The battles along the offensive and defensive lines are traditionally where football games are won or lost, especially in the Big Ten. With Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joining the conference, former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has some doubts about whether or not the former Pac-12 schools will be up to the challenge.
Meyer has recently The Herd with Colin Cowherd and talked about the biggest change for the four new schools joining the Big Ten.
“The Big Ten and certainly the top half of the league had better offensive and defensive players than I’ve seen in the Pac-12,” Meyer said. “As far as skill, quarterback play and talented athletes on defense, I think the four teams coming into the Big Ten certainly have that skill.”
“But my question is do they have the guys on offense to compete at the highest level. Because they’re going to come in right away and be in the top half of the Big Ten. But the offense and defense lines of the top teams in the Big Ten are pretty solid.”
Meyer knows how to win in the Big Ten. During his seven-year tenure at Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to an 83-9 record, a 54-4 conference record, three league titles and a national championship.
Ohio State has been very successful thanks to the work they do on the ground. Can the four newcomers strengthen their lines enough to compete in the conference?
Washington, Oregon and USC have all been fairly successful in recent seasons. UCLA has had some rocky years but is still a household name. However, these schools have been successful in the Pac-12 – a league that abandoned the smash-mouth style of football long ago.
How well prepared are these four schools for the upcoming duels? We will find out in a few weeks.
Maryland extends with Damon Evans
The University of Maryland and athletic director Damon Evans have agreed to a contract extension. A deal was announced last week that will keep Evans in College Park through the 2028-29 academic year.
Evans has been Maryland’s athletic director since June 2018. He is receiving a raise and will earn an annual salary of $1 million and annual supplemental income of $280,000, according to ESPN.
“At a time of change in the higher education landscape, Damon has proven himself to be an extremely effective leader, leading our athletic department to championship heights both on and off the field,” university President Darryll Pines said in a statement. “He has positioned our Terrapins for long-term success at the national level and I couldn’t be more pleased to have him lead the department for years to come.”
Maryland is scheduled to open the 2024 college football season on Saturday, August 31 against UConn.
Connor Stalions gets job as high school coach
Former Michigan employee Connor Stalions has a new job. The alleged culprit behind the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal is now the defensive coordinator at Mumford High School in Detroit.
Coach William McMichael confirmed the news to several media outlets. Stalions works as a volunteer on the team.
McMichael says he’s not really concerned about the controversy surrounding the Stalions. He says the players at Mumford are getting along well with the new defensive coordinator and the sign-stealing scandal has no impact at the high school level.
“They had already gotten to know him as a person, so they love him,” McMichael said via The Detroit News“The running joke is that they call him ‘Five Star Stallions.'”
Ice hockey series “Frozen Confines”: The Big Ten and the Chicago Cubs are teaming up for a special hockey series this winter, launching “The Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series” at Wrigley Field. CLICK HERE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS SHOWS: The College Football Playoff Committee has announced the dates and times for the 2024 rankings shows, which will air on ESPN. CLICK HERE
