Colin Cowherd Podcast - Ohio State Buckeyes Beat Notre Dame To Win National Championship, Big Ten Has HUGE NIL Advantage Over SEC, Bears Hire Ben Johnson

Box all right, instant reaction. Well, favorites, big favorites generally in these national championship games roll and after a great opening drive by Notre Dame, they could never duplicate it. And Ohio State NIL should stand for not in our league. You can just you know, listen. The number that matters now is sixty six thousand. That's how many kids go to Ohio State. What does that matter? Because Big ten graduates don't stay. Lots of them don't stand the midway.

Not enough jobs. They go to the coast. They go make money and they pour it back into the school. And so these gigantic Big ten schools, they're not holding bake sales like Alabama and car washes like Auburn to afford the NIL. I mean, they're fan bases. They've got a lot of Ohio State grads. I know two of them that are big funders of the NIL collective, and you watch that offense, Sean, that offense is I mean, and their offensive lines dinged up. They just got pros everywhere.

I mean, it's just it just I mean, Notre Dame is well coached, good defensively, cannot compete.

Saban's like two days later. I'm out. So I think the lessen All these rulings are constantly coming out as a fluid situation. But one thing we know, nuts is ever going to go back to the way it was more money, more funding, more cutting checks for these players, and not just Ohio State. I would say the big ten in general Michigan. When I lived in Philadelphia and worked for the Eagles, you know, usually local radio in a pro city. They talked to a lot of Penn State.

Why a lot of graduates live in that area. A lot of people went there and a lot of people watched the game. So I'm with you. I think the Big Ten have a huge advantage moving forward. Yeah.

amazed by it. I mean, let's say Rodeo drive downtown and that is absolutely you know, SEC fans go to what they I think they call it the Riviera, the Redneck Rivier or something.

Nick Saban is one of the smartest coaches ever. Look how great of a coach he was. NFL teams would fly down and look at how Alabama ran their program, including Belichick. Look how good of a broadcaster he is. Saban Is. He's literally made game day feel huge. And everybody on that's talented. Reheese, Pat Herbstreet, Howard. I mean, those guys are all talented. Nick is just makes it feel huge, car dealerships, the way he has leveraged his career.

Just how smart this guy is. The first year the NIL opened up, Nick Saban saw it and he got very nervous. I was told about Texas. He told his guys, we can't compete with Texas. That is oil money, it's tech money. Alabama cannot compete with Texas.

can recruit. Last year was a rebuilding year. They're going to be closer to Oregon than Iowa going forward. USC's can listen to this. USC's collective now is over twenty million. They've already spent thirty million over the next For the next eighteen months, they have to figure out how to pay all these bills. I think the SEC knows it. I think the smart people in that conference can see it before it's happened. But this year and last year,

watched the games. There is a gay Notre Dame beat Georgia and con troll Georgia the field to night totally.

wanted to pay taxes on? It's not a fair fight. And that's what this has turned into. It is strictly paid to play. It's why I laugh, like forever. A great recruiter Obviously to become a great recruiter, you had to have a personality, but you also had to be at a program that offered you a lot. Right, they might even could pay you a little under the table. Now there's we don't even you know, beat around the bush on that. It's like, no, a great recruiter is

someone that can offer me eight hundred thousand dollars. I mean, the guy was the quarterback that was going to play for Brian Kelly Underwood. He was going to LSU and then He ended up at Michigan not because he loves Sharon Moore and Tom Brady and Dave Portnoy, because they paid him like twelve to fifteen million dollars. Even Brian Kelly's like, yeah, we can't pay him that much. We don't have the money. Look at Nebraska last year.

A and M as well. I think the two Texas schools that are in the SEC have a massive advantage financially because that's the world we're in. Can you pay the players or not the most? That's where they're gonna.

