody. But my super bowl bubble, which I do about four times a year, is very familiar inside the bubble. Josh Allen and the Bills, Mahomes and the Chiefs, Lamar and John Harbaugh, Ravens. Philadelphia, a great franchise. And I think we all think Detroit is loaded. I do think Pittsburgh, Green Bay, the Chargers and Minnesota are just on the periphery, all capable of making the playoffs and winning playoff games. But I think there's five teams, super bowl level quarterbacks, quarterbacks that have been to super bowl, that can hoist a trophy. So again it is the League of Hope. The parody thing, macro, big picture, 18 game, season. Longer a season is, the more clarity you get early. And I think right now, week 13, we know who's really, really capable of hoisting a trophy.

[Unknown (possibly a Fox Sports Radio host)]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

Alright, we get 10, 11 minutes with Jimmie Johnson, not very often. And we get him in studio today. So I love it. Fox Sports NFL analyst, the two time super bowl champ, national champ, one of the few college coaches that worked at the NFL level. And I've always said I don't get why the hall of Fame doesn't include both basketball does. All right, let's start with this. You were known as, you loved personnel and you were great at it. You created, I mean, New York Giants didn't do trades before you made one.

[Mark Cuban]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

And so you are viewed as sort of. Sean Payton's got some of this too. You like personnel, you're good at it.

[Mark Cuban]

I spent my time with personnel, you know, around, you know, even during the season, you know, looking at free agents and you know, even watching college football. I love watching football. And so, you know, I was always on top of the game as far as college football. And on top of that, when I first went into the league, I'd been in a lot of those top players homes. I knew their families and so it gave me an advantage in drafting players.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's kind of what Jim Harbaugh has for the next few years.

[Mark Cuban]

Exactly right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so let's talk about Dallas. What would you do this offseason? There's some tough choices here.

[Mark Cuban]

Well, first of all, they're so financially strapped, you know, with some of these contracts. First of all, I would have never giving Prescott a new contract. I'd let him play it out.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Mark Cuban]

You know, because he would, you know, he's the highest paid player in the league. He's not the best player in the league.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Right.

[Mark Cuban]

And he wasn't going to go anywhere if they had gone to the super bowl with him. Hey, he wasn't going to go anywhere. Pay him whatever, you know, and if he, you know, struggled in the playoffs, then you negotiate or if he got hurt, you saved money. Yeah, but they're so financially strapped right now. I don't know, I don't know what they do. I don't know if, you know, they talk about, you know, a change coaching. Well, I don't know if changing coaching is going to, you know, help them. Because Mike McCarthy's a good football coach.

[Jon Stewart]

Yes.

[Mark Cuban]

And so I don't know that a new coach coming in can solve the problem.

[Colin Cowherd]

Would you consider moving say a Micah getting a second first round pick and trying to get some inexpensive star players?

[Mark Cuban]

You know, Parsons is such a great, great player. It would have to be a boatload of picks to trade him. I wouldn't want to get rid of him. He is their whole defense and he is a game changer. Al Davis told me one time, you know, I was talking about players and he said, hey, that particular player, the one I was talking about, Michael Irvin, wins games for you. You don't want to get rid of a player that wins games for you.

[Colin Cowherd]

Good point. This next question is funny. You coach the Hurricanes and the Dolphins. So Tua, not a very Hawaiian kid is going up to Green Bay. You told me something funny yesterday. I hope you remember it. I asked you, Jimmy, when you were at Miami and hadn't played Boston College, how did you prepare your team?

[Mark Cuban]

And you said to me, I got warmer clothes. I hated cold weather and you know, both the University of Miami and with the Miami Dolphins, I hated going into the cold weather. And you know, I think the Dolphins are in a situation right now with their schedule. If they could beat Green Bay, they had have an outside chance at a playoff. They have to win, but they have to win. They have to beat Green Bay and they're not going to beat Green Bay. You know, a short week against a good football team in 20 degree weather. I don't think that's going to happen.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I agree with you. I want to talk about Cam Ward, plays for Miami. You've seen him again, you're a personnel guy. He's a lot of off platform stuff. Big arm, big arm, really big arm off platform. A lot of backyard football. I think he's too good not to draft if you need a quarterback, right?

