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The College Football Report with Eric & Ryan: Big Ten Pre-Preview (Podcast No. 321.3) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

0:00
[SPEAKER_02]: What you are listening to now is the Central Indiana Sports Report podcast.
0:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Number three, hundred and twenty one point three.
0:08
[SPEAKER_02]: The college football report with Eric and Ryan Robinson are big tin pre preview.
0:15
[SPEAKER_02]: We call it that because we will have our official big tin preview right before the season with all of our official picks and everything like that.
0:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Here they are, Eric and Ryan Robinson, Eric are named Big Tim Guy.
0:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Ryan of course also contributing to the conversation.
0:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Eric and Ryan will join us weekly throughout the year to talk college football and of course react to all the big games across the country, particularly IU Notre Dame and Purdue.
0:46
[SPEAKER_02]: So make sure you subscribe.
0:48
[SPEAKER_00]: You're listening to the central Indiana Sports Report with your host, Greg Menkels.
0:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Welcome, college football fans.
1:00
[SPEAKER_02]: I wish fans who's your fans, boiler maker fans and even Buckeye and Wolverine fans do the central Indiana Sports Report for our big tin.
1:11
[SPEAKER_02]: What I'm calling pre preview will have an actual preview when we get closer to the season.
1:17
[SPEAKER_02]: But I just wanted to catch up with Eric and Ryan Robinson after a few weeks away from college football talk and get an idea of what it's going to be like in the big tin and go through Eric's levels of the big tin, of course, Eric is our big tin guy, Ryan a little bit more of our SEC guy, both our Notre Dame guys.
1:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Huge Notre Dame, IU fans as well.
1:39
[SPEAKER_02]: So we've got it covered here.
1:42
[SPEAKER_02]: And Eric, let's start with your bottom, sixteenths, sixteenths you don't think will be a factor.
1:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Just mention them.
1:48
[SPEAKER_02]: We don't need to go through details.
1:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
1:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
1:51
[SPEAKER_01]: So with an eighteen team conference, I mean, there's going to be, we talked about it last year.
1:56
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to talk about it next year.
1:58
[SPEAKER_01]: There's just teams that are not going to be in the mix or contention.
2:03
[SPEAKER_01]: The bottom fix in no order UCLA, Michigan State, Rutgers, Maryland, Northwestern,
2:12
[SPEAKER_01]: And I did put Purdue last, but that's not because I think they're going to be live.
2:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, guys.
2:21
[SPEAKER_02]: I think Purdue's going to win at least one big ten game this year.
2:24
[SPEAKER_02]: I like this the way Odoms go and take in this program.
2:28
[SPEAKER_01]: I like your optimism and I hope they win I hope they win seven games.
2:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not I'm not hating on Purdue but right this just I know we're gonna move on but briefly on Purdue they're at a man there at a fork in the road here which way this program is gonna go they only return one starter on a team that didn't win any games last year's
2:51
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you don't want a lot of stairs in the team, but only one game left.
2:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they had to bring in.
2:56
[SPEAKER_01]: They brought in fifty two kids to from the portal and not one for far.
3:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
3:02
[SPEAKER_01]: So a lot of moving around over there, not a good formula to get a program back on track, but I hope I don't, they find a way.
3:12
[SPEAKER_02]: But Odom can coach.
3:16
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
3:17
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's go.
3:17
[SPEAKER_02]: I go to your next level.
3:19
[SPEAKER_02]: I guess we'll call these outside contenders.
3:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so my my luck.
3:24
[SPEAKER_01]: The last four teams contending.
3:27
[SPEAKER_01]: So this would basically be like number nine through twelve.
3:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I have Iowa Washington, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
3:36
[SPEAKER_02]: More surprise.
3:36
[SPEAKER_02]: I was outside of your top twelve.
3:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, so there's a there's a little bit of a criteria.
3:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Go buy and you look at the strength of schedule a returning
3:45
[SPEAKER_01]: a starter from the year ago and the quarterback situation.
3:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I think those three things are the top three things you want to look at with the program.
3:55
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, Mark McMask is awfully good Eric from North Dakota State.
4:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
4:01
[SPEAKER_01]: We will see, but they have the third toughest schedule this year in the big ten.