I texted him before this game, and he said, if because it's a very weak draft, he said, if Jeremiah Smith, the receiver for Ohio State, and Caleb Downs were available, He's like, these quarterbacks are not good enough. He goes, Cam would probably go over those players because Tennessee needs a quarterback. He said, would they go two and three? He's like, these kids are I mean, we watched Jeremiah Smith and and Caleb Down. They don't even look like

college players. It reminds me when when Jamar Chase was at LSU, Like as sophomore year, You're like, okay, this is a pro receiver. Who would who would start? He would make he would start for every team in the NFL the year before he went and left LSU.

what do you need? What do we need? We or don't want to do this ever again. So that's what And listen, I started at Fresno State, that program wouldn't have existed. I don't know how they maintain it. The Logan Mankins, the Ryan Matthews, Washington State, how are they going to function moving forward? The moment you get a guy, yeah, that guy might be a third rounder. Oh he's a sophomore. Every school worth their salts in his DM saying hey,

how much you want? And they leave, They just automatically leave. What we saw last year with Austin Genty I don't I think we'll ever see again. Even the head coach this year said it. He's like, he turned down seven figures to stay here, and all we could offer almost three hundred thousand dollars. I mean, that's that's the world. One day, I was at the gym, probably a couple months ago, and I look up and his first take is just on one of the big TVs and it's

a kid, and I'm like, what's going on. I think Shannon and steven A were talking to him, and it's the number one basketball recruit. When I got home, I googled him. He's going to BYU next year. It's like, it's not hard to figure out the Mormons cut that kid a massive check and that listen. I have no problem with that. I mean, that's in a weird way, that's what I would say. The sport has always been basketball and football, you know, financing these I got no

problem with it. But that that is one hundred percent the world we're living in now, and it's really separating at the top. I mean, think about your guy lane Ole miss. This year they break the bank and then they don't even make the playoffs. Are they less likely to keep breaking the bank when you don't have results.

or two here and there. And my point being is so these coaches now are going to make enormous money, like better than NFL money for a lot of these guys. Can the SEC schools pay for that? I mean, let's just say tomorrow, let's say one of the coaches in the Big Ten doesn't work. Ryan Day's fine, Ryan Franklin's gone. I mean, most of the guys are fine. But let's say, for instance, a school goes and offers Laane Kiffen a job, and in the Big Ten, they say, here's twelve million dollars.

Can an SEC school fund their collective and pay the football head coach, not the staff, twenty million dollars? This is gonna funnel down to the coaches. Is now a lot of these guys are saving.

give in a little bit. That's that to me was a pretty big red flag for LSU. He had to give a million dollars of a salary.

But if the Big Ten truly cares going forward, they will control college football going forward. And you know, for the record, Michigan won last year, Ohio State won this year. You see Penn State outside of Carter and that tight end returns everybody Penn State and they're going to be back Drew Aller. Penn State next year loses a great tight end and a great then these are first round players. But Michigan next year, Washington, Ohio State, and Oregon is

still really good. Like the Big Ten, this was a little bit of a down year. Let's be honest. Michigan in a rebuild, Washington to rebuild, Caleb william leaves USC in a rebuild. All those teams should be better next year.

like LSU want to give a year. Obviously, Georgia at the end, Clemson was basically, as my buddy Phil Savage used to tell me, they were an SEC in their heyday, an SEC school playing an ACC schedule. But they had SEC players, well, their backups. Right when you start training camp and you don't know who, like at the time, a freshman or sophomore who's gonna kind of separate. You just let him battle it out, and then the one guy that wins the job ends up being the first

round pick. Well, his backup is still a fourth rounder. And if that guy gets injured, you know, in the seventh game of the season, your backup still a fourth rounder. Well, now that guy goes I'm out, and all these other programs are lined up to take them, and he's like, well, I might as well make the same amount of money and go start then be a backup. That was their

biggest advantage I always thought is they're too deep. Was the last like right at the beginning of the nil, right before the nil, when Kirby was basically turned Georgia into Alabama. He went too deep with like my first rounder is my starter and my backup is a second rounder. Good luck touching me, and you didn't. Well, we saw this year they were a shell of themselves and it's going to be difficult to just maintain that dominance because they do have the talent in the region. But these

other schools just we got technology. Now, can just send you the offer contract on docu sign. I was like, here's the money, buddy, you want to come And what do you think Their parents and agents are clearly saying, Ohio State's been doing it since Urban got there, but then Hardboss started getting involved. We know Oregon's going to keep funneling out of the SEC in the South. Really, Mario started that Penn State like the one thing you say, all those guys going back to Penn State. One thing

James Franklin is is a great recruiter. Ye if you give him money, his energy and his effort. I do think Texas is going to run the SEC moving forward.

