Colin Cowherd Podcast - College Football Playoff Reaction: Indiana Rolls The Tide, Oregon Throttles Texas Tech, Miami Upsets Ohio State

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd — College Football Playoff Reaction: Indiana Rolls The Tide, Oregon Throttles Texas Tech, Miami Upsets Ohio State

Date: January 2, 2026
Host: Colin Cowherd, with guests John Middlekauff & Mark Schlabach

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into a dramatic set of College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals, analyzing Indiana’s stunning rout of Alabama (the “Tide”), Oregon’s domination of Texas Tech, and Miami’s upset of Ohio State. The hosts break down how these results reflect broader changes in college football—especially with the expanded playoffs, NIL, and transfer portal shifts—while also discussing coaching trends and NFL draft implications. The conversation blends tactical analysis, scouting talk, and broader reflections on the evolving landscape of the sport.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Indiana 38, Alabama 3: Hoosiers Dismantle the Tide

[03:09]–[12:30]

• Pre-Game Predictions:

  • Colin and guests anticipated Indiana’s success due to Alabama’s season-long struggles, notably with their running game and QB Ty Simpson’s performance under pressure.
  • “Even the games in which I love their game plan, John, they can’t run the football. And Ty Simpson to me if you pressure him…” (Colin, 04:44)

• Indiana’s Physical Dominance:

  • The Hoosiers, under coach Kurt Signetti, are described as the “best-coached team in the country,” drawing parallels to NFL operation levels and the Don James-era Washington Huskies.
  • “You might as well just take Indiana away and throw a blue blood brand on it... They're as good as any team we've seen the last several years. They just have a different brand.” (John, 06:22)
  • Mark highlights Indiana’s tackling and physical edge: “They’re the best tackling team I’ve seen in college football… Indiana runs the ball on everybody.” (Mark, 06:45)

• Scheme & Culture:

  • Indiana uses creative, physical run schemes (pulling linemen into the backfield), and has one of the Big Ten’s best linemen, despite not recruiting at a blue-chip level.

• Preparation and Coaching:

  • The Hoosiers showed NFL-level preparation, notably sniffing out Alabama’s fake punt without overcommitting.
  • “They were so prepared for it… This team is coached almost professionally at Indiana.” (Mark, 08:21)

• Indiana’s Talent vs. Recruiting Stereotypes:

  • Left tackle, the Big Ten’s best, isn’t even a high draft pick, reinforcing Signetti’s coaching chops.

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QB Focus: Fernando Mendoza's Rise and Draft Stock

[11:12]–[19:11]

• Performance Against the Blitz:

  • Mendoza was “unbelievable” vs. the blitz, reminiscent of young Andrew Luck in size and poise.
  • “Mendoza, he’s a big… and when you’re six-five and you run… Mendoza has a way of running… suddenly you look up and he got seven yards running.” (Mark, 12:17)

• Reliability and Intelligence:

  • Excels at short throws and “doesn’t miss layups,” likened to Justin Herbert and Drake Maye for decision-making.
  • “He just hits all of that stuff… 68% career completion…” (Mark, 13:02)

• NFL Readiness:

  • “I haven’t talked to anyone with questions anymore. I think he’s cemented as the number one guy.” (John, 13:29)
  • Emphasized as an “easy QB to profile” due to Indiana’s NFL-style offense. “You can watch 25, 35 plays of Indiana and you know, what throws he can make and what he can and can’t do.” (Mark, 16:06)

• Character and Leadership:

  • Story of Mendoza’s organizational skills (“could be running JPMorgan Chase if he didn’t play football”), drawing direct parallels to Andrew Luck.
  • “He just happens to be six-five, athletic, big arm, likes football… could easily have just… run Stanford University.” (John, 13:58)

• Contrast with Alabama’s Ty Simpson:

  • “When you juxtapose him with Mendoza, it’s a different looking player… Mendoza looks physically different… much more poised under pressure.” (Mark, 16:29 / John, 16:52)

• Teammate Magnetism:

  • “The entire team… gravitated toward him… these guys love this guy.” (John, 19:11)

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Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0: Ducks Crush in a Defensive Show

[19:43]–[22:07]

• Oregon’s Defensive Showcase:

  • Texas Tech limited to just 88 yards in the first half. Oregon “should have blown them out 35-0.”
  • Freshman DB Brandon Finney with three interceptions: “He’s going to be a star at Oregon.” (Mark, 19:49)

• Lessons for the Playoff Committee:

  • Automatic qualifiers like James Madison and Tulane, plus Texas Tech (the “weakest schedule of final eight”) all got “blown out”—fuel for reevaluating inclusion criteria.
  • “Let’s stop this nonsense that everybody, let’s be fair… football’s not inclusive… size, force, speed, raw talent wins.” (Mark, 20:24)

• Oregon’s Recruiting & Talent Pipeline:

  • Oregon’s booster-driven, star-powered West Coast pipeline and Dan Lanning’s ability to combine recruiting with physicality.

• Dante Moore vs. Mendoza:

  • Moore described as not ready for the NFL, should “absolutely” return to Oregon.
  • “Dante should… come back… he’s going to be 21 next year in college… still a lot to improve on.” (John, 22:07)

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Miami 24, Ohio State 14: Canes Upset the Buckeyes

[29:11]–[40:33]

• Miami Bully-Balls Ohio State:

  • Miami’s physical style compared to Georgia; the hosts observe that tournament expansion has shaken up the predictability of the sport.
  • “Do you want Bama, Georgia, Clemson in three of the next four national champions? ... Is it Miami? Is it Indiana? Is it Georgia? We know it’s not Bama. That’s the NFL, John. You don’t know.” (Mark, 31:29)

• Tournament Parity and Unpredictability:

  • New playoff format brings NFL-style uncertainty, where best teams aren’t clear until late, enhancing fan intrigue and competition.

• Ohio State’s Offensive Struggles:

  • Three straight poor offensive games, with youth and OL exposure a factor. “Julian Saiyan is a kid... needs two more years in college and he’s not hyper athletic.” (Mark, 29:30)

• Miami and Indiana: The New Powers:

  • Miami’s bullying style, huge linemen, and NFL-bound defenders set the tone.
  • “When you have bad tackles… Indiana, same thing… it’s about line of scrimmage.” (John, 32:54)

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Broader Takeaways: College Football's New Era

[40:33]–[43:41]

• Expanded Playoffs = More Teams, More Drama:

  • “Four weeks ago we both thought the Rams were the most complete team... Now? You have to watch all the games.” (Mark, 38:38)
  • No more “blue blood” guarantee—schools like Miami & Indiana now thrive through physicality and depth, not just talent.

