In this week’s episode of the “The Big Ten Huddle,” we delve into the intricacies of college football realignment and its impact on the Big Ten. With the recent changes in name, image, and likeness regulations, we discuss how these shifts could influence football predictions for the upcoming season, particularly for teams like Indiana and Illinois. Tune in for exclusive insights on the Big Ten football landscape, including predictions for key matchups and analysis of impactful transfers in the college football transfer portal.
Catch our hosts on their own podcasts:
JR: @theohiopodcast & @OhioStateVOCFB
Zack: @bigtenfootballtalk6144
Ryan: @200Columns
Sammy: @hoosierhuddle3248
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 – Music
00:00:15 – Introductions
00:02:42 – Commonwealth of Virginia Adopts New NIL Law
00:14:36 – SEC, Big Ten Would’ve Left CFP If New Contract Wasn’t Reached
00:30:38 – Illinois Spring Game Recap
00:45:45 – Indiana Spring Game Recap
01:06:12 – Rank Big Ten coaches who have the best chance to win the conference’s next national championship
Catch the College Huddle every day, covering a different conference in football or basketball. Here is our schedule:
Sunday – The Group of 5 Huddle (Football)
Monday – The Big 12 Huddle (Football)
Tuesday – The Big Ten Huddle (Football)
Wednesday – The Big Ten Huddle (Basketball)
Thursday – The SEC Huddle (Football)
Friday – The ACC Huddle (Football)
Saturday – The College Huddle (Football)
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[Music]
hey hey and welcome into the Big 10
huddle I’m your host JR we’ve got a lot
to talk about going on in the Big 10
it’s our football episode so we’re going
to be talking about football this time
we got Zach our co-host from Big 10
football talk with us Zach how you doing
tonight doing good excited uh to talk
about some programs that we don’t often
talk about uh at least not a lot is
Illinois and Indiana so excited to to
talk with you guys Ryan and Sammy
excited to have you guys on the show and
uh yeah excited to get into it oh yeah
we have we’re all eyes in the Big 10
right now get it see what I did there
eyes all right bad I get it I get it
we’re dads it makes sense yeah we got
Ryan from keeping it orange and blue
here to talk with us tonight Ryan how
you doing what’s up J.R and nice to meet
you Zach officially glad to be here very
good and we have Samy from hoer huddle
here with us Sammy hooer huddle has been
around a long time man uh we really
appreciate you joining the college
huddle being here with us uh why don’t
you just take a minute introduce
yourself the college huddle to everybody
and uh just what do you guys do over
there and and that kind of stuff yeah so
uh you know I started the site in 2013
we are a football IU football only
website so there’s we’re you know the
probably we get the sickos committee
trophy for craziest people out there um
so you know we we run our website we
preview games break them down we have
our podcast as well um we have I mean we
have articles coming out almost every
day in the off season as well um we’re
we’re going to have a couple IU players
on our podcast
tomorrow uh with with whoer for good uh
which is their nil Collective which is a
topic we’ll get into here shortly so man
it’s been awesome you know to to be I
mean be in the college huddle and have
who your huddle just fits uh and stuff
like that so it’s great to be talking
Big 10 Big 10 football IU football it’s
you know what what we’d like to do over
here yeah when Eric told me that we were
adding the Hooser huddle I was like all
right we got some some more hudders uh
in here with us so I don’t know if
that’s competition or if that’s just
more huddle alog together uh I I tend to
think it’s the ladder just more more
huddling all together so I like it I
like it uh all right guys let’s get to
our first topic here our first topic so
this isn’t happening in a big 10 state
but a new Virginia nil law has come into
place and essentially this law in a very
simple form you can go and look it up
but uh I’m just going to read straight
from a CBS article that that kind of
summarizes it very well it says the
state of Virginia has opted to erase the
separation of schools in nil contracts
the State signed a law in April allowing
April just being the other day allowing
schools to pay players directly for
their nil rights the law will go into
effect on July 1st the NCA currently
prohibits schools from paying players
via nil deals but several schools in
Virginia are expected to take advantage
of the new state law and ignore the
ncaa’s rules this summer uh as most of
you know the NCAA nil rules were kind of
like abolished earlier this this uh this
spring because essentially they have no
power and the NCA stinks and you know
that’s
that that’s Z favorite line right there
but uh Sammy as somebody who has a good
amount of experience working with the
nil side of things obviously like you
talked about you are having players on
from nil I mean um what do you think
we’ll talk about other states and stuff
like that here in a minute but what do
you think this does to nil collectives
do you think that schools are going to
kind of like absorb those do you think
this is a situation where maybe nil
collectives just go away and maybe
schools just take all of that and don’t
even bother with absorbing them what are
your thoughts on the situation Sammy I
think this just accelerates everything
towards employment which has its own ups
and downs too it’s a risk on both sides
um you know Revenue sharing I think is
coming and who knows how how quickly it
is going to come somebody you know you
look five years ago and you’d say
oh this would have taken maybe 10 or 15
years and it’s just
accelerated um nil it’s not what it was
planned out to be it was supposed to be
hey you know you’re a star quarterback
um you’re going to get the McDonald’s
deal hey you know whatever
John pad I’ll use John Paddock since he
threw for for 500 yards against IU hey
we’re going to get the John Paddock deal
at McDonald’s this week um you’re you’re
welcome for that too but you know
something like that you know hey if John
Paddock throws for five 400 yards or
more this week you get free fries or
something like that it’s to use that
name ad mention likeness not um you know
we’re we’re going to give you $500,000
to here at some celebrity event and
stuff like that but the the N nil
Collective that IU has they have three
of them there’s whoer aeric whoers for
good and whoers connect and whoers
connect and whoers for good is who we
have a lot of experience working with
and whoers for good um signs players and
basically assigns them to different
charities so like a player goes to Boys
and Girls Club they get paid for that
appearance which I think that that’s one
of the good things to come out at nil
but now it’s essentially pay for play
and if it it’s going down that road I do
think it goes to employment and as an
employee myself here’s the danger
employees could be fired and cut and and
things like that so I think you’re going
to say goodbye to scholarships um and
it’s just going to be a slippery slope
in terms of you know if if you do get a
players union uh or a Players
Association things like that
it’s you it’s not as safe as everybody
thinks it might be
it’s really interesting to think about
the whole situation with scholarships
and contracts and things like that that
you were kind of alluding to I think a
little bit there Samy Zach as far as
like the contracts and nil and those
kind of things go because unfortunately
we’ve seen teams sign players to nil
deals who I think it was a Michigan
State defensive lineman that just signed
an nil deal went through spring practice
and now he’s jumped back into the portal
again so it wasn’t even PID for play it
was play for practice right I mean this
is a situation where the system is
completely broken right now I mean is
this a situation where you know the the
schools do need to absorb these nil
collectives or is this a situation where
it’s like this is just going to keep
causing more issues and we’re just going
to keep you know swirling down down down
until somebody finally takes control of
what’s going on in college football
right
now well I I think you’re hitting the
nail on the head Jr that until there’s
firm
oversight which we all know the NCAA
does not give until there is firm
oversight there’s going to be a lot of
ambiguity I mean that’s that’s why nil
has spiraled out of control to begin
with it’s why we’ve seen seen ni nil
deals be pulled uh and and be extra
exorbitant amount of of money for some
of these players is because there’s no
over oversight and no leadership and no
power and so because of all those things
you have all these different things
going on which is why I think now States
like state governments have to get
involved and even that is insufficient
because all this is is Virginia is
saying there’s there’s no separation
between school and Anil and so whether
the school decides to absorb the
collective or whether they work decide
to work in tandem you still have the
problem that there’s no oversight and so
it’s it’s still wild wild west and so at
some point you have to get someone in
there you know dare I say a commissioner
if we’re gonna say pay for play you have
to get somebody who’s gonna give kind of
even out the rules to even if it even if
different schools have different amounts
