Tag: 2021 Big Ten Media Days

Will the Big Ten rotate sites for its football championship game?

The Big Ten championship game outside of Indy makes as much sense as divisions named ‘Legends” and ‘Leaders’

On Thursday the Big Ten held its annual football media day event on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium. The change of location from Chicago was appropriate given the stadium’s recent history as the home of the Big Ten football championship game, one it has hosted since 2011. But it turns out, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren took to the podium on the playing field of Big Ten champions (and the Indianapolis Colts) to suggest the conference was thinking about potentially moving the game.

And not just moving to a new permanent home, but rotating the game between cities throughout the Big Ten’s footprint.

In a word; pointless.

On the surface, it makes sense for the Big Ten to want to explore other potential homes for its conference championship game. There are plenty of worthy options to consider that would easily be able to accommodate such a game with NFL cities all over the Big Ten’s landscape. A Big Ten championship game in the Meadowlands? How about in Detroit? Or Minneapolis? Who wouldn’t love the possible scenery of a Big Ten championship game on the field of Soldier Field?

Or, and here’s a thought, maybe just keep the darn game in Indianapolis. It just makes too much sense, so of course the big Ten would explore a possible path to ruining what it has in front of them.

Indianapolis is a terrific host city for these types of events, as I have seen from those who regularly attend the city for championship-caliber events. It’s also in the best location for a conference that spans from the cornfields of Nebraska to the shadows of the metropolis of New York City. Moving the game anywhere to either extreme could potentially be costly for fans who wish to travel to support their team. And what is there exactly to gain by rotating the Big Ten championship game?

Nothing, really. There is literally nothing to be gained by having the championship game rotate between locations. Why not have every season start with the same mission of ending the year in the definitive home of the Big Ten championship game?

Indianapolis has hosted the Big Ten championship game every season since its inception in 2011. But an expiring contract after the 2021 season has the Big Ten exploring their options. With any luck, this will be nothing more than a publicity stunt to play hardball with Indianapolis.

It makes as much sense to leave Indy as it does to name divisions “Legends” and “Leaders.”

Keep the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

[vertical-gallery id=4781]

[listicle id=4800]

[lawrence-related id=4807,4804,4795,4792,4774,4772,4767]

Will the Big Ten rotate sites for its football championship game?

The Big Ten championship game outside of Indy makes as much sense as divisions named ‘Legends” and ‘Leaders’

On Thursday the Big Ten held its annual football media day event on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium. The change of location from Chicago was appropriate given the stadium’s recent history as the home of the Big Ten football championship game, one it has hosted since 2011. But it turns out, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren took to the podium on the playing field of Big Ten champions (and the Indianapolis Colts) to suggest the conference was thinking about potentially moving the game.

And not just moving to a new permanent home, but rotating the game between cities throughout the Big Ten’s footprint.

In a word; pointless.

On the surface, it makes sense for the Big Ten to want to explore other potential homes for its conference championship game. There are plenty of worthy options to consider that would easily be able to accommodate such a game with NFL cities all over the Big Ten’s landscape. A Big Ten championship game in the Meadowlands? How about in Detroit? Or Minneapolis? Who wouldn’t love the possible scenery of a Big Ten championship game on the field of Soldier Field?

Or, and here’s a thought, maybe just keep the darn game in Indianapolis. It just makes too much sense, so of course the big Ten would explore a possible path to ruining what it has in front of them.

Indianapolis is a terrific host city for these types of events, as I have seen from those who regularly attend the city for championship-caliber events. It’s also in the best location for a conference that spans from the cornfields of Nebraska to the shadows of the metropolis of New York City. Moving the game anywhere to either extreme could potentially be costly for fans who wish to travel to support their team. And what is there exactly to gain by rotating the Big Ten championship game?

Nothing, really. There is literally nothing to be gained by having the championship game rotate between locations. Why not have every season start with the same mission of ending the year in the definitive home of the Big Ten championship game?

Indianapolis has hosted the Big Ten championship game every season since its inception in 2011. But an expiring contract after the 2021 season has the Big Ten exploring their options. With any luck, this will be nothing more than a publicity stunt to play hardball with Indianapolis.

It makes as much sense to leave Indy as it does to name divisions “Legends” and “Leaders.”

Keep the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

[vertical-gallery id=4781]

[listicle id=4800]

[lawrence-related id=4807,4804,4795,4792,4774,4772,4767]

Big Ten media day: James Franklin says 2020 was ‘painful on all of us’

James Franklin says 2020 was painful for Penn State but Nittany Lions will grow from the experience in 2021

[mm-video type=video id=01fb7kbbatmjmf0a6xjr playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fb7kbbatmjmf0a6xjr/01fb7kbbatmjmf0a6xjr-7fecd0c03795ca4c6e56980c4a44569d.jpg]

Coming off his first losing season at Penn State, head coach James Franklin knew he had to confront what happened last fall as he arrived in Indianapolis for Big Ten media day. On Thursday, Franklin didn’t shy away from the setbacks of a season ago. But he also stressed how enthusiastic he is about what comes next for his program in 2021.

“You better grow, you better evolve and you better not say that we’re going to go back to normal because there are so unbelievable lessons that we learned through this,” Franklin said, reflecting on the tough 2020 season. “And we better learn from this and we better grow from the experience.”

