Tag: power 5

Is the Pac-12 the best conference in the nation? The rankings say so…

Is the Pac-12 the strongest conference in the nation this season? It’s a tough statement to argue against at the moment…

Timing is everything.

For years, the Pac-12 Conference has been considered one of the weaker Power 5 conference. But now, ironically, in its last season as a league, the Pac-12 has never been stronger.

The Conference of Champions has been incredibly impressive so far this year and looks like it could once again live up to its name in 2023. By looking at the rankings following Week 2 of the season, it’s hard to argue against the idea that the Pac-12 could be the strongest conference in the nation.

Almost all of the Pac-12’s early success in 2023 is due to superb quarterback play. Caleb Williams is the reigning Heisman winner and it doesn’t look like he’s ready to slow down any time soon. The usuals such as Michael Penix, Jr. and Bo Nix are also having nice starts, but it’s the quarterbacks such as Cameron Ward of Washington State and DJ Uiagalelei of Oregon State that provide depth for the conference.

Things will change once the conference season gets in full swing, but having one last great Pac-12 season is definitely bitter-sweet. Here’s a look at where the Pac-12 stands amongst the Power 5 conference when it comes to number of teams in the Top-25 rankings after Week 2:

ESPN ranks the best late-round draft pick for every Power 5 team

Eddie Jackson listed as Alabama’s best late-round draft pick ever

The Alabama football program is known for dominating the NFL draft, especially the first day or two. However, the Tide have had a few guys slide out of the first three rounds that have gone on to have successful NFL careers.

ESPN visited the best late-round draft pick from every Power 5 school, and for Alabama, they chose Eddie Jackson. Jackson was a fourth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in 2017 and went No. 112 overall. Through six years in the league, Jackson has made two Pro Bowl appearances, a First-team All-Pro in 2018 and has already been listed as one of the 100 Greatest Bears of All-Time.

Jackson has started all 88 of his NFL games and produced 422 tackles, 39 passes defended, 14 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles and three touchdowns. He is a captain and a key component of the Bears’ defense. The Bears extended Jackson beyond his rookie deal with a four-year contract worth $58.4 million, so he has really proved to be a valuable NFL asset.

During his time in Tuscaloosa, Jackson was a key member of the Alabama standard to Nick Saban and his staff as a defensive and special teams player. He was the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game defensive MVP but had multiple injuries throughout his college career. Most notably, he broke his left leg against Texas A&M his senior year which kept him out of NFL draft work and led to his falling draft status as he had been a projected third-round pick.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Eddie Jackson and cheer for his continued success.

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Full worst-to-first preseason SP+ conference power rankings

Where does the Big Ten stand nationally in comparison to all other conferences in ESPN’s final SP+ preseason projections?

The Big Ten is generally regarded as one of the nation’s premier conferences. It makes perfect sense, too. In addition to boasting some of the country’s top brands, the actual football being played on the gridiron is pretty dang good as well.

In fact, ESPN’s final SP+ preseason projections rank five Big Ten teams inside the nation’s top 17 and eight teams inside the country’s top 34. Iowa checks in No. 27 nationally according to the final SP+ ratings. Suffice it to say, the predictive model expects the league to feature plenty of the nation’s top teams once more in 2022.

On the surface, those numbers sound great for the Big Ten. How does the Big Ten stack up nationally, though? Where do all of the conferences rank according to Bill Connelly’s final SP+ preseason projections?

Here’s a worst-to-first breakdown of where each conference stands in terms of overall strength per ESPN’s final SP+ rankings.

College golf: ACC, Big 10, Pac-12 back in the fold, but not without expected setbacks

The now 11-team Southwestern Invitational will kick off the spring season for a number of West Coast teams on Jan. 25-27.

UCLA hasn’t competed as a team for 10 months. And just as team qualifying was nearly complete for an initial spring start at next week’s Southwestern Invitational, the Bruins had to slam the breaks because of COVID.

The team announced through Twitter on Wednesday that it wouldn’t travel across town to tee it up in the spring-opening event.

“When we brought everyone back, we knew that just because of how contagious COVID is, there could be a chance that some guys could be exposed,” head coach Derek Freeman said of the team’s Dec. 27 return to campus after not being together all fall. “They had done such a good job at home, no one had been exposed and then when we got here we were great for 10-12 days. We don’t really know how someone on the team got it, and it spread around with some of our players. I think just with contact tracing and being smart and diligent and not trying to spread this to anyone else or someone at the tournament, it just made the best decision to not play at this time.

