2025 Big Ten football favorite is not clear or unanimous
Penn State enters this season with a fierce defense, a dominant run game, and a top quarterback in college football with Drew Allar. Penn State has the more well-rounded team, but Ohio State's talent and coach Ryan Day make the Buckeyes a tough matchup for any team they could face.
With Ohio State coming off a national championship victory and Penn State being more improved, the Big Ten football season is extremely hard to predict for experts. Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports analyzes the uncertainty surrounding who will be the Big Ten champion in a recent feature.
"One notable swap from the Coaches Poll finds a change atop the Big Ten. Coaches went with Ohio State, the defending national champions, at No. 2 behind the Longhorns; the media went with Penn State, believing in the Nittany Lions' clearer situation on offense and greater degree of carryover from last season. The Nittany Lions received 23 first-place votes in the AP poll - just two behind Texas. Another advantage for PSU is the addition of former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Clearly, coaches and the media believe both teams are good enough to win the Big Ten and deliver the league's third national championship in a row."
Both teams have what it takes to win the Big Ten crown. It is easy to assume that both teams will make the College Football Playoff. With the Trojans' luck, they do not have to face either team. Uncertainty at the top of the Big Ten could bode well for the Trojans; they are coming into this season with a lot of doubts about how successful they will be.
If the Trojans can take care of business in conference play and beat rival Oregon -- their toughest Big Ten matchup on the schedule -- they could earn a bid to face one of the Big Ten juggernauts in the Big Ten title game. USC could also solidify itself as a playoff team. There is no doubt the USC Trojans have a lot of talent on the roster this season, but there is just as much uncertainty regarding where they finish.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
7 Group of Six teams that can make the College Football Playoff in 2025
Once again, we're guaranteed to see at least one team outside the power conferences in the College Football Playoff. The 12-team format includes five spots for conference champions and seven at-large bids. With four power conferences, a conference champion from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West or Sun Belt will make the postseason. Unfortunately for the two-team Pac-12, both Oregon State and Washington State are left to qualify as at-large teams for a second straight season before the Pac-12 adds teams in 2026. Here are seven teams that we think have the best chances to be the highest ranked conference champion outside of the power conferences. All odds are from BetMGM. Boise State (+175 to make College Football Playoff) Can the Broncos go back-to-back as the non-power conference representative in the College Football Playoff? Boise State has the lowest odds of any team outside the Power Four to get to the postseason as the Broncos are the prohibitive favorites in the Mountain West. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Yes, Ashton Jeanty is gone, but Sire Gaines is back healthy. He was a strong complement to Jeanty through the first three games of the season before he suffered a season-ending injury. Gaines will also be running behind an offensive line that returns four starters. QB Maddux Madsen could also take a step forward in his second season as the team's full-time starter. He threw for over 3,000 yards in 2024. The defense needs to replace a ton of sacks from a unit that had 55 in 2024, but Jayden Virgin-Morgan returns after he had 10 a season ago. And like last season, Boise State has a high-profile road game against a likely playoff team. After losing by three to Oregon in Week 2 in 2024, Boise State goes to Notre Dame on Oct. 4 (a game that will also be on Peacock). If Boise doesn't pull the upset over the Irish, a close loss can go a long way again. James Madison (13-1) The Dukes lost four games a season ago but were likely a better team than their 9-4 record suggested. James Madison outscored opponents by 13 points per game, were +20 in turnovers and had two two-point defeats on the road. JMU loses a lot of production from 2024 but coach Bob Chesney loaded up through the transfer portal and QB Alonza Barnett and RB George Pettaway are back. Barnett threw 26 TDs and just four interceptions last season and Pettaway averaged six yards a carry. Replacing Eric O'Neill (13 sacks) and Khairi Manns (nine) will be pivotal on defense. In addition to playing in the easier Sun Belt East, James Madison also has road games at Louisville, Liberty and a home game vs. Washington State. That's a decent non-conference résumé, especially with wins over the Flames and Cougars. Liberty (11-1) Stop us if