Tag: Adam Rittenberg

ESPN college football writers rank Notre Dame Stadium fourth-best

Pretty good ranking.

College football will be here before you know it, and that means anticipation of going to its hallowed stadiums. Among those excited for it are the ESPN writers who cover the sport. To reflect that, ESPN asked 14 of them to rank their top 20 stadiums in order. From there, the top 25 stadiums would be determined.

Notre Dame Stadium comes in at fourth on the list behind LSU’s Tiger Stadium, the Rose Bowl and Michigan Stadium. Adam Rittenberg was given the honor talking about the Irish’s home:

“Since opening in 1930, Notre Dame Stadium has hosted some of college football’s most significant teams, players, coaches and moments. But the venue is known as much for what lies just beyond its northern edge as for what’s inside.

Since fall 1964, the ‘Word of Life’ mural on the university library tower has welcomed ball carriers to the north end zone. Known as ‘Touchdown Jesus,’ the mural depicts Jesus Christ with his arms raised, similar to the touchdown signal. Located a little more than a football field away from the Knute Rockne Gate, where Notre Dame players enter for each game, Touchdown Jesus is visible from a portion of seats in the south part of the stadium and is frequently shown in camera shots of Notre Dame contests.”

All things considered, this was as good a ranking as Notre Dame Stadium could have hoped for. Do you agree, or should it have been higher? But that’s the point of these lists. We debate them until the cows come home, and this should be no exception.

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Where does Ohio State football fall in ESPN’s future offense power rankings?

This is encouraging for the Buckeyes

As we all have seen during Ryan Day’s tenure as Ohio State football’s head coach, offense has been more a focal part of the team than defense.

Now, it has changed over the past few seasons, but Day will always lean a bit more toward that side of the ball. If that is the case, then it better be an exceptional unit and according to ESPN, it will be this year and for years to come.

As ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg looked to the future, and which offenses will be the best (subscription required) over the next three seasons, the Buckeyes came out on top of the list after ranking No. 2 in last year’s version.

Rittenberg not only was impressed by the starting talent, but also the backups behind them. He did seem a bit concerned about the offensive line, saying it was “an area that must improve after 2023,” which many of us would agree with.

Another position that Rittenberg wasn’t completely sure of is running back, with TreVeyon Henderson exhausting his eligibility and Quinshon Judkins most likely moving on to the NFL. The younger backs will have to step up, with a potential portal addition after this coming season.

Either way, it’s good to see that Ohio State has amassed a ton of talent on offense over the next three seasons.

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What is the biggest question mark facing Alabama heading into the 2024 season?

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg breaks down the biggest question mark the Crimson Tide face entering the 2024 season

On Jan. 10, 2024, the world stopped for a moment as legendary Alabama Crimso Tide head football coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] made the shocking decision to step away from football and retire from coaching. It was one of those earth-shattering moments that almost everyone, including non-Alabama fans, will be able to tell you exactly where they were when the news broke. The ensuing days were chaos filled with coaching rumors, transfer alerts and a profound level of sadness.

Fast forward four months, and yeah the loss of Saban still stings, but there is a very strong sense of optimism surrounding new head coach [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag] and what this new era of Alabama football might look like. DeBoer is picking up steam on the recruiting trail and the team had a phenomenal showing at the annual spring game A-Day, but that doesn’t mean everything has been sunshine and rainbows in Tuscaloosa.

DeBoer is a national champion-level coach and widely regarded as one of the top two or three coaches in the country, but replacing the value of Nick Saban is nearly impossible. Adam Rittenberg of ESPN breaks down (Subscription required) the biggest question currently facing the Crimson Tide: How has Alabama adjusted to life post-Saban?

“There have been some obstacles. DeBoer’s initial plan was to have Ryan Grubb, DeBoer’s offensive coordinator at both Washington and Fresno State, oversee quarterback [autotag]Jalen Milroe[/autotag] and the Tide offense. But Grubb stayed in Seattle to work for the Seahawks, alongside talented offensive line coach Scott Huff. DeBoer went with familiarity in promoting Nick Sheridan and JaMarcus Shephard — Sheridan as the playcaller — and hired veteran line coach Chris Kapilovic to fill Huff’s role. Despite the moving parts on the staff and a new scheme for players, Alabama didn’t let up during spring ball.

“We pushed hard, even the installs and all that,” DeBoer said. “We’ve really kept the pedal down on trying to get things to our guys. A credit to them, too, because they’ve embraced it all. They want to be great. That’s why they’re here. The players have dived into it and put in the extra time on their own to make every practice real efficient.”

On-the-field success in 2024 will be the true indicator of how life is truly going in Tuscaloosa, but I think anything short of a playoff appearance will be a disappointment in DeBoer’s mind. DeBoer and his new staff will make their debut inside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024 against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

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Social media reacts to Sam Hartman’s long TD pass to Chris Tyree

That’s a good answer to adversity.

