THE HERD - Hour 3 - Mick Cronin stops by The Herd, Tomorrow's Headlines Today

Summary

The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Hour 3) – March 27, 2026

Featured Guest: Mick Cronin (UCLA Men’s Basketball Head Coach)

Theme: High-Stakes March Madness, Coach Perspectives, and College Sports Realities

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Episode Overview

In this rich and lively episode, Colin Cowherd sits down with UCLA head basketball coach Mick Cronin to dive into key storylines surrounding March Madness: program-building under NIL realities, the Big Ten’s evolving landscape, tough coaching in the transfer portal era, and in-depth analysis of tournament matchups. The episode then shifts to J. Mac’s “Tomorrow’s Headlines Today” predictions, NCAA tournament storylines, and topical sports news. The tone is candid, insightful, and energetic—perfectly capturing March’s basketball drama and off-court intrigue.

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Key Discussion Points

1. NCAA Tournament Matchups & Team Analysis

(03:50 – 14:19)

• UConn vs. Michigan State

  • Cronin praises both programs for their toughness and defensive focus.
  • “UConn is a real pressure team on the ball ... they wear teams down with that relentless effort.” (Mick Cronin, 04:38)
  • Michigan State’s team defense highlighted, with both coaches likely Hall of Famers.

• Big Ten Team Progress and Surprises

  • Colin and Cronin agree: Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan State’s deep runs are not surprising.
  • Purdue: “Their preseason number one, it was almost like ... just get through the regular season.” (Cronin, 06:46)
  • Big Ten depth and talent called “as good a league as they’ve ever been in.” (Cronin quoting Purdue players, 06:05)

• Hard Coaching in the Transfer Portal Era

  • Cronin defends tough, vocal coaching: “First of all, your players have to know that you know what you’re talking about ... they signed up to play for coaches that winning is the only thing acceptable.” (07:52)
  • Cites media “clickbait” around coaching styles, referencing Rick Pitino and game results: “When you win, everybody loves you. When you lose, everybody crushes you ... if you can’t take the heat, you will not survive the kitchen in this era because it’s 24/7 scrutiny.” (08:57)

• St. John’s vs. Duke Upset Talk

  • Cronin sees a St. John’s win as “a monumental upset” given Duke’s defensive strength: “Because the oldest thing is, Colin, you can’t press if you don’t score ... Duke, number one in defensive efficiency. Hardest team to score on.” (10:01)

• Michigan Assessment

  • Cronin gushes about Michigan’s NBA-level talent: “Three first round picks. Lindenborg’s a lottery pick. Mara’s going to be a tremendous pro ... Roddy Dale off the bench would start for any other team in the Big Ten ... at times I think they take early shots and settle ... but if they do that and play to their maximum, they’re the best team.” (11:05–12:31)

• Arizona’s Formula

  • Bruins gave Arizona “a battle” due to familiarity; describes their dominance inside with multiple NBA prospects.
  • Key to Arizona’s success: “They just dominate you in the paint ... we’re up 7 on them late and they just ... wore us down.” (12:52)

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2. Candid Coach Talk: NIL, Roster Funding & Realities

(19:49 – 23:33)

• Mick Cronin’s Viral NIL Comment

  • Cronin’s quip: “I’d like about five more million. There’s my answer.” (20:28)
  • On NIL levels: “We have NIL. Some teams have exorbitant NIL ... it allows you to not be perfect.” (20:57)
  • Acknowledges the uneven playing field: “Some people are just lucky ... not if you have a billion-dollar donor that wants to win.” (20:57)
  • Points out recruiting advantages and importance of resources, using mid-major examples.

• The “New Job” for College Coaches

  • “You got to re-sign your own players ... and then as you got to get ready for the portal ... as coaches, we have no say ... you better embrace what you need to do right now.” (22:49–23:33)
  • Describes the frenetic culture of roster-building: never off the phone, always recruiting—players returning are as critical as new recruits.

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3. Tournament Predictions & Sports Headlines with J. Mac

(33:48 – 43:21)

• “Tomorrow’s Headlines Today” Sweet 16 Picks

  • UConn over Michigan State: “Leash We Forget, Huskies Still Best in Show.” Emphasizes UConn’s recent dominance, toughness.
  • Illinois Elite 8: “Orange You Glad—Illini Squeezed the Pulp from Opponents.” Highlights offensive firepower and NBA-level talent.
  • Michigan Prevails in Midwest: “Dust Gets the Win.” Marvels at Michigan’s deep, athletic lineup.
  • Arizona to Advance: “Cats Deserve a Round of Applause.” Arizona’s NBA frontcourt and guard play cited as difference-makers.
  • Duke Over St. John’s in the East: “You Booze, You Don't Lose.” Boozer twins’ impact spotlighted; mention of possible surprise with St. John's’ full-court pressure, but Duke’s offensive strength favored.

