Christian Hackenberg, Former Penn State Quarterback

When you need to know what's happening, it's it's it's it's time to get in the huddle.

This sham with Steve Keim out there in the desert. I mean, it's like no accountability. Never my fault. It's never his fault. Stuff just happens.

Losses just fall from the sky. It's not his fault. It's not Kylie's fault. It's not my fault.

It's not the owner's fault. We just have really bad luck. Just hang in there and keep throwing money at us and we'll figure it out. Shut up. Listen to In the Huddle, available on the Ozzy app or wherever you get your podcast. No one's more locked into the NFL than First and Pod. Why is it not within the realm of possibility that Geno Smith was a victim of a horrible organization, bad offensive coaching and then went and played behind three high level talents and only got spot starts and did okay by the way.

Well, because it's just it doesn't really happen that often anymore. Subscribe to First and Pod on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. Christian, how you been? Good. Appreciate you having me back on, man. Well, thank you for coming on. The first thought for you when you hear TCU in the national title game is what?

Well, like you said in the intro, I don't think anyone called it. Obviously an incredible year. It's a fun team to watch, though.

Just watching them kind of come together and how they developed. You know, I'm a little excited. I'm really excited for it, but really more excited to see how they fare with with this Georgia Bulldog team who put on a both them in Ohio State put on a great show last week. It was a very clean game a lot different from the TCU Michigan game.

So we'll see if they can get they can continue that that lucky streak heading into Monday night. So I know that it just seems like typical national broadcaster. We only look at the quarterback and the coach and there's obviously a lot more to this game. But Sonny Dykes, he even admitted it on this show a few games into the season. He was surprised that this team was five and oh, and then Max Duggan. What a great story where he was the starter, then didn't win the job, then was the starter again after an injury. And he almost won a Heisman Trophy this year. Now he's 60 minutes away from a national title game just of the both of them, Sonny Dykes and and also Max Duggan just remarkable what we've been saying.

Yeah, unbelievable. And you know, I mean, you're already seeing some of the trickle down effect of what they've done. And I think they just got a transfer portal commitment from a running back from Alabama. So, you know, the immediate success is great. And I'm actually really interested to see how they build on this from a culture standpoint, then also a town acquisition standpoint to stay stay where they're at in terms of competitiveness.

What do you think Max Duggan could be as an NFL pro prospect? That's really interesting, man. We may or may not touch on this, but I think the games in that position, the ask has really changed. You know, you used to have that traditional pro style guy.

And, you know, the really it started with high school with the spread systems and then college started adopting it. But it took a while for the NFL to really kind of catch on with that wave. And for the last few years, I think they're they're looking for guys like him, guys who can extend plays, you know, get the ball out of their hand quick, throw from a lot of different arm slots, really just athletic, natural, off platform, off timing type of game. And he's got it, you know, so we'll see a lot of its situation, a lot of its timing.

You know, I have a hard time being able to predict that because that's that's always the varies from organization to organization. So you get lucky, you get in a really good spot and he's obviously got the talent. And I love his just his his temperament and his attitude. Christian Hackenberg with us on the other side for Georgia defending national champions. You know, you always have the target on your back when you win the national championship. But even though we all thought this team could get back to this spot, the way that they've done it at ease with all that they've lost from a year ago, it's actually more impressive. I was impressed with the team last year, but this team this year has been more impressive just because everything that they've lost. Yeah, well, it's been, you know, they don't have the names and the recognition as much. But that staff did a hell of a job, obviously, recruiting and then putting putting the new faces in really good positions to be successful. Defense looks great. And really, you know, this has been a thing that a lot of people talk about. But having Stetson Bennett have a full year, full offseason, comfortable being able to drive the ship, that really showed.

Obviously, he was he was in New York. And, you know, I it's crazy what confidence will do. And especially with a kid who plays with a chip on his shoulder and he's confident.

Yeah, it's scary. And you saw that last week. So he's done a great job and real fun to watch. I also think people doubting him because sometimes when a team wins a championship, it's tough to kind of find a way to motivate them. You know, people doubting him, I really think, motivated that team more than probably a normal defending national champion.

Yeah, I'd say so. It's funny you say that because, you know, those those guys in that locker room know what he's about. They know his makeup more so than any anybody else. They see him on a daily basis.

They see how he works. So I'm sure that that definitely played a big role in it. If you have Georgia win the national championship game on Monday night and they go back to back, would that mean that Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football in your opinion right now? Yeah. So listen, I wouldn't go that far.

I think that there's there's kind of a pool of a few guys who who I would consider in that realm. But what I what I've been saying since the beginning of the year over on the field of 12 is I think Georgia is on the brink of becoming that Alabama-esque dynasty. Right. And obviously going back to back something Nick Saban's never done. But that's something that can really propel you in today's day and age with NIL and the transfer portal. They're going to be the hot spot and they're going to be able to accrue talent and people are going to be willing to sit and wait their turn and be developed by a great coaching staff and have a chance to win a lot of championships.

