Best of The Herd

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Best of The Herd" (Released July 23, 2025)

The Herd with Colin Cowherd delivers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the top sports stories of the day. In the "Best of The Herd" episode, Colin Cowherd delves into the current state of various sports teams, quarterback performances, recruiting strategies in college football, and even adds a touch of humor with satirical NBA movie pitches. Featuring insightful discussions with notable guests like James Franklin, head coach of Penn State, and Drew Allar, a prominent quarterback, this episode offers listeners a rich analysis of the sports landscape.

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1. Assessing the Dodgers' Struggles and the Rise of Small Market Teams

Colin Cowherd opens the discussion by addressing the surprising downturn of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Once a powerhouse, the Dodgers have been inconsistent, with their bullpen issues and offensive struggles leading to a loss of momentum this season.

• Dodgers in a Tailspin: "Oh, everybody's afraid of the Dodgers. They're in a total tail spin. Bullpen imploded again last night. Nobody can hit. They've lost 10 of 13. Nothing going right for the Dodgers." (04:50)

Colin contrasts the Dodgers' challenges with the unexpected successes of small market teams, highlighting the Milwaukee Brewers and the Oklahoma City Thunder as examples of franchises excelling despite limited market sizes.

• Small Market Success: "The Milwaukee Brewers are tied for the best record. Small market Milwaukee. They have swept the Dodgers twice... the hottest team in baseball." (05:30)

• NBA’s Small Market Teams: "The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best GM and Sam Presti... potentially dominate the league." (06:10)

2. Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints: A Potential Downfall

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Colin's theory regarding the impending struggles of the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. He suggests that ownership dynamics and relationships within the organizations may be influencing team performance.

• Ownership Influence: "The circle of trust for Jimmy Haslam is the Manning family and Jimmy Sexton, Saban, Manning, Haslam, South. That's why... the Saints are going to be bad and the Browns are going to be bad." (12:00)

Guest Insight:

• Drew Allar Adds: "As far as how we've been pitching, how we've been playing defense, I think the offense is starting to kind of tick up, which is good." (07:09)

• James Franklin Questions: "Is there a world where Stefanski and the owner and the GM... can take a gap year?" (14:03)

3. Quarterback Performance and the NFL Draft

The conversation shifts to quarterback performances, with a spotlight on Drew Allar’s development and comparisons to legendary quarterbacks like Tom Brady. Colin emphasizes the importance of efficiency and decision-making in quarterback play.

• Efficiency Over Yards: "Bill Belichick... Tom Brady did such a great job of not allowing negative plays." (11:00)

• Drew Allar’s Progress: "He's showing all the signs. I don't know that there was a better landing spot... Keep your eye on Moe." (48:24)

James Franklin and Drew Allar discuss the impact of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) on college football recruiting and team dynamics.

• NIL Impact: "The transfer portal has got as much of an impact on that as anything." (34:23)

4. Penn State’s Recruiting Strategies with Coach James Franklin

James Franklin provides an in-depth look at Penn State’s successful recruiting strategies, contrasting them with larger SEC programs. He attributes their success to a strong team culture and strategic coaching hires.

• Recruiting Success: "We've been fortunate. Every defensive coordinator that's worked for me has had a top 10 defense." (38:03)

• College Town Advantage: "If you're looking for a college town... Everything revolves around the university and it's not just the football program." (36:19)

Colin and James discuss the balance between maintaining successful defensive strategies while integrating new coaching philosophies under Jim Knowles.

• Maintaining Success: "We're not asking you to come in and change what we do... He's done a really good job." (38:03)

5. Satirical NBA Movie Pitches

Injecting humor into the episode, Colin creates mock movie pitches for various NBA teams, playfully critiquing their roster compositions and championship aspirations.

• Los Angeles Clippers – "The Bucket List": "Their starting lineup would be 36 and a half years old." (44:00)

• Denver Nuggets – "Winners": "Allow Jokic to go from Joker to Jordan." (44:35)

• Houston Rockets – "Training Day": "Hard nose veterans brought in to carry a younger cast." (45:20)

• Golden State Warriors – "Taken Three": "Steph has to take all the threes." (45:40)

• Los Angeles Lakers – "LeBron, Get Out": "LeBron realizes this team is not his timeline." (46:03)

Guest James Franklin Reacts:

• Approval of Kanye's Pitch: "Man, that is excellent... Five stars on that bad boy." (45:51)

6. Final Thoughts and Future Forecasts

In the concluding segments, Colin emphasizes the significance of efficient quarterback play and hints at the potential of the upcoming NFL draft class. He reiterates the importance of team management and strategic decisions over mere financial incentives.

• Draft Class Potential: "This is the quarterback draft class if you need one... All in all, it's a stacked NFL quarterback draft." (51:24)

• Future Predictions: "Keep your eye on Drew Allar and Arch Manning... Arch Manning was playing backup. He's more talented than Quinn." (51:26)

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Notable Quotes

• Colin Cowherd on AI Revolution: "I tend to be an optimist that it'll save all of us time. There's two ways to look at AI. You could be afraid of it. I am not." (03:30)

• James Franklin on Penn State’s Culture: "This is a place where football matters, the athletic department matters, the university matters." (37:33)

• Drew Allar on Offense: "The offense is starting to kind of tick up, which is good." (07:19)

• Colin on Quarterback Efficiency: "Being a quarterback is much more about being an accountant than an action star." (48:24)

• Satirical Movie Pitch on Lakers: "LeBron realizes in horror this team is not his timeline. Get out." (44:35)

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Conclusion

"The Best of The Herd" episode masterfully navigates through pressing sports topics, from team performances and strategic theories to individual player development and recruiting dynamics. Colin Cowherd, alongside his guests, provides listeners with a thoughtful analysis sprinkled with humor, making complex sports narratives accessible and engaging. Whether you're a casual fan or a dedicated follower, this episode offers valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of sports.