4:05
[SPEAKER_01]: I would, which is, which is different from last year, which is why I had Iowa think number four or five, I think.
4:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
4:13
[SPEAKER_02]: You said if they got anything out of the passing game, they'd be the best team in the country, and then they did not.
4:19
[SPEAKER_02]: They did not.
4:19
[SPEAKER_01]: But you got you got quarterback issues at Washington with constant just stagnant at the moment.
4:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Their schedule is not very favorable as well.
4:28
[SPEAKER_01]: I think let's look at their returners.
4:30
[SPEAKER_01]: They return nine starters.
4:31
[SPEAKER_01]: So they're right in the middle of the pack on everything.
4:34
[SPEAKER_01]: There's not a lot to be excited about just yet for Luke Fickle in that program.
4:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, so I will say at Washington, demand Williams, a lot of buzz about the freshman quarterback.
4:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Eric, and then the next level of teams, we're going to start to get into a little more.
4:52
[SPEAKER_02]: These are teams that you expect to be in the post.
4:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
4:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I've kind of got these group together as well.
4:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Just a little three pack of Nebraska, Indiana and USC think definitely all going to go bowling.
5:05
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think they're going to contend for a big tent title.
5:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, I know people are going to not like this, but I think Nebraska and USC have a better chance of stirring the pot a little bit in the league than Indiana.
5:20
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not high on Indiana this year at all.
5:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Same way.
5:25
[SPEAKER_01]: No, but you look at Dylan Royale coming back in Nebraska.
5:28
[SPEAKER_01]: They did go bowling last year.
5:30
[SPEAKER_01]: USC has seemed to have found their quarterback last year.
5:35
[SPEAKER_01]: He started last four games.
5:37
[SPEAKER_01]: And they've got probably the best wide receiver unit in the country with picking up a portal kid.
5:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm also a little bit with USC is I've watched USC so many times my whole life because Notre Dame plays him every year.
5:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think I don't think it's possible for them to go four years and be mediocre.
5:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm betting a lot that this team is ready to go.
6:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Offensively they're ready to go Lincoln Riley.
6:05
[SPEAKER_01]: He better get something going this year.
6:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Seems like the offensive line might be a little better this year for USC.
6:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
6:11
[SPEAKER_01]: I look for them.
6:12
[SPEAKER_01]: It could be.
6:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Man, I think they could be as good as maybe top four.
6:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
6:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Now I've got them in the
6:21
[SPEAKER_01]: low ran to top ten, but they're there's talent there, and I know they spend a lot of money in the off season.
6:27
[SPEAKER_01]: So we'll see what happened.
6:29
[SPEAKER_01]: To quarterback, that play is going to be the issue there.
6:31
[SPEAKER_01]: And the kid only has four starts.
6:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And the last two touchdowns he threw last year, they were to Notre Dame.
6:37
[SPEAKER_01]: So take a chance by Gray and Xavier Watts.
6:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Ryan, anything you disagree with so far?
6:45
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I, you know, my concern with Wisconsin is, you know, that's the real passionate fan base and Luke Fickle right now, sat, thirteen and thirteen and two years.
6:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think one report I saw, they had them finish in like twelve to the big ten.
6:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
7:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I wonder how hot his team might be getting.
7:03
[SPEAKER_01]: And as far as I, you guys, I mean, the turnaround was so quick last year and just the passion that the program
7:12
[SPEAKER_01]: came with and filled that stadium up for home games.
7:15
[SPEAKER_01]: It was really cool to see.
7:16
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just, I'm wondering if they're start to the season and not not just the season, the conference season, because they got three cupcakes to start with.
7:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, cupcakes.
7:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Man.
7:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
7:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Can we talk about that for a moment?
7:32
[SPEAKER_01]: So the national narrative last year on IU was their schedule.
7:37
[SPEAKER_01]: You had to hear it every week, the schedule, the schedule.
7:39
[SPEAKER_01]: And you're going to come off of a college football playoff run and open up with old Dominion and Kennesal State.
7:47
[SPEAKER_01]: then Indiana State.
7:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I say shame on you, Indiana.
7:51
[SPEAKER_01]: That's not acceptable.
7:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but those schedules are made a few years in advance.
7:56
[SPEAKER_01]: So they they couldn't have foreseen this happening.
