If you’ve been paying attention to my tweets, what I’ve said here on BC or on the radio, you know that I highly recommend not worshipping coaches — specifically college football coaches of any kind…especially coaches from the Top 25 schools. I know it sounds a little harsh, but we’re talking about meathead meatballs looking to win at any cost with millions of dollars on the line at schools where football is fueling rising salaries and everyone is riding the gravy train thanks to TV contracts.
Enter the Tom Herman-Zach Smith era and the feud that exploded Sunday afternoon/evening when Smith accused Herman, his old recruiting buddy, of being the one who tipped off Brett McMurphy and set off what went down back in August.
A few things come to mind when I think of these two, the state of football and the carnage that’s left behind:
• Smith accuses Herman of cheating on his wife while out on the road. Do I believe it? Of course I believe it. Football coaches, the road, the late nights, the hotel bars, the drinks, the strip clubs, the grind adds up.
• Do I believe that Tom Herman went to McMurphy in some fashion? Yep. Have you paid attention to Herman at all over the last few years once he debuted on the national scene at Houston? Wildcat. Quick fuse. Ready to go to war any way he needs to. Remember when Tom would go to war with the Houston media over the smallest stuff? There’s a belief that Herman dropped the Zach Smith ex-wife stuff on Ohio State over a recruiting battle that he lost.
Could’ve been Tom’s wife:
For those who have asked for my response to Jeff Snook’s claim Saturday: “I have never revealed my sources in my nearly four decade journalistic career & I am not going to start now. However, I will say unequivocally that Tom Herman was not my source.”
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 11, 2018
• Do I think Zach Smith is a dirtbag? I’ll go with unequivocally. That ship has sailed.
• Do I think that these two — Herman and Smith — used to laugh about being dirtbags to each other? I do. Herman knew that he had to go out there and turn Ohio State into a machine. He knew that if he turned the Buckeyes into a machine he was going to eventually get a head coaching job and start on his path to multiple millions and a chance to chase his own national titles. Smith was an assistant and also a recruiting machine that would do whatever it took to turn grandpa’s pride and joy into a national champion. Do I think that when you have two meatballs joining forces to make money and gain fame you’re going to produce a couple of meatball dirtbags? Yes. These two were on a trajectory to where we find ourselves today.
https://twitter.com/CoachZachSmith/status/195322546135105536
RT @EricSeger33: @CoachTomHerman is so happy he's just kissing Earle Bruce and everything is right for Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/P2ZDiU8JyY
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) December 8, 2014
• Do I think Tom Herman heard all sorts of stuff out on the road about Zach treating his ex-wife like garbage. Of course. It’s a brotherhood. Smith didn’t think he’d ever have to deal with Herman outing him. Thought they were forever bound by football blood.
• Do I think Tom Herman knew Smith was a scumbag towards his wife and did nothing until it made perfect sense for Tom? I do.
RT @markpantoni: Shoutout to @CoachTomHerman and @CoachZachSmith for grindin out on the road!
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) January 7, 2012
• The funny part with all this stuff is how the grave dancers think their school would never end up in a situation like this. Nah, that would never happen here because we do things the right way and would never have scumbags like this on staff. Oh really? Keep putting those coaches on pedestals. You’re eventually get burned in some fashion. Guys, this is sports we’re talking about here. You twist the rules, cheat, take advantage of people, do what you have to do to win.
Hey @CoachTomHerman – remember when you told me about when @belletjh caught you cheating on her with an Iowa State recruiting girl?? Lmao… I do. 😂😂😂😂
— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) November 11, 2018
- You act like you don’t know it’s election day so you come off as a hard ass who is grindin’ away for those millions you’re being paid to keep the athletic machine rolling along
- But you would take a bullet for DJ Durkin and have plenty of comments on that situation
- You have no comment on DJ Durkin, but one of your former players says Durkin used “bully coaching”
- You knew Zach Smith was a problem, but grandpa was like a second father so you let it go
That’s just stuff over the last couple months. So go out there this week and battle it out on social media. I need to finish up a tile job in the basement.
