Ivan Maisel of ESPN thinks now is the best time for conference expansion. Longhorns Wire explores how to expand the Big 12, playoffs.
Is there a better time than right now to explore the idea of conference expansion? ESPN’s Ivan Maisel doesn’t think so. In a recent post on ESPN Maisel stated now may be the best time to have that conversation. After all it wasn’t that long ago that Nebraska was looking to play football despite the Big Ten’s stance on a postponement of the season.
Hey, here’s a great idea during a pandemic: Let’s have West Virginia fly 1,400 miles to play a Big 12 game at Texas Tech on Oct. 24, but let’s not allow West Virginia to play Pittsburgh. After all, the Panthers, 75 miles away, are in the ACC.
Before the Pac-12 broke the emergency glass on its 2020 season, the conference approved of Colorado flying 1,300 miles to play at Washington but thought it too risky for the Buffaloes to drive 100 miles to play at Colorado State.
And there’s Nebraska, which a decade ago sued for divorce from the Big 12 (née Big Eight), dissolving a marriage consummated in 1928 to grab the money and security and money and money offered by the Big Ten. Last week the Big Ten told Nebraska it couldn’t play football this fall, which went over in the Cornhusker State like, oh, I don’t know, stalk rot.
Maisel brings up a good point about traveling during a pandemic. Teams can’t play those who are reasonably close but yet are expected to fly across the country to participate in a conference game that is deemed safer. For instance any Big 12 team traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia doesn’t seem like the best move. So in the interest of shaking things up, we look at how the Big 12 could expand.
Josh Keatley takes a dive into the win totals and top prospects for each AAC team in 2020
Despite the college football season being up in the air, a great gambler continues to study and evaluate. The AAC as a Group of 5 conference is even more up in the air, but we still need to examine the Vegas win totals and my expectations for each. I also highlight three prospects on each team that have the most intriguing NFL potential.
Cincinnati Bearcats: Vegas Win Total- 8.5
This team won 11 games last season and head coach, Luke Fickell has this team rolling and ready for another double digit win season. Fickell turned down Power-5 jobs and a big reason has to be that he believes this team can reach the next level after winning 11 games in back-to-back seasons. Nebraska, Memphis & UCF are not going to be fun games on the schedule, but they should be able to go 1-2 against that trio and still hit this over confidently. This already impressive defense returns ten starters and Fickell has taken the recruiting up a notch. Prediction: Over 8.5
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Top Prospects:
James Wiggins, S, 6-0, 205 pounds, Sr.: Wiggins is the forgotten man as far as preseason draft hype goes, but the All-AAC selection checks a ton of boxes you look for in an early-round safety selection. His 2019 season was lost due to an injury, but he will remind scouts of his potential in 2020.
James Smith, P, 6-5, 232 pounds, Sr.: Smith had a disappointing 2019 season after his net punting average fell from 44.3 yards to 41 yards in 2019, but he is still one of the top punters in college football. The All-AAC selection will be looking to return to his Ray Guy Award finalist form.
Gerrid Doaks, RB, 6-0, 230 pounds, Sr.: It is crazy to think Doaks was actually slated to be the starter in 2018, but due to injuries and the emergence of Michael Warren II, Doaks was forced to take a backseat. Doaks is now 100% and will be a name to watch after gaining 526 yards and five touchdowns last season.
The University of Houston suspended voluntary workouts for all student-athletes immediately after a COVID-19 outbreak infected six athletes.
We’ve mentioned time and again here that college football being played in 2020 is by no means a guarantee, despite how excited we all are for the potential for it.
Earlier this week the NCAA took a bit step in getting the necessary action going in order for college football to start on time.
Friday didn’t bring as good of news to the national college football picture however as the University of Houston announced they’re suspending all voluntary workouts for student-athletes effective immediately because of a recent outbreak on their athletic teams.
Houston is immediately suspending all voluntary workouts for student-athletes after 6 symptomatic UH student-athletes tested positive for COVID-19
The University didn’t give details as to what sport those who tested positive play, not that it really matters. If it were six women’s basketball players would it somehow make you feel better about football players not getting infected?
Didn’t think so.
Let’s just hope these cases are more of the exception than the rule and that suspending workouts isn’t a nationwide thing for NCAA teams a week or two from now.
Notre Dame players have begun arriving to campus to begin a ten day quarantine at The Morris Inn before voluntary workouts begin June 22.
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) May 27, 2020
The Houston Cougars will travel to Tuscaloosa on Dec. 19, 2020, with Alabama playing the return game in Houston the following year on a date that will be announced at a later time.