you've heard this before. Liberty is in line for a winning record but will again face questions about its strength of schedule. The Flames have one of the weakest schedules in the country thanks to playing in Conference USA and not having a marquee non-conference opponent. Along with James Madison, Liberty plays Bowling Green, Maine, and Old Dominion. Liberty is probably going to have to go undefeated to sniff the playoff. Former Coastal Carolina QB Ethan Vasko is in line to take over for Kaidon Salter at quarterback. The passing game really struggled in 2024; no player had more than 30 catches. Improving the pass rush is also imperative. Liberty somehow only had 20 sacks in 2024 after just 25 in 2023. The Flames had 82 sacks in the two seasons before coach Jamey Chadwell took over. Memphis (+825) The Tigers are going for a third straight season of 10 or more wins and their first playoff appearance. Memphis was 11-2 in 2024 and added QB Brendon Lewis from Nevada to take over for Seth Henigan. Lewis rushed for nearly 800 yards in 2024 and can give the Tigers' offense a different look. They may need it with all the turnover at running back and receiver. Greg Desrosiers is the team's leading returning rusher, with 228 yards in 2024, and is also the team's leading returning receiver, with 21 catches for 175 yards. The defense has to be reloaded with transfers too, as Everett Roussaw (UAB) and Sam Brumfield (Virginia Tech) arrive. Don't be surprised if Memphis beats Arkansas at home on Sept. 27. That may be a necessary victory for any playoff hopes. Navy (16-1) It's far more than 'play better against Notre Dame' for Navy. But playing better against Notre Dame is pretty imperative for the Midshipmen in 2025 if they want to sniff the playoff. Navy was 6-0 ahead of the game against the Fighting Irish last season and got walloped 51-14. A loss at Rice followed the next week before Navy closed the season with four wins in its final five games. QB Blake Horvath broke out in 2024 with 1,246 rushing yards and 17 TDs on the ground. He also threw for 13 TDs and 1,353 yards. Can he improve on those numbers in 2025? There's a chance that Navy could start the season 8-0 before games at Notre Dame and Memphis and vs. Army over the last third of the season. Tulane (+750) The Green Wave lost QB Darian Mensah (Duke) and RB Makhi Hughes (Oregon) to the transfer portal in the offseason, but are still positioned to make a run at the American Conference title. Tulane added QB Brendan Sullivan from Iowa and RB Maurice Turner from Louisville. Finding a go-to receiver will be key, with Mario Williams gone and five transfers coming in. The defense returns eight starters and should continue to be a strength after allowing fewer than 21 points per game in each of the past two seasons. Tulane also has the best non-conference schedule of any team on this list. Both Northwestern and Duke come to New Orleans and the Green Wave also visit Ole Miss. Asking for three wins from that is a lot. But Tulane could be in a strong position at 11-2 with an American title. UNLV (18-1) How quickly can Dan Mullen reshape a roster loaded with transfers from power conference schools? UNLV lost a ton from its 2024 team that went 11-3 with two losses to Boise State. LB Marsel McDuffie is the only starter back on defense and RB Jai'Den Thomas is the only one back on offense. Among the transfers coming to Las Vegas are ex-Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea, ex-Utah RB Jaylon Glover and former Alabama and TCU WR JoJo Earle. Mullen could have a very fun offense by the end of the season, and don't count out UNLV beating UCLA in Week 2.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
David Pollack snubbed from all-time AP All-American teams
The Georgia Bulldogs have seen several world-class football players dawn the red and black. A few of them earned major recognition this week. The Associated Press listed their two All-Time AP All-American teams, and three Georgia Bulldogs were selected. Herschel Walker and Brock Bowers made the first team, while Champ Bailey made the second team. Curiously, former Georgia linebacker David Pollack was left off both teams. To make the All-Time AP All-American Teams, players had to have at least a first-team AP All-American selection on their resume. Pro football careers weren't factored into the consideration. Herschel Walker was a generational running back from the start at Georgia. As a true freshman in 1980, he rushed for 1,616 yards and 15 touchdowns in 274 attempts through 11 games. He was the driving force on offense for a national championship winning team, and he won 1980 SEC player of the year, finishing third in Heisman voting as well. He was also the first true freshman to be named an All-American. Overall, Walker accounted for the most career rushing yards in both Georgia and SEC history (5,259), along with being first among all SEC running backs in career rushing touchdowns (49). He won