The Rest of College Football

[Mackenzie]

I'm there too. I saw the NW players want concussion testing, medical care for football injuries, 4 year scholarships and perhaps pay. I'm totally behind the first three and am up in the air on pay.

That is what they want now! I think public perception dictates what their published goals are at the moment. I don't for a minute believe that what their present goals are will be the same as what ultimately evolves. I don't think that the public would be sympathitic if a "partridge in a pear tree" was put forward as the desired outcome. Call me a skeptic if I don't believe that, in the end, (which may be a decade away) something along those may be closer to the reality. I do think their current goals are quite reasonable although I am against "cash" payments (beyond what they are already getting in scholarships etc.) even if they coose to call it something more benign i.e. stipend.

[Dr. Strangelove]

That's why the cost is so much, it's going to basically be lake property.

I think you're right. They do have some open land but it's mostly right on the lake. It'd be great if they could eventually have a stadium on campus instead of over in that neighborhood

BTW parking tip for people who have never gone there before...there's a train station about 3-4 blocks north of the stadium. Not the busy one everyone coming in from Chicago uses, just one more station north (it's actually the end of the line). They have a huge parking lot and it's super cheap to buy 24-hour parking. I used it this past season and it was great. Never even filled up. Traffic was significantly better than when you're down by the stadium or campus too.

[The Oracle]

I saw a drawing of this building somewhere. Literally right on the beach. I'll see if I can dig it up.

[Tony G]

Sleeper national title contenders for 2014

April, 3, 2014 Apr 3
10:30
AM ET

By Travis Haney | ESPN.com

Unless you are a fan of Auburn or Notre Dame, and maybe even if you are, chances are you did not correctly predict the participants in the past two BCS title games.

So there has been room for surprise title contenders in recent years, and that trend should only grow now that there’s a new system and room for two more in college football's final four.

Who are potential sleeper teams that could try on the Cinderella slipper in the initial playoff?

A hint: Two of the five are set to play in Week 1 on a neutral field.


ACC: Clemson Tigers

A perception exists that the Tigers will slip after losing several key offensive pieces, including likely top-five pick Sammy Watkins. Clemson's coaches are not buying it, and neither am I.

The simple fact is, in a departure from the past couple of years, the defense is talented enough to carry the offense if it needs to do so for stretches.

In fact, offensive coordinator Chad Morris told me that he approached new defensive boss Brent Venables two springs ago and told him, essentially, "we've got this" until the defense could catch up. And the defense picked up its play in the second half of 2012 and, very respectably, finished 23rd in yards per play and 24th in scoring in 2013.

A line that features six seniors, including tackle Grady Jarrett and end Vic Beasley, is the headliner, but head coach Dabo Swinney told me this week that it’s the most complete defense he has had, from front to back.

"A year ago, we were nobodies," Swinney said. "Now everyone knows their names."

As for the offense, there’s a lot of confidence that whoever wins the quarterback job will be capable of leading the unit. There’s remarkable size and depth at running back. The offensive line is a bit of a question, but that’s nothing new for the Tigers. There’s sufficient faith, from me and others, that Morris will figure out ways to get enough yards and points.

"They kept [Morris] again," one SEC coach told me. "That’s one reason to like them."

Even if Clemson loses in Week 3 at Florida State, it could still back its way into a playoff berth with a strong finish. If heralded freshman Deshaun Watson does get the QB reins sometime during the season, the Tigers could be a matchup nightmare by November.

Honorable mention: If North Carolina can manage its scholarship situation and personnel, there’s a real chance the Tar Heels could rise. Mitch Trubisky is a potential breakout QB and North Carolina is loaded at running back. The defense will determine UNC's ceiling.


Big Ten: Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers started 9-2 before dropping their final two games last season, but they had a better year than the final record suggests. They lost by a total of nine points at Arizona State and Ohio State, and you remember how strange the end of the ASU game was.

Outside of the national champ (FSU) and a couple of other one-time BCS contenders (Oregon and Baylor), there was no more efficient team on both sides of the ball. Wisconsin was ninth in yards per play (6.85) and eighth in yards per play against (4.73).

Most impressive is that those numbers were achieved in Gary Andersen’s first season, suggesting that there might be growth on the horizon once the players are more comfortable in the scheme, he recruits "his" players, etc. Urban Meyer isn’t the only coach to start quickly in the Big Ten, in other words.

"They were tough and disciplined," said one coach who played against the Badgers a year ago. "[Andersen] had them prepared."