“It’s unfortunate. Our players are super disappointed because we didn’t play in the fall and this was our chance to get out there and get going. They’re disappointed, but they also understand there’s a bigger picture and a bigger responsibility for our team to the overall health of everyone around us.”

Alas, UCLA’s long offseason goes on a little longer. The now 11-team Southwestern Invitational will still kick off the spring at North Ranch Golf Club in Westlake Village, California, for a number of West Coast teams on Jan. 25-27. It will be televised on Golf Channel, a perk that Freeman hates to see go by the wayside. Any college golf on TV, he says, is a success.

“There’s a disappointment when there’s so few of those that are out there and when you’re part of one, you want to showcase that,” he said. “You want to showcase your ability as a team and the greatness of your university. That is disappointing and our players understand that.”

Expect to see UCLA start its season at the Prestige at PGA West on Feb. 15-17. Past that, a full schedule will play out predominantly in California but with trips to Arizona and Oregon, too. Air travel will figure in, but minimally.

While the spring college golf season is back – technically – UCLA likely won’t be the last team to experience a setback.

“I think it’s part of the way this year is going to go,” Freeman said. “We’re maybe the first one that’s having to do this this spring but I think there will be a lot of moving parts and a lot of teams that have to kind of move and jockey and change things to make sure their tournaments are held in the right way and they’re able to compete. I think that’s going to happen and I think it’s just part of this year and where we are and what’s going to take place.”

ACC

Let last season’s (abbreviated) rankings show that when college golf shut down, six ACC teams were lodged in the top 20. Outside of a few lost heavy-hitters on the Georgia Tech roster – namely the last two U.S. Amateur champs, Andy Ogletree and Tyler Strafaci – the league remained largely intact.

Florida State’s roster only built, drawing in Brett Roberts, a freshman from Coral Springs, Florida; senior Connor Futrell, a Tallahassee native who had made big strides in three years at Troy University; and Vincent Norrman, a graduate transfer who ended a four-year career at Georgia Southwestern with seven career victories and was last year’s top-ranked Division II player.

“We liked our team but you don’t know until you see them play and get on the road,” Florida State head coach Trey Jones said. “We really are excited about this and think we’re going to get better as the spring goes on.”

Having lost the whole fall season, the ACC logged an early, inter-conference start this week with the FSU-hosted Camp Creek Intercollegiate. Jones secured the venue, a Tom Fazio design 125 miles west of Tallahassee where he’s a member. Traditionally, Camp Creek has been a welcome late-spring getaway for the Seminoles when most courses near campus start to aerate. After this week’s inaugural event, Camp Creek will become an annual venue.

Florida State got big performances from Futrell at 7 under plus Norrman and returner John Pak at 4 under. The Seminoles’ 54-hole team total of 22 under left them tied with Wake Forest, who they beat in a two-hole playoff for the team title.

Florida State’s lineup is littered with intriguing storylines, starting with Pak. The returning All-America, who has seven college titles, is on the cusp of a repeat Walker Cup performance – the first round of picks, based off the World Amateur Golf Ranking, comes next month. At No. 7 (the third-highest American) Pak would get one if he can maintain his position.

Norrman and Roberts have only gotten started. Senior Jamie Li, a returning All-American, didn’t even make the Camp Creek lineup because of an injury.

“I’ll think you’ll see the lineup change a little bit,” Jones said of this deep team.

Florida State has also greatly benefited from a renovated golf course and practice facility, Seminole Legacy Golf Club, that re-opened last year after a comprehensive renovation of its golf facilities. Jones will host an NCAA Regional there in May.

“That golf course really is going to prepare our team for everything,” Jones told Golfweek in October.

Postseason host duties punctuate a largely regional spring schedule. The farthest west Florida State will travel is to the Cabo TPC San Antonio in Texas. That tournament normally is played in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which is where Jones likes his team to get a taste of desert golf.

The national championship will be played at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Florida State won’t land anywhere near that far west in the regular season. Jones’ viewpoint on that?

“Obviously desert golf is different form the eye and you do need to get used to that. But Going to Arizona right now and playing a golf course versus how it’s going to be the first week of June, it’s going to be completely different. Different grasses, different everything.”

Big Ten

In Jones’ mind, the January Camp Creek start helped make up lost opportunities from the fall. Farther north, in Big Ten country, that’s even harder to do. Many teams will head south mid-February to start the season.

