With the uncertainty of the Big Ten Conference and the Big 12 set to meet on Tuesday, they should entertain the idea of expansion.
It was a wild and crazy Monday as the day started with discussions of the Big Ten Conference ready to announce that they would be cancelling or postponing the 2020 college football season. It was even reported that there was a vote of 12-2 in favor of cancellation. Iowa and Nebraska were named as the two schools still in favor of moving forward with the season.
Given the certainty of the conference announcing a cancellation, it was quite believable that there was a vote. Until reports began surfacing that a vote didn’t take place. Was it a bad source? Or did the Big Ten put out a rumor to gauge the backlash that would follow? We may never know but it was quite interesting to say the very least.
Big Ten spokesman says "no vote has been held by our presidents and chancellors."
According to Phil Harrison of Buckeyes Wire, the Big Ten Conference will hold a meeting Tuesday morning with school presidents. Could we finally have some sense of a season from the Big Ten perspective? Well, maybe. The interesting thing that came out of Monday’s chaos just happen to be a few coaches standing up for their teams and pleading to play.
Nebraska’s Scott Frost was the first to be brought to my attention.
"Our university is committed to playing no matter what… We certainly hope it's in the Big Ten. If it isn't, I think we're prepared to look for other options."
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost shares his thoughts on playing this fall
In a message to the media, Frost said they want to play football whether they have to look outside of the Big Ten to accomplish that task. In a similar statement, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day wants to play whether that is in the Big Ten or with another conference.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day was just asked on ESPN about playing in another conference if the Big Ten shuts down: "We need to look at every option. And if that's the only option, we need to explore it and see if that's something we can do."
Even the Buckeyes bitter rivals, Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh issued a statement about playing this season. If it all comes to a head and the school presidents cancel football, should those schools go looking elsewhere? One rumored report discussed all three teams discussing a move to the Big 12 even if it was just for one season. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman refuted the report but should Bob Bowlsby entertain the idea?
As the Big 12 Board of Directors meeting draws near, they should exhaust every avenue, every discussion and ask every question. If those three teams plus Iowa want to join for a season so they can have football then why not? If it can be deemed safe enough to play, a season should be played.
The Texas Longhorns have future matchups with Michigan and Ohio State down the road but what if you could see those matchups this season? Nebraska head coach Scott Frost brought up some valid points on the financial side during his press conference. Schools, college towns, states, faculty and staff would all be impacted by no sports.
Many reports surfacing show that the Big 12 is likely split on their decision as of right now. However, the school feels like they are in a good place to have football. The team is ready to play, the coaches are ready to coach and you can be the fans are ready to be fanatics. The idea might sound crazy at this point but it is 2020.
To quote head coach Tom Herman, “desperate times call for desperate measures.”
The Longhorns old foe, Nebraska is one of two Big Ten teams in favor of playing. The vote to cancel was 12-2 in favor of postponement.
News on the upcoming college football season has been dropping at a fast and furious rate. Will we or won’t we have a season? Well as far as the Big 12 is concerned that meeting is scheduled to happen on Monday evening at 5 p.m..
The Big Ten Conference has been the one in the headlines most as of late, their leadership had a meeting to discuss their future. All signs have pointed towards them cancelling the season or moving everything to the spring. All 14 schools were involved in a vote to determine the best course of action.
According to the Dan Patrick Show, the Longhorns old foe Nebraska was one of two schools who voted in favor of playing.
Just did @dpshow and Dan dropped this info, from his sources: the Big Ten vote is 12-2 to postpone. Nebraska and Iowa want to play.
It is a bit odd how conferences pushed to get the new 2020 college football season’s schedules out but now are seemingly pushing to postpone the year. A spring schedule seems inevitable but to what end? Is it really going to be better in February and March versus now? Hopefully we get answers soon as the Big 12 meeting looms.
Former Oklahoma head coach and Dallas Cowboys assistant John Blake has died of a heart attack at 59.
The news is sad out of the Southwest for football fans as former Oklahoma head coach and Dallas Cowboys assistant John Blake has died at the age of 59.
