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LGHL I-80 Football Show: 2023 Season Preview - The Pac-12 Wing
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I-80 Football Show: 2023 Season Preview - The Pac-12 Wing
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Dante and Jordan hop on the podcast to discuss the two newest editions of the Big Ten, Oregon, and Washington
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball from New Jersey to California. With four new teams joining the conference in 2024, we’ll integrate them in the show, getting a head start on the 18-team conference.
After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
In this episode, Jordan has something to get off his chest. He questions why the national media continues to be inconsistent in their coverage. The concerns they have for Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama are not echoed with Penn State despite all four teams replacing multi-year starters. The national media does not know ball.
Continuing their 2023 season preview, the guys get into Oregon and Washington — the newest additions to the Big Ten conference after agreeing to join the conference in 2024 along with UCLA and USC.
Oregon is coming off of a solid first year with first-year head coach Dan Lanning, who got the best out of transfer quarterback Bo Nix. After winning nine games in 2023, the Ducks hope to contend for the final Pac-12 title and a College Football Playoff berth, but Jordan thinks they may fall behind some of the other teams. Can Lanning continue to get the best out of Nix and win the conference before joining the Big Ten?
Washington is another program that was successful under a first-year head coach. Kalen Deboer reunited with former Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and ran the nation’s second best offense overall and best passing offense. Their defense, especially their secondary, took a step back from their standard, but there is reason to believe they will be a better defense in 2023.
Was Michael Penix’s resurgence real? If so, expect Penix Jr. to be a Heisman finalist and maybe even take home the award. Washington is one of two Pac-12 teams to ever make the four-team playoff, and they’ll be in the mix to be the final team to make it from the Pac-12.
In their weekly pitstop, Jordan and Dante have a message on mental health! A lot of people are having a rough year, so make sure to cherish your family and friends. It’s okay to pursue therapy and take care of your mental health!
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330 and @LandGrantPods
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Dante and Jordan hop on the podcast to discuss the two newest editions of the Big Ten, Oregon, and Washington
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball from New Jersey to California. With four new teams joining the conference in 2024, we’ll integrate them in the show, getting a head start on the 18-team conference.
After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
In this episode, Jordan has something to get off his chest. He questions why the national media continues to be inconsistent in their coverage. The concerns they have for Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama are not echoed with Penn State despite all four teams replacing multi-year starters. The national media does not know ball.
Continuing their 2023 season preview, the guys get into Oregon and Washington — the newest additions to the Big Ten conference after agreeing to join the conference in 2024 along with UCLA and USC.
Oregon is coming off of a solid first year with first-year head coach Dan Lanning, who got the best out of transfer quarterback Bo Nix. After winning nine games in 2023, the Ducks hope to contend for the final Pac-12 title and a College Football Playoff berth, but Jordan thinks they may fall behind some of the other teams. Can Lanning continue to get the best out of Nix and win the conference before joining the Big Ten?
Washington is another program that was successful under a first-year head coach. Kalen Deboer reunited with former Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and ran the nation’s second best offense overall and best passing offense. Their defense, especially their secondary, took a step back from their standard, but there is reason to believe they will be a better defense in 2023.
Was Michael Penix’s resurgence real? If so, expect Penix Jr. to be a Heisman finalist and maybe even take home the award. Washington is one of two Pac-12 teams to ever make the four-team playoff, and they’ll be in the mix to be the final team to make it from the Pac-12.
In their weekly pitstop, Jordan and Dante have a message on mental health! A lot of people are having a rough year, so make sure to cherish your family and friends. It’s okay to pursue therapy and take care of your mental health!
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330 and @LandGrantPods
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Continue reading...
LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Absences, captains, more black stripes, B1G East predictions
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Silver Bullets Podcast: Absences, captains, more black stripes, B1G East predictions
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
All of this, plus a not-too-technical review of Ohio State commit Air Noland’s first game of the high school season.
There’s always so much news to get to as the season’s about to start. With so much to discuss, we started this week’s show with the bad news first. Two Buckeyes will not see the field in 2023 — tight end Bennett Christian, because of testing positive for a banned substance, and linebacker Kourt Williams II, with torn ACL. We wish both players the best of luck in getting back on the field.
In better news, Ohio State named its 2023 captains, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the choices. We discussed why Cade Stover, Tommy Eichenberg, and Xavier Johnson were the perfect choices and why it’s good to put the rotating captain nonsense in the rearview mirror. Johnson also earned the right to wear the Block O jersey this upcoming season, and that was also the perfect choice. The only thing that might be more appropriate is if they let him wear an X on his jersey.