• Change in What Wins:

  • “If you aren’t a physical team on the line of scrimmage, you’re not… Alabama can’t run the ball.” (John, 39:16)
  • “I would say Oregon has really turned into a physical [team]—that’s the Dan Lanning mindset brought from Saban and Kirby Smart. It’s going to translate…” (John, 39:36)

• Recruiting is Changing:

  • The transfer portal and NIL are now more impactful than traditional high school recruiting.
  • “The transfer portal which opens tomorrow… has clearly proven to be much more impact. Look at Fernando Mendoza. On a year-to-year basis, the transfer portal has changed the playoffs.” (John, 49:52)

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The Lincoln Riley (USC) Coaching Conundrum

[40:57]–[50:35]

• Success Masking Structural Issues:

  • Lincoln Riley hailed as an offensive genius but criticized for neglecting defense, both at Oklahoma and USC.
  • “He has yet to develop a defense at Oklahoma or at USC... 16 missed tackles against TCU ... He develops quarterbacks, but what he doesn’t do...” (Mark, 41:01)

• Next Year Is Make or Break:

  • “Next year should be the year. They had a number one recruiting class… they’re spending... If they don’t become a playoff team, it’s reasonable to say it didn’t work out.” (Mark, 42:55)

• Transfer Portal > High School Class:

  • Even with top classes, player movement and immediate impact are now controlled by portal signings. “The transfer portal is actually much more impactful for next year than the class, right?” (John, 45:48)

• Scheduling Hurdles:

  • USC’s 2026 schedule includes “Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, at Indiana.” Prone to road losses in adverse conditions, which has plagued USC teams in recent years.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Indiana’s Coaching:

  • “It’s like Saban without the yelling, without the volume… almost a mad scientist. He’s always got a scowl.” (Mark, 07:53)

• On Mendoza’s Leadership:

  • “The entire team on that stage gravitated toward him… These guys love this guy.” (John, 19:11)

• On Playoff Parity:

  • “That’s the NFL, John. You don't know [the best team] until usually late third quarter Super Bowl. And that’s why ... Now, the attendance is up, the ratings are up. This is why it’s great.” (Mark, 31:43)

• On Oklahoma’s Downfall:

  • “Oklahoma, the quarterback, I don’t know what happened to him, but he fell off a cliff.” (John, 38:30)

• On USC’s Defensive Recruiting:

  • “They better get… whoever Texas Tech’s on for the defensive line. I would just call those guys.” (John, 50:11)
  • “David Bailey was from Stanford. USC passed on him. He goes to Texas Tech. You can't block him. So there you go.” (Mark, 50:35)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:09] Indiana’s domination of Alabama begins
• [06:45] Indiana’s physicality and coaching analysis
• [12:17] Mendoza compared to Andrew Luck, breakdown of his strengths
• [16:06] NFL evaluation of Mendoza; QB juxtaposition with Simpson
• [19:43] Oregon-Texas Tech game recap, playoff selection debate
• [22:07] Dante Moore’s future analyzed
• [29:11] Miami upsets Ohio State, offensive woes for Buckeyes
• [31:29] Playoff expansion discussion and impact on sport
• [38:38] Modern parity in college football, shift in power
• [40:57] USC and Lincoln Riley’s struggles, future outlook
• [49:52] The transfer portal’s influence on immediate team building

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Conclusion

The 2026 College Football Playoff semifinals mark a potential sea change in the sport, with traditional powers upended by more physical, expertly-coached teams like Indiana and Miami. The episode underscores how coaching, player development, and new transfer/NIL dynamics have overturned old hierarchies. Meanwhile, perennial discussions about coaching (Lincoln Riley, Dan Lanning, Mario Cristobal) and the future of programs like USC hint at even more shakeups to come.

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If you missed the games:

• Indiana is being described as the “new Georgia”—brutally physical, NFL-style, out-coaching blue bloods.
• Miami and Oregon are also lauded for their physical dominance, indicative of where the power in college football is shifting.
• The playoff format has created true parity, meaning compelling, unpredictable football is now the norm rather than the exception.

Final Thought:
As Mark says, “I just love… God, it’s 38 to 3 now Indiana.” ([51:23]) College football may never be the same.

Transcript

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Final episode of this season of Next Question pulls together the most important conversations of the year. You'll hear David Graham on Project 2025, Liz Oyer on the plethora of presidential pardons, Tina Brown on the year's biggest scandals here at home and the Pond, plus much, much more. It's a crash course in the last 12 months, how we made it through the year, and a look at what might be coming in 2026. Listen to next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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What's up? It's Cam Jordan. I'm back with season three of your favorite podcast, the off the Edge with Cam Jordan Podcast. Tap in every Wednesday and to hear conversations with my friends and stars for the NFL, the sports world in general, and entertainment about anything from teams and players making waves to pop culture. And I'll take you inside my journey through my 15th season in the NFL. Looking forward to you joining me this season. The season of More on the off the Edge with Cam Jordan Podcast.

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The Volume Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet, the official sportsbook partner of the Tampa Bay Bucks and the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's week 18. Playoff spots are on the line. If you think you know how it's going to play out, build a same game parlay on Hard Rock Bet and turn game day into payday. Or if you're more into college football football. The playoff semifinals are here too. Massive matchups. You don't want to miss any of those. And if you missed kickoff, don't worry. Hard Rock Bet has live in game betting, so you're never too late for the action. Find a winner or grab that player prop you meant to play and live bet on college or pro football between snaps in just a few easy taps. So if you haven't tried your first bet on hard rock bet, there's time. Get 150 bucks in bonus bets. If you win, just place a $5 bet. If it hits you not only get your winnings, but you also get an extra 150 in bonus bets. Hard Rock Bet New promos every day downlo the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit payable in bonus bets. Not a cash offer offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC in Alder states must be 21 + and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call-888- admit it in Indiana. If you or somebody you know has a problem wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- Gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia Foreign. Mittelkoff and I are going to do some college football stuff tonight. Everything from Ohio State losing Lincoln, Riley's current situation at usc, the Oregon win, the Indiana route of Alabama. There's a lot to talk about. Let's start with Indiana. It's, you know, there's two I had two strong feelings going into today. I didn't have a strong feeling on Oregon, Texas Tech. I Thought it would be ugly and low scoring and it was for Texas Tech. I thought nine and a half to Miami was the side and I thought Indiana was going to blow out Alabama. I've watched Alabama play. This is probably the sixth time I've yet to watch them play a complete game. Even the games in which I love their game plan, John, they can't run the football. And Ty Simpson to me if you pressure him. I, I just thought Indiana was going to get a big relentless pass rush and I was going to have. I think Mendoza is great. I think he's really good college quarterback. Are you shocked Indiana, we're doing this now when they lead 24 nothing. It's not competitive. Are you shocked by the ease of it?

