The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 1 Summary

Episode Date: December 3, 2025
Main Theme: Examining the chaos and lack of leadership in college football’s playoff system, plus a deep dive on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ need for a reset with Mike Tomlin, and broad NFL analysis.

Episode Overview

Colin Cowherd opens the hour with a passionate critique of college football’s playoff format—highlighting the confusion and lack of centralized leadership. He underscores the $8 billion industry’s absence of a “CEO” and draws contrasts to the NFL. The second major topic is the growing call, including from Ben Roethlisberger, for the Pittsburgh Steelers to “reset” and possibly move on from Coach Mike Tomlin. The conversation also covers the present state and future prospects for rookie quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Bo Nix, the New York Giants' situation, and a unique view on which NFL teams can realistically contend in the postseason.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Football’s Playoff Chaos: Confusion and Leadership Void

• Playoff Madness: Colin expresses how even with the expanded 12-team format, the College Football Playoff remains convoluted and harder to explain than March Madness or even “the blockchain.”
  • "I can explain the blockchain easier than I can the College Football playoff." — Colin (03:19)
  • Highlights the injustice: 10-2 Miami (who beat Notre Dame) out; 7-5 Duke in the ACC title game; if Duke wins, possibly no ACC team gets a playoff berth.
• No Central Leadership:
  • Rants on college football being a massive, leaderless business:
    "$8 billion industry, no centralized figure, no CEO, no Dana White. It's ridiculous." — Colin (04:40)
  • Compares the smooth logic of NFL playoffs to the arbitrary “math meets selective feelings” committee of college football.
• Committee Critique:
  • Calls the selection panel an "arbitrary committee where it's math meets selective feelings."
  • Quotes Urban Meyer from earlier in the week:
    "Get rid of the committee."
  • Approves the “442211” plan: committee gone, conferences handle playoff selection.
• Rooting for Chaos:
  • Admits, almost gleefully, to rooting for Duke to win in order to force a conference out:
    "I'm almost rooting now for Duke to beat Virginia. So nobody gets in from the ACC. We know Miami should. And then everybody has to sit down and go, this is ridiculous." — Colin (08:15)

2. Steelers and Mike Tomlin: Time for a Fresh Start?

• Ben Roethlisberger’s Criticism:
  • Ben joins the chorus suggesting the Steelers may need to "clean house."
    "Maybe it's time. Maybe it's a clean house time. Maybe it's time. And I like Coach Tomlin... but maybe it's best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what's best." — Ben Roethlisberger, relayed by Colin (09:04)
• Colin’s Take on Tomlin:
  • Emphasizes that Tomlin hasn't won a playoff game since before Trump’s first inauguration (10:33):
    "Since Mike Tomlin's last playoff win, Donald Trump hadn't been inaugurated the first time. Shohei Ohtani was still playing baseball in Japan."
  • Argues it’s okay for coaches (and people) to need to be “pushed” into a fresh start for their own good (11:08):
    "NFL coach is not a Supreme Court justice. It's not a lifetime appointment."
  • Calls the Steelers a “seven-year leaky roof” that needs real repairs instead of “putting buckets all over the living room.”
• Defensive Coaches Aging Out:
  • Groups Tomlin with Belichick, Pete Carroll, Ron Rivera as defensive minds whose style may not age as well in today’s game:
    "Defensive coaches do not age as well... Offensive coaches tend to be more curious, their play designers..." (12:01)
• Hiring Debate with Joel Klatt:
  • Joel counters: Sometimes, moving off established coaches is risky and finding a better successor is tough (12:53).
  • Colin counters: prefers offensive-minded replacements like Brian Daboll, acknowledging New York's instability but emphasizing Daboll’s track record (13:19).
• Would Tomlin Get Another Job?
  • Joel: Many teams (Titans, Jets, Browns) would be interested if Tomlin stepped down (14:07).

3. Rookie Quarterbacks: Caleb Williams & Bo Nix Under the Microscope

• Caleb Williams Criticism:
  • Discusses the defensive reaction in Chicago when Caleb is criticized and notes his 58% completion rate as concerning. "He's doing a really good job managing the ballgame and that's step number one for the quarterback..." — Ben Johnson (Coach), quoted by Colin (20:08)
• Parallels with Bo Nix:
  • Both are noted for high upside but streaky/inaccurate play.
  • Both benefit from strong rosters and rookie contracts; "roster strength" and "rookie deals" give their teams a real shot.
• O-Line is the Key:
  • Highlights Bears’ and Broncos’ O-lines as the real secret:
    "Bears and Denver arguably have the best offensive lines in football." (22:08)
  • Lists top roster talents and explains that uneven QB play can be covered up by great coaching and protection.
• Cap Space Matters:
  • Notes cap hits for Williams and Nix are tiny compared to established QBs:
    "Caleb Williams cap hit is only 15% of Dak Prescott's, Bo Nix's is only 8%..." (24:06)
• The Bottom Line:
  • Youthful QBs can be inconsistent, but with the infrastructure around them, both Chicago and Denver have real upside as number one seeds.