So that's where I see more of the change. You know, Kirby's done a great job of obviously building it, molding it to how he wanted it. But saying he's the best coach in college football is really tough. I think that there's there's a handful of them, but he's done probably the best job of rebranding a very storied, highly followed program and getting them over that hump that Mark Rick never could. Well, we know that there are tier-A coaches and Saban's obviously in it.

Kirby Smart is obviously in it. Who else do you put in kind of that tier-A of the upper echelon of college football head coaches? Yeah, I mean, I think those two kind of set right.

You know, Dabo's been there, but Dabo's got his hands full now. You know, Ryan Day, pretty much that whole transition from from Urban to Ryan has been really good. And even even Trussell, I think there might have been someone in there as an interim, but then to Urban, Ohio State kind of runs it itself. And I kind of put those guys there, kind of like the Godfathers, the faces of the programs that you see consistently in the top four or five every year. And then everyone else is it's not necessarily the coaches. I'm not talking from an X to no standpoint. There's a whole lot of them and I'm not going to rattle off that rattle that off. But I'm talking putting the X's and O's with the culture development and the recruiting and everything that goes into college football and really maximizing it.

You know, I think I think Kirby and even Nick, Nick's changed a lot over the past few years and he's evolved. So they'll do a pretty damn good job, ones that I just mentioned. So talking to Christian Hackenberg, former Penn State quarterback, does a great job with the field to 12, love their coverage all throughout the year of college football. The national championship game on Monday. How do you see this thing playing on out right now as TCU is a 12 and a half point underdog? Yeah.

You know, initially it's hard, right? Because on paper they should have got smoked by Michigan and I was on that bandwagon like a lot of other people. But the one thing I mentioned was it's two completely different games that we saw last weekend and you saw Michigan kind of play uncharacteristically undisciplined. It just looked like a really weird Michigan performance. At TCU a lot of things go their way. And that game was kind of like, I use this analogy on the field of 12 was like listening to Limp Bizkit, dude.

It was just like a lot of ups and downs, a lot of mistakes, crazy. And then when you turn on the Ohio State and the Georgia game, that was like listening to Beethoven. It was one of the cleanest college football games I've ever watched. And if Georgia plays that style of game again, which I fully expect them to do, I think TCU is going to have to play absolutely perfect to be in it. So it's a lot to ask. But then again, you know, TCU, it's been their year, so you never really know. But I, you know, I don't think the line's crazy and I'm riding with the Bulldogs. Just been there, done that, a lot of experience. So we talked about Alabama a little bit earlier, Christian Hackenberg, the last two years, not in the college football playoff.

We know what the standard is for them. This year, I just didn't think they had the wide receivers. They obviously had the quarterback. But are you at all concerned a little bit about the future of Alabama football? You just expected that machine is just going to find the way to produce out a ton of victories again the next few years. You know, listen, I think I think their bowl game in the way that I don't think they had a single player opt out.

And I think that that doesn't happen at other programs who have fallen from grace after being, if your definition of falling from grace is whatever 10, 11 wins, whatever they had 10 wins. You know, I'm not worried about Alabama. I know they're going to be able to figure things out. You know, I think it'll be interesting. I think it's a little bit more challenging now for all the all the reasons that I mentioned with the transfer portal and NIL. There's a lot more people bidding for the talent that Alabama was used to getting just by walking in there and offering somebody a scholarship.

But you know, I think, like I said, Nick's also evolved. He knows how to play the game. And you know, it's still Alabama. It's not quite in that dire situation of I think Clemson is the next one that could possibly be falling back to the stone ages from the last two years they put together. So wrapping up with Christian Hackenberg, I can't stand the NCAA. I love college football. I just can't stand the NCAA. I hate them. What they're trying to do to Michigan here and Harbaugh is an absolute joke. Yeah. Listen, man, you're you struck a chord that's really near and dear to my heart with the whole NCAA.

It's going to be real interesting to see if that thing even exists here in the next five to 10 years. Just another example of them sticking their noses in places where it really doesn't belong just to stay relevant, in my opinion. So and the craziest part about it is you read this article and it's like, oh, the only reason why he may be suspended is because he may have misled the investigators and the NCAA.

It's not about the actual infraction. It's because, oh, you lied to us. Yeah, yeah, right.

You know, you you didn't kiss the ring type of thing. It's unbelievable. And I think, you know, like I said, it's just another another reason on a long list of reasons the NCAA has given conferences and college football. Now it's becoming such a big business to just tell them to go pound sand and and manage their own thing. But, you know, like I said, we'll see what happens.

But that's that's something I'm definitely in tune with. And again, doesn't surprise me. So with the future of Jim Harbaugh, should he just write on his khaki pants at the NCAA and stay at Michigan? Or should he say at the NCAA, I'm going to the NFL?

You know, that's interesting. If I'm Jim Harbaugh, man, like how can you how can you leave that place? Yeah, I don't know what his long term goals are in terms of his career.