• Cowherd’s “Bad Take System” & Debate

  • Humorous segment where Colin playfully challenges J. Mac’s picks by introducing the “Automatic Bad Take System.” (40:05)

• Program Dominance

  • Cowherd and J. Mac agree: “Best program in college basketball today is UConn.” “Two titles in three years ... men’s and women’s both number one.” (42:56–43:12)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On UConn and Defensive Intensity

  • “They do wear teams down with that relentless effort on the ball.” (Cronin, 04:38)

• On Coaching with Scrutiny in a NIL/Portal World

  • “If you can’t take the heat, you will not survive the kitchen in this era because it’s 24/7 scrutiny.” (Cronin, 08:57)

• On Arizona’s Physical Style

  • “They just dominate you in the paint and ... they wore us down with the constant pressure.” (Cronin, 12:52)

• On NIL Inequality

  • “We have NIL. Some teams have exorbitant NIL ... at the end of the day, but it allows you to not be perfect.” (Cronin, 20:57)

• On the Coach’s Job in 2026

  • “You got to re-sign your own players ... you better embrace what you need to do right now, or you’re going to get left behind.” (Cronin, 23:01)

• On UConn’s Women’s/Men’s Dominance

  • “I think UConn has both the best men’s and women’s program. That’s crazy. It’s in Storrs, Connecticut.” (Cowherd, 43:01)

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Important Timestamps

• [03:50] Interview with Mick Cronin begins, UConn/Michigan State matchup breakdown
• [06:05] Big Ten talent and philosophy
• [07:52] Cronin on tough coaching amid the transfer portal
• [10:01] Assessment of St. John’s chances vs. Duke
• [11:05] Michigan’s talent and tendencies
• [12:52] How to compete with Arizona (paint dominance)
• [20:28] Cronin’s viral “five more million” NIL quote
• [23:01] Realities of coaching and roster management in 2026
• [33:48] “Tomorrow’s Headlines Today”—Sweet 16 predictions and region-by-region analysis
• [40:05] Cowherd’s playful “Bad Take System” segment
• [42:56] Agreement on UConn as America’s top basketball program

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Additional News Segments

• Caleb Williams vs. George Gervin – “Iceman” Nickname Dispute (24:21–25:49)
• Aaron Rodgers and Steelers Contract Speculation (26:38–28:47)
• UFL Season Kicks Off – Analysis of league’s value and viewership (29:24–29:49)

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Conclusion

This episode offered a sharp, honest look at the state of college basketball and its biggest stories. Mick Cronin provided unfiltered insights into the pressures and demands of modern coaching, the double-edged sword of NIL, and the tactical specifics of March’s most compelling matchups, while J. Mac and Colin cap the show with energetic banter and fast-paced tournament analysis. Whether you’re keeping up with the tourney or interested in the inside world of college sports, this hour delivers depth, candor, and plenty of memorable moments.

Transcript

[Mick Cronin]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at 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 FSR.

[Mick Cronin]

Now let's get this party started.

[J. Mac]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Mick Cronin's UCLA Bruins beat Illinois this year, beat Purdue this year, beat Michigan State this year and battled with Arizona, who many believes the best team. I think Michigan's the best team. And Mick Cronin, UCLA basketball coach two time pack 12 coach of the year 20202023 is joining us. Okay, so you also played Yukon and you beat Michigan State. I think that game's interesting. Cohen Carr is one of my favorite players in the tournament. He's just this relentless guy. I kind of thought what happened to you in the second half of Yukon is what happens to a lot of people with Yukon. They're physical, you know, end up it's hard to hit shots. UConn, Michigan State. You beat Michigan State. What's the game going to look like, do you think? Tonight?

[Mick Cronin]

I think it's just going to be whose defense is better. At the end of the day, they're both built on toughness and defense with great coaches at the they do it differently though. UConn is a real pressure team on the ball and as you said, you know, they our guards didn't finish it kind of wore them down. We didn't have our best player in the game, Tyler Bilodo, and they do wear teams down with that relentless effort on the ball. Defensively, Michigan State is a team defense but highly effective Both, you know, obviously both great coaches. Both will end up in the hall of Fame. One already is. So they may wear football pads tonight.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, the, you know, Illinois, I think, was the best offensive team in the country. You beat them. You have to hit your shots to beat them because they're going to score. Are you surprised? I don't think anybody's surprised Illinois is here. They spent a lot of money. Their nil was a lot. They went to Europe. Underwood likes European guys. Michigan State's not a surprise. It's interesting. Matt Painter is interesting. He brings about one guy a year in. He basically pays his own guys. Like they, they do their own thing in West Lafayette. Are you surprised? I'm not surprised because I think they feel a little Villanova to me. You know, they kind of. They do their own thing. They high school it. The guys stay there. Are you surprised by any of these Big Ten teams so far?

