The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: Hour 1 - SECond to the Big Ten
Date: January 2, 2026
Main Theme:
A seismic shift in college football: Indiana's stunning Rose Bowl win over Alabama signals fading SEC dominance, the rise of new power programs, and why conference realignment, NIL, and transfer portal reforms have made the sport more competitive and unpredictable. Cowherd also analyzes key NFL headlines ahead of the final regular season weekend.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Indiana’s Rose Bowl Stunner & The End of SEC Dominance
[03:03 – 07:23]
- Indiana overwhelms Alabama in the Rose Bowl: Cowherd declares it “a glorious beatdown,” and calls Indiana’s win a signal that “the SEC dominance is over.”
- Notes Alabama “can’t run the football, and Georgia can’t stop any good offense.”
- Praises the Big Ten’s resurgence: “The Big Ten, 4-0 head-to-head against the SEC in the last three years.”
- Attributes this parity to money flowing into Big Ten programs and NIL rules: “Everybody can pay players now. Alabama can’t stack a roster. Neither can Georgia or LSU.”
- “From pathetic to powerful, awful to awe inspiring, doormat to dominance. Great coach, the right boosters, remarkable quarterback.”
- Calls Indiana “the best tackling team... in recent years.”
- Celebrates the unpredictability: “It’s Miami, Indiana, at least for this year, who are the new bullies on the block.”
Notable Quote:
“The SEC dominance is over. The Hoosiers pushed around the Crimson Tide for three and a half hours.”
— Colin Cowherd [03:30]
On quarterback Mendoza’s performance:
“If he’s not the number one pick, I don’t even understand football. 14 of 16, three touchdowns, no picks.”
— Colin Cowherd [06:50]
2. Rise of a New College Football World (Parity & Possibility)
[07:45 – 11:25]
- Draws parallels between the NFL’s unpredictability and the new college football landscape.
- “We really don’t know who the best football team is right now,” referencing both Miami and Indiana as contenders.
- Losses aren’t as season-crippling: Old system punished any stubbed toe; now, “you can lose even at home to a rival … but you can get in. You can grow. Just like people.”
- Teams are allowed to evolve over a season, using Miami’s midseason stumble and resurgence as an example.
- The expanded playoff means “the candidate pool is broad.”
Notable Quote:
“Mistakes when you’re 14 or 24 shouldn’t be punitive, mostly for life.”
— Colin Cowherd [09:45]
“The Hurricanes are precisely what’s right about the new system — the candidate pool is broad... you have to beat good teams. Miami is 6-0 against ranked teams.”
— Colin Cowherd [10:30]
Miami coach Mario Cristobal after beating OSU:
“Those are great counterpunches by our team… left hooks to the body and to the head.”
— Mario Cristobal [11:25]
3. Individual Stars & Stories: Mendoza and Trinidad Chambliss
[11:49 – 13:58, 26:07 – 29:07]
- Fernando Mendoza (Indiana): Is he the surefire No. 1 pick? “I don’t know how you don’t love Fernando Mendoza in post-game interviews.”
- Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss): Wild story of rapid rise — drawing comparisons with Dak Prescott and Johnny Manziel but “a little smaller.”
- “He did not start the season as the starting quarterback. He’s from something called Big Rapids, Michigan, which can’t be that big because I’ve never heard of it.”
- Debates whether Chambliss, fun as he is, is actually coach-dependent or just uniquely gifted.
Notable Quote:
“My takeaway watching him is he’s not coach-dependent... Impossible not to root for when you look at his story.”
— Colin Cowherd on Chambliss [26:29]
Chambliss on the win:
“We just want to play ball and have fun. A lot of people did doubt us before the season, and they still doubted us when, you know, our coach left.”
— Trinidad Chambliss [26:07]
4. Oregon Dominates Orange Bowl; Small Programs Overmatched
[27:09 – 31:28]
- Oregon’s “ugly” 23-0 win over Texas Tech: Ducks’ defense steals the show.
- Consequence for the playoff committee: Inclusion of “little guy” programs like James Madison and Tulane results in blowouts and exposes depth gaps.
- Dan Lanning (Oregon coach): "These guys have shown and proven time after time... they're ready for big moments." [27:34]
- Cowherd: "Football is about depth, a regulated level of violence, elite players, coaches. The little guy got pummeled." [28:04]
- Discussion: Whether byes are an advantage, or if long layoffs actually make teams rusty (with Miami’s performance as a key example).
5. NFL Storylines on the Eve of Playoffs
[19:41 – 24:52, 32:06 – 36:53]
a. Steelers vs. Ravens Preview
- “Steelers, Ravens Sunday night is going to be ugly, but the headlines... illustrate what’s at stake.”
- Steelers are continuity-driven; Ravens more comfortable with change.
- “Mike Tomlin should pull a Sean Payton … then do a reboot and find another franchise that needs your guidance.”
- “As far as Aaron Rodgers, on the possibility this could be his last game, it was a heck of a season for him.”
Mike Tomlin on Aaron Rodgers:
“He’s certainly been an awesome contributor to our efforts, not only from a talent and experience perspective, but just his professionalism, … his love for his teammates.”
— Mike Tomlin [22:16]
b. Eagles Resting Starters, Playoff Prospects
- Eagles resting Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley needs recovery.
- “A lot of new playoff teams... Peyton Manning used to always say there’s regular season speed, there’s playoff speed, and then there’s Super Bowl speed.” [32:22]
- Both hosts discuss if the Eagles can recover health for a deep run.
c. The Giants’ Coaching Search and Cincinnati’s Future
- Mike McCarthy is the bland but solid leading candidate.