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For those who missed the episode, catch up on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" by visiting the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

[Bob Crawford]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Sports with powerful interviews and insider analysis. Our shows have connected fans with the heart of women's Sports. In just one year, the network has launched 15 shows and built a community united by passion podcasts that amplify the voices of women in sports. Thank you for supporting I Heart Women's Sports and our founding sponsors E L F Beauty, Capital One and Novartis.

[Bob Crawford]

Just open the free iHeart app and.

[Colin Cowherd]

Search iHeart Women's Sports to listen Now.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History Hotline, a different type of podcast.

[James Franklin]

You, the listener, ask the questions.

[Colin Cowherd]

Did George Washington really cut down a cherry tree?

[Bob Crawford]

Were JFK and Marilyn Monroe having an affair?

[James Franklin]

And I find the answers.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm so glad you asked me this question. This is such a ridiculous story. You can listen to American History Hotline.

[Colin Cowherd]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. My Uncle Chris was a real character, a garbage truck driver from South Carolina who is now buried in Panama City alongside the founding families of Panama. He also happens to be responsible for the craziest night of my life. Wild stories about adventure, romance, crime, history and war intertwine as I share the tall tales and hard truths that have helped me understand Uncle Chris. Listen now to Uncle Chris on Will.

[Drew Allar]

Ferrell's Big Money Players Network on the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening to the Best of The Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at 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. This is the best of the Herd with Colin K on Fox Sports Radio. Here we go. It is a Wednesday. We are live. We're going to be going to the Vikings training camp. Penn State head coach James Franklin and the quarterback Drew Allo for the Nittany Lions joining us today. We are in Chicago. J. Mac. You know we're having an AI revolution in this country and I think it's going to create life altering life saf medical advances. I tend to be an optimist that it'll save all of us time. There's, there's two ways to look at AI. You could be afraid of it. I am not. I think it's going to be amazing. Also, America remains the best place for global wealth to park its money. A lot of good things happening in sports. But sometimes I just don't want sports to become politics. So I'm going to start today's show with that. So let's start with that. The Dodgers. Oh, everybody's afraid of the Dodgers. They're in a total tail spin. Bullpen imploded again last night. Nobody can hit. They've lost 10 of 13. Nothing going right for the Dodgers. And I mean last night it's the Minnesota Twins that jump out to a lead. You know Tawny knocks one out. They can't do anything right before the season started, the off season. It was unfair. I can't believe all the money they have and I just hope sports never becomes politics. Politics in 2025 is fear mongering both sides. The world's going to end and conspiracy theories. A majority on one side in sports. You occasionally hear it and we heard it about the Dodgers as we went into the season. It's unfair. The little guy can't compete in baseball this year. The Milwaukee brewers are tied for the best record. Small market Milwaukee. They have swept the Dodgers twice. They have a great manager, Pat Murphy, excellent well run organization, hottest team in baseball. Multiple great arms. They are going nowhere. Little market Milwaukee, hottest team in baseball have beaten the Dodgers this year six times and have yet to lose to them. By the way, the last NBA Finals we just watched Oklahoma City and Indiana, two of the smallest 10 markets in the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best GM and Sam Presti a star from Canada. Three great stars. They have so many draft picks. They have more than multiple team draft picks combined over the next decade. They're going nowhere. Could very well dominate the league. Or maybe it's Indiana, another small market team. Oh, by the way, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic and the spurs have really bright futures. Much brighter in my opinion, than the ancient Clippers from la. The NFL currently has one semi dynasty in small market Kansas City. The favorite to win the super bowl is the second smallest market, Buffalo. And keep your eye on the packers and the small market Ravens. The top four quarterbacks, you know it's all rigged. Are in Cincinnati, Buffalo, Kansas City and Baltimore. Oh, by the way, last 10 years, both new York teams and Chicago stink. The college basketball champion, Gainesville, Florida. College football natty, Columbus, Ohio. And isn't it weird how Caitlin Clark did not end up with a New York Liberty or the LA Sparks. She ended up in small market Indiana. Boy, if. If sports in this country are rigged, whoever's rigging it, it's doing a terrible job. As for the Dodgers, it's a tailspin. It's injuries nobody can hit. The bullpen's exploded. They're.06 against the Brewers. And here's Dave Roberts. After another loss last night, it better be rock bottom.

[Drew Allar]

As far as kind of how we've been pitching, how we've been playing defense, I think the offense is starting to kind of tick up, which is good.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's certainly more in. There.

