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CFB Catch-All Thread -- 2023

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 48952

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14 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

Gotta wonder WTF they're thinking about, putting Pac12 on an image labeled "Super Conferences"???

Agree... they spent time discussing the demise of the PAC9 as well as their concerns about ACC teams possibly leaving that conference.  

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TexEx15

TexEx15 17456

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Came across this guy on Instagram. Pretty good.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjjPQFVD5y6/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvQtlbrtPi6/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuqLRbbrDBu/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

and finally..

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmIZZ8Go5j6/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cj1QxRdjO1n/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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Magus Ossis

Magus Ossis 2783

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4 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Below tweet comment just reminds me of...

  • Social Media... The Death of Society
  • Adapt or Die

 

The Seattle/Tucson region is getting torn apart, I tell you. Now instead of having drives of just over 1600 miles, conference mates will be scattered all over,

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2023 CFB superlatives: Who has the hardest, easiest schedule?

Chris Low    ESPN       Jul 31, 2023

Quote

We know all schedules aren't created equal.

Another truism in college football is the perceived difficulty of a schedule can vary wildly depending on your vantage point. Let's just say Alabama's schedule is probably viewed differently in Birmingham, Alabama, than it is in Columbus, Ohio. The same goes for the perception of Ohio State's schedule in Atlanta, TCU's schedule in Baton Rouge and Clemson's schedule in Los Angeles.

You get the idea.

It's worth noting that 2023 will provide our first taste of the new-look Big 12 with BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF joining the league. It's also the last season Oklahoma and Texas will compete in the Big 12 before jumping to the SEC in 2024. In addition, the ACC will move away from divisions in 2023, leaving the Big Ten and SEC as the only Power 5 conferences still using that format.

As we do every year at this time, we'll recognize some schedule superlatives for the 2023 season -- some flattering and some not so flattering. All rankings referenced are from ESPN's latest Way-Too-Early Top 25. And yes, preseason rankings aren't always the best guide. Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all were in the AP's preseason top 10 a year ago, and all three finished with losing records.

On to the selections:

Toughest overall Power 5 schedule

How would you like to play the nation's toughest schedule as a second-year coach coming off a losing season in Year 1? Welcome to Billy Napier's world. Florida opens the season on the road against two-time defending Pac-12 champion Utah and closes at home against bitter rival Florida State, which is ranked No. 3 and is one of the favorites to win the ACC. In between, the Gators have trips to Kentucky, South Carolina and LSU. They face No. 11 Tennessee at home two weeks after opening the season at Utah, and there's also the annual clash with No. 1 Georgia in Jacksonville -- two weeks before visiting LSU on Nov. 11. If you're counting, that's six preseason top-25 opponents, with four in the top 15.

Ole Miss isn't far behind Florida on the challenge meter. The Rebels are the only SEC team playing both Alabama and Georgia on the road.

Easiest overall Power 5 schedule

Jeff Hafley could use a breakthrough season after Boston College's the 3-9 finish a year ago, and the good news is the schedule sets up the Eagles to make a run at their most successful season since Hafley arrived in 2020. There are no nonconference games against Power 5 opponents; the Eagles will stay in the Northeast for all four games, and the only road contest is at Army. Four of the Eagles' first five games are at home, and their toughest ACC matchup is at home against Florida State. Clemson and North Carolina aren't on the schedule, meaning BC will face just one preseason top-25 team.

The honorable mention in this category goes to two-time defending national champion Georgia. The only game the Dawgs play away from home against a preseason top-25 team is at Tennessee in the next-to-last week of the season on Nov. 18.

Toughest Power 5 nonconference schedule

This was a close one between Pittsburgh and Louisville, both of whom face three Power 5 opponents (including Notre Dame). The Panthers get the nod based on having to play back-to-back games against Cincinnati and West Virginia on Sept. 9 and 16, an especially difficult assignment given how heated the "Backyard Brawl" rivalry is and that it shifts to Morgantown for the first time in the series' renewal a year ago. In addition, following their trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 28, the Panthers host No. 3 Florida State the next week.

Toughest Group of 5 nonconference schedule

Entering its second season in the Sun Belt Conference, Southern Miss isn't fleeing from stiff competition outside the league. The Golden Eagles play at Florida State on Sept. 9, then return home to face Tulane on Sept. 16, a pair of preseason top-25 teams being picked to win their respective leagues. Then, on the next-to-last week of the season, Southern Miss visits SEC foe Mississippi State on Nov. 18.

