SEC quarterback takes shot at Big Ten, says there's no 'Purdue, Nebraskas' in SEC
SEC quarterback takes shot at Big Ten, says there's no 'Purdue, Nebraskas' in SEC
NEW: Vandy QB Diego Pavia eviscerates the Big Ten:
'You want to play with the best – you don't want to play with the Big Ten. … You ignore those calls.
...the SEC, it's like week after week. You're going to get beat on. The Big Ten, you're not gonna get beat on with the… pic.twitter.com/BGUcC7lwac — On3 (@On3sports) June 17, 2025
One quarterback from the SEC put out some fighting words towards the Big Ten this week that made national headlines.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia took a shot at the Big Ten during a recent interview on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast -- essentially saying the Big Ten is not as hard of a league on a weekly basis as the SEC. Here's a snippet quote pulled from On3 of the recent interview that certainly will cause a reaction from anyone who supports a Big Ten school:
"You want to play with the best – you don't want to play with the Big Ten. … You ignore those calls. ... The SEC, it's like week after week. You're going to get beat on. The Big Ten, you're not gonna get beat on with the Purdue, Nebraskas.'
Pavia has played one season in the SEC after transferring to Vanderbilt following two years at New Mexico State. He is entering his final year of eligibility with the Commodores this upcoming season.
The quote from Pavia isn't the worst thing ever said about either of these two leagues, but it certainly will further fuel the rivalry between the Big Ten and SEC. The most insulting part here is probably towards Nebraska as the Cornhuskers were lumped into the same category as Purdue -- who is coming off a season that included zero FBS victories.
The one thing that is somewhat ironic in Pavia's comment is that he plays for the "Purdue, Nebraskas" he is referencing at Vanderbilt. The Commodores have historically been a bottom feeder in the SEC, and while they are much improved recently, I'm not sure they'd fend any better playing against a Big Ten schedule if we are being honest.
Regardless, offseason chatter like this is always fun for fans and personally just gets me more and more fired up for the upcoming college football season. It'll be here before we know it...
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
College World Series winners and losers: The best and worst from Day 5 in Omaha
College World Series winners and losers: The best and worst from Day 5 in Omaha Show Caption Hide Caption 4 MLB prospects to watch during the 2025 Men's College World Series 4 MLB prospects The Montgomery Advertiser's Adam Cole and The Southwest Times Record's Jackson Fuller are watching during the 2025 Men's College World Series Day 5 of the 2024 College World Series saw two more teams go home as the semifinal matchups were set. Louisville defeated Oregon State, 7-6, in a nailbiter as the Beavers came back from a three-run deficit in the top of the ninth only to give up the lead in the bottom of the inning. In the nightcap, Arkansas defeated UCLA, 7-3. The Bruins had previously resumed a suspended game against LSU in the morning, losing, 9-5. In the semifinals beginning June 18, Arkansas will face LSU and Coastal Carolina will face Louisville. The Tigers and Chanticleers need only a single win, while the Razorbacks and Cardinals must win twice to advance to the championship series. Here are the winners and losers: WINNERS Home runs (finally) After the early games in Omaha saw very few home runs hit, the long ball made more of an impact on Day 5. LSU's Jared Jones hit a three-run homer that ultimately proved the game-winner in its game against UCLA (although the home run technically took place the night before, prior to the game being suspended due to rain). In the elimination game between Louisville and Oregon State, the Cardinals and Beavers hit two home runs apiece. Then, in the nightcap between Arkansas and UCLA, the Razorbacks got on the board with a two-run homer from Wehiwa Aloy. After six total home runs in the first eight games, Day 5 featured five home runs. The SEC The SEC has had at least one team in every Men's College World Series final since 2016, and four of the last seven championship series have featured two SEC teams (not including 2022, when now-SEC member Oklahoma participated as a member of the Big 12). But the league has had a rough postseason. Despite qualifying 13 teams to the tournament, just four of those teams made a super regional, and two of those teams (Arkansas and Tennessee) played each other. Two SEC teams made it to Omaha, but because they were on the same side of the bracket, it was guaranteed that at least one non-SEC team would get a shot at a championship. But now, the SEC is guaranteed to have a team opposite Louisville or Coastal Carolina with LSU and Arkansas in the semifinal. The league has a good shot of having its sixth straight champion. Wehiwa Aloy The SEC Player of the Year had a quiet Omaha so far. But facing a fellow star shortstop in Roch Cholowsky, Aloy had a strong outing in the elimination game, going 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs. He hit a two-run home run to the opposite field in the first inning, showing off the power that has him ranked as a top MLB draft prospect. LOSERS Defense (again) Of 15 errors committed in the College World Series so far, eight of them were by Oregon State. That cost the Beavers dearly, as it was an error on a sacrifice bunt that set up the eventual walk-off sacrifice fly that eliminated them. But Oregon State was only in the game at that point because of an error. In the top of the ninth inning, the Beavers were down two runs with the bases loaded and one out when Louisville shortstop Alex Alicea booted a routine double-play ball. The error allowed two runs to score. In the ninth inning of the Arkansas-UCLA game, the Razorbacks committed two errors, both of which led to runs scoring. The West Coast When the Pac-12 still existed, it had been over three decades since three of the league's teams had all made it to Omaha. In the first season after the league's dissolution, three former Pac-12 teams made it in Arizona, Oregon State and UCLA. But none of those three teams will make it to the semifinals. Arizona was the first team eliminated, failing to win a game in Omaha. Oregon State and UCLA were both eliminated on Day 5. "A lot of good players in the West, a lot of good coaches on the West. I think it has a bright future," UCLA coach John Savage said. "Bright future is maybe not the right word, because you look at the national championships and you look at the history of Omaha and West Coast teams. But things have changed. Everybody knows things have changed in terms of the facilities and the power. And the SEC clearly had a huge day, right, with Arkansas and LSU. But at the same time, you know, I think we can certainly build off this." Gage Wood: How Arkansas baseball, Murray State reacted to Gage Wood's College World Series no-hitter Gage Wood Gage Wood was the biggest winner from Day 4 as his 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State made headlines. But just a day later, Wood forgot his jersey at the hotel, forcing him to wear Zach Root's windbreaker. "We teach our kids to be honest around here," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn quipped when Root admitted the reason for the windbreaker. Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@ or on X @aria_gerson.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Wehiwa Aloy's big hits, Zach Root's strong start help Arkansas oust UCLA from the CWS with a 7-3 win
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Wehiwa Aloy drove in Arkansas' first three runs with a homer and triple, Zach Root bounced back from a rocky start to pitch five strong innings, and the Razorbacks eliminated the Bruins from the College World Series with a 7-3 victory Tuesday night. Arkansas (50-14) will play SEC rival LSU on Wednesday night and would have to beat the Tigers twice in two days to advance to the best-of-three CWS finals. LSU won two of three against the Razorbacks in the regular season and beat them 4-1 in a CWS opener last Saturday. UCLA (48-18) went 2-2 in its first appearance in Omaha since it won the 2013 national title. The Bruins played Arkansas six hours after they lost 9-5 to LSU in the completion of a game suspended by rain Monday night. Aloy, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, hit his team-best 21st home run in the first inning for a 2-0 lead, and his second triple of the season made it 3-0 in the fifth. The Razorbacks added four runs late to put the game away. Root (9-6) lasted just 1 1/3 innings in Saturday's loss to LSU, the left-hander's shortest start of the season. He limited the Bruins to three hits, walked two and struck out five in five innings. Reliever Aiden Jiminez allowed one hit over three scoreless innings and had the Razorbacks poised to shut out a second straight opponent a day after Gage Wood threw the third no-hitter in CWS history, and first in 65 years, against Murray State. UCLA capitalized on uncharacteristic blunders to break through against Will McEntire in the ninth. Mulivai Levu tripled leading off and scored when third baseman Brent Ireland couldn't come up with a grounder. McEntire's wild throw to first on a comebacker and a wild pitch brought in two more runs. The Bruins loaded the bases in the first, but Root got out unscathed when, with two outs, Dean West was caught trying to steal home. Ryder Helfrick's sweeping tag touched the headfirst-sliding West's arm just before West's fingers reached the plate. UCLA challenged the call, which was upheld on video review. UCLA's leadoff man reached base three of the first five innings. Root worked around a single, walk and two wild pitches to get out of the fifth and then turned things over to Jimenez to start the sixth. UCLA started Cody Delvecchio (1-4), who was academically ineligible until last week and hadn't pitched since March 28. He gave the Bruins a solid four innings and was pulled with two runners on in the fifth. Ian May relieved and induced a double play before Aloy drove a ball to center that rolled to the wall for his triple. ___ AP college sports:
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
USA TODAY touts Michigan's stout defense, schedule for 2025 national championship run
USA TODAY touts Michigan's stout defense, schedule for 2025 national championship run Coming off a 2-4 campaign in 2020, it seemed unlikely that Michigan football was going to amount to much in 2021. Yet, 247Sports had the Wolverines as a dark-horse College Football Playoff team -- and that's when it was still at four teams. The article was met with much derision, and yet, Michigan prevailed -- beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten, and facing Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl, a CFP semifinal that year. Coming off an 8-5 season, could the Wolverines be poised to make it back to the (now expanded) big dance once again? USA TODAY Sports' Blake Toppmeyer thinks so. And then some. Toppmeyer selected five 'sleeper' teams that could win the national championship this upcoming season, and Michigan football was one of the five, listed in a category 'Longer-shot sleepers to contend for a national championship:' Michigan finished last season by upsetting Ohio State and Alabama, and it did so while lacking a competent quarterback. Hello, Bryce Underwood, the nation's No. 1-ranked recruit in this past class. Underwood might not look the part of polished quarterback by September, but Michigan's forgiving schedule provides a runway for the Wolverines to improve throughout the season and make the playoff. Transfer quarterback Mikey Keene (Fresno State) provides cushion if Underwood needs some time. Michigan returned several starters from a stout defense. If it can get right at quarterback, it can make the playoff, at a minimum. While the core of the 2023 team is mostly gone, there are still some holdovers, including team captain Rod Moore, the safety who was injured with an ACL tear last year. With that in mind, even though this is mostly a new team, it seems odd to think that several players who were a part of that 2023 run couldn't replicate the feat, given that they've seen what it takes, at least in the four-team era. Still, Toppmeyer seems to have an accurate depiction of what the Wolverines are, especially compared to a lot of other college football pundits who merely look at the players who departed for the NFL without noting the returners, Underwood taking over at quarterback, and Chip Lindsey likely elevating the offense as the new coordinator. Additionally, as Toppmeyer noted, the schedule is amenable, at least if the maize and blue can be consistent on the road. The other teams that made the cut for Toppmeyer were LSU and Clemson at the top of the list, with Michigan and Ole Miss in the next tier, and Oklahoma -- Michigan's Week 2 opponent -- at the bottom.