There was a slew of new black stripe removals, including several freshman receivers. Brian Hartline just keeps getting standout talent.
As an aside, we discuss OSU commit Air Noland’s first game of the season in a big early-season matchup and Michael gives an unscientific scouting report.
Finally, we made our predictions for how the Big Ten East will shake out by the end of the 2023 season. While we were in lockstep a week ago with our B1G West picks, there were multiple variations this week that should make things interesting as we watch how the season unfolds. Ohio State fans will be rooting for Chip to be more correct than Michael on this one.
We’ll be here with you every week from now until the end of the 2023 Ohio State football season. We’d love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
All of this, plus a not-too-technical review of Ohio State commit Air Noland’s first game of the high school season.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
There’s always so much news to get to as the season’s about to start. With so much to discuss, we started this week’s show with the bad news first. Two Buckeyes will not see the field in 2023 — tight end Bennett Christian, because of testing positive for a banned substance, and linebacker Kourt Williams II, with torn ACL. We wish both players the best of luck in getting back on the field.
In better news, Ohio State named its 2023 captains, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the choices. We discussed why Cade Stover, Tommy Eichenberg, and Xavier Johnson were the perfect choices and why it’s good to put the rotating captain nonsense in the rearview mirror. Johnson also earned the right to wear the Block O jersey this upcoming season, and that was also the perfect choice. The only thing that might be more appropriate is if they let him wear an X on his jersey.
There was a slew of new black stripe removals, including several freshman receivers. Brian Hartline just keeps getting standout talent.
As an aside, we discuss OSU commit Air Noland’s first game of the season in a big early-season matchup and Michael gives an unscientific scouting report.
Finally, we made our predictions for how the Big Ten East will shake out by the end of the 2023 season. While we were in lockstep a week ago with our B1G West picks, there were multiple variations this week that should make things interesting as we watch how the season unfolds. Ohio State fans will be rooting for Chip to be more correct than Michael on this one.
We’ll be here with you every week from now until the end of the 2023 Ohio State football season. We’d love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: What is the biggest surprise of the college football AP top 25 preseason rankings?
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You’re Nuts: What is the biggest surprise of the college football AP top 25 preseason rankings?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Last week college football’s preseason AP top 25 rankings were revealed. While the usual suspects sit at the top of the rankings, there were some surprises throughout the rest of the top 25. There are some teams that will be looked at as overrated, while others might be underrated. Then there are some teams that feel like they are ranked right where they should be, like two-time defending champion Georgia at the top spot, and Ohio State being ranked fourth in the poll. All this and we haven’t even seen a down of college football played yet this season!
Does the preseason AP poll really matter? Yes and no. Obviously, it is helpful to be ranked as high as possible to start the season, as that will bring more attention your way. Then again, it’s not a death sentence. Last year TCU wasn’t ranked in the preseason top 25, yet they were able to make the College Football Playoff and beat Michigan in one of the semifinal games. For some teams, making the top 25 could end up setting expectations that might be a little too high, while others might play with a chip on their shoulder if they aren’t ranked.
Today what we want to know is what stood out the most to you with the preseason AP top 25 rankings. Was there a team you feel is getting too much respect? Or is there a team like TCU out there this year that isn’t getting the credit that you think it should be getting? Maybe you feel one team should be ranked ahead of another team that is higher than them. Outside of the first four teams in the rankings, since it feels like those four are ranked exactly where they should be, there are plenty of options when it comes to changes that could be made.
I know winning ugly is still winning, but Iowa was an absolutely dreadful watch last season. The Hawkeyes finished the season 8-5 but scored more than 30 points in just one game, and that scoring explosion came against Northwestern, who was one of the worst teams in the country last year. Spencer Petras started the year at quarterback before being replaced by Alex Padilla, who transferred to SMU during the offseason. Redshirt freshman Joe Labas closed out the year under center in the 21-0 win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.
The disgusting offensive output from the Hawkeyes led to goals being set for offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz this year. Whether failure to reach those goals will have any consequences, I’m not entirely convinced since Ferentz is the son of Iowa’s head coach. If anything, I feel like it’ll be like Casino where when Ace Rothstein is denied his gaming license he just switches job titles. Although I would pay to watch Kirk Ferentz be forced to fire his son because the offense was that bad.
