June 18, 2025 • 31 mins
On this episode we welcome back good friend of the show, Adam Rittenberg to talk about the BIG10.
We talk...
We talk...
- the introduction of Clearing houses - will they regulate or complicate CFB?
- With the SEC's reluctance to move to a 9 conference game schedule can the stalemate on CFB Playoff format with the BIG10 be broken?
- Expectations for the Buckeyes with a new Matt Patricia defense and a new QB?
- How Bryce Underwood is developing so far in Ann Arbor?
- And the big question on everyone's lips - Is this finally Penn State’s year?
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm not going to comment on that.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'll get fine for the rest of my life if
I get comment on that. Natural Chaps.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
That young girls.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Hey everyone, and welcome to the College Sharps podcast. On
this episode, we're going to talk with our guest about
the changing face of the college game, but also, as
he resides deep in the heart of Big Ten country,
it would be remissal of us not to talk about
his expectations for the Big Ten this season. But first
with the Chaps and with Alex doing volleyball stuff in
Central Europe, I am joined by someone who knows more
(00:50):
about the MAC than the MAC does itself, Oliver. How
are you, my friend?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I'm doing very well. Thank you, sir. That's the best
podcast introduction I've had for at least a week week.
That was awesome. I enjoyed that.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I heard you on a competitor podcast saying that was
the best introduction they'd had all year.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
What to say about that called out on your own podcast.
Our guest is no stranger to the Chaps, and to
be fair, we love having him on to talk to us.
He spent last evening at the awesome Wrigley Field, where
he enjoyed the company of Brett Byelma, who had a
lot to say about well everything, which you might touch
on later. So it's a long overdue welcome back to
(01:31):
one of our absolute favorite guests, ESPN senior college football
writer Adam Rittenberg. Adam High, how's the Windy City treating you?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It is, it's training me. Great guys. Great to hear
from you, and great to be back on the show.
It means college football is getting closer. It's a very
exciting thing as we.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Know, yes, we can now, we can now genuinely start
counting the weeks, which is which is awesome. Allie, I
were talking about it's been a we didn't speak to
you lasteat year. I'm not quite sure how that is.
We're going to sack a booking agent after this, But
a lot has changed since we last spoke. A lot,
(02:09):
and we spent the last couple of weeks talking about
the changes to college football, mostly about the house settlement,
but also about impending changes to the college feld playoff,
which we'll touch about later on. But I guess this
last week ten days been a lot of heated debate
about clearing houses and they are involvement in the game.
(02:31):
Now we've moved kind of, I think, beyond the house settlement.
So my question to you is is the clearing house
going to be the new sheriff in town that we
need or do you think the world west is going
to get even wilder?
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You know again, I think it's natural to be skeptical,
just because you're talking about a sport where people have
always found workarounds, and even though you know, on the
surface it seems like it's a thing that should legitimize
the NIL marketplace. You know, there will be ways to
move money and create deals and get around. I just
(03:09):
that's how this sport works, and so it'll be interesting
to see, like which programs benefit the most from this model.
I think we all know which ones benefited the most
from the original model. I think we saw some programs
that that have and continue to benefit from the transfer
portal era and the NIL era, And then you wonder
who will really come out better off with with the
(03:32):
revenue sharing one thing that you mentioned, you know, Brett Bieblma,
he talked about this last night, that the portal has
really even the playing field, and I think there's hope
that if you're at a program that isn't one of
those traditional top ten, top fifteen type programs that the
revenue share era and that goes along with the portal
clearing house and everything that's going on will further even
(03:55):
things out so that you're going we're gonna have more
stories like Arizona State and sm you in Indiana in
the coming years. I still, you know, believe that the
top programs will be the top programs and they'll have
better access to talent. But yeah, I was sitting in
Ryan Day's office not that long ago, and we were
talking about, you know, how do you Ohio State that
(04:15):
just won a national championship and still has one of
the most talented rosters, if not the most in the country,
maintain your edge and recruiting because he understands that some
of the changes that have been made are probably more
beneficial to you know, programs that don't have Ohio State's
history and budget and reach, and so I think it
(04:35):
remains to be seen. But again, I was very encouraged
by the first year of the playoff to see who
made it and that we're talking about more than just
a handful of teams, because I think that, you know,
otherwise you really run the risk of having people tune
out from your sport when there's only a few teams.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
That have a real chance.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
And of course you make the most valid point of
all when we were doing a review of last season
with up to a number of people about this last
season was probably the greatest football season on records certainly
that we can remember, right in terms of competition and
excitement and your drama. There was trauma almost from their
first week in college football. So as much as it's
been a lot of whaling and gnashing your teeth over
(05:16):
the last few weeks, we do have an exciting product
to watch, don't we.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
No, Absolutely, And you know, I think especially once you
get kind of past that upper upper wrong of teams,
there's there's a real drama.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I mean, you look at the Big Twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
I was doing some radio earlier today about you know,
there was about the Big Twelve and there's just there's
so many ways you can go in that conference. You know,
in the Big Ten, sure it starts with Penn State
and Ohio State and Oregon, but you know, then there's
a tier that could go a number of different directions.
Maybe it's Indiana again, maybe it's Illinois, maybe it's Iowa,
maybe it's somebody else, Michigan, and then the SEC. I think, yes,
(05:59):
there's a larger group of teams that probably are capable
of winning a national championship. But I think there's more
uncertainty now that Nick Saban is no longer at Alabama.
And you know, Georgia has gone a couple of years
without winning a national championship, which you know, again they
went decades without winning a national championship, but then they
won two, and so you kind of wonder, oh, they're
gonna do this every year. Well, they haven't won the
(06:20):
last two and they have questions going into this season,
so you can Texas get it done. There's LSU gonna
make a playoff again. You know, there's some really fun,
fun conversations, and then you know, even all the way
down to the group of five, you know, what does
Boise State do now after making the playoff but losing
Ashton gent and it was this Memphis is year?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Is it Tulane's year? Is it? What's gonna happen with
Notre Dame. There's just a.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Lot a lot more on the plate than I think
when we went into many seasons. Guys knowing that only
a few teams could make the four team playoff and
maybe two or three could win it. I think that's
a little bit broader of a conversation right now.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
Cool this way if conversation you mentioned Memphis in two
l and I think it's Navy year this year in
the group of five, I really do SEC and Big Ten.
You touched on a length there, Adam, And that's because
obviously those two conferences are really the front runners of
power in college football right now and for the future
(07:20):
moving forward as well. But there has been We touched
on it a couple of weeks ago with Ross Bellinger.
We touched on the power struggle almost between the SEC
and Big Ten as it comes to shaping of the
college football playoff format, as it comes to the SEC's
conference schedule. It how do you see that shaking out?