7:59
[SPEAKER_01]: But my argument with I you and and you know how neat it was last year to rally without program.
8:05
[SPEAKER_01]: What happens Eric your thoughts?
8:08
[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to start three, you know, probably.
8:11
[SPEAKER_01]: And then they could be looking at a one and two start.
8:15
[SPEAKER_01]: in the big ten.
8:16
[SPEAKER_01]: That's if they win the home opener against Illinois who you haven't even mentioned yet.
8:22
[SPEAKER_01]: So I know you have them in your top eight.
8:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And then you go on the road to Iowa and then on the road to Oregon.
8:29
[SPEAKER_01]: So as fast as that balloon inflated last year was support at what point could it deflate?
8:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Could a one or two big ten start to it?
8:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, back to the scheduling issue.
8:42
[SPEAKER_01]: We see
8:43
[SPEAKER_01]: How many times will we see Notre Dame change their preseason schedule?
8:46
[SPEAKER_01]: They do it on the fly every year.
8:48
[SPEAKER_01]: They just, yeah, hurt the Miami.
8:49
[SPEAKER_01]: They could this year.
8:51
[SPEAKER_01]: If Indiana wanted to change their schedule, they could have there.
8:54
[SPEAKER_01]: There would be plenty of teams who would love to have an Indiana on their on their non-confident across like an FBC team to play in Indiana.
9:02
[SPEAKER_01]: They could have had plenty of, yeah, they could have plenty of takers to jump in there.
9:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, not even a max school.
9:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
9:11
[SPEAKER_02]: You know, not even a Mac school, that is embarrassing.
9:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think it is to the season.
9:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, there are three of them, but I've got them actually, and I do have Illinois coming up.
9:23
[SPEAKER_01]: That's week one and the big ten as you mentioned Illinois on the road to IU and that's a pivotal game right there.
9:29
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the season making victory.
9:32
[SPEAKER_01]: in their right direction for one of those two teams.
9:34
[SPEAKER_01]: And with the schedule after Illinois for Indiana, they better be Illinois because they're looking to go in three.
9:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
9:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
9:41
[SPEAKER_01]: They go out Iowa and Oregon.
9:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And that Illinois game's not going to be easy.
9:45
[SPEAKER_01]: They are so good at quarterback that the Altmiar kid decided to return and he had big numbers last year.
9:52
[SPEAKER_01]: So I looked for him to have it even bigger year this year.
9:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Are they good enough in the trenches Illinois?
9:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, and here.
10:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely, they are.
10:02
[SPEAKER_01]: They're, you know, that's coach by Liam as four.
10:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, they're, they're big up front on both sides of the ball.
10:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to ask you guys a couple questions.
10:11
[SPEAKER_01]: How many games did Illinois win last year?
10:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Ten.
10:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Who did they beat?
10:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Who did they, they won ten games?
10:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Who did they beat?
10:20
[SPEAKER_01]: And their bowl game.
10:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Um.
10:25
[SPEAKER_01]: They beat all their line up for South Carolina.
10:28
[SPEAKER_01]: And remember whose South Carolina was at the time?
10:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Everyone was crying about them being a playoff.
10:33
[SPEAKER_01]: They should have made the playoff.
10:34
[SPEAKER_01]: They should have made the playoff.
10:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Illinois goes out and put it up and on them.
10:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they're going to have a really solid season.
10:45
[SPEAKER_02]: It's just hard for me to imagine the Illinois and Indiana are going to have a big game in the big tent.
10:51
[SPEAKER_02]: We call it's crazy.
10:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And then you have the programs like Michigan State who thought they had a home run with the new hire and that blew up in their face and now they're picked like seventeen than the conference.
11:03
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, it's just that's how quick things could turn in college football.
11:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Eric, I know we're going to have some disagreements at the top five because I think there's a team that has a higher ceiling than even Ohio State and Penn State.
11:16
[SPEAKER_02]: But let's hear your top five.
11:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, and now you, you've
11:21
[SPEAKER_01]: got me interested in your opinion.
11:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I'm going to make a change on the fly.
11:24
[SPEAKER_01]: I was debating it prior to our call.
11:27
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll start with number five and work up.
11:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Man, I'm just going to go.
11:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to go for it.
11:33
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
11:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Number five, I got Oregon.
11:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Big questions at quarterback Greg.
11:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Dante Moore didn't play it all last year.
11:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Set behind Dylan Gabriel.
11:44
[SPEAKER_01]: He had a mediocre season that UCLA two years ago.
11:47
[SPEAKER_01]: He hasn't done.
11:47
[SPEAKER_01]: He's thrown eight passes in two years.
11:51
[SPEAKER_01]: He's the starter for a reason.
11:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, Dan Lannie knows way more about college football than I do, but that's a huge red flag for me.
12:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Is that quarterback?
12:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Are there schedule?
12:02
[SPEAKER_01]: They go to Penn State, but they have USC in Indiana at home.
12:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I think they're, this was the team I was getting ready to make a move on the fly.
12:11
[SPEAKER_01]: I was going to, I get to the Oregon being number two.
12:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I got him at five.
12:16
[SPEAKER_02]: That's how good this big jump is going to be, isn't it?
12:19
[SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be amazing because
12:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't want to do a spoiler alert.
12:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's let's move on to four and I'll tell you my logic on how these teams can move around.
12:28
[SPEAKER_01]: So number four, this will make my friends at work happy.
12:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I got Michigan back in the game coming off when wins.
12:34
[SPEAKER_01]: I know they don't matter year to year, but that program, that went over Ohio State was amazing.
12:40
[SPEAKER_01]: And then they go on to the bowl game and beat Alabama.
12:43
[SPEAKER_01]: They're on a huge high.
12:45
[SPEAKER_01]: They land the number one player in the country and Bryce Underwood.
12:49
[SPEAKER_01]: It's right.
12:50
[SPEAKER_01]: And right now, they haven't enough than the starting quarterback.
12:54
[SPEAKER_01]: But if he does win the job, they're looking at being solid there at quarterback for at least three years.
13:01
[SPEAKER_01]: But right now, Davis Warren's also in the mix who started games for him last year.
13:06
[SPEAKER_01]: And Michigan has the easiest schedule in the big ten.
13:10
[SPEAKER_02]: This they do.
13:12
[SPEAKER_02]: I think they are the sleeper to win the big ten.
13:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they're not going to quarterback.
13:17
[SPEAKER_01]: You're talking about they stole at the five hours from LSU.
13:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Lakers.
13:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Bryce Underwood.
13:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
13:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but they only have to go to Nebraska to USC and they obviously are going to have a higher state at home, but they have a nice non conference game at Oklahoma before big ten season.
13:36
[SPEAKER_01]: So kudos to Michigan for going out and playing some real football team, but yeah, the schedule of the big ten schedule lines up perfectly for them.
13:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And on their returning starters, I know they were decimated a year ago after that national championship run, lost all their offensive line and defensive line.
13:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Michigan has thirteen starters coming back.
13:57
[SPEAKER_01]: So watch out for Michigan this year.
13:59
[SPEAKER_01]: If they get the quarterback play, I agree with Greg.
14:02
[SPEAKER_01]: They could be the team to beat.
14:04
[SPEAKER_02]: What do you just agree so far, Ryan?
14:07
[SPEAKER_02]: Anywhere?
14:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think Oregon finishes as low as five.
14:12
[SPEAKER_01]: I just think if there's a coach that can get quarterback play and maximize it, it's day and lightning.
14:16
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think he'll figure out a way to make that quarterback situation work and they're just talented all over the ball defensively offensively.
14:25
[SPEAKER_01]: So I would have, you know, before any games are played, probably number three would be the lowest I would start Oregon at.
14:33
[SPEAKER_01]: They're the team I'm struggling with.
14:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Most of all like I said, they were the team.
14:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I could move them up to two.
14:39
[SPEAKER_01]: I could see them at three, but I'm going to stick with what I'm saying because that's what we do and that's right.
14:45
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll see how it plays out.
14:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I put them at five for a reason and that's how I felt.
14:49
[SPEAKER_01]: So, but yeah, I'm probably going to.
14:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I could see it going either way and they could win the big day and who knows.
14:57
[SPEAKER_02]: Before we get to your top three.
15:00
[SPEAKER_02]: I've first of all, I want to brag real fast that I picked Purdue to finish last last year in the big ten so I nailed that.