[Mark Cuban]

Oh, I think he's top two or three picks. I think Sanders, Travis Hunter. Travis Hunter, probably the best player in football.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Mark Cuban]

You know, but outside of Travis Hunter, as far as quarterbacks, you got Sanders and you got Cam wars.

[Colin Cowherd]

So what would you do? Knowing he likes to move, he likes to get out of the off script. How would you look at that draft, Colin?

[Mark Cuban]

It's Caleb Williams. You know, the same thing. You gotta, you know, you gotta reel him in, you gotta say, hey, you take your check down, you know, you know, he, he makes some great plays by being off platform and running around. He makes some great plays, but he also turns the ball over doing that. You know, he's got a great arm May have the best arm in all of football as far as collegiate football. Yeah, he can make the plays, he can make the right decisions. But as far as an offensive coach, you've got to reel him in and keep him from making all those scrambles, trying to make the great play. Just take what's there.

[Colin Cowherd]

Do you worry at all? You know, Detroit's rolling over people. That's like a college basketball team. Like you think to yourself, boy, they get to March Madness, they don't have close games. I, but I don't think that plays in football. I think if you're good, you're good. You're. Your great teams rolled over a lot of people. Maybe not the Eagles every week, but good teams. Do you worry though, when the opposite is evident? Kansas City only plays close games?

[Mark Cuban]

I think there's two things there. First of all, those close games I actually think helps their football team in that it gives them confidence that they can win the close game. They can win at the end. When you got Patrick Mahomes and it's a one score game, you got a shot right there. But by the same token, I think it's also an indication that you're not quite as good as what you used to be. When you got a Detroit that's rolling over teams. They are a physical, physical football team. It's hard to beat a physical football team. And so I think with Kansas City, it gives them confidence about winning those close games. But by the same token, it's an indicator they may not be quite as good as what some of the opponents are going to face in the playoffs.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I don't think defensively they are as good. Not as good as Young last weekend.

[Unknown (possibly a Fox Sports Radio host)]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

Brought him right back down. Couple of different drives.

[Mark Cuban]

Right. And that's an indicator when you get to the playoffs against the really good teams, you may be vulnerable.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so I want to ask you about the 49ers. I said it's one thing if everybody in the building. When you were in Dallas, everybody knew it was a rebuild, you needed players. I mean, you probably didn't have to talk people into that trade. Maybe Jerry Jones you did. But your coaches knew we moved Herschel against seven dudes. What's hard, Jimmy, is when everybody in the building isn't sure you're supposed to rebuild. So if you go look at the last 12 games with the Niners, they're five and seven, they're paying like eight different guys. Their best players, Trent Williams, George Kittle, Debo are hurt a lot. And my take is, listen I look at Detroit and Philly in Kansas City and Buffalo. San Francisco doesn't look like that.

[Mark Cuban]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think they look and think inches. The last five times, Jimmy, they played the Chiefs, they're.05 and lost by blowout four times.

[Mark Cuban]

Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think they need a big reboot. Is it hard because they're good. They don't feel special to me.

[Mark Cuban]

They don't speak. They don't seem special because they've got their best players injured, you know, and they're not able to go over and roll over teams the way they did before and dominate teams because they were physical. They've had, you know, Greenlaw has been hurt, you know, they. Almost all their top players have been hurt at one time or another.

[Colin Cowherd]

Two guys missing every week.

[Mark Cuban]

Yeah. And that, that adds up. And on top of that, once these players get older and get more injuries, the next year they're going to, you know, the percentage of them being injured is going to go up each year. It's more and more and more. A guy is not going to get injured, you know, and be injured for two or three years and all of a sudden become healthy, you know, and so it adds up. And so that tells me that something's got to change.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I want to end with this. The rookie quarterbacks, you got Bo Nicks, you got Caleb, you got Jaden Daniels. I think Penix and JJ McCarthy could be good. Drake May shown me something. Is there one of them you look at and you really like?