(07:41):
How's that stalemate end up playing out and being resolved?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Well, you know, it's interesting, Ali, You know, those leagues
are working together more than they ever have. You know,
when I started covering the Big Ten for ESPN, you know,
there was a real rivalry and there was a respect,
but it was ls in them. It was it was separate.
And now again, there's a lot more collaboration. I was
at one of the college football playoff meetings earlier this
(08:07):
year in Dallas, and you know, the commissioners would come
out to go to the bathroom or whatever, take a break,
and Greg Sanky and Tony Pettiti would be like attached
at the hip. Mean, they're very much caucusing separately. And
then you have the spring meeting season where it felt
like the SEC went into its meetings with maybe a
little bit more aligned with the Big Ten on a
(08:28):
future playoff model, and then came out of those meetings
much closer to where maybe the ACC and the Big
twelve are with a five and eleven format. We haven't
heard a whole lot from the Big Ten. Haven't heard
much from Tony Pettiti at all, their commissioner. We've heard
from a few coaches. Brett Bilima waited in last night.
Ryan Day talked to me about his preference for a model.
And you know, again, I think the Big Ten's position is,
(08:50):
you know, we don't need to rush into anything.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I mean, we don't have to expand this thing we believe.
And I think they're right.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
In this belief that every conference that's part of a playoff.
Every conference that feeds into a playoff system should have
the same number of conference games. And you can throw
all the data you want about well our our eight
or harder than your nine. It's just a hard argument
to wrap your head around. Guys, I don't know how
you feel. And I don't know if there's a comp
in the in the EPL or somewhere you know, in
(09:19):
in in sports over there, but you know it's a
it's an unequal number of games that you play in
your conference, Like like, what's you know, how much longer?
Can you really stand on that and say, oh, well yeah,
we can all feed into the same playoff and and
and have these rules that we're all abiding by. So
I think the Big Tens position is okay, if you
want to go to a five and eleven or whatever
(09:42):
the model is, let's at least all agree to play
the same number of conference games or the same number
of power opponents. And I think that's a reasonable request.
And I again, I'm not in the Big Ten office,
but if I were, if I were them, I wouldn't
back down from that. I wouldn't just rush into a
sixteen team system and do it at these other conferences
want to do if they're not going to adjust on
(10:03):
their end, which is very much in their control, and
it is kind of laughable, you know, with Brett Bielm
was saying last night about the SEC coaches voting against
going to nine conference games. Of course, of course coaches
want to win, and that makes it harder to win.
But sometimes you get overruled, and I think for the
fans and for the game, I think we'd all agree
more SEC football is better than less SEC football. So
(10:27):
you know, it's just a it's a conversation piece of
this that has gone on I think far too long
and we're still talking about it.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
Adam, I just want to play a little bit of
the Devil's advocate with the mindset of the two conferences
with the two different formats, because I wrote a piece
of Pro Football Network last week that looked at what
the two thousand and fifty twenty five playoffs would look
like with both of the two sixteen team formats based
on what our power rankings are for this coming season.
(10:57):
And actually the the five eleven format benefits the SEC
in terms of the number of teams they would likely
get in at large, whereas the format proposed by the
Big Ten really limits what the SEC has in in the.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Final sixteen teams.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
How much of the from the SEC standpoint is them
realizing that that could be the case and also that
the Big Ten is actually a bigger power broker than
they really imagined possible. The SEC has always considered themselves
above every other conference really in terms of who they are.
I mean, it's in their very motto. But the Big
(11:39):
Ten has provided the last two national champions, and you
touched on it before. There's a number of teams that
could be real contenders in that conference and you know
nationally this season.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Right yeah, And you know they are in a little
bit different positions. I think that both could benefit from
the five and eleven format, But I guess and I
think from the Big Tens perspective, they're willing to at
least have that conversation if all of our schedule models
are equal, And you know, I think, what what's a
concern for me? Who's I've beaten the drum like maybe
(12:12):
harder than anyone over the last ten years for better
overall scheduling. And I know that's the conversation this week
at the Commissioner's meetings in North Carolina about the strength
of schedule metric, you know, it can be I think
that can be manipulated pretty easily depending on what set
set of data you're using, what types of teams you're playing.
(12:33):
But I think if you say to you know, the SEC,
either you go to nine conference games or everyone it's
part of this playoff, at least at the power conference level,
must play ten games against power conference teams. And if
it's eight and two or nine and one, you know,
so be it. But you have to do that in
order to gain consideration for the playoff. And then we'll
(12:54):
and then we'll see, right and if if you want
to go to five and eleven or sixteen at larges,
I mean, there's all sorts of I don't think a
sixteen at largest format, by the way, is beneficial because
it would leave out potentially a lot of teams that
I'd love just to see them have the opportunity to
get into the playoff. I mean, again, a playoff thing,
to me, guys, is not necessarily Once you've expanded past four,
(13:16):
you're never gonna have a year where you leave someone
out who can actually win. You just look at the
history of college football there's not gonna be a fourteen
seed or a seventeen seed that said, oh, if we
just got a chance, guys, we would have run the table.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
And what That's just not the way it works. It doesn't.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And people could say, oh, Miss ole Miss was talented
enough to win a national championship, and I would counter
that and say ole Miss was not talented.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Enough to be LSU an inferior team.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I was at the game, ole Miss was better lost
the game, Florida inferior team. Ole Miss was better lost
the game. You played yourself out. That's the way it goes.
And I just don't think they would have, if given
a chance to be in a playoff, run the table.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I just don't. I think they showed us who they were.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And so once you get past a number of teams
that has the right ones in, I would rather have
something that's more like nationally distributive. Then oh my god,
it's the sixth SEC team versus the fourth Big Ten
team or vice versa.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Let's pull our hair out.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
I mean, those teams are probably gonna be making very
early exits in the playoff.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
They just are.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
And I know there's a money component. I know there's
an ego poomp component. But but but I think the
goal is get the teams in that can win and
then have this thing be as diverse as possible without
going overboard.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And you know, giving you know, a group of.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Five League seven bids or something like that, you know
you're gonna get the right the right distribution.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
I think if you go into it with that mindset.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
And of course what we what we want and we
talked about necessarily on in the episode, is we want
we want competition, we want excitement. And there was a
danger you used to the comparison with the with the
English Premier League, but there's a danger that if we
just frontload it with all the big names, you get
just another version of the Champions League, and the this
part of the world, which frankly the shine of the
(15:02):
Champions League has has has already woren off, right because
people now see a c Malan plague andtry a Madrid,
which before was a pipe dream, and on you once
you've had that two or three times, that the shine's
no longer there. And of course the real star of
the show last year was Arizona State. Not to be
disingenuous to the Big twelve, but they were so exciting
coming through the playoff and frankly should have beaten Texas
(15:27):
that you know, that's the kind of story that you
want to come through. It's not necessarily about Penn State
playing l Issue unless that game is held on campus.