Notre Dame’s offense was slow out of the second half, and USC took advantage. Marshawn Lloyd ran for a 31-yard touchdown to cut into the Irish’s lead.

Needing a score to seize momentum back and keep the Trojans at a reasonable distance, the Irish did just that. [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] ran play-action and hit [autotag]Chris Tyree[/autotag] on a post route for a 46-yard touchdown. That increased the Irish’s lead to 31-13:

As has been pointed out before, the Irish need to keep the pressure up. Williams is starting to get a little too comfortable out there, and he’s doing what he does in that situation.

At the same time, the offense needs to respond to every Trojans score from here on because that’s the only way victory will be assured. The defense can’t be solely responsible for a win.

Until we see what happens, enjoy some of these tweets about Hartman’s scoring connection to Tyree:

ESPN handicaps Ohio State’s quarterback battle heading into the fall

Who emerges as the starter? #GoBucks

Although Ohio State head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] said that [autotag]Kyle McCord[/autotag] has a slight edge over [autotag]Devin Brown[/autotag], the competition is still ongoing.

Day doesn’t have to make a decision until late into camp, as each of the two quarterback combatants will get first team reps as the team prepares for the season. ESPN’s [autotag]Adam Rittenberg[/autotag] looked around the country at who has the edge in key quarterback battles (subscription required) across the country and obviously touched on the Buckeyes.

Rittenberg has a source say that the competition is “not over” which is something we all knew after Day spoke with at Big Ten media day’s. What we didn’t know was who he thinks wins the competition: Kyle McCord.

He explains his rationale by saying McCord’s “familiarity with Day, the offense and (Marvin) Harrison should be enough, although Brown can make things interesting with a surge in the first weeks of camp.”

While it seems that Buckeye nation is split between the two as to who should start, Rittenberg’s logic is sound. If I had to guess, it will be McCord taking the first snaps against Indiana, but I’d still like to see Brown get some non-garbage playing time to see what he can do when the bullets are flying.

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Fighting Irish Wire mourns the loss of ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson

We are deeply saddened by the loss of a great sports reporter and even better human being.

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While we at Fighting Irish Wire are here to cover Notre Dame athletics, every sports journalist feels like family to us. It doesn’t matter what team they cover or who they work for. In the end, we all are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

That’s why we were devastated to learn of the passing of ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson from colon cancer at the age of 44. Publicly, Dickerson was best known for covering the Chicago Bears for the outlet. For those who worked with him or had a chance to know him, he was an all-around good guy who made everyone feel like they mattered to him. That alone makes this news tough to take, but even sadder is that Caitlin, his wife, lost her own battle with cancer two years ago, meaning Parker, his 11-year-old son, now has lost both parents to cancer.

While I never worked with Dickerson professionally, I did meet him on one memorable occasion. While pursuing my master’s at DePaul, he came to speak to my online sports reporting class, which was taught by Adam Rittenberg, his ESPN colleague. That course featured many prominent guest speakers, but Dickerson easily was the best because of his graciousness, enthusiasm and the obvious vibe that he was happy to be there. If he had talked long into the night, it’s doubtful many in that room would have complained.

Keep the Dickerson family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. This was one individual who deserved a much better end to his story, but as we know all too well, cancer is a disease that does not discriminate. He will be missed terribly, and that hole never will be filled in this life.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Maryland head coach Locksley via ESPN: Marcus Freeman is a ‘Unicorn’

A mythical creature indeed

When [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] was named [autotag]Brian Kelly’s[/autotag] successor, not many of us were surprised. In fact, it was the logical choice to elevate the fast-rising coaching star.

Not only did Notre Dame hire one of the best coaches in the country, they did what many schools have not done, make a minority as the face of their program. It is obviously not the first time the Irish have done that, with [autotag]Ty Willingham[/autotag] paving the way, but it still was an important move.

As ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg put it, “Freeman became head coach of arguably the sport’s most famous team,” when looking at which rising minority coaches could follow in his footsteps. Current Maryland head coach [autotag]Mike Locksley[/autotag] knew the importance of Freeman’s hire, calling him a “unicorn” due to getting his first head coaching job with the Irish.

As the story continues from Rittenberg, Freeman understands “that you are the representation for a lot of people. I want to make sure that I do this in the right way so that future generations and coaches continue to get the opportunity that I was presented.”

So far, so good in Freeman’s tenure, even with losing his first game against Oklahoma State. He has big shoes to fill, not just in South Bend, but across the country.

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ESPN staffer gives prediction for Clemson’s QB battle

ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg recently published a piece breaking down college football’s top remaining quarterback battles (subscription required), and he weighed in on Clemson’s quarterback competition between rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei …

ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg recently published a piece breaking down college football’s top remaining quarterback battles (subscription required), and he weighed in on Clemson’s quarterback competition between rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei and true freshman Cade Klubnik.

Following Uiagalelei’s stellar freshman debut in 2020, when he threw for 781 yards and four touchdowns with no picks in two starts vs. Boston College and Notre Dame, the former five-star prospect struggled in his first full season as Clemson’s starter last year while completing only 55.6 percent of his passes with more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (nine).

