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College Football News team, conference, preview and schedule pages for the 2020 season.
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College Football News team, conference, preview and schedule pages for the 2020 season.
2020 College Football Preview pages to be added as they go up.
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20 for 2020 key college football offseason topics: No. 8. The top Power Five conference quarterback battles.
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20 for 2020 key college football offseason topics: No. 8. The top Power Five conference quarterback battles.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
With no spring football, the battles for the starting quarterback jobs are going to be more interesting than ever.
Whenever there’s college football again, it’s going to be a mad dash to figure out who’s ready to step up and shine at the most important position. Throw in the transfer portal and grad transfer aspect of this, and this list can and will change around wildly over the next several months.
Which Power Five quarterback situations are the most interesting? Here we go, starting with …
The Blue Devils went from Daniel Jones under center, to Quentin Harris, and the results were sensational …
For a while.
Harris was a dominant passing force over the first four games of the season, but the offense stalled as the year went on, and he finished with just 16 touchdown passes with 11 interceptions after throwing ten scoring throws in the first four games.
Harris is gone, and the heir apparent should be Chris Katrenick, the No. 2 guy last year who only completed 3-of-13 passes for 49 yards and a touchdown with a pick. He’s a 6-3, 215-pound passer with the upside to shine as David Cutcliffe’s quarterback, but it’s going to be a fight.
6-3, 190-pound redshirt freshman Gunnar Holmberg is an elite athlete, but who can do a little bit of everything, but he’s coming off a knee injury. Once practices kick in, his mobility will be a big part of the puzzle.
And then there’s the wild card. Clemson transfer Chase Brice.
Thankful for this opportunity! #dukegang💙 pic.twitter.com/EqKzbN9Swq
— Chase Brice (@chasebrice7) February 2, 2020
The guy who saved the day two years ago for the Tigers in the win over Syracuse wasn’t going to see the light of day again as long as Trevor Lawrence could stay in one piece, but he’s looking to fill the void at Duke, take the gig, and potentially be a statistical star under Cutcliffe.
Which Big Ten schools had the best and worst years in the two major sports – football and men’s basketball?
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Which Big Ten schools had the best and worst years in the two major sports – football and men’s basketball? Which fan bases got the glory, and which ones didn’t have any fun?
Contact @PeteFiutak
On the field and court – whose fans had the most fun?
Of course every school has sports outside of the big two that matter and generate revenue, but when it comes to what athletic departments need, it’s really all about college football and men’s basketball.
Which Big Ten schools had the best and worst seasons?
Here’s how these rankings work.
1) The top-ranked schools with teams that went to a bowl game and would’ve played in the NCAA Tournament.
2) The next group had stronger football seasons and were okay in basketball. The superstar basketball schools get credit, but football is the bigger revenue generator.
3) One or the other. Usually there’s a disparity with one good season in one sport an a clunker in the other. It’s sort of a catch-all before …
4) The disasters. No bowl game, there wouldn’t have been a trip to the NCAA Tournament, no fun.
The worst-to-best Big Ten schools in 2019-2020 in college football and college basketball …
These schools suffered the indignity of failing to come up with a winning season in either of the two major sports. The fans didn’t get to have any fun.
Football: 3-9 overall, 1-8 in conference, 7th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 8-23 overall, 3-17 in conference, 13th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? Despite winning two of its last three games, the Northwestern football team came up with a stunningly miserable season. The defending Big Ten West champ started 1-8 scoring 15 points or fewer seven times. It was really, really bad, and then Northwestern basketball grabbed that beer.
Like the football team, the hoops side came up with two late-season wins, but a run of 12 straight Big Ten losses made it ugly. Two of the three conference victories came over …
Football: 5-7 overall, 3-6 in conference, 5th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 7-25 overall, 2-18 in conference, 14th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? 17 straight Big Ten basketball losses – who loses twice to 2019-2020 Northwestern? – with a depleted team was awful, but head coach Fred Hoiberg suffering from the flu on the sidelines in the Big Ten Tournament turned a horrible season frightening.
