The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Prime Cuts: Bye Eagles Bye, Indiana vs Miami Preview, SEC Dominance Is OVER

Release Date: January 17, 2026
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Host: Colin Cowherd
Guests: Chris Simms, John Middlekauff, Josh Pate, others

Episode Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd and guests break down the aftermath of the San Francisco 49ers’ playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, offering sharp criticism of the Eagles’ coaching situation and quarterback play. The conversation pivots to the unraveling dominance of the SEC in college football, the rise of Big Ten powerhouses like Indiana and Ohio State, and a forward-looking College Football Playoff preview, specifically Indiana vs. Miami. The episode also explores shifting dynamics brought by NIL (Name/Image/Likeness) deals and the transfer portal era in college football.

NFL Playoffs: Eagles Collapse, 49ers Move On

San Francisco's Masterclass and Philadelphia's Failings

• Dominant Coaching Edge

  • Colin opens by praising the 49ers for outcoaching and outlasting the Eagles despite adversity:
    • "San Francisco and a superior coaching staff beat Philadelphia 23 to 19... you could argue the weather favors Philadelphia, Purdy throws two picks, and San Francisco wins. The gap between Shanahan and Sirianni. I still contend Sirianni's a coordinator." (Colin, 01:32)
  • Chris Simms calls it "one of the worst playoff losses you’ll ever see" for the Eagles, who failed to respond after the 49ers lost key players like George Kittle to injury. (03:04)

• 49ers’ Resilience and Coaching Adjustments

  • Despite two Brock Purdy INTs and significant injuries, the Niners adjusted, controlled the second half, and exposed the Eagles’ lack of offensive identity.
    • "Purdy throws two picks and San Francisco wins... That’s a masterclass in winning a rough, tough, few mistake road game." (Colin, 06:11 & 06:41)
  • Chris Simms: "What did they do tonight? They made this game weird. And the Eagles, they’ve played in that game what, 17 times this year... but today... a lot of experience, mental toughness." (07:31)

• Eagles’ Offensive Dysfunction

  • Both criticize the Eagles’ lack of a clear offensive philosophy and reliance on athleticism over scheme, citing questionable play-calling and lack of adaptability by Nick Sirianni and his OC.
    • "I have no idea what the Eagles offensive philosophy is. That’s why they are so coordinator dependent." (Colin, 16:12)
    • "The play caller, first time calling plays, just completely outmatched." (Chris Simms, 14:41)
  • A.J. Brown’s visible frustration, mixed performance, and sideline antics come under fire.
    • "A.J. Brown complains a lot... you are barking a lot. We threw you a ball twice. You went 0 for 2. And those are catchable balls." (Colin, 14:04)
  • Simms calls for a reset: "They made a mistake. AJ clearly wanted out… they should have traded him at the trade deadline." (Chris Simms, 13:12)

Quarterback Contrast: Purdy vs. Hurts

• Brock Purdy’s Growth and Grit

  • Simms on Purdy: "Mental toughness right there, Colin. And great coach by the way." (03:21)
  • Cowherd: "Here’s the thing about Purdy, it doesn’t affect him. He’s not affected by interceptions because he has so much confidence." (04:40)
  • "Now four of his five playoff wins are game-winning drives." (Colin, 12:05)

• Jalen Hurts’ Limitations and Reluctance to Run

  • Both hosts point out Hurts’ hesitance to use his athleticism—his key advantage:
    • "If the Eagles wanted to win this game, Jalen should have had 15 carries today because the 49ers never would have stopped it... but he doesn’t want to run." (Chris Simms, 10:32)
    • "He is a very limited... pretty limited pocket quarterback. And Brock Purdy is not." (Colin, 09:05)
  • Cowherd urges: "Just take off, bro." (11:49)

The Eagles’ Future: Tough Conversations Ahead

• Coaching Hot Seat
  • With Sirianni’s flaws exposed, speculation swirls:
    • Chris Simms: "I think the Sirianni thing will get loud here in the next... that’s Philadelphia, it’s what makes the city great." (17:49)
  • Cowherd floats potential coaching candidates for the Eagles:
    • "Would you be very interested in John Harbaugh? Because he’s just a way better Sirianni." (16:59)
    • "I think I could see Kevin Stefanski going there in a heartbeat." (17:49)

Playoff Gambling Talk: Next Matchups

(18:05 – 19:56)

• Colin and Simms give early leans on divisional round odds:

  • "I would probably take both dogs. I would take the Niners plus six and a half to keep it close... Bears plus four and a half..." (Colin, 18:23)