the 1982 Heisman as well. Brock Bowers was a generational tight end starting his freshman year. In 2021, he had 882 yards and 13 touchdowns, the most touchdowns by a Georgia tight end in school history. Bowers finished fifth in career receiving yards (2,538) and second in receiving touchdowns (26) in Georgia history. Bowers is the first and only Georgia tight end to win the John Mackey award, which he did in 2022 and 2023. Bowers is one of three players to make three All-American teams (2021-23) Champ Bailey made the All-Time AP All-American second team. didn't play much his freshman season (1996), but he made up for lost time. In 1998, Bailey played as a safety, cornerback, and wide receiver for Georgia. He had three interceptions on defense and 744 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 47 receptions on offense. He also returned punts and kicks for Georgia. Bailey was a Consensus All-American in 1998, winning the Bronco Nagurski award for best defensive player in the country. Curiously, former Georgia linebacker/defensive lineman David Pollack was left off the list. During his four-year tenure from 2001-04, Pollack won SEC player of the year twice (2002, 2004), the Ted Hendricks award twice (2003-04, for the best linebacker), the 2004 SEC defensive player of the year and 2004 Chuck Bednarik Award (for the best defensive lineman). Pollack, along with Walker and Bowers, made an All-American team three times (2002-04) in his tenure. All-Time AP All-American teams First Team Offense: Wide receivers — Randy Moss, Marshall, 1997; Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh, 2003. Tackles — Orlando Pace, Ohio State, 1995-96; Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh, 1982-83-84. Guards — John Hannah, Alabama, 1972; Jim Parker, Ohio State, 1956. Center — Chuck Bednarik, Penn, 1947-48. Tight end — Brock Bowers, Georgia, 2023. QB — Tim Tebow, Florida, 2007. Running backs — Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1988; Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980-81-82. Kicker — Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State, 1998-99. All-purpose — Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska, 1972. First Team Defense: Ends — Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1978-79-80; Randy White, Maryland, 1974. Tackles — Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, 2009; Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota, 1929. Linebackers — Dick Butkus, Illinois, 1964; Derrick Thomas, Alabama, 1988; Chris Spielman, Ohio State, 1986-87. Cornerbacks — Charles Woodson, Michigan, 1996-97; Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1987-88. Safeties — Ronnie Lott, Southern California, 1980; Ed Reed, Miami, 2000-01. Punter — Tory Taylor, Iowa, 2023. Second Team Offense: Wide receivers — DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 2020; Desmond Howard, Michigan, 1991. Tackles — Jonathan Ogden, UCLA, 1995; Bryant McKinnie, Miami, 2001. Guards — Brad Budde, Southern California, 1979; John Smith, Notre Dame, 1927. Center — Dave Rimington, Nebraska, 1981-82. Tight end — Keith Jackson, Oklahoma, 1986-87. QB — Vince Young, Texas, 2005. Running backs — Archie Griffin, Ohio State, 1974-75; Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, 1976. Kicker — Martin Gramatica, Kansas State, 1997. All-purpose — Tim Brown, Notre Dame, 1986-87. Second Team Defense: Ends — Bubba Smith, Michigan State, 1966; Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech, 1984. Tackles — Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma, 1975; Warren Sapp, Miami, 1994. Linebackers — Jerry Robinson, UCLA, 1976-77-78; Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma, 1985-86; Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina, 1980. Cornerbacks — Champ Bailey, Georgia, 1998; Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, 2011. Safeties — Bennie Blades, Miami, 1986-87; Al Brosky, Illinois, 1951. Punter — Reggie Roby, Iowa, 1981.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
UCLA Unlocked: Ten Bruins who must step up for the football team to thrive in '25
Greg Biggins, the college football recruiting analyst who is one of the best in the nation at what he does, likes to say that you need dudes to win big. No one has won a national championship in the College Football Playoff era whose roster wasn't at least halfway stocked with four- and five-star players. Only a handful of teams have made the title game without meeting that blue-chip ratio — and they've been walloped. 'So you've got to have dudes, you have to have talent,' Biggins recently told The Times. 