This season’s matchup will be just the 5th time that the two teams have faced each other with the last matchup during the 1979-1980 season.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats had this to say:
“We are excited to have a program of high caliber such as Houston on our schedule for the next two years. This is a great opportunity for both programs because it adds a quality opponent to our schedule while at the same time creating excitement for both fanbases. Playing such quality competition is only going to make our team and our program better. Houston has proven to be a perennial NCAA Tournament team that competes for championships each season, so we are looking forward to welcoming them to Coleman Coliseum next year.”
Alabama had a record of 16-15 before the SEC tournament and NCAA tournament were cancelled due to the coronavirus.
This will be a great matchup for the Crimson Tide, considering the Cougars finished at No. 22 in the AP poll, and had a record of 23-8 overall (13-5 in the AAC).
College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Houston Cougars season with what you need to know. – Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak – What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense – Top Players | Key …
College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Houston Cougars season with what you need to know.
NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Houston Cougars Offense 3 Things To Know
– That wasn’t how it was supposed to work. The Houston offense was expected to explode with head coach Dana Holgorsen coming in to coach up dynamic quarterback D’Eriq King and an O that put up 571 points in 2018 and … nope.
The offense never clicked, the offensive line allowed too many sacks, and King – now a Miami Hurricane – sat out the season after four games. On the plus side, last year turned into one big scrimmage to get everyone ready for the season.
Call it a tank, call it prep work, call it being self-aware of what success really is for a college football program of Houston’s caliber. Thanks to that, there’s a whole lot of experience returning.
CFN in 60 Video: Houston Cougars Preview
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– King is gone, but Clayton Tune was able to get in seven games of work and threw for 1,533 yards and 11 scores with nine picks. He’s not King when it comes to dynamic big plays, but he’s a 6-3, 215-pound passer who can move a little bit. For the moment, he’s it – sophomore Logan Holgorsen is the main backup – but with a transfer at some point expected to be added to the mix.
Tune is okay, and his receiving corps is great. Senior Marquez Stevenson and the top four targets from last year are back. They didn’t get enough work in overall, and they were far less productive than the 2018 corps, but there’s a whole lot of flash, size, and speed to rotate in.
– The offensive line loses OT Josh Jones at left tackle, but the rest of the front five is back. There’s terrific depth, but not a whole lot of bulk. Overall, this group has to be far, far better in pass protection – a huge injury issue across the board had a whole lot to do with that – but it’s going to be solid for what should be a good ground attack.
The top two running backs are great, but the developed depth is lacking. Leading rusher Kyle Porter – a former Texas transfer – is back after a 616-yard season, and 215-pound Mulbah Car returns after running for 375 yards and three scores as he spread out his four games to preserve another season.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Houston Cougars Defense 3 Things To Know
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Houston offensive tackle prospect Josh Jones
The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with blue-chip talent at offensive tackle, and Houston’s Josh Jones is among the best of bunch.
A talented, experienced blocker who should hear his name called in the first round, Jones recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about why he stayed close to home to play his college football, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: You spent four impressive years at Houston. You made a lot of starts and gained a lot of experience. You were finally named to the 2019 American Athletic All-Conference Second Team, and it was well deserved. How do you look back on your time at Houston?
JJ: It was a great ride. I had a lot of fun at Houston. We had our ups and downs but it was always exciting. We went from winning The Peach Bowl against Florida State to winning some other big games against teams like Louisville and Lamar Jackson, and Oklahoma and Baker Mayfield. I played in so many great games. We had so many big moments. I was coached by so many great coaches that came through The University of Houston. I was able to cap off my collegiate career with a great senior season. Now I’m blessed to have the opportunity to go to the NFL.
JM: Do you have a favorite moment in a Houston jersey?
JJ: I would say that my favorite moment was when we beat Oklahoma at NRG Stadium. They had so many future NFL’ers playing in that game, guys like Baker Mayfield, Joe Mixon and Dede Westbrook just to name a few. That was a big moment for us. I’ll never forget it.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Richmond, Texas is the place you call home. You had a chance to stay close to home and play in front of family and friends at Houston. What did that opportunity mean to you?
JJ: It meant a lot to play my college ball so close to home. I played in front of my entire family and friends. My grandfather and cousins were able to come to a lot of games. I was able to come here and we won a lot of games. I wanted to show people that The University of Houston could recruit good players from the Houston area to stay in the Houston area. Houston is a big program and we can continue to build from here.
You can do anything you want from right here in Houston. That sentiment extends beyond football. You can achieve your academic dreams here as well. There’s a lot of great jobs to be found in the Houston area. I’m telling you, there’s a lot of opportunity out here.