[John Middlekauff]

Well, I'm not once you watch it. But going into it, you have these long breaks between. This isn't the NFL right where you play every week. So you kind of forget. And then I go, oh yeah, they were the team that just beat Ohio State and have as good of a defense. They hit Colin like they're the University of Miami and the brand, let's face it, once you don't watch them for a couple of weeks, it kind of seeps back in and then you realize, no, this is the best coach team in the country. Right. And I'm sure we'll get into usc. They would die to have a coach this physical. I mean, one thing, you watch Signetti, he runs an NFL operation. They bring an offensive lineman in the backfield. They have a physical presence in their run game. They run. You know, Fernando Mendoza is an extremely talented player, but he excels because they have a great defense, a great running game of physical, you know, just operation. And then he dominates within that. And to me they're, they're coordinators and their head coaches mentality. You might as well just take Indiana away and throw a blue blood brand on it. For those of us that have been watching college football forever because we're thrown off by Indiana, but they're as good as any team we've seen the last several years. They just have a different brand.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah. And I think if you watch their tackling, they're the best tackling team I've seen in college football. I mean, I keep, I keep thinking over the last 24 hours, Miami and Indiana are the two most physically capable teams in the country. I think Georgia's good, but I've seen Georgia struggle offensively for long stretches. Indiana runs the ball on everybody and Indiana, their receivers. I don't know how great they are they make tough catches. I mean, they just. That team catches the ball. They tackle exceedingly well. They've run on everybody to some degree. And I was sitting there, I was talking to an NFL GM today about Kurt Signetti, and he knew him and he said his dad is coaching. He said what he basically has done. He's the opposite of Lane Kiffin, where, you know, he had, you know, a dad that coached, but he wasn't this like high flying hot candidate. He just did everything. He's run recruiting, he's a CEO that's been in every department of the company until he gets the company. And he's so well versed in recruiting and o line play and like, I mean, just everything. They're so buttoned up. I told a buddy today, they'll remind me. You would remember this kind of the Don James Huskies, when Washington was a national power. They had very good talent, not always the best, but very good talent and NFL quarterback. But they always won special teams, they were great tackling, they ran on everybody and they'd hit on occasional big plays. And it didn't matter who they were playing. It could be usc, but you always felt like you had the best coach. And when I watched Signetti's team, I'm like, it's like Saban without the yelling, without the volume. Like he just sits on that sideline. He's almost a mad scientist. He's always got a scowl. I'm just, I think Signetti's teams are so tight and so smart. John, when Alabama tried that fake punt early in the game and they were going to punt, then they moved Ty Simpson up to the line and Hoosier players were all like, it was almost. They were so prepared for it. And then they didn't bite on like three fakes. And I was like, okay. A lot of college teams would bite on this. This team is coached almost professionally at Indiana.

[John Middlekauff]

To me, two things always stand out for physical football teams because, you know, any team with good defensive linemen can look like a physical team. Do your defensive backs hit theirs? Do. And can you? And can you run the ball in any situation? They can. And obviously their quarterback factors into the run game as well because he can take off at any moment. But they had the offensive lineman in the Big Ten of the year. You know, when you think who has the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten, what do you think? Iowa? Michigan? You know, historically Pete's teams would have had a bunch of them back in the day, right? Oregon's had a ton of offensive linemen. No, it's the Indiana left tackle. And you know what's funny is I start texting around, I'm like, is this guy a blue chip, you know, high round pick? They're like, well, we don't know if he's going to come out, but he's probably going to be a guard. So it's not like he's doing this with a guy that's going to go number, you know, it's. This isn't Joe Alt playing left tackle. So there is. Listen, I worked for Pat Hill, who used to employ Kurt Signetti's brother Frank. And my cousin was on those teams in the mid-2000s. He's like, you know what's funny is hearing Kurt talk. Frank was a lot. They have a little arrogance about him. They've been around football their entire life.

[Mark Schlabach]

That's right.

[John Middlekauff]

And like you said, this guy wasn't handed. Like, even when he got to work for Nick Saban, he had already kind of worked his way up. I saw Philip Rivers. Did you see the clip? He was Philip Rivers quarterback coach and offensive coordinator in Philadelphia about 20 years ago. That was before Nick Saban. But then he took, you know, Nick Saban said, you know, I remember on game day earlier this year, he said, I used to present my coaches sometimes, you know, these jobs. Hey, Jimmy came to me, so and so, jobs open. And everyone in the room would laugh, you know, like Iupi and the one guy that used to always rate Kurt Signetti was always interested in like, I'm ready, I want to, because I want to be a head coach. And you and I talk a lot about this with the coordinators thing in the NFL. You know, Fangio Flores about to get a. These coordinators are now making five, six million dollars. Like you can be a coordinator for a long time and make millions of dollars. You know, in college historically, like sometimes if you weren't getting a call, you might have to take a lower tier job and it could shoot you right up. And it took him a long time. Like when he said google me, everyone laughed, rightfully so, because it was funny. But when you did Google him, it's got a little Kalyn DeBoer. Like, all he did was win at a lower level. That usually translates.

[Mark Schlabach]

So Mendoza is so interesting to me against the blitz today. At the time we're doing this, he was six for six. And what's the two things that jumped out about this game? Coming into this game, every team with a bye was.06. And what you had noticed and you saw this with Ohio State, they weren't physically ready. They got pushed around for the first quarter because when you have 2 or 3 weeks off, you don't tackle a lot. And you watch the first two series, Indiana, Alabama, Indiana was tackling Indiana. You could tell Kurt Signetti their time off. They hit, they did hitting. And that's what's really the difference is you just don't tackle much when you have time off. You're giving 19, 20 year old kids three, four weeks off. They may, you know, they may be a little undisciplined, right? They're with their buddies, they're hanging out, they're not hitting as much in practice. So that's the first thing. The second thing with Mendoza, I know he doesn't. He reminds me a lot of Andrew Luck. Now Luck, I think was a better scrambler, but Mendoza, and I'm watching this here live, Mendoza on two or three times today, decided, I'm going to run. John, he's big. He is a big. And when you're six, five and you run and you just lean forward, you see this with Josh Allen or Ben or Cam Newton, it's an extra three yards. These guys are big. Mendoza has a way of running. He doesn't blow you away, but he leans into it and all of a sudden you look up and you're like, oh, he got, he got seven yards running. And the other thing that jumps out to me about him, he doesn't miss on the bubble screens, on the stuff out of the flat. Like it's a little the opposite of Kayla Williams where you love the high side. You don't know about the layups this kid gives me. He's like Herbert. He doesn't miss the layups, all the stuff underneath, the drag routes, the flats, all your bubble stuff. He's 100 for 100. He just hits on all of that stuff. I don't know. I know a lot of people say they have questions about him, but 68% career completion percentage, he's unbelievable against the blitz. That's a little Drake May, by the way. Drake May is very good against the blitz, which usually year two in the NFL you're not. I don't. I can't believe he would not be the number one pick.

[John Middlekauff]