[Mark Cuban]

I like Jaden Daniels and he hasn't played as well the last few weeks. He may be hurt, he may be banged up a little bit and teams are starting to play him a little bit better. They're scheming a little bit better on defense, but. But I like him a lot. Maybe like him more than any of the rest of them. As far as Caleb Williams, we haven't seen all the things that he can do. I mean, he was the guy coming out of college, I think with a little bit better coaching and he didn't have it his first few weeks or the first part of the season. A little bit better coaching, then I think that he can show that too. I love him. And of course with Bo Nicks, he's got Sean Payton. Sean does a great job with quarterbacks.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know Sean pretty well.

[Mark Cuban]

Yeah. Sean, you know, Sean does a great job with young quarterbacks and I think the two of them have meshed.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. You know, it's funny, as you went through the Troy Aikman years, you knew very quickly you're a personnel guy. You knew he was great. But when you're losing early with these young quarterbacks like Jaden's hit a plateau. Caleb is losing now. Bo Nix is fortunate. Is it hard when you're trying to build a young quarterback's confidence and they're losing every weekend?

[Mark Cuban]

I remember my second year with Dallas. I tried to get Troy into the Pro bowl and he didn't make it. He injured his shoulder, you know, before one of our last games. We would have made the playoffs had he not injured his shoulder. And I'm sitting on the practice field. I said, I said, troy, I said, guy, I'm sorry you didn't make the Pro Bowl. And he said, coach, don't worry about me. He said, you keep bringing in talent around me. I'll go to plenty of Pro Bowls. And so he had that confidence and he knew that we were a young team and we were building and he knew eventually we would start winning a bunch of games.

[Colin Cowherd]

And you did.

[Mark Cuban]

You brought in some good players.

[Colin Cowherd]

By THE it's week 13. Cole, you know Jimmy, yesterday when I asked him, I said, did you like coaching in cold weather games? He said, colin, I was a worse coach because I was so worried about.

[Mark Cuban]

How cold I was trying to stay warm.

[Colin Cowherd]

The great Jimmy Johnson, of course, he is going to be with the crew tomorrow at four for the giants and the cowboys. Every week. Fox NFL Sunday number one pregame show for about 30 years running. We lose count. There's so many Emmys stacked in this building and you're a huge part of it. Coach, thanks for coming on today.

[Mark Cuban]

All right, Enjoyed it.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin, Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, rhonda and everybody.

[Unknown (possibly a Fox Sports Radio host)]

One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like.

[Jon Stewart]

Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondents and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now let's bring on the voice of college football at Fox Sports, Joel Klatt, who is doing Michigan at number two, Ohio State.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

What's up, dud? How you doing? Happy Thanksgiving.

[Colin Cowherd]

Happy Thanksgiving to you. So I don't get too worked up on the 12 team playoff. We got two weeks to go.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Okay. The rankings, you mean? Yeah, Okay.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, Notre Dame going to usc, they haven't played a ranked team since September. All SC games are. All SC games look the exact same.

[Mark Cuban]

No.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

USC is not nearly built in the fashion to compete with Notre Dame. You get a terrible matchup for usc.

[Colin Cowherd]

Wow. What about, what about terrible Texas? Texas A and M?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Bad matchup for Texas A and M. So let's go over both of them. Usc, you've got to be tough in the trenches because with Jeremiah Love in this run game, including Riley Leonard, who can run the football a little bit for Notre Dame, you've got to be great stopping the run, which means you've got to have a great defensive line. That's exactly where USC is thin right now. Like, if they want to win, they would want to get you in space. And they want to just say like, okay, let's, let's equate talent on the outside. And then they've, they've got some, some weapons. But if you take them into a phone booth and you say, like, hey, let's go play a trenches game, they're not built for that right now. Now, maybe they will be through recruiting and development and things in the future, but not right now. So usc, they're not built to beat this Notre Dame team. Even at home. Even at home. Meanwhile, in that Texas, Texas A and M game, it's similar in the sense that A and M has to be able to run the ball because they don't throw it well.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, they have a freshman quarterback who's getting better, he's getting better.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

