Hour 3 - Nick Saban

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 3: Nick Saban Release Date: July 17, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the discussion centers around prominent sports topics, with a special focus on Nick Saban's potential transition to the NFL. Hosted by Colin Cowherd and featuring guest analyst Dan Woike from The Athletic, the conversation delves into the intricacies of coaching dynamics, player trades, and officiating standards across various sports leagues.

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Nick Saban's NFL Coaching Prospects

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to exploring whether renowned college football coach Nick Saban might make a move to the NFL. Colin Cowherd initiates the conversation by referencing recent discussions and speculations about Saban’s career trajectory.

Colin Cowherd [35:02]: "The genesis of all this discussion happened a couple days ago when I saw a story that Greg McElroy... said he's hearing that Saban wouldn't mind coaching again."

Dan Woike provides his insights, emphasizing the financial and structural challenges that might deter Saban from leaving college football for the NFL.

Dan Woike [35:36]: "If Jerry was going to do this, part of it would be, are you willing to take a backseat and move away from the spotlight for a little bit to see if Nick Saban can come and do it?"

Cowherd further analyzes Saban's adaptability and compares him to other legendary coaches, suggesting that Saban's ability to pivot and evolve has been a cornerstone of his success at Alabama.

Colin Cowherd [35:02]: "Saban has always been very close with Belichick... He would call Bill in a heartbeat, asking questions. But Saban really pivoted at Alabama. He went..."

The discussion highlights Saban's exceptional recruiting skills and his strategic adaptability in response to the evolving landscape of college football, contrasting him with coaches like Bill Belichick and Lane Kiffin.

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NBA Trade Rumors and the Los Angeles Lakers

Transitioning from college football, the conversation shifts to the NBA, particularly focusing on trade rumors surrounding LeBron James and the Lakers' strategic moves. Colin Cowherd and Dan Woike dissect the likelihood of the Lakers initiating a trade involving LeBron, considering his no-trade clause and the team's confidence in securing an extension with emerging talents like Luka Doncic.

Dan Woike [05:34]: "It's going to be early August here. He's extension eligible August 2nd. I think they're really confident, Colin."

Cowherd raises concerns about the Lakers' defensive lineup and the potential fit of players like DeAndre Ayton and Austin Reeves within the team's dynamic.

Colin Cowherd [07:29]: "I did say it's a Dodgers town now as much as a Laker town. There are stars everywhere... it sounds interesting."

Woike responds by analyzing the contractual and performance aspects of Ayton's role, affirming that while Ayton may have defensive limitations, his offensive prowess and affordability make him a valuable asset for the Lakers.

Dan Woike [07:29]: "DeAndre Ayton... he's super gifted offensively, he's credible defensively."

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WNBA Officiating and Caitlin Clark's Absence

The episode also touches upon issues within the WNBA, specifically addressing the officiating standards that led to Caitlin Clark's inability to participate in the All-Star festivities. The hosts and guests discuss the broader implications of poor officiating on player safety and fan engagement.

Natasha Cloud [40:24]: "...the refs are having too much impact on the game... the officiating is horrible."

Colin Cowherd draws parallels between the WNBA's challenges and historical issues faced by other sports leagues, emphasizing the need for improved officiating to maintain the integrity and popularity of the league.

Colin Cowherd [40:44]: "I do believe the NFL should make officials more full time... It's a full time job."

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College Football Quarterback Rankings

Shifting focus back to college football, the conversation includes an analysis of the Athletic's top 10 quarterbacks for the upcoming season. Colin Cowherd shares his perspectives on the rankings, expressing surprise at certain inclusions and offering his own evaluations of standout quarterbacks like Arch Manning and Drew Allar.

Colin Cowherd [24:00]: "Arch Manning and Drew Aller... the top two prospects will be Arch Manning and Drew Aller."

The hosts debate the merits of various quarterbacks, discussing their potential impact on the field and their prospects for professional advancement.