[Mick Cronin]

No. I'll give, you know, I've been in the league two years, but Fletcher, Lawyer, Trey Kaufman, Ren and Superman is what I call Braden Smith. They said it in an interview in January, early February, that in their four years, the Big Tens by far has the most talent and is as good a league as they've ever been in. And it's just surpassed their first three years. And that's coming from those four, you know, those three guys. So I would say, you know, for Purdue, Mass. Enjoying it, I think, you know, Colin, their preseason number one, it was almost like to me, they just got to get through the regular season.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Mick Cronin]

Because they've been, you know, Smith already won player of the year. They've all been all league already. They've won big games. They needed to get through the regular season, get healthy and get to this tournament. Not that they didn't care, but you know what I'm saying, Kind of like a, you know, great teams in the NBA, it's just getting to the playoffs. And I think you're, you know, you're seeing it now, but they got it, obviously, Saturday, a tremendously tough matchup with Arizona.

[Colin Cowherd]

So I've been defending coaches that bark this week. And I think most people, I think most people understand that volume works because one of the things I always say is an NBA coach gets multiple games in a series. You get a 30 second timeout and the season's on the line. You get one game, one bad call by an official, one of your guys gets in foul trouble. You know, careers end. What has always been your sort of rule. Arenas are loud, it's intense. You want to play, you want to get along with the player, but they can transfer at any time. It's a different, different ball game. Where do you land on tough coaching? Hard coaching in the world of the transfer portal?

[Mick Cronin]

No different than before, I think. First of all, your players have to know that you know what you're talking about. So do they believe you're making them a better player? Secondly, they signed up to play for coaches that winning is the only thing acceptable, listening is the only thing that's acceptable, and doing whatever it takes and giving your best effort is the only thing acceptable. So they understand when they didn't do that, they didn't listen repeatedly went over a scouting report a million times and they, they didn't do the job right. So, you know, it's, it's become such a clickbait world that I'll give you a quick one. Rick Patino last year didn't put RJ Luis in the game at the end. If you remember, they lost to Arkansas. He was their best player and he got murdered. Murdered. And he may be the best Collins coach since John Wooden. He's arguing with him. Mike Shashevsky, Bob Knight, obviously John Wooden would be one. Okay, now this year, everybody's celebrating Coach Matino because Dylan Darling made a layup. Now, if he doesn't make that and they lose in overtime, oh, he blew a 12 point lead. But, you know, everybody is today. What can I say? Jump on. Look, at the end of the day, whether Darling makes that layup or not, Rick Patino is one of the best ever. And everybody, everybody does indifferent differently. And right now, oh, you know, this guy's too intense. Like tonight, I heard Dan Hurley and Coach Izzo both getting asked those questions. Yeah, look, when you win, everybody loves you. When you lose, everybody crushes you. And that's just the look. And we get paid a lot of money, so if you can't take the heat, you will not survive the kitchen in this era because it's 24. 7 scrutiny.

[Colin Cowherd]

St. John's is. I mean, they beat Kansas and Kansas outshot him. Points in the paint, more rebounds. And St. John's is a team that just, you know, they just. BETTINO laughs. He's like, they don't think we can shoot. And so far we're proving him right. Would you be shocked if St. John's beat Duke tonight? Would it shock you?

[Mick Cronin]

Yeah, I think Everybody has picked St. John's because, you know, Coach Patino is like my older brother now. I mean, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. I think everybody's picking them through the trendy pick. They're forgetting how talented Duke is. It will be. To me, it would be a monumental upset. Now it's because St. John's is all tribe and athleticism. They have to turn Duke over and be able to get the ball in the basket. Because the oldest thing is Colin. You can't press if you don't score. So you can't pick them up full court and do what you do if you can't get it in the basket. Guess who's number one in defensive efficiency. Hardest team to score on Duke. So it's to me it's going to. It would be a big, big upset. Although obviously I'll be wearing red for my man, Coach Patino tonight.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think Michigan's the best team. Talk about Michigan. The Michigan you face. You know, Lindenborg's terrific. You obviously know Mara. You tell me what you think about their roster.

[Mick Cronin]

We have three first round picks. Lindenborg's a lottery pick. Mara's going to be a tremendous pro. He just needed time to grow up incrementally better each year. And it's a disadvantage, you know, when you come from a small town in Spain. He just needed time and growth. He's a great kid. And Merez Johnson is. Montrez Darrell, I mean, but he's a little taller. Their front line is unbelievable. Now. KSAN getting hurt took a little punch away from them. But they bring a guy off the bench. Trey McKinney's going to play long time in the NBA. They have the best talent. They have seniors. They have a guy. Roddy Dale off the bench would start for any other team in the Big Ten. So their talent, I agree with you. At times I think they take early shots and settle and they let teams hang around out of overconfidence. Because in the. Early in the season, you're talking about a team that was winning games by 40 points against Gonzaga. You know, team like real, real teams like who does that? So I, you know, again, I think for them and they did it against Purdue in the Big Ten championship game. They let Purdue stay in the game. So they, they tend to let you stay around by shooting early threes and not just pounding you to death with their. If they do that and they play to their maximum. I totally agree with you. They're the best team.

