Colin Cowherd Podcast - College Football Reaction: Big Blowouts In Playoff, Ohio State Looks Unstoppable, Indiana “Gutless”, Quarterfinal Predictions

Buying more, or just visit JLab dot com. Their price points really good. John Middlecoff former NFL scout with the Eagles. His podcast is three and Out. All right, let's talk college football. So road teams Tennessee Hammered, Indiana doutless performance. Boy, is that Kurt Signetti talks a big game and doesn't back it up smu Hammered. Clemson did throw it for three hundred and thirty six yards, but they were outmatched.

I thought the best get bet of the weekend was Texas minus twelve and a half at home, and I thought Clemson played about as well as they could and they still got beat by fourteen. But I want to say this, so this is a twelve team playoff that will become fourteen pretty soon and maybe sixteen. The reason we have the playoff it was negotiated, like, these aren't the twelve best teams in terms of NFL athletes. That's not what it is. The reason this is allowed is

because there was a lot of negotiation. The Mountain West gets involved. Everything was negotiated. So it's not going to be seven SEC teams and five Big ten teams. That's not what it's going to be. But the other thing

is most of my life I remember arguing this. I'm not even sure if I was at Fox or ESPN, but I used to be against the playoff because my argument was always this, have you ever thought in your life the sixth best team in college football by the end of the year could beat the number one team?

And my answer is no. I mean when Nick Saban's fifteen year run, most of his teams there were only two to three teams in the country that could play with them, Clemson with Trevor Lawrence, Ordashawn, Ohio State, Georgia, maybe an LSU team that could play with them. So with the time you would get to like the fifth, sixth, seventh team, especially if the first round was in Tusca Loosa. They were going to kick the holy hell out of anybody they played. So the idea that Ohio State or

Penn State or Notre Dame in a home game. Now we go to neutral sites, we'll have an upset this weekend. But my take is we're overreacting a little bit. Now. Again, I thought Tennessee in Indiana would play close because I thought weather would be such a factor, but it was just cold and clear. But we've got to be honest about this. When Pete Carroll was rolling at usc or you know again the Nick Saban or Kirby Smart for about a three year run, there weren't five teams that

could go toe to toe with them. The only think it maybe be the natty game of Michigan or or in Ohio State. So I think this was not predictable. But I think we're overreacting because coming up now, John, now we've got neutral sight games. I could I would bet almost anything we're gonna have an upset. One of the underdogs is gonna win. I think we're overreacting a bit to a twelve team playoff that was negotiated. You're just gonna get some Boise States in this thing, and some ACC teams in.

people give their time to be entertained. And I've been watching football my entire life and I've I don't ever remember before this year watching Indiana and Indiana and did get the benefit of the doubt right in most people's eyes, because it's like, we don't know you. You don't have any NFL players? Who did you beat this year? In the NFL? If you make the playoffs, you it's impossible to not beat some good teams. Plus even the bad teams you're beating are full of pros. I texted around

some college scouting directors. I said, how many combined NFL players do SMU and Indiana have? And he said, I will have to see some All Star game stuff, but probably five total. I said, South Carolina Ole miss Alabama, he'd say probably on average low end seven for a team, I mean Bama eight nine. So the talent, the physicality, like Tennessee got their asking. If you just watched Tennessee move around. The quarterback is a young, frenetic player right now.

Their talent on the team is immense. And Indiana we basically lumped in the Big Ten and the SEC as equals. And because Washington, who was in the Natty last year, lost their coach and all their players, wasn't any good. Was supposed to be good, not any good. Michigan obviously lost seventeen NFL guys and their coach fell off a cliff. So they had three SEC teams Penn State, obviously, Oregon, Ohio State, but the rest of the conference for it

was really bad. Right, So it turns out Indiana, like I just think they're not very good relative to the SEC teams, Like I don't think they could beat any of them, and I think, but they went eleven and one and some of these other teams went nine and three. This is in the NFL records like they would I said, we're comparing apples to cheeseburgers. So trying to do these records because in theory it makes sense. Well they were eleven in one because that's how it's always worked, and

I just go, I don't know. So I think we look back at at it in Indiana and SMU, two things can be true. Indiana had a remarkable season, the best season in the history of the school by a mile, and they're probably not a top twenty, Like are they better in Colorado? I just looked at the top twenty five yesterday. It's like, well, Colorado's got a top ten quarterback probably Micah one and the best player in the country. Indiana. I'm watching them, like, do they even have a pro

their solid defense? SMU, I mean that was like JV Verus farsity.

horse in the race. They just want to be entertained. You're like, this doesn't look.