of money right like you think of
baseball the Yankees have way more money
than than other teams or if you have a
salary cap which again that’s you know I
I don’t know what you do the reality is
though you have to do something to give
oversight with this otherwise it’s GNA
continue to to be the Wild Wild
West I agree and the transfer portal is
a problem
too I think putting those together are a
problem oh you’re on mute
Jr uh yeah it would be one thing if it
was just the trans portal or if it was
just nil but at the end of the day when
you put those two things together like
you referenced there Samy that that does
create a very big issue uh Ryan let’s
get your thoughts on this uh when you
look at Virginia obviously they’ve put
this law into effect this was kind of
how it happened uh with nil and stuff I
think it was California was the first
law that put that or the first state
that put that law into effect and then
it just kind of snowballed from there
everybody took the law and then went
with it Ryan do you see this being a
similar situation where now that
Virginia has passed this law Illinois
Ohio Florida all these other states are
going to start doing the same thing or
is this something where Virginia schools
are just going to benefit from it for a
good amount of time uh possibly even
this whole next season uh where other
teams aren’t going to be able to do the
same
thing I don’t see it lasting long with
just one or two states I think you can’t
you just can’t with with how important
you know division one Athletics is and
how much money is to be made in
these uh I don’t see other
states uh just holding you know still
for
years maybe some for us season but I
don’t see a long time because you can’t
allow a team like Virginia Tech like in
the ACC you can’t have Virginia and
Virginia Tech having a leg up over uh
you know not just Carolina and Duke but
think how far behind NC State and Wake
Forest could get right you know because
that’s they’re really not sexy you know
it’s like they’re the afterthought in
the state so you know Duke and North
Carolina are going to do what they need
to you know financially I believe but
you know some of these other schools
cannot get that far behind to where you
know you’re a year or two behind and
you’re already in the middle to lower
tier of the conference anyway with like
nil and stuff so I think you’re going to
see a lot of other states make changes
but I also think you know in the Grand
schemas things I don’t see this in the
next year or two there’s going to be
some sort of cap or there there’s gonna
be some some figure or forms gonna come
in and take this because it’s just it’s
beyond the wild west you know that’s why
coaches are like we’ve already talked
about I think we talked about this a few
weeks ago like beheim shashki Jay Wright
wants out of this because it’s a mess
they don’t want to deal with it you know
and that’s why Tom ISO in basketball has
just kind of been fed up and sick with
about how it is with the transfer portal
and he’s being forced to do things I
don’t think he ever wanted to do you
know so I think eventually sooner than
later there’s going to be some sort of
of uh structure and yes it’s not going
to come from necessarily the NCAA but
there’s got to be there has to be
because at the end of the day I mean
this what could it it really won’t be
will it be College athletics anymore I
mean it’s just you know what will it be
when the players are making you know
some of the players are going to be
making more than their head coaches here
soon you know if you’re looking at these
numbers being thrown around today you
know for some of these players they’re
going to be making more than the entire
staff you know it’s just it’s it’s
getting out of hand and I know a lot of
the coaches are fed up with it and uh so
that’s that’s my take on it I think
definitely the a first would be more
states are going to jump in for sure
J.R yeah no I think you bring up a
really good point about players making
more than the coaches um I don’t have
hard and fast numbers but I was told by
somebody who was close with Ohio state
that Cory Dennis last year the Ohio
State quarterback coach he made less
than a million dollars will Howard this
year is making more than a million
dollars if Cory Dennis continued to be
Ohio state will Howard would be making
more money this season than his position
Coach Corey Dennis was making that’s
incredible come into that you know what
I mean right exactly I mean how can you
coach a player when he just has the
ultimate veto card of like I make more
than you be quiet right now obviously
that probably is not actually happening
but it it’s definitely a possibility so
I mean at the end of the day nil
collectives are going to struggle with
this I believe I think this is something
that’s going to like I said go go across
college football at some point kind of
like the California law uh and at this
point colleges are just gaining more and
more power um but at the same time
players are also gaining more power as
well it’s the most player empowerment
we’ve ever seen and like you were
referencing Ryan with seeing coaches in
college basketball leave we’ve seen
coaches like Nick Sabin retire early
because of what’s going on here uh Jeff
Halley from Boston col Boston College
presumed that that was one of the
reasons why he left uh Chip Kelly it was
presumed that’s one of the reasons why
he didn’t want to have a head coaching
role anymore is because of some of the
stuff that’s going on there where he
just wants to be a coordinator and coach
football and doesn’t want to worry about
the nil and things like that as much and
so at least we got we got a football
game out of it guys you know yeah at
least we got a football game so yeah all
right let’s move on to the next subject
here uh look guys college football is
not getting smaller this is my opinion
based on this news here we’re going to
get into it a little bit but essentially
we got news that why the 14 team college
football playoff came to be and the
reason why is because the Big 10 in the
SEC put their foot down and said if you
don’t give us a 14 team playoff and you
don’t give us the revenue we want we
walk and the Big 10 of the SEC according
to to Greg sanki said that they were
willing to walk if they did not get what
they want now there’s a whole bunch of
things that we can get into here the
thing I want to focus on is this stupid
70 team Super League that they’re
talking about uh there is no way that
the Big 10 and the SEC are going to add
more teams to their revenue that are not
going going to help with them uh people
have been talking about these eight
division eight divisions or whatever
where you have like Boise State in there
and you have Cincinnati in there and I’m
not trying to disparage those
universities but those universities do
not bring in nearly as much as the
georgas or the Ohio States or the uh you
know put michigans or whatever put your
team in there they’re not making nearly
as much money as those and so at the end
of the day it makes no sense for them to
do that and this story just basically
conf confirms it Greg sanki saying that
they put together this 14 team playoff
for more Revenue Ross Dellinger said
that right now the Big 10 in the SEC are
making 58% I think it’s 58% 50 yeah 58%
of college football playoff cash two
conferences out of eight and Notre D but
still two conf out of eight are putting
together 58% of the revenue from the
college fo ball playoffs um Zach let’s
go to you first here I mean can college
football survive if the Big 10 in the
SEC ever did decide to just split cut it
say we’re done we’re going to co make
our own NFL light over here and do our
own thing forget you big 12 Forget You
sec I mean can college football survive
that
way um yes I I wouldn’t like it but I
mean so I I live a mile from Bucknell
University which is an FCS school and
it’s not they’re not a very good FCS
school but they’re an FCS school and I
think that like I mean they were they
won the Orange Bowl in the 50s so like
you have a version of college football
like you know they’re in the Patriot
League they’re conference but it’ll look
different um I I hope it doesn’t go that
way like I I think I I still like the
the conferences the way it is but there
is a reality that you know we were just
talking about it with nil and transfer
portal and all that stuff we are going
to a more professional model and so what
does that mean then for college football
in the way that the the powers that be
want it to go and so we don’t have a
super league right
now um I I wonder if a commissioner
comes in how does that how does that
change things cuz I I totally agree with
you in the current structure the current
model the SEC and the Big 10 hold all
the cards like even more so than Notre
Dame which I think we’ve been saying for
years now that Notre Dame has kind of
lost its power it it it still has some
power they still have some power but not
nearly to the point that the SEC and the
Big 10 do but if you get a commissioner
who all of a sudden makes this much more
a professional model and you kind of
strip away the conferences outright then
it becomes a bit more interesting
because now you’re not just talking
about revenue for a conference you’re
talking about revenue for uh the sport
itself and then for each of the
institutions so I don’t I don’t know I
think it really depends on how this goes
