The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Guest Host: Jonas Knox)

Episode: Best of The Herd (Sept 1, 2025)
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Main Theme & Purpose

This Labor Day "Best Of" episode, hosted by Jonas Knox filling in for Colin Cowherd, revolves around the opening weekend of college football, the impact and value of the expanded College Football Playoff, early overreactions to key games and players (especially Arch Manning and new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer), and the much-anticipated debut of Bill Belichick as a college head coach. Knox uses sharp humor, relatable sports analogies, and direct quotes to offer perspective on knee-jerk reactions and the shifting landscape of college football.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Expanded College Football Playoff: A Safety Net for Elite Teams

Timestamps: 03:44–11:25

• Jonas Knox opens with praise for the expanded playoff format.

• Main Insight: In previous years, an early-season loss could doom even top contenders. Now, teams have a greater margin for error, allowing them to challenge themselves with tough out-of-conference games without risking their entire season.

  • Quote: “Thank God for the expanded College Football Playoff… there’s a lot of teams out there… ran into a little bit of a difficult situation. At least we’re going to have some time to sort through these things.” (Jonas Knox, 04:18)

• Draws a parallel to boxing/UFC:

  • In boxing, one loss could be career-ending; UFC fighters can lose and still headline big fights. This change, Knox argues, makes for a more entertaining and forgiving college football season.
  • Quote: “This used to happen in boxing all the time. Fighters would protect their O because it was looked at as like this… man, listen, if you are undefeated, it meant… Then all of a sudden the UFC came around… that's the way this stuff goes.” (Jonas Knox, 06:07)

2. Arch Manning’s Tough Season Debut and Media Overreaction

Timestamps: 11:25–18:12

• Play a direct postgame quote from Arch Manning after Texas’ loss at Ohio State, noting the high expectations for him in just his third college start.

  • Arch Manning: “Didn’t start fast enough. Took a whole half for us to even get the ball down the field. So that starts with me…” (11:25)

• Knox argues the narrative that Manning was “the next Heisman” was unreasonably set by the media and fans, not by Manning himself or by rational observers:

  • Quote: “My expectations were a little different, but I don’t know what people thought they were going to get from a guy who has two starts in his career, who’s going on the road against the defending national champions at their house…” (Jonas Knox, 11:47)
  • “Who wrote the first [Arch Manning] one? We got two pages in and everybody was like, ‘Oh, this is the greatest novel I’ve ever seen.’” (Jonas Knox, 14:55)

• Knox keeps it light with humor about the Ohio State crowd and rumors about Coach Ryan Day. He draws a line between honest mistakes and mob mentality, calling for patience before making judgments about young quarterbacks.

• Compares the hype/self-destruction cycle around Arch Manning to past cases like Johnny Manziel and RG3—no one was touting them before their breakout seasons.

3. Alabama’s New Era: Kalen DeBoer Feels the Heat

Timestamps: 22:10–35:02

• Focus shifts to Alabama's early season defeat at Florida State—its worst opening in recent memory.

• Plays DeBoer’s post-game remarks:

  • Kalen DeBoer: “I choose to believe we got a good football team… but we can’t play on our heels… last year isn’t this year and it’s going to be an uphill climb for us…” (25:21)

• Key Insight: The most difficult job in college football is following a legend—specifically, replacing Nick Saban.

  • “That job at that school with that program and those expectations is a different level. It just is.” (Jonas Knox, 28:50)

• Offers colorful context about the SEC’s football-obsessed culture, describing Alabama’s fan base as uniquely passionate and demanding.

  • Memorable Moment: Describes an Alabama fan on TV reacting to the loss by just flipping the bird without care—“that’s Alabama. That’s the way they operate.” (Jonas Knox, 27:12)

• Comparisons: Kalen DeBoer already has as many losses vs. unranked teams as Saban did in 17 years ("We got a problem. It's a problem. Okay?” 29:21). The standard is almost impossible.

4. Perspective on Tough Openers and Scheduling “Cupcakes”

Timestamps: 38:35–41:30

• Knox defends coaches who schedule easier opening games (“cupcakes”) due to the lack of preseason, drawing insight from Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham: “It’s always the one I worry about the most because you’re just not sure…”

  • Coaches now risk season momentum by scheduling hard games but the expanded playoff gives them a cushion.

