The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Hour 2 (October 17, 2025)

Overview

In this episode, Colin Cowherd delivers his new Blazin’ 5 NFL picks for the weekend and dives deep with longtime coach and analyst Dave Wannstedt. The conversation spans helping Caleb Williams develop with the Bears, Joe Flacco’s resurgence, coaching philosophies, the unique fit of Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, and the shifting landscapes in college football—especially the stakes of USC-Notre Dame. The episode retains Cowherd’s trademark opinionated and conversational style, blending NFL and CFB insights and a handful of sharp, memorable moments.

Segment Breakdown & Key Topics

[03:08] Cowherd’s Blazin’ 5 Picks for the Weekend

Dolphins at Browns

• Colin favors the Browns (-2.5), citing their home-field advantage and best-in-league defense, especially in expected sloppy, windy conditions.
• Dolphins criticized for culture issues: “The quarterback calling out the coach and they give up the second most yards per play in the league.” (03:55, Cowherd)
• Prediction: Browns win and cover, 24-17.

Giants at Broncos

• Broncos picked to win and cover—Colin lauds their defensive strength at home.
• On Giants QB switch: “Jackson Dart’s the better story, he’s got good energy, but against this defense in Denver, forget about it.” (04:21, Cowherd)
• Broncos defense praised: “Relentless pressure.”
• Prediction: Denver 28, Giants 20.

Commanders at Cowboys — Take the Over

• Colin expects a wild, high-scoring shootout; secondary injuries and big-play vulnerability on both defenses.
• “Commanders have scored 24 points plus in four straight games, but their run defense has gotten worse with injuries and their secondary is a mess.” (05:10, Cowherd)
• Prediction: Over 54.5 points (not a winner pick).

Packers at Cardinals

• Cardinals get credit for being “feisty” at home, regardless of QB.
• “They have led in the fourth quarter of five of their six games and they’re always feisty at home. And Green Bay is not taking the ball away this year.” (05:45, Cowherd)
• Prediction: Packers win ugly, Cards cover (+7): 28-24.

Buccaneers at Lions

• Cowherd strongly favors Detroit at home.
• On Tampa: “The Bucs have trailed in the fourth quarter in five of their six games. 24th in scoring defense. They’re missing a couple of corners.” (06:31, Cowherd)
• Notes the “separation” in quality, expects the Lions’ offense to snap back.
• Prediction: Lions win and cover, 28-21.

Notable Quote

• “Browns are my biggest bet of the weekend, but what could possibly go wrong? Rookie quarterback and 40 mile an hour winds.” (10:00, Cowherd)

[10:14] USC-Notre Dame: Contract & College Football Shifts

• Colin pushes for USC to renegotiate the traditional rivalry: “Let’s renegotiate. We’ll play Notre Dame every other year and it’s gotta be early [in the season].” (10:25, Cowherd)
• Predicts Notre Dame wins by 10, but main interest is the increasingly formidable Big Ten: "The Big Ten also added USC, rival Oregon, Washington and UCLA. They didn’t take Cal and Stanford. They took the big boys." (10:38, Cowherd)
• Argues the power dynamic is shifting, and college football’s landscape is rapidly evolving.

[15:36] Dave Wannstedt Joins — On Caleb Williams, the Bears, and Coaching Growth

Caleb Williams’s Development with Ben Johnson (Bears)

• Wannstedt sees improvement in pocket presence: “He’s sitting in the pocket and he’s waiting more patiently for receivers to come open in the middle of the field. That’s the one thing that’s jumping out at me.” (16:18, Wannstedt)
• Notes offensive adjustments: "Ben [Johnson] cut down on things... and they had some physical practices." (16:55, Wannstedt)
• What’s missing? “The big plays… I think it has to do with our running game.” (17:31, Wannstedt)
• Colin lauds the clarity of the offensive plan: “It looks right. Like, I feel like when I go into games, I see what they’re trying to do.” (17:57, Cowherd)

Adjustments in Coaching

• Wannstedt emphasizes in-game adjustments: “He [Ben Johnson] makes the adjustment... getting Andre Swift, which he does best, on the edge.” (18:16, Wannstedt)

[19:00] Steelers, Defense, and Coaching Philosophies

On Pittsburgh Steelers’ Defensive Lapses

• “Defense is simple—know what to do and give a fanatical effort.” (19:21, Wannstedt)
• Lack of effort cited: “When I see a team play like Pittsburgh did last night on defense, you don’t see the passion. It tells me they were not all in.” (19:53, Wannstedt)
• Zero sacks against Flacco: “Joe Flacco is not going to get out of your way... You gotta get to him. Pittsburgh comes up with no sacks? That’s a light goes off right there.” (21:21, Wannstedt)

[22:12] Coordinators and Head Coaches (The Eagles Example)

• On Philly’s offensive struggles after elevating a passing game coordinator to OC:
  • “There’s not a play that’s called... that doesn’t go through the head coach. You got the final say, so it’s on you.” (23:51, Wannstedt)
• Colin draws parallels to coaching tree hires: when it’s internal, you expect a seamless transition, but sometimes the play-calling variety and scheme lag.