[Drew Allar]

Will be more in there. But yeah, I think as far as quality of baseball, it's been a tough watch. It really has.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes. Now, now, that doesn't mean all conspiracy theories are wrong. Years ago, there were concerns about the tobacco industry causing cancer. It turned out they were right. Remember those executives that stood in front of a judge? We, we don't know what you're talking about. And people said, I don't know. I've got people in my family who are big smokers. Died early. Yes. It's just we actually did land on the moon. That. That one I put away. But here is a story that I started last week that is not a conspiracy theory. It is what I would call a reality of relationships. So Tony Rizzo talking about the Browns owner, he's a Cleveland sports talk show host. Jimmy Haslam and the Manning family and Arch Manning. Here you go. I know it's nothing that they want to talk about, but I'm telling you, the thirst that Jimmy Haslam has for Arch Manning is unmatched. That Haslem's Donated a ton of money to Tennessee. They have a good a relationship with Manning family. I don't think it's a coincidence they acquired a second first round pick. It is not. In fact, this is the worst kept secret in the South. Haslam, Jimmy, owner of the Browns huge SEC Tennessee booster, leans heavily on the Manning family. Very close to the Manning family. Yes, that, that, that's not make believe. Arch Manning is part of the Manning family. And this is where Nick Saban comes in. Saban is incredibly close to not only Jimmy Haslam, but Saban's close to the Manning family as well. And so Saban, if he could land, I'm told a top quarterback like Harbaugh going to the Chargers for Herbert, he would take a phone call for the NFL. And there are two teams guaranteed to be awful this year in the NFL. Cleveland and the Saints. Nick Saban has coached in Cleveland with the Browns under the Belichick staff and he coached at lsu. This is not a conspiracy theory. Haslam circle of trust, according to an article in the Athletic last year, is the Manning family and Jimmy Sexton and Bill Parcells. Sexton is Nick Saban's agent. So the Mannings are royalty in New Orleans. The children's hospital in New Orleans is called the Mannings Children's Hospital. And the Mannings are royalty to Jimmy Haslam. Jimmy Haslam also loves headlines. That's why he pushed the draft. Johnny Manziel and Baker Mayfield. They were the most talked about quarterbacks. It's why he signed a ridiculous guaranteed contract for Deshaun Watson. It would get discussed. So this is not a conspiracy theory. Okay? The circle of trust for Jimmy Haslam is the Manning family and Jimmy Sexton, Sabins, Manning, Haslam, South. That's why I've said. And there's two teams in this league that are going to be bad. The Saints are going to be bad and the Browns are going to be bad. Now that doesn't mean Saban, if he doesn't take the job, it's all lost for Cleveland. Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Barry, the gm, more than capable. But this story is a poorly kept secret. The Mannings, Haslam, Jimmy Sexton, Nick Saban. That's why I ran with that thing last week. Lane Kiffin talked about it. Greg McElroy. Saban's not going to college. He would take a call in the NFL. All right. J. Mac. You know, J. Mac, you are not a conspiracy theorist. We did land on the moon. But you do hear this a lot. You really do. You heard it a lot. About the Dodgers before the season, there was all this fear mongering. Yankees haven't won a trophy since 2009, I think. And if you really look right now at some of the most poorly run franchises in the last 15 years in the NFL, I'm not saying necessarily today, though in many cases it is today. It's been Chicago teams, the White Sox, Bulls, haven't been good, the Bears, the Giants, the Jets. So the truth is I think you do get more game day revenue. In big cities like New York, Louisiana, Chicago and Philadelphia, you get great game day revenue. But really what runs sports is passion, integrity, attention to detail. And sometimes in smaller markets you can make. Mark Few, the basketball coach at Gonzaga always told me this. This is why Gonzaga wins more than ucla. He said at Gonzaga I can sign three star recruits. Our fans trust the process. He goes, if you take a Duke, Carolina, Arizona, ucla, if you took two, three star prospects, they're crushing you. That is the pressure of usc. What are the stars? It's the pressure of the big cities. What are the stars? Who are our man Milwaukee's losing managers to the Cubs. They go out and get another manager. Yes, sometimes you get cherry picked if you're in a Milwaukee or a Pittsburgh or a Kansas City or a Buffalo. But the truth is most of the best run franchises in pro sports today, there are some exceptions, are medium to small market, Oklahoma City, brilliantly run, Indiana, incredibly well run. I mean the Cleveland Cavaliers disappointed us this year. Look at their roster over the last three or four years. They just haven't missed on many acquisitions. They hit on almost all of them.

[James Franklin]

Yeah, I actually was at the Dodgers game last night. They were very sloppy all around the pitching. Ohtani did nothing until the bomb when they were down five runs in the ninth. Like I just was unimpressed by the Dodgers last night. But let me just ask about this Brown's take because that's kind of spicy if he loves Arch Manning so much. Is there a world where Stefanski and the owner and the gm, everybody got on the same page saying hey guys, we can take a gap year, okay? I don't want to take a quarterback first overall. Let's just get the rest of the roster ready. Let's resign Miles Garrett, let's get some positivity and gun for archbanding next year. And I know nobody's saying you're throwing a season. Well, there is a high level discussion to be had about smarts and future.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, yeah, they don't have to. The division has much better rosters and Much better quarterback. So Cleveland can try to win and I think in September through good coaching they'll be fun to watch. But you can't convince a locker room that lacks talent. After you're one in five people start bailing and then you start resting guys so you don't have to tank in the NFL. It'll all take care of itself. Now the Rams also have two first round picks and I've been told they would like they'd give both up for a quarterback but they're going to be too good and the other pick comes from, I think Atlanta and Atlanta is probably going to be too good to be a top eight or nine draft picks. So Drew Allers on the show later he'll be the first or second quarterback taken in my opinion. But, but Cleveland and the Saints don't have to try. Now the Saints are in a weaker division so they can win games because.

[James Franklin]

They can pull into some victory.

[Colin Cowherd]

But the Cleveland's losing twice to the Ravens, probably losing twice to Burrow. And the Steelers roster, especially on the defensive side is just much better than Cleveland. And Cleveland doesn't have a quarterback. So you don't have to tank in the NFL. Bad teams by mid October are going to become, I mean we know the New York Giants aren't very good. We know the Saints aren't good and Cleveland isn't good. You just look at their schedules. These are one in five teams to start and at that point you lose the locker room. No matter how popular the coach is, you have controversy, dissension and it all slides downhill.

