Don, Stu, AJ and Bobda finally have a real interest in the games this weekend. Big 10 is opening their season! 1. Clemson vs Syracuse ...cripes the 'Cuse were boat raced by Liberty last weekend. I don't know if they could hang with Clemson's 4th team. 2. Alabama at Tenn ...Vols took a big step back last week and have major problems at QB. The Tide can pretty much name the score in this one. 3. ND at Pitt ..Panthers are a old style defense that is likely to give the Irish fits unless we find a passing game to get them to back off the LOS. 4. Georgia off 5. Ohio State v Nebraska ...this will be a bit of a bench mark for the Huskers, year 3 for the Savior, can Neb keep the game respectable? So much more talent on the Ohio State side that I'd expect the Buckeyes to name the score, but Black Shirts, the Savior (Scott Frost) and tradition...maybe they can keep it close. 6. Oklahoma State v Iowa State. Huge game in the B12, OSU is the only undefeated team left in the B12, and the only shot at the CFP right now. But Iowa State has a lot to play for and they are well coached. OSU has great RB's and if their starter, Spencer Sanders at QB, is 100% they are a powerful offense. 7. Texas A&M Off 8. Penn State at Illinois ...Nits should roll here. 9. Cincinnati vs SMU ...really big game in the AAC. SMU is undefeated and has a Sr. QB in Shane Buchele who is really good, they score a ton of points. Cincy is pre-season one of the top teams in the AAC, winner of this game has a leg up on the Champ of the AAC. 10. Fla off Other games. KU at KState ...KState in a good position in the B12, no conference losses and already beaten OU. KU ...well lets just say the Hat hasn't made much of a difference. NC State at UNC...that was a really bad loss for UNC last weekend, they need to get back up and kick some butt. NC State lost their starting QB...so this is a good time to do it. Auburn at Ole Miss ...2 coaches who need a win. Gus more than Kiffin. Lose here and I'm not sure it's safe for Gus to go back to Auburn. OU at TCU ...odd to see OU in the "other games" area. But Sooners need to build on the exciting win over Texas. They are not out of the Big 12 Champ game just yet. I think there are going to be a lot of 2 loss teams in the B12. Michigan at Minn ..a couple of coaches who walk to the beat of a different drum. Michigan has way more talent than Minn, but even PJ Flecks wife has tat's so you know they will play tough vs the Wolverines. South Carolina at LSU ...Eddie O needs to start turning the season around now or pretty soon all the shine of that Nat'l Championship will evaporate pretty fast in the Bayou. Baylor at Texas ..Tom Herman has been getting roasted on the internet, most are already talking about how great it will be when Urban Meyer takes over after the season. Lose to Baylor and well for sale signs in the 100's will start showing up in Herman's front yard. I don't think that will happen, lose to Baylor, but he not only needs to win but he needs to win big, close win at the end just another nail in the coffin. Purdue at Iowa. Jeff Brohm the Purdue coach I guess is out for this game. Don't really know much about either team though. I do know it was a big relief for Purdue to get Rondale Moore to decide to play this season rather than opt out. He's a major talent.
Harbaugh announced UM star WR Nico Collins is no longer with the football team. Michigan star wide receiver Nico Collins, who hasn't commented on his status since reportedly signing with an agent in September, is no longer with the team, coach Jim Harbaugh said on Monday. "Nico is not participating in football right now," Harbaugh said. "I don't have a crystal ball as to if his mind would change on that. I know he's not currently on the team."
OK Don, Stu....here's who you guys face at QB from the Huskers. Nebraska junior quarterback Adrian Martinez will start this week's opener against No. 5 Ohio State, coach Scott Frost said Monday. Martinez, who had a record-setting freshman season in 2018 for Nebraska but struggled at times in 2019, will take the first snaps after competing with redshirt freshman Luke McCaffrey in the preseason. Frost repeatedly praised McCaffrey on Monday, saying Nebraska feels like it has "two first-string quarterbacks" entering the season. Martinez's experience, with 21 career starts and 5,817 yards of total offense, made the difference in the decision.