Yeah, I mean, I haven't talked to anyone with questions anymore. I mean, I think he's cemented as the number one guy. I think after today. Again, I'm not trying to overreact to one game, but I think most people are kind of universally rooting for Dante Moore to Go back to school. Yes. He doesn't have to go to the jets because at the end of the day when you're coming out as a quarterback, these guys are making millions of dollars in college and you get, you get a raise when you're a top pick. But ultimately you're, you're trying to play in the NFL for a decade plus and make hundreds of millions of dollars. And we now have a couple recent examples. Trey Lance, Anthony Richardson and Dante Moore's better than those guys. But like their career's done ever making money like that, that rookie contract. So you see Fernando Mendoza, like you know this game against the Raiders and the Chiefs, I mean the Chiefs right now have the ninth pick. They are incentivized to lose because depending on how it shakes out, they could be as high as eight. Well, it's not just drafting eight. Well, they only would have to give a second round pick, maybe to move up three or four slots to get the best defensive player on the board. It's a. Or they go back like that's a prime position. I mean the Chiefs have been drafting 32, so 80. Reed is incentivized to lose his game against the Raiders. Now potentially, if the Giants lose the Cowboys, I think the Raiders can still keep it, win or lose the game. But like that's a guy and then obviously the character, how smart the kid is, I mean he's just a high level guy. When they told the story about him getting all the guys in the Heisman, everyone who was going to attend, their background information, you know what that sounded like? A guy that if he didn't play football and had gone to Calor, Indiana would be running, taking over for Jamie dimon in like 15, 20 years and would be one of those. He would be, he would crush it in life. He just happens to be 6, 5, athletic, big arm, likes football. That same, same thing with Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck could have easily just never played football, ran an architecture firm. Not, not ran Stanford football, but ran Stanford, the university. And that's what to me and people like he's kind of goofy, you know, kind of likes goofy coaches. They don't want to have to worry about you. You know, you know the Cousins thing. Look, the knock on Cousins was, he was, wasn't that he was like goofy and religious. It was, he wasn't good enough. That, that was. The people love the guy from the jump. It was, he wasn't talented enough. That's not the case here. He's playing with NFL wide receivers too. The Surat kid Definitely is. I mean, Becker, the little white guys making plays left and right. That goes okay because Indiana looks like an NFL team. They like to run the ball. They have a couple of wide receivers. They run NFL schemes with. Signetti. Yeah, it immediately translates to me. The question is like, if I'm him, hey, spy tech Tom Brady, can we clean up the organization a little bit before I just sign up to come here? Because I'm not signing up for everything that's going on there right now.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah. I talked to an NFL head coach three weeks ago and he told me that Mendoza is one of the easiest quarterbacks to profile going into a draft because Indiana runs so much NFL stuff. He goes, it's so easy. He goes, you can watch 25, 35 plays of Indiana and you know, what throws he can make and what he. What he can and can't do. He's going to be.

[John Middlekauff]

I mean, he made every throw today that you would see on an NFL game Saturday or Sunday.

[Mark Schlabach]

And by the way, everybody loves Ty Simpson. I talked to a general manager two weeks ago. I said, I don't get it. I think he's just a guy. And. And the GM said he is just a guy. Bama's got great, great wide receivers. Kalyn DeBoer is an excellent offensive coach. He couldn't do anything today. And when you juxtapose him with Mendoza, it's a different looking player.

[John Middlekauff]

They're not close. I would say, I would put say in there too. I mean, Mendoza looks physically different than saying he looks much more poised under pressure. That's the other thing. He moves forward. You watch Ty Simpson and saying, they kind of go backwards or sideways. Mendoza is looking to go forward. And that is a big deal for sacks. I mean, yesterday sand was sacked like five times for like almost 50 yards. You know, you can't take seven eight yard sacks in college, let alone in the NFL. Their drive, I think 95% of drives end on a punt when you take a sack. So when you see Mendoza, like there were plays where Bama was close to him, he moved away, he moved forward. I. Isn't he a good example too of. We've seen this now with Burrow, you know, Baker, years ago, guys that just stay in college get better, work on their craft. And now with the transfer portal, you can really line yourself up. Kind of a unique situation. People go, why weren't all these other teams interested? His brother was on the team, so there was obviously connection with the family, but he definitely made the right decision. If other people were Calling.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah, he played at Cal for two years. So you can't just look at him at Indiana and go, well, he's got NFL guys. Cal is, you know, Cal had Jared Goff, Cal had Aaron Rodgers. These places like Cal or NC State, which don't have five star guys, right? Like you have to play with average guys, college football players. Kurt Signetti has done a lot of high end recruiting. I mean if you go. But he worked with Saban, did a lot of recruiting. He spotted him and I just, he's easy to root for. I've always said one of the things that turns me off with quarterbacks is trying to be cool. The Johnny Manziel, the Cam Newton, you know, I want to be cool. Baker had a little bit of that, but not as much. Baker was, I think, really a smart kid. He just, he had a chip on his shoulder. It wasn't a cool thing. It was a chip, chip on his shoulder thing. But Jay Cutler had a little bit of that. Little aloof, little too cool for school. I like dorky guys. I liked Luck, Tom Brady, his first 10 years was dorky. I mean, he was his first 10 years.

[John Middlekauff]

I mean, Peyton Manning I don't think is like Mr. Cool Guy walking in the room. You know, he's like a football nerd.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah, I mean like, like, like Kirk Cousins. Say what you want, that dude should get an extension. He's still slinging it. So I don't know, I just, I, I find Mendoza to be a remarkable young man and I'm, I think he's going to crush in the NFL, you.

[John Middlekauff]

Know, all that matters. Colin. And I think you saw this in the Ohio State game when his teammates, the entire team on that stage, gravitated toward him. You know, whether you're 6 foot 5 or whether you're like Brock Purdy, who's in your corner as a quarterback. And we have a long now list of guys we've seen a lot in the NFL over the last 20 plus years where it's like, I don't think they like this guy that much. And you watch Mendoza in that Ohio State game and those guys gravitated toward him. I went, whoa, this guy's. And it's not like he'd been there three years, right? He'd only been there nine months. It's like these guys love this guy.

[Mark Schlabach]

By the way, now it's 31 to 3 Indiana, okay, Oregon beats Texas Tech 23 to nothing. Listen, Texas Tech had 88 yards offense in the first half. Dante Moore was 26 of 33 no touchdowns, one pick. It was a really, really ugly game. I think Oregon should have blown him out. 35, nothing. Dominated. Totally dominated. But they had penalties. I'll tell you, that Finney kid, that, that Brandon Finney kid had like three turn two picks, three picks. He had a freshman. He's going to be a star at Oregon. But again, so here's what we know about the playoff. James Madison, automatic qualifier, blown out. Tulane, automatic qualifier. Right. They get that bid, blown out. Texas Tech, weakest schedule of the final eight blown out. Not competitive. You would hope. This would be instructive going forward for the committee. Let's stop this nonsense that everybody, let's be fair. It's been always one of my knocks on the college football media and I understand newspaper guys tend to kind of lean left and inclusive and everybody. It's football. Football's not inclusive. It's for big, strong, lot of violent guys. Size force speed, raw talent wins. You watch Texas Tech offensively, how many guys could start for Oregon now? They had Bailey, the Russians, a stud who a former student.

[John Middlekauff]

Their defense was like an SEC paid for defense.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah, yeah, they're up front. They're, they're the real deal. But offensively that, that, that's a, that's just an average at best college football program. And so what we saw today is Oregon, who's been recruiting five star guys for a long time, buying them and recruiting them out of Southern Cal. Not just buying them, they, but they've crystal ball recruited. Dan Lanning can recruit. Even the coaches that haven't been great there could recruit. Oregon's had a pipeline California recruiting for 20 years and over the last 10 to 12 they beat USC on guys and now they've got a richer booster than usc. So Oregon's had the elite west coast talent for a long time. But I think my takeaway on this is Dante Moore. Again, compare him to Mendoza today. It's a different class, it's not the same guy. Dante should, in my opinion, Dante is going to be 21 next year in college. He should come back.