[James Franklin]

Let me ask though, the interesting aspect of this is the coach we, everybody knows Stefanski is a really good coach. He's one coach of the year. Colin, how attractive is this job to everyone? If Arch Manning is the number one pick and the Browns have the number one pick, do you keep Stefanski or do you, do you move off and you have your pick of the litter. Anybody?

[Colin Cowherd]

I would keep Stefanski unless I could get Saban. I would keep Stefanski. I don't want to listen. Stefanski to me is an A coach. Saban is an A coach and, and literally you're triple your merch. I mean it would be a revolutionary hire. But I'm not. There is no third candidate. If I can't get Saban, I'm not getting rid of Stefanski. Stefanski's excellent.

[James Franklin]

I would say Bill Belichick, but I'll put him to the side for now. Don't, don't turn your nose up at Bill Belichick. The greatest coach in the history of football. Okay, let's not do that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I think, yeah, I mean, you can throw that out there, but he had a pretty sour taste in his mouth.

[James Franklin]

Just hypothetical. Deion Sanders.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's no proof he could win at the NFL level.

[James Franklin]

There's no proof Saban can win at the NFL.

[Colin Cowherd]

There's, there's a lot of proof. He is really, really good football coach. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, we're Covino and Rich, Fox Sports radio every day, 5 to 7pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to. And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly, because this guy is over promising things we never have time for. Yeah, you blubberlips. Blaming me. Well, you know what? It's called Over Promise. You should be good at it because you've been overpromising women for years. Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show and we want you to be a part of it. We're going to be talking sports, of course, but we're also going to talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Over Promised. Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make sure you check out Over Promise and also uncensored, by the way. So maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's gonna be the best after show podcast of all time. There you go. Over Promising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely. Join us. Listen to Over Promised with Covino and rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Crawford]

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[Colin Cowherd]

Hey everybody. You've heard me talk about Green River Whiskey, the official whiskey of the Herd podcast. And if you know anything about me, I love a good metaphor. So the team at Green river challenged me to come up with a perfect metaphor to describe their incredible bourbon and rye whiskeys. And with the playoffs upon us, the answer is clear. Green River Whiskey is like a big playoff win by your favorite team, always sure to raise your spirits. So pair the thrills of this playoff season with Green River Whiskey. And with four core products in their starting lineup, there's something to suit any taste. To find Green river near you, head on over to greenriverwhisky.com here's the green River Whiskey. Raise your spirits. A product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. Alcohol by volume varies by product. Greenriverwhiskey.com, please drink responsibly.

[Bob Crawford]

For my heart. Podcasts and Rococo Punch this is the Turning River Road. I knew I wanted to obey and submit, but I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life what that meant. In the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. Why did I think that way? Why did I allow myself to get so sucked in by this man and and thinking to the point that if I died for him, that would be the greatest honor? But in 2014, the youngest of the girls escaped and sparked an international manhunt. For all those years, you know, he was the predator and I was the prey. And then he became the prey. Listen to the Turning river road on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm Danielle Roubais and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers and more to explore the stories that shape us on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick deep diving booktok theories and obsessing over book to screen casts for years and now I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying you have to read this, this podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book club on the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts are wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Albert Brear is going to be joining us from Minnesota Vikings training camp. Interesting division. We talked about that yesterday that we don't know what J.J. mcCarthy is for the Minnesota Vikings. So we love their coach and we like their roster and their offensive weapon. We don't know what J.J. mcCarthy is. We really don't. Green Bay has a middle of the league roster. Jordan Love didn't play well at the end of the year. We're not really sure what he is. I like him but he regressed. Could have been injuries and then Detroit is kind of viewed by odds makers and the wise guys as the one team because they, they lost two great coordinators and have issues on the interior line. We don't, we don't think they're a 14 or 13 win team. We all think they're about a 10 to 11 win team and that is now up to the Chicago Bears to seize these opportunities. And the Bears have a new coach, they upgraded their offensive line. There's still questions upstairs but we think the on field product should be better. And Caleb Williams yesterday talked about his goals for the season. Listen, obviously I have self goals and that's you know, being the first 4,000 yard passer in Bears history. That's a, you know, goal of mine. 70% completion. That helps the team, keeps us on the field, puts us in better positions and then other than that just trying to go down and you know, score the most points that we can with these drives that we have. So you know that's, that's kind of my self goal and obviously other, you know, other than that you got to go win. That's success for me. That's success for the team and you know, that's all, that's all we wish for and all I wish for. So he talked about 4,000 yards completion percentage, win games. I don't have those as any of his goals. My goal for Caleb Williams is stop getting hit. He got sacked 68 times. That is the most in 20 years. Yeah, 20 years. David Carr is the last Guy in Houston to get hit like that. He also took 108 hits. He was pressured 166 times, which is 35th out of 36 qualified quarterbacks. Get rid of the ball fast. That's really the goal for me. It was very interesting. I was watching something about a month ago, it was on a podcast called the Pivot and it was Bill Belichick talking about the greatness of Tom Brady. And you know, I think about how great Tom Brady was in big games. Underrated arm strength, his movement in the pocket, his ability to throw the ball in terrible windy cold Foxborough weather, his clutch for fourth quarter. No, no, no. Here's what Bill Belichick said. Here are the two reasons Tom Brady is the Goat. You know, Tom did, did three things I thought were just unbelievably great as a quarterback. We all know worst situation you can be in is long yardage. And so as long as the ball moves forward, you stay out of long yardage. And Tom did such a great job of not allowing negative plays to happen to our offense. Number two, as I've told Tom many times, Tom, we can't gain any yards until you get rid of the ball. Then of course he made, you know, great decisions under pressure and had a tremendous ability to see the field and understand situational football and make quick decisions under pressure. The goat, 20 years together, he's like, no pre snap penalties. We were always moving forward and he got rid of the ball. It's not being an action star. Caleb Williams last year was trying to be an action star. He was trying to be Vin Diesel. Plus the rock. Cam Newton did that really well. Never had back to back winning seasons. Brady was know all the things he does well. Belichick's like, yeah, we never went backwards. And I always told Tom we're way better when you get rid of the ball fast. So the goat, the goat of coaching and the goat of quarterbacking, agreed. Get it out of Tom's hands. And last year Caleb held the ball in his hands too long. Being a quarterback is much more about being an accountant than an action star. Right? And that to me it's not about yards. I don't care if he throws for 2,000 yards. It's not about touchdowns, it's not about, I don't even care about the wins. Don't get hit. Get rid of the ball as fast as you can. I've said this about Mahomes. Same with Michael Jordan. 95% of Michael Jordan's buckets were mid range jumpers. Easy lifts 95% of Mahomes greatness, drag patterns, eight yard out, dig route, Mahomes and Jordan about three times a game are otherworldly and do things you've never seen in your life on both ends of the floor for Jordan and that's with Caleb about three to four times. Dude, do your thing. And the other 28 drop backs, no pre stat penalties, don't get sacked and get the ball out of your hands as quickly as you possibly can. That is quarterbacking. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Bob Crawford]