But when they don't have Le'Veon Moss on the field, they run the ball for under 4 yards of carry last week against Auburn and they can't throw it very well. So it's like, okay, well, wait, so you mean to tell me your offense is stagnated because your running back is out? And now you've got to face Texas, which has a great pass defense with Jade Baron, who's a Thorpe Award finalist, Makuba, who transferred in from Clemson. I just don't see how A and M is able to score a lot of points against this Texas defense that, frankly, is one of the better defenses in all of college football.

[Colin Cowherd]

I feel the same way with Michigan. If you're going to beat Ohio State, you got to have to score. Oregon did it. Indiana tried. I don't think Michigan has the firepower. Do they?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah. You know, they finally had it last week. Do you see they scored 50 against Northwestern. Now granted, that's Northwestern. So I'm not saying that all of a sudden their offense has arrived, but their offense is better now than it was early in the season. But I agree with you. I just, I don't get the sense. Here's the thing about Ohio State. So Ohio State just has answers. Whatever type of game you want to drag them into, they probably feel like they can win that game.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

And that's not the case with every team. Yeah, they feel like they could probably go win a talent equated game just throwing the ball with their wide receivers and Will Howard. They probably feel like with their run game, even with the, you know, banged up offensive line. But when you have Travion Henderson and Quinn, Shaw, Judkins, you feel like you can go win a running game like they did with Penn State. And they finished the game on the field grinding out first downs in a four minute offense. They feel like they can go out there and win a defensive oriented game. They're the number one ranked defense both total and scoring defense in the country. They've done it both rushing the passer and sitting back and playing zone. So like all of a sudden you look at this team and there's an incredible amount of balance and answers. Regardless of what you ask of them, they can at least provide an answer. And I think that's a big credit to Ryan Day in the way that he built this, this roster and this team. But Michigan doesn't have that this year. They did last year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

And they had answers against Penn State. But now, now, you know, without J.J. mcCarthy it's like what are you on third down? Yeah, you know, like J.J. mcCarthy. The reason he was a top 10 pick is because of what he did on third down. He was the number one quarterback in the country on third down. He kept him on the field, he protected the defense, he won the time of possession. Those extra first, first downs turned into great field position. And now when you don't have that, it's like, okay, now the defense is more exposed, you don't have the field position and you're not getting the ball down the field. So Michigan's going to have to pull a bit of a rabbit out of their hat in this one and they're going to have to do so in the same physical fashion that they did the previous three iterations of this when they won the game. You know, speaking of cold weather, you were Just talking about cold weather. Supposed to be like mid-20s and windy. So it could be a game in which you got to run the football 50 times. Do you trust Michigan's offensive line this year to run the ball 50 times against Ohio State?

[Colin Cowherd]

No, that's not. Their D line's great.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

D line's great.

[Colin Cowherd]

Two top 12 draft picks on the D line and a great corner, Will Johnson.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I know, and it's been a bummer. Will Johnson has been out basically the back half of the year. So they've had to move their Nichols, Zeke Berry out of the outside and he plays corner. I hope Will is healthy and gets healthy because he's a terrific player.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I was a little reality check for SEC fanboy yesterday on this show. I said, you know when you stole Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12, you're like, that's what we do. The downside is Alabama now doesn't get Middle Tennessee State. They had to go to Norman and they got humiliated.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I don't have any sympathy for. Well, we play a tougher schedule.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Well, I mean do. Sorry, I just, I bristle because like they don't play nine conference games.

[Colin Cowherd]

They play eight.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Oregon had to play eight consecutive weeks of Big Ten play. No SEC comes team comes close to that now. Now, I'm not saying that Georgia's schedule has been easy or Alabama's schedule has been easy. The top of the SEC is terrific. It really is. The problem is that you lose me and you lose the benefit of the doubt when you start losing to five loss Oklahoma and seven loss. It was Kentucky.