JM: You’re living proof. You can look back and say you decided to play my college ball at Houston and it worked out for your. You put your faith in your hometown team, and the program rewarded you, right?
JJ: Definitely. You just have to put your best foot forward and commit to it. Once you commit to something in life, you can make anything happen.
JM: What can you tell me about the scheme that you guys ran on offense and what your coaches asked of you?
JJ: We ran a very well-balanced offense this past season. We ran a lot of different plays. I would say that we hung our hat on our guard-tackle pull counter runs. Early in the season, we averaged close to 250 yards a game on the ground. Those runs were paying off for us. That’s pretty much what they asked us to do. We got our backs going early and ran the ball down their throats. The defense had to adapt. My coaches gave me a lot of freedom as far as my performance went. They let me play how I wanted to play. I wanted to play aggressive and dominate my opponent. My coaches gave me the freedom to do that.
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the offensive tackle position?
JJ: There’s an art form to playing the tackle position. You’re out there on that edge. There’s a fine line between being aggressive but not being overly aggressive. You’re going up against some of the best athletes on the field, the big, strong and fast defensive linemen. It’s me versus you. You’re on an island by yourself. I take a lot of pride in that. I take pride in protecting my quarterback and his blind-side. I have to give him an opportunity to throw the ball.
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
JJ: It was a great experience. The combine is such a great event. I loved every second of it. The days are long but it was such a blessing just to be there. I always watched the combine growing up. I would watch guys run their 40 and picture myself out there one day. I don’t have to picture it anymore. You never get to see all of the hard work that goes into preparing for the combine. I have a whole new respect for that now that I’ve gone through it. You get to be around so many great players. You have to fulfill the media obligations and your medical checks.
You start to build those relationships with some teams in the meeting room. All of this happens before you hit the field to perform under the bright lights. Preparing for the on-field testing is like preparing for a game. It gives you a chance to showcase your skills. It was such a good time. I was blessed to receive an invite.
JM: Taking every aspect of the combine into account, what do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?
JJ: I think I showed them that I’m a great athlete. A lot of teams already knew that about me but the combine gave them a chance to see it up close and personal. They saw how well I moved and how I change direction so effortlessly, how I reach my spots rather quickly. They also got to know me a little better in the meeting room. I had a chance to really show off my knowledge of the game during my interviews.
I had four different offensive line coaches and three different offensive coordinators throughout my time at Houston. They all taught me something different and gave me an opportunity to learn the game from different aspects. That’s one thing I was really able to showcase to the coaches that I met with.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
JJ: You know, I went in thinking that I was gonna get a bunch of strange questions, but I really didn’t. People warned me about the strange questions, but I didn’t get anything too crazy. The craziest thing that happened to me was somebody asked me if I could tell them a joke.
JM: You’re like the fourth person to tell me that (laughs). Did you have a joke ready to go, or did you freeze up at that request?
JJ: I froze up (laughs). I did not have a joke ready for them. I didn’t prepare a joke for the combine (laughs).
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Everybody told me the same thing. They couldn’t think of a joke to save their lives.
JJ: I couldn’t either (laughs). It’s so funny. If I asked you to tell a joke, you could probably come up with a bunch of them. In that very moment, I couldn’t think of anything.
JM: You mentioned how well-balanced you guys were on offense this past season. Do you have a preference when it comes to playing in pass protection or in the run game?
JJ: I may slightly favor the run game. I feel like being able to play in the run game really gets me going. It gets me downhill and gets my pads moving. I get to hit people and dominate them in the run game. That’s how I get myself going. Once I get that first pancake of the game and put somebody on the ground, I start to get into a groove.
JM: Were you able to get any private visits or workouts in before the spread of COVID-19 shut everything down?
JJ: I didn’t get any workouts in, but I was able to go on two top-30 private visits with the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears.
JM: I imagine you’ve been meeting with more teams via FaceTime since then?
JJ: Yeah, I’ve had a lot of those (laughs). I have a list for you. I’ve met with the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles. I just wrapped up one with the Denver Broncos right before you called me. I also have one later today with the Kansas City Chiefs (editor’s note: interview was done on April 8th). I might have missed one or two, but that’s the gist of it.
Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
JJ: When you dominate a guy on back-to-back plays, that’s very demoralizing for a defensive linemen. If I put him on his back-side two plays in a row, I pancake him and put him on the ground, I know that defensive linemen hate that feeling. He’s angry, he’s hyped up, he’s gonna come out hard on the next play. If I put him on the ground again, they really start to think about what went wrong (laughs). They go into their little turtle shell. It makes them tap out a little bit.