like do they get a commissioner who kind
of strips away the the conferences all
together which I don’t I think that will
take a long time if it ever happens
so interesting Ryan your thoughts on if
uh the college football could survive
the Big 10 in SEC break away
I think yes because at the end of the
day most people love the NFL and pro
teams want to see who their next best
rookie is gonna be and uh and if that
happens to be well the one we’ve already
got you know we know who the number one
or number two kind of pick was we let’s
just say we knew Marvin Harrison Jr was
going to be in the top 10 right so guess
what a lot of teams want to see what
that guy looks like so oh Ohio State’s
on they’re in their Super League okay
whatever I don’t really agree with but
I’m gonna watch them okay so and then
hey uh you know Caleb Williams and
USC uh he’s now in the big 18 uh let’s
see yeah I’m gonna watch him because you
know what I want to see uh I want to see
what this guy’s gonna do he’s probably
gonna be drafted first um so yeah so yes
to me and a long story short I think
people are always going to watch big
time college football because that
always translates and leads into the NFL
and and and honestly on Saturdays it’s
still exciting and I think it’s a
tradition that many people have been
doing for for decades now and so I I
don’t see that changing I don’t think
many people are gonna like it I don’t
necessarily like it I don’t think that
that to me doesn’t sound you know I
think looking forward to like a big pin
title game or having those games have
some more of a meaning to a playoff or a
national championship to where it all
leads together I always I’ve just like
that type of scenario but uh I don’t see
you know viewership changing at all I
think people are still going to watch
yeah I think they will too um my concern
is for some of the schools that maybe
don’t have the viewership of you know an
Ohio State or USC or some of these other
larger schools that are in larger areas
just so happens that you know when I
when it comes to mind to me a school
that has not always been so excellent in
football and is in a little bit of a
smaller area sorry Sammy but Indiana
does come to mind uh when I think of
those type of things I mean Sammy by no
means I was just talking to Zach on
another podcast about how much every
single team brings to the Big 10 so by
no means am I you know pseudo pushing
the uh the Indiana out here but I do
think that this is a question people
have asked before so I’m curious your
thoughts on it uh do you believe that
every team in the Big 10 and the SEC is
completely safe that they will continue
to look at schools and say yes you’re
not in as large of an area but you’ve
been in the Big 10 for I don’t I don’t
even know how many years Indiana’s been
in the Big 10 I think longer than Ohio
State actually founding member of the
Big 10 yeah founding member so yeah
before Ohio State look at you um but I
mean I I think like that is what would
kill college football more to me is if
the Big 10 ever was like you know hey
these schools get out of our conference
we don’t want you anymore like that’s
the kind of stuff that really makes me
terrified uh Sammy do you have any of
the same
concerns yeah
so my big fear the thing that makes
college football great is the tradition
and the rivales and I Ryan with Indiana
and Illinois are maybe an hour and a
half away from each other they rarely
play that’s a series that needs to play
I’m not going to get into the argument
over the basketball rivalry whatever but
that’s a series that people want to see
IU Purdue Penn State West Virginia Penn
State pit um you know Ohio State
Michigan they want to see those
rivalries where that’s where it’s
different than the NFL like okay yeah
you have your your Patriots Jets rivalry
or you know whoever is good at the time
but these are rivalries that go back
over a hundred years and yeah I take
Maryland for example and you know I went
out for a couple Maryland games and
talked to their fans and like look they
were like six and0 and half their
stadiums full they don’t want to play
ruter or Iowa or they want to play
Virginia North Carolina Duke NC State
Wake fars because those rivalries have
been embedded into their lives for for
hund hundreds of years and college
football and and college sports is so
unique because you feel like you have a
vested interest because you you went to
the school that’s look I I invested into
the school they invested in me and we’re
we’re in this together uh whereas yeah
like look I I’m a Jets fan I could I I
care but it’s like okay I’m only a Jets
fan because my friend was dad was the
doctor and we went to games for free and
but it’s you know it’s not the same I
think that’s that’s where college
football you can’t lose that that soul
and let’s be honest there’s maybe one
three teams that deserve to play for a
national title stop trying to make it
the NCA tournament the first week in the
NCA tournament is fantastic I love it
it’s fun it’s basketball wall to wall
great but that’s not what college
football is and that’s not what it
should become because really is James
Madison
go to the final no it’s it’s always
going to come down to the two best teams
you saw it this year with Michigan and
Washington they were clearly the two
best teams all season they ended up
there you saw with Georgia and Alabama
95% of the time the two best teams are
going to face off you don’t need a you
don’t need a 14 playoff you don’t need
an 18 playoff um you know that that
Super League thing I I get it I like
them to go to some sort of re relegation
like European soccer yeah but the the
danger with that is if you get that
private equity and it becomes like live
golf or stuff like that you know as fun
as it would be to to do those you know
quads or whatever they broke it up and
do
um man it’s you’re going down a slippery
slope with uh with private Equity if if
you do that so I I hope it doesn’t
change I I want to play games that you
know we’ve played for for a hundred
years and stuff like that yeah Jr do you
mind if I jump in on that yeah go I I
just say I really appreciate what you’re
saying Sammy because I think
whoever takes
ownership I hope is a fan of college
football and not just a businessman like
obviously they’re probably G to have a
mind for business that’s where that’s
where it’s gone you see these
Commissioners now are TV guys oh how can
we get these TV slots and and part of me
hopes that hey okay it’s going to be all
this change but then they’re going to go
into divisions and it’s going to be
regionalized again and it’s like okay
we’re we’re back where we
started and stuff like that well and I I
think if you know I kind of set set out
maybe a doomsday scenario for the for
the common fan which is like you know
there is uh everything is kind of
neutralized conferences are neutralized
that’s I could see that happening for
the sake of like business but my hope is
that it actually becomes more
regionalized in the midst of that like
and that really those conference
championships I’ve always wanted the
conference championships to be the the
Gateway into the playoff and I think
that could still happen but I I think
honestly I think the SEC and the Big
10 I love I love the Big 10 obviously
but these power plays frustrate me cuz
I on one hand I’m like it’s good that
they have the power but on the other
hand it’s like they could force their
hand into something that actually isn’t
really good for the sport
so and the really quickly the Rivalry
thing here he was talking about it’s
interesting because it’s like what if
you know Illinois or Indiana or Ohio
State got taken out of the Big 10 let’s
say we got just shov
you know and then would our fans really
care about that match
Butler like probably not you know it’s
like so because Illinois Northwestern at
the end of the year every Eli ey fan
knows like Hey we’re gonna go out and it
was usually Pat fitgerald but we’re like
we’re gonna go we’re taking the wild
cats look forward to that game we always
look forward to playing Iowa and now
it’s like you might play Iowa in five
years you
know but uh but even then you’re never
going to play Iowa so I can see the
apathy with the the Maryland fan base
because I it is pretty sad even for
basketball they don’t show up and and
I’m thinking and that’s a basketball
school like where are the fans it’s like
they just don’t
care they don’t care about playing
whatever Michigan or or Ohio State B
they want to play Duke NC State Wake
fars Virginia they want to play those
schools that they they have hated for a
hundred years
yeah totally agree totally agree on on
one hand you know the 70 team Super
League does sound nice because of the
regionality aspects like we talked about
but you know I I mean I I feel like
you’re gonna do it everybody has to be
in danger of relegation can’t just be
the last whatever eight teams or 10
teams everybody needs to be you know
imagine IU Purdue winter gets to stay
you know at the top tier with the top
tier and stuff like that or um you know
my probably I don’t like Ohio State but
it’d be fun to see Ohio State Michigan
both at six and five you know one gets
relegated people would tune into that
just to hate watch it
so I I have seen Ohio State and Michigan
fight over going to the National
Championship I don’t know if I want to
see the levels of toxicity that would
happen if they’re fighting relegation oh