[Colin Cowherd]

You guys gave Arizona, if I recall, a good game. I mean, they have bench guys that could start for teams. What is the. They don't shoot a lot of threes. What Is the secret. Your UCLA Bruins gave him a battle. What's the secret to beating Arizona?

[Mick Cronin]

Well, we have bloodbaths with them every year, so we kind of know each other so well. The games tend to be really close. Tommy Loyd is an unbelievable coach. They, their front line, if it gets to Michigan, Arizona, the front lines are both the best two by far. And because they both have three guys, Arizona has Krivos, Koha Pete, first round pick and Toby Iwako is the strongest player in college basketball. They just dominate you in the paint and it's. That's coaching now. It's always been coach Lloyd style since he got to Arizona. And they put so much pressure on the rim that you foul a lot. Teams get foul Trouble. We're up 7 on them late and they just, they wore us down with the constant pressure and they got a senior point guard column. You know, Bradley's is, you know, Jaden Bradley's as good as there is out there. That's not on. You know, he'll play in the NBA. But obviously the freshmen are all the sexy guys for the draft. Having that senior point guard and then a lottery picket to two and Braden Burry's to me. They're, they're right there was Michigan.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. The. I don't like to beat up on coaches on the. Fred Hoiberg had four guys on the floor. It's rare. You know, listen, I've, I've watched Great coaches have 10 men on the field in the NFL in big third downs. Like it happens. It is chaos.

[Mick Cronin]

Yes. I'm glad you said that.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I mean it just happens. What do you think happened in your, in your take on it?

[Mick Cronin]

I mean I'd be, you know, since I like the horses, I'd be willing to bet you on this. Somebody. They made a defensive substitution and two guys thought they were out, not one. That's just my, my educated guess.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Mick Cronin]

They made a defensive substitution and said and you and I are both bad defenders, Colin. I was, I was an offensive player. So. And two guys thought they were both out for defense probably. And look, it just what bothers me about all of it, they were 98% going to lose now. I mean it was. I was baller up three under a minute. I mean, you know, so. But obviously if it was, you know, you don't want that to happen to anybody. And it's sad because Fred, what Fred Hoiberg did with the talent he had to me in the league, he did it in his national coach of the year. But Fred's been through worse things. I mean, Fred's living on a pacemaker, so if anybody has great perspective, it's definitely Fred. I mean, he's the best.

[J. Mac]

Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hi, this is Jay. I'm the producer of the Paulie and Tony Fusco Show. Usually in these promos they ask you to listen to the show. I'm here to ask you, please don't

[Mick Cronin]

listen to the show.

[Colin Cowherd]

The hosts are two absolute morons who have the dumbest takes on sports imaginable. Don't listen to this show so it can get canceled.

[Public Ad Voice]

What the hell are you doing in our studio?

[J. Mac]

Get them, Paulie. Ignore that fool. Listen to the Paul and Tony Fusco show on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. He's still moving.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

I didn't think this was controversial when you said it. I defended him. I said, you know, UCLA is kind of a fascinating school where it's in the nicest neighborhood of any campus in America but does not have a ton of nil lettuce. It's a reality of it. So let's go to the bite that made news.

[Mick Cronin]

Here it is, big picture wise, third

[Colin Cowherd]

consecutive season not getting to the second weekend of the tournament. I know different seasons, different reasons, but do you feel like anything needs to change with the approach, roster construction or the way you're.

[Mick Cronin]

Yeah I have no right now I'm worried about tonight consoling the guys we'll

[Colin Cowherd]

stay here in the front row I'd

[Mick Cronin]

like about five more million. There's my answer

[Colin Cowherd]

Jim Alexander from the

[Mick Cronin]

Orange County Register watching Tyler on the bench not proven.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah I mean it's let's be honest these are discussions every coach is having behind with the athletic director now now it's. I've said you don't have a big filter it's not who you are authentic guy. Was UCLA upset with that?

[Mick Cronin]

Don't know. You know look look we have nil. Some teams have exorbitant nil. Ours has improved from last year my administration's working hard to help so and everybody says look some people are just lucky you know Colin like people say it's the death of the mid major well not if you have a billion donor that wants to win. Right right you know like any anybody I have friends that coach in the Mid American Conference. Akron, Miami the two best teams Guess who has the best best nil. Yeah Miami Goisle and Akron. So it all matters at the end of the day but it allows you to not be perfect So I talked to Bob Myers is some as a basically like a consularity played at ucla. You know he's the best GM ever and how to work this error and like his his look you're never going to be perfect. My every draft pick the warriors made it you know has not been perfect. James Wise maybe but the more resources you have the more it allows you to make a mistake.

[Colin Cowherd]

Sure.