their schedule is pretty weak by Big Ten standards. So my takeaway is the Big Ten, to your point, was top heavy and very weak. I don't think it'll be that next year. I think Ohio State will still be great, but I think Michigan, USC, Washington will be much better. And I think Oregon's and Penn State are going to remain powers because Landing and James Franklin are top ten

recruiters easily in the country. So I think this year we got Indiana, not that it's a one off, I did I kind of felt like when I was watching Indiana play, it's not that they lost, it's that if I told you it was twenty seven to seventeen and you didn't watch the game, you'd be like, Okay, that was a game. Indiana was so gutless punting down three score second have in plus territory. I think it really it was the way Indiana lost, which was like we just we know we can't compete. We don't want to

be humiliated, so we're just gonna try. I think that really pissed people off. It was like, Okay, if you're gonna play like that, just put ole Miss in the turn.

quarterback is throwing the ball over the map. They got NFL players all over the field, So I could live with that game. I can't live with the Indiana game, where it's like I've never watched this program. I've been watching college football for three decades and I can I do this for a living, so I know, well, they don't have any talents. So it's like what's going on? And then Signetti, I think some of his comments to Sabin before the game, bragging out. I looked at their schedule.

They go two Penn State, two Oregon to Iowa, and like you said, the Big Ten's going to be better. That game is going to be circled. The Big Ten coaches are going to want to beat the shit out of him. I will be stunned. Six and six. They are going to be a target next year, and I hope they enjoyed this year because it's not going to be like that moving forward. I'll promise you that.

don't and they don't use a transfer portal. So I think Dabo's a hell of a coach. But my takeaway on that is if Ohio States, if Will Howard is as good as he was against Tennessee, I don't know how Texas stops them. I mean, Clemson was throwing the ball all over the yard. They were throwing it up the sideline, out of the backfield, seam routes. I mean, when you think of Clemson, you don't think three hundred and fifty yards passing. I know Texas won thirty eight

twenty four but that twenty four points. I looked at that and I thought, Jesus Texas plays Arizona State next thirteen and a half point favorite. Maybe that's not an issue, But if I'm Ohio State in my passing game, I after this weekend, Ohio State's my favorite to win the national championship, not Texas. I was almost dismayed. Not just that Clemson through but the variety of throws, the third down throws, the wide open targets in the middle of the field.

those couple five star kids. But to me, Sark has had to coach around Quinn Yewers a lot of the year. And you see that we talk about coaching with some of these young rookie quarterbacks. What do you call on third and seven? Or are you willing to call something aggressive on second and ten? Are you just trying to thrown like a screen or you know, a draw play. I think he coaches around Quinn. You were because to me, he is a pretty big roller coaster. You don't know

what you're getting series to series. And this is where you know the seeding. When Ohio State's on me and they showed up in that game, you went, holy hell, I know. It was like why they were hitting guys like they were, you know, Dre Greenlawn and Fred Warner. It's like the defense, how good Jeremiah Smith is? Will Howard looked like Peyton Manning the games of his life. Yeah, and Ryan Day listen, they'd had a long time to soak up that loss coming at home. I listened. I

picked Tennessee. Five minutes into that game, you went, this could be fifty to nothing. This team is going to try to injure everyone inside. Can they keep that up again again? You know, Dan Lanning, this is where Oregon got screwed. They have to play that team in their opening game after rose Bolt, which is not a huge advantage. Because it's not like Ohio State fans aren't used to travel into that game, which is a cool game that the rose Ball gets Oregon Ohio State.

drag out to beat at home. That's that sucks for them. Yeah, you know a team that's never won a national championship that if I told you right now they were getting a good draw, you would like them a lot more. But you're like, damn they they'd have to go through three tough games, right, They'd have to beat Ohio State, they have to beat Texas, and then they probably have to beat Penn State or Georgia. I mean, that's that's a murderer's row. So and they had to beat Penn State,

you know, to in the conference championship. So I listen, if if Oregon were to win a national championship, it would be really, really impressive. I can't take Texas because of the quarterback, but their talent on the team. I mean, there were that goal line stopped that they had basically end of the game. Again, they can really rev it up. I mean they got guys on defense. You're like, holy shit, and you know the skill. Their two running backs are

really good. I just the quarterback. If you told me Caide Club Nick Clemson quarterback was Texas quarterback, I'd be like, watch out for they might be my pick. And I just is Will Howard going to play like that every game? Is he going to play like that against Dan Lanning's defense is if he does, they'll probably win. Right. If he's gonna If he's going to be Peyton Manning junior, then Ohio State's gonna be a serious problem for anyone they're playing.