[Colin Cowherd]

It wasn't that. Alabama lost in Oklahoma.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

They got smashed.

[Colin Cowherd]

They weren't competitive.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Correct. Absolutely correct. And that's a problem. And that's a problem. And now people are like, well, what's the path for Alabama in the playoff? No path. I mean, I know the committee kind of.

[Colin Cowherd]

You can't let. No, you can't let Bama in.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I don't think so.

[Colin Cowherd]

You can't let Bam in.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I don't think so.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's over. It's over.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

With some chaos. I think they would get consideration.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'll let you lose to a big dog and I'll give you a mulligan. Vandy was the mulligan.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Sure.

[Colin Cowherd]

You don't get a second mulligan with a 12 team playoff.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No, I, listen, I agree with you. I mean, you lost a tough game at Tennessee and that's a good game.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'll give you that.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

The really good team. And I'll give you Mulligan and Vandy on the road, you're like, okay, there's your Mulligan and he's pretty good this year. You cannot go to ou, by the way, in their previous six games against the fbs. Fbs, they were one in five.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

And they got their doors blown off, you know, so like that. That's my frustration with all this. And then, and then to see them sitting there at 13 now, like the committee, the committee has such a clear bias towards the SEC and have forever, which is like, I know that that's kind of baked in, but it's real. Meanwhile, Indiana gets ranked behind smu. Indiana has got a tougher strength of schedule. Their loss was to the number one. Number one defense in the country in Ohio State on the road. Meanwhile, SMU lost to byu. They've got like a five point win over Nevada. Like, come on, like, what are we doing? The College Football Playoff system is just so flawed. And at the heart of the flaw is this committee that like, the committee has no rationale for the things that they do. They take the path of least resistance, generally speaking. Even though they didn't do that last year. And they give us these rankings, like, you cannot tell me that Indiana should be ranked behind smu. That's not a thing.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, the I will say this about Indiana is. It didn't bother me when Will Howard did the Sig thing for Kurt Signetti, you know, the coach. I thought Indiana came in a little hot, a little cocky for my taste. I am a man of a humble servant to American listeners. Clearly I didn't like their attitude. They were a little much for me. And I think Ohio State said, you're Indiana. Chill pill, good season.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

There's no doubt that the approach that Curt Signetti has taken.

[Colin Cowherd]

Very aggressive.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

It's been very aggressive.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

And I want to touch on both sides of this, if you don't mind. But there's no doubt that there was a lot of folks at Ohio State that were like, come get some. Yeah, like, let's go.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is a big boy.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

This is where we live.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

You know, you've been dreaming of getting here and you think you're breathing this rarefied air. No, no, no. We live this 365 days a year. And there was definitely that feeling. Now, having said that, if you're Curt Signetti and you take the job at Indiana and you go there and you walk around the campus and you walk around the building and you get this sense that, like, hey, everyone's just excited for like nothing, there's there's no energy towards success. It's always like, well, how are you going to do it here? You really think you can win here? And to him.

[Colin Cowherd]

So he wants to build something.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

He's like, I have to rattle the cage here. And while he's rattling the cage at Indiana, trying to communicate this, like, hey, guess what? Purdue sucks. And Michigan does too, and Ohio State does, too. And he's saying all these outlandish things. You have to understand, he's not doing that to try to communicate to Purdue or to Michigan or to Ohio State or any other fan base. He's doing that for his own fan base and for his own program. And he and I have talked about that. He's like, listen, I would have handled this a lot differently if this was a different place. But I had to rattle the cage hard here at Indiana to try to shake loose some sort of belief that we could actually do this and we could do it in a quick fashion.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, Barry Alvarez did that, you know, 30, 40 years ago at Wisconsin. Is that Wisconsin? Do you ever hear the story about Barry Alvarez? So he came into Wisconsin and everybody said, oh, boy, our facilities who need an upgrade. He goes, I love them. Yeah, be proud of these facilities at Wisconsin. These are great facilities. We're not changing the damn thing. Great. Camp Randall's great.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

And by the way, Deion did that at Colorado.