'Coaching and development is huge, but you take coaching and development with guys who look like [star Ohio State wide receiver] Jeremiah Smith, now that's a different level altogether.' As UCLA's DeShaun Foster prepares to open his second season as the head coach at his alma mater, he's increasingly replenished his roster with dudes. Transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava is a five-star talent, and 13 other players who arrived through the transfer portal were rated as four stars either coming out of high school or as a transfer. While the Bruins' blue-chip ratio still falls well short of 50%, it's creeping upward. But as Biggins mentioned, coaching and development also matter. Former UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who received zero stars coming out of high school, is now with the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the second round of the NFL draft. For the Bruins to have the breakthrough they're seeking under Foster, they will need both blue-chippers and less heralded prospects to emerge as stars. Here are 10 players who must become dudes for UCLA to succeed in 2025: Offense QB Nico Iamaleava: Well, duh. UCLA is not going to have the kind of season it wants unless its quarterback puts himself in the conversation for the school's best player at the position since Brett Hundley. (Sorry, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Josh Rosen, eight- and nine-win seasons don't suffice.) Efficiency will tell the story. If Iamaleava exceeds his 2024 accuracy, when he completed 63.8% of his passes and tallied nearly four times as many touchdowns (19) as interceptions (five), then the Bruins will be in business. OT Courtland Ford: Quickly slotting into the starting left tackle spot in spring practices, Ford projects to have his biggest role since he started the first eight games of the 2021 season at USC. He went on to become a part-time starter with the Trojans in 2022 and at Kentucky in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to UCLA. The hope is that he can provide stability and bolster an offensive line that was a major weakness last season amid several injuries at left tackle. RB Jaivian Thomas: Jaydn who? Foster likes to point out that Thomas was the top tailback at California last season despite Jaydn Ott receiving much of the hype. There's a widespread expectation that Thomas will reprise that role with the Bruins as part of a deep group of running backs that also includes Jalen Berger, Anthony Woods, Anthony Frias II and Karson Cox. While each of those players holds promise, Thomas appears to have the biggest upside given his speed, patience and vision. WR Kwazi Gilmer: Often by Iamaleava's side getting off the team bus at training camp, Gilmer quickly established a narrative of becoming his quarterback's go-to receiver. The duo established a strong connection during the short practice viewing window open to the media, Iamaleava often finding the speedy and shifty Gilmer in the end zone. It's easy to envision Gilmer more than doubling his output from 2024, when he caught 31 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Gilmer showed some swagger by saying he wanted to win the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the nation's top college receiver; now he's got to back up those words. TE Hudson Habermehl: After shedding his surfer look, those long blond locks replaced by a far more streamlined hairstyle, Hambermehl yearns to reintroduce himself as a sleeker, more productive version of the player Bruins fans last saw in the spring of 2024. That's when he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury that would require two surgeries and more than a year of recovery. Now Habermehl is back, ready to become the team's most targeted tight end while exceeding his 2023 production (nine catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns). Defense LB JonJon Vaughns: Having abandoned his baseball pursuits for football full time, Vaughns needs to slide into a starring role. He's shown glimpses of promise, particularly during a 2022 season in which he started 11 games and made two interceptions and five pass breakups. Now comes the challenge of sustaining that sort of production while leading a defense that thirsts for new playmakers to emerge at every position. S Key Lawrence: Perhaps the most energetic player on the team, the Mississippi transfer also boasts plenty of talent thanks to his combination of speed and smarts. Barring a setback from the minor right leg injury he sustained midway through training camp, Lawrence projects to be an opening-day starter. He'll need to anchor a secondary that's replacing every starter. Edge Devin Aupiu: UCLA's pass rush was meh last season, generating 22 sacks to rank tied for No. 78 in the nation. As a part-time starter, Aupiu made 4½ tackles for loss, including 1½ sacks — decent production given his role and easily the most among returning players. Getting into the backfield more often this season is a must for the redshirt senior. DT Gary Smith III: Most successful diets don't end with someone weighing 340 pounds. But after shedding 20 pounds thanks to what he described as clean eating, Smith appears slimmer, stronger and more explosive in his return from the ankle injury that