“Before the 2021 season, few thought Uiagalelei would be here, fighting off an incoming freshman to keep a job that was set up to be his after Trevor Lawrence’s NFL departure,” Rittenberg wrote. “But little about last fall went as planned for Clemson’s offense or Uiagalelei… He looked lost at times while leading an offense that plummeted to 82nd nationally in scoring. Longtime playcaller Tony Elliott has gone to Virginia, although Clemson maintained continuity by promoting quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter to offensive coordinator.”

Uiagalelei is being pushed by Klubnik, a former five-star prospect from Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) who was ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class by multiple recruiting services.

In Clemson’s spring game, Uiagalelei went 17 of 36 passing for 175 yards and threw the game’s only interception, while Klubnik was 15 of 23 and had the only passing touchdown of the game.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney made it clear that Uiagalelei is still the starter exiting the spring. By all accounts, Uiagalelei had a solid spring in which he improved on his accuracy and decision-making, though Klubnik seems to be breathing down his neck after performing well in his first 15 practices as a Tiger.

So, what is Rittenberg’s prediction for how Clemson’s QB battle will shake out?

Rittenberg gave his Week 1 starter prediction, opining that it will be Uiagalelei who gets the nod in the Tigers’ season opener against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 5 (8 p.m., ESPN).

“Swinney is all about continuity, as he showed in promoting Streeter and Wes Goodwin to replace longtime coordinators Elliott and Brent Venables,” Rittenberg wrote. “He seems unlikely to abandon Uiagalelei despite last season’s struggles. Unless Klubnik shows in August that he’s undeniably better, Uiagalelei should get the first opportunity during a manageable opening stretch (Georgia Tech, Furman, Louisiana Tech).”

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

ESPN guesses who will be Notre Dame’s week one starting quarterback

Who do you have as the week one starter?

As the days get warmer and warmer and fall camp gets closer, the biggest question surrounding the Irish program is who is going to be the starter behind center when they visit Ohio State in the season opener. Neither of the potential starting candidates, [autotag]Tyler Buchner[/autotag] or [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag], has started a game for [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag], but both have had their moments.

Buchner with his legs, averaging over seven yards-per-carry and scoring three times. His 68-yard jaunt against Georgia Tech was spectacular as was the 33-yard scoring scamper against Stanford.

Pyne’s heroics against Wisconsin will not be forgotten, completing six of his eight passes for 81-yards and a score. His efforts against Cincinnati a week later however was forgettable, as he struggle mightily.

Each of them has their strengths and weakness, [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag] have a difficult decision. In an lengthy breakdown of what to expect during fall camp leading to the season opener, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg handicapped the competition and selected a winner, Buchner.

This should not come as a surprise and I agree with Rittenberg’s selection. Buchner gives the offense a better chance to put points on the board, to move the ball downfield to give the elite Irish defense the advantage. It’s great to have depth at the position as well, but ultimately, it does seem like Buchner should win the job come game one.

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ESPN very high on future outlook of Clemson’s defense

ESPN is high on the future outlook of Clemson’s defense. On Monday, ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg released his top 25 future defense power rankings for college football (subscription required) and has Clemson ranked No. 1 for the second …

ESPN is high on the future outlook of Clemson’s defense.

On Monday, ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg released his top 25 future defense power rankings for college football (subscription required) and has Clemson ranked No. 1 for the second straight year. 

Rittenberg’s power rankings are an assessment of the next three seasons (2022-24) and factor in current rosters, incoming recruits and transfers, and potential NFL departures, as well as coaching changes.

Here’s some of what Rittenberg wrote about why he ranked the Tigers at the top:

“In a close race for the top spot, Clemson leads off the rankings for the second consecutive year. The unit loses two outstanding cornerbacks (Mario Goodrich and Andrew Booth Jr.), mainstays at linebacker (James Skalski, Baylon Spector) and longtime coordinator Brent Venables. Still, the outlook remains extremely promising. Clemson’s defensive line has been a strength through the CFP era and will remain that way, especially in 2022 as All-America candidates Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis and Myles Murphy all return. The line got a bonus boost as end Xavier Thomas, a two-time third-team All-ACC selection, is back for one final season. …

“First-year defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin will oversee a new-look linebacker group, although Trenton Simpson returns for at least one more year after recording a team-high six sacks and starting 12 games in 2021. Dynamic sophomore Barrett Carter should see a much bigger role, and junior Keith Maguire might be Skalski’s replacement in the middle. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson’s top-ranked recruit and ESPN’s No. 7 overall player in the 2021 class, will be a big factor in the coming years, and junior Tyler Venables (33 tackles in 2021) is back at nickel. There are short-term questions in the secondary other than safety Andrew Mukuba, the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.”

Rounding out the top five of ESPN’s future defense power rankings are No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Wisconsin.

NC State (No. 20) is the only ACC team besides Clemson ranked in the top 25.

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.