And if he wants to get back in that in that grind in the NFL. But, you know, me looking at it, I couldn't imagine anything better than coaching at my alma mater. And, you know, the last two years, yeah, the cultural playoffs hasn't worked out the way I wanted to. But they've done a lot of things in that program that they haven't done in a really long time. And I think he's got them on the right track. You know, it's just a couple things.

So for a couple things, you got to get cleaned up. But for me, you know, I'd stick around in Ann Arbor. What was your reaction to Jimbo Fisher, who, if he wasn't, you know, making all that money probably would be out in A&M hiring Bobby Petrino as his offensive coordinator? Yeah, man.

You know, I don't know. And guy who's on our show with us and feel 12. Trevor Knight obviously has some ties to the Texas A&M program.

Made a really good point. You know, it's just really strange that Bobby Petrino took the UNLV job while Texas A&M was actively searching for an offensive coordinator. And then you end up hiring him. He obviously wasn't your first choice. There's probably some guys that said no. And that's a tough pill to swallow, especially coming off an alma mater recruiting class last year, the year they had all the money that that program has from a donor standpoint and backing.

It's interesting. Bobby, don't get me wrong, Bobby's a great X's and O's guy. But, you know, just from a culture fit, where that program is right now is he's the right guy to, you know, from a personality standpoint, the whole picture, not just football. If he's the right guy for that job, I don't know.

Time will tell. But that was an interesting hire to me. Before we let your own Christian Hackenberg, Sam Hartman going to Notre Dame in the transfer portal this year.

We know what he did at his last stop. I actually I know it's a slow start for Notre Dame this season when you lose to Marshall. I thought Freeman, though, did a good job. And now it looks like he's got his quarterback.

Yeah, that's big. And it's funny, you know, I mean, you think about it like the last quarterback they've had first round type talent. And I'm not saying Sam Hartman's that. But, you know, last quarterback, I mean, Deshaun Kaiser had a little bit, but was was Brady Quinn.

Right. So, you know, for a place, a logo, a following, a brand that Notre Dame has to not attract talent at that position is crazy. And I'm actually really excited for Sam, though. I think it's a great opportunity.

Like you said, slow start. But but premium did a good job of writing that ship and get him in the right direction and playing hard towards the end of the year. So that's going to be something that I'm definitely tuned into. I'm curious to see how Sam adjusts to getting out of that Wake Forest system, too. So a little bit of a unique system.

So but obviously really talented, a lot of experience, a lot of game, a lot of game time under his belt. So that always pays off. Now, I never know how it is sometimes with guys that were a big deal at their alma mater. Do you usually go to a bunch of Penn State games throughout the year?

Man, I'm low key, dude. I got I was I've been coaching high school football, so it's been tough for me to get back up there. But my wife and I, because she's also at Penn State, we try to get up once or twice.

But we'll see what happens in the future. The reason I ask my producer hot take Kiki is a Penn State sycophant. And he went to school and you went to school and probably thought about you late at night in his dorm room after Penn State would get a win or maybe even a loss if they played my apples. But nonetheless, he wants to go to a game with you.

He wants to do a Zach Gelb show trip with Christian Hackenberg to Happy Valley. All right. Let's let's let's dial it up. You got it. It seems like we're holding you hostage on this answer, it seems like. No, no, no. It's on.

Pulling my leg to get back to Happy Valley is not a hard thing to do, but it's just, you know, time and constraints and other things. You got it. Well, I will make sure not that you probably need my help, but I will call Pat Kraft and say, we're bringing Hackenberg. We need sideline passes. We need the luxury box. We need the filet mignon, the shrimp, the pigs in the blanket, beers, all that stuff on Penn State's dime. Yeah, the whole nine. We'll figure it out. You got it. Field to twelve. Christian Hackenberg does a great job. Thank you so much.

Appreciate it, bro. What's the strangest thing you're afraid of? Tails without fur on them, such as rats or opossums. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast Your Weirdest Fears, where we dig into the crazy things you're afraid of. Everything from animal people hybrids. You know, people who get surgeries to look like an animal to giant statues. If I ever saw one of those giant statues, I probably would poop my pants.

Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your broadcast from. When you need to know what's happening, it's it's it's it's time to get in the huddle. This sham with Steve Keim out there in the desert. I mean, it's like no accountability. Never my fault. It's never his fault. Stuff just happens.

Losses just fall from the sky. It's not his fault. It's not his fault. It's not my fault. It's not the owner's fault. We just have really bad luck.

Just hang in there and keep throwing money at us and we'll figure it out. Shut up. Listen to In the Huddle available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. What's the strangest thing you're afraid of? Tails without fur on them, such as rats or possums. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast, Your Weirdest Fears, where we dig into the crazy things you're afraid of. Everything from animal people hybrids. You know, people who get surgeries to look like an animal to giant statues.

If I ever saw one of those giant statues, I probably would poop my pants. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your broadcast from.