Another former Oklahoma and Dallas coach, Barry Switzer, confirmed the news of Blake’s death to the Tulsa World Thursday:
“I recruited him out of Sand Springs,” Switzer said. “He played for me and captained for me. He coached for me. “I was close to John.”
Sad news. John Blake has died. Coach Switzer tells me it was a heart attack while out walking. Says he’d lost a lot of weight and was doing well. Prayers w the former #Sooners HC and devastated family. RIP. @news9@OU_Football
Cause of death was a heart attack, per former Oklahoma QB Dean Blevins, now a News9 sports reporter in the Sooner State. Blake was stricken when he was on a walk.
Prior to his tenure as head coach in Norman, Blake had served as the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, working alongside former UNC coach Butch Davis (2007–11) as well as former Sooner and then Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer. The Dallas Cowboys won two Super Bowls (1993 & ’95) during Blake’s stint. Blake also worked as a defensive assistant at Oklahoma in the early 1990s under Gary Gibbs.
Blake also had assistant coaching jobs at Mississippi State, North Carolina, Nebraska, and in the NFL, with the Buffalo Bills on his resume.
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: Nebraska Cornhuskers Offense 3 Things To Know
– When is this whole offense thing going to kick in? It scored 34 fewer points than the 2018 version, it finished an okay fifth in the Big Ten overall, and it actually ran well – going for over 200 yards per game – but it wasn’t a differentiating factor.
It needs a jolt of confidence. It needs to know it can close out games and come through in the clutch. That comes with experience, and that comes with getting almost the entire starting group back … sort of.
CFN in 60 Video: Nebraska Cornhuskers Preview
[jwplayer 3BzwUceK]
– Good freaking luck trying to figure out the Nebraska receiving corps. Leading receiver JD Spielman left the team for personal reasons. The hope is that he’ll be back – and he’s the main man if and when it his – but it’s been a strange and murky situation since he left in early March.
Wan’Dale Robinson could grow into a good, veteran No. 1 target if Spielman isn’t back, and he’ll need to be that with the freshmen about to take over. With all the receiver talent coming in, five wideouts hit the transfer portal. Fortunately, the young guys should be fantastic.
6-4, 225-pound JUCO transfer Omar Manning and star freshman Zavier Betts will soon be the stars of the show, Marcus Fleming will be a factor, and Alante Brown can fly.
Now they need Adrian Martinez to grow into the type of quarterback who can make them all blow up.
Noah Vedral is now at Rutgers, and Andrew Bunch is transferring out. That leaves Luke McCaffrey as the main backup behind Martinez, who has been fine, but hardly the program-changing talent to make the Scott Frost offensive machine go. When he’s on, he can take over a game by himself. Now he has to be on a whole lot more.
– Don’t get too caught up in the numbers when it comes to the Husker O line – it was fine. Martinez takes sacks because he runs a whole lot – Nebraska was last in the Big Ten in tackles for loss allowed – but the front five does need to be more consistent for the ground game. All five starters are expected back around all-star senior Brenden Jaimes at left tackle.
Martinez is the team’s most dangerous runner, but former Georgia Tech star Dedrick Mills led the way with 745 yards and ten touchdowns. He’s the featured back, receiver Wan’Dale Robinson will get his share of carries – he finished third on the team in rushing yards.
However, Robinson might be needed more at his day job as a top target, and Maurice Washington transferred out. The job is open for a No. 2 back, with redshirt freshman Rahmir Johnson and new recruit Sevion Morrison getting the longest looks.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Nebraska Cornhuskers Defense 3 Things To Know
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Nebraska defensive line prospect Darrion Daniels
It’s a unique challenge to be a graduate transfer at a top college football program, but Nebraska’s Darrion Daniels made the most of his new surroundings after leaving Oklahoma State.
A well-rounded defensive line prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, Daniels recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about the transition from Stillwater to Lincoln, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: You were an Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten in 2019, as voted by your coaches. You were also voted a team captain in 2019, and made the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring of 2019. What a year you had for somebody that was a graduate transfer, right?