There is reason for hope for the Iowa offense this year though, since they did scour the transfer portal and brought in Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All, as well as Ohio State wide receiver Kaleb Brown. Even though Iowa did upgrade its quarterback position, the bar was ridiculously low. Maybe McNamara will be good, I just wasn’t blown away with his play when he was at Michigan.
The reason Iowa is ranked is because of its defense. Even though defensive end Lukas Van Ness and linebacker Jack Campbell were drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Hawkeyes probably have a couple of cornfed bruisers waiting for their shot. Also returning this year is punter Tory Taylor, who can make up for some offensive deficiencies by flipping the field with some of his booming punts and pinpoint accuracy.
Will Iowa likely finish the season ranked in the top 25? It feels very likely with the relatively weak schedule. Aside from games at Penn State and Wisconsin, there isn’t a ton to be worried about. I just would have rather seen the Hawkeyes show some competency on offense for a couple of games before ranking them in the top 25. If any Iowa fans are mad about this, at least you’ll always have 55-24 to look back on.
Now I know that I am technically a year early on this, but let’s run through the top 10 in the 2023 AP Preseason College Football Poll:
According to the esteemed and educated reporters entrusted with this sacred voting right by the Associated Press, the 10 best teams in the country to start the 2023 college football season will all be Big Ten teams in less than five months’ time. Of course, if USC or Washington goes on to win a national title in January, we can’t technically claim them (although, I would be tweeting B1G! B1G! B1G! throughout the entire game), but it does bring up the question as to whether or not the new look Big Ten will be the best conference in college football.
Obviously, at the same time in which the Big Ten welcomes Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, the SEC will also bring Oklahoma and Texas on board as well, but those two teams aren’t starting the season in the top 10. I realize that the SEC is the superior conference and thanks to population migration, weather, and high school football rules, the South has an advantage over the Midwest in terms of the development of elite-level football players, but when you add in the four most competitive West Coast schools to the mix — featuring a completely different recruiting footprint — things do seem to get a bit closer.
In any given year, the tops, middles, and bottoms of the leagues could ebb and flow in competitiveness, but I think that there is a legitimate claim to be made that if things go well for B1G teams (current and future) this fall that the conference could legitimately lay claim to the Best College Football crown when the realignment dust settles in 2024.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Last week college football’s preseason AP top 25 rankings were revealed. While the usual suspects sit at the top of the rankings, there were some surprises throughout the rest of the top 25. There are some teams that will be looked at as overrated, while others might be underrated. Then there are some teams that feel like they are ranked right where they should be, like two-time defending champion Georgia at the top spot, and Ohio State being ranked fourth in the poll. All this and we haven’t even seen a down of college football played yet this season!
Does the preseason AP poll really matter? Yes and no. Obviously, it is helpful to be ranked as high as possible to start the season, as that will bring more attention your way. Then again, it’s not a death sentence. Last year TCU wasn’t ranked in the preseason top 25, yet they were able to make the College Football Playoff and beat Michigan in one of the semifinal games. For some teams, making the top 25 could end up setting expectations that might be a little too high, while others might play with a chip on their shoulder if they aren’t ranked.
Today what we want to know is what stood out the most to you with the preseason AP top 25 rankings. Was there a team you feel is getting too much respect? Or is there a team like TCU out there this year that isn’t getting the credit that you think it should be getting? Maybe you feel one team should be ranked ahead of another team that is higher than them. Outside of the first four teams in the rankings, since it feels like those four are ranked exactly where they should be, there are plenty of options when it comes to changes that could be made.
Today’s question: What is the biggest surprise of the college football AP top 25 preseason rankings?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: Iowa being ranked
I know winning ugly is still winning, but Iowa was an absolutely dreadful watch last season. The Hawkeyes finished the season 8-5 but scored more than 30 points in just one game, and that scoring explosion came against Northwestern, who was one of the worst teams in the country last year. Spencer Petras started the year at quarterback before being replaced by Alex Padilla, who transferred to SMU during the offseason. Redshirt freshman Joe Labas closed out the year under center in the 21-0 win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.
The disgusting offensive output from the Hawkeyes led to goals being set for offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz this year. Whether failure to reach those goals will have any consequences, I’m not entirely convinced since Ferentz is the son of Iowa’s head coach. If anything, I feel like it’ll be like Casino where when Ace Rothstein is denied his gaming license he just switches job titles. Although I would pay to watch Kirk Ferentz be forced to fire his son because the offense was that bad.
