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Fox News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
2025 Big Ten Media Days: Ohio State QBs, Nebraska Transfers Among Day 1 Storylines
Talking season in college football began earlier this month when the Big 12 kicked off the sport's annual media days caravan at The Star in Frisco, Texas, where commissioner Brett Yormark and the league's coaches were inundated with questions about implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement, potential tweaks to the College Football Playoff format and the offseason spending habits of Texas Tech. Next came the SEC's turn in the spotlight, which began on Monday in Atlanta, with commissioner Greg Sankey describing his league as a "super conference" and then waxing poetic about both its strength of schedule and sphere of influence in the ongoing discussions about playoff structure. One week from now, on July 22, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti will have his chance to respond to everything his colleagues have said when the league begins its three-day media event in Las Vegas, a locale that reflects the conference's coast-to-coast membership. For the second straight year, each day will feature representatives from six programs: Day 1: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers Day 2: Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, Wisconsin Day 3: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA, USC To preview the event, FOX Sports analyzed every team ahead of the 2025 campaign. Here's what to expect from Day 1 at Big Ten Media Days: Last year: 10-3 overall, 6-3 Big TenPostseason: 21-17 win over South Carolina in the Citrus BowlHead coach: Bret Bielema, fifth season, 28-22 at IllinoisCoordinators: Barry Lunney Jr. (offense); Aaron Henry (defense)Recruiting: No. 46 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 43 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten Key storyline: The formula concocted by first-year Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti in 2024 demonstrated to the college football universe exactly what's possible in this expanded playoff era, when the right combination of coaching, player acquisition/retention, veteran leadership and favorable scheduling come together simultaneously in a fairytale season. Many fans and analysts are seeing a very similar mold at Illinois, where head coach Bret Bielema retained both coordinators and 17 starters from a group that reached 10 victories for the first time since 2001. The Illini are led by one of the league's most experienced quarterbacks in former Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer, now in his third year atop the depth chart, and an offensive line that returns all five starters. A relatively modest schedule includes winnable non-conference games against Western Illinois, Duke and Western Michigan, while also avoiding Big Ten powerhouses Oregon, Penn State and Michigan. That means the expectations surrounding Bielema's program, which is likely to be ranked among the top 20 in the preseason AP Poll, are soaring ahead of what some believe could be a magical run toward the College Football Playoff. The biggest question is how the Illini, a team unaccustomed to consistent winning, will handle that level of anticipation on a weekly basis. Last year: 11-2 overall, 8-1 Big TenPostseason: 27-17 road loss to Notre Dame in CFP first roundHead coach: Curt Cignetti, second season, 11-2 at IndianaCoordinators: Mike Shanahan (offense); Bryant Haines (defense)Recruiting: No. 47 nationally, No. 14 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 22 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten Key storyline: An unexpected darling from the 2024 campaign rode the roaching acumen and bravado of Cignetti all the way to the College Football Playoff, where an in-state matchup with blue-blood Notre Dame gave Indiana an incredible platform despite the eventual loss. Shrewd talent evaluation and development skills shown by Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan when it came to quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a former MAC standout at Ohio who developed into a seventh-round pick with the Hoosiers, made Indiana a desirable destination for veteran signal-callers in the transfer portal. That the Hoosiers landed Cal standout Fernando Mendoza, the No. 22 overall transfer and No. 4 quarterback in the portal, speaks to the impression Indiana's work with Rourke made on potential targets. Former Maryland tailback Roman Hemby (No. 237 transfer, No. 15 RB) and former Northern Illinois cornerback Amariyun Knighten (No. 163 transfer, No. 17 CB) were two more high-profile pickups. A rebuilding defense retained arguably its three best players in edge rusher Mikail Kamara, linebacker Aiden Fisher and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, all of whom received some form of All-American recognition last season. So can the Hoosiers be darlings once more? Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-8 Big TenPostseason: NoneHead coach: Mike Locksley, eighth season, 33-41 at MarylandCoordinators: Pep Hamilton (offense); Ted Monachino (defense)Recruiting: No. 25 nationally, No. 8 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 34 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten Key storyline: There was a puzzling inequality between the success Maryland enjoyed during this year's NFL Draft and the on-field product it put forth last fall amid the team's worst Big Ten season since 2019, when Locksley first took over the program. Six of Locksley's former players heard their names called in late April to form the Terrapins' largest draft class since 1986 and increase the total to 15 draft picks over the last four years, a stretch in which Maryland never finished above .500 in conference play. Still, accumulating talent has proven fairly easy for Locksley, whose last five recruiting classes all landed among the top 40 in the national rankings. Prior to last year, when the league officially nixed divisions, Maryland's inability to parlay recruiting victories into actual victories could be written off as a product of the relentless Big Ten East, where Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all lurked. But that excuse wasn't available in 2024 as the Terrapins crumbled without facing the Buckeyes or Wolverines. The hiring of a new athletic director in May means there's even more pressure on Locksley to deliver. Last year: 7-6 overall, 3-6 Big TenPostseason: 20-15 win over Boston College in the Pinstripe BowlHead coach: Matt Rhule, third season, 12-13 at NebraskaCoordinators: Dana Holgorsen (offense); John Butler (defense)Recruiting: No. 22 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 13 nationally, No. 2 in the Big Ten Key storyline: Though Nebraska ended on a positive note by upending Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, there was still an air of dissatisfaction considering how poorly the second half of the season unfolded. In mid-October, the Cornhuskers were 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten entering a highly anticipated road game against then-No. 16 Indiana. What followed was a humiliating 56-7 beatdown in which quarterback Dylan Raiola tossed three interceptions and Nebraska fumbled three times. That loss kickstarted a string of four consecutive defeats that drained much of the momentum from Rhule's second season. Aware that his roster lacked top-end talent, Rhule responded with a spending spree in the transfer portal that produced the No. 13 class in the country and No. 2 haul in the Big Ten, trailing only Oregon. The Cornhuskers added numerous plug-and-play starters, including former Kentucky wideout Dane Key (No. 34 transfer, No. 10 WR), former Missouri edge rusher Williams Nwaneri (No. 36 transfer, No. 3 DL), former Alabama offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett (No. 45 transfer, No. 6 OT), former Oklahoma linebacker Dasan McCullough (No. 123 transfer, No. 4 LB), former Notre Dame right guard Rocco Spindler (No. 139 transfer, No. 10 IOL) and former Cal wideout Nyziah Hunter (No. 200 transfer, No. 35 WR). How well those additions perform relative to the price tags they undoubtedly commanded will be a strong barometer for Nebraska's trajectory this fall. Last year: 14-2 overall, 7-2 Big TenPostseason: Victories over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame en route to national titleHead coach: Ryan Day, seventh season, 70-10 at Ohio StateCoordinators: Brian Hartline (offense); Matt Patricia (defense)Recruiting: No. 4 nationally, No. 1 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 26 nationally, No. 7 in the Big Ten Key storyline: One of the driving factors behind Ohio State's run to the national championship last season was the continuity that peppered both the roster and the coaching staff at critical positions, with so many familiar faces returning after the 2023 campaign ended without a trip to the College Football Playoff. Those strong retention efforts preserved the nucleus of head coach Ryan Day's lauded 2021 recruiting class that eventually produced eight starters on the title-winning squad. Since then, however, the fallout from reaching college football's mountaintop has included changes at offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, offensive line coach and quarterbacks coach, not to mention the 14 Buckeyes selected in this year's NFL Draft, one of whom was signal-caller Will Howard (sixth round, No. 185 overall). All of which invites plenty of questions entering 2025 regarding how much change is too much change for a legitimate title defense: Can first-time playcaller Brian Hartline match the success enjoyed by predecessor Chip Kelly, now of the Las Vegas Raiders? Can former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes' new defensive coordinator, salvage his reputation at the collegiate level? Is former five-star prospect Julian Sayin ready to step forward and win the quarterback job in his true sophomore season? Those are just a few of the unknowns from an attempted repeat that has been all about the moving parts thus far. Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten Postseason: 44-41 loss to Kansas State in the Rate Bowl Head coach: Greg Schiano, 17th season, 94-101 at Rutgers Coordinators: Kirk Ciarrocca (offense); Robb Smith and Zach Sparber (defense) Recruiting: No. 32 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 51 nationally, No. 16 in the Big Ten Key storyline: Over the past two seasons, both of which ended with bowl games, running back Kyle Monangai was the unquestioned focal point of Rutgers' offense under freshly hired offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, formerly of Minnesota. He handled the workhorse role with aplomb by shouldering 498 carries for 2,541 yards and 21 touchdowns during that span, earning All-Big Ten recognition in both campaigns. What the offense will look like without Monangai, who