4. NFL News & Analysis: Giants, Coaches, and “Aggressive vs Settling”

• Bill Belichick at UNC:
  • Unimpressive tenure, reportedly staying only because the $30M buyout is too steep (25:14).
  • "Bill knows offense but he's not good at diagramming it, calling it or drafting it... it's an offensive sport, college and pro." — Colin (25:52)
• New York Giants:
  • Joel thinks GM Joe Shane’s performance is disastrous, but Colin is oddly optimistic:
    "I do not think the Giants are miles away. I think their receivers... have been kind of surprisingly good..." (27:45)
  • Controversy over whether the Giants or Jets are in a worse spot, with Colin bullish on the Giants' rebuild.
• Mike Vrabel and Defensive Football:
  • Entertaining Vrabel quote on hard, legal hits (30:20):
    "When I say we better not get queued over there by the sidelines because this is legal, I turn around and tell the defense if this is happening, we need to try to knock out of them as legally as possible." — Vrabel’s approach, relayed by Colin.
• Lions vs. Cowboys—A Study in NFL Fluidity:
  • Uses Detroit’s regression (after OC Ben Johnson left) and Dallas’ aggressive acquisitions as a parable on NFL adaptability:
    "This is what I love about the NFL… how quickly things change in the NFL." (31:12)
  • Contrasts Lions “settling” for internal candidates with Jerry Jones’ Cowboys making bold moves (Micah Parsons trade, acquiring Quinn and Williams).
  • "If you want to be great…you can’t settle and you have to be aggressive…Detroit settled, Dallas took massive swings." — Colin (34:01)

5. Super Bowl Bubble: Who Can Actually Get There?

(Timestamped, 36:43–50:55)

• Colin’s bubble is “strangest and skinniest ever”—only three real Super Bowl contenders in his view: Rams, Green Bay, New England.
• Four “just outside” the bubble: Chicago, Seattle, Buffalo, San Francisco — all due to fatal flaws:
  • 49ers: Last in sacks.
  • Buffalo: Awful run defense.
  • Seattle: Too many turnovers.
  • Bears: Inaccurate rookie QB (historically low completion percentage).
• Philadelphia Eagles: In the “contact with the bubble” stage — great roster, but performance and coaching “a mess.”
• Joel challenges Colin: No Ravens, no Chiefs? AFC’s reputation as the stronger conference is questioned; Colin argues NFC is now stronger.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You can't have a great movie with a bad ending." — Colin on college football's playoff system (04:55)
• "First we had the media select who played for the Natty, then it was the computers, and now we're down to an arbitrary committee where it's math meets selective feelings." — Colin on the evolution of college football selection (06:48)
• "It's been like a seven year leaky roof and Pittsburgh just keeps putting buckets all over the living room and kitchen." — Colin, on the Steelers’ reluctance to reset (11:08)
• "Defensive coaches do not age as well." — Colin (12:01)
• "There's two ways to win big in this league: Superstar quarterback taking a team-friendly deal or a talented quarterback on a rookie deal." — Colin (21:42)
• "If you want to be great…you can’t settle and you have to be aggressive." — Colin on NFL team building, referencing the Cowboys and Lions (34:01)
• "The NFC now is better...I think Seattle could get to the AFC Championship game. I think Chicago could. The Niners could. The Eagles could, the Rams could, the Packers could." — Colin, flipping the AFC/NFC perception (49:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:08 – 08:58: College Football Playoff confusion and leadership critique
• 09:04 – 15:00: Steelers/Mike Tomlin debate, with Ben Roethlisberger’s comments
• 19:28 – 24:56: Bo Nix and Caleb Williams, the “quarterback derangement syndrome” and roster analysis
• 25:02 – 30:49: Giants, Tar Heels (Belichick), organizational dysfunction, Vrabel’s hit philosophy
• 31:12 – 36:09: Cowboys vs. Lions, settling vs. risk-taking, NFL team-building philosophies
• 36:43 – 50:55: Super Bowl bubble segment, fatal flaws for contenders, NFC vs. AFC strength
• 48:39 – 50:55: Super Bowl bubble debate with Joel Klatt

Style, Tone, and Speaker Attributions

• Colin’s language is colorful, direct, and full of analogies.
  • Regular use of sports, movie, and business metaphors.
  • Willing to name names, call out institutions, and embrace bold opinions even if unpopular.
• Joel Klatt provides grounded counterpoints, especially on coaching changes and Super Bowl contenders.
• Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Vrabel are quoted via Colin and the panel.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode of The Herd is a sweeping, passionate critique of college football’s chaotic postseason and playoff selection, juxtaposed with the NFL’s orderliness. Colin rails against college football’s absence of leadership and clarity, using the exclusion of deserving teams like Miami to illustrate the playoff committee’s failures—calling for a systemic shakeup.

He then pivots to the NFL, zeroing in on the Steelers and Coach Mike Tomlin. With former franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now joining public calls for a “fresh start,” Colin builds a strong case for the Steelers to move on—contrasting Tomlin’s lengthy tenure with the need for bold, new offensive leadership in today’s league.

The discussion turns analytical as he examines why young, inconsistent quarterbacks like Caleb Williams and Bo Nix can thrive—crediting strong offensive lines and roster builds made possible by rookie deals.

The hour closes with a unique “Super Bowl Bubble” segment, narrowing the legitimate contenders more than ever due to apparent fatal flaws in many teams—including Chicago, Buffalo, and even San Francisco. Colin and Klatt face off on whether the AFC or NFC is now the stronger conference, and what it takes for NFL teams to be truly great (hint: don’t settle, be aggressive).

If you missed the episode, you’ll come away clear on Colin’s central opinions: College football needs a leader, the Steelers need a reset, super teams are defined as much by their O-lines and playcalling as by the QBs themselves, and the NFL is a league where fortune favors bold, aggressive risk-takers.