Overview of USC & Miami Dominate, Darian Mensah #1 QB? LSU Has A Big Problem
Colin Cowherd argues that early-season college football is already separating the true contenders from the rest. He says USC’s dominant win over Fresno State showed real progress in the trenches and could indicate a top-10 team, Miami’s blowout of Stanford highlighted Darian Mensah as one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and LSU’s reported Lane Kiffin noise is a bad fit for a program that should be focused on winning, not drama.
USC Looks Like a Legit Top-10 Team
What stood out against Fresno State
- USC won 39-0 and looked far more complete than in recent years.
- Cowherd’s biggest takeaway was size and depth in the lines, which he says USC has lacked for a long time.
- He believes USC now has:
- real offensive line bodies,
- depth on the defensive line,
- and enough talent to handle Big Ten physicality.
Players and young talent mentioned
- Jayden Maiava: Cowherd says he looks like a legitimate NFL-caliber quarterback and has improved dramatically at USC.
- Trent Mosley: praised as a standout freshman receiver and one of USC’s best playmakers already.
- Mark Bowman: freshman tight end who impressed as a blocker and looks unusually advanced for his age.
- Luke Wafle and Brian Urlacher’s son were cited as young defenders who already “look the part.”
Bigger USC point
- Cowherd thinks USC’s offense is clearly dangerous, but the real question is whether the program can handle the grind of Big Ten road games against teams like Oregon, Penn State, and Ohio State.
- His early read: USC looks like a top seven or eight team, but the schedule will truly test them.
College Football Has a Leadership Problem
Cowherd’s broader criticism
- He compared college football to boxing: too fragmented, too many competing power centers, and not enough centralized leadership.
- He argues the sport is still excellent, but it suffers from:
- weak scheduling,
- uneven competition,
- NIL/transfer portal chaos,
- and too much conference self-interest.
His proposed fix
- Eliminate most non-conference games.
- Move to a more conference-heavy schedule.
- He wants college football to look more like the NFL in structure, even if it remains a college sport.
Miami’s Darian Mensah Is a Star
Why Cowherd was impressed
- Miami’s 45-6 win over Stanford reinforced his belief that Darian Mensah may be one of the best college quarterbacks in the country.
- He praised Mensah’s:
- arm talent,
- composure,
- and rise through a less-publicized path from San Luis Obispo to Tulane, Duke, and now Miami.
Why the journey matters
- Cowherd liked that Mensah wasn’t a blue-chip recruit handed a powerhouse job early.
- He sees Mensah as a player who developed the hard way and is now thriving under bigger expectations at Miami.
- He also noted Miami’s talent at receiver, especially Malachi Toney, who had a huge game.
Takeaway
- Cowherd said he would not be surprised if Miami and Notre Dame end up meeting again in the national title game.
LSU and Lane Kiffin: Too Much Noise
Cowherd’s concern
- He strongly pushed back on the idea of bringing Lane Kiffin-style drama to LSU.
- His argument: LSU is already a blue-blood program with everything needed to win, so it does not need chaos, headlines, or attention-seeking behavior.
Why he thinks it’s a bad fit
- Cowherd said Kiffin’s personality works better at a place like Ole Miss, where attention can help.
- At LSU, he believes the program should simply recruit, develop, and win.
- He called LSU a “big boy” job where “schtick” is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive.
Main warning
- Too many transfers, too much media noise, and too much off-field distraction can damage chemistry.
- In football, Cowherd believes quiet, stable programs tend to win.
Main Takeaways
- USC looks better upfront and may be a real contender if it survives the Big Ten schedule.
- Miami appears dangerous, and Darian Mensah was the segment’s strongest individual praise.
- LSU should avoid distractions and focus on football, not Lane Kiffin theater.
- Cowherd’s larger theme: college football’s product is strong, but the sport badly needs better structure and leadership.