Latest news with #DanLanning
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Highly-rated Oregon OL target announces commitment days before visit to Ducks
Highly-rated Oregon OL target announces commitment days before visit to Ducks The Oregon Ducks are preparing for the start of an incredibly busy recruiting month this weekend, with a ton of high-profile official visits on tap over the next several weeks. Unfortunately for Dan Lanning and Co., one of the top visits that they had scheduled is now in doubt. On Tuesday morning, it was announced that 4-star IOL Tommy Tofi, the No. 97 player in the class and No. 6 IOL, would be committing to the California Golden Bears. Tofi, who stands at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, was scheduled to take his official visit to Oregon this weekend, but that trip is now in question coming off of his commitment to Justin Wilcox and the Golden Bears. Tofi is a San Francisco kid who has been near the top of Oregon's recruiting board for a long time and a big target in the offensive line room. He is coming off of an official visit to California last weekend, so the timing is understandable for him to make his commitment from that perspective, but he did have OVs scheduled to Oregon this weekend, followed by trips to Tennessee and BYU. While he is verbally committed at the moment, it would come as no surprise to see A'lique Terry and his team continue to push in his recruitment and try to flip him to the Ducks before signing day takes place in December. This will be one to keep an eye on. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Oregon Ducks ranked among nation's best in first 2025 ESPN FPI release
Oregon Ducks ranked among nation's best in first 2025 ESPN FPI release Over the past decade, the sport of college football has turned into a year-round sport. Half of the year is dominated by play on the field and the race for the College Football Playoff, while the other half is filled with recruiting storylines and ranking season. We are currently in the middle of the latter half, and while Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks prepare for a massive month of recruiting, which will start this weekend with some big-time official visits, fans of rankings woke up to some great news on Tuesday morning: ESPN's first Football Power Index ratings for the 2025 season were released. For those unfamiliar with ESPN's FPI, it is an index that 'relies on past performance on offense and defense, returning and transfer production and past recruiting data for players on the roster to form a rating.' In essence, it's ESPN's way of declaring the top teams in the nation, looking at their roster, their schedule, their percentage to win each game, and where that ultimately lands them after the season comes to an end. Sometimes there are flaws in the ratings — after Oregon's 13-0 regular season and No. 1 seeding in the College Football Playoff, they were ranked No. 6 by the FPI — but at the very least, it is a valuable data point in projecting what is going to take place in a coming week or season. So where does Oregon sit at the start of the 2025 season, according to ESPN's FPI? They debut at No. 6 in the rankings. Here's a quick look at the top 10: None of those teams in the top six come as much of a surprise, but others in the top 10 like the Aggies, Hurricanes, and Volunteers might turn some heads, as many preseason polls have them rated outside of the top 10 looking in. In the end, we will see how accurate ESPN's FPI ends up being once the season gets rolling, but it's clear at the very least that the Ducks are once again projected to be one of the best teams in the country this year. ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
New York Times
17 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
College football recruiting thoughts: Slow starters, big-name FCS coaches, unusual suspects
College football has undergone massive changes over the past four years, but one trend has seemingly held steady: June and July have become the most important months on the recruiting calendar. Sure, it's fun to look at wonky recruiting rankings in April and May and see some unusual suspects at the top of the list (Illinois, Kansas and Rutgers all have top-15 classes at the moment), but things don't start to feel real until June and July, when the heavy hitters put in the most work to build their classes. Advertisement With an active couple of months on the horizon, let's examine where things stand nationally. Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite. As we open June, Texas' 2026 class is ranked 26th nationally. Oregon is 27th. Auburn is 33rd. Michigan is 38th, and Alabama is 45th. Each of these programs finished in the top 10 during the 2025 recruiting cycle. Chances are, most of them will finish in the top 10 — or close to it — again. The Longhorns finished atop the national team rankings in 2025. The Crimson Tide had a monster wave of commitments last summer. Last month, we hit on the Ducks' unusual setbacks on the recruiting trail and said it was likely Dan Lanning would have a response. Well, Oregon answered by landing a commitment from five-star edge rusher Richard Wesley, who plays for Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, Calif., three days later. But Wesley decommitted less than three weeks after he jumped into a pool with Lanning to announce his pledge. So the Ducks are in the same spot they were a few weeks back. They'll be a compelling team to watch on the recruiting trail because they'll have some urgency to notch some recruiting wins and change the narrative. Elite 2026 EDGE Richard Wesley and Oregon HC Dan Lanning celebrate the big commitment🦆 — Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 11, 2025 The Wolverines' No. 6 ranking in 2025 was their best since they signed the No. 5 class in 2017. Of course, Michigan's ranking was boosted last cycle by adding the top-ranked quarterback and No. 1 overall player in the country, Bryce Underwood. It'll be difficult to deliver that same sort of splash this cycle, but the Wolverines will likely remain consistent recruiting the trenches while trying to add more talent at the skill spots to surround Underwood in future seasons. Advertisement Auburn is coming off back-to-back top-10 classes and just signed an impressive portal class, but it's a critical year for coach Hugh Freeze on the field, so the Tigers will be interesting to watch as the cycle progresses. Oklahoma, South Carolina, Nebraska, Florida and Missouri all sit outside the top 35 of the national rankings after signing top-25 classes last cycle. Kentucky ranks 91st after signing the No. 29 class in 2025. It is the first week of June, so there is still plenty of time, but the building blocks need to be set up relatively quickly. Florida picked up a commitment from three-star IMG (Fla.) Academy offensive lineman G'nivre Carr on Sunday. Carr is only the third commitment for the Gators this cycle, and the only blue-chip pledge in the class is four-star quarterback Will Griffin (No. 218 nationally). The Gators are lacking in high-end prospects so far. Florida (Billy Napier) and Oklahoma (Brent Venables) are led by head coaches who have been constant fixtures in hot-seat discussions this offseason. That uncertainty never helps on the trail, so their slow starts are understandable. We'll see when things kick into gear for South Carolina (five commits), Nebraska (four commits) and Missouri (two commits). None of those programs have more catching up to do than Kentucky, though. The Wildcats have just one commitment — four-star in-state offensive lineman Jarvis Strickland — in the 2026 class. Deion Sanders pulled off the ultimate recruiting stunner when he was the head coach at Jackson State and landed Travis Hunter, who was the No. 1 overall prospect in the country, on the opening day of the early signing period in the 2022 cycle. Following in Jackson State's footsteps, other FCS programs have hired high-profile, former NFL stars, including two notables this offseason: Michael Vick at Norfolk State and DeSean Jackson at Delaware State. Advertisement It'll be impossible to replicate what Sanders did with Hunter, but can either of these programs convince a blue-chip prospect or high-end three-star to sign with them this cycle? Another FCS program to keep an eye on is Sacramento State. The Hornets are led by first-year head coach Brennan Marion, who was the offensive coordinator at UNLV the past two seasons and had stops at Texas and Pitt as an assistant coach before that. Sacramento State's 2026 class is ranked 70th nationally, ahead of some Power 4 programs. It's unlikely that'll hold — and the ranking is propped up by the fact Sacramento State has 17 commitments — but the class includes four players ranked in the top 1,500 nationally. That's a good mark for an FCS school. Five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, who plays for nearby Folsom (Calif.) High, took an unofficial visit to Sacramento State in March. Even though it's extremely doubtful that it leads to anything more, it's still good for Marion that Lyons took the time to learn more about the program. Sacramento State has displayed it's not afraid to take a swing. We'll see if it leads to a hit on the recruiting trail. We're mainly talking about the Big 12 and ACC schools (outside of Clemson, Miami and Florida State) here. These leagues have to fight the perception they're inferior to the SEC and Big Ten, and most of the time, on