Tag: Mike Locksley

Maryland football head coach complimentary of Michigan State defense, Joe Rossi

Maryland head coach complimentary of Michigan State defense, Joe Rossi

Michigan State football will face Maryland this weekend in their first Big Ten match-up of the year. Heading into the game, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley spoke to the media on Wednesday to preview the match-up with the Spartans.

One thing Locksley noted was MSU’s defense, saying that Joe Rossi is very well respected. He also noted that he is very familiar with defensive end Khris Bogle as he recruited him at Alabama, and also gave a shoutout to Cal Haladay, who he joked about still being on the depth chart.

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Watch Maryland HC Mike Locksley preview game against Michigan State football

Watch Mike Locksley preview matchup with Michigan State:

Michigan State and Maryland will square off this Saturday, opening Big Ten conference play against one another. The Spartans and Terrapins have had a history of close games, although the meeting in 2024 will be the first between Mike Locksley and Jonathan Smith.

Locksley spoke to the media on Tuesday, previewing the matchup against the Spartans:

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Rutgers football’s Greg Schiano makes a big jump in CBS Sports’ head coach power rankings

Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano has seen his stock go up.

Following a season where he took Rutgers football to a winning record and an impressive bowl win, Greg Schiano’s stock is on the rise.

In fact, in the ranking of college football head coaches from Power Four conferences by CBS Sports, Schiano’s strong season with Rutgers saw him make a big leap. Schiano moved up 10 spots this past year, due in large part to a 7-6 record and a win over Miami in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

Schiano is now the No. 40 head coach in the Power Four.

The ranking puts him one spot above Maryland head coach [autotag]Mike Locksley[/autotag] and one spot behind Minnesota head coach [autotag]P.J. Fleck[/autotag].

Also noticeable in the ranking is Miami head coach Mario Cristobal at No. 35. The ranking gap is interesting since Schiano’s Rutgers beat Cristobal’s Miami this past December and the Hurricanes are a shell of their former glory.

Here is what CBS Sports college football insider Tom Fornelli wrote about Schiano’s jump of 10 spots in the ranking:

“Rutgers has never been an easy job, and it only became more difficult when it joined the Big Ten at a financial deficit to the rest of the league in one of the most difficult divisions in the country. But Schiano finds a way to build this program up, and the Knights enter the season as a wild card in the conference.”

Rutgers enters this season with a wealth of returning experience on both sides of the ball and continuity among the key positions on the coaching staff. Both coordinators are back, which is important for a still-rebuilding team.

[lawrence-related id=38129,38105]

Off the field, things are progressing for Rutgers, including a recruiting class that is ranked No. 29 in the nation.

Another winning season with a bowl appearance could see Schiano shoot up a few more spots in this ranking this time next year.

Lifetime at Rutgers, Schiano is 87-95.

5 underdog candidates for the Alabama coaching job

Here are five names you may not have heard about when it comes to Alabama’s hunt for a new head coach.

A few high-profile names have been tossed around when it comes to replacing Nick Saban as the head coach of Alabama. The top two right now seem to be Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Washington’s Kalen DeBoer. However, there might be some candidates who were initially overlooked.

Based on some slight buzz on social media and what a few oddsmakers have come up with, there are a few long shots who are definite possibilities nonetheless.

Mind you, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne explained that nothing should be believed unless it comes from him. According to Byrne’s guidance, these aren’t even long shots, they are just candidates whose names have not popped up in rumors and reports.

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. Maryland

The Tigers are a touchdown favorite to win the Music City Bowl, but could this game be closer than oddsmakers expect?

The 6-6 Auburn Tigers return to action for the first time since losing the Iron Bowl later this week when they take on the 7-5 Maryland Terrapins in the Music City Bowl on December 30.

Auburn finished the regular season with back-to-back losses but managed bowl eligibility in the first season under new head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag].

On the other side, Taulia Tagovailoa and Maryland had an up-and-down season in the Big 10, winning 7 games in 12 tries.

The all-time leading passer in Big 10 history has opted out of this game, giving Auburn a significant edge according to oddsmakers. The Tigers are currently a full touchdown favorite on BetMGM.

ESPN FPI believes this game should be much closer, as Hugh Freeze’s squad has just a 52.4% chance to win according to the model.

Will the tale of the tape show us this game will be a Dixieland Delight for Auburn fans, or will Maryland fans be singing the Victory song on Broadway after the Music City Bowl?

As always we’ll start with the quarterbacks.

Tigers quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] initial season on the Plains was much like a Sky Dog at 2 AM. The junior was a bit disappointing, but ultimately got the job done for the most part.

Thorne finished the regular season with 1,671 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions as Auburn’s QB1(a).

Hugh Freeze’s QB1(b), [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], has joined thousands of other players in the transfer portal, leaving Thorne with the keys to the Honda Accord that is the Auburn offense.

With Ashford all but gone and incoming four-star recruit Walker White cooking in the background, Thorne has one final chance in game action to prove he can lead the Tigers into 2024.

As for the team up in Maryland, senior sensation Taulia Tagovailoa has chosen to opt out of this game, leaving sophomore quarterback [autotag]Billy Edwards Jr.[/autotag] and freshmen [autotag]Cameron Edge[/autotag] as the lone signal-callers on the Terps roster.

Both players combined for just 13 passing attempts this season although Edwards Jr. was used as a goal line quarterback, most notably rushing for 3 touchdowns against No. 1 ranked Michigan.