my God you get a lot we would get a lot
of views see Jr Jr you’re not old enough
I don’t know about you Zach I am old
enough to remember when Ohio State
really wasn’t that good in the early 90s
I mean the early they were losing to
Michigan yeah was slapping him around
with to Indiana Kirk herb Street was the
quarterback getting slapped around I
remember
that yeah he wasn’t it’s like
everybody’s like oh KK KB Street this
great Ohio State Alum I’m like how were
there teams is his with him as the
quarterback I don’t know any Ohio State
fans that have felt great about Kirk her
street throughout his entire career at
Ohio State or in his
broadcasting I actually think Ohio State
fans are some of the ones that hate him
the most which is hilarious but um but
yeah so uh quick comment really fast
young bucket says private Equity Equity
would kill the sport completely agree
young bucket uh even if there’s no
relegation or anything like that or yeah
that that would that would be
detrimental for the sport in the schools
and all that goes on there so all right
guys let’s move on that’s my biggest
fear yeah same sa let’s move on to
Illinois spring game uh Ryan we do have
a question for you but we’ll give you
the floor first just give us uh the
highlights of what went on in the spring
game kind of recap it for us a little
bit and then uh we’ll have some time to
ask you some questions and you’ll be
able to respond from there so Ryan take
it away all right well they did not keep
score which you know BM is kind of
different with that kind of stuff how he
goes about uh his business with the
scrimmages and all that so no score but
they had some some very contributors uh
who sat out so you know it’s a spring
game you always kind of take it with a
grain of salt but to me I was looking at
like some of the transfer portable
additions just to kind of see how they
were kind of meshing and fitting in and
Illinois really beefed up and and added
on their their offensive line obviously
a belma thing you know he he does have
big lines and they they do look more
like his Wisconsin lines now um but the
really the biggest problem with last
year was they didn’t have much depth
well he’s fixed that they went out and
got two or three really good uh
offensive line transfers JC Davis is was
like the first or second ranked
offensive line transfer in the country
and they grabbed him from New Mexico and
uh so the offensive line looked really
well
um you can just see that they had that
second team uh offensive line were a
couple guys who were starting last year
so those guys are not starting anymore
they’ve actually and they’ve got some
some good young guys who were depth pie
pieces last year who got a lot of reps
that they really shouldn’t have because
of injury um so that that looks really
good so I’m I’m hopeful that the
offensive line is going to be a lot
better than it was last year which uh
Luke almeer their starting quarterback
his biggest problem which he had a very
good season um Very Good Year his worst
game was against Penn State which I’m
sure many guys had some bad games
against Penn State but it was just their
offensive line couldn’t keep him
couldn’t keep him upright so Luke
altm uh definitely you know had a lot of
time to throw the ball I know it’s
against the second team defense but um
Luke almire looked good I think they’re
actually wanting him to maybe scramble a
little bit more this year and use his
legs even more than he did last year um
I know some people don’t like that you
know but he was very effective with his
feet last year um very lny in the off
very Loney in the offense uh obviously
high octane with altmire and afor
mentioned John Paddock uh put up a lot
of points didn’t matter who the
quarterback was Illinois had a top tier
Big 10 off offense I think they were the
fourth or fifth ranked Big 10 offense so
you know I know that’s probably hard to
believe for some people but it is true
um and Luke almeer was a big part of
that um but Kaden Fagan okay Kaden Fegan
who was just a stud like 6 foot three
240 pounds um running back uh had a
breakout uh had a breakout you know
second half of the season and uh he did
not play in the spring game so I was
kind of looking forward to seeing that
uh but we saw veterans Josh McCrae and
then Aiden laughrey who those guys are
going to get a bunch of carries there’s
gonna you know Fagan’s gonna be the guy
you know he’s gonna be he’s an NFL back
he’s just tough uh he’s hard-nosed you
know he reminds you know you a lot of
he’s like a mixture of like John clay
Ron
Dayne uh but he’s a little bit more
athletic than Ron Dayne he’s just a big
big back so you could just see the the
Wisconsin uh type of uh you know formula
that belum was using with that his line
and running backs but anyway uh laughrey
had a held a really good game because
Fegan didn’t play uh we got to see some
emergence of some really good young wide
receivers who Illinois is now going to
employ implore more from because you
lose Isaiah Williams who I see I think
is going to get drafted here this
weekend I think he’s got a really good
chance to go in maybe the six or seventh
round um he was an he was all big 10
first team with Marvin Harrison you know
you’re losing a lot with Isaiah Williams
a very Dynamic wide out um caught the
game-winning touchdown against Sami
hooers in overtime um sorry uh but
yeah he’s Dynamic I think you guys know
that but then they lost uh apparently we
didn’t yeah attic was I think the pizza
guy was open all uh but anyway Paddock
found everybody AC Washington left is
gone as well a very very uh good
possession receiver along with tip Ryman
a very good tight end who’s gonna get
drafted so they have canar wilcher and
Malik Elie so Malik elzy is was a
fourstar uh commit out of Chicago who
was very coveted you know Notre Dame was
wanting
him uh you know was wiconsin wanted him
really bad but he ended up choosing uh
Illinois and stayed home he had his ups
and downs last year he had some some
drop issues that’s why play more than
five games people were thinking he might
transfer but yeah so Malik El is a guy
they’re going to be looking forward for
a lot of production canar Wilshire is
another young wide receiver that the
team is going to be depending on he’s a
very he’s dangerous in the kick
returning game as
well uh so and they added a sccs All
American from Murray State full Rusk so
he’s from the Quad Cities area and
that’s who they’re going to be replacing
tip Ryman with so they’re not just it’s
not just going to be bear there at the
tight end they still have some some
quality pieces there uh the tight ends
usize quite a bit in um in Barry loney’s
offense so uh that’s offensively uh
backup quarterback the big key too is
like who’s going to be the backup to
down Jonathan L’s a guy who’s been in
the program three years and I think this
is his put up or shut up year if he’s
not getting to play a lot this year I
don’t think you’re going to get to see
him after this year uh you know I don’t
think no quarterback wants to be a
four-year guy who never got to play ever
you know especially in this day and age
but Donovan Larry threw for over 200
yards and two touchdowns he looked
really good I think that people were
thinking that this is the guy he could
be and if some of you are wondering yes
that’s Devon L’s Brook so Donovan Derry
they’re from New Jersey he’s a guy that
most line fans thought could be the guy
down the road before they went and got
Luke Alm from um from Old Miss so
offensively things I think were’re most
people feel pretty confident with what
can go down what can this team can be
again as long as they’re healthy um so
it’s really more defensively um I gotta
add Pat Pat Bryant too I think Pat
Bryant he’s a stud yeah I I can’t and
Pat Bryant was hurt in that Indiana game
so Pat Bryant is their best wide wide
receiver so I gotta mention him love Pat
Bryant great player out of Jacksonville
area in Florida so he’s a stud as Sammy
said um now defensively that’s the big
problem last year for Illinois was
should have been a seven or eight win
team in my opinion but had maybe the
worst defense in the Big 10 so uh that
really halted and and you know put a
stop to their bulls a bll game for them
you know when you gave up near 50 points
to Northwestern in the final game of the
year easily could have lost to Indiana
the week before that uh you know so it’s
it’s thinking you know you’re giving up
near 40 points a game um and so what
needs to be done there so secondy year
defensive coordinator Aaron Henry they
made some adjustments they added some
new coaching pieces to try to help him
navigate this you know play calling
situation because you know it was his
first year as a defensive coordinator he
got promoted from cornerbacks uh
defensive backs coach so Aaron Henry you
know was struggled there some you know
it w it was when Ryan Walters went to
Purdue he took Kevin Kane with him he
took uh you know some other key guys
inside that staff that I think Aaron
Henry was real close with and uh they
fired defensive backs coach Antonio
felis and so we’re they’re hoping that
maybe some of these young defensive
backs can can show up this year
unfortunately they didn’t last year some
key pieces now on the defense would
be um Tyler strain and Xavier Scott
Xavier Scott did not play in the spring
game who I think is their best uh
defensive back um he didn’t play Matthew
Bailey did not play who was I think
their best offensive player he missed