the recruiting trail, perception is reality. TCU (twice), Texas Tech and Utah have all finished with top-25 classes in the past three recruiting cycles, but none has finished in the top 15. The Utes ranked 19th in 2023. Georgia Tech had the 21st-ranked class last cycle and is the only ACC school other than Clemson, Miami or Florida State to finish with a top-25 class in the past three cycles. Advertisement There are several ACC and Big 12 schools in the top 25 right now, but if these leagues are going to improve, they'll need more of their schools to consistently finish in the top 25. • USC added five-star tight end Mark Bowman, who plays for Southern California power Mater Dei, to its 2026 class on Friday. That was a significant pickup for the Trojans, who have the No. 1 class in the country. Bowman is also the third USC commit from Mater Dei this cycle. Mater Dei has long been a traditional pipeline program for the Trojans, but that well dried up in recent cycles. USC hasn't signed a Mater Dei prospect since the 2022 recruiting cycle, which was Lincoln Riley's first as head coach. • Lyons is the last remaining uncommitted five-star quarterback, though he's essentially a 2027 prospect because he plans on serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Walker Lyons, his brother who plays tight end for USC, didn't enroll until a year and a half after he signed. USC has been recruiting Ryder pretty intensely for a while, but according to a source briefed on the pursuit, the Trojans are focused on four-star Peyton Houston from Louisiana in the 2027 cycle. Lyons was slated to visit USC this summer, but the Trojans want him to take an in-season visit if one happens at all. Lyons has visits to BYU and Oregon lined up this month. • Washington landed a commitment from four-star safety Gavin Day over the weekend. Day's pledge continues a strong recruiting stretch for the Huskies, who are poised to finish with another top-25 class under Jedd Fisch. • Four-star defensive lineman Carter Luckie committed to Georgia over the weekend. He is the 11th commitment for the Bulldogs, who are currently sixth in the team rankings. • Rutgers is making it a point to collect commitments early in the summer. At this time last year, the Scarlet Knights climbed to the top 10 after they went on a major commitment run. They finished 33rd. Rutgers received six commitments over the weekend and is now 14th nationally. • Minnesota did something similar last year and is following that approach again. The Golden Gophers received six commitments over the weekend and are now ranked 18th nationally. (Photo of Dan Lanning: Soobum Im / Getty Images)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dan Lanning Posts Immediate Reaction to Oregon's Big Recruiting News
Dan Lanning Posts Immediate Reaction to Oregon's Big Recruiting News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning had one of his most successful seasons in his third year. He accumulated a 13-1 record while reaching the Rose Bowl, eventually losing to Ohio State. Advertisement Now, throughout the offseason, Lanning has made it clear that the Ducks are continuing to build for the future, and much of that hinges on their strong ability to land talented players out of high school. So far, Lanning has assembled a 2026 recruiting class that features seven commitments, ranking No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 10 in the nation, but it's clear he wants to focus on even further in the future. On Monday, Oregon received a commitment from 2027 defensive lineman Cam Pritchett. Minutes after On3's Hayes Fawcett announced the news, Lanning reacted to the post on X with a duck emoji. Of course, landing Pritchett is very exciting for the Ducks, as On3 ranks him as a four-star recruit, the No. 16 defensive lineman, the No. 5 player in Alabama and the No. 167 player in the nation. Advertisement Standing at 6-foot-2.5 and 250 pounds, he still has two more years to develop in high school until officially hitting campus for Lanning and the Ducks. In his two seasons at the varsity level for Thompson High School, Pritchett has been impressive. He appeared in 26 games, accumulating 118 tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning. Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Oregon wasn't the only prominent program looking to land Pritchett's services either, as he also had scholarship offers from Alabama, Auburn, Penn State, Ole Miss, Florida and Ohio State. Related: Elite 5-Star Prospect Makes Feelings Clear After Official Visit to Miami This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten football 2025 conference schedules from hardest to easiest
Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten football 2025 conference schedules from hardest to easiest The 2025 college football season is inching closer, and as we cross the 100-day barrier until the season begins, you can feel anticipation start to build. Even in the ever-changing world of college football, where teams are changing conferences and players are jumping from team to team like never before, one constant will always remain: fans complaining that their team's path to the finish line is more difficult than anyone else's. A year ago, major questions faced the Oregon Ducks as they moved from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten Conference. Would they be able to hold up against the elevated competition? Dan Lanning's team answered that right away, winning the Big Ten in their first season as conference members. With marquee conference wins over Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Washington, the Ducks left little doubt that they were the best regular-season team. But will they be able to prove the same in 2025? More than that, how conducive is their schedule to establishing such a thing? This is where the conversation about strength of schedule comes in. Who does Oregon play this year, and how tough will it be to get back to the conference title game? How does their path compare to other teams in the Big Ten, and what can this tell us about who might end up in Indianapolis at the start of December? Those are things best answered by our strength of schedule rankings. Prior to the spring football season, we went through this exercise, using a combination of ESPN's SP+ rankings and combined opponent score to place a numerical value on each team's slate of games. From there, we were able to see who had the toughest path forward. After spring ball, though, the SP+ numbers got an update from ESPN's Bill Connelly. Therefore, it is worth revisiting our SOS rankings to see how much things changed as well. Here is a reminder on how things work: The equation used to compare each slate is simple. First, we take each team's SP+ rating to find a numerical value for every game. The higher that number, the tougher the matchup. We then add every opponent's SP+ rating together to find a total opponent score. That large number is divided by the number 12 (total games) to find the average opponent score — a number that can then be compared to the SP+ leaderboard to find, on average, what a team will face each week. (Note: Home and away is not factored into the model. Also, Football Championship Subdivision opponents are not listed in SP+. Every FCS opponent was assessed a "minus-15' rating, akin to the No. 118 team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.) With that, here is an in-depth look at the Big Ten's strength of schedule ranking entering the 2025 season: Total Opponent Score: 41.6 Average Opponent Score: 3.46 (akin to the 47th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): USC (11.0) Purdue (-10.0) Ohio State (29.5) Washington (6.4) Rutgers (4.7) Maryland (-1.1) Wisconsin (7.2) Northwestern (-6.1) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 18 Conference games against Ohio State, USC, and Washington could be challenging, but outside of that, Illinois should be able to handle the rest of the slate with relative ease, especially in the non-conference. 17. Michigan Wolverines Total Opponent Score: 45.6 Average Opponent Score: 3.80 (akin to the 47th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Nebraska (8.9) Wisconsin (7.2) USC (11.0) Washington (6.4) Michigan State (-0.2) Purdue (-10.0) Northwestern (-6.1) Maryland (-1.1) Ohio State (29.5) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 17 Any year in the Big Ten when you can miss two of the three big dogs — Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State — is favorable, and with Michigan only drawing the Buckeyes of that trio, it bodes well. If the QB situation is what it's cracked up to be under Bryce Underwood, the Wolverines could make some noise. That early-season game against Oklahoma should be interesting. Get more Michigan news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire 16. USC Trojans Total Opponent Score: 67.4 Average Opponent Score: 5.61 (akin to the 40th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Purdue (-10.0) Michigan State (-0.2) Illinois (14.3) Michigan (21.5) Nebraska (8.9) Northwestern (-6.1) Iowa (11.4) Oregon (24.7) UCLA (2.9) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 10 A non-conference game against Notre Dame is always going to be tough, but USC does manage to skip both Ohio State and Penn State during the season. Games against Oregon, Michigan, and Illinois could prove challenging, but we will see if Lincoln Riley's revamped squad is up to the task. Get more USC news, analysis and opinions on Trojans Wire 15. Minnesota Golden Gophers Total Opponent Score: 70.2 Average Opponent Score: 5.85 (akin to the 40th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Rutgers (4.7) Ohio State (29.5) Purdue (-10.0) Nebraska (8.9) Iowa (11.4) Michigan State (-0.2) Oregon (24.7) Northwestern (-6.1) Wisconsin (7.2) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 12 I expect Minnesota to be an average-to-above-average team in the conference this year, so they should be able to deal with a lot of the teams on their schedule, outside of the like of Ohio Stae, Oregon, and maybe Nebraska. 