[Mick Cronin]

And you know you mentioned Illinois they got great support but they've also were smart enough to sign Keaton Butler you know and they beat Minnesota and Colorado State to get him and Murray State my old school you know so there's still diamonds in the rough you're still trying to put a team together but there's no coach who wouldn't like to have more and it gives you a better chance. But we have great support. There's just levels to it and obviously the more you have Coach Roberts my buddy here Dave Roberts will tell you it's a lot more fun when you have the best players.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. All right. Mick Cronin, UCLA basketball coach I imagine you're. I mean is this a recruiting period can you be on the phone now or do you have to wait

[J. Mac]

we

[Mick Cronin]

had and this isn't just us we got back Monday from Philly from the NCAA tournament Haven't still haven't hung up the phone My Friend still have not. You got to re sign your own players.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[Mick Cronin]

And then as you got to get ready for the portal and everybody in college is complaining about the way it is and it's a waste of time, my friend. But you just got to adjust and deal with what's going on now because as coaches, we have no say so we're not at the table. What's going go on. And so to me, it's a complete waste of time even talking about it. You better embrace what you need to do right now. You're going to get left behind. So we just try to focus and we. We've been signing our own players all week.

[Colin Cowherd]

Mick, great seeing you. Have a great weekend watching it.

[Mick Cronin]

You too, my friend. All the best. Maybe I'll see you again soon.

[Colin Cowherd]

All right. Mick Cronin, UCLA basketball coach. Yeah. They beat Michigan State. They be Illinois. They beat Purdue. They gave Arizona, UCLA as maybe the best west coast, probably the best west coast rivalry. So good stuff there. J. Mac with the news.

[Mick Cronin]

No, no, no, turn on the news.

[J. Mac]

This is the Herdline news. Nick Cronin, really good interview, Colin. And you know who's going to be a good interview soon? That's Caleb Williams in Chicago because he just got in a huge controversy. Your guy in your backyard there. Caleb Williams is now in a battle, so to speak, over the nickname Iceman. Remember last season in the playoffs, he was just so cold with all those clutch plays.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

Well, he wants to be known as the Iceman. So he filed for the patent and former hall of Famer in the NBA, George Gervin, that was his nickname Right Now, Caleb Williams, probably not born. I'd never heard of George Gervin before this, but George Gervin said he was caught off guard when he hadn't locked the name down. So three days after Caleb filed for it, George Gervin filed for it. And now there's a bit of a tug of war over the nickname Iceman. You know, obviously the late actor from Top Gun. I'm sure he. He obviously had iceman back in 1985. I don't know when Gervin got it. Maybe in the 70s. Colin, this is a controversy. Big one in Chicago. Who you siding with there?

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think it's rising to a big controversy. Our politics are controversial in Chicago. Yeah, I mean,

[J. Mac]

here's the thing. You can build a lot of stuff around Iceman. If you are Caleb Williams, you're the Iceman. Now, you could trademark it and you can have merch and you could do Everything. And he could show up at interviews, at the podium with his merch, then people are buying it. It's another revenue stream now. I, I'm fine. I'm with that. George Gervin was the Iceman.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

In like the 80s. I don't. How can George Gervin profit off the name now? I don't, I mean, I don't understand his argument.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I think, you know, Jordan's Jumpman, so that, that was obviously prominent. I, I don't know the legalese around it.

[J. Mac]

I, I, it's just sour grapes from Gervin being like, oh, he wants to be the Iceman. I'm the Iceman.

[Colin Cowherd]

Let me, as somebody who formed a company four years ago, finding a name that's available bull hard.

[J. Mac]

You keep.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you ever start a company. Good luck. It took us six months, so, you know, we'll see what plays out.

[J. Mac]

I mean, people are saying that, Caleb, hey, be original. Get your own nickname. I, I promise you he's never heard of George German, you know. All right, let's move on to the next story. Colin, that is the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers. Now, you and I love good takes, guys who are coming out of the blue with stuff. How about this from former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch on why Aaron Rodgers is not a done deal yet in Pittsburgh. This is original and fresh. Take a listen. When it comes to Aaron, this is

[Colin Cowherd]

a guy who outplayed his contract and

[J. Mac]

will stand by this. And there's not many people out there.

[Colin Cowherd]

I may be the only one saying

[J. Mac]

this at this particular point.

[Colin Cowherd]

This decision is coming down to money.

[J. Mac]

The Steelers would like him to come back. Yes. But it's not going to be at

[Mick Cronin]

the $13 million number.

[J. Mac]

I'm sure Aaron, at some point, I have not spoken to him, but I'm

[Colin Cowherd]

sure his representatives are wanting something closer to 30. And you hope that somewhere you meet in the middle. Yeah, I think that, I think Charlie's right. And I think that, I think Aaron did absolutely outplay his contract. And I think Aaron making 32 million a year is reasonable. Absolutely. Whoa. In that Baker Sam Darnold class. Absolutely.