Quarterback Joel Stave had five of his 13 interceptions in the team’s final three games, and QB-turned-safety-turned-QB Tanner McEvoy is now pushing him in spring practice. No matter the guy behind center, the team rushed for 6.6 yards per carry in 2013 (second in FBS). That shouldn’t change, with Heisman Trophy candidate Melvin Gordon and talented youngster Corey Clement returning.

Including heart-and-soul linebacker Chris Borland, Wisconsin has much to replace in its front seven. If the Badgers can piece it together, the newly aligned divisions really line up well for them. Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State are all on the other side.

Honorable mention: Still no postseason on the table, but if James Franklin can get Vanderbilt to nine wins, then it’s reasonable to believe Penn State stands to be a very tough out this fall. Beware, Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State.


Big 12: Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders ran off seven consecutive victories to start the season, before going on a five-game losing streak to illustrate that they weren't quite there yet in 2013.

The defense in particular struggled down the stretch, going from ninth in the FBS in yards per play (4.55) in the first seven games to 103rd in the final five (6.54).

That fizzle put the impetus on Kliff Kingsbury and his staff to find help. The Red Raiders signed ESPN300 cornerback Nigel Bethel, as well as six defensive jucos, in the 2014 class. Three of the six jucos were defensive tackles, a clear attempt to solve the 5.5 yards per rush the team allowed in the second half of the year.

On the plus side, the quarterback position -- a mystery at times last fall -- is now settled. Michael Brewer and Baker Mayfield transferred, leaving Davis Webb to run the offense.

"They wound up keeping the best one," a rival assistant told me.

All-Big 12-caliber receivers Jakeem Grant and Bradley Marquez could make Webb look good, too.

With Texas and Oklahoma at home (and Baylor at Arlington), the Raiders could be better suited to hang in there this November. They could be sneaky conference title contenders, depending how things break for others in the Big 12. And heads up for the future: Kingsbury has a commitment from RecruitingNation’s top-rated dual-threat QB in 2015, Jarrett Stidham.

Honorable mention: In its first two seasons in the Big 12, TCU has lost 10 of its 14 games by an average of 4.6 points. That includes three three-point losses and a two-point loss in 2013. Gary Patterson gets this thing settled down at some point, right? The Frogs figure to at least win some of those this coming season.


Pac-12: Arizona Wildcats

The most stunning part about Arizona’s upset of Oregon last fall was just how thorough it was. The Wildcats led 28-9 at halftime, and carried a 35-9 lead into the fourth quarter. That just doesn’t happen to Oregon, even if Ducks QB Marcus Mariota was dinged up.

A lot of it had to do with Ka'Deem Carey and his four touchdowns, but the defensive effort was significant, symbolic of a team moving in the right direction. Oregon still had 500 total yards, but it couldn’t get in the end zone. The two interceptions were Mariota’s first two of the season, and the game was played Nov. 23. A veteran secondary returns from a unit that was respectable in yards per attempt (6.6, 31st in FBS).

The offense, to say the least, is a bit of a mystery right now. Coach Rich Rodriguez has said there are five quarterbacks vying for the starting job, and there are a handful of running backs in the mix to replace the productive Carey.

But offense is what RichRod does best, so there’s reason to believe in this group. If 2014 signee Jonathan Haden can get cleared by the NCAA, the 5-foot-8 jitterbug could be a factor in the offense's progression.

With a soft September schedule, Arizona could be 4-0 when it goes to Oregon on Oct. 2. The Cats will be entertaining, at the very least.

Honorable mention: Should we be that surprised if Chris Petersen, with more talent, has Washington in a position to threaten Oregon and Stanford in the Pac-12 North? Linebacker Shaq Thompson is certainly as talented as any of those players Boise State sent to the NFL draft a couple of years ago, including first-rounder Shea McClellin.


SEC: LSU Tigers

Alabama and Auburn, naturally, will grab an abundance of headlines in the coming months. Ole Miss will be a hot name, but the Rebels are going to have to do more than win three SEC games in a season to get me excited about them.

What about LSU? Forgotten?

"Les [Miles] loves this," one SEC coach told me. "He loves when people doubt him or think he's an idiot. It fuels him. He can coach and he's hired people who can coach."

Two of those guys are the coordinators. Veteran defensive coordinator John Chavis was frustrated when I visited him midseason last fall, because the Tigers were atypically inconsistent on defense -- particularly in the secondary -- because they were so young. But the liability could soon become a strength because of the underclassmen being forced into game action in '13.