all of last season with a uh separated
shoulder he had to have surgery on in
the Penn State game in week
three just like you’re seeing like how
what do you take away from this when you
know a lot of the key your key players
did not play in it it was more of like
what do they have depthwise
so what what I did see is I think the
defensive line and the edge is where
Illinois’s strong suit’s going to be uh
they got Seth Coleman to come back which
was huge which is a guy who I think if
he would have tested in the pro day
would have been a guy that could have
got drafted uh Seth Coleman’s really
good um then they bring uh G Gabe jais
back who’s gonna be an NFL player as
well just the intangibles they’re
they’re you know size and speed of these
guys uh Jac guy that Tennessee wanted so
uh uh I think that’s where the depths
going to be they showed pretty well the
first team defense against the second
team offense but
still they look pretty stout the dline
and the uh The Edge rushers I think
that’s where Illinois his strength’s
going to be to me it’s can these
cornerbacks can these
safeties uh you know do enough and and
even just to be an average defense I
think that’s all really Illinois Brett
bam was asking you know you can’t be the
worst in the league I think if Illinois
was an average defense last year I think
if they were the eighth best defense or
the ninth best defense last year illino
has seven wins so you know I think you
just got to take a step up at least for
for this season and uh you know you’re
they’ve got a nice younger linebacking
core Dylan rosak and then uh James cruts
Olen crout’s son is uh you know they’re
they’re they’re young and they’re fast
and it’s more about them just getting
the this these game reps in a lot more
of crouts uh so that’s what I saw no
score it was you know a lot of a lot of
throwing the the ball around with Lonny
and uh more of just seeing the young guy
uh try to get some reps in and get some
confidence heading into Spring ball uh
summer
ball very good yeah uh Brad was in here
early and asked this question that I was
actually uh was going to be one similar
to my question he says Ryan should we be
concerned that a lot of Illinois
defensive backs are entering the portal
to me that’s kind of the key for this
Illinois defense this year is to have a
better second der than they had last
year which uh you know was not their was
not their best but you know hopefully
under some new uh defensive leadership
they’re able to look better Ryan do you
have concern with defensive backs
entering the
portal uh yeah to a degree I think
Zachary Toby’s the biggest one that was
a shock because he started a lot at the
end of the year he uh I think it was he
was gonna get moved to safety and he
didn’t like that very well so I think he
didn’t like it well and now that’s
nowadays that’s how it works we don’t
like something I’m going to leave so
he’s going to go somewhere where he can
play defensive back he doesn’t want to
play safety I think that was a I heard
it was a huge shock to Aaron Henry that
he left Elijah MOS not really in the
three or four years he was in the
program he really only played a lot last
year because he had to because of injury
and yes it does bother me some but the
transfer portal will always is always
available it’s both ways now Brett be
for Port giveth and it taketh away as
well they’ll they’ll grab some guys some
experienced guys and I think with the
the coaching additions that I think it
can it can work out in Illinois’s favor
but yeah I mean it’s always bothersome
to to to a team you know I’m sure Sam or
you would be worried if you had a couple
guys that you were counting on just
decided to dip on you last minute so
sorry to take all your time Samy you’re
all right no for sure uh Zach before we
move to IU uh do you have any thoughts
on Illinois or anything you want to
reference with
Ryan well I was I was reading the daily
daily Eli was mentioning that maybe a
defensive back who who might be able to
bolster the depth in that room was Sabor
uh sabour ker M he’s a sophomore Corner
um just talk a little bit more about him
um and what you saw yeah so he’s got
he’s on the second team right now second
he he got put into action again last
year because of injuries and you know
Taz Nicholson didn’t perform like the
only one was wanting he was their
veteran presence left from a very good
secondary that had three guys drafted he
had a disappointing year so they had to
put some younger guys in and you know
trial by fire hurt him a lot I think it
hurt his confident some but right now
he’s on the second team defense he’s a
hell of a lacrosse player too I gotta
tell you he was an all state lacrosse
player in the state of New Jersey and
just happened to be a hell of a track
athlete and a very good football player
but yes sabur km can be a guy that I
think when you see guys like uh Zachary
Toby leave and uh just had Elijah MOS
and Prince Ford hit the the portal that
he’s gonna be he’s gonna be a guy that
they’re gonna challenge this summer I
guarantee it to let’s see what you got
man like the death chart just opened up
a little bit for
you I love it yeah Sor was one that I
was wondering about as well so I’m glad
you asked that Zack uh Sammy before we
move on to IU you have any questions or
anything you want to reference with Ryan
about Illinois before we move on N we
don’t have to see him for another five
years
[Laughter]
so but with your new coach and my own
question will come to you you know with
his confidence level I think that’s
probably a good thing for us though so
there you go well let’s go ahead and
talk about the fighting Kirk Signet just
kidding the hoers uh it was an
interesting spring game for IU playing
on a Thursday night I thought that was
uh interesting my uh my in-laws almost
went but they weren’t able to go on
Thursday night so that was unfortunate
but uh Sammy what were some of the
highlights and things like that that you
saw in the spring game for uh this brand
new coaching staff that Kirk CET has
brought in and a lot of new faces
especially Curtis roor coming in from
Ohio to be the quarterback as
well yeah so this was actually the first
spring game IU has played since like
2019 um they had a couple can obviously
Co cancel one um they had a couple
canceled because of weather and then
just Tom Allen stopped doing it uh the
last two years so it was nice to
actually have a spring game um they did
it on so in Bloomington uh that week is
little 500 week if you don’t know what
it is it’s t the greatest weekend in
college uh it’s a bike race that kind of
mimics the the Indianapolis 500 it’s a
big frat and and sority deal um so big
party weekend that’s why they did it on
that Thursday night um lucked out with
the weather it looked like it was going
to get rained out but the the weather
stayed away uh they had a good crowd it
probably around 5,000 people which is
solid for for Indiana football and uh
you know it’s a definite culture change
from Tom Allen to Kurt signit and you
could you could feel it at practice and
you could hear it and see it in his
press conferences as well um when we’ve
been at practice everything is more
efficient um they go for one drill to
the next there’s no real music uh and
the same in the spring game it was very
game likee coaches were coaching they
didn’t stop things to outside of setting
the clock to two minutes to do a two
actual two-minute drill um there was no
hey let’s restart this um it was ones
versus ones twos versus two they did
keep score um you know so they they did
I think defense you got three points for
stop four points for a a turnover
created and two points if a safety
happened which if safety happens in the
spring game we got problems um so it was
the final score was 34-25 the last
touchdown was a great great story Drew
sha uh is a kid he um battled
a lot of open heart surgeries had was
born with a heart defect so he came in
if you haven’t seen on social media he
scored that last touchdown but yeah you
saw a lot of the new players Curtis roor
ran with the ones started off slowly
looked a little rusty but picked it up
um towards the end of the game and he
was the quarterback when IU went into
that two-minute offense and needed the
drive to win the game um
Tav Jackson who started the year last
year a couple games for IU four star
transfer from Tennessee brother of Trace
Jackson Davis um as well started the
game seven for seven 90 yards and a
touchdown finished I think the first two
drives 10 of 11 looked sharp uh early
did show some of that inconsistency that
played them last year uh receivers look
good uh this is a very deep receiver
room now with Eliza serat coming from
JMU uh you have a couple other guy miles
price from Ohio uh who has worked with
Curtis Ro
um there’s many other miles price I got
him mixed up with Miles rice coming in
with basketball I was like wait a minute
hold on is this guy a two sport athlete
and I was like oh price not rice anyway
I thought that was they’re paying some
of these basketball players enough to to
play two
sports you know let’s get at it
um there’s another miles from from Texas
Tech who’s a speed slot guy and uh Ryan
you saw it with aou last year they were
very
one-dimensional uh defense defense did
not play well that game but offensively
it was throw it up to Donovan McCully
he’s either gonna make a catch or you
guys got a pass interferance on it um so