There's nothing like sinking into luxury. At washablesofas.com you'll find the Annabe sofa which combines ultimate comfort and design at an affordable price. And get this, it's the only sofa that's fully machine washable from top to bottom. Starting at only $699. The stain resistant performance fabric slipcovers and cloud like frame duvet can go straight into your wash. Perfect for anyone with kids, pets or anyone who loves an easy to clean spotless sofa. With a modular design and changeable slipcovers, you can customize your sofa to fit any space and style. Whether you need a single chair loveseat or a luxuriously large sectional, Annabe has you covered. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your home. Right now you can shop up to 60% off store wide with a 30 day money back guarantee. Shop [e-mail] Add a little to your life. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey everybody, you've heard me talk about Green River Whiskey, the official whiskey of the herd podcast. And if you know anything about me, I love a good metaphor. So the team at Green river challenged me to come up with a perfect metaphor to describe their incredible bourbon and rye whiskeys. And with the playoffs upon us, the answer is clear. Green River Whiskey is like a big playoff win by your favorite team, always sure to raise your spirits. So pair the thrills of this playoff season with Green River Whiskey. And with four core products in their starting lineup, there's something to suit any taste. To find Green river near you, head on over to greenriverwhiskey.com here's the green River Whiskey Raise your spirits. A product of Green River Distilling Company, Owensboro, Kentucky. Alcohol by volume varies by product. Greenriverwhiskey.com, please drink responsibly.

[Bob Crawford]

For my heart podcasts and Rococo Punch this is the turning river road I knew I wanted to obey and submit But I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life what that meant. In the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. Why did I think that way? Why did I allow myself to get so sucked in by this man and thinking to the point that if I died for him, that would be the greatest honor? But in 2014, the youngest of the girls escaped and sparked an international manhunt. For all those years, you know, he was the predator and I was the prey. And then he became the prey. Listen to the Turning river road on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm Danielle Robaix and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers and more to explore the stories that shape us on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories and obscene obsessing over book to screen casts for years and now I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying you have to read this, this podcast is for you. Listen to bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I have him in the national championship, Michigan, Ohio State and I think Penn State faces Texas for a natty. I've said that multiple times on the air. James Franklin has won 10 plus games and made a new year six bowl game in three straight years. James oh, now you're the favorite. You got the best quarterback, you got the best backfield. I'd argue since Sony, Michelle and Nick Chubb in the sec. It is interesting. We always want these coaches like James Franklin to walk into a program and just start devouring people. But the Big Ten, I really believe this, James. I think at the top it is better than the SEC and it has been for two years. You coached at Vandy, now at Penn State. Do you believe that to be true?

[Drew Allar]

Well, I think the reality is we're part of that conversation now. The conversation in years past everybody was talking SEC sec. And then after what we've been able to do the last two years, obviously I think that's changed that conversation. So it's all based on perspective. Obviously I got strong feelings. I know you have strong feelings, but we're part of that conversation. I don't think there's any doubt.

[Colin Cowherd]

So it's funny, I was talking to Urban Meyer about this two years ago. I watched Drew Aller and I'm like, there's something there. But he's not. He needs to be more refined. Then I watched them last year and went, all right, he's going to be the number one pick on my board there. He made a big jump in accuracy. Tell me what you saw in his improvement. I'm watching tv. I just see the ball comes out quicker and more accurately. I don't get the gay, I don't get the practice film. Where did he make the big jump to you?

[Drew Allar]

Well, it's probably going to be something that you just didn't mentioned. It's his athleticism and movements. He's 6 foot 5. He was 242 pounds. He's now about 232 pounds. I think the game of football has changed. The old days of the pro style quarterback, that's just going to stand there and sling it around that that doesn't exist anymore. So a guy that's going to be able to get one or two first downs a game, he doesn't have to be a lavar. I'm not saying that, but you know, be able to threaten people with his feet, his movements, his ability to extend plays. He's always been a great decision maker in terms of touchdown to interception ratio. And then what we had to do is we had to go out and get a few more wideouts and continue to develop the ones we had. Guys are going to make more consistent plays for him on the outside.