• Physical cost of the Eagles game on the 49ers and their upcoming matchup with Seattle discussed:

  • "That’s a pretty good spot for Seattle. You just killed them... after losing George Kittle, who really is the heartbeat of the operation." (Chris Simms, 18:59)

College Football: Big Ten Ascendant, SEC in Trouble

The New Power Structure in College Football

• Big Ten’s NIL Era Takeover

  • Colin: "Indiana now is a national power. Ohio State’s now a national power. Oregon is not playing Indiana—if Oregon was playing anybody else... they’re a national power. Michigan with Whittingham will be a really, really, really good team." (24:17)
  • NIL money and alumni bases have made the new dominant programs those with the deepest pockets.
    • "Between their coach and their NIL, [Indiana] is a better football program than anybody in the SEC... That, this, that is hard to wrap your brain around." (25:34)
  • Simms notes the sheer alumni wealth of Big Ten schools, giving them an insurmountable edge in the NIL era:
    • "Indiana has more alumni... than any school in the country. All the other schools beside Arizona State are all Big Ten." (Chris Simms, 25:49)

• SEC’s Decline and Big Ten’s Wealth

  • Colin: "LSU’s number one booster is a personal injury attorney. Well, you can’t compete with Larry Ellison at Michigan and Mark Cuban... Georgia’s biggest booster... was a bourbon distributor." (27:03)
  • "Texas Tech has far greater money than anybody in the SEC not called Texas and Texas A&M." (29:03)

• Rising Programs Outside SEC

  • "Two other schools that are loaded: Notre Dame and Miami from the ACC." (29:51)
  • "There’s so much money in the Big Ten right now. There is so much money." (Colin, 30:35)

Notable Quote

"SEC coaches privately, they know it’s over."
— Colin Cowherd (24:17)

Indiana vs. Miami National Championship Preview

(30:46 - 36:03)

• Indiana Slight Favorites, But Miami Has a Shot

  • Josh Pate joins and agrees with Colin that Miami’s defense could make the title game ugly and close.
    • "I think Miami will disrupt their offense a little bit... I don’t see 30s and 40s for Indiana." (Josh Pate, 31:25)
    • "I actually took [Miami] to win the game outright." (Josh Pate, 32:50)

• Indiana’s Efficiency on Third Down

  • "They’re so efficient offensively on third down... it’s always third and two. I don’t ever feel like I see them in third and longs." (Unidentified Guest, 32:15)

Lane Kiffin, LSU, and the New Coaching Market

(33:26 - 36:03)

• Concerns about Lane Kiffin’s social media and suitability for LSU.
  • "Are we sure Lane... LSU are giving... us titles? Are we sure about that?" (Colin, 33:26)
  • "I got no reason to think Lane Kiffin will ever level up from exactly what he’s been." (Unidentified Guest, 34:40)

The NIL/Transfer Portal Era: Sorting Chaos from Progress

(36:03 – 39:32)

• Portal vs. NIL: Which is More Disruptive?

  • Colin: "If you had to tweak one or the other, portal or NIL, which one concerns you more?" (36:19)
  • Josh Pate favors NIL reform over portal regulation: "If you heavily incentivize and backload revenue sharing for guys contingent that they remain on their roster... they just have all the incentive in the world to only leave in worst of cases." (37:10)

• Is the Portal Chaos Fizzling Out?

  • Colin: "I kind of think it’s coming to its conclusion of being the wild wild West." (39:32)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On coaching gap in the playoff:
  "The gap between Shanahan and Sirianni. I still contend Sirianni's a coordinator... This was an indictment of the Philadelphia offensive staff." (Colin Cowherd, 01:32–02:57)
• On Jalen Hurts' refusal to run:
  "The one thing Purdy does that Jalen just no longer does is leans into his legs... Jalen should have had 15 carries today because the 49ers never would have stopped it." (Chris Simms, 10:32)
• On the SEC's decline:
  "SEC coaches privately, they know it's over." (Colin Cowherd, 24:17)

Episode Takeaways

• Eagles’ playoff exit highlighted the need for coaching and player accountability, with strong suggestions that major changes are coming.
• San Francisco’s win is attributed as much to Kyle Shanahan’s coaching as to player grit and adaptability under duress.
• College football’s power structure is shifting fundamentally from SEC dominance to a Big Ten and broader reach, fueled by wealth and NIL capital.
• The transfer portal and NIL era feels chaotic, but there is growing consensus that programs are learning to allocate resources more effectively—chaos may begin to stabilize.
• Look for Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, and similar programs to contend at the top in college football for the foreseeable future, with the SEC adjusting to a new reality.