Look at sacks as the barometer for the defense. The Tigers were in the top 20 from 2010-12, but sank back to 54th in 2013 (27 sacks). That number is dependent on cohesive play from all 11 on defense, not just the pass-rushers. Jermauria Rasco, Kwon Alexander and Jalen Mills could be headed for big seasons in a rebound year for Chavis' group.

Also, if the way he shut down Texas A&M's Mike Evans is any indication, look out for long, lean corner Rashard Robinson.

Getting Cam Cameron was a coup for the offense. You might be surprised to learn that the Tigers were seventh in the country in yardage efficiency (6.94 yards per play). The wait for receivers Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry to flourish was over once Cameron arrived.

So hope is there that Cameron can develop young quarterback Anthony Jennings and a raw receiver such as Travin Dural, not to mention the big-name freshman class.

The Tigers signed RecruitingNation’s No. 1-rated running back (Leonard Fournette) and the top-rated receiver (Malachi Dupre). And No. 2-rated dual-threat quarterback Brandon Harris, who enrolled early, could eventually challenge Jennings.

Honorable mention: Coaches I talk with keep saying Mississippi State was among the more talented teams they faced a year ago, even if that talent was raw. No player sums that up more than quarterback Dak Prescott, whose name is starting to come up as a Heisman dark horse after a five-TD game in the team's Liberty Bowl blowout of Rice. The Bulldogs seem like they're in the wrong division to make a run, but they might be a better sleeper choice than, say, another team in the state.

"I'm telling you," one coach said, "they're just big, as big as anyone we saw."

[Wild Hoss]

I think you're right. They do have some open land but it's mostly right on the lake. It'd be great if they could eventually have a stadium on campus instead of over in that neighborhood

BTW parking tip for people who have never gone there before...there's a train station about 3-4 blocks north of the stadium. Not the busy one everyone coming in from Chicago uses, just one more station north (it's actually the end of the line). They have a huge parking lot and it's super cheap to buy 24-hour parking. I used it this past season and it was great. Never even filled up. Traffic was significantly better than when you're down by the stadium or campus too.

I'll have to remember that. Probably much shorter line to get on the train too.

[lineygoblue]

Does Michigan even play NW any time soon under the new schedule? They are in the "west" , correct?

[WM Wolverine]

M's B10 out-of-division football schedule

*'14: Minnesota, @Northwestern...
*'15: Northwestern, @Minnesota...
*'16: Wisconsin, Illinois, @Iowa...
*'17: @Purdue, Minnesota, @Wisconsin...
*'18: Nebraska, @Northwestern, Wisconsin...
*'19: @Wisconsin, Iowa, @Illinois...

Wisconsin x4, Minnesota x3, Northwestern x3, Illinois x2, Iowa x2, Purdue x1 & Nebraska x1..

I'd personally like to see Purdue & Indiana swap divisions every so often so both can play their B10 out-of-division mates more often. In the short-term, I really love Wisconsin so it's good M doesn't play them in '14/'15 but they should still be excellent in '16 & beyond but hopefully M is even better.

[Dr. Strangelove]

For comparison's sake, here's OSU

*'14: Illinois, @ Minnesota
*'15: Minnesota, @ Illinois
*'16: @ Wisconsin, Northwestern, Nebraska
*'17: @ Nebraska, @ Iowa, Illinois
*'18: Minnesota, @ Purdue, Nebraska
*'19: @ Nebraska, @ Northwestern, Wisconsin

Nebraska x4, Illinois x3, Minnesota x3, Wisconsin x2, Northwestern x2, Purdue x1, Iowa x1

[Optimus Prime]

What about for Christ's sake data?

[hack]

Jesus wasn't a data monkey. More of a qualitative approach.

[Wild Hoss]

Not to complain just to complain, but we have 4 games against tOSU in the next six years, and only one with Michigan. This is messed up.

[hack]

It's stupid.

[entropy]

Not to complain just to complain, but we have 4 games against tOSU in the next six years, and only one with Michigan. This is messed up.

agree..

selfishly, I'd rather play Michigan. Good excuse to go see friends.

[Wild Hoss]

Its not a matter of rather playing one or the other for me, but just some damn balance. We can't go 3/2 instead of 4/1? There's just no way we can get a second game with the University of Michigan scheduled between now and the halfway point of the next president's term?

[hack]

Depends on if Delaney succeeds in ending term-limiting, which I understand is seen as a means to an end in order to lure Virginia. Might still be Obama.