Big Ten men’s teams traditionally start the season with a conference grudge match, must like what the ACC did this week. Except Big Ten teams go toe-to-toe in match play. That event will be played Feb. 5-6 at Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Florida.

Even without team competition, it’s not like players haven’t done anything since March. That rings true on many rosters and especially for Illinois.

“With no team golf in the fall, our guys still stayed active by individually practicing on campus and by traveling to individual competitions on their own,” Illinois head coach Mike Small told Golfweek. “Having that ability, was a saving grace for them. They all want to compete badly, and with the spring season looking like it will be starting on time, their excitement level is off the charts!  College golf is returning, and we are all fired up!”

Lance Ringler contributed reporting.

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LOOK: Alabama football players tweet ‘#WeWantToPlay’

Alabama football players tweet about the #WeWantToPlay movement in support of playing in the 2020 college football season.

The #WeWantToPlay movement has gone viral among college football players, as the threat of a cancelled 2020 season lingers throughout tweets and headlines of high profile journalists, media personalities and news outlets.

Alabama players are now taking a stand on social media by using the hashtag. While there has not been any news surrounding the SEC’s 2020 plans, the athletes stand united.

Here’s what members of the Crimson Tide had to say:

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, who is not often on social media, tweeted the hashtag.

Najee, who was involved in the creation of the movement, also included a picture with a list of demands by the student athletes.

Tight end Miller Forristall argues that the Alabama football facility will be the safest place for the players when the school year begins.

Offensive lineman Landon Dickerson is in his final year of eligibility and decides to point out potential hypocrisy in the decision-making process.

Alabama’s sophomore kicker Will Reichard suffered a hip injury that hindered his freshman year, after nursing it back to health and training in the offseason, he fears it may all go to waste.

Defensive back Brandon Turnage makes sure his voice is heard.

These are just a few players at Alabama that made their voices heard on social media.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on the state of the 2020 college football season and what plans are made by the SEC or the University of Alabama.

Najee Harris helped orchestrate ‘#WeWantToPlay’ movement

Alabama senior running back Najee Harris was a part of a 15 player group call the help in the creation of the ‘#WeWantToPlay’ movement.

The No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the United States last night was ‘#WeWantToPlay,’ a movement led by college football players from various programs, conferences and divisions.

The movement is driven by recent rumors that claim Power 5 conferences may look to cancel the 2020 college football season, and all fall sports, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

The hashtag was spearheaded by Clemson’s star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, a player who is likely set to be an early draftee in 2021, but still wants to play.

In a report by The State, Lawrence got the ball rolling, but it took 14 other players to put together a short list of demands and begin spreading the hashtag like wildfire. The list is asking for conferences and the NCAA to protect the players on various levels and ensure the players’ voices continue to be heard through a players association.

The report names some players that were involved on the call, one of which being Alabama’s senior running back, Najee Harris.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on the movement and the state of the 2020 college football season as more information becomes available.

The 2020 College Football Season Is Trying To Break Up With You (But Doesn’t Know How)

The 2020 college football season is close to being cancelled, but it keeps fans and players hanging on.

The 2020 college football season is close to being cancelled, but it keeps fans and players hanging on.

It’s not you, it’s the 2020 college football season.

You’re fine. It’s not anything you did, but the 2020 college football season is trying to break up with you.

It’s not because of your politics.

It’s not because you aren’t supportive.

It’s not because you forgot to wear a mask that one time when picking up your salted caramel & banana cream pancake breakfast from Denny’s.

There are circumstances beyond everyone’s control, and it’s just not working out.

[jwplayer muPr0F4N]

I didn’t want to be the one to say it – because your relationship seemed so promising just a few days ago – but the 2020 college football season is a hot mess, and you’re probably better off with that really cute 2021 thing that’s about to come by in a snap.

But the 2020 college football season just can’t let you go.

It’s still wants to go out to dinner, it might want to take a trip in the spring, and it’s saying it might want to hang out in certain ways, but a B1G part of the relationship probably won’t be around anymore.

I’m sorry. Everyone wants to see you two kids get together, but it’s not looking promising.

There are other college football seasons in the sea.

The stupid 2020 college football season, Part 1

2020 has been awful. It’s been disastrous, it’s been horrific, it’s been tragic, it’s been heartbreaking, it’s been unfathomable, and it’s also been revolutionary.

Now, 2020 has taken a new turn to the stupid.