it’s a much more
Dynamic uh offense this year the running
backs you bring in four new running
backs Tyson lton uh Kayon black uh
Elijah green and Justice Ellison two of
them are from JMU uh from where zetti
was from and then Elijah Green from UNC
and Justin cison from Wake bars they’re
more explosive than backs than IU’s had
probably since Stevie Scott um and maybe
even before that with Jordan Howard they
they could get to the edge they’re not
going to they’re not like burners where
like Jaylen Lucas but they have better
Vision um and they could hit the hole
quickly and turn a five yard run into 20
yard run uh or a two yard run into a 10
yard run and that’s what you want
um they don’t really kick uh all all
that much and the biggest thing is they
stayed healthy you know at schools like
IU and Illinois depth is a a major
concern and just getting out of spring
practice without a major injury is a
huge win for IOU uh because now you
could go into summer workouts instead of
rehabbing injuries you could work on
some skills and get better uh concerns
for IOU obviously transfer portal is
going to be be a concern they’re looking
for defensive tackles just like every
other team in in the country they’re
looking for big bodies up front the ones
the one defense is pretty good it’s
what’s behind it you need probably six
people to play defense tackle throughout
the season they’re probably looking for
two in the portal could use some safety
help and then some o line depth too uh
for the first time in a while the
offensive line the coaches on the
broadcast said that that’s the unit that
they’re most confident in which you
couldn’t have said about IU probably
since Kevin Wilson was there um so that
was good news but they they have eight
that they’re comfortable playing you
probably want to get another one or two
bodies in there
uh as well so it was good to see the
quarterbacks um as well Kobe Miner jir
Johnson who was injured last year um
especially after the last three games of
IU season where Illinoi threw for a
gazillion yards and um Hudson car
avoided 18 tackle 18 sacks and and threw
for 300 yards in the bucket game as well
so you depth there you probably need
another guy but man Aiden Fischer
linebacker from JMU looks theart you get
Jaylen Walker coming back from surgery
in the fall uh if you could get a couple
defensive tackles some help on the
offensive line in your third group and
some
safeties this schedule sets up to be
pretty nice and if you if you could get
the ball rolling with zetti um he he’s
going to back up his talk
yeah I think Indiana is a bowl team this
year based off that spring game now
obviously you can’t come to every
conclusion but I felt like there were a
lot of areas where Indiana looked better
coached they look more prepared not
taking a shot at Tom Allen by any means
Zach and I were both pretty adamant that
Tom Allen’s going to make a good
defensive coordinator somewhere long
behold he is at Penn State now and their
defense looked pretty good in their
spring game we were talking about that
last week so uh at the end of the day I
think Tom Allen found his spot I think
Indiana has found a guy who’s going to
be very good for them and I think Kirk
cetti believes in this team that he’s
putting together here so um Sammy we had
Jamie Jordan come in here and say that
linebackers and quarterbacks are a
strength for IU would you say that’s the
strength of the defense and would you
also Point them out to be just strengths
for the team overall like you were
talking
about I’d say they were surprising
strengths in in the um for the defense
in the spring game cuz he came in with a
lot of questions you lost to Aaron Casey
Jacob Magnum Ferrar is moving to that
stud Rush end position which I think the
rush end positions probably the deepest
and most talented but to have Aiden
Fischer come in run the defense look
comfortable make tackles now I don’t
know what Illinois did uh but the spring
game was IU’s first time tackling all
spring which I I thought was insane um
very unconventional and IU only used 13
of their 15 AED practices as well which
again coaches are always begging for
more practice time um so that that’s
kind of weird and unconventional there
uh cornerbacks were surprising too you
had questions jir Johnson came in last
year from Texas was hurt if he could
stay healthy he could be a playmaker
Kobe Miner um is a guy who could he can
be your number one corner uh and stuff
like that but but again it’s it’s who’s
behind him can he stay healthy and stuff
like that um but I think the running
back the running back group is probably
the best group on the
team very cool very cool uh Ryan you
referenced that you might have a a
talking point or something with uh Sammy
a little bit earlier do you have any
questions about the IU spring game or
just this IU team overall uh for
Sammy I don’t know if I can can you guys
hear me we can hear we hear you okay I
can’t hear you but OHS that’s fine so
you can hear me so then whatever I got
to say that’ll go through all right so
um what I would say is what was even
though I won’t hear what you’re saying
you can tell everybody else uh what was
your most impressive maybe
takeaways from uh the JMU players that
you guys got from from Kurt because
obviously some talented players on a
pretty good team last year well where
you know where did you see maybe the
most uh you know where this is going to
help the team the most I know it’s a
collective thing but was it necessarily
just speed you know football
intelligence uh or maybe just Talent you
know where did you see that and I’ll
pretend that I’m listening to you yeah
just smileing not well yep there you go
um well there there were three JMU
players who didn’t play this spring
because of injury um and they should all
project to to have pretty big roles you
had J um Jaylen Walker who who’s
projected started at one of the
linebacker positions um Tyler yeah had
Nick Kidwell and then James Carpenter
who was all what are they all Sun Belt
defensive tackle um who who’s going to
be in the rotation what stood out to me
is that you know they showed that they
can compete at that big 10 level yeah
it’s against IU players now but Eliza
serat looked a part of a big 10 receiver
uh Aiden fiser looked the part of a big
10 linebacker you know he has a size
when a lot of these uh times these
transfers from the G5 just don’t have
the size to play in a power five or
power four now conference um I thought
taon lton and Jaylen uh Kon black at
running back provided speed uh and stuff
like that but I think the biggest thing
that they brought is that they knew the
Kirk cetti way they knew how to practice
they know how to run that practice they
know how to you know that a lot of the
people um who we’ve talked to coaches
wise and players they they get in they
do their work and they get out which
wasn’t the case under Tom Allen where
they brought players in at different
times they do media and all that stuff
so it’s now you have guys at linebacker
ER running back wide receiver tight end
um offensive line in the secondary you
got some the those that Sean Asberry I
think is from ODU looks a part of a big
he’s smaller but he looks a part of big
10 safety but all those guys that came
from JMU can teach the culture to those
players at at IU and I think that’s a
huge um you know X Factor in in getting
used to the the coaching
yeah for sure um I think that JMU guys
are going to be really special for
Indiana this year you’re good now Ryan
good I’m good people were calling me I’m
a
one tell them you’re busy right now you
know he said tell them you’re Mr Mr
popular you can’t answer Kohl’s when
you’re on the
podcast the Chromebook did not do what
it’s supposed to wouldn’t work so pull
the iPhone out so and people calling I’m
like so anyway right hopefully he G he
gave a great answer is it the JMU
players but I mean I think they’re
talented kids obviously otherwise they
would the big the biggest thing Ryan I
was saying was that they know how Kirk
cetti and that coaching staff functions
uh and he brought a lot both
coordinators are from JMU and they know
the expectation and they could teach
that expectation to the players who have
been at IU that to me I think is the
biggest
deal yep and young bucket very excited
for Aiden Fischer this year Aiden
Fischer is that dude he says and um I
can’t say that he’s wrong I do have to
talk about the specialist because this
is look I was I was a kicker and punter
in high school I I’m gonna I’m gonna
answer the question on the specialist I
always ask about Specialists they didn’t
punt I’m not worried about James Evans
punting um and all that stuff I am
worried about Place kicking uh IU
brought in a freshman last year Nico Ric
he didn’t kick last year he did not kick
in the spring game either extra points
or field goals that’s kind of a red flag
to me is he banged up is he going to the
portal they did bring in uh Derek
McCormack from one of I think it was
Louisiana Monroe one of those
directional Louisiana schools missed a
52 Yer yeah that’s a bomb of a field
goal had the distance missed it wide
right but that’s something that that
hurt IU last year was field Miss field
goals down the stretch they missed one
against Michigan State uh I think they
missed one against Wisconsin uh they
might have I think they had one blocked
against they might have missed one
against Illinois too um but it’s one
blocked yeah yep it was either extra