[J. Mac]

Holy. So I did not expect that take from you. I thought this was great from Charlie Batch. Here's the thing. Aaron Rodgers at that $13 million price helps Pittsburgh be a playoff team.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

Aaron Rodgers at 32.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. He gave you that. And then he outplayed his contract. So he gave you that at 13. Okay. He made the offense, which was atrocious, in the red zone. Excellent. The team had fewer turnovers it was a smarter offense due to Aaron. Aaron has no obligation to give you multiple years at a. It's not even team friendly. They basically got him for free. Yeah.

[J. Mac]

Why? Because he stunk with the Jets.

[Colin Cowherd]

Now he doesn't stink.

[J. Mac]

Well, he had one good year.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, sorry. Who's got the leverage?

[J. Mac]

Here's my counter. Aaron, thank you for playing on 13 mil. That was awesome. You helped us get to the playoffs by taking a low contract. Hey, man, do you want to win again? Do you want to try to win again?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, we can. We'll love you at 15. I'll say there's a difference between a small number and a ridiculous number. 30 is still incredibly team friendly. 13 is giving it away.

[J. Mac]

Fine. What about 20? Aaron, will you do 20?

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm going to do for 20.

[J. Mac]

How about 20 with incentives?

[Colin Cowherd]

How about 28 with incentives that are easy to reach and get to 33?

[J. Mac]

Fine. How about go into your career? Your last pass was a pick six. Enjoy the darkness, retreats and irrelevance.

[Colin Cowherd]

$300 million in the bank. Hall of Famer in your last year. You were darn good.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. You know, this is a guy who craves the spotlight. He's going on podcasts, talking about Fauci and all this political nonsense. Hey, man, play football. Lock in. Come play. Come play your final year. Let's make a run. Get play for 18 mil. Sacrifice Aaron Rodgers. That's who you are. Do it. You in? That's a firm no from Calhur. All right, final story. Let's go back to the UFL season kicks off tonight. Birmingham Stallions vs. The Louisville Kings, 8 Eastern on Fox. Tomorrow, the Gamblers take on the Renegades. We had Renegades head coach Rick Neuheisel on the show earlier today about why he loves the ufl.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is the purest form of football. You were just talking about Nil.

[J. Mac]

These kids are on scholarship. Everybody makes the same.

[Colin Cowherd]

Everybody just wants one more chance to play.

[J. Mac]

And I promise you, having been on

[Colin Cowherd]

the practice field for now the last

[J. Mac]

five weeks, there's plenty of guys that

[Colin Cowherd]

can play on Sundays. Yeah, 46 guys in the UFL were on NFL rosters at some point last year, so I don't think there's any question the quality of football has gotten better every year.

[J. Mac]

For sure. Totally agree.

[Colin Cowherd]

J. Mac with the news.

[J. Mac]

Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by. The Herd line news.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tomorrow's headlines today.

[J. Mac]

Next, be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. FS1 and the iHeartRadio app craving bold,

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[J. Mac]

Holdings Brokerage Services by Public Investing member finra SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors SEC Registered Advisor crypto services by ZeroHash all investing involves risk of loss.

[Colin Cowherd]

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[Colin Cowherd]

professor of bracketology is here. J. Mac loves his college basketball. Let's find out who's going to advance before the buzzer sounds. We like to call it J. Mac. Tomorrow's headlines today. All right, J. Mac, what's the headline for the lock of the sweet 16?

[J. Mac]

This is a big one tonight. Colin is great game two legendary coaches. Did you know Dan Hurley has won his last 1420 games by double digits? The headline for UConn and Michigan will be Leash. We forget Huskies still best in show. I didn't like either of these teams coming into the tournament, but UConn is starting to look pretty good. I was surprised they pulled away from UCLA with the nice win. Alex Caravan is one of these legendary players. Kind of like not quite Christian Laettner, but he's been around for many years.

[Colin Cowherd]

Really good player.

[J. Mac]

Had a great game against ucla. They're getting healthier and I just don't like this Michigan State offense. I know Izzo's a big watcher. We talk about him a lot. Colin I see them struggling here. These two teams, by the way, played an exhibition game. That's how in the weeds I am. It was ugly. There were like 55 fouls and 40 baskets and UConn prevailed. I see this as like a first to 60 wins. I I think Mick Cronin said it's going to be like a Bring. Bring your straight jacket. Like, this is going to be a really, really tough, physical game. So I'll go UConn in a close one.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, same. I feel the same. Tomorrow is headlines today. What's the headline for the South Region?