[Colin Cowherd]

He did.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

When he got the job at Colorado, everyone was there like, well, how are you going to recruit in the middle of the country? And, oh, man, Colorado's been down and destitute for two decades. Like, what are you doing? Why did you take that job? And he came in, he was like, look at this place. Look at this place. This place is great. You know? And he immediately built it up to something that maybe the people that were there didn't even see. And that's what Signetti was doing. And Deion drew a lot of ire for that early last year in his first year. And now Signetti has drawn a lot of ire for that in his first year at Indiana.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right, I know that you're cozy with some of these big name coaches, so I'm going to put you in a tough spot. Okay? Okay. So I said, let's hear it. So Ohio State and Ryan Day's in a weird spot. Everybody's like, he's got to beat Michigan. The problem is, when he does, you're not going to get any credit.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're like, oh, Harbaugh's gone. And then he beats Oregon. You'll be like, we got better players and they already beat us. So revenge is hard. He won't get any credit for that. Even though Oregon may be the best team in the country. It's weird if he beats Michigan and Oregon and beating Oregon anywhere is hard. And then he goes and plays Tennessee and he loses first game when they spent 20 million people gonna be like.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Oh, they'll be all over him.

[Colin Cowherd]

The only team in this tournament, there is only one result. They'll be allowed to lose in overtime to Texas and the natty. Maybe, maybe 35, 34. Bad officiating call. Ohio State's the only team the coach many will subscribe to. We got the wrong coach unless he gets to the net.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Listen, I agree with this. And Ryan, Ryan is a ridiculously successful coach.

[Colin Cowherd]

His record, the timeout, his record is 66,9.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

It's wild. It's wild. He's got the highest winning percentage of any coach with over 60 games. And he has remade this program and built it into something that has answers like this is a different team this year than they've had over the last three years. And by the way, so him stepping away from play calling duties, that was a huge step for him because he's one of the elite play callers in college football.

[Colin Cowherd]

Struggle with that.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

He steps away from play calling duties. But look what it has provided them. Look at this. Colin, check this out. So this year, you go into this year with Chip Kelly calling the offensive plays and Jim Knowles on the defensive side and they're going through the year and everything's hunky dory and then bam, you lose at Oregon and now again the sky is falling because at or at Ohio State, you can't have one bad day. You can't have one bad quarter.

[Colin Cowherd]

They didn't even have a bad day.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No. You know, they get a, they get a flag thrown and was it right? Was it right? I don't, I don't know. They lose the game by a point at Oregon and the sky is falling because it's Ohio State and you can't lose a game at Ohio State. But what did he do? Because he made the decision to be a CEO, he was able to go in and look in at the defense and say, what do we need to change in this defense? He was able to do that with his offense and like what do we need to do with the offensive line lineup in order to make us better? So now when you look at their team from the Oregon loss on defense, they've changed a little bit. And Evolved the previous three years. His team was never able to evolve because he was so integrated in the offensive side. So the defense never got extra eyes on them, the offense never got extra eyes on them. Now he's a true CEO. And so Chip gets extra eyes on the offense. What can we do in the run game? What should we do with the offensive line? Jim Knowles gets extra eyes on the defense. What should we do with the pass rush? Why did we not get to Dylan Gabriel but now we're getting to Curtis Rourke? Because they changed and evolved. Rather than a straight four man rush, they started to bring the extra, extra man in a blitz, they started to slant, they started to stunt, they started to do these things that has allowed them to have success. And that only happens if he evolved as a coach himself, stepped away from play calling duties and became more of a CEO. It's not a story that's often told, but like that's what you need to do. By the way, guys that call their own plays don't win the national championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, you got to give it up.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

The last guy I think was Jimbo for Florida State. It just doesn't happen. Yeah. And so you're right about the standard and him going into this. And then the last point that I would make, this playoff format. And we should be. We should be. I like it, I get it.