Consistency seems to be the main problem with Martinez, hot and cold. My main concern is how error free we can play in the first game? Buckeyes are now favored by 26 points, which seems a bit high to me.
Nebraska Head Coach Scott Frost Says Ohio State Saved Big Ten Football Season, Vows to Root For Buckeyes For the Rest of Season
Dedrick Mills is Nebraska's starter at running back. His backups haven't been 'squirrelly' in camp | Football | omaha.com
Mills has the looks for sure, we have two new defensive tackles this year, could be an interesting game for both of us.
3rd Saturday in October (actually the 4th this year). Our traditional date with Tennessee. Which Alabama defense will show up.
Purdue coach Jeff Brohm has the COVID virus and will miss Saturday's game. No players have tested positive.
Was listening to ESPNU on the way to the office, they said that the Minn/Mich is a close match because Minn has so many on offense coming back and UM has a new QB. Also said that IU/Penn State which I thought might be a blowout, could be a really competitive game that IU finished strong last year and that Penn State lost WR for some unknown reason this week. Notre Dame will be missing two players going to Pitt, 1 tested positive and 1 quarantined due to contact tracing. Of course those players are not named. This stupid issue with the Eyes of Texas continues to be the story around Texas Football. Earlier the Ath Director said he expected all the players to stand after the game for the Eyes of Texas, then when asked about it Tom Herman said that the Ath Director didn't use the term "mandate" so that there is room for players to make their own decision.
Big Ten folks are about to find out what the rest of us did a few weeks ago - this long layoff with weird practice rules and such makes for some sloppy football for a while. I wouldn't be surprised by anything in these first games.
I've wondered what Big 10 teams have been doing during their down time. Have they been having an extended fall camp type of situation? If so it could be to an advantage where they have been able to work on fundamentals, conditioning, etc and have the teams really ready to play. Plenty of time to work on installing both offense and defense systems it would seem.
I keep wondering when the NCAA is going to address the roster size for next year since everybody gets a freebie this year due to Covid-19. Players need to know, I mean if they are going to keep the roster at 85 it will impact who a team can bring back and still bring in a normal freshman class. Certainly some players with expiring eligibility will not choose to come back, some will move on to the NFL and some might just say it's time to move on in life, but those who want to come back and play a "6th" year need to know if they are going to have a scholarship. The upper tier schools, $$$ wise, will have no problem paying for 90 players or 95 players...but a lot of schools who are already strapped for cash and eliminating sports won't be able to afford to have a 95 player scholarship roster. So this needs to be cleared up so everybody can make plans.
Terry, Buckeyes have been busy since official practice time was available and a gradual return to what was missed with no Spring Ball. Coach Day and staff have been very cautious about pleading players to be safe when not at the WHAC or with the team in workouts. So far the group as a whole seems to be getting the message. Testing is done daily and to my knowledge no problems thus far. This week simply game preparation for Nebraska. I am anxious to see what happens in the first game. I am confident there will be some mishaps, penalties, etc. This from Coach Day's press conference this afternoon: It “would be premature” to say Ohio State in dealing with COVID-19 so far because an outbreak can happen at any time. Says the Buckeyes talk about it every single day because it's so important that they remain vigilant. He knows the players might get tired of hearing about it, but it only takes them slipping up one time to put themselves and their team at risk.
It would seem like the best way would be for the NCAA to say that the players who return for that "extra" year don't count against the roster size of 85, rather than say expand it to 90 or some other arbitrary number, let the schools decide who to bring back. Also while it might not be fair across the board, but maybe they need to let the schools decide who they are going to pay full scholarships for that extra year. It would certainly impact the decision of players if they have to pay their own tuition for the next year.
I heard that Nick Saban would not have been able to return to the sideline if he were a Big 10 coach instead of an SEC coach.