[John Middlekauff]

I'm in agreement. I mean I listen financially, historically it's like, yeah, if you could be a top five pick, you make so much money in this day and age, he's going to get a raise if he returns. I mean you could be talking about like an $8 million quarterback. I see a guy that's still. Listen, a lot of people in the NFL are in agreement like kind of rooting for him to go back. Yes. I text a couple people today. You Know the buzz? Yep, some. You know, I think within going into this month people thought that he was leaning coming out. You watch today like there's a lot to improve on. The other thing just from like a tangible aspect to his game. He's not a great athlete. You know, you watch him move around. No, this ain't like Caleb Williams, you know, this wasn't Mendoza running around today. So he's, he's a more, much more of a pocket quarterback than even I realized. And listen, they had what they say on the broadcast. They had 24 touchdowns by true freshman this year. I mean they were the youngest team in the country. They are. I mean they got a chance to be way better next year, which is crazy to say given that they're headed to the final four and they just made the playoffs last year. I mean this thing is rolling. I'm rooting for him to come back because I think it's fun to watch these teams kind of maintain like watching Indiana for a couple of years. But I think people are kind of torn. If he has more games like this. I think he could easily justify coming back. The other thing is like do you want to go to the Jets? Do you want to go to the Jets? And let's say you've made the last couple of years $10 million at Oregon. Okay, so you'll make sign the contract for $35 million. If it goes really poorly, you're not going to make any more money really. If it goes well and you're prepared. This is his first year starting. I know he started a little bit for Chip, but people don't. It was a disaster. Remember as like a true freshman, I think he goes back, hones his craft, improves like some of these guys. He's much more ready to make the move next year because he's going to go to a bad team no matter what and then he could have a long career being a multi contract guy. But the guy I saw today, he's fine. Like he's an exciting young prospect but you know, his like I'm rooting for him to return and financially now it's like they'll pay him a lot of money to stay.

[Mark Schlabach]

As we head into 2026, it's safe to say that 2025 was a year like no other. So much news, so much disruption and yes, so much division. That's why we're wrapping up this season of Next question with a look back at everything that's happened. Things are coming at us with such a velocity. We thought it was important to take a moment, connect the dots and explore what it all means. We're summing up the first year of Trump's second term with David Graham on Project 2025 and how many of the goals have been implemented. Richard Haass on foreign policy and the changing world order. Jessica Valenti on reproductive rights and the terrifying consequences of abortion bans. Tina Brown on the year scandals here and across the pond. The President has upended everything from pardons to the press, so we're covering it all. Listen to next question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middlekauff]

The social media trend that's landing some gen zers in jail. The progressive media darling who's public meltdown got her fired. I'm going to take Francesca off the network entirely. The massive TikTok boycott against Target. That makes no actual sense. I will continue getting stuff from Target and I will continue to not pay for it. And the MAGA influencers whose trip to the White House ended in embarrassment.

[Mark Schlabach]

So refreshing to have the press secretary after the last few years who's both intelligent and articulate.

[John Middlekauff]

You won't hear about these online stories in the mainstream media, but you can keep up with them and and all the other entertaining and outrageous things happening online in media and in politics with the Brad vs. Everyone podcast hosted by me, Brad Palumbo. Every day of the week I bring you on a wild ride through the most delulu takes on the Internet, criticizing the extremes of both sides from an independent perspective. Join in on the insanity and listen to the Brad vs. Everyone podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Mark Schlabach]

Hi, I'm Radhi Devlukia and I am.

[John Middlekauff]

The host of a really good Cry podcast. This week I am joined by Anna Runkle, also known as the crappy Childhood.

[Mark Schlabach]

Fairy, a creator, teacher and guide helping.

[John Middlekauff]

People heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods. We talk about how the things we went through when we were younger can still show up in our adult lives, in our relationships, our reactions, even in the way we feel in our own bodies. And Anna opens up about her own own story. What helped her notice the patterns she was stuck in and how she slowly started teaching her body that it is safe now.

[Mark Schlabach]

So when I got attacked, it was very random. Four guys jumped out of a car and just started beating me and my friend and they broke my jaw, my teeth.

[John Middlekauff]

I was unconscious.

[Mark Schlabach]

Then I woke up and I screamed and I screamed because even though I didn't know who I was or where I was. Something in me was just like, hold on, wait. They could kill me. And I'm not going to let that happen.

[John Middlekauff]

I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm gonna get through this. And I did listen to a really good cry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Mark Schlabach]

Like, if we're on the air here.

[John Middlekauff]

And I literally have my contract here.

[Mark Schlabach]

And I'm looking at, you know, as soon as I sign this, I'm gonna.

[John Middlekauff]

Get a seven figure check.

[Mark Schlabach]

I've told them I won't be working.

[John Middlekauff]

Here in two weeks.

[Mark Schlabach]

From the underground clubs that shaped global music to the pastors and creatives who.

[John Middlekauff]

Built the cultural empire, the Atlanta Is.

[Mark Schlabach]

Podcast cast uncovers the stories behind one of the most influential cities in the world. The thing I love about Atlanta is.

[John Middlekauff]

That it's a city of hustlers, man.

[Mark Schlabach]

Each episode explores a different chapter of Atlanta's rise, featuring conversations with ludicrous Will Packer, Pastor Jamal Bryant, DJ Drama, and more. The full series is available to listen to now. I really just had never experienced anything.

[John Middlekauff]

Like what was going on in the.

[Mark Schlabach]

City as far as like, you know.

[John Middlekauff]

Seeing so many, many young, black, affluent.

[Mark Schlabach]

Creatives in all walks of life. The church had dwindled almost to nothing.

[John Middlekauff]

And God said, this is your assignment. And that's like how, you know, like, okay, oh, you from Atlanta for real.

[Mark Schlabach]

I ain't gotta say too much.

[John Middlekauff]

I'm a Grady, baby. Shut up.

[Mark Schlabach]

Listen to Atlanta is on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You know, the shade is always shadiest right here. Season six of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Gisele Bryant and Robyn Dixon is.

[John Middlekauff]

Here dropping every Monday as two of.

[Mark Schlabach]

The founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac. We're giving you all the laughs, drama and reality news you can handle. And you know, we don't hold back. So come be reasonable or shady with us.

[John Middlekauff]

Each and every Monday, I was going through a walk in my neighborhood. Out of the blue, I see this.

[Mark Schlabach]

Huge sign next to somebody's house.

[John Middlekauff]

Okay? The sign says, my neighbor is a Karen. No way. I died laughing. I'm like, I have to know. You are lying. Humongous, y'.

[Mark Schlabach]

All.

[John Middlekauff]

They had some time on their hands, right? Listen to Reasonably Shady from the Black.