[Colin Cowherd]

But I don't need another bowl game in Shreveport. I like it.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No, that's fine. I'm not saying that the playoff in general. I'm just think about the format though. When you give the top four seeds just to conference champions, that means that the four seed is likely going to be the 10th or 11th best team in the country.

[Colin Cowherd]

True.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Which means that there is actually a cleaner path for the five seed than there is the one seed. Which means if you're in the Big Ten championship game, do you want to win it or do you want to lose it? Because the five seed in this case plays a home game against Arizona State and then a second round game against Boise, the 1 seed. What do you get for winning the Big Ten championship, possibly Georgia as your first playoff game? So what would you rather you answer this. What would you rather do? Play two games, one against Arizona State, one against Boise, or one neutral site game against Georgia?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, it's not perfect. It's better than what we had, but it's not perfect.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I mean, they should recede after the first round. I mean, it's so obviously winning.

[Colin Cowherd]

What's wrong with that?

[Unknown (possibly a co-host or producer)]

I mean, it's a good idea. They're not doing that though.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's no.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Well, I know they're not. I'm just saying that they should.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Don't we recede in the NFL? Doesn't the cricket the number one. The number one team if you get the buy?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, they do.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

You play the worst remaining team.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Well, that's absolutely. What if we want to honor the regular season. But again, we, we have the same people. It's the same individuals that gave us like the Bull coalition and then the alliance and then the BCS and then the original playoff and now this 12 team playoff. And it's like they've never gotten it right. Why did we allow the same people to build this? The format's wrong.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't disagree with you. Now, again ask you an uncomfortable question on Thanksgiving week. How do we view to Deion Sanders credit? He acknowledged we were buying our own media.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah. Last week.

[Colin Cowherd]

Kansas, by the way, as well coached. So give the Jayhawks credit. They have a football program now that's redeemable and they didn't forever. But let's be honest. How do we look at Colorado? Are they just interesting and we'll leave it at that. They're not great. They're not. But they're an interesting part of the sport and that's just what they're going to be. You think he stays there for sure? Are you sure?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No, I'm not sure.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thank you.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

He told me he was. Well, but I mean, with coaches like. I don't. I don't know.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, I bumped your segment two weeks ago, but yeah, you never know. Loyalty is a hard thing.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

That's right. You did. You did. There was a lot of questions in there. How do I view this? Even if they don't go to the Big 12 championship, like if they beat Oklahoma State but don't get into the Big 12 championship.

[Colin Cowherd]

I just think they're a great new fun story in college football. They're not elite. They're fun. They're new. I like them.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Colorado has fundamentally changed college football.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, what do you mean by that?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

They provided a blueprint for how to quickly turn around an organization and a program through the NIL that was totally dormant.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

And so Indiana used that with 27 transfers. And so now in college football, not only is there an expanded playoff and there's an expanded avenue towards the playoff, but. But you've also got different ways that you can go and actually be successful. Deion showed to the rest of the country that with some charisma and investment. You can go out there and find requisite players at the lower levels of football and bring them in and win right away. And In a short two year span, they're going to be an eight or nine win team, possibly play for a Big 12 title. That was never afforded a team that was 1 in 11. It was a three or four, five year process for a 1 in 11 team to actually change. So then all of a sudden Indiana is like, well, hey, we can do that. Let's go get a guy like Kirk Signetti and bring him up from the lower levels and he brings all of his JMU guys. Colorado laid the blueprint for what Indiana is doing this year and more teams are going to follow it. More teams will do this and that's good for the sport because what we've had is like a cycle of elitism where the same five and six teams win every single year. Why? Because they get the best players. It's not like the NFL where the worst team gets the best player. Here the best team gets the big best player because they had this monopoly, monopoly over the avenue to success. That's no longer the case. And part of that avenue was paved by Deion Sanders. So he has fundamentally changed college football forever.