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Impact of Sports Stars on Viewership and League Popularity

A recurring theme throughout the episode is the profound influence that star athletes have on their respective leagues. Colin Cowherd underscores the critical role that marquee players like Nick Saban, LeBron James, and Caitlin Clark play in driving viewership and fan interest.

Colin Cowherd [19:45]: "The NBA lost 50% of its viewers think about that 50% when Michael Jordan retired."

Rob Parker echoes this sentiment, highlighting how the absence of key figures diminishes the appeal of sporting events.

Rob Parker [40:24]: "Caitlin Clark is not going to play this weekend... without Caitlin Clark, there's just some things that I'm not, I just don't care about as much."

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with reflections on the interconnectedness of coaching decisions, player trades, officiating standards, and the overarching impact of star athletes on sports leagues. Colin Cowherd and his guests emphasize the necessity for leagues to adapt and evolve in response to these factors to sustain and grow their fanbases.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Colin Cowherd [35:02]: "Saban has always been very close with Belichick... He would call Bill in a heartbeat, asking questions."
• Dan Woike [35:36]: "If Jerry was going to do this, part of it would be, are you willing to take a backseat and move away from the spotlight for a little bit to see if Nick Saban can come and do it?"
• Colin Cowherd [05:34]: "They're looking for defenders, right? I think that is pretty clearly."
• Dan Woike [07:29]: "DeAndre Ayton... he's super gifted offensively, he's credible defensively."
• Natasha Cloud [40:24]: "...the refs are having too much impact on the game... the officiating is horrible."
• Colin Cowherd [19:45]: "The NBA lost 50% of its viewers think about that 50% when Michael Jordan retired."

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This episode offers a comprehensive analysis of key sports narratives, providing listeners with in-depth discussions on coaching careers, team strategies, officiating quality, and the significant roles that individual stars play in shaping the landscape of professional sports.

Transcript

[Katie Couric]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Katie Couric]

On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric I sat down with Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas. She's holding down the fort for her party in one of the most conservative states in the union. I think that ultimately who will become the Democratic nominee for president will be someone that has been out there and has shown that they won't allow themselves to be punched and just say thank you like they will punch back. Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with ebony, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm ebony, and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Colin Cowherd]

Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio and 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 FS. Now let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. So a lot of clarity. We're going to get to Caitlin Clark in a second. Urban Meyer making news on Nick Saban today. But first I want to bring in Dan Woieke, right, for the athletic and covers the Lakers. Because I have said this time of the year, breadcrumbs and rumors become headlines. I don't I. LeBron's got a no trade clause. I don't. I think he's a really good player and if you're going to move him, now is not the time you've upgraded at center. J.J. redick, second year. So let's start with this. There have been a lot of rumors. Everybody's got an opinion. It's July. Do you think the new ownership group is even had a discussion on moving LeBron, Dan?

[Dan Woike]

I don't because it's not their decision. Right, Colin? I mean, you mentioned in the previous segment, LeBron James has a no trade clause. And so the order of operations here would have to be a request from LeBron James. I don't believe the Lakers are going to come to LeBron James with a trade and say this is what we want. Will you accept it? Right. I think it would have to be the other way around. I mean, I think the Lakers are very comfortable, you know, being in this stage of the LeBron James business, despite sort of the inherent uncomfortabilities of it, the fact that you don't know with any certainty how much longer he's going to be able to play at this level. And the pressure, the, particularly the win now pressure that his presence has put on the organization since really the day he signed for this last chapter of his career. And it's just gone on and on and on. So that's kind of, I really don't think it's an ownership thing. I think it's sort of, you know, he still kind of controls his destiny in that way. The leverage that the Lakers have in all of this is that they were the team with the option, you know, he had opt into their contract at $54 million. And I think that to me he's on the Lakers. He is moving like a person who is on the Lakers. Could that change? It could. Trading him can be really, really difficult with the second apron roles. A buyout to me doesn't really seem like the type of thing that he would pursue. Kind of the antithesis of how he's operated. So he's on the Lakers.