But that's the story for another time. I'm glad you
talked about sitting in Ryan Day's office, Adam, because we
want to talk about Ohio State. Always difficult when you're
(15:48):
a national champion, how you follow up the next year?
And you talked about the changes that have happened at
Ohio State. The defensive coordinators now defensive coordinator of another
big team ten school, and their quarterbacks are we off
to the NFL and they've got a transfer quarterback, and
what are your expectations for Ohio State? And they ask,
(16:09):
what are Ryan Day's expectations for Ohio State this season?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Right?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Well, I mean with Ohio State, the expectations are always high.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
They never fall off very far.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
But I think they're they're understanding there that they've lost
a lot of great players and this is going to
be very much a new team and a new season.
And in some ways that's great because it gets everybody's
attention and Ryan described this is sort of a gritty team,
a tough minded team, a team that's excited to prove
that it can follow up last year even with so
(16:39):
many new players, and possibly repeat as a national champion.
And you know you touched on some of the changes
with Matt Patricia coming in, you know, with with we
know a new quarterback, whether it's Julian Sayan or Lincoln
Keenholtz taking over for Will Howard. You know there's going
to be a new running back at least primary ball carrier.
With Trayvon Henderson and Quinn John Jenkins moving on, you're
(17:03):
gonna have a new pass rushers. So really, other than
a few spots, I qualify that by saying this, Ohio
State might have the best two players in the country. Still,
I think they have the best player in Jeremiah Smith.
And what's crazy about his situation. I was talking with
him when I was down in Columbus. I was like, dude,
you have to stay here two more years. Like, I
don't know, I don't know if I can remember a
(17:24):
situation guys where a true sophomore is entering his his
obviously second season and might already be the best player
in the country and has to by rule, remain for
two more years before he moves on to the NFL.
So I think they have the best overall player. They
might have the best defensive player as well in Caleb Downs.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
You know, he did some things.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Last year at safety, obviously at the punt return against
Indiana that really showed why he was such a big
pickup for Ohio State through the portal from Alabama.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
And so even though they lost fourteen draft picks.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
They have a lot of really high level guys that
are there and guys that just haven't had an opportunity
yet who are now in those positions. So it's a
team that might take a little while to find itself.
And obviously they have a huge game right away against Texas,
the rematch of the semi final, that we'll learn a
lot about both teams. But you know, you can never
count out Ohio State because of who they recruit and
(18:22):
who they have coming back as well as you know,
he was talking about Matt Patricia sunny styles and some
of the other guys I spoke to were very complementary
of his ability to be adaptable and not just coming
in and saying hey, I was an NFL head coach.
I worked for Bill Belichick, You're going to fit into
my system or else. He very much wants to adapt
his defense to the personnel. And you know, this year,
(18:46):
that personnel, I believe is more, you know, linebacker to
defensive back focus than maybe D line focus. Now, a
lot of coaches will tell you at US to start
with the defensive line, and I think there's a lot of.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Confidence at Ohio State.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
But the but the bottom line is this is a
completely new defensive line. So it'll be very interesting to
see how Matt adapts to a personnel grouping where you know,
I think your strengths are your safety, cornerback, linebacker, maybe
more so than the traditional D line spots.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
I just want to touch on something you said there, Adam,
before we move on to the other side of the game.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Rivalry. Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
Right, this is the last time we had a Jeremiah
Smith type conversation about a player who is clearly the
best player in college football in their sophomore season.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
There's a lot of talk then around a guy like
Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Does he change how college athletics looks at becoming more
pro like a pro model where players can go to
the pros within after one year like they do in
the NBA, as college football changes and the whole landscape changes.
Is that you think a conversation that comes up again
(19:58):
now with Jeremiah Smith.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Yeah, I haven't heard that.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
And again, I think the big, the big difference even
from you know, Trevor's time to now is is n
I L and the fact that you know, Jeremiah Smith
is being compensated extremely well to play football for Ohio
State and will continue to be obviously for the next
couple of years before he moves on to to the
NFL and we're only talking about one obviously extra year here.
(20:23):
So again, I think if more players are in that position,
maybe I think it would be very difficult, you know,
just from a physical development standpoint, you know, for for
those who are on the line of scrimmage to justify
moving to the NFL before a certain age or a
certain level of experience is in the bank. But you
look at Jeremiah Smith and you could pop, you could
(20:43):
PLoP him on an NFL roster right now.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
I mean, but he's just that rare of a player.
Speaker 5 (20:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
And uh, you know, Trevor Lawrence is a good comparison,
but again, at least you know, from what we know,
he was not getting the type of compensation that Jeremiah
Smith and Caleb Downs and the rest of these players
are getting, who obviously will will go on to the
NFL and likely be very very high draft picks.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Let's talk a little bit about Michigan. Obviously a lot
of what happens with.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
The Wolverines this season hinges on the quarterback position they
bought in mikey Kean from Presno State, But it very
much feels like, particularly from the outside looking in, that
this is probably maybe Bryce Underwood's team to lead this
season as a tree freshman.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
What are you hearing out of Anne Albury.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
About Bryce on thewards, its development, and the like heel
that he does just walk into that QB one roll
this season.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Yeah, and I think all signs point to brace Underwood
being the guy, in part because mikey Kean was injured
the spring, even though he's expected back for the preseason.
And yeah, you know, talking to some people at Michigan,
they're very very impressed, not just with the skill set
which they knew was there, but just how he's conducted himself.
Bryce I mean in terms of connecting with people in
the locker room and you know, and and fitting in
(22:00):
with the guys, even though you know, he he, he
came in not really unlike any Michigan freshman has.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I mean, they made a big, big.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Push to to land him. There's a financial piece of
that obviously, that Michigan really wasn't willing to commit before
to incoming freshmen. They were, they were to some transfers,
but not so much to a player like Bryce. So
is a big, big moment for Michigan. And you know,
the way they ended last year, I think with with
his commitment, flipping from LSU, you know, beating Ohio State,
(22:31):
which is still you know, one of the incredible upsets
at least that that I can remember, and then and
then beating Alabama, you know, despite being so undermanned, you know,
taking down Alabama in that Bowl game. You know, not
that they can you know, throw away another year, like
they've got to compete, They've got to show that, hey
we're in the playoff conversation. But you know, with with
Bryce coming in, this really feels like the start of something.
