Tag: Big Ten

Previewing the Maryland defense before Saturday’s showdown at Autzen

Maryland’s defense has taken a downturn in the last month and the Ducks are looking to exploit several areas.

Maryland was 3-1 to begin the season and the Terrapins were thinking they could be players in the Big Ten.

But then Indiana scored 42 points on them and the defense and the team as a whole haven’t completely recovered. As with typical .500 teams, one could say the defense is consistently inconsistent.

The Terrapins have had trouble keeping the opponent out of the end zone for the past month and the offense hasn’t been able to keep up. The Ducks are thinking that trend is going to continue on Saturday.

On the other hand, Maryland will have had two weeks to correct those problems as it enjoyed a much-needed bye week before making the cross-country flight to the west coast.

In their last outing, the Terps played an average Minnesota team and it turned ugly as the Golden Gophers defeated them 48-23.

Maryland’s defensive questions are difficult to grasp because the Terps have some very good players on the field. But for some reason, it’s just coming together as a unit.

The linebackers lead this defense, beginning with Ruben Hyppolite II. He’s an all-conference performer from a year ago and he leads the Terrapins with 39 tackles, 4.5 for loss and an interception.

Hyppolite’s fellow linebacker, Caleb Wheatland, leads the teams with six tackles for loss among his 31 total tackles and he has three sacks.

Opponents tend to attack the Maryland secondary as often as they can. In their last game with Minnesota, the Terps allowed 320 yards through the air and Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer tossed for a quartet of touchdowns.

As a team, the Terrapin defense allows 276 yards in the air and another 105 on the ground. If Maryland wants to be in the game with the No. 1 Ducks, those numbers will have to improve or Oregon will have a relatively easy time of hit and Dillon Gabriel will just add on to his Heisman candidacy.

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National columnist says Miller Moss is taking the fall for Lincoln Riley at USC

Miller Moss is not the problem with the USC Trojans’ struggles, rather Lincoln Riley is covering up his own failure.

After starting the season 3-1 and moving up to No. 11 in the AP Poll, the USC Trojans plummeted with losses to Minnesota, Penn State, and Maryland. The Trojans are just 1-3 in their last four games, but the weight of the struggle seems to have fallen on the wrong shoulders.

It was announced earlier this week that quarterback Miller Moss lost the starting job to transfer Jayden Maiava, but Moss and the offense are not entirely the problem. The Trojans have scored 21 or more points in eight of their nine games this season while scoring 28 or more in three of their last four.

This season, Moss has a 64.3% completion rate with 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Four players — Woody Marks, Makai Lemon, Zachariah Branch, and Ja’Kobi Lane — all have 32 or more receptions, while Lane (5) and Lemon (3) are amongst the teams’ top TD targets.

The Trojans rank fifth in points scored this season in the Big Ten behind Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana.

While the offense surely has room to improve, it is clearly still performing at high levels, which begs the question: Is Lincoln Riley just using Miller Moss as a scapegoat to cover up his atrocity of a season?

College football columnist Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire makes a good point when he notes that the quarterback is far from the only reason USC has struggled in 2024. This is not a one-man problem:

Moss didn’t play particularly well in their last game against the Washington Huskies, turning the ball over with three interceptions. Moss doesn’t have terrible numbers by any stretch but this feels like someone having to take the fall. Maiava could provide a spark for this team but even when the quarterback play has been good, this team has found ways to lose.

USC has lost as a team this year, meaning that in the games USC lost, the blame generally couldn’t be placed on any one player or position group. Some position groups have been more disappointing than others, but a little bit of everything has gone wrong in these games. To an extent, the move to Jayden Maiava might be Lincoln Riley’s way of hoping that the other USC players will step up to help their quarterback.

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Previewing the Maryland offense before Saturday’s game at Autzen

Maryland’s offense has the capability to keep up with the No. 1 Ducks in Saturday’s game at Autzen Stadium.

Coming into this season, the Maryland Terrapins football team really didn’t know what they would get out of quarterback Billy Edwards, Jr. He had never been a full-time starter before this season and the Terrapins were hoping for the best.