- “Mike McCarthy may not excite you... But he’s a very capable coach.” [34:37]
- Discussion of the risks of the Bengals head coaching job: “If Burrow has one more injury, don’t you have to draft a quarterback?”
6. Depth Charts and Matchup Analysis: Seahawks vs. 49ers
[37:52 – 41:36]
- Colin draws the “big board” to compare the best 10 players between the Seahawks and Niners.
- “In terms of highest end players, San Francisco’s got more of the 10 best players in this game.”
- “But the depth is not close. Seattle’s roster, defensively, this is a mismatch … in terms of depth and youth and speed and defense, it’s a little bit of a mismatch. This Seattle roster is stacked.”
- Darnold and Purdy “are on heaters with a lot of skeptics”—struggles and redemption as a theme.
Sam Darnold on the Niners matchup:
“At the end of the day, it’s just football ... we’re playing against the Niners, a really good football team... But other than that, it’s football and we’ll be ready.”
— Sam Darnold [39:20]
7. Tradition vs. Transition: Why It’s Indiana’s Time
[41:36 – 49:03]
- College football’s older fanbase clings to traditions, but “what we’re watching now is unbelievable.”
- Indiana’s point differential, red zone offense, and defense have surpassed perennial powers: “They have a better record the last two years than Notre Dame, Georgia and Ohio State.”
- Counters skepticism about Indiana being the best team: “Hoosiers were totally prepared for it. So, Kurt Signetti ... is the best coach team I’ve seen in a long time.”
- Indiana as a case study: The power of organizational support (boosters, donors, staff-building) in NIL/portal era.
- “Indiana football is better than USC. Sorry. And Alabama and Clemson. I’m sorry, it is.”
Notable Quote:
“Indiana is now a beacon of optimism and a beacon of hope for the sport.”
— Colin Cowherd [48:30]
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
-
“The SEC dominance is over. The Hoosiers pushed around the Crimson Tide for three and a half hours.”
— Colin Cowherd [03:30] -
“It’s more even, it’s more unpredictable … What a glorious new world we live in.”
— Colin Cowherd [05:20] -
“Mistakes when you’re 14 or 24 shouldn’t be punitive, mostly for life.”
— Colin Cowherd [09:45] -
“The Hurricanes are precisely what’s right about the new system … you have to beat good teams.”
— Colin Cowherd [10:30] -
“Indiana is the best tackling team that you’ve seen in recent years?”
— Colin Cowherd [06:15] -
“He’s going to be up against it, against this Miami front. Little bit of a different beast.”
— Jason McIntyre [13:58] -
“If he’s not the number one pick, I don’t even understand football.”
— Colin Cowherd on Fernando Mendoza [06:50] -
"We just want to play ball and have fun. A lot of people did doubt us before the season..."
— Trinidad Chambliss [26:07] -
"Indiana is now a beacon of optimism and a beacon of hope for the sport."
— Colin Cowherd [48:30]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [03:03] — Indiana-Alabama Rose Bowl recap, fading SEC dominance
- [06:50] — Praise for Indiana’s Mendoza, “number one pick”
- [07:45] — New parity in college football; NFL-style unpredictability
- [11:25] — Mario Cristobal on Miami’s win over Ohio State
- [13:16] — Jason McIntyre on Trinidad Chambliss’s improbable rise
- [19:41] — Steelers vs. Ravens playoff stakes and Tomlin/Rodgers talk
- [22:16] — Mike Tomlin on Aaron Rodgers’ professionalism
- [26:07] — Trinidad Chambliss’s postgame comments after win
- [27:09] — Oregon vs. Texas Tech analysis; small programs outmatched
- [32:06] — Eagles resting starters, NFL playoff readiness
- [34:37] — Giants coaching search, McCarthy reluctance
- [39:20] — Sam Darnold on facing the Niners
- [41:36] — Indiana, tradition, and why it’s their time
- [48:30] — Indiana as a “beacon of optimism and hope”
Memorable Moments
- Cowherd relishes Indiana’s victory and the symbolism of an “unsexy” program conquering bluebloods.
- Parallels between unpredictable NFL playoff races and college football’s new look.
- The rise of previously moribund programs (Indiana, Miami, Ole Miss) driven by the transfer portal and NIL.
- Lively debates over prospects’ pro potential (Mendoza, Chambliss, Dante Moore).
- NFL segment blending big-picture storylines (Ravens/Steelers, Eagles’ health, Giants’ head coaching search) with playoff anticipation and franchise futures.
Overall Tone & Language
- Opinionated, energetic, irreverent: Cowherd repeatedly mocks “traditionalists,” celebrates chaos, and invokes business analogies.
- Analytical yet conversational: Fluid movement between statistical breakdowns and big-picture arguments, with pop culture and coffee shop metaphors.
- Engaged co-hosting: Jason McIntyre adds counterpoints and player comparisons; coaches’ and players’ post-game comments are cited for color and context.
Summary
This episode of The Herd captures a potential “changing of the guard” in college football, as upstarts like Indiana and Miami supplant traditional SEC powers thanks to new roster rules, better coaching, and resource realignment. Cowherd’s tone is simultaneously triumphant, nostalgic, and provocative, urging listeners to let go of old paradigms and embrace college football’s newfound unpredictability—a message mirrored in his takes on the shifting fortunes of several NFL franchises on the eve of the playoffs.