College Football Fix: Christian Hackenberg, Former Penn State QB

We miss college football. Drops back. Pressure from the edges. He throws near sideline. And it's intercepted. Intercepted. Keely Ringo at the 21.

Off he goes. 40, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30. Near sideline.

Breaks attack on 20, 15, 10, 5. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Georgia. Let the celebration begin.

We can't wait for the 2022 season. Rice gets it. Backpedals onto the end zone. Loads up.

Looks long. He's not going behind the defense. Jamison makes the grab at midfield. Down the right sideline.

40, 30, 20, 10, 5. Touchdown Alabama. 94 yards. And we're counting down the days to kick off. Are we there yet? No. Are we there yet? I said no. Are we there yet?

What's wrong with your ears? Here is your college football fix. Only on the Zach Gelb Show. Well, we don't count week zero. But if you're a fan of Nebraska, you're probably saying, yeah, what that guy just said.

Holy smokes, what a dumb decision by Scott Frost over the weekend. We are coming to you live from the Rocket Mortgage Studios. Whether you're looking to purchase a new home or refinance yours, Rocket Mortgage could help you get there for home loan solutions that fit your life.

Rocket can. Week one is here for the college football season. Can't wait to just watch football, football and more football over and over and over again. Each and every Saturday throughout the fall.

And then also leading into the winter. Let's head out to the guest line right now. Welcome in a former quarterback of Penn State. Not as great job as an analyst for the field of 12.

And that is Christian Hackenberg. Christian, how you been? Very good, man. Appreciate you having me on again.

Well, I appreciate you coming on. How about what Nebraska did over the weekend? They had the lead and then they just cut the field in half and gave the ball to the opposition. I didn't get that call by Scott Frost. Yeah, I mean, my take on Scott this year heading in was, you know, I think he was going to be aggressive. But I think you got to kind of toe the line. Well, there's a difference being aggressive and then just being stupid. That was stupid.

Exactly. And, you know, I think a lot of credit to Northwestern. I was really impressed with the way the Holinsky kid played. And, you know, especially the expectations and some of the reports I got from up there wasn't looking that great. But they came out and put together a hell of a game plan. Yeah, it just sucks for Nebraska.

They're much of the same. Kept shooting themselves in the foot. And, you know, hopefully they can just get over that hurdle here. I mean, they're going to have to if Scott wants to keep his job.

They don't win many games, but they just lose in heartbreaking fashion in so many close games. As a team, how do you mentally move on from that where you start off the season, you thought it was going well, and then once again in a big spot, you guys don't come through. You just wonder if that just gets this season rolling in a direction that you really just don't want to get into.

Yeah, I mean, I think I think you can go one of two ways. And I think even even towards the end of last year, you heard Adrian Martinez talk about it before he left. I mean, the team didn't give up.

They kept fighting. I think, you know, for what it's worth, that's a credit to the attitude of the locker room and how they how they manage it. But to your point, eventually something's got to give. You know, I hope that the kids have enough mental fortitude to be able to keep plugging away, because if you tend to keep that attitude, the ball will roll your way eventually. But, you know, it's just one of those situations where you hate to see it drag on the way it has. And, you know, hopefully, hopefully for their sake, you know, the ball starts rolling their way.

But if it doesn't, there's going to be a big shake up up there, in my opinion. Christian Hackenberg here with us. What do you make a hardball's decision to basically punt this quarterback competition and do a platoon now between McCarthy and McNamara?

Yeah, I think that's one of the more unique ways of doing it. You know, I can't really there's part of me that understands that there's part of me as a former quarterback that hates it, especially a guy that that, you know, with a guy who led you to the college football playoff. I know McCarthy's obviously a talent and you want to figure out ways to get him involved and keep him around, especially with the transfer portal and all the other stuff that's going into college football. Now, it's a problem that I think hasn't really ever been at the forefront of a lot of decisions like this.

But it's creative, man. I think only Harbaugh can probably pull something like this off and explain it away. So we'll see how it works out. You know, I said, I think this is his most important year, even though last year, you know, he took the pay cut, ended up taking the team above and beyond expectations, I think, and making the college football playoff winning the Big Ten.

But now, you know, you kind of set the standard. He played coy and tried to say leave for the NFL to make some money back, I think. And, you know, it's just one of those things where this year he's really got to produce.

So I think he's just trying to put his best foot forward at the most important position on the field. With that being said, what are your expectations from Michigan? What do you think they'll do this year? Yeah, I mean, I mean, their schedule plays out really well for them to get to momentum, especially early on. So we'll see. You know, I think obviously replacing Hutchinson and Jabo is going to be tough.