Easiest Power 5 nonconference schedule

We have a repeat winner. For the second season in a row, Michigan has earned the "honor" of playing the nation's cushiest nonconference schedule. The two-time defending Big Ten champion doesn't face a single Power 5 opponent. This was also the case a year ago, marking the first time in 78 years the Wolverines didn't play a nonconference game against a current Power 5 member or Notre Dame. Michigan opens this season with three straight home games against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green. It originally had a home-and-home series with UCLA set for 2022 and 2023, but canceled it in 2019 to guarantee at least seven home games each season.

The only team rivaling Michigan in this category is Georgia, which plays UT Martin, Ball State and UAB at home and closes the regular season against in-state rival Georgia Tech on the road. The Bulldogs were originally scheduled to play Oklahoma, but the SEC dictated that game be scrapped with the Sooners joining the league in 2024.

Toughest open to the season

West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker said this summer he wanted to see Neal Brown and the football program build some momentum as the Mountaineers are coming off back-to-back losing seasons. That's going to be a challenge to start the season. West Virginia opens on the road against No. 8 Penn State, and after a home game against Duquesne, plays rival Pittsburgh at home and then starts Big 12 play against Texas Tech at home and TCU on the road, both preseason top-25 teams. Talk about a five-week gauntlet to open a season that is critical for Brown and the program.

Toughest close to the season

It's always nice to have the reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, and USC is going to need Caleb Williams at his best in October and November. Four of the Trojans' last six games are against preseason top-25 teams, as they face Notre Dame, Utah, Cal, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. Lincoln Riley's Men of Troy will also play nine straight weeks without a break to end the season.

Cushiest open to the season

A toss-up here between Kentucky and Michigan. The Wildcats win in a photo finish with their first three games coming at home against Ball State, Eastern Kentucky and Akron, with a road game against Vanderbilt to follow. Four of Kentucky's five games in September are at home. The schedule bites back to end the season, as the Wildcats play three of their last four on the road, and the only home game in that stretch is Alabama.

The Wolverines, meanwhile, play four in a row at home to open the season: three nonconference "buy" games against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green before the Big Ten opener against Rutgers. Yawn.

Falcons taking flight

Air Force hasn't received nearly the love it deserves under Troy Calhoun after posting at least 10 wins in each of its past three full seasons and winning three straight bowl games over teams from the Big 12, ACC and Pac-12. The Falcons' 2023 schedule will be interesting, to say the least. They play three Friday games, and only once in the last six weeks of the season will the Falcons play a true home game. With Falcon Stadium undergoing renovations, the Nov. 4 game against Army will be played in Denver at Empower Field at Mile High.

Rocky road

Arkansas' road schedule is brutal. The Hogs, who played one of the toughest overall schedules in the country a year ago, play true road games against three preseason top-25 teams -- LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama -- and also travel to the Swamp to face Florida. Arkansas goes four straight weeks without playing a home game, starting with the Sept. 23 game at No. 7 LSU and ending with the Oct. 14 game at No. 6 Alabama. At some point, Sam Pittman has to be wondering what he did to the people putting together these backbreaking schedules.

Road of least resistance

As Luke Fickell takes over at Wisconsin, he inherits a road schedule that looks more than manageable. The only nonconference road game is at Washington State in Week 2, and the Cougars aren't picked to be among the Pac-12's elite this season. The Badgers avoid Michigan and Penn State altogether in 2023 and get Ohio State at home Oct. 28. It doesn't hurt, either, that Ohio State faces Penn State the week before making the trip to Madison. There are only two road dates the last five weeks of the season -- at Indiana and at Minnesota -- and no back-to-back road games all season for the Badgers.

Oregon State also is in the conversation here. The Beavers' only nonconference road game is at San Jose State to open the season. In the Pac-12, they're on the road at Washington State, Cal, Arizona and Colorado, in addition to a tough one at Oregon to close the season Nov. 24.

Toughest three-week stretch

The criteria here are three games in three consecutive weeks with no byes. Rutgers, Syracuse and Florida could all make strong cases, but we're going with Washington. The Pac-12 should be as strong as it has been in years with excellent quarterback play across the league. The Huskies have their own star quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., and he and his teammates will have their hands full in November. Washington plays at USC on Nov. 4, home against Utah the next week and then back on the road against Oregon State on Nov. 18. That three-game stretch is preceded by a road game against Stanford. That's three Pac-12 road games in four weeks.