[Colin Cowherd]

You said two weeks ago you would not be bitter if he went to the NFL. You would appreciate what he delivered and I agree with that. But today shadow goes number one. There's about seven teams going to replace their coach. Are you 50, 50 stay or go? What do you think? What's your gut feeling?

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I think it would be really hard for him to turn down the New York Giants or the Dallas Cowboys, those brands. Now, here's what I will say though, is that. And I've made this. It's not really an argument. I've made this point before and I think that it remains truer today than ever, which is as much as Colorado was desperate for Deion Sanders. Deion Sanders needs a place like Colorado. Colorado turned over the keys. Dion could be totally himself and turned Colorado into prime. He had the keys to the castle. Traditions were out the window. You can do whatever you want. He had clauses contractually where he could keep his merchandise and wear the sunglasses and do all of the things that make Dion Dion and allow him to mentor young men at the college level, which I know he feels like is his calling. Go to the NFL and see if you get all of those. Go to the NFL and see if you can do all of that. Like that's. He would be so restricted in the NFL that He couldn't even, I don't think, be himself. You know, like Kyle Shanahan gets reprimanded for wearing the wrong flat bill hat, much less, you know, like Dion. Do you think he can wear your shades out there and all of it? I just. I think Deion Sanders is a great fit at Colorado. Granted, I'm a Colorado guy, so I understand that I have a dog in the hunt here in the fight. But saying that, just think about it for a moment and it's like Dion works at Colorado not only because of Dion, but because of Colorado.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, you and I legally can give money to a collective and help a program.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

It's true.

[Colin Cowherd]

Do you? I buy the long snapper at Cal Poly. Some guys are out there buying Michigan quarterbacks. I'm not getting what I heard.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

That's what I heard.

[Colin Cowherd]

And controls the atm. I don't get it. I don't even get a card.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I did hear that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

I can't wait for April when the house settlement actually goes through because then every team will be more on the equal footing as far as the revenue that they can.

[Colin Cowherd]

Equal footing, Guy. I'm glad you are. No equal footing.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

You would rather just like what you explain it to me.

[Colin Cowherd]

I like you're a coastal elite. No, I've got it.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Yeah, that's what.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's not what it is.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

No, it is.

[Colin Cowherd]

I love it.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

That's okay. You don't have to explain. We got it. You know, we got it on this. On a week of Thanksgiving when you're all cozy in your homes in the middle of the country.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Suffering that cold weather. Remember Colin Coward thinks San Francisco is cold weather.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. You know what the first part of that elitist is? Coastal elite. I guess I'm elite. Well, like Michael Jordan and Mahomes.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

If the shirt fits, you call it Colin. Wear it. You know, like. Don't.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm not going to let you marginalize.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Me as I'm not trying to. I'm building you up. You know, as you said yourself, the first part of elitism is elite.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's right. Thank you.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

You bet.

[Colin Cowherd]

That felt great.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

It did, didn't it?

[Colin Cowherd]

Kind of. Joel Clatt, Thanksgiving. Good stuff. I'm partnering with PayPal this Black Friday. Why settle for just one deal when you can stack them with the PayPal debit card? Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,000 of monthly purchases in the category you choose. Apparel, health, groceries, beauty, or new for the holidays. Tech. Yeah, tech don't just pay. PayPal terms and limits apply. See [e-mail] rewards pal.

[Unknown (possibly an Amex spokesperson)]

This card is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. pursuant to a license by MasterCard International, Inc. And may be used everywhere MasterCard is accepted.

[Jeremy Hobson]

We live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, I'm a mother. I'm a grandmother.

[Jeremy Hobson]

And every week on the Middle with Jeremy Hobson podcast, we bring them all together with an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle.

[Mark Cuban]

Thanks for having me, Jeremy.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle.

[Jon Stewart]

Thanks for having me.

[Jeremy Hobson]

And listen not to the extremes, but to the people who want to meet in the middle.

[J. Mac (Jason McIntyre)]

Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.