[J. Mac]

Man, this Iowa team, I love them, Colin. They have been extremely profitable in the tournament, but they're going up against a juggernaut. The headline on Saturday in the Elite Eight will be orange. You glad Illini squeezed the pulp from opponents. I'm going Illinois. I got some buddies watching who are going to be ticked off. They're just. There's just too many weapons on this team, Colin. I mean, I think it was Bill Raftery who had the great call. Take me to the Balkans after one of these dunks by one of these Euros. They've got so many dudes, it's unbelievable. And by the way, Keaton Wagler entered his name in that top five for the draft. Did you see him last night? Number 23, like a long 6, 6 guard can handle. Houston is like, they're going to pressure the hell out of you. He was undaunted and shaky first half. An adjusted second half was huge. I think Mick Cronin said, like, he was a Murray State recruit and he was like, go. Like Minnesota was after him. He goes to Illinois, he could be a top five pick. He's really lethal. They got Stoyakovic, his son, who I like seven foot one twins. I mean, Colin, this team's loaded. Illinois needs. They're going to. They could win the title, honestly.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tomorrow's headlines today, what's the headline? Going to be in the Midwest Region.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. You know, this is a controversial team simply because that's how things work in the NCAA tournament. When you're popular, they give you controversy. The headline for the Midwest Region will be Dust gets the win. All we know is Dust gets the win. Colin, I. Am I singing? Hopefully trying to impress you? Yes. I like. I like them for sure. The Michigan Wolverines. How can you not love this team, Colin? I mean, they were number one most of the season. Absolute juggernaut. Where's the weakness? You tell me where they're weak.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, I mean, it's. It's. Their front line is just overwhelms college teams.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. When you got a 7 foot 3 center and you got Lendborg who's like a wing, somebody said he. His NBA comp is like Obi Toppin. And I was like, oh, I think

[Colin Cowherd]

he's a better player than OB Top.

[J. Mac]

He's a more well rounded player.

[Colin Cowherd]

He can Hit threes. I. He's a. Obi was good at Dayton. He was a good player. Lindenberg's a different level player.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, he's a little more well rounded coming out of college.

[Mick Cronin]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

Michigan is just deep, strong, fast. They can play at any pace. So they'll play the winner of Iowa State. Tennessee.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

And you know Iowa State's best players down Tennessee don't love them. So I think Michigan prevails.

[Colin Cowherd]

Tomorrow's headlines today. How about the headline for the West Region?

[J. Mac]

Yeah, they keep. Everybody keeps trying to put this coach over to North Carolina and you and I are in lockstep. Like, why would he leave the headline for the West? And the NCAA tournament will be. But for real this time. Cats deserve a round of applause. Yes, Arizona. How good is this team, man? I said they had four first round picks last week and your audience got so angry at me. Now people watch them drop 109 on Arkansas. They're like, oh, oh, okay. This team is loaded. Co opied last night. I felt like they were dunking anything near the rim. Some of that's Arkansas doesn't protect the rim at all. But their guards are incredible. I just, I don't see who's stopping this team. I know Purdue. Some numbers say that Purdue should be able to hang with them. But everything Purdue does, Arizona does better.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't think it's a great matchup for Purdue and I think Matt Painter's terrific. But I think there's limitations on personnel. I think it could get ugly.

[J. Mac]

And. And you saw Purdue struggle with the Texas athleticism. They couldn't contain the guards off the dribble. Arizona's got two pros in the back court, so I know you know Braden Smith is the all time assist leader in college basketball. Great career. The kid lawyer is gunning from three. I just think Arizona's gonna be too much. I may bet them with the lines up to six, six and a half already.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't know tomorrow's headlines today. Now let's finish it off. What do you make of the East Region?

[J. Mac]

Well, this is the big game. Everybody loves to hate Duke. Can they prevail? The headline for the East Region tonight will be you booze, you don't lose. I'm going with Carlo Boozer's twins. I think they prevailed tonight against St. John's Now, Colin, this should be on paper a great game. St. John's does a lot of pressure and Duke's got a freshman point guard, Boozer son. There is a report in the last 30 minutes from a sideline reporter at CBS that Caleb Foster is going to be available tonight, three weeks after surgery on his foot. So he could. I don't know if he's going to start, but he could play, which would help alleviate some of that pressure. Caleb Foster, really solid player in the backcourt. Smart and Eddie. I just think Duke's a better offensive team. I think they contain St. John's and remember, St. John's is here because they beat a bad Kansas team with a career high six threes from a guy who doesn't make threes. Okay, that. That's what it took to get by Kansas at a buzzer shot from a kid who had not scored a basket all game. So I'm going with Duke over the Johnny's tonight.

[Colin Cowherd]

Well, I'm going to tap my head. It's time for the A challenge. I'm going to do the. I'm going to challenge Duke over St. John's with our new Herd automatic bad take system.

[J. Mac]

Bad take system. I love this.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't love. I'm going to take St. John's and the points. So I.

[J. Mac]

That's a good bet by you. I like the bad take system. Are we going to employ this, like, all the time now?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah, just whenever you have a take, it's outside.

[J. Mac]

Well, wait, it's not just me. I mean, what about coaches? I mean, we could do this for. Do you kick or go for it?