sidelined him all of last season. He posted a video of his squatting a team-high 700 pounds and could combine with fellow interior defensive lineman Keanu Williams to make running up the middle the place where ambitions go to die for opposing tailbacks. LB Isaiah Chisom: In case Chisom was tempted to get cocky after one season at Oregon State in which he was selected a freshman All-American by The Athletic, he lost out to new UCLA teammate Jalen Woods in the battle to keep his No. 9 jersey. Maybe every time he glances at his No. 32, it will remind him of the work he needs to put in to become a super sophomore. The program that produced Sigi Schmid, Cobi Jones and Paul Caligiuri hasn't been in the news much lately. UCLA men's soccer has not made it past the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament since reaching the finals in 2014, when it lost to Virginia. The Briuns' last national championship came in 2002. Could 2025 be a breakthrough year? Answers will start to emerge once the Bruins open the season Thursday evening at UC Irvine. UCLA returns four starters, including junior midfielder Philip Naef, who led the team last season with 10 assists — the most since Jackson Yueill also reached double digits in 2016. A bevy of talented freshmen from the nation's top-ranked recruiting class, according to TopDrawerSoccer, should also help coach Ryan Jorden's bid to guide his team deep into the NCAA tournament. Carson Schwesinger's incredible ascent continues. The linebacker who was essentially unwanted out of Oaks Christian High when UCLA snagged him with a walk-on spot impressed in his NFL preseason debut, leading the Cleveland Browns with six tackles during a 30-10 exhibition victory over the Carolina Panthers. Making that production all the more impressive, it came in only 13 snaps. Maybe that transition from college to the NFL isn't so hard after all. 'I mean, I think there's always going to be a difference going to the next level,' Schwesinger told reporters after the game, 'but we've been practicing against it so much now that it's something that I'm getting used to. So there wasn't a huge difference, I would say, from practice to the game. I think that's because of how we practice.' My favorite UCLA-Utah game felt like one played in an alternate universe. The Bruins, who ran what could have been called the 'Point-Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust' offense under Kennedy Polamalu in 2016, came out in a spread, no-huddle, hurry-up formation against the Utes for the first time all season. It might have resulted in a UCLA victory had the Bruins' defense showed up. Utah running back Joe Williams ran for a school-record 332 yards and four touchdowns during the Utes' thrilling 52-45 victory, overcoming a record-setting day for UCLA quarterback Mike Fafaul. Continuing to start in place of the injured Josh Rosen, Fafaul completed 40 of 70 passes for a career-high 464 yards and five touchdowns while breaking Rosen's previous school records for completions (34) and pass attempts (57). In a lost season for the Bruins, this was as entertaining as it got. You can watch highlights from that game here. We asked, 'Which UCLA football player not named Nico Iamaleava will be the team's most important in 2025?' and gave you five choices: offensive tackle Courtland Ford, running back Jaivian Thomas, wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, defensive tackle Gary Smith III or linebacker Isaiah Chisom. After 534 votes, the results: Running back Jaivian Thomas, 37.4%Wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, 23.7%Offensive tackle Courtland Ford, 17.6%Defensive tackle Gary Smith III, 17.4%Linebacker Isaiah Chisom, 3.9% UCLA's 2025 football schedule features a handful of games that scream intrigue. The opener against Utah is a battle of former Pac-12 rivals. A showdown against presumed national title contender Penn State could match undefeated teams if the Bruins get off to a hot start. The game at Ohio State provides fans willing to travel more than halfway across the country a chance to visit one of college football's top venues. The rivalry game at USC speaks for itself. Which game are you looking forward to most? Utah on Aug. 30 Penn State on Oct. 4 Ohio State on Nov. 15 USC on Nov. 29 Click here to vote in our survey. UCLA's training camp a real tearjerker as players, coaches open up to bond Michigan hit with major fine for sign-stealing scheme. Jim Harbaugh's NCAA exile extended 10 years Can UCLA's Kwazi Gilmer win the Biletnikoff Award? He's going to give it a go UCLA stars Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Gabriela Jaquez share lessons with kids close to home Do you have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email me at and follow me on X @latbbolch. To order an autographed copy of my book, '100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die,' send me an email. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