15:07
[SPEAKER_02]: But let's go over some of your picks from last year because we were talking about that before the podcast and you pretty even having I you in the top five unbelievable predictions last year.
15:19
[SPEAKER_02]: I thought you were nuts.
15:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I know I think everyone did and they've probably stopped listening to about week four.
15:28
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe Eric does know what he's talking about.
15:31
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, you had, first of all, you had Ohio State winning a good all before the season.
15:35
[SPEAKER_02]: You did deviate that from that during the season.
15:39
[SPEAKER_02]: I want to say that, but that was your.
15:44
[SPEAKER_02]: For sure, you picked Ohio State to win it all.
15:46
[SPEAKER_02]: So you got that one.
15:47
[SPEAKER_02]: What else?
15:48
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't recall off the top of my head, but pretty much nailed all of your predictions.
15:53
[SPEAKER_01]: One of the more
15:56
[SPEAKER_01]: The crazy one was the, I said the loser, the Ohio State Oregon game would probably likely come back and when the playoff rematch and when the whole time.
16:06
[SPEAKER_01]: That's right.
16:06
[SPEAKER_01]: That's right.
16:07
[SPEAKER_02]: That's right.
16:08
[SPEAKER_02]: I need to start polling our predictions and keeping track because last year, some of your predictions were every week we were saying, man, as you call that exactly.
16:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, don't hang onto my Jackson dart for Heisman.
16:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, and, and your on this national side of predictions.
16:27
[SPEAKER_01]: I keep forgetting Lane Kiffens are coach.
16:30
[SPEAKER_01]: That's right.
16:31
[SPEAKER_01]: You do.
16:31
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
16:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Wait, who's your top three, Eric?
16:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
16:36
[SPEAKER_01]: At number three, Illinois, like we mentioned earlier, that ten and two last year, they have the third easiest schedule in the big ten this year.
16:48
[SPEAKER_01]: They're only road game.
16:51
[SPEAKER_01]: with any significance is week one at Indiana.
16:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, week four of the season, but week, big ten season, week one.
16:59
[SPEAKER_01]: They're at Indiana and they have USC at home and Ohio State at home.
17:05
[SPEAKER_01]: You mentioned Drew Altmark returning last year, three for just under three thousand yards and twenty two touchdowns.
17:13
[SPEAKER_01]: He's just a game.
17:14
[SPEAKER_01]: He reminds me a lot of Drew Aller at Penn State.
17:18
[SPEAKER_01]: He just doesn't get you in trouble.
17:20
[SPEAKER_01]: He takes care of the game, manages the game.
17:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And of all the returning starters, Illinois has sixteen of them.
17:28
[SPEAKER_01]: They lead the Big Ten and Returners.
17:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And they're one of five teams that have a returning quarterback.
17:32
[SPEAKER_01]: We didn't mention that earlier, but this is from eighteen teams, Penn State, Nebraska, Illinois, Purdue, and Oregon because Dante Moore did play before.
17:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Have a quarterback returning.
17:45
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of unknowns out there from top to bottom.
17:49
[SPEAKER_01]: You have the portal people coming in.
17:51
[SPEAKER_01]: You have head to head, uh, competition going on, especially at our number two school.
17:57
[SPEAKER_01]: And we can jump into that and that's Ohio State.
18:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Returning started for them.
18:02
[SPEAKER_01]: They've got nine.
18:05
[SPEAKER_01]: And they've got, they're right in the middle of the pack on scheduling.
18:08
[SPEAKER_01]: They got, uh, at Illinois, which is going to be huge.
18:11
[SPEAKER_01]: And of course, into the year at Michigan.
18:13
[SPEAKER_01]: They're hosting Texas in week one in August.
18:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, big boy football, big boy football, not like they do in Bloomington.
18:22
[SPEAKER_01]: No, they'll play Penn State at home as well.
18:25
[SPEAKER_01]: The big, you know, the question that for Ohio State is quarterback play right now.
18:30
[SPEAKER_01]: They have to have a name to starter.
18:31
[SPEAKER_01]: They've got a kid to a retro junior and a retro sophomore.
18:35
[SPEAKER_01]: The sophomore is a transfer transfer from Alabama.
18:39
[SPEAKER_01]: So they got the Julian Fayan and Lincoln Kindholds.
18:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
18:43
[SPEAKER_01]: So the quarterback issue there is huge.
18:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And it was funny when I was checking some of the roster for Ohio State, different local newspaper articles would pop up.
18:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And the Columbus faithful are in a frenzy over this quarterback competition.
19:01
[SPEAKER_01]: And they've never really had a competition a quarterback before.
19:05
[SPEAKER_01]: And you think back over the years, their quarterbacks have just been lined up until they weren't last year.
19:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And they go get Will Howard out of the portal.
19:13
[SPEAKER_01]: But you look at their quarterback last ten years, they've just lined them up and lined them up.
19:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And so this is new for them.
19:20
[SPEAKER_01]: They must have confidence in either one of these two kids or they would have went out and got somebody.
19:24
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think it'll work out.
19:26
[SPEAKER_01]: But the talent, the talent on the other on offense and defense for Ohio State is off the charts.
19:33
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you might have the best defensive player in the country, not just the big ten.
19:38
[SPEAKER_01]: And Caleb down and then in the front running for the high has been and definitely big ten offensive player the year for me is Jeremiah Smith.
19:47
[SPEAKER_01]: So they've got playmakers.
19:48
[SPEAKER_01]: They've got to figure out which one of these quarterbacks can get Jeremiah Smith the football and he's going to get the starting job.
19:56
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll go to our number one team and I think this is a clear hands down number one pick.
20:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I know they're not getting a lot of love unanimously like they should but Penn State.
20:06
[SPEAKER_01]: is the clear favorite for me to win the big ten.
20:09
[SPEAKER_01]: They're gonna have a three year starter in general.
20:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I think that team's so good, Greg.
20:16
[SPEAKER_01]: They're solid on, but every, every five to the game.
20:20
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm going to officially put my James Franklin choke narrative to, to rest.
20:26
[SPEAKER_01]: I will not mention it at all after what he did last year.
20:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm high on this Penn State team.
20:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And I can't I think Nick Singleton running back might be.
20:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Man, he may be the first running back taken in the draft.
20:43
[SPEAKER_01]: This kid, when you watch him up close, I got to see him at the Orange Bowl and he is just a different kind of a runner.
20:51
[SPEAKER_01]: fast, and he can come out of the backfield catching the football.
20:55
[SPEAKER_01]: He can run over people, but him and K-Tron Allen both were over a thousand yards for Penn State last year, and they're both back.
21:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Not Penn State offense is going to be electric.
21:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Schedule wise, they go to Iowa, to Ohio State, but they got Oregon and Indiana at home.
21:11
[SPEAKER_01]: This is the of the top five.
21:14
[SPEAKER_01]: This was the easiest for me to pick was Penn State number one.
21:19
[SPEAKER_01]: And they might have gotten better on defense and
21:22
[SPEAKER_01]: They only gave up, I think, sixteen points last year and they might be even better this year.
21:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they left the abdual Carter in the draft, but they, they returned fourteen starters.
21:31
[SPEAKER_01]: They're not going to skip a beat.
21:32
[SPEAKER_01]: They left the Tyler Warren, a tie-down abdual Carter on defense.
21:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Great college football players, but I'm pretty sure they have a tie-down who's going to step in and be just fine there for Penn State.
21:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And you lose Carter on defense.
21:48
[SPEAKER_01]: They're not going to take a step backwards.
21:50
[SPEAKER_01]: I think they go move forward.
21:52
[SPEAKER_01]: They're really going to continue for a national championship, I think.
21:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Would they be your pick right now?
21:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I think they would be based on just based on the history the last few years at quarterback.
22:06
[SPEAKER_01]: You're bringing it back a guy for his third year.
22:09
[SPEAKER_01]: If you look at the national champions, the last, we'll go go back to our three years.
22:15
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to give you a list of names, winners and losers in the title game of quarterbacks who played in the title game.
22:21
[SPEAKER_01]: And the reason they got there, I'm telling you the reason they got their big time reason they got there was quarterback play in experience.
22:29
[SPEAKER_01]: A couple years ago, Michigan, Washington, you got McCarthy, Michael Panics, how many starts they have combined?
22:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Stifty.
22:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Stethon Bennett at Georgia started for three years.
22:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Last year, Will Howard,
22:44
[SPEAKER_01]: three-year starter, Riley Leonard, three-year starter, his team makes the championship game.
22:50
[SPEAKER_01]: You have to have leadership and experience at the quarterback position to win the title.
22:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Ten states got it.
23:02
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, this is a perfect time since you got to your number one.
23:07
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, we've watched college football for so many years and, you know, the SEC dominated for about fifteen years straight now.
23:14
[SPEAKER_01]: But Eric, you're the Big Ten expert, is this going to be the third year in a row, the Big Ten wins the national title?
23:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to say yes.
23:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And I tell you why, and Greg, you can add it this out if I say anything I shouldn't say.
23:28
[SPEAKER_01]: But with this NIL, the impact of the NIL on the Big Ten is impacting the Big Ten more positively than the SEC, because
23:43
[SPEAKER_01]: This has been going on in the SEC schools for a long time.
23:45
[SPEAKER_01]: They're already doing it there.
23:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Now you've got these big ten schools that we leveled the playing field.
23:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Even building that's right.
23:53
[SPEAKER_01]: If you can make money and go to Michigan.
23:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Why not go to Michigan?
23:58
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, you would go to Ole Miss before to get paid or where at whatever.
24:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not going to put any stuff on last, but then there's always been the SEC's always been playing, paying players.
24:09
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think the fact that players can stay in the Midwest and go to schools like Michigan and Penn State, I think even Notre Dame, we talk about them later, look at what they're doing recruiting and then I think it's given the entire country and opportunity to play.
24:29
[SPEAKER_01]: on the level that the federal schools have been playing on for decades.
24:33
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think the big tennis is going to run with this.
24:37
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you see, you know, Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon.
24:41
[SPEAKER_01]: We've got teams that can win the whole thing.
24:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Michigan, they may make a run.
24:45
[SPEAKER_02]: I have a feeling you're wrong about Illinois.
24:47
[SPEAKER_02]: I think they will not finish as high as you think, but we'll see.
24:50
[SPEAKER_02]: It's probably just my bias of the last fifty years of proof.
24:55
[SPEAKER_02]: So often to play over the year, then Eric is going to be
24:59
[SPEAKER_02]: Drew Owler is going to be Jeremiah Smith.
25:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Man, that's a good question.
25:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Right now, I'm going to say Jeremiah Smith.
25:07
[SPEAKER_01]: And I would almost put Nick Singleton ahead of Drew Owler too.
25:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Nick Singleton is going to have a year.
25:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Even the player of the year downs.
25:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's clear.
25:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, hands down.
25:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb downs right now.
25:22
[SPEAKER_02]: So who's the sleeper in your mind?
25:24
[SPEAKER_01]: To win the big ten championship, my sleeper would be
25:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Gosh, Nebraska.
25:31
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a good one.
25:33
[SPEAKER_02]: You can see I think there's up to like maybe ten teams.
25:37
[SPEAKER_02]: Good if everything went right.
25:39
[SPEAKER_02]: It wouldn't be that surprising if they were big ten champions or in the playoffs.
25:45
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
25:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Can't wait for the college football season.
25:47
[SPEAKER_02]: This is a fun pre preview of the big ten.
25:51
[SPEAKER_02]: We will do another one in the next couple of weeks for the SEC and then kind of take a look at the national picture and of course we'll talk Irish.
25:58
[SPEAKER_02]: all before the official second season gets going in early August.
26:03
[SPEAKER_02]: Thanks so much, guys.
26:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Appreciate it.
26:06
[SPEAKER_02]: Appreciate it.
26:08
[SPEAKER_02]: It had been way too long since we'd had a college football report.
26:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Thought we really needed that and now we will continue doing that every week through the end of the college football season.
26:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for listening.
26:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Please consider sharing these podcasts with
26:27
[SPEAKER_02]: the college football fans in your life.
26:31
[SPEAKER_02]: Also, Eric and Ryan, run and incredible food trailer called Daddy O's.
26:38
[SPEAKER_02]: If you're watching on YouTube, you saw the ads, but please go check them out.
26:43
[SPEAKER_02]: They're amazing and of course they're great guys.
26:47
[SPEAKER_02]: They deserve your support.
26:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Central India's Portugal is a product of ITG media.