DD: It was one of my most focused years. I came in as a grad transfer, just like you said. I was instantly viewed as one of the most experienced guys on the team. I’m very thankful for how my coaches and teammates welcomed me with open arms at Nebraska. They respected me and I wanted to make sure that I lived up to the billing. I didn’t want anybody’s confidence in me to waiver. I tried to conduct myself like a professional in everything that I did. I wanted to study film like a pro, I wanted to practice like a pro and so on. I used 2019 as a way to set up my future. I think the accolades that you read off were a result of the hard work that I put into everything.
JM: How do you look back on the decision to transfer from Oklahoma State to Nebraska?
DD: At first, it was a complete leap of faith. I’m gonna be honest with you. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn’t get recruited to go to Nebraska. I didn’t have any connections within the Nebraska coaching staff until two weeks after I graduated from Oklahoma State. It was a total leap of faith. I was really nervous about it. I was a new graduate entering the transfer portal, and I didn’t have a guaranteed destination. I didn’t know what was gonna happen.
When I got there, everything worked out way better at Nebraska than I could have hoped. My expectations were very low, because I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t think that I would get the opportunity to come in and have the impact that I did. Everything worked out so well. I really think that the decision to come to Nebraska was the right decision for me.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
JM: You’re pursuing your master’s degree in applied science. What interests you about that?
DD: I received a degree in marketing from Oklahoma State. When I started discussing my enrollment at Nebraska, I hopped on the phone with several members of their academics department. We were trying to figure out the best fit for me in terms of what master’s program I could enroll in. We discussed various programs and applied science was one of them.
I didn’t know a whole lot about it but as we continued our discussions and they broke down the program outlook for me, my interest was piqued. I was able to pick and choose different courses that could be valuable to me. I was able to take a lot of advertising and business classes. Those courses made a lot of sense for somebody that already had a degree in marketing. It could set me up for a future after football.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
DD: It was a great experience, albeit a very long one. Outside of the medical checks and how long you spend in the waiting room, I made some really great memories out there. I really appreciated everybody that was there. I had some conversations with a lot of great athletes. It was just a fun time. It gave me a chance to showcase my abilities among all of the top athletes all over the country. I’ve been waiting my whole life for the opportunity.
JM: Taking every aspect of the combine into account, what do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?
DD: I think I left a really good impression. I’m a very patient guy. I conducted myself like a professional out there. I was very humble in all of my interviews and I thought they went well. I was very articulate throughout the formal interviews. I feel like I did a good job showcasing my knowledge of the game. Being in the waiting room for the medical checks, I was very patient and kept my composure. I was very respectful to everybody I encountered. I think from a personality aspect, I left a very good impression on everybody there.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
DD: I wasn’t asked anything strange. I expected to cover every topic that was discussed with me. I didn’t get any off-the-wall questions.
Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
JM: Were you able to get any private visits or workouts in before COVID-19 pulled everybody off the road?
DD: I was blessed that our pro day was actually one of the last ones that happened. We had our pro day, and we had a great turnout of NFL personnel there. Everything started shutting down just a few days later. I had an opportunity to run through some drills with the D-line coach from the Tennessee Titans. That happened right after my pro day. He got together with myself and Khalil Davis on the morning of pro day and gave us a bunch of plays. He let us catch our breath after pro day, he set up some drills and we re-joined him on the field to run through the plays and drills he had given us in the morning. He wanted to see how we were able to memorize the plays from that morning.
I also worked out privately for the Miami Dolphins after my pro day.
JM: I imagine you’ve moved all of your team meetings to the phones since then. Which teams have you met with via FaceTime and such?
DD: I’ve spoken with the Cardinals, Jaguars and Bears recently. Those are the only ones I can think of right now.
JM: At this point in time, are you more comfortable playing as a run stopper or pass rusher?
DD: I’m very comfortable playing against the run. The run game comes easy to me. I’m a big guy and I take up a lot of space. I eat up blocks, I’m used to taking on double teams. I’m very hard to move off my spot. Stopping the run has been my bread and butter. I’m very disciplined in the run game. I’m able to out-man the person in front of me. I’ve done a great job in the run game.
I’m comfortable as a pass rusher as well. It really just depends on the down and distance. My film does a good job showcasing my athleticism and ability in the passing game. I move well for my size. I’ve always felt like stopping the run is one of the most important aspects of the game. Not every team was fortunate to have great receivers or even a great quarterback at the collegiate level. When you can’t run the ball, you can’t win a game. That’s why I’m more comfortable in the run game.