was drafted by the Chicago Bears earlier this spring (seventh round, No. 233 overall), remains to be seen as the Scarlet Knights seek a third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since winning 23 combined games from 2012-14 under Schiano and former coach Kyle Flood. The likely replacement is former Florida Atlantic standout CJ Campbell Jr., who carried 165 times for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns last season before joining the Scarlet Knights via the transfer portal — though it's worth noting that Monangai's backup, Antwan Raymond, chipped in 113 yards and three scores in the bowl game against Kansas State. Together, Campbell and Raymond will support mobile quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (251 rushing yards, 3 TDs) to form a three-headed attack on an offense that returns seven starters, including four along its veteran-laden offensive line. Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox Sports
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 Big Ten Media Days: Ohio State QBs, Nebraska Transfers Among Day 1 Storylines
Talking season in college football began earlier this month when the Big 12 kicked off the sport's annual media days caravan at The Star in Frisco, Texas, where commissioner Brett Yormark and the league's coaches were inundated with questions about implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement, potential tweaks to the College Football Playoff format and the offseason spending habits of Texas Tech. Next came the SEC's turn in the spotlight, which began on Monday in Atlanta, with commissioner Greg Sankey describing his league as a "super conference" and then waxing poetic about both its strength of schedule and sphere of influence in the ongoing discussions about playoff structure. One week from now, on July 22, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti will have his chance to respond to everything his colleagues have said when the league begins its three-day media event in Las Vegas, a locale that reflects the conference's coast-to-coast membership. For the second straight year, each day will feature representatives from six programs: Day 1: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers Day 2: Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, Wisconsin Day 3: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA, USC To preview the event, FOX Sports analyzed every team ahead of the 2025 campaign. Here's what to expect from Day 1 at Big Ten Media Days: Illinois Last year: 10-3 overall, 6-3 Big Ten Postseason: 21-17 win over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl Head coach: Bret Bielema, fifth season, 28-22 at Illinois Coordinators: Barry Lunney Jr. (offense); Aaron Henry (defense) Recruiting: No. 46 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 43 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten Key storyline: The formula concocted by first-year Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti in 2024 demonstrated to the college football universe exactly what's possible in this expanded playoff era, when the right combination of coaching, player acquisition/retention, veteran leadership and favorable scheduling come together simultaneously in a fairytale season. Many fans and analysts are seeing a very similar mold at Illinois, where head coach Bret Bielema retained both coordinators and 17 starters from a group that reached 10 victories for the first time since 2001. The Illini are led by one of the league's most experienced quarterbacks in former Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer, now in his third year atop the depth chart, and an offensive line that returns all five starters. A relatively modest schedule includes winnable non-conference games against Western Illinois, Duke and Western Michigan, while also avoiding Big Ten powerhouses Oregon, Penn State and Michigan. That means the expectations surrounding Bielema's program, which is likely to be ranked among the top 20 in the preseason AP Poll, are soaring ahead of what some believe could be a magical run toward the College Football Playoff. The biggest question is how the Illini, a team unaccustomed to consistent winning, will handle that level of anticipation on a weekly basis. Indiana Last year: 11-2 overall, 8-1 Big Ten Postseason: 27-17 road loss to Notre Dame in CFP first round Head coach: Curt Cignetti, second season, 11-2 at Indiana Coordinators: Mike Shanahan (offense); Bryant Haines (defense) Recruiting: No. 47 nationally, No. 14 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 22 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten Key storyline: An unexpected darling from the 2024 campaign rode the roaching acumen and bravado of Cignetti all the way to the College Football Playoff, where an in-state matchup with blue-blood Notre Dame gave Indiana an incredible platform despite the eventual loss. Shrewd talent evaluation and development skills shown by Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan when it came to quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a former MAC standout at Ohio who developed into a seventh-round pick with the Hoosiers, made Indiana a desirable destination for veteran signal-callers in the transfer portal. That the Hoosiers landed Cal standout Fernando Mendoza, the No. 22 overall transfer and No. 4 quarterback in the portal, speaks to the impression Indiana's work with Rourke made on potential targets. Former Maryland tailback Roman Hemby (No. 237 transfer, No. 15 RB) and former Northern Illinois cornerback Amariyun Knighten (No. 163 transfer, No. 17 CB) were two more high-profile pickups. A rebuilding defense retained arguably its three best players in edge rusher Mikail Kamara, linebacker Aiden Fisher and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, all of whom received some form of All-American recognition last season. So can the Hoosiers be darlings once more? Maryland Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-8 Big Ten Postseason: None Head coach: Mike Locksley, eighth season, 33-41 at Maryland Coordinators: Pep Hamilton (offense); Ted Monachino (defense) Recruiting: No. 25 nationally, No. 8 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 34 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten Key storyline: There was a puzzling inequality between the success Maryland enjoyed during this year's NFL Draft and the on-field product it put forth last fall amid the team's worst Big Ten season since 2019, when Locksley first took over the program. Six of Locksley's former players heard their names called in late April to form the Terrapins' largest draft class since 1986 and increase the total to 15 draft picks over the last four years, a stretch in which Maryland never finished above .500 in conference play. Still, accumulating talent has proven fairly easy for Locksley, whose last five recruiting classes all landed among the top 40 in the national rankings. Prior to last year, when the league officially nixed divisions, Maryland's inability to parlay recruiting victories into actual victories could be written off as a product of the relentless Big Ten East, where Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all lurked. But that excuse wasn't available in 2024 as the Terrapins crumbled without facing the Buckeyes or Wolverines. The hiring of a new athletic director in May means there's even more pressure on Locksley to deliver. Nebraska Last year: 7-6 overall, 3-6 Big Ten Postseason: 20-15 win over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl Head coach: Matt Rhule, third season, 12-13 at Nebraska Coordinators: Dana Holgorsen (offense); John Butler (defense) Recruiting: No. 22 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 13 nationally, No. 2 in the Big Ten Key storyline: Though Nebraska ended on a positive note by upending Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, there was still an air of dissatisfaction considering how poorly the second half of the season unfolded. In mid-October, the Cornhuskers were 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten entering a highly anticipated road game against then-No. 16 Indiana. What followed was a humiliating 56-7 beatdown in which quarterback Dylan Raiola tossed three interceptions and Nebraska fumbled three times. That loss kickstarted a string of four consecutive defeats that drained much of the momentum from Rhule's second season. Aware that his roster lacked top-end talent, Rhule responded with a spending spree in the transfer portal that produced the No. 13 class in the country and No. 2 haul in the Big Ten, trailing only Oregon. The Cornhuskers added numerous plug-and-play starters, including former Kentucky wideout Dane Key (No. 34 transfer, No. 10 WR), former Missouri edge rusher Williams Nwaneri (No. 36 transfer, No. 3 DL), former Alabama offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett (No. 45 transfer, No. 6 OT), former Oklahoma linebacker Dasan McCullough (No. 123 transfer, No. 4 LB), former Notre Dame right guard Rocco Spindler (No. 139 transfer, No. 10 IOL) and former Cal wideout Nyziah Hunter (No. 200 transfer, No. 35 WR). How well those additions perform relative to the price tags they undoubtedly commanded will be a strong barometer for Nebraska's trajectory this fall. Ohio State Last year: 14-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten Postseason: Victories over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame en route to national title Head coach: Ryan Day, seventh season, 70-10 at Ohio State Coordinators: Brian Hartline (offense); Matt Patricia (defense) Recruiting: No. 4 nationally, No. 1 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 26 nationally, No. 7 in the Big Ten Key storyline: One of the driving factors behind Ohio State's run to the national championship last season was the continuity that peppered both the roster and the coaching staff at critical positions, with so many familiar faces returning after the 2023 campaign ended without a trip to the College Football Playoff. Those strong retention efforts preserved the nucleus of head coach Ryan Day's lauded 2021 recruiting class that eventually produced eight starters on the title-winning squad. Since then, however, the fallout from reaching college football's mountaintop has included changes at offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, offensive line coach and quarterbacks coach, not to mention the 14 Buckeyes selected in this year's NFL Draft, one of whom was signal-caller Will Howard (sixth round, No. 185 overall). All of which invites plenty of questions entering 2025 regarding how much change is too much change for a legitimate title defense: Can first-time playcaller Brian Hartline match the success enjoyed by predecessor Chip Kelly, now of the Las Vegas Raiders? Can former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes' new defensive coordinator, salvage his reputation at the collegiate level? Is former five-star prospect