They haven’t been disappointed.

Edwards has proven to be one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference. He has a 68 completion percentage and 13 touchdowns to go with 289 yards per contest. But the inexperience crops up occasionally, and that’s where the six interceptions pop up.

When Edwards is putting the ball in the air, the probable target most likely is Tai Felton. The 6-foot-2 senior leads the Terrapins in receptions with 73 catches, almost double the next-highest ball catcher. Kaden Prather is second on the team with 45 receptions.

Felton also has 907 reception yards or 113 yards per game. He also has six touchdowns to his name. Prather has 487 yards (61 ypg) and three touchdowns.

Maryland hasn’t featured much of a ground game, but tailback Roman Hamby is capable of breaking out at any time. His 2024 isn’t as notable as his 2023 season, but Hamby still has 403 yards and four touchdowns, good for 50 yards per game.

Compared to last season, Hamby rushed the ball 142 times for 680 yards, averaged 4.8 yards per carry, rushed for four touchdowns. Hamby also caught 38 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns.

The Ducks will have to contain Hamby because if he’s suddenly a weapon, Oregon might have its hands a bit more fuller than it originally planned.

Up front, Maryland has plenty of experience individually, but they don’t have much experience playing together. There are a couple of transfers in there as well as some first-time starters. They’ve given up 14 sacks this season.

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Lincoln Riley benches Miller Moss as Jayden Maiava gets the start vs Nebraska

Quarterback Jayden Maiava will start for the Trojans in their upcoming matchup against Nebraska, replacing Miller Moss.

Here’s a big story in the world of USC football: It has been confirmed that Jayden Maiava will be promoted to starting quraterback when USC faces Nebraska in two weeks. Lincoln Riley benching Miller Moss is a decision that comes with some questions.

An obvious first question is this: Why are the Trojans allowing Nebraska two weeks’ notice to game-plan for the change?

Miller Moss and Maiava have different play styles, so releasing this news so early gives an unnecessary advantage to Nebraska in being able to plan for the change.

In terms of head coach Lincoln Riley, it seems as though this move can only negatively impact him.

If Maiava can turn around the team and his promotion to starter is positive, we will be forced to ask why Riley waited so long to make the change.

If the change is for the worse, Trojan fans will feel further confirmation that Riley needs to go and does not have what it takes to turn this program around.

One thing is clear: At least this team is trying. At least the coaching staff has not thrown in the towel, even though the season has not gone the way anybody hoped. Whether Maiava will be a positive change is yet to be seen, but developing the sophomore transfer against a beatable Nebraska team is something that should get fans excited.

Oregon vs. UC Riverside: Instant Reactions to Ducks’ season-opening win vs. Highlanders

Oregon’s depth proves to be too much in the 91-76 season-opening win over UC-Riverside.

The Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team didn’t have an exhibition game this season and instead jumped right into the deep end of the pool

The UC-Riverside Highlanders stayed in the game with their three-point shooting, but ultimately the Ducks had too many weapons in the 91-76 season-opening win at Matthew Knight Arena.

Oregon showed it could go as many as 10-deep and not lose a step. It was an impressive showing with all of the transfers and young players seeing significant playing time for the first time. But the Ducks looked as if they had been playing together for several seasons instead of a few months.

Oregon vs. UC-Riverside Keys to the Game

  • Kwame Evans got the offense going with seven quick points to begin the game on his way to a strong game for the sophomore.
  • Oregon’s press created pressure and Riverside wasn’t able to handle it well. The press let the Ducks increase their lead at the end of the first half as Oregon eventually took a 51-36 advantage at the break.
  • The Highlanders cut into the Ducks’ lead throughout the second half thanks to their three-point shooting, but never came close than seven points.

