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Vo. 1, No. 45
Well, another Big Ten Media Days is in the books.
This was my 18th (if I counted correctly) and marked the 20th anniversary of my first one.
It was also the first to be held in Chicago since 2019, an interesting milepost for Ohio State.
The Buckeyes were the undisputed kings of the conference in 2019, but they have only won the Big Ten twice since then (counting that year).
In the meantime, Michigan returned to relevance, Oregon joined the conference and Indiana inexplicably became good.
I’m sure at least two of those things never would have been predicted, but they are all reality.
Back then, Wisconsin and Penn State were the main challengers to the throne, but they usually came up short, and they’ve seen a lot of changes in the past seven years.
Nonetheless, there was always a certain feeling of (earned) superiority for Ohio State at these gatherings, and that is no longer the case.
Now Ohio State has legit threats, even if Oregon has been spanked in the last two College Football Playoffs and Ohio State beat Michigan last year.
Indiana is on top until someone knocks them off, and that’s not all.
USC is at least dangerous, and Iowa is a wild card on the schedule.
Ohio State should be more talented than all of them, but the cumulative amount of threats could wear them down, and the more close games you play, the more chance there is for a few bounces to go the other way (as happened in the Big Ten Championship Game last year).
I think if the schedule plays out as tough as it looks on paper, meaning Texas, Oregon, USC, Oregon, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan are all ranked at the end of the year, Ohio State will still probably be 10-2 at worst with three or four good wins and two good losses.
Then they just have to avoid the losses being to fellow bubble teams. That’s what bit Notre Dame last year.
So they should make the CFP and then it’s a new season, as was the case last year for OSU in 2024 and Miami last year. Then it’s really a matter of proving they either are that good or not. Such is life. That’s what you want.
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Speaking of Michigan, I sat in on some of Kyle Whittingham’s presser and came away unsure what to think.
Is this the guy who is going to fix a program that dropped precipitously the last two seasons and hasn’t won anything without cheating since 2004?
Only time will tell…
At any rate, Whittingham seemed a bit overwhelmed by the whole spectacle — “45 minutes?” he said with some incredulity when told how long his time at one of the side table answering questions would be Thursday — but settled in quickly.
Probably the most interesting thing he said was they discovered the players were behind when it comes to overall physical strength, but they have already taken care of that via winter workouts.
He was also bullish on the offensive line and sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, whom he noticed was usually under duress last season and probably poorly prepared to start as an 18-year-old freshman.
Whittingham also confirmed he sees some of his role as providing stability and removing the drama, which he noted was created by adults, not the players, over the past few seasons.
Beyond that, the Whittingham statement that got the most headlines was in regard to Ryan Day and the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. The bottom line: He respects both and hates neither.
Here’s a full rundown from my colleague Tony Gerdeman at BuckeyeInsiders.com:
Some suggested on social media that might be a bad thing, but I tend to think turning down the vitriol a bit is probably going to be good for everyone.
What else went on in Chicago?
If you hadn’t noticed, I collected lots of video you can find on my YouTube channel. (If you click like on the videos and subscribe to that channel, it helps me get more traction that will hopefully lead to being able to monetize that channel. Same goes for my professional Facebook page.)
I also wrote multiple stories for Press Pros Magazine, starting with Tony Petitti’s unconvincing argument for a 24-team playoff.
I spent a lot of time at Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain’s table hearing him talk about what they are going to do to replace Caleb Downs.
Hint: There is no simple answer, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
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What about Ohio State’s preseason football camp?
It starts Thursday morning in Columbus.
Fans who plop down $48 or more will be allowed to watch the first three practices, and the media is also invited to watch.
We’ll have interviews with coaches and players after each day, too, so you can look for updates here and at Buckeye Insiders and BuckeyeSports.com.
What are you hoping to find out during this preseason? Let me know!
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