Must-see nonconference games

The caveat here is that to be considered, these games are played on campus, not at a neutral site:

• Florida at Utah, Aug. 31 (Thursday)

• Colorado at TCU, Sept. 2

• Texas at Alabama, Sept. 9

• Oregon at Texas Tech, Sept. 9

• Ole Miss at Tulane, Sept. 9

• Pittsburgh at West Virginia, Sept. 16

• Washington at Michigan State, Sept. 16

• Ohio State at Notre Dame, Sept. 23

• Notre Dame at Clemson, Nov. 4

• Clemson at South Carolina, Nov. 25

Going back-to-back

Colorado, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Utah and Virginia Tech are the only Power 5 teams that will play nonconference games against Power 5 opponents in back-to-back weeks. Colorado travels to TCU to open the season Sept. 2, then comes back home to face Nebraska in coach Deion Sanders' Boulder debut on Sept. 9. Pitt plays Cincinnati at home Sept. 9, then travels to West Virginia the next week. Purdue plays at Virginia Tech on Sept. 9, then at home against Syracuse the next week. Utah opens the season with games against Florida at home Aug. 31 and Baylor on the road Sept. 9. Virginia Tech plays Purdue at home Sept. 9 and at Rutgers the next week.

Clash of cultures

The culture shock game of the year has to be Auburn traveling to Cal on Sept. 9, the first meeting ever between the teams. At Auburn, they've been known to roll trees with toilet paper after big wins. At Cal, they've been known to strip naked and climb trees to save them. It's a 2,438-mile trip for the Tigers and only Auburn's third regular-season game ever on the West Coast. The Bears are 9-1 at home in nonconference games under Justin Wilcox. The hardwoods will be watching.

Farewell to Bedlam

This could be it for Bedlam, at least for the foreseeable future, with Oklahoma moving to the SEC in 2024. Longtime rivals Oklahoma and Oklahoma State meet Nov. 4 in Stillwater, and neither side has seemed too interested in continuing the rivalry. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said last year that OU and Texas "took the money and ran" by joining the SEC and "took a lot of history out of college football with them." With the Big 12's new look this season, Oklahoma State's schedule will be virtually Texas free. The Cowboys don't face Baylor, TCU, Texas or Texas Tech (they do travel to Houston on Nov. 18).

No napping for the Vols

Which Power 5 teams could get tripped up at home by a Group of 5 team, a la Appalachian State winning at Texas A&M last season? One game to watch is UTSA at Tennessee on Sept. 23. The Vols have an away game with Florida the week before and a home date the week after with South Carolina, which torched Tennessee 63-38 a year ago and ruined the Vols' playoff chances. UTSA brings back 15 starters, including record-setting quarterback Frank Harris, after going 11-3 and winning two straight Conference USA titles.

What a welcome

BYU, moving to the Big 12 from independent status, has a bye week Oct. 7 after facing Cincinnati at home, then plays seven conference games in seven weeks. The Cougars are the only Big 12 newcomers to play both Oklahoma and Texas this season. In that seven-game stretch are three road games in four weeks -- TCU on Oct. 14, Texas on Oct. 28 and West Virginia on Nov. 4. And talk about frequent flier points: The Cougars make a "short" 1,258-mile trip to Austin, Texas, then travel nearly 2,000 miles the next week to Morgantown, West Virginia.

Loving the Lone Star State

Another Big 12 newcomer, Houston won't leave Texas to play a game until the final weekend of October when the Cougars travel to Kansas State. Houston's only other game outside the state is the regular-season finale against UCF on Nov. 25. Six of Houston's first seven games are in the city of Houston.

Rhule on the road

In his first season at Nebraska, Matt Rhule and the Huskers will play their first two games on the road against Minnesota on Aug. 31 and Colorado on Sept. 9. Not counting the 2020 COVID-interrupted season, it's the first time since 1995 the Huskers have opened the season with two true road games. For what it's worth, that 1995 Nebraska team is widely considered to be one of the greatest in college football history. Those Huskers went 12-0, won their second straight national championship and had an average margin of victory of 38.7 points per game. Just saying.

