Tag: Big Ten Media Days

WATCH: Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh talks need to be Ohio State at Big Ten media days

Hear what Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said about his need and desire to beat Ohio State.

It’s here. The circus that can be Big Ten media days is off and running in Indianapolis, and while Ohio State isn’t set to take the stage until Friday, it’s arch-rival Michigan had its shot in front of the throng of media Thursday.

That of course means we got to witness a quirky and awkward press conference from Wolverines’ head coach Jim Harbaugh, although it was clear something changed. Harbaugh did not come into Lucas Oil Stadium with khakis and a ball cap on, instead, he had a suit on with nothing on his dome ready to make a good impression.

Harbaugh said he was excited to be there and breathed all the right words and responses to the television cameras and media members, but the best question was saved for last when the Columbus Dispatch’s Bill Rabinowitz touched on the rivalry with Ohio State.

Harbaugh was asked about where the program stood having not beaten Ohio State or having won a Big Ten title under his watch so far, and if the coaching changes had rejuvenated him. And I’ll say this, I’ll give Harbaugh credit for a well-thought-out and passionate response.

“Well, I’m here before you,” Harbaugh told reporters. “I’m as enthusiastic and excited as I ever am — always am — even more to have at it, to win the championship, to beat Ohio, our rivals Michigan State — everybody. That’s what we want to do (pause for effect)… And we’re going to do it or die trying.”

He then used an analogy of him and his daughter walking up a mountain as a way of where he and the program’s mindset is.

“My daughter this summer — we were climbing, Sarah, Addi, and I were going up this mountain,” Harbaugh continued. “It was like a mountain climb. I don’t know how high it was. It was pretty high. We probably did 15,000 steps to get up there. She was counting it on her phone. We were getting up close to the top and she said, ‘We’ve got to apex, Dad. We’ve got to get to the top.'”

Harbaugh then used his recreational climb to translate that into what needs to be done in Ann Arbor with the Michigan program.

“You’re darn right we do,” Harbaugh said emphatically. “We’ve got to get there. That’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to apex this, and we’ve got to get to the top. She’s got that gene in her — and I was darn glad to see it. I can tell you I’ve got that gene in me, and some of the guys we’ve talked about here already – Aidan Hutchison, Hassan (Haskins), Josh Ross, and a lot of others – we’ve got that gene in us. We’ve got to get to the top.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgYJbMjYX1c&t=1027s

To reiterate — though if you are an Ohio State fan you probably have this on an index card or virtual note somewhere — Harbaugh has not done well when comparing what he was brought in to do, be the savior of the program.

He has yet to beat Ohio State or win a Big Ten championship. The presser Thursday was the first time he’s even been to Lucas Oil Stadium at a Big Ten event as the Michigan head coach (wink, wink). He is 3-3 against Michigan State, 1-4 in bowl games, and 1-8 against top ten squads. His overall record with the Wolverines is 49-22. He has also yet to walk on Lake Michigan or turn rain in the Big House to wine.

Hopefully, for Harbaugh, this year is one where he starts to show some promise, just not at high Noon on November 27 this year.

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Jeremy Ruckert to replace Chris Olave at Big Ten media days

Big Ten media days is at the end of this week and there is a change to the OSU player contingent.

Ohio State has made a change to the three players representing the program at Big Ten media days this week. Instead of Chris Olave making the trip, he has been replaced by tight end, Jeremy Ruckert. OSU’s presumed No. 1 tight end will now join Thayer Munford and Zach Harrison in Indianapolis on Friday.

There was no reason given for the move, but according to an athletic department spokesman that spoke with Eleven Warriors, there are “no issues and everything is good.” The spokesman also pointed to the fact that Olave was at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for team photos on Tuesday morning.

The trio of Buckeyes’ slot at the media days event is scheduled for Friday from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. That will be after Ryan Day’s press conference set for 12:30-12:45 p.m. He will also have another media availability session from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert makes NFL decision - Buckeyes Wire
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Jeremy Ruckert (88) makes a catch against Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Christian Harris (8) during the first quarter in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With Big Ten media days taking place this week, it feels like we might be closer to normal and that the season will be a memorable one. We’ll have coverage of all the festivities on Friday so check back.

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5 questions for Penn State at Big Ten media day

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

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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?

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Big Ten Media Days to be brought back for 2021, but will take place in different city

Big Ten Media Days will return this year, but not in Chicago as normal. It’ll be in a different location due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In a nod towards more of a normal college football season, Big Ten Media Days will reportedly return in 2021.

The annual meeting of coaches, select players, and media members before the start of fall camp has been a spectacle and a sign that the college football season is near for years now. However, last year’s event was canceled due to — you guessed it — the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a big of a twist though, instead of the event being held in Chicago, according to the Columbus Dispatch — who was the first to report the news — Big Ten Media Days will be held in Indianapolis on July 22 and 23 instead. The move is presumed to be because of looser COVID-19 restrictions in Indiana. Ohio State’s media availability is tentatively scheduled for July 23 along with Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin.

Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Penn State will tentatively hold their media availability sessions on July 22.

Details are likely still being hammered out, but according to reports, the media session will be held in person, with the fan luncheon potentially being a virtual event.

As we know more, we’ll let you know.

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Big Ten Media Days will not be held as scheduled

The Big Ten has announced that its annual Media Days will not be held as scheduled.

In another sign of the season we are in, the Big Ten has announced that its B1G Football Media Days will not be held as scheduled. It was initially supposed to be held in Chicago from July 22-23 with members of the media in person, along with players and coaches.

“Following discussions with Big Ten member institutions, the Big Ten Conference announced today that the 2020 Big Ten Football Media Days and Kickoff Luncheon scheduled to take place July 22-23 in Chicago will not be held as scheduled in order to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans, partners and media. The Conference will continue to monitor developing information and continue to consult with medical experts to determine the appropriate dates and format for our annual event,” the conference announced in a press release.

The Big Ten is just another one of the major conferences to make a similar announcement. It’s still unknown whether the conference will move to a virtual format like the Big 12, Pac-12, AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt have.

The reason — as you can guess — is the COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel coronavirus has caused trouble for the NCAA and life in general, forcing the canceling of winter championships and spring sports including the annual madness of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

As for media days, this move makes sense given the lack of hotel spacing and the lack of seating that typically comes with these slam-packed days.

That said, the Big Ten has put a restriction on all organized team activities for the next few weeks, potentially allowing them back on June 1. Ohio State will look to bring back players for voluntary works starting June 8.