The football team lost five of its last six games, dropping the home finale to Iowa to miss out on a bowl game and close out a second straight losing season under Scott Frost.
Football: 4-8 overall, 3-6 in conference, T5th in Big Ten West
Basketball: 16-15 overall, 9-11 in conference, T10th in Big Ten
How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? The Boilermakers could never get either season going. The basketball team looked like it might turn things up a few notches in early February, but it lost four straight and five of the last seven games to go the other way.
The football team played better than the 4-8 record. Decimated by injuries – and hurt by horrible performances against Nevada and Illinois – it was a struggle to get over a 2-6 start.
Michigan State vs Michigan college basketball fearless prediction and game preview.
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Michigan State vs. Michigan college basketball fearless prediction and game preview.
Date: Saturday, February 8
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, MI
Network: FOX
– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions
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Anything interesting happening at Michigan State lately?
The Mark Dantonio retirement helped take the focus off of the basketball team’s two-game losing streak and run of four losses in the last seven games. What’s been going wrong?
The offense has is struggling, the defense isn’t forcing enough mistakes, and the team has been flat. Even so, Michigan can’t rebound with the Spartans and its D forces fewer mistakes than MSU’s.
It’s not like the Wolverines are hot, either, losing six of their last nine games.
– “Go to the bank!” Today’s top pick of the day just released
Really, what’s been going wrong with Michigan State lately?
It didn’t show up in the first half against a mediocre Wisconsin team, there were way too many turnovers and mistakes in the loss to Penn State, and there were way too many fouls in both losses.
Michigan might have a slew of problems – it’s awful on the free-throw line – but it doesn’t commit a whole lot of fouls. At home, the hope has to be to get the offense going early, generate a slew of easy transition points off of mistakes, and keep on firing from three.
Michigan State will get its mojo back with its defense.
After two sloppy games and a rough few games, it’ll turn up the intensity, dominate on the boards, and will keep the Wolverines from getting comfortable from the outside.
The Spartans have had a few days off to rest up and hear all the negativity, and now they’ll be fine again.
Michigan State 78, Michigan 67
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Michigan State -2, o/u: 142.5
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
ATS Confidence out of 5: 4
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5: Watching movies
1: Watching the Oscars
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Check out all the fearless predictions, game previews, lines and TV listings for Week 14 of the Big Ten season.
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Check out all the fearless predictions, game previews, lines and TV listings for Week 14 of the Big Ten season.
Results So Far: SU 82-15, ATS 48-44-1, o/u: 56-34-2
Click on each game for game preview & prediction
2:30 BTN | Get Tickets
BetMGM Line: Iowa -5.5, o/u: 65
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November 22, 1969 – Michigan took down No. 1 Ohio State, 24-12.
Brothers. Teammates. Champions. #GoBlue | #BeatOSU pic.twitter.com/w2q7NavuKs
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) November 26, 2019
12:00 FOX | Get Tickets
BetMGM Line: Ohio State -9.5, o/u: 51
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12:00 FS1 | Get Tickets
BetMGM Line: Illinois -9.5, o/u: 44
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12:00 ESPN2 | Get Tickets
BetMGM Line: Indiana -7, o/u: 55
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3:30 BTN | Get Tickets
BetMGM Line: Penn State -40, o/u: 49
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📍 Northrop Mall
See you on Saturday, #Gophers. https://t.co/ZwddMOxzoQ pic.twitter.com/3N3V4xihZC
— Minnesota Gophers (@GopherSports) November 26, 2019
3:30 ABC | Get Tickets
BetMGM Line: Wisconsin -2.5, o/u: 47.5
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3:30 FS1 | Get Tickets
BetMGM Line: Michigan State -21.5, o/u: 49
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Ohio State vs. Michigan fearless prediction and game preview.
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Ohio State vs. Michigan fearless prediction and game preview.
Date: Saturday, November 30
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
Network: FOX
– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions
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Penn State pushed Ohio State.