point or field goal got blocked against
Illinois H but hey when a game goes into
overtime you need all the points that
you could get Johnny Newton in and block
kicks for a reason that’s and he saved
he was that was he’s the one that
blocked the extra point yeah so it it I
I’m a little bit worried about Place
kicking they didn’t do kickoffs they
didn’t do punts but that to me is hey
I’m gonna I’m gonna put that on my radar
when we start you know fall Camp
coverage makes sense Zach do you have a
quick question or anything for Sammy
about IU before we move on yeah quick
question you guys start with FIU Western
Illinois Indian uh UCLA Charlotte
Maryland Northwestern
percentage on them getting to six and0
in that first stretch oh man
um I think you could get to four I feel
pretty good about
four man the port the portal is going to
determine whether or not you could get
UCLA um because that’s a getable game
now uh that that’s you’re going on the
road it’s it’s a tossup game and
then who’s the last six is it
Northwestern yeah it’s at Northwest
W I would say there’s probably a 20%
chance to go six
and0 non-scientific just yeah just
gutfield yeah gutfield 20 20% you see
you win all three non-conference games I
think you beat Maryland at home and I
think
um if you could get those two Road games
you’re in business for
six that would be awesome if Indiana
went 6 and0 uh my in-law thrilled
fantastic I remember back
in Bas what’ you say Ryan sorry they
would no longer be a basketball school I
don’t know this sport we talk of women’s
Hoops we’re a women’s Hoops team too
there you go there you
go all right well let’s go ahead and
move well hold on we have a few more
here uh Tony says Gophers have gotten
two four red shirt freshman out of the
portal so far this spring any chance to
Gophers go 8 to9 wins this year um I was
planning to talk about the Gophers
possibly next week I wanted to possibly
bring Ali bab back on gut reaction I I
think that the Gophers have done some
good things in the portal I’ve been
impressed with them I think they uh oh
who um they brought in the Georgia guy
um and uh they brought in the Clemson
guy
he’s talking about one of the I think
he’s talking about what’s he’s saying is
two fourstar red shirt freshmans one of
those is the Georgia cornerback I
think yes yeah the Georgia quarterback
is one of them and then I can’t remember
if the Clemson guy was a three star or a
four star but at the end of the day he
went to Clemson so if Clemson wants him
um I think that’s an Elite Talent so
that schedule for Minnesota is not easy
that was the other point I was going to
bring up is it’s not a great schedule uh
the way Minnesota
probably two and one in the
non-conference you get Iowa at home
that’s always a toss up at Michigan
we’ll see what Michigan looks like and
then back-to-back weeks you get USC at
home I don’t know if the goerss could
score enough with USC at UCLA again toss
up Maryland at home at Illinois at
Ruckers Penn State at
Wisconsin yeah it’s it’s doable but you
you if you could win if you can win beat
UNC it’s
doable oh for sure um other guys from
LSU so looks like uh Minnesota just uh
taking away the SEC players it really
does help the Big 10 that when SEC
players go into the portal in the spring
window they can’t go to other SEC
schools um that really is a huge uh a
huge piece for them so uh Sean Garner
says Iowa QB Deacon Hill entered the
portal yes I saw everybody saying that
an offensive lineman finally hit the
port
portal I wasn’t going to I thought I I
was ready for a fullback
joke or that I was the one that said he
looked like a tight end but everybody
was like no he’s way too big for a tight
end well you’re playing quarterback and
you’re too big for a tight end that’s uh
that’s not great and then young bucket
says uh oh his first comment was never
started six and0 in program history
closest was 0 and one and then he said
psych uh went 6 and0 in 67 so hey that’s
uh and we went to the Rose bow and guess
where we’re going this year we’re
playing in the Rose Bowl this year so
there you go a lot of uh lot of lot of
uh coincidences there I love that I love
that nice all right uh so the last thing
we’ll get to here uh the next head coach
in the Big 10 to win an add so I’m not
going to go through and have us all do a
top 10 here we’ll kind of just talk
about coaches together and maybe see if
we can put a top 10 together the whole
idea here is which coaches that are
currently in the Big 10 like I don’t
want to talk about coaches that will be
here next year or anything like that
coaches who are currently in the Big 10
who has the best chance to win a
National
Championship next in their career so
obviously what do you say Ryan I was
gonna say a Dan Lanning yeah that was my
answer too but that’s off the board
apparently oh sorry I did I was too I
was too uh gun anyway I I’ll just say I
didn’t say see what everybody else my
thought was the first the first names
you have to talk about are obviously Dan
Lanning the hype that Ryan day is
getting this year Lincoln Riley has been
to the playoffs multiple times if he
hasn’t improved defense this year could
he make that happen uh and then
obviously Chiron Moore with the
defending national champions if even
though it was his first it is his first
year I think you know you’d be psychotic
not to put you know the national
champions at least with a chance of
winning the national championship this
year so I mean I’ll leave it to you guys
I’m obviously biased with uh thinking
it’s probably going to be Ryan day but
sounds like you guys are leaning a
little bit more toward the Dan laning
this year yeah I’ll give a top three or
four and then we’ll see if they maybe
what they I’ll say Dan
Lanning uh Ryan
day I’m gonna but Shon Moore and then
four I’ll put James Frank on this year
because you know I think oh no I’m gonna
of the day I can’t say Lincoln Riley
when have they ever when has he had a
defense I mean like you know what I mean
like that you they they have had a joke
of a defense for the last what three or
four years so I’m not putting Lincoln
Riley in front of James Franklin uh I
I’m just trying to keep it looking
around at who else we could put in the
four spot that would be you know iule
yeah let’s try Mak a b game first what’
you say Sammy they haven’t made a bowl
game since 2016 let’s let’s make a ball
game first well but I I like if you
thought if you ask me who has a better
chance of winning National Championship
Lincoln Riley or Matt rule I know
Lincoln Riley’s at USC but I don’t know
I Lincoln Riley can’t put together a
defense until I see it um I don’t know I
might go with Matt rule before but but I
don’t think he would I don’t know if he
would win at Nebraska I could see Matt R
going somewhere else and winning he
might do at Nebraska but it might take
too long and the James FR Franklin thing
it’s like most years such a bad game 11-
one or 10-2 for Franklin like their
losses were like to the ne Michigan or
Ohio State you know what I mean like so
it’s not like his losses are like oh man
over that hump he’s always losing to the
T three or fourth ranked team in the
country you know what I mean like what
happens when you go to the playoff you
play the top teams you gonna lose yeah
but he got screwed out of the playoff
one year they deserve to
go they still would have lost by 40 we
don’t know that
I I I’ll say this I think I think we’re
all in the same I I mean I think I think
the top tier is pretty obvious like Ryan
day and Dan Lanning I think are your top
two like I I think and I I would push
maybe a little bit more for Lincoln
Riley I I think he made the fire firing
and hiring that he had to like I think
we all any Ohio State fan knows that
Alex Grinch was a terrible defensive
coordinator
like it is
terrible and D Lynn I think is going to
be I think he’s going to do wonders for
that defense so I I have Lincoln as at
my number three spot and then I I think
shiron
Moore the
one that I feel like is a huge wild card
I James Franklin I I like too the wild
card for me is Jed fish because I don’t
think he’s a good coach but he’s willing
to program hop quicker than anybody else
on this list and so like if another job
opens up like in the next year or two
Florida that yeah Flor like could he
like luck himself could he uh Jean
chisik his way into a national
championship yeah does that count if he
goes to Florida does that count as a big
10 coach winning a national title well
just big 10 coaches this year like the
coaches who are in the Big 10 this year
doesn’t matter if they go somewhere else
and they win it next year but the big
the coaches that are in the big
this year who has the best chances of
winning you know a national championship
next or in their career or whatever that
might be because I agree with Zach like
if you go to Florida and you recruit the
right way uh and you get some guys in
the portal I mean you know I know the
SEC is tough but Florida has some
history and uh they’ve won a national
championship what was it 08 or something
07 whatever it was um and uh and they
could do it so um he wouldn’t be a big
10 coach anymore obviously but he’s in
the Big 10 this year yeah yeah I’m I’m
gonna have to go Lanning or or Ryan day
you know Michigan has their questions
we’ll see in two or three years if the
NCA brings anything against with Conor
stallions
um you know
linoln Lincoln Riley at USC if they
could figure out the defense you know