I think Boise State is going to be you know, Penn State may be lulled to sleep opening with SMU at home blowing them out, and now they look at see Boise State hard to get that locker room revved up. SMU is a bigger name to some of those Penn State players than Boise State. They couldn't you know, they don't even know help. Most college players out east don't know much about Boise State. Can Boise State hang with them? I think they can.

I think it would be a little different. You might look down upon them, but I think when you're playing a guy that just sitting next to Travis Hunter on that Saturday night at the Heisman Trophy, it's easier to get up. I also think, and this is my our like, listen, I started my career in the Whack, which basically turned in the Mountain West. The difference of size and strength

on the line of scrimmage. We saw it in Indiana and SMU against You know, their two opponents at the Notre Dame and Penn State just overwhelmed them at the line of scrimmage on defense. And I don't know if Boise State their passing offense isn't good enough. So I'm putting ten guys in the box be like, we are you gonna throw on me? And I think it's a very very tough matchup for Boise State. I also think Penn State if this was the NFL and these games were out in the cold weather, I think Penn State

and Notre Dame would be built for it. Play defense, run the ball down your throat, play like the forty nine ers did with Jimmy Garoppolo. We're just gonna freezing cold weather, let's roll. I mean, you watch Notre Dame. They would love every game at nineteen degrees because that's in same with Penn State. Freezing cold snow rain, that's how they would want to play. That's where these neutral

site games, you know. I think Notre Dame is a good example, Like I actually kind of like them against Georgia, but then put them in a dome. But you put them in a dome, it does take away there. Straight. If you told me that game was outside in a cold weather spot, I'd be like, George is in for it. In a dome team speed, Georgia is gonna be a little faster, but Notre Dame can definitely win that game. Listen. I love Boise State and rooting for him for a

long time. I think there's a really really tough matchup for them. Same with that state.

I mean that could feel like the National championship game. And I think Texas if the quarterback can just play under control, which he's proven he can't really for four quarters, they could be pretty I just don't trust him. And Notre Dame Georgia, whoever wins that game, might be Honestly, I kind of like the draw for Penn State. Penn State plays Boise, wins that game and then plays that

Penn State in Texas are gonna get putent. I mean, their enormous favorites, favorites in the second round are gonna be playing two teams. They're gonna be coming out of a war zone. I mean Ohio State and Oregon and Notre Dame in Georgia. Bodies are gonna be left on the field in that game. So I think that is a massive advantage if both those if Texas and Penn State take care of business. I mean Ohio State pulled out their quarterback with nine minutes to go in the game.

getting more have and have not. There's like six teams that have money and like twenty six or twenty four that don't. But I think the neutral site games, I think Oregon Ohio State is going to feel like USC Texas. Remember that game with the stealth fighters flying over where you have like eighteen pros. The first game was great. I think Ohio State Oregon becomes the game of the year. I also think it is hard to play perfect football.

Back to back weeks. Ohio State was nearly perfect. It's hard to duplicate that on back to back weeks.

can you stay healthy enough? Which which honestly could just be a determining factor for whoever wins it just a team with the most health because we've been hammering at home and these coaches have been these teams. The depth isn't near the same, you know, in the peak of the saban Era. So what I lost a first rounder, I got a nineteen year old first rounder behind them? Right, those days are done. I mean there's a massive drop off.

Some of these teams are and guys, Ohio State put a quarterback in the game when they yank Will Howard, he's in the transfer portal and Ryan Day had to have a talk with this team, like, hey, guys, are we cool with keeping him around? You know these cause these guys are in weird spots. Penn State's backup quarterback is gone, so and that's not obviously we talk a lot about the quarterbacks, but it could be you know, a backup linebacker, a freshman kid that might have had

to be thrust in if someone got injured. So we got a long way to go. I mean this is you see, the NFL guys are dropping like flies in college. These guys aren't as big. They're not especially some of these guys at eighteen nineteen years old that are playing. Their bodies aren't as developed taking a lot of big hits. It's not like the violence in these games. It's that much different. I mean, how hard was Ohio State and

Notre Dame and these teams hitting the physicality? And honestly, I appreciate the one thing that jumped out to me about this weekend, which was obviously a pretty big letdown with the blowouts. Yeah, we talk about a lot about nil and people not having it feels like guys are mercenaries now. And maybe that's the case. But it does feel like the guy's playing in the game are just all in and trying their one effort, and you feel

that you know the teams is not like ten. None of these teams took their foot off the pedal like pen. Clemson just came back because they got NFL guys. It wasn't like Texas stopped trying.