But, you know, I think, like I said, there's been a lot of change. So the talent's there, the roster's there, the leadership's there. It's just, I really think it's going to be how do the kids take to the coaching and the new philosophies, how do the new coaches come in and try not to stuff square pegs into a round hole, figure out what their team does well and let them go out and execute that consistently. You know, so we'll see. I think it's going to come down to the second half of the season for them.

So, fortunately, they have some ramp up time, I think. Christian Hackenberg here with us. Let me hear your thoughts on this theory that I have with the quarterback situation at Michigan. I think he wants to play McCarthy, but he has that loyalty to McNamara because of what happened last year. You have three Cupcake games to start the year.

So this is just another final crossing of the T's, dotting of the I's. You got to see it in the game experience before you officially announce McCarthy as the starter. Your thoughts on that? Yeah, I mean, I think that's a good take.

But like I said, man, it's just hard. It's hard to replace a guy who just wins, and he doesn't do it in a sexy way. He scraps it out, does what he's supposed to do, gets the team in the best place when he has the ability to get in and out of them.

He won. At the end of the day, you can make every throw in the world. You can do all of that cute, hot, sexy stuff at the quarterback position, but at the end of the day, you're judged wins and losses.

That's where I think it's unique in terms of the approach. I get your take. I think as a fan, you'd want to see McCarthy. I think there's definitely going to be more behinds in seats, waiting to see what that kid's going to do every snap. But the football coach and the football player in me is just sitting there like, how can you replace a guy who just wins and does it quietly and leads the team?

It's a unique situation. Christian Hackenberg here with us. How much pressure is on Ryan Day? He's obviously showed he could be a really good coach, but he just hasn't won that national championship yet.

What do you define as pressure in that situation? Ohio State obviously has high expectations. They've been fortunate to set that standard by the way that they've played over the past decade or so, even beyond that. But I think Ryan's going to get there.

I personally believe that. I think he's done a great job of coming in, taking over the reins, getting the ship in the right direction. I think last year, defensively, they were young, didn't really have a ton of big time, top five draft picks, especially up front like they've been used to having. So a little bit of shake up there on that side of the ball, but the experience last year I think has been good for them. And then offensively, obviously, I think you're returning one of the best, if not the best, quarterback in the country in CJ Stroud and that receiving corps. Although they lost two big horses, they just seem to be reloading and reloading and figuring out a way to keep all those kids on campus and keep them happy, which is interesting. I think he's going to be able to handle it and obviously I think they're the front runner in the Big Ten this year. They go ahead and handle business. They'll give themselves a chance. If you had to pick one quarterback between CJ Stroud and Bryce Young, who do you pick?

It's just tough, man. I think they're two different guys. I think Bryce Young, I heard the comparison, like Steph Curry. He's a facilitator, he plays point guard and does it really well.

I got the chance to talk to Billy O about him earlier this summer and that's exactly what he said. Just a really smart kid, really heavy, understands the game, understands the offense, can operate above and beyond just the X's and O's in terms of what's being called. He can get them into different things. He sees the defense, sees the field really well. So it's tough. At the end of the day, when you're picking that, it's the flavor, it's the schemes, you want a dry-aged ribeye or do you want a filet?

You can't really go wrong there. It just won't come down to fit from an organization standpoint at the next level. When you look at your former coach in Bill O'Brien, I think he'll get another NFL head coaching job if he wants one. Personally, I think he should be the OC in New England right now and not in Alabama. Do you think his next job is in college or his next job is in the NFL when it comes to the next head coaching gig?

I don't know, man. I think he's torn. I think he likes the college game. I think he likes teaching, especially the quarterback position, but the younger guys and getting it out of them. I don't think he really likes managing the personalities from a head coaching job of what can walk into an NFL locker room. And again, this is just 100% my personal opinion.

I just want to preface that. I don't want to leave my guy out to dry. I think if the right college situation showed up, I think he'd do it. I don't think he's going to be at Alabama past this season if he can make that happen. But I do believe at the end of the day, he likes the lifestyle of an NFL coach, the time off. His family situation is a unique one. I think that keeps him grounded, so it's interesting.

I don't know. I think he deserves another shot. I think he'd do a damn good job at either level.

I think he learned a lot from the Houston situation. Wrapping up with Christian Hackenberg, Notre Dame is a 17.5-point underdog. They're ranked the fifth team in the country. I know they're going up against Ohio State.

What am I missing here? Shouldn't I plus the 17.5 points with the Fighting Irish? I don't think they're going to win the game, but they've got to keep it within two touchdowns, no?