14. Nebraska Cornhuskers Total Opponent Score: 73.1 Average Opponent Score: 6.09 (akin to the 40th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Michigan (21.5) Michigan State (-0.2) Maryland (-1.1) Minnesota (6.0) Northwestern (-6.1) USC (11.0) UCLA (2.9) Penn State (27.7) Iowa (11.4) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 13 Missing Ohio State and Oregon is great for Nebraska, but Penn State late in the year could be challenging, and an early game against Michigan could provide an early test for Dylan Raiola and his teammates. If the QB is everything he's cracked up to be, the Cornhuskers should be able to fare well with this slate of games, though. Get more Nebraska news, analysis and opinions on Cornhuskers Wire 13. Maryland Terrapins Total Opponent Score: 74.9 Average Opponent Score: 2.87 (akin to the 39th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Wisconsin (7.2) Washington (6.4) Nebraska (8.9) UCLA (2.9) Indiana (12.2) Rutgers (4.7) Illinois (11.3) Michigan (21.5) Michigan State (-0.2) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 15 Maryland draws a nice schedule, missing out on Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State, with Michigan being the toughest game on the slate. Of course, the Terrapins also aren't one of the better teams in the conference, so it remains hard to forecast a successful season despite the relative ease of the schedule. Total Opponent Score: 76.9 Average Opponent Score: 6.40 (akin to the 39th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Illinois (14.3) Iowa (11.4) Oregon (24.7) Michigan State (-0.2) UCLA (2.9) Maryland (-1.1) Penn State (27.7) Wisconsin (7.2) Purdue (-10.0) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 16 Can Curt Cignetti bounce back from his College Football Playoff season in 2024? The non-conference slate is easy, but games against Oregon and Penn State will prove to be difficult, especially in Autzen Stadium. Outside of those two, though, I don't see many roadblocks. 11. Oregon Ducks Total Opponent Score: 80.5 Average Opponent Score: 6.70 (akin to the 38th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Northwestern (-6.1) Penn State (27.7) Indiana (12.2) Rutgers (4.7) Wisconsin (7.2) Iowa (11.4) Minnesota (6.0) USC (11.0) Washington (6.4) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 8 Oregon's non-conference schedule should be pretty straightforward, and missing the likes of Ohio State and Michigan helps in conference play. Still, games against Penn State and Washington on the road will be challenging, while Indiana and USC get the Ducks at Autzen. Get more Oregon news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire 10. Ohio State Buckeyes Total Opponent Score: 80.7 Average Opponent Score: 6.72 (akin to the 38th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Washington (6.4) Minnesota (6.0) Illinois (14.3) Wisconsin (7.2) Penn State (27.7) Purdue (-10.0) UCLA (2.9) Rutgers (4.7) Michigan (21.5) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 4 A season-opener against Texas is going to be thrilling to watch for Ohio State, but their conference slate is very manageable, with the biggest games coming against Illinois, Penn State, and Michigan at the end of the year. Get more Ohio State news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire 9. Penn State Nittany Lions Total Opponent Score: 88.0 Average Opponent Score: 7.33 (akin to the 35th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Oregon (24.7) UCLA (2.9) Northwestern (-6.1) Iowa (11.4) Ohio State (29.5) Indiana (12.2) Michigan State (-0.2) Nebraska (8.9) Rutgers (4.7) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 14 Games against Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana could prove tough for Penn State, but outside of those three, there aren't many that give you pause, especially if James Franklin can get his veteran squad playing at a similar caliber as they did a year ago. Get more Penn State news, analysis and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire 8. UCLA Bruins Total Opponent Score: 88.3 Average Opponent Score: 7.35 (akin to the 