they’ll always have the offense there I
just I have no faith in James Franklin
to to coach in the big game I
know none yeah I I yeah I understand man
he’s he always chokes in the big one I
get it but it was like who am I gonna
put in the fourth spot to me personally
I mean I mean Lincoln Riley but again I
would have Whitt the list down to two
it’s Landing or it’s Landing or day or
you know I I I’ll put it asterisk since
you said Florida Mike norell when
Florida State comes a big time ah there
you go C let me give one more one more
Dark Horse that that I think is maybe
flying under the radar but again this
would be because of job job hopping
David
Brawn like he had a great first
Northwestern not yes but he would have
to job hop I’m not saying he would win
it at Northwestern but like great first
year if he has another really good year
at
Northwestern like he’s going to be in
line for some Premier
jobs if North that much faith we have
that much faith in in David Bron I mean
he he took a team that I thought was
gonna win one game last year won eight
so I get that but I he’s not he’s not
high on my list he but he he made my top
10 like I was I was trying to think
about like particularly with situation
and like who could who could level up so
like for instance like I think Kurt
cetti might be a better coach but like
he’s in his 60s he’s probably not going
to job hop too
much and like I I doubt no offense to
Indiana but I don’t think Indiana’s
gonna win a National
Championship but like I don’t think
northwestern’s gonna win a National
Championship but I could see David Brun
hopping to a better
program eat more
easily yeah yeah that we’ll see yeah
he’s a dark he’s a Darkhorse guy
yeah I could see a situation where go Jr
you know this better than I do if Ryan
day doesn’t win a National Championship
this year is he done he’s not done
perfect question yeah he’s not done uh
he has to beat Michigan that’s what he
has to do okay yeah doesn’t though beat
Michigan is he they’re gonna are they
gonna Canon day if they can’t beat
Michigan this year I don’t think that
Ohio state will can him I think every
Ohio State fan will want him to be
canned but I mean his buyout is too much
and I mean Ross bork just fired Jimbo
Fisher for so much money I don’t know if
he wants to go through all that again um
I think that if he does lose to Michigan
this year um he would get one more year
just because of the it’s not his money
it’s University’s money right but uh but
yeah I just I think his buyout and stuff
is too much but I but I think every
single fan will want him fired and they
that that would probably make me think
that Lanning I would put Lanning ahead
day just just because they they might
not be there in in a year or two that
was exactly what I was going to say is D
like Dan Lanning just lost to Washington
twice last year and one you know one
time in the regular season Once in the
Pack 12 championship and you’ve got
Oregon fans calling this guy the you
know top five coach in the nation which
I think is a little crazy but personally
you know that that’s that’s what they
say um and he just lost to his rival
twice in one year Ryan Day has lost to
his rival three years in a row and every
single half State fan out there is like
you know who cares if he only lost seven
games in his entire career and he’s won
over 50 games fire him if he doesn’t
beat Michigan this
year um Jr real quick I know this was
our last topic but I’m about I gotta put
my dad cat back on so I’m about to take
off are we if this is that cool I’ll say
goodbye blue thing uh so appreciate it
Sammy glad to be on with you tonight
collaborate with you guys for football
no we no we won’t but basketball maybe
no no you don’t do basketball we don’t
cover
basketball we could hook you up with the
basketball guy we’ll collab we’ll do
some more collab and you know what I I
probably will be on one more of these
with you at some point and and good
meeting you Zach appreciate it and Jr I
know I’ll be on with one of the here the
next few weeks I’m sure uh keeping it
orange and blue on YouTube on X uh at200
columns Rock
on Spotify and apple podcast so we
appreciate you thanks J.R y thanks Ryan
see you guys thanks for having me on yep
uh we’re gonna do just a few comments
really fast before we get out of here
Sunny says sunny friend of the show
thanks for being here Sunny Lincoln
Riley is only 40 years old he’s got a
long time to grow he’s absolutely in the
conversation yeah the only piece I don’t
know is if he goes to the NFL but we’ve
also been saying that for what like
eight years if he goes to the NFL and uh
he’s still not there so who knows if he
ever goes to the NFL maybe he sticks
around USC much longer than we think so
uh Young Buck says D has built a death
star at OSU this year if he wins a Natty
does he reach instant Hall of Fame watch
status I don’t know how you guys feel
but if anybody wins a Natty I feel like
they’re on Hall of Fame watch status you
guys agree I mean can you be in the Hall
of Fame if you’re born on third
base good one Sammy well done I mean
John Cooper is in the College Football
Hall of Fame and like I think there are
certain
statistical benchmarks you have to hit
and I believe he would hit them now has
he been a head coach for long enough I
don’t know if there’s like a minimum
games reach but there’s a definitely a
winning percentage Benchmark that you
have to clear and like Mike Leech was
like half a percentage point of making
it or
whatever um I mean yeah anytime again
anytime he win a National Championship
and you’re what 65 and seven at Ohio
State made the playoff three times yeah
it it to me it’s a longevity thing has
he been there long enough to be a a Hall
of Fame
coach yeah I think that makes sense uh
Tony says Northwestern vers Washington
early in the year this will be very
interesting I agree uh
Northwestern the David braon story is
going to continue this year for me I’m
I’m going to be really interested to see
what he can do uh with their guys and
then Mark says too bad Indiana doesn’t
play Illinois of course I mean that’s
that that was my point when we’re
talking about the Super League Illinois
it literally takes me 75 minutes to
drive to Illinois from my house it takes
me 75 minutes to drive to Bloomington
for my house why are they not playing
every year yeah yep I agree I agree I
think I think the Big 10 missed out on
some really good rivalry when they were
putting together their like rivalry
stuff and things like that I mean Iowa
got three rivalries why can’t some other
schools get more than one or two yeah or
Penn State who has zero yeah yeah Penn
State just gonna be the floater around
because they don’t have rivalries I I
live an hour from State College and like
people were like what the heck and on
one hand I can understand it but on the
other hand I’m like big 10 like but
who’s like is it Ohio State are they
Rivals is that like Penn State’s main
rival pen Penn State thinks Penn State
thinks Ohio State’s their rival we would
say they’re not a rival is it your
trophy games is it Minnesota is it what
is it the land grant trophy with
Michigan State that’s like the one that
they wna the push is the Michigan State
Penn State um I wouldn’t have a problem
if they made Penn State a rival with
Ohio State I’m kind of with Zach I feel
like it’s a little bit manufactured you
know because State came in and they have
been battling Ohio State especially uh
when Michigan was down uh in the mid to
late 2010s they were battling Penn State
more for the Big 10 East it seemed like
so um I wouldn’t necessarily have a
problem with it you know at the end of
the day am I vying for it to happen no
uh but I could see why Penn State fans
would won it because they w a rivalry I
I
mean
so all right any other thoughts or
comments guys before we get out of here
not we I think we’re 122 days away from
from Big 10 kickoff something like that
so closing in beautiful beautiful Josh
Pate tweeted his like you know 18
Saturdays where he’s like looking
through the corn or whatever the other
day
so we’re close we’re close uh Sammy you
want to tell people when they can find
who’s your huddle at one more time yeah
you guys can ignore the Block Orange eye
underneath me uh right now and and look
over to the plan
you know Trident IU uh you can find us
on the internet at whoer huddle.com
that’s where all our content is written
uh we also post our videos and and
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take it there you go uh Zach you want to
tell you when they can find Big 10
football talk yeah you can find us uh
Spotify is like the main Hub but then
also Google Apple uh
YouTube um what we’re doing right now
and actually Samy I’ll I’ll probably
reach out to you soon but we’re doing
we’re shifting the emphasis since I’m on
the college huddle now uh regularly we
are talking about kind of the state of
each program and actually J.R and I we
just recorded an episode the state of
the Big 10 and so I’m excited about this
direction uh where we’re going uh but
yeah excited to we we drop every Monday
morning at 7 am so so listen to me in
the morning and then listen to us in the
evening so sounds good love it love it
all right hey thanks everybody for
watching appreciate it or listening on
podcast after the fact have a good one
everybody thanks for having
2 Comments
Enjoyed learning more about the Big Ten. Thanks guys.
Florida won 2 natty with Tebow.