The Herd with Colin Cowherd – Hour 2 (December 22, 2025)

Episode Theme:
The second hour focuses on Colin Cowherd's signature “Where Colin Was Right, Where Colin Was Wrong,” in-depth discussion of NFL playoff teams and QB situations, and sharp debates about the college football playoff selection process. Cohost J. Mac (Jason McIntyre) and guest Matt Hasselbeck join for analysis, notable predictions, and vigorous banter.

Main Segments & Themes

1. College Football Playoff Selection: Are the Best Teams In?

Timestamp: [02:54] – [05:07], [45:26] – [49:12]

• Colin challenges the outcry over playoff inclusions, comparing the College Football Playoff to March Madness. He notes that not every top team makes it in either sport and defends the integrity of the selection process.
  • “Do you get the top 16 college basketball teams in? The rest of it’s filler. That’s how I feel about this thing.” – Colin [03:11]
• Notable Rant:
  • “Only four of the 32 first round games in March Madness were decided by fewer than seven points. It’s nothing but blowouts … You can’t live with a couple of lopsided football games? Then you can’t tell me you like college football because there’s 30 a weekend.” – Colin [45:38]
• Take: He’s enthusiastic about the next seven games, declaring that the best eight teams are set for a compelling finish, dismissing complaints about "undeserving" inclusions.

2. Where Colin Was Right & Wrong

Timestamp: [05:07] – [10:48]

• NFL Playoff Predictions:
  • Right: Picked New England as a surprise playoff team four years running (“New England was my surprise playoff pick. Fourth year in a row, my surprise playoff team has made it.” – Colin [05:08])
  • Wrong: Downplayed Mike Tomlin, admits Steelers remain relevant with another strong season.
• Quarterback Evaluations:
  • Praises Sam Darnold for high-level play across two teams.
  • Admits error doubting Trevor Lawrence after midseason slump—he’s rebounded.
  • New York Giants controversy over considering Fernando Mendoza vs. Jackson Dart.
• Coaching Calls:
  • Miami Hurricanes’ defense: Colin was bullish and proved right.
  • Elevates Kalen DeBoer as a top-5 coach ("Don't listen to the trolls. He is a top five head coach." [09:14])
• Carolina Panthers:
  • Wrong on writing them off—Bryce Young and new GM/coach combo righted the ship.

3. NFL Playoff-Team Analysis (with Matt Hasselbeck)

Timestamp: [10:48] – [25:09]

New England Patriots: Built for Playoff Success?

• Hasselbeck:
  • “This team is … built for it. I think they're one of the best teams in the AFC and I do believe the coaching matters.” [11:35]
  • Attributes turnaround to Drake May’s play and improved defense, despite injuries.

Steelers & Aaron Rodgers: Reinvented Offense

• Colin notes:
  • “Pittsburgh was offensive quicksand … Aaron is letting go of the ball faster than any quarterback in the league.” [11:41]
• Hasselbeck:
  • “He doesn’t need to be Michael Jordan. He can just get us into the perfect play, give us explosive runs, throw a perfect back shoulder …” [13:08]
  • Key: Leaning into the run game and Rodgers’ orchestration.

The "Elite QB" Prototype Debate

• Colin on Caleb:
  • “The layups I’m not sure about, but some of the plays he makes, I’m like, what? … It’s just different.” [14:02]
• Hasselbeck on coaching special talents:
  • “He makes the hard things look easy. He makes the easy things look hard, which is great. If you're a coach, you say, hey, I can coach you into the easy stuff.” [14:23]
  • Coaching the "un-coachable" talents—finding balance between freedom and structure.

Importance of Coordinators

• Colin:
  • “When you lose Ben Johnson … coordinators matter.” [17:49]
• Hasselbeck:
  • Coordinator provides identity; Detroit’s current struggles traced to losing Ben Johnson and instability on staff.

The Trevor Lawrence Turnaround

• Colin:
  • “Just the minute I gave up on Trevor Lawrence, he pivoted.” [05:56]
• Hasselbeck:
  • “He’s kind of walking into and living into his potential that everyone's kind of been waiting for. … This is a dangerous team.” [20:24], [51:07]
  • Chalks it up to compatibility with intense OC Liam Cohen and Trevor’s calm demeanor.

The Herbert/Harbaugh Effect in L.A.

• Colin:
  • “Is that the Harbaugh effect, the Herbert effect? Because they should not be 11 and 4.” [22:26]
• Hasselbeck:
  • “Harbaugh, Herbert, like, that's it. The grittiness, the toughness. … He's just a football guy.” [22:42]
  • Cites their toughness and leadership as overcoming injuries.