[Colin Cowherd]

How confident are they in the Luca extension? Again? The new aprons can be punitive. He has lost weight. I mean, the pictures of him now he's lost 40 pounds. When would that happen? How certain are you it's going to happen?

[Dan Woike]

It's going to be early August here. He's extension eligible August 2nd. I think they're really confident, Colin. I think they've been in contact with him early in the summer about their plans for the organization. I think when they made the deal to get him, I think they were confident that they would be able to secure sort of him in the long term. And, you know, look, there are things about Los Angeles to not like. You know, nobody likes the traffic here and stuff like this. But the one thing that we know about Luka Nich is he. Well, two things we know of him. One, he loves a big stage and it's a huge stage. What's the bigger stage, right, than [e-mail] in front of those stars? And I think the second part of it is like, this is like a guy that doesn't necessarily love being famous, right? And you might think Los Angeles, well, it's full of famous people. You can move pretty anonymously as a famous person in Los Angeles, should you choose? Because there's always someone else famous in your circles and stuff like that. So I think he's really comfortable there. I'm pretty sure the Lakers are going to be able to secure an extension. It's just kind of a matter of for how long.

[Colin Cowherd]

I said the DeAndre Ayton thing. He's not a willing defender. It's not a great defensive roster. But I did. I did say it's a Dodgers town now as much as a Laker town. There are stars everywhere. It could be Lincoln Riley, it can be McVeigh, Stafford, Harbaugh, Herbert. LA is different. People move off you if you're not interesting. Deandre Ayton, Luca, LeBron. It sounds interesting. And I mean, when they made the move, my take was, you know, he always tends to think he's a better. He thinks he's a one. He's more of a three in terms of options, he may be a four. With Austin Reeves on this roster, how does he fit to you? Because he's not a great defender, but he is a pretty talented offensive player.

[Dan Woike]

I mean, I think on paper it's a pretty good fit. I mean, yeah, in a perfect world, you would rather have Anthony Davis like that kind of a defender at the back line of this type of Defense. But look, this was a pretty good Laker team in terms of record last year after the Luca trade when they were just trying to figure out how to. How to figure out how to play together. And you know, in the playoffs, you know, they pretty quickly moved off of Jack Snays. They didn't really have depth at that position. They kind of just went centerless. Deandre Ayton, at his worst is a productive seven footer who's a double double machine. If he's motivated at his best like he was, you know, in Phoenix. Running pick and roll with Chris Paul. He's way more athletic than I think people realize. He's young, 26 years old, and he's inexpensive. You know, lakers are paying $8 million for this contract. I think it's a really good fit and maintain some future flexibility. It's a really good opportunity for him, Colin, you know, to, to kind of carve out whatever this next chapter of his career is going to be because he's super gifted offensively, he's credible defensively. Right. Like he's not a stopper. But, you know, I think if he accepts a role, you know, and if he plays with. With some, some motor, I think there's a real opportunity here for him to have a big season. And I think people around the league feel that too. Now, those are big questions for him, but certainly a talented player. I think the consensus I got at summer league in Vegas was based on the options that were available. Lakers down to eight by far was their, their preference and by far was the best that they felt like they could do.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, everybody's talking big swings. If I said the Lakers. Dan. Dan Woikie joining us. The Lakers make a move at the trade deadline. Give me a move that's not a huge swing, but makes them better. Is. Is there because we always spend so much time talking about major moves. It's hard with the apron. It's hard to make big moves. But I do think there could be a player that would upgrade them defensively. Work with LeBron. Is there anything else out there we should keep our eye on?