Yeah, I think so. Obviously, you've got to see how that defense for Ohio State shows up. Early in the year, it hit him in the butt with Oregon. So we'll see. But there's also question marks on the Notre Dame side, seeing how Freeman runs the show over there and gets everything orchestrated offensively. It'll be interesting, but I agree with you. I don't think it's a 17-point...

I don't care how you cut the cake. When you look at both those rosters on paper and what the talent is, it's not a 17-point difference. So I don't know what Vegas has got in their equation there, but we'll see. Now, you know my producer, Ryan Hottekic, he's a big-time Penn State fan, went to the university, he's a Penn State SICA fan. Usually he's telling me each and every year how this is going to be their year. This year he has no optimism, Christian. Are you seeing the same thing with Penn State that he's seen?

He thinks they're going to be, eh, this year. Yeah, I mean, you know, again, I think they've got some young guys in some key positions that they needed. I think their receiving room is going to be a lot better than most people think.

I really like the Tinsley ad. You know, my biggest thing, and I've said it over and over again, is just the offensive line play. Realistically, since I've been there, even when you look at Saquon's years, I think Saquon made up for a lot of some inconsistent play up there. When you look at him, he's really explosive, but in terms of consistency carrying the football, he had a lot of just one, two negative yard gains, and then he popped a big one. That was a lot of the scheme and how they mixed it with Trace and a couple of the other guys that stepped up. Just the consistency up front, and especially at a place like that, knowing the history, and when you walk down the hallway with all the All-Americans and their pictures, a lot of those dudes played up front in the trenches on either side of the ball.

So it's just really interesting that that hasn't come to fruition. They've done a good job going out and recruiting guys, but I don't know how the development's been. I think you could accredit that to a lot of turnover in the coaching roles, but it's going to be a wait and see for me. I think offensively they've got to get an identity. They've obviously got to be able to start running the football and taking some pressure off the cliff, so it's a wait and see for me, but I'd agree with Ryan. I'm not like, this is the year. If it happens, it happens.

If it doesn't, it wouldn't surprise me. I also think you're waiting and seeing when Drew Aller's going to be QB 1. When do you think you'll eventually see the young quarterback?

I don't know. We'll see, man. Obviously a lot of hype. I've been in those shoes, so it's going to be tough, though, replacing Van Wilder up there. Cliff's been there for like half a century, it feels like, so we'll see. Obviously at that position, consistency and experience rule the landscape, so I hope the kid takes the right approach this year.

If he gets some chance, it takes advantage of him and really builds on it because he's obviously super talented. Christian Hackenberg with us. Wisconsin, they'll just win that division and nothing more than that in your opinion? Is that how you kind of look at them this season?

I don't know, man. I'm really on the Minnesota bandwagon over there. Oh, you're rowing the ball for P.J.

Fleck? Yeah, yeah. I think getting Mo Ibrahim back is going to be huge.

That was a gut punch. I like that team. I don't think Wisconsin has enough consistency at the quarterback position to just flat out steamroll it and be the guys on that side of the conference this year. You got the Northwestern inconsistency all the dang time. You never know what's going to happen across divisions. To me, I really like the way Minnesota's schedule shakes out.

I think the defense is going to be better than people expect and then offensively I think they're going to be able to do what they need to do because of, specifically, I think that offensive line and getting Mo back. Who are your four teams right now for the college football playoffs? It's going to be two SEC teams again.

I think it's going to be much of the same. Alabama, it could be Alabama-Georgia again. I really like Georgia's chances. I think it's a team that's getting overlooked.

I know they're replacing a lot, but we'll see. Ohio State from the Big Ten. I don't know, man. I really want to go and give Clemson the benefit of the doubt to take it over the top, but I think USC is going to be revitalized. So insert Clemson, USC, someone like that. What about Oklahoma?

I don't know, man. I'm not quite sold on Oklahoma right now. That whole conference, I know it shook out last year and there's a lot of turnover.

It doesn't have the luster it once did to me. You know, I think you're going to have to go through a little bit of growing pains. New head guy there, defensive guy. So for me, I think it's in terms of where it's at, rest of the conferences, best opportunities. I think Clemson's got the best chance to go out and do what they should do with the talent they have on their roster.

And if they do that, I think it's going to be hard to not give them the nod. Christian Hackenberg, always great to catch up with you. Field to 12, make sure you check them out.

Those guys pump out some great content. We'll be talking to you hopefully throughout the season. Thanks so much. Yes, sir. Appreciate you, brother. There you go. Christian Hackenberg on the Zach Gelb show. Take a time out. We'll come on back. We'll teach you on some of the biggest stories in the world of sports with some audio. We call that segment the news brief and we'll give it to you.