Penn State struggled their way to an unprecedented 0-5 start to the regular season, which was pushed back by the Big Ten until late October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Player availability and having to coach and have team meetings without face-to-face contact, with a mask, or simply through Zoom was nothing any coach had ever done before last year. Penn State’s head coach admits his program struggled to adapt to the new set of unique challenges. But Penn State did manage to end the year on a four-game winning streak, suggesting some of those problems were solved along the way.

“At the end of the season, we were able to get back to doing things in a way that we are accustomed to doing, but we did learn from great things going through early in the season and taking some of those challenges and some of those obstacles and adversity and grow from it and learn from it as well,” Franklin explained. “I think we’ll be better for it. It was painful on all of us, but I’m excited about where we’re heading and what we’re going to do this year.”

Penn State is certainly enjoying getting back to normal. The Nittany Lions are crushing it on the recruiting trail and have been picked to finish in second place in the Big Ten East behind Ohio State.

Penn State opens the 2021 season on the road against Wisconsin on Sept. 4, and Franklin says his team is already focused on the first game of the season.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

Big Ten Media Day: What James Franklin said about facing Wisconsin in Week 1

James Franklin explains how Penn State is approaching a season-opening game at Wisconsin this offseason

[mm-video type=video id=01fa1cpz9gaa5kkkf6h2 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fa1cpz9gaa5kkkf6h2/01fa1cpz9gaa5kkkf6h2-0d03da52c3212e950d805e89aea810b3.jpg]

Penn State won’t have any time to make some adjustments in non-conference play before jumping into Big Ten play this season. For the second year in a row, Penn State will open a college football season on the road against a Big Ten opponent. After opening on the road against Indiana in 2020, Penn State is heading to Wisconsin for a big crossover matchup in Week 1 of the 2021 college football season.

During Big Ten media day, Penn State head coach James Franklin was asked about how his program may or may not prepare for the start of the season given the schedule. Rather than opening against a mid-major program at home, how does Penn State prepare to go up against the preseason Big Ten West favorite on the road?

“I don’t know if our approach necessarily changes because the reality is you better me maximizing every single year, training camp, the offseason to give yourself the best chance,” Franklin said during an interview with the Big Ten Network.

“Obviously whether its the NFL and you have preseason or whether its college football and you have some out-of-conference matchups to learn and grow from,” Franklin explained. “This is different. The biggest approach, I would say, is the countdown clock in the facility that’s had that ‘W’ on it, ticking down,” Franklin said, referring to Wisconsin’s logo being shown off in Penn State’s football facility to set the mindset on the first opponent of the season.

“Our entire organization and our players understand the type of opponent and the type of venue we’re going into in Week 1,” Franklin concluded.

Penn State will face Wisconsin in Madison on Sept. 4, 2021. The game is scheduled for a 12 pm ET kickoff on FOX.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

[vertical-gallery id=4781]

[listicle id=293]

[lawrence-related id=4795,4792,4776,4774,4772,4767,4762]

5 questions for Penn State at Big Ten media day

5 questions Penn State will be asked during Big Ten media day

[mm-video type=video id=01fa1cpz9gaa5kkkf6h2 playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fa1cpz9gaa5kkkf6h2/01fa1cpz9gaa5kkkf6h2-0d03da52c3212e950d805e89aea810b3.jpg]

The summer convergence of Big Ten media, coaches, and players will take place this week in Chicago. As they arrive in the Windy City from Happy Valley, Penn State head coach James Franklin and his player representatives will have some tough questions to answer after last season.

Penn State limped out of the gates of the modified 2020 season to a historically bad 0-5 record before turning a corner and ending the season on a four-game winning streak. The Nittany Lions missed an opportunity to even their record and avoid a losing season by deciding as a team not to participate in a postseason bowl game at the end of a trying year. But perhaps the biggest question for Penn State to answer in 2021 was whether or not you can chalk up the 2020 season to being a product of unique circumstances or if it is a sign of a program on the decline.

So what are we to actually make of 2020?

Head coach James Franklin will be very likely to be asked some questions riding along the lines of wondering how Penn State bounces back in 2021 after last year’s setbacks. You can fully expect Franklin to push forward and leave 2020 behind him, but it is an important question to raise for anyone trying to figure out who Penn State is in 2021.

Prior to last season, Penn State had won 11 games three out of the previous four seasons with three appearances in a New Years Six bowl game and winning two of them. This is why the 2020 results were so surprising for many. Injuries and player availability throughout the week were issues as well, as Penn State at times may have been riding a thinner roster than realized at times due to COVID protocols.

So when Franklin is asked about last season and what to expect this season, expect the standard response that Penn State has a lot going right in the program and they are ready to prove something after last season.

Will Penn State still add a transfer quarterback?

As things stand right now, Penn State’s offense is Sean Clifford or bust, or so it would seem. One of the main talking points during the spring football practice season was what Penn State will do to add depth and exp[erience at the quarterback position. Pulling a target from the transfer portal seemed obvious, and Penn State did make a push to add to its roster at the position before ultimately losing out on TJ Finley from LSU. Spring has now come and gone and the summer is half over and Penn State still has not found a suitable passer in the transfer portal to pad the depth chart.

When will Penn State grab a QB out of the transfer portal?

So, is this still part of the game plan, or is Penn State now going to move forward running the risk of not having experience behind Clifford? The ceiling may be pretty high for options like Taquan Roberson and Christian Veilleux, but Franklin made it seem pretty clear he’d much prefer to have a more experienced option available should he need it this fall.

NEXT: What is the confidence level of the defensive line?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2