[Dan Woike]

Yeah, I mean, they're looking for defenders, right? I think that is pretty clearly. I mean, they're not done this summer on that front. So I think to me, that would be the place that I would look. I would also say, like, good luck on the search. Everybody's looking for perimeter defense, particularly perimeter defense that can shoot. So it's going to be a crowded marketplace. I think, obviously, like, internal growth is always the path of least resistance on that front, but that's where my eyes would be. It's hard to really pinpoint a player right now and say, like, this is the guy. I think, you know, a player they're monitoring here as the off season kind of hits its next wave is, you know, what happens with like Washington and Marcus Smart? Does he get bought out? Is he available? That's a guy they like and I think would give them a little toughness, some grit, you know, obviously has to be healthy, but gives them a little bit more of a defensive identity to that second unit. I think that's going to be where their focus is now. We'll see, though. This is still a team that is like a little cash for when it comes to their draft assets and what they have to put into trades most of their tradable players. Colin, when we talk about the trade deadline, you know, everybody loves a good Austin Reeves trade. You and I had a, what, like somewhere like 90 minutes of conversations about those here. You know he's going to be if you're trading for him at the trade deadline, you're trading for him for two months because you know he'll be entering unrestricted free agency. Rui Hachimura, Unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, that, that depresses some value. They've got one draft pick that they can put into play right now. If they hang on to it come draft night next year, they can trade three and take an even bigger swing. So I'm not sure there's a huge move to be made for them on that front, but I think wing defender absolutely an area of need, and it's what they have to still address before now in the start of training camp.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside The Parker, for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk, featuring the biggest names.

[Rob Parker]

And newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the.

[Rob Parker]

Iheartradio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Dan Woike]

The Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Colin Cowherd]

Dan Woicke, the athletic little update, little clarity. Appreciate it, bud.

[Dan Woike]

Thanks for having me.

[Colin Cowherd]

Colin. You bet. You know, I, I was thinking as we were talking to Dan there about another basketball. If you've not heard, Caitlin Clark will not compete in the All Star festivities in Indiana where she plays. So they set this thing up, the wnba, for her to be the star of the weekend. And she can't play because she's been mugged and grabbed and pushed and prodded and knocked to the floor. The officiating in the league has not been up to snuff, but it's, it's really interesting. It's. Well, let's go to J. Mac with the news and discuss it more.

[Dan Woike]

No, no, no.

[Colin Cowherd]

Turn on the news.

[Dan Woike]

This is the hard line news.

[Rob Parker]

Yeah, it is the first story. Colin. Caitlin Clark, it's, she just announced she's not going to be playing in the All Star game or participating in the three point contest which stinks because the game is in her own arena. She will, however she put on her ig that she will be in the arena, she'll be helping the coach, she's going to soak it all up. But man, this is a big blow to the league losing its marquee star this weekend in Indianapolis.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, you know, it's, I was thinking about this. It's a little like when somebody wins the lottery and there, there's this rapid change in circumstances in their life and a lot of lottery winners, like there's a high percentage, they go broke. They just, the wnba, she's the lottery ticket and they just didn't know how to react. And it was just, it's, they've just, I feel like the WNBA has been playing catch up with Caitlin Clark. They've just been reacting to her popularity. And, and in fairness, you know, Taylor Swift was a star before the ERAS tour. So even though it was the highest grossing tour of all time, you knew it was popular. You're like, this girl's a star now. It sold out seven straight night Sofi, it's like, okay, that, that's worth a billion dollars in one city. But I think a lot of times who is really ready for sudden, rapid, massive change? And I, I just don't think, I don't think golf was quite ready for the popularity of Tiger. I do think because Magic and Bird were in the NBA first, David Stern was ready for Michael Jordan. Like they had, you know, Gatorade and Converse and all these shoes and Nike and they, they, they were all kind of lined up. Magic and Bird gave the NBA sort of a glimpse of wow, these college stars get popular fast. Michael made the sport global. But I always felt the late David Stern and Nike and Gatorade and all these, the shoe companies were getting very involved. But I, this is like Jordan to the NBA with no Magic or Bird or Dr. J. And you're like, oh, people love us. So I just don't think they're quite ready for it. And I think, I think one of the things they have to clean up is they're officiating. They have to clean it up.