Julian Sayin ready to step forward and win the quarterback job in his true sophomore season? Those are just a few of the unknowns from an attempted repeat that has been all about the moving parts thus far. Rutgers Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten Postseason: 44-41 loss to Kansas State in the Rate Bowl Head coach: Greg Schiano, 17th season, 94-101 at Rutgers Coordinators: Kirk Ciarrocca (offense); Robb Smith and Zach Sparber (defense) Recruiting: No. 32 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 51 nationally, No. 16 in the Big Ten Key storyline: Over the past two seasons, both of which ended with bowl games, running back Kyle Monangai was the unquestioned focal point of Rutgers' offense under freshly hired offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, formerly of Minnesota. He handled the workhorse role with aplomb by shouldering 498 carries for 2,541 yards and 21 touchdowns during that span, earning All-Big Ten recognition in both campaigns. What the offense will look like without Monangai, who was drafted by the Chicago Bears earlier this spring (seventh round, No. 233 overall), remains to be seen as the Scarlet Knights seek a third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since winning 23 combined games from 2012-14 under Schiano and former coach Kyle Flood. The likely replacement is former Florida Atlantic standout CJ Campbell Jr., who carried 165 times for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns last season before joining the Scarlet Knights via the transfer portal — though it's worth noting that Monangai's backup, Antwan Raymond, chipped in 113 yards and three scores in the bowl game against Kansas State. Together, Campbell and Raymond will support mobile quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (251 rushing yards, 3 TDs) to form a three-headed attack on an offense that returns seven starters, including four along its veteran-laden offensive line. Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Every Big 12 football game you can't miss during the 2025 college football season
Before you know it, the 2025 college football season will be here, and the chase for postseason glory will begin. The Big 12 had only one team in the College Football Playoff field in conference champion Arizona State. Commissioner Brett Yormark has hopes of landing at least two teams in the field this year, which will be tough in such a deep conference. Whether the Big 12 will get multiple teams in the playoff remains to be seen, but the parity seen across the conference makes every week meaningful. The college football season can be overwhelming to even the most die-hard fan, so we have you covered. Here are the Big 12 games you should be locking in on each week this fall. Week 0: Iowa State at Kansas State (Dublin, Ireland) The Big 12 owns the best game on the entire college football slate during Week 0. Two of the conference's top teams squaring off in Dublin, what is not to like? Week 1: Baylor vs. Auburn Perhaps some fans might prefer TCU at North Carolina on Labor Day Monday, but in my opinion, you can't beat Auburn going up against a rising Baylor squad. Week 2: Iowa State vs. Iowa The Cy-Hawk rivalry returns to Ames with both teams seeking early momentum. Both teams could use this game as a launching pad for a successful season. Week 3: West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh The Backyard Brawl in Morgantown is always intense. With the two schools only 75 miles apart, the rivalry runs deep. If you are looking for someone for early-season excitement, look no further than WVU-Pitt. Week 4: Utah vs. Texas Tech Baylor hosting Arizona State nearly took the spot, but I think Texas Tech's trip to Salt Lake City has the potential to be electric. I like both games, and if Baylor starts the season hot, that might be the game to watch. Week 5: Colorado vs. BYU Another tough choice. You can either spend your Friday evening watching TCU go up against Arizona State or wait for a Saturday night tilt in Boulder. Your call, you really can't go wrong. Week 6: Baylor vs. Kansas State I could pick Colorado (who plays TCU in Fort Worth) again because they play nearly every top team in the conference, but for the sake of variety, here is something different. Baylor and Kansas State should be title contenders, so this one will be worth tuning in for. Week 7: Kansas State vs. TCU Week 6 is by far the most challenging slate of games to choose from. You have Iowa State visiting Colorado, Kansas at Texas Tech and Arizona State at Utah to go along with K-State hosting TCU. The Horned Frogs will have reached this game having already played Arizona and if they see a title run in their future, they will likely need a win in one of the two matchups. Week 8: Arizona State vs. Texas Tech The Holy War between Utah and BYU always delivers, but I don't think it will live up to Arizona State hosting Texas Tech. The defending champions against the popular 2025 title pick. Tech took down ASU in Lubbock last year, 30-22, and I expect the Sun Devils want revenge. Week 9: Kansas vs. Kansas State When both teams are good, the Sunflower Showdown is one of the top rivalries in the conference. The Jayhawks should be a solid team this season, making this matchup worth your while. Week 10: Kansas State vs. Texas Tech If I had to pick the top two teams in the Big 12 before the season started, it would be Kansas State and Texas Tech. They meet in Manhattan for a Week 10 showdown that could play a