(22:53):
And here's something that's gonna last for Michigan for for
the next few years. So yeah, we're in the Bryce
Underwood era, and I think he's going to get every
opportunity to lead this offense in the twenty twenty five season,
and you know, does that lead them to the playoff?
Does that a result in a record more similar to
last year? That remains to be seen, but it'll be
really exciting to see how much progress he made because
(23:15):
you know, that was an offense that you know, we
don't need to rehash it completely, but it really bottomed
out last year. I mean, it was about as bad
as you can be from a passing standpoint. And I
know they weren't an offense that was setting the world
on fire even when they were winning the Big Ten,
but that was a pretty steep regression for Michigan in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
And now how close can they get back to.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Where they were the previous few years with Bryce Underwood
at the helm.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
The big question, and I'm not going to lie. I
had a little chuckle to myself when George sent me
the topics free for our discussion with you tonight, because
the topic of Penn State comes up every single year
and we talk about it every single year. Is this
Penn Stage year, and John said finally in brackets when
(24:07):
he sent over the topics for tonight, And that's kind
of it, right. It's a standing joke that almost every
year it feels like Penn State have got the pieces
to go all the way I felt like it might
be last year. A lot of those pieces are back
this year, is it, Adam Rittenberg Penn Stage year.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Finally, Yeah, as we said here today, absolutely, I mean,
I don't know how it could line up better for them,
especially when you look at who they're competing against. I mean,
of the four teams that reached the semi finals or
beyond and the CFP, you know, Penn State is the
only one that's returning a quarterback, you know, the returning
probably the best running back tandem in the country. Notre
(24:49):
Dame might have a case there as well, but you know,
with Nicholas Singleton and k Tron Allen coming back, a
lot of really accomplished defensive players they've added to from
the portal, I think at the position they really needed,
which was wide receiver, a group that's kind of let
them down, I would say, the last few years in
terms of high level production.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
So if not now, when.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
I mean like they've obviously had many, many, many chances
to break through, and they made the Big Ten championship
game last year.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
They were competitive in that game.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
They won you know, a couple of playoff games, but
lost to Notre Dame in the game that I felt
they were the more talented team, And so it reinforces that,
you know, can Penn State ever get it done? So
those are all fair questions, but it absolutely feels like
the year because Ohio State, we just went through their
roster situation, Oregon once again replacing a quarterback, a record
(25:41):
setting player in Dylan Gabriel. You know, Michigan is not
quite certainly where they were a few years ago, and
then the other contenders in the conference just talent wise
aren't where Penn State is. So it really feels like
this is the year for Penn State to certainly get
back to the playoff, but really make a run at
(26:04):
its first national championship since nineteen eighty six. And you know, again,
coaches and quarterbacks are always linked guys, as you know,
but you know, James Franklin and Drew Aller because each
of them has accomplished a lot, and each of them
has this kind of big game staying on them are
going to be watched every step of this season, but
(26:25):
especially in games like Oregon, which will be Penn State's
first real tests of the season, and then about a
month later going to Ohio State. You know, those are
the barometers. Now it's not about all due respect, it's
not about beating Rutgers or Maryland or Indiana or Iowa
or Illinois, like they've done that enough. Under James Franklin,
you now have to beat the elite, and if you can't,
(26:46):
you know you have to wonder if it's ever going
to happen there.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
That was actually final question was going to be Adam,
because you're closer to the school both geographically and professionally
than the two of us. You think back to we
mentioned Ole Miss. Oh Miss were very hype last year
because of the roster they had and a lot of
people saying this is missus Lane Kiffin's opportunity, this is
(27:12):
his year to amount a challenge and see a Peana
offel flat. I'm not comparing Penn State, but what's the
pressure like for James Franklin, Because you've just said if
this not this year, when what is the pressure like
from the fan base and from the school to go
that extra step and I'll certainly at least make it
(27:32):
to the semi finals, but to win the national championship, right,
So you.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Know, you have to go back and listen to it.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I think it was after one of the home losses
to Ohio State. I think it might have been twenty eighteen,
and James Franklin kind of went on this rant about,
you know, where the program was, and then kind of continued,
you even in more recent years, about the things that
were needed to get them to the level where they
would have no more excuses left. And I think that
(28:00):
is he wanted a new athletic director, and he wanted
a president who was all in and and and and
and he wanted he wanted the infrastructure to be able
to keep and add to the roster UH in a
way that gives them the best possible chance. And you look,
you mentioned it earlier for the Jim Knowles adding Jim
Knowles from Ohio State who just won a national championship,
(28:21):
who's a native of Philadelphia who grew up watching Penn
State football. You're keeping Andy Kotalnikki for another year as
offensive coordinator, keeping Drew Aller and Nicholas Singleton and k
hn Allen and denied Dennis Sutton and and some other
really good defensive players that Kei Wheatley was one of
the breakout stars I thought of the college football playoff.
So I think James would be the first to admit
(28:42):
that they're they're there. They have it set right. I mean,
no one knows what injuries and hopefully there's nothing serious
from now until the start of the season, but they're gonna,
you know, go into that very soft non conference schedule
with an a list roster, a roster that you know,
we'll look at and say, how does this group compare
to Texas and Georgia and Ohio State. And I really
(29:03):
think those are the three programs that, you know, in
my view, have sort of established the upper upper crust
of the sport. I think Penn State belongs in that
conversation this year. So I don't expect to hear excuses.
Franklin and you mentioned for the press, not that he
was making excuses. He was pointing out things that he
felt were needed, that weren't in place, that may or
(29:25):
may not have contributed to some of these performances in
the biggest of games. But I can't think of a
coach who has more pressure to win at the highest level,
not to necessarily keep his job or what. I'm not
putting him on a hot seat, but to win the
biggest games and show that you can win a national championship.
Having been at a school a really long time and
(29:46):
have has done a lot of incredible things, Now it's
time to go win the big one and we'll see
if they can get it done or not.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Well, you heard it here. This is their year, and
sadly that sold the time we have for this. So Adam,
we know you're a really busy guy and you're about
to pop off and do something else. But for our
listeners benefit, what have you got that you're working on
that we can watch out for. And what's what's in
store for the next couple of weeks for you?
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, it will be vacation for me coming up, thankfully.
But I just put out a piece last week looking
at all of the power for teams Notre Dame looking
out the next two years called Power Rankings Future Power Rankings,
where I ranked one through I think sixty eight of
HOO projects the best through the twenty twenty six season.
So We've been talking a lot about twenty twenty five,
(30:33):
but I also mentioned a guy like Jeremiah Smith who
will be back in twenty twenty six, and and others.