[Colin Cowherd]

I actually think the nil helps guys like you. Well, you don't have to worry about your job. But let's say Lincoln Riley, struggling at usc. He wins eight games again and people start yelling and screaming. And my take is the nil helps coaches because you're asking boosters to raise $15 million a year for players they're not getting rid of coaches and writing another $50 million buyout and then another 50 million for the next coach. Is that coaches initially some blanched at the nil. And my take is, well, these athletic departments have to raise so much money to retain players, they can't buy out coaches left and right. Did you initially looked At NIL when it first arrived years ago, were you concerned about it, and if so, where are you now with it?

[Drew Allar]

Yeah, I think everybody initially was concerned. I think, in theory, nobody had a problem with it. I think, you know, when you talk about the money that college football brings in, not only for the conferences but for these campuses, the players deserve a portion of that. I don't think anybody ever had an issue with it. The challenge, as you know, is, is some programs have more money than others, so that. That creates. That creates some issues. I think some of the things that have happened in terms of leveling the field is there's been programs that have had a culture of giving for a long time, and they were able to transition in this world a little bit faster than others. But I actually would say the transfer portal has got as much of an impact on that as anything, because if you let your coach go and that coach is connected and tight with the team, in a way he should be, those guys can all go into the transfer portal. You could lose 50 guys to go into the transfer portal by making a coaching change. So I think that's impacted as much as anything.

[Colin Cowherd]

You know, it's interesting. I've been to Penn State's campus twice, the Nittany Lion Inn, which, by the way, has great free popcorn just in case you ever go there. Coach. It's a great place to stay. And when I went there both times, I was taken by the fact that for about an hour until you drive there, there's nothing there. And then this beautiful stadium arrives. And the campus is gorgeous. It's got great architecture and. But if you're looking for a city environment, so now you have to recruit against maybe a USC or an Ann Arbor. And I look at Penn State and I'm like. When I. When I went there, I was like, yeah, it's kind of remote, but it's fascinating. It is such a unique community. Did you. What sold you on Penn State because you had. You had a lot of people coming after you with success at Vanderbilt. What separates Penn State because your recruiting has been phenomenal since you've been there?

[Drew Allar]

Well, I think a couple things. I think it depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for a city school, then obviously we're not that. But if you're looking for a college town, we're kind of like the postcard for. For college town. It's. It's exactly what you're looking for. I grew up in the state of Pennsylvania, grew up just outside of Philadelphia, so This is home for me. And it, it made sense. I understood the place. But yeah, if you're looking to, to be in, whether it's Miami or whether it's Philadelphia or whether it's Atlanta, we're not that. But if you're looking for a college town where everything revolves around the university and it's not just the, the football program. We sell out 107,000 fans at every single game. We have over 70,000 season tickets sold out every single, single year. But it's also in our women's volleyball, you know, program. They're sold out on a Wednesday night. They just won the national championship. It's, it's our soccer programs playing on a Tuesday night. It's sold out, obviously, what Kale's been able to do in wrestling. So this is a place where football matters, the athletic department matters, the university matters, and everything revolves around some of these schools that are in cities. They got a lot to compete with in State College. It's, it's football, it's the university, it's.

[Colin Cowherd]

The athletic department, you know, so you guys were, I think, eighth in the country in defense last year. And then you go get. And now you're bringing in Ohio State. Jim Knowles defensive coordinator. What is the balance between retaining what you did that was highly successful Last year of 130 Division 1 programs, you were 8. And now you bring in a different guy who has maybe a different vision. What is the balance between doing a lot of what you did that worked and his system?

[Drew Allar]

Yeah, I think that's, that's a great point. You know, last year, obviously the game before the national championship game, and I had three new coordinators last year, Offensive coordinator, defense coordinator, special teams coordinator, were all new retain the special teams coordinator, retained the offensive coordinator and then, and then went out and was able to get Jim Knowles. All these discussions, we're not in a point where we can afford to start over, right? Like, Jim, you're coming here. We already got a really good foundation. I've been fortunate. Every defensive coordinator that's worked for me has had a top 10 defense. I think that obviously a lot of credit to those coaches, but it's also culturally kind of who we are and how we operate. So Jim, you know, we're not asking you to come in and change what we do in philosophical. We do a lot of things the same. We both are four down fronts. We've been attack style, we play man and zone, so it fit for him as well. So, you know, what can stay the same, what needs to change and let's get rolling and he's done a really good job. You know, obviously he's been a defense coordinator for a long time. He's been a head coach. He's been great.

[Colin Cowherd]

Any good questions I should ask him? I'm going to be a real journalist here. Probing journalist. What do I ask Drew? What, anything good I should ask him?

[Drew Allar]

Well, what I will say is you're just going to love him. He's just, he's a great person. He's obviously gotten better each year. You, you look at kind of his recruiting journey. It's different, it's old school. He was not a high profile recruiter. I think he was a three star recruit when we first started recruiting him. Ends up being based on what rankings you look at, the number one recruit in the country. It's gotten better every single year he's been on campus. He's never looked to, to leave. He's never leveraged anybody. He's what you want if, if you got an organization, whether it's the NFL or college, he's the type of guy you want leading organization. It's about the team. It's about, you know, the, the community. He's the best. So, so you're going to love him. I, I think you're going to be a big fan when you get to spend some time. And that's the other thing I want to do. I want to invite you. Yeah. If you haven't been to Happy Valley in a while, you're talking me to. But the Nittany lion and we redid it. It's been gutted. It's brand new. You need to come, you need to come for a game this year. Check it out. It's a special place. We'd love to have you do your show from Happy Valley. We'd love to have you.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's really. You know, Ryan Day didn't offer me that yesterday. I like that James Franklin's recruiting me, baby. That's how he gets all those good players. It's great seeing you.

