As the college football season kicks off, new Fox analyst and former NFL running back Mark Ingram huddles with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: Who can beat Georgia?
A: Ohio State has quarterback questions, Alabama has quarterback questions, Georgia has quarterback questions, LSU’s coming back strong — I think they’re gonna go as far as Jayden Daniels could take ’em. … Michigan, they got J.J. McCarthy. I love both the running backs, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. They got a strong defense coming back. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh’s got ’em playing tough.
Q: Does Georgia remind you of the Alabama dynasty?
A: Yes, 100 percent. The physicality they play with, the efficiency they play with on offense, running the ball, stopping the run, and being able to take your shots and make your big plays happen when you need ’em. The DNA, the makeup of the athletes that they’re recruiting, the style that they play with, it reminds me 100 percent of the dynasty when I was playing at Alabama. It makes sense because Kirby [Smart, Georgia head coach] and Scott Cochran [Georgia special teams coordinator] were [at Alabama] during that run, so they basically took the DNA and took the successful tradition and the history and the work, and a lot of other coaches that have left that program haven’t been able to kind of copy it.
Q: Is Alabama heading in the wrong direction?
A: I don’t think they’re heading in the wrong direction. They lost two games last year by what, four points? Both on the last play of the game. Obviously there’s a quarterback question mark, but there’s NFL talent all over that roster. No. 1 recruiting classes over 10 of the last 13 years. There’s no better person at developing talent than coach [Nick] Saban. I feel like we weren’t really running the ball effectively and efficiently last year, so I feel like we need to get back to running the football and stopping the run. I think Jalen Milroe is probably the front-runner to be the starter, and when you talk about dual threat-quarterbacks … he might be the fastest on the team full of NFL talent. I think Alabama can get back to where they need to go, I think we’re going in the right direction. If we get effective quarterback play, I think we’ll be right there in the playoff. Don’t count ’Bama out, man. I think we’re right where we need to be, and everybody doubting us, that’s when we make people pay, when everybody doubts us and counts us out.
Q: Can there be a TCU this year, a surprise powerhouse team?
A: I wouldn’t overlook TCU, but we can’t even look past Kansas State — they’re the ones that won the Big 12 last year.
Q: Will USC’s Caleb Williams become the second repeat Heisman Trophy winner, joining Archie Griffin?
A: He definitely has a chance to. He’s special, he has all the tools, and he’s just a good human, kind of grounded. I don’t think any Heisman winner’s brought their whole offensive line to their ceremony, that just tells you a lot about the kid right there. He has as good a shot to do it as anybody has in recent years.
Q: Your expectations for Deion Sanders as coach at Colorado?
A: He had the most roster turnover, one of the best transfer-portal classes in the nation. First thing you want to do when you’re establishing and changing a culture is get the people out of there who don’t want to be there. I think he made that clear off the rip. If you don’t want to be here, jump in that portal. And he brought people and he brought athletes in there who want to be a part of his program, who want to be developed not only as great football players, but as great human beings as well. I would send my son to go play for Coach Prime. The characteristics or values, the principles that he instills in his program and in his team, I think that he’s gonna turn it around. And being one of the best football players ever, why wouldn’t want you go play for Prime? It’ll take some time, but I think he’s gonna turn Colorado around.
Q: Do you think he can be a great college football coach?
A: I think he can.
Q: So you weren’t surprised at what he did at Jackson State?
A: No, I wasn’t surprised. He understands the game, he knows the game, he has a great coaching staff around him, and that’s what you need to be a successful coach.
Q: Who are some of your top running backs?
A: Obviously you have [Wisconsin’s] Braelon Allen, [Penn State’s] Nick Singleton, my man at Clemson, Will Shipley, [Michigan’s] Blake Corum obviously, [and] Donovan Edwards — I think he’s really underrated, think his game translates great to the pros.
Q: What are your thoughts on Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.?
A: He’s a freak athletically, Hall of Fame lineage from his father. Then you just go to his own attributes — tall, fast, great catch radius, hard worker — he’ll be a top-five, top-10 pick in next year’s draft easy.
Q: What do you like about North Carolina QB Drake Maye?
A: He’s just a baller, man. He just has good arm talent, he has confidence, and that confidence resonates through his whole team, and you can see it with the way he plays. You have to be versatile, you have to be able to move and create plays when there’s pressure, when there’s nothing there you have to be able to extend the play and create plays with your legs or with your arm, keep your eyes downfield, so I think he does all those things really well.
Q: Who are some impactful transfers?
A: I think Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter coming over from Jackson State with Prime, I think those guys are gonna have a huge impact on Colorado and what they do.
Q: What are your thoughts on Penn State?
A: They’ve been right there, man, they’ve been right there, but you gotta beat Michigan, you gotta beat Ohio State.
Q: Your thoughts on Texas?
A: They got one of the most talented rosters in the nation — up there with Ohio State, up there with Alabama, up there with Georgia. So can [coach Steve Sarkasian] convert that talent into a successful season? They’ve had talent over the last few years, it hasn’t always panned out for ’em. I think this is the year for Texas to kind of turn the corner and get back to prominence.