So which which teams are best positioned to be the
best over the next couple of seasons, And you know
there's a number of them that I think really have
some pressure to win a national championship.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Awesome, thank you, that's all from us, Thanks to Adam
and Olie for their awesome input, and thanks to you
for listening and containing to support us. Stay safe and
will and catch all next Thay.
I'm not going to comment on that.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'll get fine for the rest of my life if
I get comment on that. Natural Chaps.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
That young girls.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Hey everyone, and welcome to the College Sharps podcast. On
this episode, we're going to talk with our guest about
the changing face of the college game, but also, as
he resides deep in the heart of Big Ten country,
it would be remissal of us not to talk about
his expectations for the Big Ten this season. But first
with the Chaps and with Alex doing volleyball stuff in
Central Europe, I am joined by someone who knows more
(00:50):
about the MAC than the MAC does itself, Oliver. How
are you, my friend?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I'm doing very well. Thank you, sir. That's the best
podcast introduction I've had for at least a week week.
That was awesome. I enjoyed that.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I heard you on a competitor podcast saying that was
the best introduction they'd had all year.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
What to say about that called out on your own podcast.
Our guest is no stranger to the Chaps, and to
be fair, we love having him on to talk to us.
He spent last evening at the awesome Wrigley Field, where
he enjoyed the company of Brett Byelma, who had a
lot to say about well everything, which you might touch
on later. So it's a long overdue welcome back to
(01:31):
one of our absolute favorite guests, ESPN senior college football
writer Adam Rittenberg. Adam High, how's the Windy City treating you?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It is, it's training me. Great guys. Great to hear
from you, and great to be back on the show.
It means college football is getting closer. It's a very
exciting thing as we.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Know, yes, we can now, we can now genuinely start
counting the weeks, which is which is awesome. Allie, I
were talking about it's been a we didn't speak to
you lasteat year. I'm not quite sure how that is.
We're going to sack a booking agent after this, But
a lot has changed since we last spoke. A lot,
(02:09):
and we spent the last couple of weeks talking about
the changes to college football, mostly about the house settlement,
but also about impending changes to the college feld playoff,
which we'll touch about later on. But I guess this
last week ten days been a lot of heated debate
about clearing houses and they are involvement in the game.
(02:31):
Now we've moved kind of, I think, beyond the house settlement.
So my question to you is is the clearing house
going to be the new sheriff in town that we
need or do you think the world west is going
to get even wilder?
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You know again, I think it's natural to be skeptical,
just because you're talking about a sport where people have
always found workarounds, and even though you know, on the
surface it seems like it's a thing that should legitimize
the NIL marketplace. You know, there will be ways to
move money and create deals and get around. I just
(03:09):
that's how this sport works, and so it'll be interesting
to see, like which programs benefit the most from this model.
I think we all know which ones benefited the most
from the original model. I think we saw some programs
that that have and continue to benefit from the transfer
portal era and the NIL era, And then you wonder
who will really come out better off with with the
(03:32):
revenue sharing one thing that you mentioned, you know, Brett Bieblma,
he talked about this last night, that the portal has
really even the playing field, and I think there's hope
that if you're at a program that isn't one of
those traditional top ten, top fifteen type programs that the
revenue share era and that goes along with the portal
clearing house and everything that's going on will further even
(03:55):
things out so that you're going we're gonna have more
stories like Arizona State and sm you in Indiana in
the coming years. I still, you know, believe that the
top programs will be the top programs and they'll have
better access to talent. But yeah, I was sitting in
Ryan Day's office not that long ago, and we were
talking about, you know, how do you Ohio State that
(04:15):
just won a national championship and still has one of
the most talented rosters, if not the most in the country,
maintain your edge and recruiting because he understands that some
of the changes that have been made are probably more
beneficial to you know, programs that don't have Ohio State's
history and budget and reach, and so I think it
(04:35):
remains to be seen. But again, I was very encouraged
by the first year of the playoff to see who
made it and that we're talking about more than just
a handful of teams, because I think that, you know,
otherwise you really run the risk of having people tune
out from your sport when there's only a few teams.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
That have a real chance.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
And of course you make the most valid point of
all when we were doing a review of last season
with up to a number of people about this last
season was probably the greatest football season on records certainly
that we can remember, right in terms of competition and
excitement and your drama. There was trauma almost from their
first week in college football. So as much as it's
been a lot of whaling and gnashing your teeth over
(05:16):
the last few weeks, we do have an exciting product
to watch, don't we.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
No, Absolutely, And you know, I think especially once you
get kind of past that upper upper wrong of teams,
there's there's a real drama.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I mean, you look at the Big Twelve.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
I was doing some radio earlier today about you know,
there was about the Big Twelve and there's just there's
so many ways you can go in that conference. You know,
in the Big Ten, sure it starts with Penn State
and Ohio State and Oregon, but you know, then there's
a tier that could go a number of different directions.
Maybe it's Indiana again, maybe it's Illinois, maybe it's Iowa,
maybe it's somebody else, Michigan, and then the SEC. I think, yes,
(05:59):
there's a larger group of teams that probably are capable
of winning a national championship. But I think there's more
uncertainty now that Nick Saban is no longer at Alabama.
And you know, Georgia has gone a couple of years
without winning a national championship, which you know, again they
went decades without winning a national championship, but then they
won two, and so you kind of wonder, oh, they're
gonna do this every year. Well, they haven't won the
(06:20):
last two and they have questions going into this season,
so you can Texas get it done. There's LSU gonna
make a playoff again. You know, there's some really fun,
fun conversations, and then you know, even all the way
down to the group of five, you know, what does
Boise State do now after making the playoff but losing
Ashton gent and it was this Memphis is year?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Is it Tulane's year? Is it? What's gonna happen with
Notre Dame. There's just a.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Lot a lot more on the plate than I think
when we went into many seasons. Guys knowing that only
a few teams could make the four team playoff and
maybe two or three could win it. I think that's
a little bit broader of a conversation right now.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
Cool this way if conversation you mentioned Memphis in two
l and I think it's Navy year this year in
the group of five, I really do SEC and Big Ten.
You touched on a length there, Adam, And that's because
obviously those two conferences are really the front runners of
power in college football right now and for the future
(07:20):
moving forward as well. But there has been We touched
on it a couple of weeks ago with Ross Bellinger.
We touched on the power struggle almost between the SEC
and Big Ten as it comes to shaping of the
college football playoff format, as it comes to the SEC's
conference schedule. It how do you see that shaking out?
(07:41):
How's that stalemate end up playing out and being resolved?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Well, you know, it's interesting, Ali, You know, those leagues
are working together more than they ever have. You know,
when I started covering the Big Ten for ESPN, you know,
there was a real rivalry and there was a respect,
but it was ls in them. It was it was separate.