[Drew Allar]

Thank you so much. Really appreciate the opportunity to be on your show.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. I thought James Franklin had a very interesting comment. If you listen very closely when he talked about Drew Aller and he said he never tried to leave us and he never tried to leverage us. You know who else could have done that and didn't? Arch Manning. The one quarterback whose dad stepped in and did that, Nico Iamaliava, went from Stack, Tennessee to probably the ninth best team in the Big Ten. UCLA doing his son an injustice. Yeah, it's amazing. We've talked about this before. Dads are squeezing so hard. Their intentions are good. Drew Aller. No. Could have made more money elsewhere. Arch Manning was playing backup. He's more talented than Quinn. Yours easily. Quinn. Yours got drafted in the seventh round. Arch is going in the first. Dads didn't step in and leverage it. It's like I always say about the G League. Do you watch the NBA Finals this year? How many great G Leaguers were in it? Really? That one year of money is not worth going to Duke where all your games are on television and you can leverage it into a much better shoe deal. It's just amazing. I'm not saying Dad's intentions are bad, but the top two quarterbacks, in my opinion, in this draft, could have leveraged. The school didn't. Don't think NFL GMs don't see that. I've said it. Quarterback dad has become pageant mom. Intentions are good, outcomes often aren't. All right, J. Mac, you know you always do Tomorrow's headlines today on Friday, where you predict the future. You're not the only guy on this show that can predict outcomes. And sports and entertainment go hand in hand. So the recent NBA off season got me thinking about sports and entertainment. And I have some upcoming attractions in the NBA. First up, we have a new movie about the Clippers adding some seasoned veterans. The movie for the Clippers is the Bucket List. The league's oldest team has one more thing to check off. The oldest team in the NBA last year just got older. If they start Chris Paul, Harden, Kawhi Batum and Lopez. Their starting lineup would be 36 and a half years old. The Bucket list. Up next, the Nuggets new film could be a blockbuster. We're calling it. Here you go, winners. Better support starting cast allows Jokic to go from Joker to Jordan. Bruce Brown, Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr. Looks pretty good to me. Never played with an all Star, but this is a cast of depth and talent. The Nuggets now have the third best championship title odds. Next up we have the Houston Rockets. They've gotten more star power in their film and the movie in Houston will be called Training Day. Hard nose veterans brought in to carry a younger cast. It's KD Dorian, Finney Smith, one of the league's best three and D guys. Clint coming Capella. Very young team bringing veterans in. Second best title. I can't wait to watch Houston play.

[James Franklin]

By the way, training Day is amazing. One of the. One of my favorite Denzel movies ever.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now from. From the Warriors, a sequel that nobody asked for. Taken three. We get it. You took all his friends and. And now Steph has to take all the threes. The only team that did not make any moves in the off season, Steph is 37. Draymond's 35. Buddy Heald is 32. Jimmy Butler is 35. They have not advanced past the second round since winning the title in 2022. And finally, the new movie coming out out for your Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron realizes in horror this team is not his timeline. Get out. Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton are the additions. LeBron expected to retire after the season. It's not even calling. New Lakers catch out coming to an NBA season in Los Angeles near you. J.

[James Franklin]

Man, that is excellent. Shout out. Major props for that one, by the way. Get out.

[Colin Cowherd]

Great movie.

[James Franklin]

And I mean, you know, listen, LeBron, get out. I like that. Well done. Excellent. Five stars on that bad boy.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thank you very much. By the way, we have Drew Aller coming up last hour. You know, it is funny though, when James Franklin came on and it was just subtle about Drew Aller. Nobody tried to leave, nobody tried to use leverage. I tell my kids this all the time, stop. Don't chase money, chase management, chase situations, chase environment. It's amazing. This is why I say quarterback dads become pageant mom. All these quarterbacks bouncing around to get the best deal. Now in some instances, like a coach gets fired or there's a new coach that doesn't want you, like, I understood, like, like, Bo, Nick's going to Oregon. Like, the thing at Auburn felt like it ran out. There's a lot of changes in chaos. He goes to Oregon. That's different. I'm not saying you can't change. I listen, I've moved all over the country for jobs. I get it. But Drew Aller and Arch Manning would have gotten more money leaving. I mean, I mean, again, Texas has a lot of money, but they're paying a lot of players. But it's like I understood Caleb Williams going from Oklahoma to USC because he was following an offensive coach. Like, I get that. That move. I get Lincoln Riley is the best offensive coach at that time in college football, arguably. Like, I. I get that. But when James Allen, James Franklin said that, it was very interesting. He didn't leverage it. It's like a cautionary tale. Nick Iamaliava, when he was at Tennessee, a great program. Nico, is it Nico, yeah. I like him. He I very draftable player. I like him a lot. He's got a whip. He's a very good player. I'm not against the kid at all. I hope he does well. But Tennessee's got better offensive linemen, better receivers. It's just a better football environment. You play against better athletes in the sec. I think in that schedule you have a better home. Home environment.