The Buckeyes were up 21-17 in the fourth quarter, there were too many sloppy mistakes, too many errors, too many …
The Nittany Lions only gained 227 yards on the day and lost 28-17.
Ohio State wasn’t in that much trouble, but that’s what passes for drama when a team is playing so incredibly well.
Even if the offense isn’t sharp, and even if Justin Fields is off – he connected on 16-of-22 passes against Penn State – and even if the great Michigan run defense holds JK Dobbins and company in check, there’s still a historically great Buckeye D to deal with.
Ohio State is allowing 217 yards per game, fewest in the nation. No one has finished a season allowing fewer than 250 per game since the 2011 Alabama team – the monster gave up just 184 yards per game and 938 rushing yards all year – that won the national title.
Chase Young gets all of the love and attention, but the linebacking corps is eating up everything. If it wasn’t for Young, we’d be talking about Malik Harrison as possibly the best defensive player in college football – if it isn’t CB Jeff Okudah, who has top five overall draft pick potential, just like Young.
Meanwhile, Fields continues to be close to flawless. Even his mistakes – a few fumbles against Penn State – come from effort and coming close to doing something big.
He threw an interception against Michigan State. One. That’s it so far to go along with his 33 touchdown passes, big runs, and general command of an offense loaded with next-level stars.
This team is really just that good.
Throw in the focus, the attitude, and now the toughness to get through a game like the Penn State win when everything wasn’t going quite right, and it plays like a team that thinks and knows it’s the best in college football.
But …
Michigan has been playing lights-out ever since halftime of the loss to Penn State. Over the last 18 quarters – including a total wipeout of Notre Dame – this might be the best the team and program have played under Jim Harbaugh.
Ohio State’s defense has been amazing, but over the last eight games after the debacle at Wisconsin, the Michigan run defense has been better.
Maryland busted off a few decent runs, and Penn State had a big dash, but no one’s gashing the group that’s been allowing fewer than 100 yards in six of the last eight games.
The line has been more active, the pass rush has been better, the third down stops are there, and overall, it’s the No. 4 D in college football allowing just 50 more yards per game – the stats are a bit high after a rough start.
But this needs to be Shea Patterson’s game.
Last year in the 62-39 loss, he threw for 187 yards and three touchdowns with a pick – he wasn’t the problem – but he sharpened up his game over the last few weeks and is playing the best ball of his career.
Michigan State is one of those big games – at least rivalry-wise – that Jim Harbaugh doesn’t get credit for winning, and Patterson came up large, throwing for 384 yards and four scores. Last week he averaged over 11 yards per throw with 366 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Indiana. In both games, he was able to bail the team out of jams and make big play after big play.
This Wolverines will never be more ready for a game like this, but …
This is the best Buckeye team yet in the Harbaugh era.
Ohio State will strike fast, and there will be some, “oh no, it’s happening again,” but the Wolverine defense will settle in, Fields will struggle to keep drives moving, and it’s going to be a fight.
Chase Young won’t be neutralized, but he’s not going to take over and dominate. The Michigan offensive line will be solid, it’ll pound away like nothing Ohio State has dealt with so far, even against Wisconsin, but …
The Ohio State O line will take over in the second half.
It’s not going to be pretty, and it’s not going to be the high-flying fun show the Buckeyes are capable of, but this is where their toughness will shine.
Michigan will be just good enough to keep this from getting out of hand, but Ohio State’s NFL talent is too strong.
The Buckeyes will make those extra few plays in the second half on both sides that Michigan can’t and won’t in a game with just enough drama to be interesting for a full four quarters.
[lawrence-related id=502045]
Ohio State 31, Michigan 23
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Ohio State -9.5, o/u: 51
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5
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5: The fried chicken sandwich of your choice (and side)
1: All things Thanksgiving dinner
Bowl Projections | CFN Rankings
Predicting The Rest of the Season
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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game. @PeteFiutak Michigan State 27, Rutgers 0 It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too …
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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game.