significant role in deciding who could play for the conference title. The Red Raiders will be hoping to end their eight-game losing streak to the Wildcats. Week 11: TCU vs. Iowa State Can Iowa State repeat the 11-win season from 2024? That could come down to a matchup against the Horned Frogs in Week 11. BYU's game against Texas Tech is also a solid matchup. Week 12: Baylor vs. Utah This is a sneaky good matchup late in the season. Baylor is a sleeper team in the Big 12, while Utah seems set for a huge rebound season. Sign me up. Week 13: Utah vs. Kansas State Utah versus Kansas State could have some postseason implications and will be a spectacle. The Sun Devils' visit to Boulder also could be memorable. Tune into both if you can. Week 14: Kansas State vs. Colorado A huge matchup to close out the regular season. Will Colorado still be in Big 12 contention? Does Kansas State need a win to clinch a championship game berth? Those questions will all be answered in Week 14. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
College Football Playoff copying NFL format would be foolish
One of college football's many beauties is that it doesn't masquerade as an NFL imitation or Triple-AAA football. Even in this era of paid athletes, college football remains distinct from the NFL. It should steadfastly protect that identity, rather than surrender it amid a foolhardy desire to mimic the pros. At least one high-ranking conference commissioner, the Big 12's Brett Yormark, appreciates college football's need to remain intentionally divergent from the NFL. That's true, Yormark says, of how college football should operate its postseason. Conference commissioners are embroiled in an ongoing debate about the future shape and structure of the College Football Playoff. Two models have been socialized most. In one corner is the Big Ten-backed auto-bid plan that would reduce the selection committee's role and award 13 of the 16 playoff spots as automatic bids, preassigned to conferences based on historical clout. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti drew inspiration from professional leagues while cooking up this playoff plan. Petitti's quest for play-in games is ripped from Major League Baseball's old playbook of a play-in round for wild-card teams. In the other corner is Yormark's favored 5+11 playoff model that would preserve and expand the selection committee's role in choosing and seeding the bracket. Five automatic bids would go to conference champions, leaving 11 at-large bids to be picked by the committee. The Big 12 and ACC back this plan, and the SEC has shown interest, too. BIG PLANS: The billionaire booster who wants to save college sports TOP 25: Ranking the best college football quarterbacks The NFL, of course, would never allow a committee to choose its playoff - but that shouldn't influence how college football models its postseason. "We do not need a professional model, because we are not the NFL," Yormark said at Big 12 media days. "We are college football, and we must act like it." Yormark nailed it. The NFL assigns playoff bids based off division standings, and wild-card selections go to teams with the best records. No committee is needed, because the NFL is neatly confined to 32 teams, divided evenly into conferences and divisions of equal size. Every team plays each divisional opponent twice during the regular season. The league fosters parity through the NFL draft, a salary cap and collective bargaining. College football features none of this NFL structure, and it won't soon feature any of this structure. So, why should its postseason structure draw inspiration from a professional league it doesn't resemble? Answer: It shouldn't. "There is nothing in sports like college football," Yormark said, "and we must protect what makes it special and do what's right for the fans of the game." To be clear, the selection committee does not form college football's lifeblood. A playoff didn't even exist until 2014. The sport's backbone is formed by rivalries, pageantry and stadium atmospheres that hit differently than the NFL. The committee becomes useful, though, in choosing a playoff field. Unlike the NFL's tidy structure, the FBS features more than 130 programs in conferences of varying sizes competing for one prize. Just consider the Power Four conferences and Notre Dame, and you're already at 68 teams - more than twice the NFL's size. Many schools play only half the teams in their own conference during the season. Schedules vary wildly in terms of difficulty. When we're left with a 10-2 team from one conference and a 9-3 team from another, the committee helps separate the wheat from the chaff. We engage in heated debates about whether the committee makes the right selections, just as we do for March Madness. Those debates are an asset to college sports, not a hindrance that requires a playoff with a stacked deck. Yormark says he's "doubling down on" his preference for a 5+11 model that would preserve the committee's role. "I have a lot of faith in the selection process," the Big 12 commissioner said. "They are doing a full audit of the selection process to figure out how they can modernize and contemporize and how they use data and how certain metrics." Amid that audit of the committee, it's worth questioning whether a sitting athletic director should chair the group. Anointing an athletic director as the committee's point-person creates, at the least, the illusion of bias. But, if the alternative to a selection committee choosing most of the field is the Big Ten's auto-bid plan that would stack the deck for the two most powerful conferences, before the season starts, then put me down in favor of the committee. The process is messy. It's controversial. It's captivating. It's subjective. And it's brilliantly unique and necessary to college sports. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