[Rob Parker]

I know it's not going to come off right, but I mean, I would check out the All Star game if Caitlin Clark were in it. I would be, I would watch. She's different than anyone else in the league, shooting 30 foot threes, making these cross court passes. She's just a wizard with the basketball. And I know this is going to sound bad. I don't really have any interest in watching the game if she's not in it. And that's not a slight on the other players. But like, I can find other stuff to do with my time than watch, you know, the wnba. Like, I mean, Caitlin Clark is why I'm tuning in.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, yeah, I mean the NBA lost 50% of its viewers think about that 50% when Michael Jordan retired. So that's why stars make the big bucks. I mean, I mean what are the Kansas City Chiefs worth today? And what were they worth seven years ago? They're worth now $9 billion. They were probably a billionaire billion when Mahomes got there. A billion and a half.

[Rob Parker]

That's a great point. So let's say Mahomes is injured and not going to play on Monday Night Football. And whoever the backup is gardening, I'm not going to check it out. I might gamble, but it's the bet it and forget it. I'm going to bet and then I'm going to go like hang with my family, maybe go bowling, whatever I'm going.

[Colin Cowherd]

To do in golf. Rory McElroy I mean, I like the British Open, but he will, singularly, yes, if he is in the running Sunday. I'm watching every shot Sunday of the British Open. If he's not, I'll watch it. But if I have lunch, I want to get a workout in, I'll watch it on, you know, I'll watch it on Fubo at the gym. Like, like it's, that's why the stars make the big money. You, I, certain people get me to a tv. The Sopranos and Tiger woods changed my Sunday viewing habits for years. That's a good point.

[Rob Parker]

And reality is, you know, I asked my kids this, Colin, what's our most important resource that we have? And the answer is time. Yeah. And people just don't understand that. Like, you know, once you get kids and you're, you know, establish a family. I got a dog, I gotta walk. Like I have responsibilities. I don't have time to watch something that I don't really care about. I mean, that's just the reality of it. And without Caitlin Clark, without Tiger woods, there's just some things that I'm not, I just don't care about as much. So again, not a slight to the league, but that's a big loss of Caitlin Clark. Let's go to the NBA, Colin, where interestingly, Joel Embiid recently did a sit down profile on his career and he hasn't given a lot of these, but he really opened up and he actually talked about James Harden. And I didn't know this, but according to Joel Embiid, James Harden is not talking to me. That's the part I don't like about being the guy. Because if you ask James, he probably believes that I had something to do with him not being there. So remember, James Harden was in Philly for like five minutes and then he wasn't. And it's Joel Embiid almost seems. And listen, I know he's had an injury history, we don't really love him on the show as a player, but he almost feels wounded by the fact that James Harden doesn't talk to him. It was, it was kind of eye opening stuff. I suggest checking out the article because remember these two when they had the pick and roll in Philly, it's like, oh, this is a contender. And now Harden won't even talk to him.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, I mean, they ran Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, James Harden. I mean, it's not like Embiid didn't have an aggressive front office. They gave him multiple coaches. It's that, that whole Embiid Story is on Embiid. Remember at the Olympics when they weren't. They couldn't. He didn't fit. I always said this about him. He's too often on the perimeter. Like Giannis knows he can't shoot so he doesn't spend any time wasting time in the perimeter. Didn't get in anybody's way. I think Embiid has had some Shaq qualities early, but injuries and his style of play, to me I, I have always thought he's an. Oh, he's just, he's a great player, he'll be a Hall of Famer. But I've always thought he's overvalued. I don't think he's half. I don't think he's close to Jokic. Jokic is a better shooter, a better passer, he's healthier, he elevates every single. Everybody works with Jokic. Almost nobody works with Embiid.