Hartman's ACC encore

Sam Hartman, one of the country's highest-profile transfers this offseason after leaving Wake Forest for Notre Dame, will face familiar ACC foes Clemson, Duke, Louisville, NC State and Pittsburgh in 2023, not to mention his old team, the Demon Deacons, on Nov. 18 in South Bend. Hartman, the ACC's all-time leader with 110 touchdown passes, finished 4-11 against those five ACC teams during his time at Wake Forest.

Conference chaos

There's always that one weekend in conference play that shakes things up, provides some clarity for the rest of the season and maybe even produces a few surprises. Week 8 has definite possibilities:

• Tennessee at Alabama

• Ole Miss at Auburn

• Michigan at Michigan State

• Penn State at Ohio State

• Wisconsin at Illinois

• Utah at USC

• Clemson at Miami

• Texas Tech at BYU

• TCU at Kansas State

• Texas at Houston

They're playing where?

Seeing Power 5 teams playing on the road at Group of 5 venues is always entertaining, especially when it's Alabama traveling to South Florida for a Sept. 16 game. Some of the others: UCLA at San Diego State on Sept. 9, Ole Miss at Tulane on Sept. 9, Cal at North Texas on Sept. 2, Oregon State at San Jose State on Sept. 3, Oklahoma at Tulsa on Sept. 16, Miami at Temple on Sept. 23, NC State at UConn on Aug. 31 and Virginia Tech at Marshall on Sept. 23.

Power outages

Only seven Power 5 teams do not have a nonconference game against another Power 5 team or Notre Dame -- Boston College, Houston, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon State, UCF and UCLA.

Powering up

Louisville, with Jeff Brohm returning to his alma mater as coach, will play three Power 5 schools (including Notre Dame) in the nonconference part of its schedule -- at Indiana on Sept. 16, home against Notre Dame on Oct. 7 and home against in-state rival Kentucky on Nov. 25 to close the season. Colorado, Pittsburgh, Utah and West Virginia are the only other FBS schools playing 11 Power 5 opponents in 2023.

 

 

 

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LTtxfan

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August 14th... Josh Pate On NEW Scrimmage Intel - UGA + Clemson + Alabama & MORE (Late Kick Cut)

  • WR issues possibly for Jawja/Clempson
  • Awwbrrn QB battle is a struggle
  • Ajay Allen RB1 at Miami?  but their run defense not good
  • QB bama, Milroe slightly ahead Simpson; RBs and OL strengths for Bama
  • QB2 battle at Texas ??
  • CORN Zavier Betts (WR) left team for a 2nd time (personal reasons)
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Screenshot_20230815-090634_kindlephoto-1939166.png.70cd966d4579a61fd30528417cf0517f.png

 

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Everyone wants to be known as the best at something. Anything. Being the best grill master at your house. Being the best among your friends at singing Taylor Swift karaoke at 2 a.m. Being the best player in all of college football. And when it comes to us who cover college football for a living, we want to be the best at determining who those best players are!

It was with that goal in mind that we here in the college sports corner of ESPN.com once again spent a large chunk of our summer discussing, debating, voting and, in this age of ever-evolving AI, even leaning on an algorithm to help us determine the best of the college football best. And as far as you know, none of us did that while standing over the grill singing Taylor Swift karaoke at 2 a.m.

So, as the season bears down on us like Washington's Bralen Trice chasing Caleb Williams, you decide whether we are the best or the worst at separating the truly best from the merely great as you read our 2023 ESPN Preseason Top 100 College Football Player Rankings.

-- Ryan McGee

Methodology: Voters were presented with a series of one-on-one votes. For example, "Who should be ranked higher for the 2023 season: Blake Corum or Caleb Williams?" Think of it as an Oklahoma drill of statistical reasoning. More than 10,000 votes later, these were the results.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38122924/top-100-players-caleb-williams-maye-bowers-2023

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Screenshot_2023-08-22-14-13-26_kindlephoto-1640389.thumb.png.8a0b79998939d1d9e48f387551786431.png

Quote

Shortly before his death in December, Mississippi State coach Mike Leach spoke with Phil Longo about Longo landing the Wisconsin offensive coordinator job.

According to Longo, Leach was delighted his Air Raid offense -- the transcendent scheme he helped launch decades earlier -- would finally reach the Big Ten after impacting every other major conference. Longo has used the offense while hopscotching the college ranks, most recently as a coordinator at Ole Miss and North Carolina. He has seen the Air Raid work in a variety of settings, but not the one behind his current office window: Camp Randall Stadium, home to the historically run-heavy Wisconsin Badgers.