going to go off this win? I mean the players listen, man, those star players, they watch what Ohio State is tonight. It's a factory up there. Their role in it looks like Ryan Day and Chip Kelly. I mean, I thought the game plan tonight for Ohio State looked like a pro game plan. I mean the way if you watch the game plan tonight for Ohio State, those first two drives, it was so chip Kelly, let's build up Will Howard's confidence,

easy completions, get the ball to the playmaker. It was just I mean, I watched enough Chip Kelly games and I'm like, oh, this is a clinic. This is Chip Kelly who doesn't probably doesn't think Will Howard's an elite player, but within the system, he can get those twelve yard and in completions. He's accurate. Notre Dame never made Will Howard uncomfortable. I mean, and this is a beat up bowl line. I mean he was. Will Howard was sitting back there at one point, I don't know what he was,

six for six, seven for seven on third down. Just couldn't make him uncomfortable.

playoff run Colin. In the first half he was fourteen to fifteen for two touchdowns, and he's just you remove the Texas game, which was a difficult just endeavor for him given how good Texas is on defense. He was dominant in the three matches against Tennessee, which has NFL personnel on defense. Obviously, Oregon is loaded with NFL players, and tonight just National Championship Notre Dame to come out.

He's played. Really, he's made himself some money. I'm not saying he's gonna get drafted in the second day, but I think he's got to get a drafted in the somewhere between the fourth and the sixth round.

I mean, they're not exactly throwing it like Josh Allen out there, and they they're good runners, but they're not running. You know what Riley Leonard does and it's fun to watch. Is that Does that translate to the NFL just running over guys? That's that's hard, and that's that's but he listen, he grew on me over this run. He's clearly the

high level guy. And I think both of them are going to be loved by once the coaches get into the draft process because they're clearly like just high level kids.

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when the story came out. I said this today on TV when the story came out of the Raiders and Ben Johnson, I'm like, Bro, that's the worst opening. I don't like it at all. I will say this. About a week ago, Caleb Williams said, I didn't think it was subtle. I'd like an offensive coach. Remember he said, I'd like a leader of men vague doesn't mean anything. And then I'd like an offensive coach I could grow with. That would be nice. And I think that was kind

of like, guys, I'm not going to demand anything. I'm not going to be publicly difficult. Get me an offensive coach, and that tells you. And this was what Brady said about Belichick and the documentary. And I've heard enough of Brady behind the scenes on Belichick saying, listen, Bill just didn't even know our terminology. It's not a criticism of Bill. They live in a different world. I mean, look at Bill's offensive drafting, look at Tomlin's offensive lines and run game.

They just don't know. We talked about this yesterday. Demko Ryans not calling a time out for Houston like defensive coach. It's a different language. And I I and I just I think I think Ben Johnson will get the best out of Caleb Williams. That may not be Jaden Daniels, he may never throw like Michael Pennix, but I think he'll get the best out of Caleb. And at this point, if you can get him right and all of a sudden, in three four years, you're working on a second contract

by Chicago Bear quarterback standards. John, that's a win.

it today. You know, Sean McVeigh when he got hired Andvian O'Connell weren't as famous definitely Sean as they've become. And same with Kevin O'Connell. I would say, it's kind of Josh McDaniels Kyle Shanahan. You know when when Mark Davis hired Josh McDaniels, that was a pretty big deal. Definitely when Ballor tried and when the Niners Yl hired Kyle Shanahan. This young guy dominating on offense. Felt like, this guy's a star, and a lot of people were

interested in them. That's what they got today, and they got they Essentially Tom Brady wanted someone and he chose the Bears. Now I told you last night, even if Tom Brady wants you and is a great salesman, and you like Tom Brady, and I don't blame you, I'd want to work with Tom Brady too. If I was Ben Johnson. He doesn't live in Vegas, and you know the partner that bought in from the VC firm, he's

in New York. You're still going into the building every day, even if you get to hire your own GM and Mark Davis is there every day, like that's a fact. So unless Tom was gonna sell his compound in Florida and South Florida and come to Vegas like it's great, Tom, you can text them all the time, It's not the same as you know, when John Elway ran the Broncos, he was there, So I I always thought that was a little weird. Now I understood Ben Johnson talking to