[Rob Parker]

Well, I'll say this. Embiid, I think two years ago was the mvp. And the problem was he pushed so hard for it Colin that his body broke down. Remember he was, he was averaging like 30 some odd points a game. He has not been the same since he got the mvp. And I would go and predict that he, he and Derrick Rose are going to be the only NBA MVPs to never make the NBA finals. Cuz I don't see him be getting to a finals. Now the Sixers, they're one of my sneaky teams this year. They got a lot of dudes. Your boy Maxi. We'll see about Paul George. I like McCain. I like their pick, Edgecomb. They got some guys I don't know if their finals worthy but the east is down. Just keep an eye on Philly. Final story is to college football. Now this is. I don't want you to get too worked up about this column but the Athletic has put out their list of top 10 quarterbacks for the college football season and Arch Manning checked in at 10th. I'm stunned. Someone named Josh Hoover is ninth. I'm not familiar with his work. I've seen John Matiere at Oklahoma. I can't believe he's listed better than.

[Colin Cowherd]

Archman on the screen. So Arch Manning's only played a couple of games, so I don't have a problem with this. First of all, I like Nuss Meyer and I like Cade Klubnick. Drew Aller I think is more talented, so I think he's low. I think Sam Levitt at Arizona State. Keep your eye on Sam Lovett. He's A, he is a gamer as a college guy.

[Rob Parker]

As a pro. You think he's got major pro upset?

[Colin Cowherd]

I think he's pretty interest. I, I, I don't have a problem with the first two pick. Drew Aller should be somewhere in the top three.

[Rob Parker]

This kid Sellers is good. He's the guy that intrigues me for next year's draft. He's kind of a multi talented quarterback. Not quite. Jalen hurts, but he's, he's very nimble. I gotta ask this Nussmeier stuff, Colin, you watched him last year. Yeah, I, I, I haven't seen it.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think he's good, people like him. I think he's pretty good. I think he and Klubnick are, are pretty good prospects. B prosp I think Drew Aller, if he makes another leap, he becomes an A prospect.

[Rob Parker]

Well, aller is your 6, 5 strapping quarterback. That, that's not Clubnick, that's not Nussmeier.

[Colin Cowherd]

Not right. I, I, my guess, by the end of the season, the top two prospects will be Arch Manning and Drew Aller.

[Dan Woike]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And then I think, and then I think Nussmeier will be third, Club Nick will be fourth. The Norris kid who's more athlete than pocket guy at this point. Just wait and watch him play. People like him a lot. Didn't see a time I've seen him play, but I think that's your top five or six. I think Sam Levitt's a little bit of a dark horse, but I lied when I watch now again, Arizona State shocked the world. He was really good the first time he got on the field. So he's been, he's been really good.

[Rob Parker]

Very quickly, by the way, Arch Manning. And we'll talk about this a lot. His first, first start in college football is at Ohio state.

[Colin Cowherd]

I know.

[Rob Parker]

August 30th. Did we do guess the line on this yet or no?

[Colin Cowherd]

Where's the game? At Ohio State? Yeah, I would say. Oh. Ohio State's favored by one and a half. One and a half?

[Rob Parker]

No, it opened at four and a half and it's down to three. Ohio State favored by a field goal.

[Colin Cowherd]

I take Texas. What?

[Rob Parker]

All right, well, we'll go head to head. That game is on fox. You like Archman to go into Ohio State and win?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, well, I saw Jim Harbaugh and J.J. mcCarthy do it. Why can't Arch Manning?

[Rob Parker]

And that was at the end of the season. This is Arch's first start. I'm gonna take an entire summer to prepare for Arch Manning.

[Colin Cowherd]

I, I'm gonna take. I'm gonna take the points. It's a great game. A great game.

[Rob Parker]

Albert brewers watching this right now. So upset with you. I'll be on the Buckeyes in that one.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, listen, it's going to be like the Oregon Ohio State game last year. It's going to be great. It's going to be. It's just going to be. I think there's going to be a lot of points and a lot of big plays.

[Rob Parker]

You got a lot of clout at this network. Why don't you throw your weight around and get us to that game? Come on, buddy. That'll be. Listen, that's a great way to start the college football season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, it's a great game. It is. Yeah. No, I'm. That's, that's about as good a game as college football is going to have in September. October J. Mack with a new news.

