The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Massive Mailbag, Should USC Make a Coaching Change, Should the Ravens Tank
Date: October 22, 2025
Host: John Middlekauff (for The Volume)

Episode Overview

This episode is a massive listener mailbag in which John Middlekauff answers a broad range of audience questions about the NFL and college football. Topics focus on coaching temperaments, quarterback prospects, media double standards, fan frustrations, the value of tanking in today’s NFL, dubious front office decisions, college football coaching futures, and the resurgence of “bust” quarterbacks. Middlekauff brings his unfiltered, conversational style, blending sharp observations with behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Coaching Temperament – Can Volatile Coaches Change?

• Brian Daboll (Giants):
  • Question about whether Daboll's sideline volatility can change or if it’s a permanent feature.
  • Middlekauff compares Daboll to early-career Jim Harbaugh and notes that intensity often fades with age (04:00).
  • Quote: “When you’re insane and you’re energetic and you’re winning, everyone loves you...when you start doing that and losing, it’s not as fun.” (05:15)
  • Personality is hard to change — the Giants are getting the same guy if they keep him.

2. College Quarterback Prospects – Who Impresses?

• Top College QBs:
  • No quarterback stands out right now as a clear #1 overall pick (08:00).
  • Warns about overvaluing QBs due to “quarterback inflation”—likens it to buying overpriced stocks (12:00).
  • Suggests teams should consider drafting QBs in the later rounds: “You can find solid quarterbacks that are almost undervalued.” (13:27)

3. Ivy League Bias in Media – Are GMs Like Stefanski & Andrew Berry Getting Passes?

• Middlekauff clarifies he’s “not anti-intellectual,” but notes media gives certain execs passes because of their Ivy League pedigree (15:00).
• Quote: “The media values their education really, really highly…when they think you’re just a dumb football guy and you start losing, they destroy you.” (16:34)
• Compares coverage of Browns vs. less-connected teams or execs; calls out the Sam Hinkie “process” as a broader example (18:10).

4. Chicago Bears – Level of Respect vs. Teams like the Chargers/Packers

• Why don’t the Bears get more hype?
  • Historic franchises with long-term stability (Packers, Chargers with Harbaugh) get more media credit (24:00).
  • Bears have to prove it with consistent QB play before media attention increases.
  • Middlekauff critical of inconsistent play by Caleb Williams. (24:45)
  • Quote: “If your defense is going to be awesome and your running game is going to be awesome, you can get by with an average quarterback. But it’s difficult to just sustain winning.” (25:44)

5. Cowboys’ Future, Dak’s Window, and Building a Contender

• Listener asks if Cowboys can build a championship contender in next 2–3 years with many draft picks.
• Middlekauff: Prescott is 32, can play effectively into his mid-30s (27:40).
• Team needs to invest draft capital in upgrading defense.
• Quote: “If you told me their first two picks this draft are defensive linemen, I don’t think anyone would quibble with that.” (29:05)

6. USC & Lincoln Riley – Is a Coaching Change Needed?

• Listener discouraged with Lincoln Riley, asking if more can be expected.
• Middlekauff: Riley benefitted at Oklahoma from an NFL-caliber supporting cast—needs to recruit better at USC (32:40).
• Riley’s teams are “built for sunshine...when it’s going perfectly well,” and have struggled in cold, tough environments like the Big Ten (33:10).
• USC’s recent hiring of GM Chad Bowden from Notre Dame praised for adjusting to the new reality of CFB staffing and recruiting (35:30).

7. Tanking in the Modern NFL – Should the Ravens Embrace It?

• A Ravens fan asks if they should tank instead of fighting for a mediocre season.
• Middlekauff: “Once you start like 2–8...I don’t think it’s the worst thing to lose some games and get a higher pick.” (45:18)
• Ravens rarely pick high—drafting in the top 10 could be transformative if this season’s start continues.