NFC Quarterback Strength

• Darnold, Stafford, 49ers in contention for the #1 seed; value of QB play in new playoff format.

4. News Desk with J. Mac: Injury Round-Up & Playoff Stakes

Timestamp: [30:57] – [41:08]

Ravens’ Collapse & Lamar Jackson’s Injury

• Soundbite:
  • “I can’t control that, dude. Like, I’m on the ground, like I’m down. I gave myself all that I needed in the back.” – Lamar Jackson [31:31]
• Colin:
  • Expresses admiration for Lamar's grit but concerned about accumulating injuries: “It feels like he’s just falling apart.” [32:17]
  • Predicts the Ravens will rebound, trusting organization stability.

Bills & Josh Allen’s Health

• “If [Allen] is, he's so … tough, so competitive. … It’s hard to tell what’s really going on inside that heartbeat of his.” – Coach Sean McDermott [36:24]
• Allen’s injury and its effects on the Bills are noted, but Colin remains optimistic: “Josh will be fine.” [37:31]

Quarterback Depth & Playoff Interest

• “We’re going to have old Stafford, young Bo Nix … Purdy in the playoffs, Darnold in the playoffs, Jordan Love in the playoffs. … The depth of quarterback talent in this league.” – Colin [37:39]
• Discussion about lack of marquee QBs and its impact on entertainment value vs. depth.

49ers Outlook

• Brock Purdy’s progression and the offensive chemistry under Kyle Shanahan are highlighted.
  • “When Brock gets time and he's healthy, it's a fun offense.” – Colin [39:54]
  • J. Mac: “They love him. … The team loves Purdy.” [40:36]

5. Final Thoughts & Cultural Commentary

Timestamp: [49:12] – [51:57]

• Noting prevalence of quality offensive coaches and their impact on "second-career" QBs (e.g., Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield).
• “Eventually, if you just keep at it … you’ll get a good boss, you’ll get a good producer, you’ll get a good director.” – Colin [50:36]
• Admonition for young listeners: stay persistent, eventually talent and hard work will find the right opportunity.

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “New England was my surprise playoff pick. Fourth year in a row, my surprise playoff team has made it.” – Colin [05:08]
• “He makes the hard things look easy. He makes the easy things look hard. … That’s what your job is as a coach, because he has this stuff that you can’t coach.” – Matt Hasselbeck, on Caleb [14:18]
• “If you turned on Brett Favre’s mistake reel, it would look very similar to his touchdown reel … It’s a little bit like being the trainer of an elite racehorse.” – Matt Hasselbeck [16:19]
• “When you lose Ben Johnson … coordinators matter.” – Colin [17:49]
• “He’s kind of walking into and living into his potential that everyone’s kind of been waiting for. … This is a dangerous team.” – Matt Hasselbeck, on Trevor Lawrence [20:24], [51:07]
• “Only four of the 32 first round games in March Madness were decided by fewer than seven points … You can’t live with a couple of lopsided football games?” – Colin [45:38]
• “If you just keep at it … you’ll get a good boss, you’ll get a good producer, you’ll get a good director. May take you 25 years.” – Colin [50:36]

Key Timestamps

• [02:54] College Football Playoff complaints and comparisons to March Madness
• [05:07] Where Colin Was Right/Wrong
• [10:48] Matt Hasselbeck joins for playoff/NFL talk
• [13:49] Elite quarterback "prototypes" and coaching approaches
• [17:49] Impact of losing key coordinators (e.g., Detroit and Ben Johnson)
• [20:24] Trevor Lawrence’s rise under Liam Cohen
• [22:26] Chargers’ overperformance amid injuries
• [30:57] J. Mac’s News: Lamar Jackson injury, playoff stakes
• [36:24] Josh Allen’s injury, impact on the Bills
• [39:01] Purdy and 49ers playoff outlook
• [45:26] Colin’s extended rant on playoff team legitimacy and March Madness

Tone & Style

• Conversational, sharp, and opinionated, as is Colin’s trademark style.
• Banter with cohosts and guests, strong analogies, and real-time reactions to controversy.
• Mix of data-backed takes with comedic asides (e.g., referencing small schools as “craft beers and national parks” [45:38]) and cultural observations.

In Summary:
This episode’s hour two is classic Colin Cowherd—brash, knowledgeable, and never short a fresh analogy. Between evaluating the logic (and the flaws) of the College Football Playoff, spotlighting coaching and quarterback developments in the NFL, and debating the ripple effects of injuries and coaching turnover, the segment is a must-listen for fans wanting smart, opinionated sports talk with depth and personality.