[Dan Woike]

Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd Lie News Lot.

[Colin Cowherd]

Of news happening at Fox today, including what Urban Meyer said about Nick Saban. Next, be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern.

[Dan Woike]

9Am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1.

[Colin Cowherd]

And the iHeartRadio app American Public University where service members like you can access high quality, affordable education built for your lifestyle. With online programs that fit around deployments, training and unpredictable schedules, APU makes it possible to earn your degree no matter where duty takes you. Their preferred military rate keeps tuition at just $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's tuition and with 24. 7 mental health support plus career coaching and other services, APU is committed to your success during and and after your service. Learn more at Apu Apus Edumilitary. That's Apu Apus Edu Military.

[Katie Couric]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Dan Woike]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

And we remember, we get about seven openings a year and coordinators hit at about a 30 to 40% clip. So, I mean, even again, so college coaches are not going to take those NFL jobs. Brian Kelly sniffed around years ago. NFL wasn't interested. Tell me. Lincoln Riley, NFL. Nobody's interested. So tell me, tell me the college coaches that would take NFL jobs. Ryan Day, maybe, but I think he likes Ohio State. Tell me the college guys that would take an opening. There are not. There's none. Davo Sweeney's totally a college guy. Marcus Freeman, maybe at Notre Dame, but I think he loves Notre Dame. I think he loves young families. He wants to stay in college. So there's nobody coming out of college that I can think of. Top of my head, I could have said a couple years ago. Now, we all knew Harbaugh was interested. That was pretty obvious. But so, and then, and, and then. Tell me all the hot coordinators. Ben Johnson, he took a job. Cliff Kingsbury, most of my people don't see him as an NFL head coach. He doesn't hold players accountable. Good coach, though. So Kingsbury the ship has sailed. So show me all the hot coordinators who are taking. Give me seven openings. Somebody's calling Nick Saban. I think Cleveland, you have to pay attention to Jimmy Haslam. Big Tennessee Booster, loves the SEC, loves stars. Drafted Baker, Manziel, acquired DeSean Watson, loves star power. I think he likes Kevin Stefanski, but he'd move him out of the way for a Saban, and he'd have Saban control personnel. Andrew Barry would probably, you know, say, no, thanks. So that one. And I think Dallas. I think Albert Brewer came on, we talked about the Cowboys and Nick Saban. I think it's. I think that Schottenheimer thing is going to go sideways by October. Here's Albert.

[Dan Woike]