And now again, there's a lot more collaboration. I was
at one of the college football playoff meetings earlier this
(08:07):
year in Dallas, and you know, the commissioners would come
out to go to the bathroom or whatever, take a break,
and Greg Sanky and Tony Pettiti would be like attached
at the hip. Mean, they're very much caucusing separately. And
then you have the spring meeting season where it felt
like the SEC went into its meetings with maybe a
little bit more aligned with the Big Ten on a
(08:28):
future playoff model, and then came out of those meetings
much closer to where maybe the ACC and the Big
twelve are with a five and eleven format. We haven't
heard a whole lot from the Big Ten. Haven't heard
much from Tony Pettiti at all, their commissioner. We've heard
from a few coaches. Brett Bilima waited in last night.
Ryan Day talked to me about his preference for a model.
And you know, again, I think the Big Ten's position is,
(08:50):
you know, we don't need to rush into anything.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I mean, we don't have to expand this thing we believe.
And I think they're right.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
In this belief that every conference that's part of a playoff.
Every conference that feeds into a playoff system should have
the same number of conference games. And you can throw
all the data you want about well our our eight
or harder than your nine. It's just a hard argument
to wrap your head around. Guys, I don't know how
you feel. And I don't know if there's a comp
in the in the EPL or somewhere you know, in
(09:19):
in in sports over there, but you know it's a
it's an unequal number of games that you play in
your conference, Like like, what's you know, how much longer?
Can you really stand on that and say, oh, well yeah,
we can all feed into the same playoff and and
and have these rules that we're all abiding by. So
I think the Big Tens position is okay, if you
want to go to a five and eleven or whatever
(09:42):
the model is, let's at least all agree to play
the same number of conference games or the same number
of power opponents. And I think that's a reasonable request.
And I again, I'm not in the Big Ten office,
but if I were, if I were them, I wouldn't
back down from that. I wouldn't just rush into a
sixteen team system and do it at these other conferences
want to do if they're not going to adjust on
(10:03):
their end, which is very much in their control, and
it is kind of laughable, you know, with Brett Bielm
was saying last night about the SEC coaches voting against
going to nine conference games. Of course, of course coaches
want to win, and that makes it harder to win.
But sometimes you get overruled, and I think for the
fans and for the game, I think we'd all agree
more SEC football is better than less SEC football. So
(10:27):
you know, it's just a it's a conversation piece of
this that has gone on I think far too long
and we're still talking about it.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
Adam, I just want to play a little bit of
the Devil's advocate with the mindset of the two conferences
with the two different formats, because I wrote a piece
of Pro Football Network last week that looked at what
the two thousand and fifty twenty five playoffs would look
like with both of the two sixteen team formats based
on what our power rankings are for this coming season.
(10:57):
And actually the the five eleven format benefits the SEC
in terms of the number of teams they would likely
get in at large, whereas the format proposed by the
Big Ten really limits what the SEC has in in the.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Final sixteen teams.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
How much of the from the SEC standpoint is them
realizing that that could be the case and also that
the Big Ten is actually a bigger power broker than
they really imagined possible. The SEC has always considered themselves
above every other conference really in terms of who they are.
I mean, it's in their very motto. But the Big
(11:39):
Ten has provided the last two national champions, and you
touched on it before. There's a number of teams that
could be real contenders in that conference and you know
nationally this season.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Right yeah, And you know they are in a little
bit different positions. I think that both could benefit from
the five and eleven format, But I guess and I
think from the Big Tens perspective, they're willing to at
least have that conversation if all of our schedule models
are equal, And you know, I think, what what's a
concern for me? Who's I've beaten the drum like maybe
(12:12):
harder than anyone over the last ten years for better
overall scheduling. And I know that's the conversation this week
at the Commissioner's meetings in North Carolina about the strength
of schedule metric, you know, it can be I think
that can be manipulated pretty easily depending on what set
set of data you're using, what types of teams you're playing.
(12:33):
But I think if you say to you know, the SEC,
either you go to nine conference games or everyone it's
part of this playoff, at least at the power conference level,
must play ten games against power conference teams. And if
it's eight and two or nine and one, you know,
so be it. But you have to do that in
order to gain consideration for the playoff. And then we'll
(12:54):
and then we'll see, right and if if you want
to go to five and eleven or sixteen at larges,
I mean, there's all sorts of I don't think a
sixteen at largest format, by the way, is beneficial because
it would leave out potentially a lot of teams that
I'd love just to see them have the opportunity to
get into the playoff. I mean, again, a playoff thing,
to me, guys, is not necessarily Once you've expanded past four,
(13:16):
you're never gonna have a year where you leave someone
out who can actually win. You just look at the
history of college football there's not gonna be a fourteen
seed or a seventeen seed that said, oh, if we
just got a chance, guys, we would have run the table.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
And what That's just not the way it works. It doesn't.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And people could say, oh, Miss ole Miss was talented
enough to win a national championship, and I would counter
that and say ole Miss was not talented.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Enough to be LSU an inferior team.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I was at the game, ole Miss was better lost
the game, Florida inferior team. Ole Miss was better lost
the game. You played yourself out. That's the way it goes.
And I just don't think they would have, if given
a chance to be in a playoff, run the table.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I just don't. I think they showed us who they were.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And so once you get past a number of teams
that has the right ones in, I would rather have
something that's more like nationally distributive. Then oh my god,
it's the sixth SEC team versus the fourth Big Ten
team or vice versa.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Let's pull our hair out.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
I mean, those teams are probably gonna be making very
early exits in the playoff.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
They just are.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
And I know there's a money component. I know there's
an ego poomp component. But but but I think the
goal is get the teams in that can win and
then have this thing be as diverse as possible without
going overboard.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And you know, giving you know, a group of.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Five League seven bids or something like that, you know
you're gonna get the right the right distribution.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
I think if you go into it with that mindset.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
And of course what we what we want and we
talked about necessarily on in the episode, is we want
we want competition, we want excitement. And there was a
danger you used to the comparison with the with the
English Premier League, but there's a danger that if we
just frontload it with all the big names, you get
just another version of the Champions League, and the this
part of the world, which frankly the shine of the
(15:02):
Champions League has has has already woren off, right because
people now see a c Malan plague andtry a Madrid,
which before was a pipe dream, and on you once
you've had that two or three times, that the shine's
no longer there. And of course the real star of
the show last year was Arizona State. Not to be
disingenuous to the Big twelve, but they were so exciting
coming through the playoff and frankly should have beaten Texas
(15:27):
that you know, that's the kind of story that you
want to come through. It's not necessarily about Penn State
playing l Issue unless that game is held on campus.