Ben Johnson's thirty eight years old. Tom Brady talking Tom Brady's like talking to football Jesus. So I would imagine he took him seriously. But you know, he just when you coach in a division, think out, well he knows the personnel on this team, and think how comfortably is too it? You know, he's been hesitant to take one of these jobs. Look at last year, I mean that Washington job was a pretty damn good opportunity and a

lot of people thought about it. Obviously they exceeded expectations, but it's like, you got a young GM that knows what he's doing, you got the second overall pick, you got a new owner, and he's like, no, and don't I think he was unsure. Well, now he takes the Bears job, which I think we all agree is a little weird still with Kevin Warren and Ryan Poles. But he knows the Lions like the back of his hand,

regardless whoever they hires a defensive coordinator. When Glenn leaves the Vikings and the Packers, he's been playing against for years, so he knows the players, he knows the coaches, and obviously he knows this team well. So I think there's a comfort level of just staying in the division for a young guy that's been hesitant. You know, some guys are just I want the job. I want the job. That Sean McVay, Kyle Shanning, they were just right. Josh

McDaniels way back in the day. This guy really took his time, which is I would say rare in a profession that's full of like alpha ambition. There's just no holding it back, which I respect. But this is there's gonna be a lot of This is a unique for you know, there would have been no pressure with the Raiders,

right the first year or so. There's pressure here. You can't win five or six games and everyone's you don't have to win twelve, but you got to be in the wild card mix next year with this roster, don't you.

Ben Johnson is a little quirky. He's got a little Adam Gaze and a little Josh McDaniel. I know Josh, I like Josh. But when McVeigh got the job and you watched his first press conference, like, guys thought he was cool, women thought he was hot, Like it was.

this year. I think he's kind of gained more confidence than himself. I think if you watched him in his first couple of years, he was kind of just kind of whispered. He was just not confident. I think he's definitely gained some confidence. But think about the two people running this organization now, a first time head coach who just for a couple of years was almost scared of taking that role, and a GM who's under forty and has felled at times to be a little over his head.

Former offensive lineman, but he drashed like he's a wide receiver. It's a little bizarre in an organization that's not pretty dysfunctional. Say what you want about Dan Campbell, we're gonna learn a lot about him moving forward without the coordinators. Dan Campbell ain't scared of shit, Parcels Peyton. They want that guy right next to him, so he's Taylor made like Dan Campbell would walk right into the Bears and they

would be better. This is everyone's gonna be looking at you, aring with the quarterback who's got some issues right now. And that's the elephant in the room too, because there's like the pressure of saving Caleb right. The added you know, gasoline on this fire is the Jaden Daniels phenomenon, right, So it's like that plays a part in it. It's like, well, the guy that we passed on is at Washington becoming

one of the greatest players we've ever seen. And if Drake May starts to looking credible, these are the things that get it. It's a it's a very hard Now. I just read before we hopped on he got thirteen million dollars a year, so financially he's in a different stratosphere. He was already a multimillionaire, but now he gets a five year, thirteen million dollar contract. Dennis Allen, that's a good first hire a mature good defensive coordinators, Ben ahead coach,

perfectly suited to be a number two. Like that's a high level higher Yes, and their defense is going to be good. But it's I say this all the time, like as an offensive coordinator, when someone gets a dui on defense, Ben Johnsons ever had to deal with that Detroit, Dan, did you know when the special teamer gets in a fight on the sideline, that's not Ben's problem? How would Jamison Williams gets in trouble? Dan and the GM deal with that. You just figure out who's next on the roster.

All that stuff is now on your desk when you're used to just drawing the place it's a yeah, there's a lot on your plate being a head coach with stuff that has nothing to do with the game.

veteran quarterback with an ego. But if you start looking around, I was just thinking about this, Drake May quiet kid, Jaden Daniels, quiet kid, Justin Herbert, quiet kid. You start looking around, He's got Josh Allen, total team guy.

Kevin Warren's political Ryan Pol's young Caleb is not Jaden Daniels the personality he is a He was the first nil star in Our Lives, the first five million dollar leader, anil star. And Chicago's got a very loud, fairly relentless media, which all the teams in Chicago stink. So they're just angry and tough. I think the Chicago job is hard. I think they should be happy they have Ben Johnson, but I said he would have been my second choice.