• Re-asserts: Teams such as Clemson, Texas, or even Arch Manning shouldn’t be written off after a rough opener—“everybody just relax.” (Jonas Knox, 38:51)

5. Bill Belichick’s Wild College Football Debut: What to Expect?

Timestamps: 41:30–50:30

• Bill Belichick is set for his first game as head coach at North Carolina (against TCU) in a high-profile, standalone spot.

  • Jonas’s Take: The intrigue around Belichick is less about expectations and more about curiosity—the ultimate “what if?”
  • “I don't think anybody has an expectation for Belichick. Cause I don't think anybody knows what the hell this is going to look like.” (Jonas Knox, 46:29)

• Sees this as a “revenge tour” for Belichick:

  • Belichick is still frustrated with how his time in New England ended (“He’s made it a point on multiple occasions to point out all the success he had there.” 45:05)
  • Jonas predicts this is a temporary stop and sees Belichick returning to the NFL, perhaps to a rival like Miami—“If they're going to make a change… imagine Belichick going to Miami, going back to that division to see Robert Kraft twice, twice a year.” (Jonas Knox, 47:54)

• Compares the Belichick intrigue to Deion Sanders’s first year at Colorado—no one really knows whether it’ll work, but everyone’s watching.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the expanded playoff culture:
  “A loss isn’t the end of the world. It’s not the end of the road. It’s not the end of your career. It’s why people loved Manny Pacquiao over Floyd Mayweather… Pacquiao had balls.” —Jonas Knox (08:31)

• On Arch Manning expectations:
  “My expectations were a little different, but I don’t know what people thought they were going to get from a guy who has two starts in his career, who’s going on the road against the defending national champions…” —Jonas Knox (11:47)
  “Who wrote the first one? We got two pages in and everybody was like, ‘Oh, this is the greatest novel I’ve ever seen.’ ” —Jonas Knox (14:55)

• On Alabama's fanbase:
  “That fanbase has a certain level of expectation… That certain level of expectation is because of Nick Saban. He’s the greatest to ever do it. And Kalen DeBoer has taken over a near impossible job…” —Jonas Knox (28:30)

• On taking over for legends:
  “Whatever Kalen DeBoer does, short of Nick Saban, is not going to be good enough. He took on an impossible task. He’s expected to take over and replace the greatest ever do it.” —Jonas Knox (31:30)

• On Bill Belichick’s new gig:
  “We are going to get later on tonight the debut of Bill Belichick, the college football coach. And I cannot wait […] I don’t think anybody has an expectation for Belichick. Cause I don’t think anybody knows what the hell this is going to look like.” —Jonas Knox (41:48, 46:29)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Expanded College Football Playoff discussion: 03:44–11:25
• Arch Manning struggles and media’s role: 11:25–18:12
• Kalen DeBoer/Alabama’s loss and SEC expectations: 22:10–35:02
• Joking about early season “cupcake” scheduling and first-week struggles: 38:35–41:30
• Preview/Commentary: Bill Belichick’s UNC debut: 41:30–50:30

Tone Highlights

• Jonas Knox brings a blend of sharp analysis, comedic flair, and frank realism characteristic of “The Herd,” especially in his willingness to push back against mainstream narratives and overreactions.
• Uses playful irreverence ("Did you watch this weekend? It was awesome... There were people trying to figure out whether or not Ryan Day had a nipple piercing...") and self-effacing sports-lifer humor ("I'm a degenerate. Proud of it.") to keep even critical points light and engaging.

Summary

Jonas Knox, subbing in for Colin Cowherd, delivers a fast-paced review of college football’s opening weekend, focusing on the bigger picture behind headline wins, losses, and overreactions. He defends ambitious scheduling and the new playoff format, urges patience with young quarterbacks like Arch Manning, and unpacks the unreasonable expectations placed on Alabama’s new coach. He closes with a look at Bill Belichick’s surprise foray into the college world, treating it as the most intriguing experiment of this year’s football cycle. Throughout, Knox injects humor, real-world context, and memorable stories, making the episode as entertaining for diehards as it is instructive for casual fans.