JM: What are some of your go-to moves as a pass rusher?
DD: I’m a big, powerful guy. I love using the bull rush. It’s definitely one of my favorite ways to rush the passer. I’m a big guy, but I move well for my size. I can catch an offensive linemen off-guard. Once they start expecting the bull rush, I have a few counters up my sleeve as well.
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
JM: What can you tell me about the scheme that you guys ran at Nebraska and what your coaches asked of you?
DD: It’s pretty funny when I look back at that. I don’t think I fully appreciated the beauty of what we did on defense from a system point of view until recently. As I’ve been meeting with these NFL coaches and answering questions about our scheme, they’ve been pulling up our tape on defense and asking me to break it down for them. We did such a great job disguising things. I’m hearing the same thing from a lot of these NFL coaches and that’s that every play looks the same to them. They can’t tell what’s what and that’s because our coaches did such a good job disguising our packages.
I played the zero-nose in our 3-4 defense. I double gapped. I was responsible for both A-gaps and I manhandled the center. I had to make sure that nothing was ran in-between the A-gap and the B-gap.
JM: What kind of guy is Darrion Daniels going to be at the next level?
DD: I’m gonna be somebody that adds something to the culture. I’ve always been a team-first, team-oriented kinda guy. I feel like I raise the level of intensity and motivation in the locker room. I’ve always held the guys around me accountable. I expect greatness out of my teammates. I’m gonna be the same guy at the next level. They’re gonna get somebody that’s gonna improve the locker room morale.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Nebraska cornerback prospect Lamar Jackson
He may not be the reigning NFL MVP, but Nebraska cornerback prospect Lamar Jackson still plans on making his mark at the next level.
A big, physical cover man who has been battle-tested by some of the nation’s top pass-catchers, Jackson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, what led to his improved play last season, and what kind of player he’ll be in the pros.
JM: You took a big step forward in 2019. What changed for you?
LJ: It was really just my sense of urgency. I had some friends that fell short of their goals or got drafted later on than they expected. You see guys falling out of the draft altogether. I just came to a realization. It just prepared me for the future. I started to realize that I wasn’t where I needed to be. I had a big step to take. I just started to be more diligent. I definitely put in more work than ever before.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
LJ: The combine is a grind. It’s a little less than a week. It can be a little strenuous, you have the interviews, the medicals, stuff like that. It can get a little repetitive. You’re up all night doing interviews or writing tests or whatever. You’re up late at night taking a drug test or you’re at the hospital getting your medicals checked on. All of the medical stuff is very thorough. There’s a lot that goes on before it’s time to perform on the field. You just have to continuously remind yourself that it’s a blessing to be there. I just took it all in. It’s a process. I had a positive mindset. I was trying to take advantage of the opportunity. I didn’t take anything for granted. I got through the week and performed to the best of my abilities. I was trying to prove that I belong on Sundays. That was my mindset when I was out there.
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
JM: What do you think is the overall impression you left out there?
LJ: I think I left a good impression out there. I was able to show off some of my athleticism. I had some good measurables. I was showing off the God-given ability. I feel like I made my biggest impact in the interview room, though. I enjoyed all of the meetings that I had. I was letting everybody know that I’m a high-character guy. I was letting that passion shine through. They gave me a platform to tell my story. I left a piece of me with all of the scouts and teams that I met with. I had some great meetings. I walked away from them with a good feeling. We had a lot of great conversations. We talked about football and life. I was trying to sell myself. I’m a very capable and willing person.
JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal meetings out there?
LJ: I had a lot of informals. I had formals with the New York Jets and the New York Giants.
JM: I imagine your private visit schedule has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but which teams you were scheduled to meet with or work out for?
LJ: I was lucky that our pro day was an early one. We got to squeeze that in before the outbreak really got out of hand. I went for lunch with the Chicago Bears after pro day. I thought it went well. A lot of other coaches and teams have just told me to keep my head on a swivel. Things can change quickly. Nobody really knows what’s going on right now. I’m just staying in shape and staying ready to go.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
LJ: I wouldn’t say that I was asked any weird questions. Everything was pretty straight-forward. We really just talked about football and life. It was just interesting. You’re talking to the coaches and everybody is so different, personality-wise. You’re just learning really. Sometimes they wanna boost you up, other times they wanna talk you down. Each person presents something different to you. All of the differences were definitely interesting. I thought I did well. I just answered their questions to the best of my ability.