For 30 years, the Badgers have won with powerful backs plowing behind gargantuan offensive linemen on clock-eating drives. The Air Raid, marked by quick tempo, receiver-heavy sets and passing proclivity, couldn't be more different from what the Badgers have done. The first time Wisconsin gets the ball Sept. 2 against Buffalo will mark a watershed of sorts for the program, its fans and the Big Ten.

"It'll be a little bit of a culture shock, but hopefully [fans] enjoy it," Longo said. "If we're scoring points, I think they'll enjoy it. If we're winning games, they'll enjoy it. You have your old-school enthusiasts that don't want change, but there seems to be a large part of the Wisconsin contingent that has been waiting for a change."

The seismic shift at Wisconsin is the most noticeable move for a Big Ten offensive landscape whose plates are starting to rattle. Wisconsin is one of two Big Ten programs bringing the Air Raid to the league for the first time this season. Purdue will use it under new coach Ryan Walters and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, a record-setting quarterback for Leach at Texas Tech. Both teams brought in transfer quarterbacks from Texas -- Wisconsin's Tanner Mordecai (SMU) and Purdue's Hudson Card (Texas) -- to lead the units.

Wisconsin and Purdue headline an offensive shake-up that could be exactly what the Big Ten needs. Since 2015, the year after the Big Ten's last national title, the league has had only two offenses rank in the top 25 in scoring (No. 2 Ohio State, No. 17 Michigan), only one (No. 2 Ohio State) in the top 48 in yards per game, and only two in the top 30 in expected points added (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 24 Michigan).

Big Ten defenses, meanwhile, have thrived during the same span. Five rank among the top 11 in fewest points allowed and five are in the top eight in expected points added. But how much of the defensive success is tied to the offenses they typically face? Perhaps more significant: Are Big Ten offenses adequately preparing their defenses for the College Football Playoff? Michigan was a top-five defense in points and yards allowed entering the CFP, while Ohio State was in the top 15 in both categories. The two allowed 79 offensive points (TCU had two defensive touchdowns) and 1,021 yards in narrow playoff losses to TCU and Georgia.

"Unless you're playing Ohio State, you're not going to get exposure to offenses like that," a Power 5 defensive coordinator outside the Big Ten told ESPN. "Michigan only plays Ohio State once. Six Big Ten teams are in the top 25 defense-wise. Yeah, well a lot of that is because there's only one or two offenses in the top 25.

"Now it kind of makes sense, once you start seeing through some of the layers."

More offensive innovation will arrive in 2024 with the expansion additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. All four teams ranked among the nation's top six offenses in 2022, while the existing Big Ten produced just one top-20 offense (No. 9 Ohio State) and two in the top 30 (No. 24 Michigan) last season.

"We should have had Michigan and Ohio State in the [national] championship game, so obviously, we're right there," Indiana coach Tom Allen said. "Bringing in a team like USC, you just look at how they recruit and the talent they have, it's special. Now you've got another team that's going to have that SEC-type talent. UCLA's not that far behind. That part helps us.

"We've got to be able to have the athletes. You get exposed way too fast if you don't. That's been the knock in the past, and it's slowly changing."

Both Big Ten teams introducing Air Raid offenses to the league this fall are led by head coaches with backgrounds on defense and success within the conference. Wisconsin's Luke Fickell played for John Cooper at Ohio State and then came up as a Buckeyes defensive assistant under Jim Tressel. From 2002 to 2010, Fickell helped build defenses to complement Ohio State offenses that flaunted typical Big Ten traits -- run-based, methodical, often conservative but effective because of elite personnel.

After going 4-8 in his first season as a head coach at Cincinnati, Fickell decided to pivot from his football roots. Then, another revelation came.

"To change from the Jim Tressel [approach] to be more aggressive, to do some things on fourth [down], we had to do that at Cincinnati, but then I realized, I don't know that I'm excited about staying and always doing the things, the same things you've always done," Fickell said. "I want to win more than anything. A part of the evolution is not a bad thing."

Walters spent the past two seasons surveying Big Ten offenses as Illinois' defensive coordinator. In 2022, Illinois led the nation in scoring defense (12.8 PPG allowed). But when Walters landed his first head-coaching job at Purdue, he picked a scheme that he hadn't truly seen in the league.