YOU … HAD … FOUR … MONTHS, college football.

Where was the coordinated plan? Where was the idea to keep the players safe? Where were the outside-the-box thoughts and ideas to do this responsibly?

This is only a multi-billion dollar business, and yet the college presidents and athletic directors came up with a fat load of nothing.

And the real kicker? It’s not even the NCAA’s fault – at least not entirely – and it really doesn’t have anything to do with state-by-state policies on mask wearing and social distancing.

Most of the Big Ten and Pac-12 states were ahead of things when it came to masks and trying to do what’s recommended, and they’re the conferences reportedly leading the charge to shut it all down because they don’t know how to come up with a safe season.

Each conference was left to come up with a plan, and no one had it. No one had any idea how to make college football go. (That’s partly because the schools can’t figure out how to make college go, either, as more than a very, very expensive streaming service, but that’s for another day.)

You had four months, and now we’re here.

The stupid 2020 college football season, Part 2

Don’t say “the MAC” as a reason why the Power 5 programs are on the brink of cancelling the season, or I’m hanging up. The Power 5 does whatever the Power 5 wants to do.

Don’t you dare say “the media” as a reason why the Power 5 programs are on the brink of cancelling the season, or I’m hanging up triple-hard.

Forget your politics for a moment. Are you THAT far gone to really believe that a college president is going to take the most unpopular stance possible by voting to cancel a college football season – which almost certainly would lead to a death threats, possible job loss, and waving goodbye to a whole lot of fund raising – because of a few articles from some sportswriter who you actually think doesn’t like sports?

Don’t say “a vaccine” as a reason why the can might be kicked to spring of 2021, or I’m hanging up with with condescension.

Really, Big Ten? You want to play college football in Minneapolis, Madison, Ann Arbor, etc., in (bleep)ing February?

Really, college football? You’re concerned about player safety now, but you’re interested in the idea of what amounts to ten months of the sport in a calendar year? You really think you can finish up a spring season in May, and turn around three months later and kick things off again?

Oh, and by the way, Big Ten, what the hell are you doing?

First, you release your full schedule on a Tuesday. It’s built with the big showdowns early and openings later, with the assumption that some games will be postponed. And then, just a few days later, you decide you might want to cancel everything?

You know what you want to do – why didn’t you just end this a week ago?

There’s a global pandemic. People would be mad, but everyone gets it, even if they say they don’t. But now, Big Ten, you’re too chicken to simply cancel your own season because you want the optics of other conferences to join you?

And … you’re so worried about playing a season, but YOU’RE STILL ALLOWING FALL PRACTICES TO GO ON?!

The stupid 2020 college football season, Part 3

I’m just that dumb to still believe that there might be some semblance of a season. This take is probably freezing cold by the time you read it, but I still don’t buy into the idea that all the conferences are 100% on board with dropping the 2020 campaign.

I’m just that dumb to believe that some conference out there is seeing what’s happening as an opportunity.

“Go ahead, Big Ten and probably the Pac-12 – quit. More TV revenue, attention, and big-time transfers for us.”

I’m just that dumb to go from 47% convinced three weeks ago to 99.3% that the College Football Playoff will be Liberty and the three service academies.

I’m just that dumb to tin-foil hat believe that – at least in some way – the conferences are doing all of this to squash the player rights movement before it gets any traction.

The stupid 2020 college football season, Part 4

I write for COLLEGE FOOTBALL News. Of course I want a 2020 college football season, but I only want it if it’s as safe as can reasonably be played.

At the end of the day, everyone, it’s just a game, and it’s supposed to be fun.

We don’t know the long-term effects of this horrific virus on the human body. The odds are overwhelming that a college-age player who gets this won’t die, but that’s not really the point.

Yeah, they’re young adults, and yeah, they’re almost all on scholarship, but they’re not professional athletes. Each one is someone’s kid who was sent off to college.

That’s why, to be brutally honest, I feel oily going too hard backing the #WeWantToPlay trending movement, since I professionally benefit from these guys – who aren’t going to get paid – who just want to go out there and have fun.

With that said, as someone who’s 100% for players’ rights …

College players – now, more than ever – desperately need professional representation looking out for their best interests.

Negotiation 101: Don’t give up your leverage.

You can’t look all desperate with your #WeWantToPlay thing, and then come up with a list of demands – as reasonable as they are.

Among those demands …

“Establish universal mandated health & safety procedures and protocols to protect college-athletes against COVID-19.”