The one thing about Dallas that people misunderstand is, yes, Jerry's involved in football, but the coach is involved in scouting, too. Like, the coach is involved in putting the team together. And that's always been the way that it's been run there and in that, like, they've got a really good personnel department. Will McClay does a great job, but they've always involved the coach and how the team is put together. If Jerry was going to do this, part of it would be, are you willing to take a backseat and move away from the spotlight for a little bit to see if Nick Saban can come and do it?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean, Jerry Jones is 82, so I think it plays. Listen, if Greg McElroy has heard this and he is totally connected to Bama, that means somebody in the Alabama administration, that's my guess where the source comes from, has talked to Nick. And Nick's either bored. You know, doesn't. Doesn't. I mean, I think he does a great job on tv, but there's a lot of voices on the show he's on. And I think TV bored Bill Parcells, who tried it a couple of times. I think it bored Bill Walsh. I. I don't think it's for everybody, and I do think it goes back to what Urban said. I. You have to go back and look up. First of all, he coached on that Belichick staff in Cleveland, and Belichick's one of his closest friends. So I guarantee you he. He would call Bill in a heartbeat, asking questions. But Saban really pivoted at Alabama. He went. Nick did something that was really impressive. And I've touched on this before. Lane Kiffin has talked about this. It was in a New York Times article years ago that when Saban was all defense and when he got to Bama, he was a Relentless recruiter. But those early Bama teams were all about linebackers and pass rushers and dts and corners and safeties. And then as the game and the sport changed and Lane Kiffin and him sat down, he really realized that the world was changing. And, and Bama when he left was about wide receivers, left tackles and quarterbacks. That's, that's. Belichick has struggled to pivot. Saban has had no trouble pivoting. And I think Saban deep down thinks he's a better coach than Belichick. But when you talk about all time great coaches, you don't bring up Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes. You don't, you don't bring up Nick Saban. It's Andy Reid, Bill Walsh and I don't think Saban would have to go to the NFL and win Super Bowls. I think if he went and he went somewhere for five years and made the playoffs four years and took the mess known as the Cowboys or Cleveland and made Cleveland a big time team, if Cleveland has the number one pick and I get saved and Arch Manning and they start winning that division and getting to the playoffs, I mean Saban's going to say, I knew I could coach. I don't think he ever would have gone to Bama. If the team doctor for the Dolphins would have acquiesced and given him Drew Brees. I don't think he ever would have gone to Bama. But the team doctor didn't. So Alabama should thank the team doctor. But I think it has legs. Yeah. By the way, this is interesting. Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty player guard, on the strained relationship between the WNBA players and refs. We talked about this earlier with Caitlin Clark's injuries, says Natasha Cloud. I worked my blanking blank off all off season for these four and a half months to try to win a championship and I feel like the refs are having too much blanking impact on the game. Angel Reese on the officiating, it has to be fixed. I don't give a damn if I get fined because Blankety Blank is cheap and I'm tired of this blank. Kelsey Plum, who plays for the LA Spark said in June, I drive more than anybody in the league. So to shoot six free throws is effing absurd. So the players, you don't hear NBA players bang on the refs like this. The end. The WNBA officiating is bad. Sophie Cunningham got knocked on her backside a couple nights ago. No call. It was brutal. It was brutal. So Caitlin Clark is not going to play this weekend. So you got Natasha Cloud, Angel Reese and and Kelsey Plum. The officiating is horrible. So again, I liken it to a lottery ticket winner. When you have a rapid change of circumstances, you don't know how to react to it. That's why half the lottery winners go broke or something like that. And I think this league is just playing catch up to Caitlin Clark. They're reacting. And the last part of the change, because the players are starting to embrace her, the last part of the change is the officiating. College officials, women's college officials make more than WNBA officials. That ain't right. So it's time for pensions. It's time for big time officiating revenue that the sport's getting too big. I mean it'd be like having again, it'd be like having a rock star selling out and having a second tier promoter. Like, like once you get, once you have a world class band, you have to have a world class marketing, promoting and ticket sales team. So there you go.

[Rob Parker]

Or Colin, we could just call it a Kansas City Chiefs playoff game. The way the referees seem to always favor the Chiefs, especially in Arrowhead. Buffalo Bills fans are texting me about it right now. Refereeing. It's tough. It's tough to find the good refs. Obviously when the Chiefs are getting blasted in the super bowl, nobody's talking about referees.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I will say I do believe the NFL should make officials more full time. Maybe not all of them, but 75%. That's always been a bone. A bone of. I mean we're, we're moving to 18 games. So between 18 games and playoffs and three preseason, it's a full time job.

[Rob Parker]

Are you sure we're going to 18?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, next year. Jeez, a second buy.

[Rob Parker]

So by the way, what are they ending the season? March.

[Colin Cowherd]

What's going on? Yeah, I'm okay with it. See you tomorrow. American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in this country. They offer something truly unique. Special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones. If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high quality education, APU is the place for you. Visit APU APIs Edu Military to learn more. That's APU. APUS. Edu Military. 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 listens. 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.

[Katie Couric]

On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas. She's holding down the fort for her party in one of the most conservative states in the union. I think that ultimately who will become the Democratic nominee for president will be someone that has been out there and has shown that they won't allow themselves to be punched and just say thank you like they will punch back. Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome to Pretty Private with ebony, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebony, and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. This is an I Heart podcast.