Overview of USC’s Empty Seats, NFL Week 1, Will Broncos Regress? Brutal Big Ten Schedules
This episode is a solo Colin Cowherd monologue focused on early college football and NFL storylines. The main themes are USC’s turnout in Los Angeles, how big-city environments affect college football fanbases, the difficulty of surviving brutal Power Five schedules, and a handful of Week 1 NFL games that may offer betting value. Colin also shares his early playoff and title-game leanings, including strong opinions on Notre Dame, Miami, Texas, Ohio State, and Denver.
USC’s Attendance and the Reality of Big-City College Football
Colin argues that USC’s sparse home crowd is less about disloyalty and more about the nature of Los Angeles as a pro-sports city.
His main points
- Big cities are usually pro-sports markets, not college football markets.
- Los Angeles, like Miami, has too much competing entertainment and too many pro teams to reliably fill stadiums for college games.
- USC has already adjusted to this reality by shrinking attendance expectations and adding suites.
- He says it’s not an excuse, but a reason for why USC’s home environment looks different from traditional college towns.
Broader takeaway
- College football thrives when it’s the biggest event in town.
- In places like Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Norman, or Stillwater, college football dominates the local sports culture.
- In LA, USC has to compete with the NFL, other entertainment, and a transient, busy population.
USC on the Field: Young, Talented, and Built for the Big Ten
Colin says the real story from USC’s opener wasn’t the empty seats — it was how young and talented the roster looks.
What stood out
- USC jumped out to a 35–3 lead and then emptied the bench.
- The team is playing several freshmen in major roles, including standout receiver Trent Mosley, whom Colin praises as an elite young player.
- USC has one of the best recruiting classes in the country, but also limited depth.
Why that matters
- The Trojans are trying to develop freshmen early so they’re ready for the grind of Big Ten play.
- Colin thinks depth is the key issue for USC, especially with a brutal conference schedule ahead.
- He does not believe USC is a Big Ten title favorite this season.
Colin’s Early College Football Predictions
Colin lays out several early thoughts on the national title picture and major conference contenders.
Teams he likes
- Notre Dame: He thinks the Irish are set up for a dominant season because of:
- elite defensive talent,
- Marcus Freeman’s defensive mind,
- and a relatively manageable schedule.
- Miami: He sees Miami as a likely championship contender and even predicts a possible rematch with Notre Dame in the title game.
- Texas: He likes Texas to beat Ohio State in their opener because the game is in Austin and Texas has the right mix of returning stars at premium positions.
Teams he is skeptical about
- Ohio State: Too hard a schedule to run through cleanly.
- Texas in the long run: He thinks the road slate is so tough that even a great team could get derailed.
- USC: Talented, but still too young and too thin to expect a conference championship run.
NFL Week 1: Early Betting Angles and Matchup Notes
Colin says Week 1 is always tricky because teams hide their best stuff, starters play limited snaps in the preseason, and defenses are often vanilla.
Games he finds interesting
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Colts vs. Ravens
- He likes Indianapolis as a dangerous home underdog.
- He believes the Colts are healthy, well-coached, and deeper than people realize.
- Baltimore is respected, but not untouchable.
-
Jaguars vs. Browns
- He sees Jacksonville as an underrated, balanced team with a good quarterback/coach combo.
- Cleveland’s youth and rookie-heavy roster make him hesitant.
- He would not be shocked if Jacksonville won convincingly.
-
Broncos vs. Chiefs
- He calls Denver one of the most interesting teams in football.
- The Broncos had elite defensive numbers last season and were unusually strong in one-score games, which raises regression questions.
- Even so, he thinks Denver’s roster is strong enough to be taken seriously, especially at home.
General betting stance
- He says he’ll still do a Blazing Five, but Week 1 is never the easiest slate for confidence picks.
Broncos Regression Debate
The Broncos are the most interesting “regression or real?” team in Colin’s view.
Why people are skeptical
- Denver won a lot of close games last year.
- Teams that outperform their point differential or keep winning narrow games often regress.
Why Colin still likes them
- They led the league in sacks and allowed the fewest.
- He views them as a top-five roster type if the defense holds and Bo Nix develops.
- Even if they regress a bit, they can still be a playoff-level team.
Other Notable Thoughts
NFL expansion talk
- Colin is skeptical that the NFL will ever place a true team in Europe.
- He thinks Mexico City is more realistic than London or another European market.
- He sees international talk as partly a warning shot to existing cities about stadium and relocation issues.
Texas vs. Ohio State framing
- He believes Texas is under more pressure because it is representing the SEC in a huge early statement game.
- His read: Texas in the first meeting, but if the teams meet again later, he’d lean Ohio State.
Bottom Line
This episode is mostly a football thesis piece:
- USC’s crowd issues are explained by geography and market dynamics, not just fan apathy.
- USC is talented but too young for an easy Big Ten climb.
- Notre Dame, Miami, and Texas are Colin’s early college football favorites.
- In the NFL, he sees early value in teams like the Colts, Jaguars, and Broncos, but warns that Week 1 is always hard to handicap cleanly.