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Who are some of the best receivers you’ve ever had to cover?
LJ: Every school pretty much has that one guy. Most of the time, it was my job to follow their best receiver around. It could have been anybody. Tyler Johnson from Minnesota was a good one. Quintez Cephus from Wisconsin is another guy that comes to mind. Iowa had some good ones. I feel like I played well against all of those guys. Every team has their guy and I went up against a bunch of them.
JM: What kind of player is the NFL getting in Lamar Jackson?
LJ: They’re gonna get a high character guy. I truly love the game of football. I’m gonna be the best version of myself. I’m gonna continue to work on my craft. The goal is to get better every year. I love doing what I’m doing.
Let’s be honest: If the Wisconsin Badgers weren’t kicking butt right now, it would be harder to look at the end of the Kobe King story (from a UW point of view) with a generous heart. Yet, as this story gains a measure of closure, with King’s transfer to the Nebraska Cornhuskers earlier this week, it’s worth making the point that young people need support and affirmation in their lives even when they make choices we don’t like. In fact, it is PRECISELY when a young person makes a questionable choice that support is needed. This frames the discussion around King, whose departure thankfully did not have a negative effect on the 2020 Badgers. Wisconsin is rocking and rolling after ripping up Michigan’s formidable defense on Thursday night in Ann Arbor.
The title of this story is not sarcastic. It’s the truth. Genuinely: Good for Kobe King. He wanted a different direction for his career. He found it relatively quickly. That’s an encouraging outcome for him.
We don’t have to dive into another familiar argument about whether college athletes should be paid. Regardless of your views of that particular issue, we can all agree that human beings make specific choices and then reconsider them. Kobe King might not have had a “paid job” as a Wisconsin basketball player, but it certainly was an important responsibility for him. It didn’t work out.
Whether or not a person pulls down a take-home paycheck, that person was engaged in a public endeavor (playing college basketball) people care about. College athletes face this reality all the time: Do they really want to play in one place and one situation? If they realize, midway through their journey, that going elsewhere might be better for them, should any of us insist that inclination is wrongheaded or shortsighted?
If a job is not working out for us, we would very possibly consider walking away from that job and starting fresh somewhere else – maybe not in a different state, but certainly at a different company if we wanted to do the same type of work.
Sure, we all know that playing college basketball isn’t a regular job – only 353 Division I teams exist in the United States, with only eight to 10 players playing for one team on a normal game night. This means no more than roughly 3,500 young men play more than table-scrap minutes (let’s say 10 minutes) per game every season. This is a pretty select group engaged in pursuing a select opportunity.
It is an even more special opportunity at the Power Five conference level, which is where Kobe King resided at Wisconsin… and where he will be staying at Nebraska.
This chance doesn’t come around for anyone and everyone. It’s a limited fraternity (or, for women’s college basketball players, sorority). Given the special, fragile, and very temporary (no more than four years) nature of collegiate athletics, an athlete has to make these years count. If, for whatever reason, he doesn’t feel comfortable in a given place, it’s not a scandal or cause for outrage (barring some exceptional circumstances).
A young person just wants to relocate and find a new path, something Americans of any age should be free to pursue.
All of this aside: Kobe King could have picked a Big Ten school with a stronger position and reputation than Nebraska. He didn’t. Imagine how we all would feel if he had gone to Marquette (not saying that was ever likely, but imagine the result just the same).
Nebraska is a relatively harmless choice… but even if Kobe King had chosen to play for Iowa or Purdue, that wouldn’t change the basic reality that athletes deserve to have freedom of movement. We should wish them well… and wish that when they play Wisconsin the next time, they’ll get their butts kicked.
Sincerely, good for you, Kobe King. Have a prosperous career… and the Badgers will smile when they face you next, trying to defeat a friend in good-natured and spirited competition, just as any brother would in a backyard one-on-one game.