It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too much and the offense stalled a bit, but Cody White went off for 11 catches for 136 yards and three scores, and it was a shutout over a team that was supposed to be shutout. The program can exhale for a moment – it hit the putt.
Have a day, Cody White.
That's TD No. 3 for the @MSU_Football receiver. pic.twitter.com/rnqrtS9ybp
— Michigan St. on BTN (@MichiganStOnBTN) November 23, 2019
Rutgers just doesn’t have the offensive talent. Johnny Langan completed 8-of-20 passes for 57 yards with a pick, led the team with 49 rushing yards, and Isaiah Pacheco was held to 36 yards. It didn’t help that the Scarlet Knights were playing a team that cared.
The Spartans owned this game by more than the final score. They didn’t allow a third down conversion and held the ball for almost 38 minutes. There wasn’t any drama whatsoever.
Michigan State did what it needed to do, and now it closes out with Maryland for a shot at a sixth win and bowl eligibility. Rutgers’ season will come to a brutal but merciful end at Penn State.
Iowa played a typical Iowa game. It battled hard, played good run defense, and did enough to keep things moving through the air. It wasn’t easy, and it was a grind to do anything on the ground, but it was the eighth win of the season with just Nebraska to go. A shot at a ten-win campaign is still there.
The Hawkeyes couldn’t get any push up front – the Illinois D line did a nice job. Iowa ended up with just 79 rushing yards, and Nate Stanley wasn’t all that sharp, but he connected on a few bit pass plays with Ihmir Smith-Marsette catching four passes for 121 yards.
Nate Stanley went for 308 yards through the air as @HawkeyeFootball gets the win against Illinois.
Highlights: pic.twitter.com/LplPo4TpQh
— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) November 23, 2019
Illinois played relatively well despite only scoring ten points. The running backs didn’t get the ball enough – QB Brandon Peters led the team with 76 rushing yards – but the O averaged close to five yards per carry. The passing game didn’t cluck – Peters threw two picks – but it was an okay performance despite the final score.
It was a good fight, and now Illinois gets to go for a seventh win when it finishes up against Northwestern. If a 19-10 loss on the road to Iowa was okay, a loss of any sort to this Wildcat team would be totally unacceptable.
Check out all the fearless predictions, game previews, lines and TV listings for Week 13 of the Big Ten season.
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Check out all the fearless predictions, game previews, lines and TV listings for Week 13 of the Big Ten season.
Results So Far: SU 75-15, ATS 42-43-1, o/u: 52-31-2
Click on each game for game preview & prediction
12:00 FOX | Get Tickets
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
BetMGM Line: Ohio State -18.5, o/u: 57.5
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12:00 ABC | Get Tickets
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
BetMGM Line: Minnesota -13.5, o/u: 39.5
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[lawrence-related id=501162]
12:00 BTN | Get Tickets
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
BetMGM Line: Iowa -15.5, o/u: 46.5
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12:00 FS1 | Get Tickets
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
BetMGM Line: Michigan State -20.5, o/u: 43.5
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3:30 ESPN | Get Tickets
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BetMGM Line: Michigan -9, o/u: 52.5
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[lawrence-related id=500899]
3:30 BTN | Get Tickets
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
BetMGM Line: Nebraska -4, o/u: 62
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4:00 FOX | Get Tickets
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BetMGM Line: Wisconsin -24.5, o/u: 48
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Michigan vs. Indiana fearless prediction and game preview.
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Michigan vs. Indiana fearless prediction and game preview.
Date: Saturday, November 23
Game Time: 3:30 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Network: ESPN
– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions
If want in on this week’s games, sign up with BetMGM
Yeah, Indiana is just that good, and it’s starting with a solid season from the offensive line.
It’s doing a great job in pass protection, it’s getting just enough out of the running game when needed to be fine – even if the overall stats aren’t great – and this is a sharp, good passing game that’s getting strong performances no matter who’s under center.
Peyton Ramsey isn’t going to earn any all-star honors, but he’s been able to step up when Michael Penix went down, hitting 73% of his passes on the year with a whole lot of big plays and few mistakes.
