Lead Studio Host - Big Ten Network. Author of the New York Times and Boston Globe Bestseller: The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation
Nebraska is the first team in college football history to lose 9 games by single-digits margins in the same season. They went (1-8) in the Big Ten, and their combined scoring margin in those gms was 0. Lost 8 by 49 pts, beat Northwestern by 49 points.
Always interesting to look through the final coaches’ poll ballots. Dabo apparently doesn’t think much of the
@OhioStateFB
team he’s preparing to face in the CFP.
That a former walk-on made the game-winning shot to get
@MSU_Basketball
to the Final Four against a bunch of McDonald's All-Americans is everything that 's fun about college sports.
If there’s one sweatshirt that best captures the “can we please get that elusive first title?” sentiment for
@BoilerBall
fans - I think this one from Nur Chapman might be the one.
Purdue lost more than 5,100 career points off of last year's team. Aside from Carsen Edwards, they returned 11 career starts. And they're going back to the Sweet 16. Pretty remarkable story.
So MSU doesn’t get a 1 AND ends up in same region as
#1
overall seed. I know how hard this gig is, and respect it immensely - but come on. Just feel like they deserved better
Iowa is just the 4th team ever to win 4 games in 4 days to win the Big Ten Tourney.
Pretty amazing to lose the National Player of the Year and then do this the very next season. Amazing job by Fran McCafferey and his staff.
Congratulations to my daughter, who set a new world record for most kitchen glasses stored in one bedroom, breaking her own mark set 2 weeks ago. We will not reveal her identity to shield her from the Paparazzi, but I think we can all agree her devotion to hydration is admirable
6 Big Ten teams in the Round of 32 ties for the most ever (1994 and 2013). So, if either Wisconsin or Ohio St. wins, conference will have a new record. Speaks to the depth of the league this year - a theme we’ve discussed all season.
Incredibly happy for everyone associated with
@boilerball
program. They spent the last couple years listening to doubts/jokes. Answered every question about past failures – never ducked from it. Just got back to work, got better & changed the narrative. See you in Phoenix.
This is just brutal for Michigan. Stars were aligned for them to be a CFP team this season, and instead they deliver these last two performances. OSU in transition, PSU losing a generational QB, MSU with offensive issues. HAS to happen next year, doesn’t it?
Extremely impressive
@UMichFootball
practice today. Very good team with talent everywhere.
Ran a lot of team, which we could not tape, but will share some of the indy video. Love the WR crew - Darrius Clemons looks poised to follow up on big spring game.
Crushed by the passing of Jamie Samuelsen, a wonderful friend for the last 30 years. Jamie was, quite simply, one of the best people I know - smart, funny, caring and incredibly talented. Cancer is so cruel and unfair. Please keep Jamie in your thoughts. I know I will.
Am I the only one who hates the new format for setting an alarm in the new iOS - typing in the time rather than spinning the wheel? Loved the spin - felt getting my shot with Bob Barker on the Big Wheel on the Price is Right. Anyone know if there's a way to get it back to that?
Are you serious with this? Chuck and Mike were both great visionaries in our business - and may they both Rest In Peace. This is not meant to disagree with that part of your tweet at all - nothing but respect for both. But they were 7 years behind on this particular project.
Five years ago today the
@SECNetwork
arrived and
changed college sports forever. Let’s never forget the two visionaries who made it happen: Mike Slive and Chuck Gerber.
What a win for
@RutgersMBB
If the Quad 1 wins they have accumulated are not enough to offset a couple of bad losses from early in the season, then the system is flawed and should be changed. That’s a tourney quality team that no one would want to play.
Per
@BTNStatsGuys
Nebraska is the first team in the history of major college football to lose 7 straight games with all 7 losses coming by a single digit margin.
Per
@BTNStatsGuys
Iowa's 7 pts today were the fewest for a Big Ten team in a win since.. wait for it.. Iowa's famed 6-4 win over Penn St. in 2004
Lest I remind you - that Iowa team won a Big Ten championship
Overall observation watching Scott Frost’s 2nd
@HuskerFBNation
team - this is a MUCH better looking team physically than a year ago. Have made major strides
Northwestern offficials tell me that more than 3,100 students have signed up to go to B1G Champ Gm on buses provided by NU. Will get game tickets from an anonymous donor. Factoring in the team, band, etc, more than 40% of NU's undergraduate population (8,278) will be in Indy
The issue to me is this: The ideally-constructed conference for winning a nat’l championship is one with 1 or 2 great teams & a bunch of mediocre ones. Not only is depth not rewarded, it’s a detriment, because it increases chances of great tms getting knocked off along the way.
Argument seems to be Bama is
#1
because they beat UGA. But UGA beat no one in committee’s Top 19. So, perish the thought, maybe they weren’t
#1
. ‘Bama looked avg vs Ark & Aub and lost to
#25
. Mich manhandled
#7
& 13 & lost close to
#11
. There’s at least a discussion for Mich
#1
.