[23:51] Baker Mayfield’s Success in Tampa Bay — Fit & Culture

• Colin: Tampa’s laid-back feel is advantageous to big-personality QBs like Baker.
• Wannstedt expands: “All of Florida is transplants. It’s not as parochial... so Baker fits right in.” (25:15, Wannstedt)
• Baker’s performance: “He has carried that football team with his desire to win at the end... I think he’s in a hunt for MVP.” (25:36, Wannstedt)
• Colin: “I would vote him today. He would be MVP and then Mahomes would be runner up.” (25:46, Cowherd)

[26:47] Penn State Coaching Changes & College Football Realities

• On James Franklin’s firing:
  • "You can lose games, but you don't lose that locker room ... I think the trap was this: James Franklin has always been a guy, 'the next game, the next game' — but you start talking about getting over the top in August, and then you lose a tough game ... the team went backwards." (27:56, Wannstedt)
• Colin: If you fire a coach, you better have a proper succession plan, not just a list of wishful names.
• Wannstedt: “It's a mess. It’s a darn shame. It really is.” (28:20, Wannstedt)

[28:33] USC-Notre Dame, Rivalry Logistics, & TV Value

• Both agree on renegotiating frequency and timing of the rivalry.
• Wannstedt: “The chips are in USC’s hands … Notre Dame can play Army, Navy, they can schedule who they want. USC is not getting away from Oregon or Michigan.” (30:16, Wannstedt)
• On the value of the matchup: “This game will give certain players like [USC QB] Jaden Myabbi a big push from a notoriety standpoint, but as far as wins and losses and rankings, I don’t see it.” (30:20, Wannstedt)

[35:01] NFL/College Weekend Storylines & Fan Q&A

Rams’ Red Zone Issues

• Red zone struggles attributed to loss of trust in RBs and limited use of tight ends.
• “I wonder if Sean McVay has lost confidence in Kyron Williams and Blake Corum in terms of ball security…” (37:01, Cowherd)
• London travel: Colin skeptical of Rams arriving only a day early, but “for young athletes… I think they’ll be fine.” (39:01, Cowherd)

Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers, and Viral Moments

• Rodgers gets physically handled in a game: “I think you shouldn’t tackle your teammates who are 40 years old. I don’t think it’s that complicated.” (40:00, Cowherd)

Officiating Bias (Micah Parsons’ Comments)

• Parsons suggests refs favor the offense: “They want to load the points up so fans can be happy…” (40:33, Parsons)
• Colin agrees NFL has intentionally made it an offensive game while cautioning against going too far: “It is clearly undeniably an offensive game and officials are looking for defensive players doing things that could get people hurt.” (41:05, Cowherd)

[43:20] Cowherd & J Mac — Picks & Upset Watch

• Discuss the nuance of what constitutes a true upset (usually 7+ point underdogs).
• Seahawks-Texans, Titans-Patriots, and Falcons-49ers called out as intriguing matchups.

[47:00] Closing Thoughts — The Weight of Bears QB History

• Colin notes Chicago fans’ defensiveness regarding QBs after years of disappointment, but remains optimistic about the Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson pairing.

Notable Quote

• “Chicago’s been burned so many times at the quarterback position … When you listen to sports talk radio, nobody wants to hear anything negative.” (46:13, Cowherd)

Timestamp Highlights

• 03:08 — Blazin’ 5 picks begin
• 10:00 — “Browns are my biggest bet of the weekend…” (Cowherd)
• 16:18 — Wannstedt on Caleb Williams’s improved poise
• 19:21 — Defense and Pittsburgh’s emotional letdown (Wannstedt)
• 23:51 — Head coach responsibility for play-calling (Wannstedt)
• 25:36 — Baker Mayfield “in the hunt for MVP” (Wannstedt)
• 27:56 — The Penn State firing explained (Wannstedt)
• 28:33 — USC-Notre Dame scheduling logic
• 40:33 — Micah Parsons: "They want to load the points up so fans can be happy…"
• 46:13 — Chicago’s QB trauma and fan reaction (Cowherd)
• 47:00 — Cowherd optimistic on the Bears

Tone & Energy

Colin and his guests maintain a sharp, conversational, and opinion-driven tone throughout. Cowherd’s self-confidence and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom drive the show, while Wannstedt’s veteran coaching insights anchor the football discussions in practical reality.

Memorable Quotes

• “The Browns are my biggest bet of the weekend…but what could possibly go wrong? Rookie quarterback and 40 mile an hour winds.” — Cowherd (10:00)
• “He [Caleb] is sitting in the pocket and he’s waiting more patiently for receivers to come open in the middle of the field.” — Wannstedt (16:18)
• “Joe Flacco is not going to get out of your way…you gotta get to him. Pittsburgh comes up with no sacks? That’s a light goes off right there.” — Wannstedt (21:21)
• “He has carried that football team with his desire to win at the end…He’s in a hunt for MVP.” — Wannstedt on Baker Mayfield (25:36)
• “Chicago’s been burned so many times at the quarterback position … nobody wants to hear anything negative.” — Cowherd (46:13)
• “They want to load the points up so fans can be happy…” — Micah Parsons (40:33)

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The Bears’ offense and Caleb Williams are making tangible progress under Ben Johnson’s more intentional coaching, but explosive plays are still lacking.
• The NFL’s officiating, schedule quirks, and weather are heavy factors in Cowherd’s game picks.
• The college football landscape is shifting fast—with major implications for traditional rivalries like USC-Notre Dame.
• Baker Mayfield’s career is revitalized in the relaxed, welcoming atmosphere of Tampa Bay—a perfect fit for his personality.
• Coaching hires and changes remain a central thread, with the Eagles and Penn State used as examples of how, and how not, to manage transitions.

The episode is a lively, layered mix of smart football talk and the relentlessly opinionated flavor that defines "The Herd."