[Mark Schlabach]

Effect podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Ohio State gets thumped by Miami 24 14. You know, it's interesting. So Ohio State scored 14 points against Texas, 10 against Indiana and 14 against Miami. Now some of it is they lost Judkins and Travion Henderson, two great running backs. You have to go back to Sony Michelle and Nick Chubb at Georgia where you had a college team with two big time backs. I think their offensive line in a couple of spots is not very good. I think Julian Saiyan is a kid. I mean he's a kid. I mean he's, he needs two more years in college and he's not hyper athletic. He's a sit in the pocket and throw guy. They have very good wide receivers. Everybody knows that. But I would say one of the things I like about this tournament and I'm going to pat myself on the back. When the college football playoff came up, I said this is going to be better for college football. Do you want Bama, Georgia, Clemson in three of the next four national champions in college football until the last two years, you kind of knew in October who the best two teams were. I mean Ohio State lost to Michigan last year as a 20 point favorite, reeled off multiple wins. Wins. The Natty, you didn't know until the national championship was over. Oh my God, Ohio State's the best team in the country right now today. Is it Miami? Is it Indiana? Is it Georgia? We know it's not Bama. That's the NFL, John. You don't know and I don't know who the best team in the NFL is until, until usually late third quarter super bowl. And you're like, oh, okay, all right. That's why. Same with the world Series. We didn't know until game seven, final out, the Dodgers were better than the Blue Jays. And so, you know, I have no problem saying, I kept saying, folks, what are you holding onto? The sport's broken. The ratings were down, the attendance was down. Well, now the attendance is up, the ratings are up. This is why it's great. Because college football never allowed you to grow. If you had an awful loss in October like Miami loses to Louisville, it was over. John wrecked your season, your Fiesta bowl tops. And I'm watching Miami wreck Ohio State. And my takeaway today is Miami's going to face Indiana in the national championship. They even more than Indiana, they almost intimidated Ohio State's offensive line.

[John Middlekauff]

Well, let's use your NFL example. Take the Rams. If they played the Eagles in the first round, not crazy. They lose. Also not crazy. If I told you in three weeks they're in the super bowl. And that is what the NFL brings to the table. Which college Football never did. To me, the thing that stood out, I mean the difference in the game were the two tackles for Ohio State. One skates all night long and that was the difference in the game. And Mario's a good example of, you know, a guy who's viewed a little bit like a meathead by the media and people just around college football. But there is no disputing his understanding of talent and building a team. Like obviously where we sit today. Dan Lanning and Lincoln Riley, I think they were hired the same cycle. It's not even close. Right. But at the time they were hired, Dan Lanning's job at Oregon was. Came equipped. Why? Because Mario was a. I mean I think he's known as one of if not the best recruiters in the country. Yeah. And the team that he built, and he's a former lineman, the on the trenches they dominate. And I give him credit like Carson back was good last night. I think he was 50% on third down. He made some huge plays with his legs. Yep. You watch saying and Ty Simpson, they kind of look frazzled. He's very under control, very poised. I don't know. Been there before. Right. With Georgia, his record against the top teams. Mario crystal ball built a team to make a run in the playoffs. Ohio State in theory does. But when you have bad tackles, you got to play some of these teams. Indiana, same thing. Where could they take advantage of them? Line of scrimmage. And it's harder now because you can't stack. I bet historically it was like Orlando pace and the backup was Orlando Pace 2.0. Well, those days are done. It's harder to keep those guys. And so if you get an injury we saw last year, it's harder to piecemeal it even for the elites. And there's like, I don't put that loss as much on Ryan Day. I was like, bad play calling. Because there's nothing you can do when you find yourself in a situation where they have NFL high end pass rushers and your tackles are just completely. You can't call plays. Meanwhile, Mario, did you see the size of his two tackles? They both look like Trent Williams. They are massive. I had, I had NFL scouting directors texting me, did you see the right tackle shove that guy? I'm like, that guy has to weigh 350 pounds. And what did Mario talk about it after the game? He talked about it was saving this morning. The mass, the size, the toughness. And he kept using this term violence. Violence. Mario's kind of like from the Harbaugh Mold and it's not as pretty and he's lost some weird games, blowing it late. But in terms of the teams he built, like I would say even last year they were excellent on offense. Their defense was terrible. Well, now their offense, you know, is getting better and their defense is, I don't, it doesn't get any better. Like I would say Indiana and them feel like near the top, but Miami's got a few more juice with some high end NFL guys. Now Indiana's well coached and they're tough, but there's a, like, yeah, Miami's well coached and tough too, but they got a guy that's going to go in the top six, rushing the passer.

[Mark Schlabach]

I had a pretty good source inside the Miami. I will just say I had a really good source inside of Miami. And their takeaway was going into the game they felt they were going to bully Ohio State and they also felt Indiana was the best coach team they've seen this year. So the Miami people, like, they have respect for everybody, right? But they're like, they know how well Indiana's coached. They, they, they thought Indiana was going to thump Alabama and Miami felt that game was exactly what Miami thought they were going to do. They didn't think Ohio State was going to be able to move the ball. So Miami's got great confidence on what they do. That game turned out like Miami people thought it was going to turn out.

[John Middlekauff]

When they gave the stat last night that Ohio State hadn't been down 14 points in like three years. Most of their games playing Iowa's and the Rutgers. Yeah, they don't play Oregon every year. They bully a lot of people.

[Mark Schlabach]

Listen, Chip Kelly left, Brian Hartline got that job left. In the last couple of games, Ryan Day has done the play calling and they've scored 10 and 14 points and.

[John Middlekauff]

Physically shoved around and physically shoved around.

[Mark Schlabach]

In those two games. That's not a knock on Ryan Day. But when you don't call plays all year and then you're given play calling as a head coach, it's just different. You're asked to do a different responsibility. And so the two games in which Ryan Day took over the play calling, all that talent, 24 points total, by the way. The other thing I love about college football now, that was never the case is you have to watch all the games. And I was kind of one of those guys that thought maybe Notre Dame should get in over Miami even though Miami had beaten him. I was like on the fence on it. I think head to head matters. It can't be the only thing. And then I watched. I watched John Miami Thump Pittsburgh 38 to 7, dominate time of possession. And I sat there and I wanted to watch that game. And I thought, shit, warm weather team Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh's decent. And then I started going and looking at the Notre Dame, Miami heads the heads. And I'm like, no, Miami's a better team. They beat him head to head when you look at similar opponents. And then. But the truth was you have to watch all the games. And so college football, you didn't have to watch them all. If Alabama beat LSU and Georgia near, you know, or it felt like before the playoff, you kind of had a sense of who was the best team. You kind of knew it was baked in unless they were knocked off, right? And even if they lost close late, you're like, well, Bama, lsu, Clemson, they're still the team. This new college football is a little like the NFL. You have to watch all the games. I mean, four weeks ago, we both thought the Rams were easily the most complete team in the league. I mean, they're only a touchdown favorite over the awful Arizona Cardinals Sunday. Like, I don't even know if they're the first or second best team in their division. They could be the third best team in their division.

[John Middlekauff]

Miami.

[Mark Schlabach]

Week seven against Miami today, this Miami team would have beaten this, that Miami team by three touchdowns. You got to watch the games.

[John Middlekauff]

Now, I think two things can be true. One, and Miami played Notre Dame and beat him. They played a game and they beat him. Alabama had to get in because as we sit right now and these conference championships still exist in the manner in which they do, you couldn't knock a team for going because next year teams would bow out if they were in a situation, right? But if we're. If you and I were sitting here ranking the teams because it turns out Oklahoma, the quarterback, I don't know what happened to him, but he fell off a cliff. They're not very good. I mean, their defense is good, but their offense is, I mean, pretty low level, right? If you were ranking Miami, Notre Dame and Alabama, Alabama would be third. Because you would say the one thing Notre Dame brings that is translating to this tournament, which I say all the time, I bet that if we went and talked to Carson Palmer in Southern California, you got to be good on defense, obviously, you got to score points high. High level, high school, high level, college, high level pro. If you aren't a physical team on the line of scrimmage, you're not. Alabama can't run the Ball. I, I'm a Kalyn Dubois guy, but I can imagine Nick Saban looking going, guys, what is going on? We can't just. This pass happy offense, it's just not going to work out in this conference. And when you play the other best teams in the country from whatever conference, they're going to have NFL guys on both lines of scrimmage and you can't be a finesse team. Look at Oregon. I would say Oregon has really turned into a physical. I mean that's the Dan Lanning mindset that he's brought from Saban and Kirby Smart. It's going to translate as they keep getting high end players.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah. God, this is beat down 38 to 3 now Alabama.