"Philosophically, the general thesis of the conference is: Control the clock, don't turn the ball over, limit possessions and try to win the game in the fourth quarter, which equals success and that's been proven," Walters told ESPN. "But in today's college football world, you see there are other ways to win games. Obviously, I still am a defensive guy and the goal is to keep points off the board, but I do want to be aggressive on offense and force the issue."

Bret Bielema has observed Big Ten offenses for most of his adult life: as an Iowa defensive lineman, as a young Hawkeyes defensive assistant, as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator and head coach, and now as head coach at Illinois. Bielema followed Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin and continued using a run-heavy, clock-control, power-based style on offense. He saw the approach lead to overall team success, not only at Wisconsin, which won three straight Big Ten championships under his watch, but at other programs like Iowa, Northwestern, Minnesota and, most recently, Michigan. Not surprisingly, he's taking the same approach at Illinois, which last fall leaned on Chase Brown, the nation's No. 4 rusher and No. 2 carries leader.

Bielema has categorized Big Ten offenses into those committed to similar schemes and principles, which rarely change much from year to year, and those who diversify. He's also aware of the major shake-up coming.

"Wisconsin, in particular, you go from one extreme to the other," he told ESPN. "That was a pro-style offense that was pretty old-school, and now you're going to have this offense that is completely different from anything they've ever done. That's a premier team in the league, so a big difference."

A fresh approach likely was needed at Wisconsin, which ranked 90th nationally in scoring and 103rd in offensive plays of 10 yards or longer during the past two seasons. The program has been undeniably consistent, but with an expanded CFP coming in 2024, Wisconsin had to show it could keep up on the scoreboard.

During Longo's four seasons as North Carolina's OC, the team ranked fifth nationally in yards per play, sixth in yards per game and 12th in scoring. Last season, quarterback Drake Maye blossomed under Longo, setting single-season records for passing yards (4,321) and completions (342) while cementing himself as a top prospect for the 2024 NFL draft.

Longo's version of the Air Raid isn't exactly like Leach's. He has had several 1,000-yard running backs and productive tight ends, two positions Wisconsin historically features on offense.

Still, the Madison makeover has drawn skepticism, from both within and outside the league. Several coaches and defensive coordinators told ESPN they question whether the system will work at a school that has recruited a certain way for decades. A defensive coordinator called Longo "one of the strangest hires" he had seen in the Big Ten. A Big Ten coach wondered if Wisconsin's defense, among the nation's best, would have a harder time preparing for the Big Ten offenses it typically sees after practicing daily against the Air Raid.

Longo has heard it all before.

"There may be those that don't think we can run it in this league, maybe," he said. "It's been proven to be run just about anywhere. That's what the [Kansas City] Chiefs are doing right now. I look at the Chiefs, and I feel like I'm watching our offense. There's so much overlap.

"This system is really a part of what everyone's doing right now."

The Air Raid's arrival is the latest phase in what Big Ten coaches consider a mini offensive renaissance, despite the league's middling national representation.

Former Purdue coach Jeff Brohm brought aggressiveness and innovation to the conference, producing three wins over AP top-three opponents, six top-25 passing offenses in the past seven years (three in the top 15) and a West Division championship last season, before leaving for Louisville. Maryland coach Mike Locksley, who coordinated top-10 rushing offenses early in his career at Illinois, oversaw the nation's No. 13 pass offense in 2021 and returns one of the nation's most experienced quarterbacks this season in Taulia Tagovailoa. Locksley came to Maryland from Alabama, where he spent 2017 and 2018 in a coordinator role.

"Some of the branding that the Big Ten had -- of being run-the-ball and I-formation -- are over-exaggerated," Locksley told ESPN. "It's not your mama's old Big Ten. There's a ton of teams in this league that know how to throw the ball, that spread you out, that play with speed and tempo. I don't see a big difference [with the SEC], having been in both leagues, from an offensive standpoint. What we do on offense, it's the same thing Alabama is doing, the same thing that Georgia is doing."

There are also more traditional Big Ten offensive schemes that recently have elevated their production, namely Michigan, which has bulldozed its way to consecutive league titles behind a rushing attack that ranks No. 8 nationally since 2021. The Wolverines are No. 7 in scoring during the span.