[James Franklin]

I mean, here's my only thing with, with Drew, where was he gonna go? They got to the semifinals. It was a super close game. They easily could have been in the championship. He had a bad game, but if he actually took a second and looked at his improvement. Colin completion percentage 59 two years ago, 66 last year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, I know.

[James Franklin]

And he went from a dink and dunk guy. Yards per attempt went from 6.8 to 8.4. So he is showing all the signs. I just, I mean, I like the dig from Franklin. Clearly a shot at the sec. I just don't know where he could have gone. Because you're right, the arrows really pointing up for this kid. I don't know that there was a better landing spot. Could he have made 3 million more?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, well, the Nico Ian Maliava situation, I should take back that. He played against better teams, but Tennessee has better players. So Nico Emaliava at practice would play against Tennessee players. I always said this. If you play at Georgia or LSU or Ohio State, you go against those players in practice. Like if, if you're sitting there and you're the quarterback for Ohio State, dude, you're going against NFL first round corners. That's the advantage of a quarterback going to play at these big schools. Practice. Yeah, you're getting the best coordinators. And like Tennessee program, they pay their coaches double what they pay ucla. They've got twice as many NFL bodies now the sec. And depending on your schedule, who plays against better players. But I wouldn't, if I was a quarterback, I would go to Tennessee over ucla. I would go to a big school if I was offered. Because just if nothing else, the facilities and who I face in practice, I'm throwing two more NFL level tight ends. So it feels more like the NFL at Tennessee than it does ucla.

[James Franklin]

Let me ask you. So a year ago at this time, everybody was talking about Carson Beck, the quarterback at Georgia. Oh, he's going to be the Heisman front runner. Potential number one. Everybody loved him. He clearly regressed, obviously losing lad McConkey and Brock Powers.

[Colin Cowherd]

He went for money.

[James Franklin]

Well, he did, but I don't think he was going to be the starter of Georgia.

[Colin Cowherd]

He did.

[James Franklin]

He got so much worse. Colin. Maybe it went to his head or whatever.

[Colin Cowherd]

You could, you could argue Carson Beck. So I wouldn't have gone from Georgia to Miami. But, but Ruiz, the big booster down in Miami, paid him a fortune. And, and maybe his takeaway, I mean my takeaway is Carson Beck was overvalued. Yeah. So he may be in the right taking the money. And Manning and Drew Aller are bigger, stronger, better quarterbacks than Carson Beck. Carson Beck may just be one of the. And you see this a lot, Shador Sanders. They're just going to be really good at one level and they're not really a top props spec like Carson Beck is not a first or a second round NFL.

[James Franklin]

Well, a year ago at this time everybody was saying he was was because he looks the part. He's like a Justin Herbert. He's like six four, strapping, big dude, huge arm. He's the prototypical quarterback. So everybody thought, oh, he's the next guy. And then he starts playing and it's like he ain't the dude. I, I think you know, Drew kind of falls into that bucket at Penn State.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm telling you, this is this quarterback draft class if you need one. Cleveland's got two first round picks. Rams have two first round picks. New Orleans is going to find out very quickly. You know, Spencer Rattler is not the answer. I'm telling you. Keep your eye. Cause Aller and Arch Manning are going to be good. I think the kid at Clemson is really good. Yeah.

[James Franklin]

I keep an eye on Sellers.

[Colin Cowherd]

He is crazy productive. Now it is the acc, but that kid is crazy. It doesn't make any mistakes. He's highly productive. Keep your eye on Nuss Meyer at lsu.

[James Franklin]

I need to see more. I'm sorry.

[Colin Cowherd]

I do too. But. But there's something there. He's definitely an NFL quarterback. What round? But if he moves into a first round quarterback, it is a stacked NFL quarterback draft. Okay. Have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant and their fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back. And Degree listened. That doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and they're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's antiperspirant. And it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under four bucks. So try and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target to try the OG degree. Cool rush for yourself.

[Bob Crawford]

Join iHeartRadio and Sarah Spain in celebrating the one year anniversary of iHeart Women's.

[Colin Cowherd]

Sports with powerful interview and insider analysis. Our shows have connected fans with the heart of women's Sports. In just one year, the network has launched 15 shows and built a community united by passion podcasts that amplify the voices of women in sports. Thank you for supporting iHeart women's sports and our founding sponsors E L F Beauty, Capital One and Novartis.

[Bob Crawford]

Just open the free iHeart app and.

[Colin Cowherd]

Search iHeart Women's Sports to listen now.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History Hotline, a different type of podcast.

[James Franklin]

You, the listener, ask the questions.

[Colin Cowherd]

Did George Washington really cut down a cherry tree?

[Bob Crawford]

Were JFK and Marilyn Monroe having an affair?

[James Franklin]

And I find the answers.

[Colin Cowherd]

I am so glad you asked me this question.

[Bob Crawford]

This is such a ridiculous story. You can listen to American History Hotline.

[Colin Cowherd]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Ian Pfaff, the creator and host of the Uncle Chris Podcast. My Uncle Chris was a real character.

[Drew Allar]

A garbage truck driver from South Carol.

[Colin Cowherd]

Who is now buried in Panama City alongside the founding families of Panama. He also happens to be responsible for the craziest night of my life. Wild stories about adventure, romance, crime, history and war intertwine as I share the tall tales and hard truths that have helped me understand Uncle Chris. Listen now to Uncle Chris on Will.

[Drew Allar]

Ferrell's Big Money Players Network, on the.

[Colin Cowherd]

Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Bob Crawford]

This is an I Heart podcast.