But that's the story for another time. I'm glad you
talked about sitting in Ryan Day's office, Adam, because we
want to talk about Ohio State. Always difficult when you're
(15:48):
a national champion, how you follow up the next year?
And you talked about the changes that have happened at
Ohio State. The defensive coordinators now defensive coordinator of another
big team ten school, and their quarterbacks are we off
to the NFL and they've got a transfer quarterback, and
what are your expectations for Ohio State? And they ask,
(16:09):
what are Ryan Day's expectations for Ohio State this season?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Right?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Well, I mean with Ohio State, the expectations are always high.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
They never fall off very far.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
But I think they're they're understanding there that they've lost
a lot of great players and this is going to
be very much a new team and a new season.
And in some ways that's great because it gets everybody's
attention and Ryan described this is sort of a gritty team,
a tough minded team, a team that's excited to prove
that it can follow up last year even with so
(16:39):
many new players, and possibly repeat as a national champion.
And you know you touched on some of the changes
with Matt Patricia coming in, you know, with with we
know a new quarterback, whether it's Julian Sayan or Lincoln
Keenholtz taking over for Will Howard. You know there's going
to be a new running back at least primary ball carrier.
With Trayvon Henderson and Quinn John Jenkins moving on, you're
(17:03):
gonna have a new pass rushers. So really, other than
a few spots, I qualify that by saying this, Ohio
State might have the best two players in the country. Still,
I think they have the best player in Jeremiah Smith.
And what's crazy about his situation. I was talking with
him when I was down in Columbus. I was like, dude,
you have to stay here two more years. Like, I
don't know, I don't know if I can remember a
(17:24):
situation guys where a true sophomore is entering his his
obviously second season and might already be the best player
in the country and has to by rule, remain for
two more years before he moves on to the NFL.
So I think they have the best overall player. They
might have the best defensive player as well in Caleb Downs.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
You know, he did some things.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Last year at safety, obviously at the punt return against
Indiana that really showed why he was such a big
pickup for Ohio State through the portal from Alabama.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
And so even though they lost fourteen draft picks.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
They have a lot of really high level guys that
are there and guys that just haven't had an opportunity
yet who are now in those positions. So it's a
team that might take a little while to find itself.
And obviously they have a huge game right away against Texas,
the rematch of the semi final, that we'll learn a
lot about both teams. But you know, you can never
count out Ohio State because of who they recruit and
(18:22):
who they have coming back as well as you know,
he was talking about Matt Patricia sunny styles and some
of the other guys I spoke to were very complementary
of his ability to be adaptable and not just coming
in and saying hey, I was an NFL head coach.
I worked for Bill Belichick, You're going to fit into
my system or else. He very much wants to adapt
his defense to the personnel. And you know, this year,
(18:46):
that personnel, I believe is more, you know, linebacker to
defensive back focus than maybe D line focus. Now, a
lot of coaches will tell you at US to start
with the defensive line, and I think there's a lot of.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Confidence at Ohio State.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
But the but the bottom line is this is a
completely new defensive line. So it'll be very interesting to
see how Matt adapts to a personnel grouping where you know,
I think your strengths are your safety, cornerback, linebacker, maybe
more so than the traditional D line spots.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
I just want to touch on something you said there, Adam,
before we move on to the other side of the game.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Rivalry. Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
Right, this is the last time we had a Jeremiah
Smith type conversation about a player who is clearly the
best player in college football in their sophomore season.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
There's a lot of talk then around a guy like
Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Does he change how college athletics looks at becoming more
pro like a pro model where players can go to
the pros within after one year like they do in
the NBA, as college football changes and the whole landscape changes.
Is that you think a conversation that comes up again
(19:58):
now with Jeremiah Smith.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Yeah, I haven't heard that.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
And again, I think the big, the big difference even
from you know, Trevor's time to now is is n
I L and the fact that you know, Jeremiah Smith
is being compensated extremely well to play football for Ohio
State and will continue to be obviously for the next
couple of years before he moves on to to the
NFL and we're only talking about one obviously extra year here.
(20:23):
So again, I think if more players are in that position,
maybe I think it would be very difficult, you know,
just from a physical development standpoint, you know, for for
those who are on the line of scrimmage to justify
moving to the NFL before a certain age or a
certain level of experience is in the bank. But you
look at Jeremiah Smith and you could pop, you could
(20:43):
PLoP him on an NFL roster right now.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
I mean, but he's just that rare of a player.
Speaker 5 (20:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
And uh, you know, Trevor Lawrence is a good comparison,
but again, at least you know, from what we know,
he was not getting the type of compensation that Jeremiah
Smith and Caleb Downs and the rest of these players
are getting, who obviously will will go on to the
NFL and likely be very very high draft picks.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Let's talk a little bit about Michigan. Obviously a lot
of what happens with.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
The Wolverines this season hinges on the quarterback position they
bought in mikey Kean from Presno State, But it very
much feels like, particularly from the outside looking in, that
this is probably maybe Bryce Underwood's team to lead this
season as a tree freshman.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
What are you hearing out of Anne Albury.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
About Bryce on thewards, its development, and the like heel
that he does just walk into that QB one roll
this season.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Yeah, and I think all signs point to brace Underwood
being the guy, in part because mikey Kean was injured
the spring, even though he's expected back for the preseason.
And yeah, you know, talking to some people at Michigan,
they're very very impressed, not just with the skill set
which they knew was there, but just how he's conducted himself.
Bryce I mean in terms of connecting with people in
the locker room and you know, and and fitting in
(22:00):
with the guys, even though you know, he he, he
came in not really unlike any Michigan freshman has.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I mean, they made a big, big.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Push to to land him. There's a financial piece of
that obviously, that Michigan really wasn't willing to commit before
to incoming freshmen. They were, they were to some transfers,
but not so much to a player like Bryce. So
is a big, big moment for Michigan. And you know,
the way they ended last year, I think with with
his commitment, flipping from LSU, you know, beating Ohio State,
(22:31):
which is still you know, one of the incredible upsets
at least that that I can remember, and then and
then beating Alabama, you know, despite being so undermanned, you know,
taking down Alabama in that Bowl game. You know, not
that they can you know, throw away another year, like
they've got to compete, They've got to show that, hey
we're in the playoff conversation. But you know, with with
Bryce coming in, this really feels like the start of something.
(22:53):
And here's something that's gonna last for Michigan for for
the next few years. So yeah, we're in the Bryce
Underwood era, and I think he's going to get every
opportunity to lead this offense in the twenty twenty five season,
and you know, does that lead them to the playoff?