He hit Nebraska for 351 yards, and pushed Penn State for 371 last week – the IU offense is going to keep on coming. Michigan will have to play a full four quarters, because this Hoosier attack can go on a run.
The IU defense might not be anything amazing, but it’s getting help from an offense that’s controlling the clock and keeping the chains moving. It’ll get hammered by the physical Michigan offensive front, but it should be relatively fresh in the second half.
– “Go to the bank!” Today’s top pick of the day just released
The Michigan defense has stepped it up and it’s shutting everything down.
For the last 14 quarters after halftime against Penn State, the Wolverines have been nasty on both sides of the ball, working around a run defense that’s allowing fewer than three yards per carry and has learned everything up since getting hammered by Wisconsin.
The Wolverines allowed 559 yards and eight rushing scores to the Badgers and Army, and 509 rushing yards in the other eight games. Stevie Scott is an excellent, tough back who’ll pound out the hard yards, but even though IU is able to run well enough in key situations, it’s averaging under three yards per carry over the last few games and only went for over 200 yards against Rutgers.
It’s about to get stuffed by the Wolverine defensive front.
On the other side, Shea Patterson is coming off one of his best games with the program.
He completed 73% of his throws for 384 yards and four scores against Michigan State, bailing the team out of bad situations, making plays on the move, and throwing with a confidence that hasn’t always been there throughout the year. He can take a few chances against a Hoosier secondary that’s playing well, but only has three picks.
[lawrence-related id=500899]
Indiana will be a tough out at home.
It’s been bowl eligible for a few weeks, and it can and will turn it loose in the final home game of the season. It’ll play with a good energy, the offense will keep things moving, and the Michigan defense will be on its heels for the first time in weeks.
Indiana is 7-0 when scoring 34 points or more, and 0-3 when scoring fewer than 34. Michigan allowed 35 points to Wisconsin, and no one else has scored more than 28.
But the Wolverine offense will blast away up front, Patterson will hit just enough key passes to lead the way on long marches, and then …
It’s Ohio State week.
Michigan 34, Indiana 24
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Michigan -9, o/u: 52.5
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
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5: Citizen K
1: Frozen II
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Predicting The Rest of the Season
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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 12 Big Ten game.
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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 12 Big Ten game.
Adrian Martinez was fantastic. He was fast, decisive, and he looked like the star for the Husker offense everyone is hoping he’ll be. He threw for 220 yards and a score, ran for 89 yards and a touchdown, Dedrick Mills ran for 188 yards and a score, and Nebraska gained almost 500 yards …
And Nebraska lost by 16.
W on the road ✔️
Freedom Trophy ✔️Successful trip to Nebraska#OnWisconsin || #Badgers pic.twitter.com/bkuQqFuO9r
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 16, 2019
Wisconsin got shoved around too much, struggled against the Nebraska running game, and gave up too many big plays, but Jonathan Taylor ran for 204 yards and two scores, QB Jack Coan was fine, Aron Cruickshank retuned a kick for a score, and the D came through when absolutely needed.
The Badgers need to win out and get a loss from Minnesota before they play on November 30th. Nebraska has to beat both Maryland on the road and against Iowa to go bowling.
Leave it to Northwestern to be the only team that couldn’t hang a gajillion points on the worst defense in college football. One of the scores came on a blocked field goal.
This was the game to have a whole lot of fun with the passing game. Aidan Smith completed 7-of-13 passes for 76 yards with two interceptions. Wheeeeee!
Have a day, Evan Hull.
That's three TDs for the @NUFBFamily running back. pic.twitter.com/ryvBzs9bjp
— Northwestern On BTN (@NUOnBTN) November 16, 2019
Evan Hull?! The freshman had four carries all year for 15 yards, and he ripped through the Minutemen for 220 yards and four scores on 24 carries. The Wildcats ran for 335 yards and five scores.
It’s going to take something amazing for the Wildcats to win another game with Minnesota and at Illinois to close. 2-10 would be the worst season since going 2-9 in 1993.