I have known
@TrevAlberts
for a long time, so maybe I'm biased - but feels to me like he will find a really good HC for Nebraska. Struck the right tone, totally gets and loves the place and knows the game as well as anyone. No reason
@HuskerFBNation
can't be competitive.
Kenny Goins started his career with
@MSU_Basketball
as a walk-on.
Now he's become a central figure on this Spartans team as they play for a
#B1GTourney
Championship today.
Life during COVID sucks. But today my family experienced something that never would have happened without the pandemic - as special and memorable a day as one could have with some of our dearest friends in the world. (Thread)
Is there a more misused word on social media than “apart” when the writer really wants to say “a part?” (ie: “honored to be apart of the program,” - which means the exact opposite of its intent). Does this bother anyone else to the degree it bothers me? Or am I just a curmudgeon?
Excited to be back at it tonight for Minnesota and Iowa on
@BigTenNetwork
with the great
@stephenbardo
Thanks to all who have reached out during my health challenge - has meant so much.
Happy Anniversary
@BigTenNetwork
I was honored to utter these 1st words on the network 14 years ago and continue to be honored to cover these schools that mean so much to so many people.
Can’t wait to kick off our 15th season of football Thursday night!
Can we talk about
@RFootball
OC Sean Gleeson as a candidate for the Broyles Award? A team that averaged 5.7 ppg in Big Ten play last year (no, that's not a typo - 5.7 is the real number) is now averaging 30.8.
2 crazy stats out of Northwestern win. They have been the underdog 27 straight times vs. Wisconsin and won 13 of the games outright.
NU has now beaten UW 4x since the East-West split (4-3). The other 5 West teams combined have beaten the Badgers 3x (3-28).
I have known Ben Johnson for a long time and think he’ll do great at Minnesota. That being said, in looking at this roster in the pre-season, I thought they’d be overmatched in the Big Ten this year. Blown away by the job he has done. Incredibly impressive.
16 yrs ago today, we launched
@BigTenNetwork
Grateful for vision of many - including those here - Jim Delany, Mark Silverman & original EP, the late Leon Schweir. Had no idea what I was getting into w
@HowardGriffith
&
@gerrydinardo
, but, man, it’s been fun
Not going to bury the lead - Hudson Card was REALLY good. He absolutely put on a show. Tremendous arm, threw from a bunch of different angles - in the pocket, on the run. He is a game-changer and will be one of the better QB’s in the B1G.
Back-up Bennett Meredith was solid too
One shudders to think what Coastal Carolina would do to Clemson.
In all seriousness, I can’t for the life of me figure out why Dabo did this. Added fuel to the fire.
In my Sunday processing mode as I prepare for the week ahead & look forward to Indy. Among the stats that just blows me away from Michigan's win - the Wolverines allowed 0 tackles for loss. Marks 1st time OSU hasn't had one in at least 16 yrs. Total line of scrimmage dominance.
For some perspective on Beilein - consider - when he took over at Michigan, the school was in the midst of the 2nd longest NCAA Tourney drought of any B1G school. He went to 9 in 12 yrs and 2 Nat'l Title games. And, on top of that, he's a total class act. Will be sorely missed.
Mel Tucker raved to us about WR Keon Coleman’s freakish athleticism. Will also play hoops for Tom Izzo. Part of a very talented WR crew in East Lansing.
Just to be clear - this Mississippi State team that's getting gashed repeatedly by a .500 team is the best win for the
#1
team in the nation, correct? And before you tell me they lost their QB, let's clarify that he doesn't play defense
I generally steer clear of self-congratulatory behavior, but one of my daughters texted me today to see what my opinion is of Mo Bamba's health heading into the NCAA Tourney, and I have to admit, I felt a moment of pride for a parenting job well done.
Barry Alvarez will go down as one of the most important figures in
@bigten
history. Helped transform a football program & by extension, entire
@UWBadgers
athletic dept. A great partner to us at
@bigtennetwork
. Wishing him nothing but happiness in next chapter - will be missed.
How’s this for dedication - the Paint Crew is already here to root on
@BoilerBall
- the earliest arrivals were at 5:30 am local time - a mere 10 hours before the gates open.
Really like the RB group at PSU. Amazingly, their longest TD run last season was 7 yds - but is a talented group, led by 2 outstanding Fr - Kaytron Allen & Nicholas Singleton. Singleton showed off his receiving chops as well today, catching a wheel route & running away for a TD.
Kirk Ferentz’s teams have typically been known for elite offensive line play. Has fallen off the past couple of years. Encouraged by what we saw today. A group that moves well and seems to have improved depth.
Mickelson is just great in the booth. There is no detail too small. But what’s really cool about it is that he just did exactly what these guys are doing right now - played the same course with the same set-up. Is there another sport where this is possible? Can’t think of one..