Oregon vs. UC-Riverside Players of the Game

  • Kwame Evans: 23 points, 6 rebounds
  • Brandon Angel: 17 points, 5-of-6 FG, 7-of-7 free throws
  • Nate Bittle: 16 points, 11 rebounds
  • TJ Bamba: 12 points
  • Barrington Hargress (UCR): 20 points, 4-of-10 3-pt FG

Oregon vs. UC-Riverside Notable Stats

  • Free throws: Oregon 19-of-25, UCR 6-of-12
  • UCR: 12-of-34 for 3-pt FG
  • Turnovers: Oregon 8, UCR 8
  • Oregon: 33-of-66 (50 percent) FG

What’s Next for Oregon Ducks?

  • List Next 5 games on the schedule
  • Nov. 8 — vs. Montana Grizzlies
  • Nov. 12 — vs. Portland Pilots
  • Nov.  17 — vs. Troy Trojans
  • Nov. 22 — at Oregon State Beavers
  • Nov. 26 — vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Las Vegas, Player’s Era Festival)

Oregon wants to get battle-tested early and often with its non-conference schedule before the Ducks enter the Big Ten for the first time. Montana, Troy and Texas A&M should provide good tests for the Ducks in the coming weeks.

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Dan Lanning dives into Tez Johnson, Marcus Harper injuries

Oregon coach Dan Lanning says both Tez Johnson and Marcus Harper II are expected to return this season.

The Oregon Ducks football team has done a good job at avoiding major injuries this season, but during the Michigan game, it looked as though their luck had run out.

Wide receiver Tez Johnson and offensive lineman Marcus Harper II both went down with what looked like season-ending ailments. But according to Oregon coach Dan Lanning in his weekly press conference, he expressed some optimism concerning both players.

“Tez will be down, certainly right now in the near future,” Lanning said. “But I do anticipate us getting Tez back here soon. Same with Marcus. I think neither one of those injuries are as bad as maybe they appeared on the field. I think we’ll have those guys back. I don’t know when that looks like right now, but we’ll do what we always do, take care of the players and what’s in the best interest of them. Both of those guys are fighting to get back as soon as we can have them.”

That’s welcome news for the Ducks. Johnson suffered what looked like either a shoulder or collarbone injury early in the game as a Michigan defender fell on him awkwardly. As for Harper, he suffered a left knee injury and needed help off the field.

Thankfully for Oregon, depth is not a problem at either position and the Ducks could withstand an ailment or two at those spots. With Johnson out, Traeshon Holden stepped up and had a monster game with six catches and 149 yards.

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Wisconsin falls behind Minnesota in ESPN SP+ after loss to Iowa

Wisconsin falls behind Minnesota in ESPN SP+ after loss to Iowa

Wisconsin continued its sharp fall in rating metrics after its 42-10 loss to Iowa on Saturday.

ESPN SP+ accurately depicts the Badgers’ current descent. The team was ranked No. 20 just two weeks ago entering the Penn State matchup. Now, the Badgers are down to No. 41 in the nation (No. 86 offense, No. 22 defense) after back-to-back losses.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 10: Ohio State returns to prominence

With that drop, Wisconsin is now down to the No. 10 team in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State at No. 1, Oregon at No. 5, Penn State at No. 9, Indiana at No. 11, Iowa at No. 17, USC at No. 23, Michigan at No. 30, Washington at No. 31 and Minnesota at No. 35.

The most notable on that list is Minnesota, which continued its steep ascent with a road victory over Illinois.

Wisconsin’s three remaining games are against Oregon (No. 5), Nebraska (No. 45), and Minnesota (No. 35). Given the Badgers’ current form and trajectory, none of those matchups look like clear victories. The team needs just one win in those final three games to extend its bowl streak to 23 seasons.

The Badgers are idle in Week 11 before a marquee matchup with No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16. While Wisconsin’s outlook looks bleak after the blowout loss to Iowa, a win over Oregon would do a lot to turn the tide.

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USC watches Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana top Big Ten in US LBM Coaches Poll

USC is 4-5 while four Big Ten teams are in the top 10 of the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. No one is laughing, Lincoln Riley, unless they’re laughing at you.