McCarthy has dealt with Jerry Aaron Rodgers, a meddling owner, no owner big brands. McCarthy was my choice, but I know he's not sexy, and I know Ben is, but McCarthy would not have failed. I could see Ben Johnson after about two years, going the hell did I get myself into?

problem with taking the swing. I always say this about a draft pick high, like take the guy with the traits, because if it does work out, you get Josh Allen, rather than thinking you can get a high floor guy like Mac Jones and Kenny Pickett. They are just as likely to bust, so you might as well swing for the fences. But like if you tell me, Pete Carroll gets the Raider job and Mike McCarthy gets the Jets job,

Like we have a pretty good idea. Those guys just know what they're doing, and like you do have Caleb Williams. So you could have made the argument of just hire Mike McCarthy. He can get the train on the tracks and maybe within a year wins.

but that's kind of up in the air. You got Kevin Warren, who really likes to be involved in football, but when it goes bad, like he's not sitting there at the at the dais next to the coach. You just got a lot. You got an owner who did you see the reports today that he was very uncomfortable cutting these checks. It's like, guys, the going rate for

these coaches is now ten to thirteen million dollars. You get four hundred and fifty million dollars from the league based on the media right steal this is this is not a fickle business. You're in these guaranteed contracts of billions of dollars. If you are worried over the difference of well, I'm used to paying guys seven or eight million dollars to now we have to pay a guy twelve or thirteen. That's hard to operate that way as an organization, it really is. And this team, the mccaskeys,

their kids are running. It feel a little like they got no clue what they're doing. And the problem is they entrust you know, before it was Ted Phillips, now it's Kevin Warren. These people that play such a huge role because these guys aren't that comfortable in business besides just saying no. Like the one thing you get with Robert Kraft or you get with Jeffrey Lorie. They're very comfortable in a negotiation over billions of dollars or hundreds of millions of dollars.

everyone wanted this guy. But in a couple of years, I just worry, you know, Caleb holding onto the ball. Sean Payton's a big believer. That's not a coachable attribute out of a player. You can improve we've seen now you can improve accuracy, but the holding onto the ball is a major concern. And you saw it with Sam Darnold like he's always had it. And then it kind of creep back up in the biggest moment. It's almost like a it's like a golf swing. You just muscle

memory in a in a pressure pack spot. It's just something to keep an eye on. How did he coach Share Goff? Snap, get rid of the ball, Snap, get rid.

the Big Ten are affluent. They're all over the globe and they love their Big Ten sports.

or a Mountain West. You're gonna get people. You're gonna have to run the table or be very very exceptional. I could see a Utah you know, it's a very proud program, Utah going like you know ten and one and getting in and Clemson, but that this is the future of college football. And you can complain all you want, you know, let me let me end it with this. So nobody wants in America and the last thing Trump followers want is socialism. But the NFL is pretty close

to it. You know. There there's a salary cap. You know, if you're good, you draft later. They try to keep it even. And yet we've had back to back dynasties Chiefs and Patriots. The Dodgers have pulled away SEC and the Big ten, they'll pull away an individual sports tennis, you know, F one, you have dominance. We are so terrified of. I mean the NBA. I told Adam Sober this when I had him on you guys worry too

much about dynasties. And my takeaway in the nineteen seventies, you didn't have a dynasty, and it was the league was in trouble. The minute the eighties arrived in the nineties and you had dynasties, the ratings exploded. Is that there's about five percent of the world that's really great at what they do, either it's quarterbacks or college basketball coaches, and we're so terrified, Like everybody thought that expanding college football to more teams was more fair. No, it's really

heightened what we already knew. There's about five brands annually with a chance, and we're just shifting from southern brands to northern brands. But in the end, this is really, if anything else it's been, it's really highlighted a truth because now we're seeing you know, these teams like SMU or a Boise State forced in the first round to play them and eventually on the road. So the gap now a lot of times you'd argue yourself into I

think I think Hawaii. Remember that Hawaii team could play with.

those two quarterbacks are out of their prime. And Ohio State, and I can tell you right now there's five college football programs. They're going to win a majority of the programs titles over the next ten years.

rest of our lives. So once you don't have, Once you don't try to talk yourself into the impossible ultimate parody, you'll be much happier and college football, it's still the big dogs. I don't think any now, nobody will go undefeated anymore. You're not gonna get sixteen to zero, forget it. But Ohio State is gonna win several matties over the last decade, over the next decade.

Truly remarkable. They might be here a lot if this guy is really this good, like they're going nowhere.