[Colin Cowherd]

Duke's better, but it's just patino in these games. Keeps it close. Yeah, and the pressure's all. I mean, I mean, it's house money. I mean, the pressure's all on Duke. They're supposed to win it. I'm telling you, between. If that kid's healthy, Duke, Arizona, Michigan, those are. And I. I'll. I'll say this. Go look at who you. UConn had one stinker against Marquez, then they lost to Arizona. St. John's yeah, I think Creighton beat him once. Would you be shocked if UConn won it?

[J. Mac]

No, wait. Beat Duke or won the whole title? They're not winning the title is not winning the championship. They could take down Duke, but I. But by the way, to go back to the challenge. I really like that, Colin. A coach decides to kick the field goal instead of go for it on fourth down. You could throw up your challenge. Terrible take, terrible decision.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, so I'm going to take. I don't know. Michigan's winning. UConn favored. I take Iowa State, Illinois over. I kind of feel like it gets easier now because I Feel like the top three or four. There's a. I don't think there's a big gap between a lot of teams. I think Michigan, Arizona, there's a gap. Illinois. The problem is Iowa just can't keep up. I mean, Illinois is going to score

[J. Mac]

70. Who's going to control the pace in that one? But I will say, if Iowa somehow gets to the Final Four and they play Duke. Colin, that has shades of Gordon Hayward all over again from Butler making a run. And Duke can slow it down or Iowa can slow down Duke, I do believe you're onto something. If those three ones advance. Duke, Arizona, Michigan, that's huge for the TV audience, the interest nationwide. And then you've got Iowa bringing up the heartland. Remember, Caitlin Clark got to the Final Four and the ratings were off the charts. Yeah, Iowa doesn't have a Caitlin Clark, but everybody likes his kid. Bennett Sturts, Ben McCollum, the coach.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah.

[J. Mac]

This is just a great tournament.

[Mick Cronin]

All right.

[Colin Cowherd]

We had a good week. I'll be watching tonight. You'll be watching tonight. Michigan State. UConn's great. Hey, Yukon. UConn did to UCLA, because UCLA beat Michigan State this year and Purdue and Illinois, and then UConn took him apart. Is UConn just puts pressure on you? And UCLA's guards couldn't hit shots, and it got ugly fast. UConn has. Bill, if I said to you, best college basketball program in America today, is it not UConn?

[J. Mac]

Well, they got two titles in the last three years.

[Colin Cowherd]

I mean, but it's. It's just. I mean, it's so. It's so interesting. They have the best women's program.

[J. Mac]

Yep.

[Colin Cowherd]

And I'm going to say this for about the third different time in my life. I think UConn has both the best men's and women's program. That's crazy. It's in Storrs, Connecticut. That's crazy.

[J. Mac]

Well, they don't care about their football team, so they invest everything into basketball. Basketball, which is smart. Well, even if you invested in the football team, they're not going to go anywhere. Right.

[Colin Cowherd]

It's. It just. It's just amazing. It's like Nebraska dominating football in the mid-90s. Of all the places in the country, UConn has the best men's and women's program. Now, again, they may have the best two coaches, you know, Gino and Dan. Yet you're not going to beat that much. All right, we're done. Have a great weekend. Third, whether you want to maximize your performance or form healthier habits this year. Knowing what your body needs can help put you on the right path. With Quest, you can buy your own lab tests [e-mail] no doctor visit required for purchase. Quest has a huge selection of tests, including the new Elite Health Profile, a panel made for men and women and tracks 85 plus health markers affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, hormones, metabolism and immune system, delivering a ton of insights in one snapshot. For a limited time, save on select lab [e-mail] with code herd10. That's herd10 at checkout. Terms apply. Imagine never buying gas again. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and perfect for everyday life. Drive daily with confidence everywhere you go. Most Americans drive 40 miles a day. Most EVs are equipped with 200 to 400 miles of range. They've got fewer parts, fewer repairs and fewer headaches. With hundreds of new and used EV models available today, there's an EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. I love my electric vehicle. It's easy. No more gas stations. The way forward is electric. Learn more@electric for all.org Wasabi is purpose built to free your business from skyrocketing storage costs and fees from the big guys. Wasabi is the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams around the world. Check out Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals. Wasabi driving innovation in data storage for up to 80% less than the other guys. Try for free at wasabi.com, wasabi Hot Cloud Storage proud partner of the Volume Podcast Network, the Global Gaming League is

[J. Mac]

presented by Atlas Earth, the fun cashback app. Hey, it's Howie Mandel and I am inviting you to witness history as me and my How We Do It Gaming team take on Gilly the King and Wallow 267's million dollars gaming in an epic Global Gaming League video game showdown plus a halftime performance by multi platinum artist Travy McCoy. Watch all the action and see who wins and advances to the championship match right [e-mail] that's globalgamingleague.com in partnership with

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[J. Mac]

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[Mick Cronin]

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