The Big Ten is the conference USC football needs to be able to master. If the Trojans can’t master it, they at least need to be largely successful in their new home. Instead, USC is buried at 4-5 while Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana enjoy the view in the top tier of the US LBM Coaches Poll, presented by USA TODAY Sports.

Oregon and Ohio State are in the top three, while Indiana cracked the top 10 of the poll. With Penn State staying in the top 10, the Big Ten has four teams in the top 10. The Big Ten could have four teams in the College Football Playoff, with USC not being one of them. It’s a brutal turn of events for a USC team which had so much cause for optimism after beating LSU on Sept. 1 in Las Vegas. Everything looks completely different two months from now.

USC is struggling just to make a bowl game of any kind. The Trojans will have to come up with two wins in their final three games to reach that bottom-rung goal.

Here is the rest of the latest US LBM Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Record Points
1 Oregon Ducks 9-0 1,349 (53)
2 Georgia Bulldogs 7-1 1,267 (1)
3 Ohio State Buckeyes 7-1 1,245
4 Miami Hurricanes 9-0 1,194
5 Texas Longhorns 7-1 1,138
6 Tennessee Volunteers 7-1 1,039
7 Penn State Nittany Lions 7-1 982
8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7-1 961
9 BYU Cougars 8-0 918
10 Indiana Hoosiers 9-0 916
11 Alabama Crimson Tide 6-2 772
12 Ole Miss Rebels 7-2 657
13 LSU Tigers 6-2 653
14 Boise State Broncos 7-1 615
15 SMU Mustangs 8-1 603
16 Texas A&M Aggies 7-2 518
17 Clemson Tigers 6-2 513
18 Iowa State Cyclones 7-1 511
19 Army Black Knights 8-0 404
20 Washington State Cougars 7-1 284
21 Kansas State Wildcats 7-2 201
22 Missouri Tigers 6-2 192
23 Pittsburgh Panthers 7-1 178
24 Colorado Buffaloes 6-2 124
25 Vanderbilt Commodores 6-3 85

Four Big Ten teams included in latest AP Top 25 Poll after Week 10

Four Big Ten teams included in latest AP Top 25 Poll after Week 10

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 3-3 in Big Ten) are unranked heading into Week 11, which comes as no surprise. The team lost to Iowa 42-10 on the road Saturday — keeping it far from AP Poll consideration.

The Badgers have dropped back-to-back games after a three-game win streak to open the month of October. Wisconsin was also left out of the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, which is also not a surprise as they’ll likely remain unranked for the rest of the year.

The top five of the AP Poll was shaken up slightly after Week 10, with Oregon staying at No. 1 and Georgia at No. 2. The rest of the top five is Ohio State (No. 3), Miami-FL (No. 4) and Texas (No. 5), all of whom moved up one spot.

The Big Ten teams in the AP Poll top 25 include the aforementioned Ducks and Buckeyes and then Penn State (No. 6) and Indiana at No. 8.

Wisconsin will be off in Week 11 before they’ll welcome Oregon to Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 16.

Oregon stays put in latest US LBM Coaches poll following Michigan win

Oregon stays at No. 1 in the latest US LBM Coaches poll after the 38-17 win at Michigan.

There are a few changes in the latest US LBM Coaches poll, but what didn’t change was the top spot.

Oregon remains the top team in the country after the Ducks went to Michigan and upended the Wolverines 38-17 in Ann Arbor. The Ducks are 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big Ten play.

They are not a unanimous No. 1 however.

Just like last week, Georgia has one first-place vote while the rest went to Oregon. The Bulldogs are 7-1 and are coming off a 34-20 win over Florida.

Ohio State moved to No. 3 after its big win at Penn State and Miami, also 9-0 overall, moved up to No. 4 with Texas, who had a bye this week, rounds out the Top 5.

The Nittany Lions dropped four spots to No. 7. The biggest drop was Clemson, who sank nine spots to No. 17 after the Tigers lost to Louisville 33-21. Colorado and Vanderbilt round out the poll at No. 24 and 25, respectively.

Oregon will try and hold on to its No. 1 claim next week as the Ducks return to Autzen Stadium to take on Maryland.

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