8. The Falcons, Front Office Blame, and Franchise Identity

• A listener accuses Middlekauff of hating the Falcons; he explains it’s about front office toxicity and lack of accountability rather than hatred (42:00).
• Points at Arthur Blank and Rich McKay as examples of organizational types he distrusts—“They want the credit, but when shit goes bad, they want to stab everyone in the back.” (44:00)

9. QB Contracts – Why Do GMs Overpay?

• Frustration over large contracts given to non-elite QBs (e.g., Tua, Trevor Lawrence, Purdy).
• Middlekauff sees front offices as rushing into deals without competition, agents exploiting desperation, and internal delusion about their own players’ value (63:10).
• Quote: “If I have a guy that’s not elite at his job...why are we rushing?” (64:30)

10. The “Bus” Quarterback Resurgence – Mac Jones, Sam Darnold, etc.

• Middlekauff observes that more teams are investing in former bust QBs as reclamation projects (84:05).
• High draft status guarantees more second (and third) chances.
• NFL is a meritocracy only “once the game starts”—but draft pedigree means more chances outside initial team.

11. SEC Coaching Carousel – Would Lane Kiffin Bolt for Florida or Penn State?

• Lane Kiffin fits the SEC lifestyle/culture and is unlikely to take Penn State; Florida could appeal for personal/lifestyle reasons, not money or competition (56:00).
• College football fit is as much about lifestyle and ‘finding your people’ as winning (57:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When you’re insane and you’re energetic and you’re winning, everyone loves you…when you start doing that and losing, it’s not as fun.”
  — John Middlekauff on intense head coaches, (05:15)

• “I think we need to get back to that, draft other players and take quarterbacks in the second, third, and fourth round…Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy.”
  — On prudent QB drafting, (13:27)

• “The media values their education really, really highly…when they think you’re just a dumb football guy and you start losing, they destroy you.”
  — On Ivy League bias in football coverage, (16:34)

• “You acted like Arthur Smith was an idiot, hired this guy, and it’s been a debacle…any organization that has the Rich McKay types, I’m just out on, and I don’t take that seriously.”
  — On organizational dysfunction in Atlanta, (44:00)

• “If you told me their first two picks this draft are defensive linemen, I don’t think anyone would quibble with that.”
  — Rebuilding the Dallas Cowboys, (29:05)

• “If I have a guy that’s not elite at his job…why are we rushing?”
  — On overpaying QBs, (64:30)

• “The NFL is a meritocracy…once the games start. But if that undrafted free agent plays and he sucks, he is not going to get the same amount of opportunities…as the first or second rounder.”
  — On second chances for draft bust QBs, (85:30)

Timestamps: Major Topics & Segments

• 04:00 – Fiery coaching temperaments: Why coaches like Daboll and Harbaugh don’t change
• 08:00 – This year’s underwhelming college QB class and cautionary tales of over-drafting
• 15:00 – Media bias and GM scrutiny: Ivy League execs and the narrative game
• 24:00 – Respect for the Bears (and why the Chargers/Packers get more love)
• 27:40 – Cowboys: Dak’s window and building contention with defense
• 32:40 – Lincoln Riley at USC: Structural issues and Big Ten projections
• 42:00 – Why Middlekauff is out on the Falcons and their owner/front office dynamics
• 45:18 – Should the Ravens tank instead of chasing a wild card?
• 56:00 – Lane Kiffin, coaching fit, and the importance of ‘finding your people’ at a program
• 63:10 – The quarterback contract bubble and why GMs keep paying non-elite players
• 84:05 – “Bust” QBs – Do teams now prefer reclamation projects to drafting rookies?
• 85:30 – Draft pedigree and NFL meritocracy: Why first-rounders keep getting shots

Summary

John Middlekauff delivers a deep, candid mailbag episode that touches on front-office politics, coach volatility, smarter approaches to quarterback evaluation, organizational dysfunction, NFL tanking culture, and college football’s changing landscape. He sprinkles in accessible football wisdom, notable examples, and blunt takes, giving listeners not just answers but frameworks for thinking about the modern football world. The episode’s authenticity and behind-the-curtain tone make it a must-hear for passionate football fans who want substance beyond scores and highlights.