There is reason for hope for the Iowa offense this year though, since they did scour the transfer portal and brought in Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All, as well as Ohio State wide receiver Kaleb Brown. Even though Iowa did upgrade its quarterback position, the bar was ridiculously low. Maybe McNamara will be good, I just wasn’t blown away with his play when he was at Michigan.
The reason Iowa is ranked is because of its defense. Even though defensive end Lukas Van Ness and linebacker Jack Campbell were drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Hawkeyes probably have a couple of cornfed bruisers waiting for their shot. Also returning this year is punter Tory Taylor, who can make up for some offensive deficiencies by flipping the field with some of his booming punts and pinpoint accuracy.
Will Iowa likely finish the season ranked in the top 25? It feels very likely with the relatively weak schedule. Aside from games at Penn State and Wisconsin, there isn’t a ton to be worried about. I just would have rather seen the Hawkeyes show some competency on offense for a couple of games before ranking them in the top 25. If any Iowa fans are mad about this, at least you’ll always have 55-24 to look back on.
Matt’s answer: Big Ten gets half of the top 10
Now I know that I am technically a year early on this, but let’s run through the top 10 in the 2023 AP Preseason College Football Poll:
According to the esteemed and educated reporters entrusted with this sacred voting right by the Associated Press, the 10 best teams in the country to start the 2023 college football season will all be Big Ten teams in less than five months’ time. Of course, if USC or Washington goes on to win a national title in January, we can’t technically claim them (although, I would be tweeting B1G! B1G! B1G! throughout the entire game), but it does bring up the question as to whether or not the new look Big Ten will be the best conference in college football.
Obviously, at the same time in which the Big Ten welcomes Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, the SEC will also bring Oklahoma and Texas on board as well, but those two teams aren’t starting the season in the top 10. I realize that the SEC is the superior conference and thanks to population migration, weather, and high school football rules, the South has an advantage over the Midwest in terms of the development of elite-level football players, but when you add in the four most competitive West Coast schools to the mix — featuring a completely different recruiting footprint — things do seem to get a bit closer.
In any given year, the tops, middles, and bottoms of the leagues could ebb and flow in competitiveness, but I think that there is a legitimate claim to be made that if things go well for B1G teams (current and future) this fall that the conference could legitimately lay claim to the Best College Football crown when the realignment dust settles in 2024.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State Football Countdown: 11
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Ohio State Football Countdown: 11
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.
As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 11 days remaining.
It’s not often that a football team puts up nearly 80 points in a game, but Ohio State did exactly that when they scored a whopping 11 touchdowns against Toledo this past season. Of course, the usual suspects had their days: C.J. Stroud passed for 367 yards and five touchdowns, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka each had over 100 yards receiving and combined for three scores, but the more fun part of the box score are the lesser known guys getting in on the action. Jayden Ballard scored on a long 72-yard TD to give him over 100 receiving yards on the day as well, while Dallan Hayden and TC Caffey each scored their first career TDs — Caffey being a walk-on.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.
As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 11 days remaining.
Play of the Day: Ohio State scores 11 touchdowns vs. Toledo (2022)
It’s not often that a football team puts up nearly 80 points in a game, but Ohio State did exactly that when they scored a whopping 11 touchdowns against Toledo this past season. Of course, the usual suspects had their days: C.J. Stroud passed for 367 yards and five touchdowns, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka each had over 100 yards receiving and combined for three scores, but the more fun part of the box score are the lesser known guys getting in on the action. Jayden Ballard scored on a long 72-yard TD to give him over 100 receiving yards on the day as well, while Dallan Hayden and TC Caffey each scored their first career TDs — Caffey being a walk-on.
Players to Wear the #11 (since 2010):
- Jake Stoneburner (2008-12)
- Vonn Bell (2013-15)
- Justin Cook (2015-16)
- Jalyn Holmes (2016-17)
- Austin Mack (2016-19)
- Tyreke Smith (2018-21)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2020-22)
- C.J. Hicks (2022-present)
- Brandon Inniss (present)
Continue reading...
2025 FL LB Elijah Melendez (Auburn Signee)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
- 25 Replies
247
Rivals
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: LB
School: Kissimmee(FL) Osceola
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 225lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2025
Position: LB
School: Kissimmee(FL) Osceola
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 225lbs
Login to view embedded media