Q: How dangerous can LSU be?
A: I think they’re extremely dangerous. Jayden Daniels, I think, is a Heisman Trophy candidate, if he grows and he’s polished his game, his arm accuracy, going through his progressions making good decisions, ’cause he’s as elite as there is when it comes to being a dual threat with his legs. I watched that game versus Alabama, I was there in person, and the things he was capable of getting out of using his legs and also extending the play downfield with his arm, I feel like LSU can go as far as Jayden Daniels takes them. So if he has a big season, I feel like that’s a team that can dethrone Georgia.
Q: You were the first Alabama player to win the Heisman, in 2009.
A: It was crazy. I was just running the ball and we kept winning. … You used to walk around the facility, you see all the trophies, all the All-Americans, you don’t realize that there’s not a Heisman there. I was just fortunate to be on a great team. If I wasn’t on a national championship team, if I wasn’t on an undefeated team, I don’t think I would have had an opportunity to win it. It was just a surreal experience, and I’m proud I was able to bring that trophy to Tuscaloosa.
Q: What stands out to you about the 37-21 Jan. 7, 2010, championship win over Texas?
A: I think the setting, it felt like it was like football heaven, at the Rose Bowl, in between the mountains. … What pisses me the most off about it I was cramping and missed a lot of the third quarter, so that stands out to me, too.
Q: In 25 words or less: Nick Saban?
A: He’s a perfectionist.
Q: Do you have a favorite Saban story?
A: We were golfing in this Chick-fil-A Challenge and you could invite a celebrity per se to come golf, and he would always invite me, and one year we’re going into a playoff, extra holes to win the tournament, and he had somewhere to go or something. Like we’re on the second hole of the playoff, we’re tied, so now we’re going back for the third hole of the playoff, and he’s like, “Mark, man, if we don’t get it done, I’m gonna have to probably cut out early.” I’m like, “What are you talking about? We’re about to go for the win, you’re talking about leaving? Where’s your mindset at? You ain’t teach us that, you ain’t teach me that! You’re talking about leaving?” And so, we do the third playoff hole, we end up losing the hole, and I’m like, “See? Your mindset wasn’t there, you got distracted with other factors that didn’t matter, and we ended up losing the hole.” That’s probably one of my funny stories, ’cause like as competitive as he is, as the perfectionist that he is, we’re in the trenches about to go for a title, about to win this tournament and this man is thinking about how he has to catch this flight and get back to a new appearance. He’ll tell you now he thinks it’s funny that I came at him like that.
Q: Your were longtime teammate of Drew Brees with the Saints.
A: He’s legendary. Just down to earth, one of the guys. Best quarterback ever.
Q: How was coach Sean Payton similar to or different than Coach Saban?
A: They’re different for sure. They’re similar in the fact that they’re perfectionists and that they want to win. They go about it in different ways, but Sean has good gauge on his team, kind of knows how to motivate ’em or taper back, support ’em or critique ’em, kind of has a good thermostat for his team.
Q: Can he resurrect Russell Wilson in Denver?
A: I feel like if anybody [can], it’s him. I think he’s gonna incorporate some of the things that Russ did well when he was in Seattle. Russ had a lot of success when he was in Seattle when he was able to improvise with his legs, breaking down plays and stuff like that. I think he’s gonna do some things to get Russell comfortable, getting Russell back playing the way he needs to.
Q: What did you make of him criticizing Nathaniel Hackett?
A: I understand what he was trying to do, I think he was trying to support his quarterback, I think he was trying to support his team, I think he was trying to have his team’s back, but I just think like maybe he went about it the wrong way.
Q: Were you hoping to be drafted by the Giants in 2011?
A: I just wanted to be drafted by whoever wanted me and wherever I had an opportunity to go and be successful. I know my father [Mark Sr.] played there, won a Super Bowl [XXV] there, but he also played with the Dolphins. A lot of people had me going 15 to the Dolphins, but that didn’t end up happening either.
Q: What’s your relationship with your father now?
A: That’s my dude, that’s my best homie. I wouldn’t be here without him. Every crucial decision I ever made in my life, from high school to college to free agency, to even the next chapter in my life with broadcasting, he’s been there for me supporting me. I wouldn’t be the man today, where I am, without my father, so I love my father, that’s my guy.
Q: How is he doing?
A: He’s doing well, he’s doing really well. He’s at home in Michigan with my mom and my sisters. He’s healthy, and he’s happy.
Q: How often did you speak to him when he was incarcerated for bank fraud and money laundering?
A: I talked to him all the time.
Q: Was that painful for you?
A: Yeah, it was painful that he wasn’t there, and that he couldn’t experience me winning the Heisman or me getting drafted [No. 28 by the Saints] or even in my first few years in the league. That hurts, that sucks, but the fact that I was able to talk to him and we maintained a great relationship, he was able to give me advice and encouragement. He was always there for me, so even though he wasn’t physically there, he was always there for me.