Does that a result in a record more similar to
last year? That remains to be seen, but it'll be
really exciting to see how much progress he made because
(23:15):
you know, that was an offense that you know, we
don't need to rehash it completely, but it really bottomed
out last year. I mean, it was about as bad
as you can be from a passing standpoint. And I
know they weren't an offense that was setting the world
on fire even when they were winning the Big Ten,
but that was a pretty steep regression for Michigan in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
And now how close can they get back to.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Where they were the previous few years with Bryce Underwood
at the helm.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
The big question, and I'm not going to lie. I
had a little chuckle to myself when George sent me
the topics free for our discussion with you tonight, because
the topic of Penn State comes up every single year
and we talk about it every single year. Is this
Penn Stage year, and John said finally in brackets when
(24:07):
he sent over the topics for tonight, And that's kind
of it, right. It's a standing joke that almost every
year it feels like Penn State have got the pieces
to go all the way I felt like it might
be last year. A lot of those pieces are back
this year, is it, Adam Rittenberg Penn Stage year.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Finally, Yeah, as we said here today, absolutely, I mean,
I don't know how it could line up better for them,
especially when you look at who they're competing against. I mean,
of the four teams that reached the semi finals or
beyond and the CFP, you know, Penn State is the
only one that's returning a quarterback, you know, the returning
probably the best running back tandem in the country. Notre
(24:49):
Dame might have a case there as well, but you know,
with Nicholas Singleton and k Tron Allen coming back, a
lot of really accomplished defensive players they've added to from
the portal, I think at the position they really needed,
which was wide receiver, a group that's kind of let
them down, I would say, the last few years in
terms of high level production.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
So if not now, when.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
I mean like they've obviously had many, many, many chances
to break through, and they made the Big Ten championship
game last year.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
They were competitive in that game.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
They won you know, a couple of playoff games, but
lost to Notre Dame in the game that I felt
they were the more talented team, And so it reinforces that,
you know, can Penn State ever get it done? So
those are all fair questions, but it absolutely feels like
the year because Ohio State, we just went through their
roster situation, Oregon once again replacing a quarterback, a record
(25:41):
setting player in Dylan Gabriel. You know, Michigan is not
quite certainly where they were a few years ago, and
then the other contenders in the conference just talent wise
aren't where Penn State is. So it really feels like
this is the year for Penn State to certainly get
back to the playoff, but really make a run at
(26:04):
its first national championship since nineteen eighty six. And you know, again,
coaches and quarterbacks are always linked guys, as you know,
but you know, James Franklin and Drew Aller because each
of them has accomplished a lot, and each of them
has this kind of big game staying on them are
going to be watched every step of this season, but
(26:25):
especially in games like Oregon, which will be Penn State's
first real tests of the season, and then about a
month later going to Ohio State. You know, those are
the barometers. Now it's not about all due respect, it's
not about beating Rutgers or Maryland or Indiana or Iowa
or Illinois, like they've done that enough. Under James Franklin,
you now have to beat the elite, and if you can't,
(26:46):
you know you have to wonder if it's ever going
to happen there.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
That was actually final question was going to be Adam,
because you're closer to the school both geographically and professionally
than the two of us. You think back to we
mentioned Ole Miss. Oh Miss were very hype last year
because of the roster they had and a lot of
people saying this is missus Lane Kiffin's opportunity, this is
(27:12):
his year to amount a challenge and see a Peana
offel flat. I'm not comparing Penn State, but what's the
pressure like for James Franklin, Because you've just said if
this not this year, when what is the pressure like
from the fan base and from the school to go
that extra step and I'll certainly at least make it
(27:32):
to the semi finals, but to win the national championship, right,
So you.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Know, you have to go back and listen to it.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
I think it was after one of the home losses
to Ohio State. I think it might have been twenty eighteen,
and James Franklin kind of went on this rant about,
you know, where the program was, and then kind of continued,
you even in more recent years, about the things that
were needed to get them to the level where they
would have no more excuses left. And I think that
(28:00):
is he wanted a new athletic director, and he wanted
a president who was all in and and and and
and he wanted he wanted the infrastructure to be able
to keep and add to the roster UH in a
way that gives them the best possible chance. And you look,
you mentioned it earlier for the Jim Knowles adding Jim
Knowles from Ohio State who just won a national championship,
(28:21):
who's a native of Philadelphia who grew up watching Penn
State football. You're keeping Andy Kotalnikki for another year as
offensive coordinator, keeping Drew Aller and Nicholas Singleton and k
hn Allen and denied Dennis Sutton and and some other
really good defensive players that Kei Wheatley was one of
the breakout stars I thought of the college football playoff.
So I think James would be the first to admit
(28:42):
that they're they're there. They have it set right. I mean,
no one knows what injuries and hopefully there's nothing serious
from now until the start of the season, but they're gonna,
you know, go into that very soft non conference schedule
with an a list roster, a roster that you know,
we'll look at and say, how does this group compare
to Texas and Georgia and Ohio State. And I really
(29:03):
think those are the three programs that, you know, in
my view, have sort of established the upper upper crust
of the sport. I think Penn State belongs in that
conversation this year. So I don't expect to hear excuses.
Franklin and you mentioned for the press, not that he
was making excuses. He was pointing out things that he
felt were needed, that weren't in place, that may or
(29:25):
may not have contributed to some of these performances in
the biggest of games. But I can't think of a
coach who has more pressure to win at the highest level,
not to necessarily keep his job or what. I'm not
putting him on a hot seat, but to win the
biggest games and show that you can win a national championship.
Having been at a school a really long time and
(29:46):
have has done a lot of incredible things, Now it's
time to go win the big one and we'll see
if they can get it done or not.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Well, you heard it here. This is their year, and
sadly that sold the time we have for this. So Adam,
we know you're a really busy guy and you're about
to pop off and do something else. But for our
listeners benefit, what have you got that you're working on
that we can watch out for. And what's what's in
store for the next couple of weeks for you?
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, it will be vacation for me coming up, thankfully.
But I just put out a piece last week looking
at all of the power for teams Notre Dame looking
out the next two years called Power Rankings Future Power Rankings,
where I ranked one through I think sixty eight of
HOO projects the best through the twenty twenty six season.
So We've been talking a lot about twenty twenty five,
(30:33):
but I also mentioned a guy like Jeremiah Smith who
will be back in twenty twenty six, and and others.
So which which teams are best positioned to be the
best over the next couple of seasons, And you know
there's a number of them that I think really have
some pressure to win a national championship.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Awesome, thank you, that's all from us, Thanks to Adam
and Olie for their awesome input, and thanks to you
for listening and containing to support us. Stay safe and
will and catch all next Thay.
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