Maryland’s passing offense was explosive this season but the loss of Tagovailoa gives the edge to Thorne and the Tigers.

The skill positions across the offense are a different story. Auburn holds the edge at running back thanks to the electrifying [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] but the wide receiver gap is larger than Old Line State’s obsession with Old Bay.

Maryland often employs three-reciever sets with [autotag]Jeshaun Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Tai Felton[/autotag], and [autotag]Kaden Pranther[/autotag]. Those three combined for nearly 500 more receiving yards than Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] had in passing yards this season.

The Terrapins fourth target, tight end Corey Dyches, would have paced all Auburn pass-catchers as well.

Auburn tight end Rivaldo Fairweather had a solid season but the edge clearly goes to Maryland, especially considering the Tigers will be without [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] in this one.

Auburn’s defense is clearly the better unit on that side of the ball, but defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] has some work ahead of him due to opt outs.

Cornerbacks [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] as well as defensive lineman [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] won’t be availbile for this one, leaving the 21-ranked defense according to ESPN FPI shorthanded in Nashville.

James and Harris were arguably Auburn’s two best players on the defensive side of the ball this season. It helps that linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] are staying on the Plains and will be playing, but the loss of Harris, James, and Pritchett will be felt.

Maryland’s defense on the other hand isn’t great but it’s not anemic either. The Terps were solid all year long, but did give up an average of over 30 points per game in losses this season.

Head coach [autotag]Mike Locksley[/autotag] isn’t dealing with any major opt-outs on that side of the ball, making the gap between these two teams closer than the stats say.

Still, Auburn gets the edge here.

There is a reason ESPN FPI has these two teams ranked next to each other in overall ranking. While the loss of Taulia Tagovailoa gives Auburn an edge in this game, the Music City Bowl could very well come down to the wire.

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What Maryland coach Mike Locksley said after Michigan football beat Maryland

Really good stuff here from the Maryland head coach. #GoBlue

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Like many a year, Maryland came close to taking down a top team set to play its rivalry game the next week, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

A couple of times, the Terps have pushed Ohio State to the limit, but this year, it was Michigan that narrowly avoided an upset to the team based in College Park.

After the game, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley credited Michigan football with its win and shared what it was the Wolverines did to keep the Terrapins from escaping with an unlikely win.

Here are the things Locksley said that pertained to the Wolverines in his postgame press conference.

WATCH what Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said about Ohio State after the loss

See and listen to what Maryland head coach Mike Locksley had to say about Ohio State after the game. #GoBucks

It was a little scary until midway through the third quarter, but Ohio State got its act together and was pulled away for a win over Maryland on Saturday afternoon. It was a good showing for quite a while for the Terps, but once the game wore on, they wore down and ended up with a 20-point loss.

Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley thought his team could give Ohio State issues and came into the contest looking to stake a claim as a combatant in the East division with Penn State, Michigan and the Buckeyes. That didn’t happen, and Locksley met with reporters after the game to discuss what he saw and thought about the game.

In case you missed any of his comments, we have them here and we’re sharing from our Buckeyes Wire YouTube channel. Click through the below video and listen to Locksley discuss the respect for Ohio State, the shortcomings of his team’s performance, the Buckeyes ability to limit big plays, and more.

Ohio State is 5-0 and will begin preparations to travel to play Purdue next week. We’ll have coverage leading up to the game, so check back often.

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Know your Ohio State foe: Which Maryland Terrapins could give Buckeyes problems

These Terps won’t make the Buckeyes’ job easy on Saturday #GoBucks

It’s not its stiffest test to the early season, but [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] will be challenged at home this Saturday against the [autotag]Maryland Terrapins[/autotag].

The Terps enter the game undefeated at 5-0, and just on the outside of both major polls. Head coach, [autotag]Mike Locksley[/autotag], has taken a few years to get the program to where he wants it, but it looks like he has it going in the right direction now.

Due to that, the Terrapins have more than a few players that will give Ohio State some issues this Saturday. Find out below who the Buckeyes will have to stop if they want to stay undefeated and move along a journey it hopes ends with some confetti and trophies.

VIDEO: What Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said about Ohio State in previewing the matchup

Watch and get a listen to what Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said about Ohio State prior to the matchup on Saturday. #GoBucks

Ohio State and Maryland will meet in the ‘Shoe at high noon on Saturday, and it’s an underrated matchup between two undefeated teams. While we’re at it, someone needs to explain why Maryland is not yet ranked despite a pretty dominant looking 5-0 start.

Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley has done a good job of building this program to where it looks like the Terps will be able to provide more than a puncher’s chance at knocking off one or more of the three big teams in the conference: Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.

That first opportunity happens on Saturday, and Locksley met with the local media this week to preview a fairly sizeable game for his program. We weren’t there for Locksley’s presser, but we have it for your consumption thanks to “Inside the Black and Gold’s” YouTube Channel.

During his press conference, Locksley expresses admiration for the Buckeye program, what an opportunity it is, the players that could be an issue to contain and much more.

As a reminder, Ohio State and Maryland are set to kick off at noon ET on Saturday. We’ll continue to provide coverage leading up to the game and will have some reaction during and after the contest.

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Mike Locksley talks Michigan State football student section

MSU’s student section has made an impression on Maryland head coach Mike Locksley

Ahead of Saturday’s matchup between Michigan State and Maryland, Mike Locksley talked about the Spartans and what he expects out of the matchup. One thing that was on his mind, the Michigan State student section. Locksley noted how loud the student section is, and how they sometimes can be annoying.

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