Q: Your thoughts on the devaluation of NFL running backs?
A: It’s just something that’s being pushed by GMs and owners, and there’s people in the media that are kind of supporting it. It’s just this agenda that’s being pushed upon running backs, and it’s unfortunate that running backs are paying for it. We’re the only position where our production hurts us. You run for 2,000 yards, they say, “Oh, man, he’s worn down.” They feel like you can get a committee or they feel like you shouldn’t pay for whatever reason. They want top value for a running back, but they don’t want to pay the running back top value. It’s a shame what’s going on with Jonathan Taylor. They want a first-rounder and all this other stuff for Jonathan Taylor, but they don’t want to pay him top, top, top tier. Josh Jacobs just leads the league in rushing and is still on a tag. You have Saquon Barkley who had been leading that Giants offense when healthy, he’s playing on a one-year deal, but you got No. 3 wide receivers who are getting paid more than a guy like Austin Ekeler when he goes out and catches 100 balls last year. It’s just unfortunate, and hopefully something could be done that addresses the situation, but running backs are kind of handcuffed right now. You just gotta stay healthy, you gotta ball, and when it’s your chance you have leverage, you gotta get paid when you can because they don’t care about you — they care about you until they don’t. They use you up and give you all the carries, and when it’s time to compensate you for what you’ve done for the team, and put your body through and risk all this blood, sweat and tears for an organization and for a team, they just don’t appreciate it.
Q: Your thoughts on Breece Hall?
A: I think he has juice, I think he has good vision, he runs tough, he runs hard, he has breakaway speed, so I think he is primed for another good season, and I think just adding Dalvin Cook, I think that’s gonna just give him some more longevity.
Q: How will Ezekiel Elliott fare with Bill Belichick in New England?
A: I think he’s gonna do a good job. I think that’s a good spot for him to land. He still has juice. He’s dealing with knee injuries the past couple of years, [and] anytime you’re running with a knee brace on and deal with knee injuries, that isn’t the most ideal of things.
Q: Sum up your NFL career, which included three Pro Bowls.
A: Lots of ups and downs, but always striving to be the best, always striving to get better. I’m thankful that I had 12 years and was able to accomplish someone me of the things I did.
Q: Thoughts on your new Fox television career?
A: I’m excited about it. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to join a great network, a great show with a great crew, to have a great support system around me, the producers. I can’t wait to go to the college games and be around the atmosphere, and just learn and grow in this industry and with Fox and with “Big Noon Kickoff.” We’re just trying to make “Big Noon” a generational franchise. … It was a blessing that it happened this way.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Next Friday.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Denzel [Washington].
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Bernie Mac.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Surf and turf — a Wagyu with a lobster.
Q: What do you think of the college football landscape with the mass exodus from the Pac-12, etc.?
A: It’s tough on the athlete, they gotta travel far, especially like USC or UCLA having to go to Big Ten country, but you’re gonna get matchups we don’t really ever see — USC-Michigan, USC-Ohio State, UCLA-Penn State. Can you blame these programs? They’re getting 32 million in the Pac-12, they get 80-100 million going just to the Big Ten. You got Texas and Oklahoma going to the SEC, so you’ll see a lot more of marquee matchups with those two teams in the SEC. I’m interested to see how it’s gonna play, but the Pac-12’s been around for, what, 100-plus years, and now that thing’s kind of like on life support. It’s different, but I’m interested, and I think it’s good for the fans that we’re gonna get a lot more marquee matchups.
Q: Your thoughts on the dissipation of rivalries?
A: It doesn’t have to be dissipated. You have open weeks where you can schedule any rival you want. You still have three open weeks, so if your rivalry week isn’t there because of the conference switch, make it one of your open weeks if that rivalry’s so important to you. It’s not like it has to be done away with just because they’re not in the same conference. If you want to schedule your opponent as a non-conference game, then do it. That’s really not an excuse to me.
Q: A Final Four prediction?
A: I’m gonna go Michigan, I’m gonna put Alabama in there, I’m gonna put Florida State in there, I like Jordan Travis, and … should I go two SEC with Georgia? Undefeated SEC title game, and the loser still gets in? Perhaps.
Q: Why do you like Michigan over Ohio State and how will Jim Harbaugh’s three-game suspension factor in?
A: J.J. McCarthy’s coming back after having a great year, big-game experience, big plays … then you add the fact that they’re returning a lot of their starters, and they’ve had a strong defense, one of the top 10, top 15 scoring defenses in the nation the past two years, I think you add that to it with the running backs, and Harbaugh’s three-game suspension, their first three games aren’t challenging as well. I don’t think that should impact them too much. And also, when you have some type of adversity like that with your coach, I think that puts kind of a chip on your shoulder, and I think they’ll be 3-0 when their coach comes back, and keep rolling.
Q: So if it’s those four, will Georgia repeat?
A: No, Georgia’s not repeating this year. Somebody’s gonna get ’em. Three in a row is crazy.