College football mimicking NFL playoff format would be foolish
When deciding the future format of the College Football Playoff, the NFL cannot serve as a guide. College football needs a selection committee, even if the NFL does not. I hear it often, from countless coaches, and some university and conference administrators, too: If only college football operated more like the NFL, that would fix some so-called problems facing the sport. They're looking at this backward. One of college football's many beauties is that it doesn't masquerade as an NFL imitation or Triple-AAA football. Even in this era of paid athletes, college football remains distinct from the NFL. It should steadfastly protect that identity, rather than surrender it amid a foolhardy desire to mimic the pros. At least one high-ranking conference commissioner, the Big 12's Brett Yormark, appreciates college football's need to remain intentionally divergent from the NFL. That's true, Yormark says, of how college football should operate its postseason. Conference commissioners are embroiled in an ongoing debate about the future shape and structure of the College Football Playoff. Two models have been socialized most. In one corner is the Big Ten-backed auto-bid plan that would reduce the selection committee's role and award 13 of the 16 playoff spots as automatic bids, preassigned to conferences based on historical clout. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti drew inspiration from professional leagues while cooking up this playoff plan. Petitti's quest for play-in games is ripped from Major League Baseball's old playbook of a play-in round for wild-card teams. In the other corner is Yormark's favored 5+11 playoff model that would preserve and expand the selection committee's role in choosing and seeding the bracket. Five automatic bids would go to conference champions, leaving 11 at-large bids to be picked by the committee. The Big 12 and ACC back this plan, and the SEC has shown interest, too. The NFL, of course, would never allow a committee to choose its playoff – but that shouldn't influence how college football models its postseason. 'We do not need a professional model, because we are not the NFL,' Yormark said at Big 12 media days. 'We are college football, and we must act like it.' Yormark nailed it. The NFL assigns playoff bids based off division standings, and wild-card selections go to teams with the best records. No committee is needed, because the NFL is neatly confined to 32 teams, divided evenly into conferences and divisions of equal size. Every team plays each divisional opponent twice during the regular season. The league fosters parity through the NFL draft, a salary cap and collective bargaining. College football features none of this NFL structure, and it won't soon feature any of this structure. So, why should its postseason structure draw inspiration from a professional league it doesn't resemble? Answer: It shouldn't. 'There is nothing in sports like college football,' Yormark said, 'and we must protect what makes it special and do what's right for the fans of the game." To be clear, the selection committee does not form college football's lifeblood. A playoff didn't even exist until 2014. The sport's backbone is formed by rivalries, pageantry and stadium atmospheres that hit differently than the NFL. The committee becomes useful, though, in choosing a playoff field. Unlike the NFL's tidy structure, the FBS features more than 130 programs in conferences of varying sizes competing for one prize. Just consider the Power Four conferences and Notre Dame, and you're already at 68 teams – more than twice the NFL's size. Many schools play only half the teams in their own conference during the season. Schedules vary wildly in terms of difficulty. When we're left with a 10-2 team from one conference and a 9-3 team from another, the committee helps separate the wheat from the chaff. We engage in heated debates about whether the committee makes the right selections, just as we do for March Madness. Those debates are an asset to college sports, not a hindrance that requires a playoff with a stacked deck. Yormark says he's 'doubling down on' his preference for a 5+11 model that would preserve the committee's role. 'I have a lot of faith in the selection process," the Big 12 commissioner said. "They are doing a full audit of the selection process to figure out how they can modernize and contemporize and how they use data and how certain metrics.' Amid that audit of the committee, it's worth questioning whether a sitting athletic director should chair the group. Anointing an athletic director as the committee's point-person creates, at the least, the illusion of bias. But, if the alternative to a selection committee choosing most of the field is the Big Ten's auto-bid plan that would stack the deck for the two most powerful conferences, before the season starts, then put me down in favor of the committee. The process is messy. It's controversial. It's captivating. It's subjective. And it's brilliantly unique and necessary to college sports. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