JM: You really embrace those one-on-one match-ups out on the edge. How do you handle speed differently than power?
JJ: You have to trust your steps with speed. It’s all about your feet. I have to trust that my kick-step is gonna get me there. In pass protection, you win 99 percent of your blocks with your feet. It’s all about your feet when you’re up against those speedy edge rushers that can really get off the ball. Trust your steps and win the block with your feet. You wanna punch them at the top of their rush. The timing of that punch is so important.
As far as the bull rush goes, you always wanna stay low and drop your hips. You have to get your head outta there and block with both hands. You have to keep your feet moving.
JM: Do you have a preferred pass set? Do you switch it up throughout the course of a game?
JJ: I like to switch it up. I love to play mind games. I might take a vertical set on one play and short set on the very next play. I like to do the same things with my hands. I might flash my hands or throw him a fake punch. I might throw two hands or throw my outside hand. I love to play mind games with my pass sets and with my hands.
JM: Who are some of the best edge rushers you’ve gone up against?
JJ: The best pass rusher I went up against this past season was Ronnie Perkins from Oklahoma. He wears No. 7 for Oklahoma. He’s a young player with a bright future. He has all the traits to become a big-time pass rusher in the future. I believe that he lead Oklahoma in sacks in 2019. He didn’t get any sacks on me, though (laughs). He’s a young guy, and he’s a great ball player. As long as he stays on the path he’s currently on, he’s gonna be a big-time pass rusher.
JM: You crossed paths with Ed Oliver at Houston. You were obviously a young offensive linemen during his time there. What did practicing and preparing alongside such an elite defensive linemen do for your development?
JJ: That’s my guy right there. We went at it. He was the best defensive linemen in the country. At that time, there was nobody better than Ed Oliver. I had the best defensive linemen in the country on my team. He’s a very, very competitive person. He wanted to compete in everything. He made you wanna match or even surpass his level of competitiveness. We didn’t get to work against each other too much in practice, but there were times he practiced rushing off the edge. We had some great battles, you know I was the best offensive linemen in the country (laughs). It was the best against the best. We went at it a few times.
JM: When a team spends a draft pick on Josh Jones, what kind of guy are they getting?
JJ: They’re getting a competitor, first and foremost. I’m gonna compete in everything I do. They’re gonna get a hard worker that’s gonna come in and do whatever my coaches ask me to do. They’re gonna get a great ball player at the end of the day.
The Houston Texans have met virtually with former University of Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones in preparation for the draft.
The Houston Texans are doing their due diligence by meeting virtually with the University of Houston offensive tackle and Richmond George Bush High School alumnus, Josh Jones.
Easily one of the most impressive offensive linemen in the draft, Jones is a big and powerful force. At 6-5, 319 pounds, he cuts an imposing figure, but despite his size, he shows impressive speed the first few yards, and his ability to move defensive lineman around seemingly easily catches the eye.
Named second-team All-American Athletic Conference his senior year, Jones is a three-year starter on the blindside who looks natural in the position. He should have few issues transitioning to the NFL and could be a starter his rookie year.
Given that Bill O’Brien’s side has already invested heavily in the offensive line this past year with Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, and Max Scharping all joining the side in 2019 it seems unlikely they will invest the draft capital necessary to acquire Jones. However, being prepared for a potential drop on the day is a smart move.
Jones was a four-year starter at left tackle for Houston and is projected to go as high as the middle of the first round of the draft.
The Arizona Cardinals have done a lot of homework leading up to the NFL draft on offensive tackle prospects. They met with the four top tackle prospects at the NFL combine and have had contact with several others since then.
Another player they have met with is Houston tackle Josh Jones.
According to Draft Wire’s Justin Melo, the Cardinals are one of the teams he has met with via FaceTime.
#Houston OT Josh Jones was able to make private visits w/ the #Titans & #Bears prior to COVID-19.
Jones is considered to be among the tackle prospects at the level just below the top four of Andrew Thomas, Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs and Jedrick Wills.
Jones is projected to go as high as the middle or the latter end of the first round of the draft. The Cardinals probably would not consider him with the eighth pick in the draft but if they were to trade down in the first round, Jones could be a possibility.
Jones measured 6-foot-5 and 319 pounds at the combine. He ran the 40 in 5.27 seconds, bench pressed 24 reps of 225 pounds, had a 28.5-inch vertical leap and a 9-foot-1 broad jump.
He was a four-year starter at left tackle for Houston but missed games two different seasons with injuries.