36th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Northwestern (-6.1) Penn State (27.7) Michigan State (-0.2) Maryland (-1.1) Indiana (12.2) Nebraska (8.9) Ohio State (29.5) Washington (6.4) USC (11.0) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 5 An opening game against Utah is tough for UCLA, and they get some solid teams in conference play as well, with Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State, and USC all through the regular season. Get more UCLA news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Wire 7. Washington Huskies Total Opponent Score: 93.7 Average Opponent Score: 7.80 (akin to the 35th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Ohio State (29.5) Maryland (-1.1) Rutgers (4.7) Michigan (21.5) Illinois (14.3) Wisconsin (7.2) Purdue (-10.0) UCLA (2.9) Oregon (24.7) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 11 What version of Washington can we expect this year? A return to their normal form makes this a very manageable schedule, with tough games against Oregon and Ohio State. However, another year like 2024 and games against Washington State, Michigan, and Wisconsin qualify as tough as well. Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire 6. Purdue Boilermakers Total Opponent Score: 99.5 Average Opponent Score: 8.29 (akin to the 34th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): USC (11.0) Illinois (14.3) Minnesota (6.0) Northwestern (-6.1) Rutgers (4.7) Michigan (21.5) Ohio State (29.5) Washington (6.4) Indiana (12.2) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 2 The non-conference game against Notre Dame really makes this schedule tougher than it seems, as the conference slate isn't too brutal without Oregon or Penn State on the schedule. 5. Michigan State Spartans Total Opponent Score: 100.5 Average Opponent Score: 8.37 (akin to the 34th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): USC (11.0) Nebraska (8.9) UCLA (2.9) Indiana (12.2) Michigan (21.5) Minnesota (6.0) Penn State (27.7) Iowa (11.4) Maryland (-1.1) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 9 At this point in the list, we're getting to pretty tough schedules. The non-conference is easy here, but games against USC, Nebraska, Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, and Iowa all could be a challenge for the Spartans. Get more Michigan State news, analysis and opinions on Spartans Wire Total Opponent Score: 102.2 Average Opponent Score: 8.51 (akin to the 34th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Rutgers (4.7) Indiana (12.2) Wisconsin (7.2) Penn State (27.7) Minnesota (6.0) Oregon (24.7) USC (11.0) Michigan State (-0.2) Nebraska (8.9) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 6 A non-conference game against Iowa State won't be easy, and facing Indiana, Penn State, and Oregon in a five-game stretch could prove difficult for the Hawkeyes, followed by games against USC and Nebraska not long after. Get more Iowa news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire Total Opponent Score: 107.0 Average Opponent Score: 8.91 (akin to the 34th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Oregon (24.7) UCLA (2.9) Penn State (27.7) Purdue (-10.0) Nebraska (8.9) USC (11.0) Michigan (21.5) Minnesota (6.0) Illinois (14.3) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 7 Facing Oregon and Penn State in a three-game stretch is not going to be easy, and games against Nebraska, USC, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois will all be tough down the stretch for Northwestern. 2. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Total Opponent Score: 108.9 Average Opponent Score: 9.07 (akin to the 33rd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Iowa (11.4) Minnesota (6.0) Washington (6.4) Oregon (24.7) Purdue (-10.0) Illinois (14.3) Maryland (-1.1) Ohio State (29.5) Penn State (27.7) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 3 The deadly trio of Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State on the schedule is going to be tough for any team to handle. Outside of those three, Rutgers has to deal with Iowa, Washington and Illinois, which doesn't set up for a great season. 1. Wisconsin Badgers Total Opponent Score: 124.9 Average Opponent Score: 10.4 (akin to the 32nd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Maryland (-1.1) Michigan (21.5) Iowa (11.4) Ohio State (29.5) Oregon (24.7) Washington (6.4) Indiana (12.2) Illinois (14.3) Minnesota (6.0) Previous SOS Ranking: No. 1 A non-conference game against Alabama is always going to be tough, with conference games against Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Washington. Good luck, Luke Fickell. Get more Wisconsin news, analysis and opinions on Badgers Wire Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