Yeah, no (bleep). Guys, if they could’ve figured THAT out, we wouldn’t be here. And because of that …

Nah, we don’t want to lose you, 2020 college football season.

You treat us like crap, you tease us, you’re probably devastating to our health, and now you’re threatening to leave.

It’s okay. If you love something, set it free, and if it comes back it’s yours, or something creepy like that.

College football, we’re still here for you – even if you need a break so everything until everything is okay.

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‘Inevitable’: Power 5 ADs say 2020 college football season won’t be played

The 2020 college football season is likely to be canceled.

The 2020 college football season seems on the brink of not happening and, per CBS Sports Dennis Dodd, some athletic directors at Power 5 schools are saying that it is more than likely not going to be played.

Per Dodd:

“It’s not fair what we’re doing to our coaches and student-athletes,” one long-time Power Five AD said. “The sooner we can come to a finality, the better.”

“I think it’s inevitable [the season will not be played in the fall],” said another veteran Power Five AD.

Neither AD wished to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation.

On Saturday, the Mid-American Conference became the first FBS conference to cancel its season, a decision that seemed inevitable after the power 5 conferences decided to go to a conference-only schedule. The MAC programs are dependent on the pay games with Power 5 schools for a large part of its yearly revenue.

“I’m of the opinion it’s when, not if [the 2020 season is canceled],” the first AD said. “[The MAC announcement] adds more momentum to the finish line. I think everyone’s medical group is now all telling them the same thing. We all keep having the same conversations.”

Rumors continued to swirl Saturday that the Pac-12 and Big Ten would indeed be the next FBS conferences to cancel their respective 2020 seasons.

Big Ten presidents met on Saturday, though a league source told CBS Sports not to expect an immediate announcement to cancel its season — the feeling being that the league wouldn’t alter its practice schedule and announce a cancellation on the same day.

The Big Ten on Saturday announced it was “indefinitely” delaying a move to Phase 3 of practice that would have allowed players to use pads. The Detroit Free Press reported that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is believed to prefer attempting to play a season in spring 2021.

Pac-12 presidents will meet in a regularly scheduled call on Tuesday. However, that timeline could change in “20 minutes” to organize a conference call if the situation continued to shift, according to one league official.

Power 5 administrator on college football starting on time: ‘Everyone is pessimistic’

One Power 5 administrator says everyone is not exactly sure that college football will happen on time this fall.

On Wednesday, the Ivy League announced that it will not be holding any fall events. It seems that might be the case for more conferences to come, per 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello.

“Everyone is pessimistic,” in regards to an on-time start to the season, one Power 5 administrator told 247Sports this week.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still hitting parts of the nation, including the Southeast, hard, the idea that playing college football this fall is becoming one less that seems reasonable.

“We said from the onset of this pandemic that circumstances around the virus would guide our decision-making, and it is clear recent developments related to COVID-19 have not been trending in the right direction,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. “There are important decisions to be made in the coming weeks and by late July there should be more clarity about the fall season. In the meantime, our athletics programs will continue to effectively manage the health and safety of our student-athletes as they continue voluntary activities on their respective campuses.”

From Marcello:

“Several conferences will utilize as much time as possible before making decisions throughout the fall. The SEC is expected to make a decision on whether to continue the season as planned in late July or early August, but they are not expected to entertain a full cancellation of fall sports as early as August, a source said. Most Power 5 conferences are willing to wait until the 11th hour and re-evaluate circumstances on a week-to-week basis through the fall, though many within the conference offices, particularly in the ACC, Pac-12 and SEC, have questioned the logistics of keeping players on campus if the season is delayed more than once.

“As it relates to thresholds of numbers of teams to conduct a season, we have modeled out many different scenarios for conducting a season but have not set thresholds in this regard,” Larry Scott said of the Pac-12

Meanwhile, on the ground, FBS schools continue to fight the virus on campuses that resemble ghost towns without student populations. Some athletic programs have been successful maintaining a bubble (Notre Dame has one positive test among 252 COVID-19 tests conducted within its athletics department since mid-June) while others shut down team activities (Kansas, Kansas State, Houston and Boise State) amid small outbreaks.

Optimism ebbs and flows.

“It depends on the week,” said a Power 5 head coach requesting anonymity. “I’m trying to stay positive and keep our guys safe and healthy right now.””

The upcoming weeks are going to be extremely important for whether we see our favorite teams take the field on time in September.