[John Middlekauff]

You know what's funny is my wife, I walked in as they were doing like the pregame warmups. I went on a coffee run and she's like, it's really cool, you know, root for this little underdog. I'm like, well historically they are, but they're a touchdown plus favorite in this game, you know. You know, there's a team, I'm pretty sure they say I don't think they'd ever been to the Rose bowl. Right. And I mean, shit, Bama now has been to two of the last three. Now it's a little different with the playoffs, but you just see this little brand. It doesn't happen very often in college sports that because, you know, Oregon slowly moved up right. In the late 90s and the early 2000s. Indiana went from like 0 to 100 overnight to all of a sudden be. I mean for the last two years. I mean you could argue they're like one of the premier programs. And this year if they want it all, you could argue they had the best two year run of any team in the country right there with Ohio State.

[Mark Schlabach]

So I like Indiana when they play Oregon. I like that I like Indiana by they already beat him once. I think Indiana may be better today. So I take Indiana again to beat Oregon 10 points. Ish. I think Miami. We'll see how Georgia plays against Ole Miss tonight. I think Georgia is going to thump them. 30, 20. I think they're going to beat him.

[John Middlekauff]

I think that's a great, that's a great final four.

[Mark Schlabach]

It's a great final four. I would take Miami to beat Georgia the way they're playing. I want to address the Lincoln Riley thing. So you know, you just said two things can be true. You and I think would both agree. Lincoln Roddy's a really smart guy, very good offensive Coach, next year he'll have his best offensive line. They've run the ball since he got there. They ran the ball at Oklahoma. He's a great. Jaden Mava at UNLV didn't look anything close to this when he came to usc. He develops quarterbacks, but what he doesn't do, and I think next year he should be on the hot seat. What he doesn't do. They had 16 missed tackles against TCU. He has yet to develop a defense at Oklahoma or at usc. And the. Deanton Lynn, the coordinator going to Penn State, was supposed to coach in the Alamo Bowl. I mean, he addressed the media the day before, and then something weird happened. I don't know. I don't have it sourced. I tried to find out today. I don't know. And then he just. He didn't coach it. But my take is a lot of people will say this. Well, he's got kind of the same record of Clay Helton. Well, Clay Helton took over Sark's roster. Sark could recruit. There was a lot of NFL guys on that roster. There was a lot of four star Southern California kids. Riley inherited Clay Helton's roster, which basically had 40 decent players. Very few great, 40 decent. So I do think it was. It was different. And I do think USC feels offensively at least, really well coached, especially when you watch the home games. But I do think next year should be the year. They had a number one recruiting class. They have good. They're capitalized. There's a lot of money in the program. They're spending it on nil and five years in or four years in. And if you look at Oklahoma, John, he has yet to build a really physically imposing defense. Signetti's done it. Ohio State's got it. Miami's got it. All these. Coach Dan Lanning, all these coaches have done. Texas Tech's not a great program. They had a great defense. Alabama didn't. But maybe that's just Indiana routing Alabama. But my takeaway is Lincoln is one of those. Maybe that's kind of this new kind of Lane Kiffin. We know he's exceptional on one side of the ball. Lane doesn't have a history of building a bunch of great defenses either. And I don't know if it's in the practice. I don't know if that's where it unravels. But I think next year is the year that if they don't become a playoff team, I think it's incredibly reasonable to just say it didn't work out. It was fun. It was better than previous coaches. But considering the resources, it just didn't work out.

[John Middlekauff]

I think there are a lot of variables here. I do think the Notre Dame thing, and I heard you and Pete talking about it, and obviously there's a lot of conversation. A lot of USC people are not happy, you know, of the tradition going away, which is very understandable. There is a whininess. There is a whininess. It feels like to his side a little bit. And yeah, college coaches, wouldn't you say basketball and football, whether you're winning or losing, they're always a little whiny. But when you win, no one cares. And I think once you start, I mean, they went nine and four and like I said about Dan Lanning, okay, Dan got a much easier Runway. Well, we're not in year two anymore. We're in year four. Why does his team stocked with California kids, especially from Southern California, and you're still struggling physically to sustain. Even if I throw Signetti out, he's a historic outlier. Right. How about these other guys? Is it Mario in year four? Right. I mean, because he left when Dan Landing took over. Look what he's doing in Miami. And your team is not even remotely competitive enough. I think this. I was texting with you, you know, the Lynn situation, him going to Penn State again. They're financial. Is he playing usc trying to quadruple his salary or whatever. I kind of get it. But he's also going to an team that's. It's weird to say Penn State's arrival, but technically they are now. You're going to play them most years, they play them next year. So they're just stealing your defensive coordinator, who you stole from usc, who was a huge upgrade for you based on your history as a defensive coordinator.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah. Ucla. Yeah. So who.

[John Middlekauff]

Who are you going to hire as being your new defensive coordinator? I think we both agree if he gets it wrong, it could derail his career at usc. And two, I know the. Everyone talks about the class. Right? The number one class. Someone forwarded me an article because California rules a little different. A lot of states, they can pay these kids in high school. You know, California wants that revenue to start. They can start taxing that money when it exchange hands.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah.

[John Middlekauff]

So these kids are getting bought in high school or in other. They have to wait till they get on campus. Unique rule. So it's not like these kids are signing up because they believe in the vision like Georgia or Texas. They're getting paid early.

[Mark Schlabach]

Right.

[John Middlekauff]

So. But also they're 18. You know, what is, what is Rick Petito been saying? The high school kid. And this parallels college football as well, not just basketball. How many kids are really from that class? Not everyone. They're not all going to show up and be Reggie Bush. So the transfer portal is actually much more impactful for next year than the class, right? Yeah.

[Mark Schlabach]

I mean, I've. I know the high school class. There's four guys in that class. There's a wide receiver, there's a tight end.

[John Middlekauff]

Mark, isn't there a pass rusher that's supposed to be like a bosa brother or something?

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah, they've got a pass rusher from New Jersey. They have a wide receiver, they have a tight end, those three guys. And they have one defensive tackle that'll be a rotational defensive tackle. They'll have three guys out of that class that will absolutely make an impact. Okay. There's also 22.

[John Middlekauff]

They're 22 guys on the field and you're rotating 30 plus players. You know, it's not. And let's say their impact. Let's say one of them rolls an ankle and you're assuming the best case. Right. You just, you never know.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yes. Now look at their schedule.

[John Middlekauff]

They play Ohio State, they play Oregon, they play Penn State.

[Mark Schlabach]

I mean, they play Washington, they play. Yeah, they, they're at Penn State, at Indiana. Do you think they're going to make.

[John Middlekauff]

A playoffs next year?