Nebraska is trying to reclaim its offensive roots under new coach Matt Rhule, especially along the line of scrimmage, after a schematic pivot under Scott Frost never materialized. Penn State and Minnesota are trying to open up their passing games with new quarterbacks -- Drew Allar and Athan Kaliakmanis -- while maintaining a strong foundation on the ground.

"Change is inevitable," Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said. "You can have traditions of this school used to do this, but that's why the words 'used to' are there, because you're constantly evolving, you're constantly changing. Even us. Your identity and your belief as a football coach? I don't know if that necessarily changes. But you can adapt to how the game is changing and what your team is going to have to do to win more."

 

 

https://global.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38208812/big-ten-offensive-makeover-air-raid-cfp

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OREGON’S NEW HEISMAN TROPHY BILLBOARD IN DALLAS GIVES BO NIX THE WORLD’S LONGEST ARM WITH GRAPHIC DESIGN FLOP

On Monday morning, construction was starting on a different Nix-focused billboard in Dallas. The incomplete poster left a lot of questions to be answered about how it would look.

The completed project did not help to appease those questions. From dead on, the billboard shows a dimensionally-sound Nix throwing a pass. From any other angle, it doesn’t work.

Especially from the right side. With his limb on one building and his body on another, it looks as though Nix has the world’s longest right arm.

Did no one think about how the billboard would read when not standing directly in front of it? Could the entire thing not have fit on the right building alone?

The idea for the billboard is pretty good looking. The execution fell extremely short.

Now, with less than two weeks from Week 1, it is time for Nix to live up to the hype. Nothing would be more awkward than a Heisman campaign for a quarterback who throws a ton of picks and loses a lot of games.

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USC_TMB

USC_TMB 405

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49 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

OREGON’S NEW HEISMAN TROPHY BILLBOARD IN DALLAS GIVES BO NIX THE WORLD’S LONGEST ARM WITH GRAPHIC DESIGN FLOP

On Monday morning, construction was starting on a different Nix-focused billboard in Dallas. The incomplete poster left a lot of questions to be answered about how it would look.

The completed project did not help to appease those questions. From dead on, the billboard shows a dimensionally-sound Nix throwing a pass. From any other angle, it doesn’t work.

Especially from the right side. With his limb on one building and his body on another, it looks as though Nix has the world’s longest right arm.

Did no one think about how the billboard would read when not standing directly in front of it? Could the entire thing not have fit on the right building alone?

The idea for the billboard is pretty good looking. The execution fell extremely short.

Now, with less than two weeks from Week 1, it is time for Nix to live up to the hype. Nothing would be more awkward than a Heisman campaign for a quarterback who throws a ton of picks and loses a lot of games.

Joey Harrington says hold my beer…

image.jpeg.035482f1a5b0a5355f215b4e88aaaff2.jpeg

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Sbbruin

Sbbruin 21704

Posted
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1 hour ago, LTtxfan said:

Josh Pate On CFB's Easiest Schedules In 2023 (Late Kick Cut)

 

Breaks it down by P5 conference

  • jawja 
  • meatchicken
  • bruins
  • blOU
  • louisville

@Sbbruin

 

Notice Michigan?  They cancelled a home n home with us, and we had to backfill last year and this with FCS.  Don’t blame us.

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 48952

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11 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Notice Michigan?  They cancelled a home n home with us, and we had to backfill last year and this with FCS.  Don’t blame us.

One point here is that ucla caught a real break in Pac12 games though... just usc and utah.  Beat one of usc/utah and 11-1 might happen

66536210_9201618f4c_z.jpg?zz=1

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Sbbruin

Sbbruin 21704

Posted
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44 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

One point here is that ucla caught a real break in Pac12 games though... just usc and utah.  Beat one of usc/utah and 11-1 might happen

66536210_9201618f4c_z.jpg?zz=1

Yep we alternate- 2 years of Oregon and Washington, then 2 years of OSU and WSU.  Well, until next year.

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 18989

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4 hours ago, Fud said:

https://www.pff.com/draft/big-board?season=2024

1. Having all of Mitchell, Worthy, and Sanders in the top 40 seems pretty crazy. Not sure I buy that. 
2. PK recruited 2 DL projected to be first rounders on there to UW. Definitely not bad data points for his evaluating skills, on top of all the other guys he’s churned out, like Tryon who was a 3 star turned first rounder two years ago. 

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