[Mark Schlabach]

Well, I think it's there. I will say this. They bring the quarterback back and he will be in a short list of the best quarterbacks in the country. So that helps. He'll be one of the top seven, eight, nine quarterbacks in the country. And Lincoln Riley is really good with quarterbacks. They're going to have to rely on a freshman tight end and two freshman receivers. The O line will be good and they will be big defensively, but we know this team doesn't travel well. That Penn State game ends up being late October. They're not going to win that game. They just don't win that game. They couldn't win at Illinois. It is a program and I think this is completely fair, that has not shown the ability to win. When they're uncomfortable being on the road, the weather's less than ideal. They don't get a call here or there. They haven't shown the ability to do that. And so I just, I look at this, I guess I think Lincoln's really smart. I think he's a great offensive coach. But now you're going to be in year five there's no more excuses. This team isn't. They don't tackle, they're not physical, they don't play unless it's ideal conditions. I mean, they're actually at home really, really tough. Sorry, you can't play all your games at home.

[John Middlekauff]

And next year to the home games are Oregon, Ohio State. I mean, they're going to be underdogs in both those games. I would assume so. I mean, it's not weird at all if they lose them. I do think his comments I saw after the bowl game basically like, headed into your five, now we're ready. I think that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. And I get they've invested more money over the last year. The other thing is, I think I've talked to some NFL people. He's not the biggest personality guy. And when you look at a lot of these coaches, historically in college football, you go back to the 70s, let alone out kind of got some big personalities now with the money. And GMs now run a lot of the recruiting. Your coaches don't need to recruit. It's changed a little bit, but I still think it matters. I mean, you look at Dan Lanning, who I say has elevated immediately to one of the best and most respected coaches in the country. A lot of juice behind that guy. And you're telling me, you know, at the end of the day, you don't quite have to recruit the same way because money trumps off. But if we're offering the same. Kirby's got personality, you know, Dan Lanning, Sark. I mean, Lane could be a little bit of a weird cat, but he's very energetic and into this stuff and learn.

[Mark Schlabach]

Mario Cristobal, big personality, he lives for.

[John Middlekauff]

Mario Cristobal is like the more buttoned up Ed Ogeron. You know, Ed was one of the great recruiters in the history of college football. Mario feels a little more focused, more of a family guy, a little more dialed in. From what I've heard, workaholic. And I don't know, man, I think usc, because I think there's so much hype behind this class, which I think would have mattered 10, 20 years ago. Pete had them forever. I think they're a little less relevant now because all of a sudden you win nine, eight games again, those kids could leave, you know, so it's like you're not even guaranteed to have them for three years anymore. I think this transfer portal which opens tomorrow has clearly proven to be much more impact. I mean, look at Fernando Mado. I mean, on a Year to year basis. The transfer portal kind of has changed the playoffs for college football. I would say.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah, I listen, I just.

[John Middlekauff]

And USC is probably going to do well. They should. I mean they should have a lot of money to buy some of these guys, but they better get the, whatever, whoever Texas Tech's on for the defensive line. I would just call those guys. You know, it used to be like the moment Alabama offered, you know, a kid could be. Have no, you know, couple low school offers. Saban would give an offer every SEC school would offer. I think, I think Lincoln needs to draft a little bit more off like Oregon and Texas when it comes to.

[Mark Schlabach]

For the record, David Bailey was from Stanford. USC passed on him. He goes to Texas Tech. You can't block him. So there you go. I'll tell you, I'll say it again. I know this is obnoxious, but when the College Football Playoff expanded and college football made all these changes, I said, folks, it's going to be way better. It's going to feel like the NFL, the nil, the transfer portal. We have a chance to have Indiana, Miami, an ACC team, a basketball school in the national championship. Listen, I'll like Oregon forever. And I do think it helps. They played Indiana so they, at least they've seen them. I think it'll be a really good football game. A really fun. I think it'll be. That'll be a really fun football game to watch. But I'm watching these games and I just love. God, it's 38 to three now Indiana.

[John Middlekauff]

I think one, I think one big challenge. I was texting someone this. I think the transfer portal opens tomorrow, right? On Friday.

[Mark Schlabach]

Yeah. Yep.

[John Middlekauff]

Both his coordinators, Tosh and Stein are head coaches at other places. Yes, Oregon. So the. We don't have a two week break anymore. I think these games next week are like Thursday and Friday. This is a normal week now for these teams. Those guys, I mean they're going to work great. I mean you read the article about lane staff going back and forth. They're working like 30 hour days. I think they're going to be at a little disadvantage where Indiana's coordinators. I don't know why no one ever interviews Indiana's coordinators. But the Shanahan and the defensive coordinator feel like two of the best coordinators in the country. They're just staying in Indiana. So Tosh and definitely the dude at Kentucky, Stein. I'm sure they're going to be a heavy transfer portal teams. Their, their brains are going to be on a swivel just trying to do a game plan slash, trying to work their staff from far away. Pretty big disadvantage. I know landing was big on my guys are good. Well yeah, it's a lot easier when you got two and a half weeks. It becomes a little tougher with six or seven days to manage both for first time head coaches.

[Mark Schlabach]

All right, let's go watch Georgia Ole Miss.

[John Middlekauff]

Have a good night. Happy New Year.

[Mark Schlabach]

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[John Middlekauff]

News this year, make it this the.

[Mark Schlabach]

Final episode of this season of Next Question pulls together the most important conversations of the year. You'll hear David Graham on Project 2025, Liz Oyer on the plethora of presidential pardons, Tina Brown on the year's biggest scandals here at home and across the pond, plus much, much more. It's a crash course in the last 12 months, how we made it through the year, and a look at what might be coming in 2026. Listen to next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up?

[John Middlekauff]

It's Cam Jordan. I'm back with season three of your favorite podcast, the off the Edge with Cam Jordan Podcast. Tap in every Wednesday to hear conversations with my friends and stars from the NFL, the sports world in general, and entertainment about anything from teams and players making waves to pop culture. And I'll take you inside my journey through my 15th season in the NFL. Looking forward to you joining me this season. The season of More on the off the Edge with Cam Jordan Podcast.

[Mark Schlabach]

Catch new episodes every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage.

[John Middlekauff]

Store more and do more with your data. Try them for [e-mail] I didn't really have an interest in being on air.

[Mark Schlabach]

I kind of was up there to just try and infiltrate the building. From the underground clubs that shaped global music to the pastors and creatives who built a cultural empire, the Atlanta Is Podcast uncovers the stories behind one of.

[John Middlekauff]

The most influential cities in the world. The thing I love about Atlanta is that it's a city of hustlers, man.

[Mark Schlabach]

Each episode explores a different chapter of Atlanta's rise, featuring conversations with ludicrous Will Packer, Pastor Jamal Bryant, DJ Drama, and more. The full series is available to listen to now. Listen to Atlanta is on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middlekauff]

The social media trend is landing some gen zers in jail, the progressive media darling whose public meltdown got her fired, and the massive tick tock boycott against Target. That actually makes no sense. You won't hear about these online stories in the mainstream media, but you can keep up with them and all the other entertaining and outrageous things happening online in media and in politics with the Brad vs Everyone podcast. Listen to the Brad vs Everyone podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mark Schlabach]

This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.