Elite Sports Talk

Week 1: Cincinnati Bengals vs Minnesota Vikings Recap

People are feeling good in Cincinnati! What a game and what an atmosphere the Bengals had this past Sunday in the jungle. Anyone who was watching that game, fans or members of the team, went through a rollercoaster of emotions. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter it seemed like the Bengals had a sure win on their hands and then towards the end of overtime it seemed like an inevitable loss was on the way. All of a sudden magic came into Paul Brown Stadium as the Bengals forced a fumble on their own 38 yard line as the Vikings were driving to kick a game winning field goal. That turnover eventually set up the 33 yard game winning field goal at the end of overtime by the rookie, Evan McPherson.

The Bengals offensive lineman celebrating the victory with rookie kicker Evan McPherson (2) after he hit the 33 yard gaming winning field goal in overtime. (Photo by Jeff Dean/AP Photo)

There are so many different things I want to talk about and get excited about from this first game, but I am going to try and narrow it down to a few. The key word to the last sentence is TRY because it is going to be hard to only narrow it down to a few when I am this fired up about the game. I will talk about a few negative things I took from the game too, because I always want to try and keep an honest perspective, but of course those will be last since this is a Bengals friendly website!

Positives

First and foremost we have to talk about the long awaited return from Joe Burrow. Joe is back everyone! First game back in action (not counting the one drive in the preseason) and Burrow looked like he his back to last years form, and possibly better. He was making good decision and had good placement on his throws, except one ball to Boyd that still ended up as a reception off a tipped ball. The connection between Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase that they had in college is still there. Chase was the leading receiver for the Bengals in both receptions and receiving yards as he finished with 5 catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown pass to Chase right before halftime to give the Bengals the lead and all the momentum heading into the locker room which was crucial for them to help pullout this win. Luckily, the rumors Chase started when he said that he was having a hard time catching the ball due to the NFL ball not having the white stripes on it like the college ball were put to bed after the first game. Burrow even made a funny joke as he passed by Chase in the post game press conference room in front of the media when he said “I thought he was dropping everything.” I would say things are better than ever with Chase and Burrow in Cincinnati.

Another huge bright spot from this game was the other Joe, Joe Mixon. I have said it before and I will say it again, Joe Mixon is a top 10 running back in the NFL! Mixon had 29 carries for 127 yards and 1 touchdown. He was running the ball hard every single play. The longest run he had for the game was 19 yards which means he did not just have one big run and then fell off. Mixon was getting 4 or 5 yards a pop consistently which is all you can ask for out of your running back. On the 19 yard run Mixon had and one of his other longer ones he showed fantastic vision as he bounced it outside of his blockers and hit the sideline where he broke a few tackles in the process. Mixon led the entire NFL in week 1 with 8 missed tackles created by a rusher. It was exciting to see such a promising start to the season for a running back who has always been a phenomenal player for this team.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) knocked the helmet off Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker Eric Kendricks (54) as he rushed the ball in — Joe Mixon (28) handing out a nasty stiff arm to Eric Kendricks (54) as one of Mixon’s many impressive runs on the day. (Photo by Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune)

The Bengals defensive line looked significantly better than they did last season. Between one of the new starters, Larry Ogunjobi at defensive tackle and one of the new guys in the rotation, B.J. Hill at defensive tackle, the defensive line had a tremendous impact. Ogunjobi was all over the place last Sunday, he was making plays in the backfield and stunning the man trying to block him allowing linebackers to swoop in and make the play. The best play of the day for Ogunjobi was in the first quarter when he bull rushed the center, in true Geno Atkins form, and completely collapsed the center back into the pocket leading to the sack. That play by Ogunjobi is a play we had not seen in over a year ago when the Bengals had a healthy Geno Atkins. With the new presence of Ogunjobi and Hill upfront added in with the return of D.J. Reader the Bengals run stopping ability looks like it can be top tier this season. Those three interior guys did a fantastic job of slowing down one of the league’s most dangerous backs, Dalvin Cook. Cook was limited to only 3.1 yards per carry and coughed up the fumble that cost the Vikings the game in overtime. The big guys up front gave a lot of penetration and made Dalvin have to bounce the ball laterally to the linebackers and safeties on the outside. With all the good things the Bengals defensive line did this past game, the most important in my mind is that they had 3 sacks as a team and 7 TFL’s as a team. Ogunjobi had 1 sack and Hill had 2 sacks on Kirk Cousins. Last year in 16 games the Bengals averaged 1.06 sacks a game and averaged 2.8 TFL’s a game. Those two stats may have been the two most encouraging stats to come from this first game!

Negatives

After a home opening win there are going to be a lot less negatives than positives, but we must talk about the things we saw. The offensive line, did not look as great as I hoped they would look to start this season. There were once again multiple plays where Burrow was on the run for his life. You could tell there were a few times where Burrow did not have a lot of confidence in his offensive line either, he would quickly decide to leave the pocket and roll to the outside. The scary stat after week one is that Burrow was sacked 5 times with several hurries to go along with that. In the 2020 season, Burrow was sacked 3.2 times in his 10 games played, so that is a discouraging sign looking at week 1. Now some people could argue, well the offensive line was good in the run game since Mixon ran for 127 yards, which is a fair point. The offensive line was functional in the run game, but Mixon also had the most missed tackles created by a rusher in week 1 and many of his big runs were bounced to the outside. So, while I agree the offensive line was much better in the run game than they were in the pass game, we need to see another week of them in action to have a better feel of what they truly are in both the run and pass game. The weakest link in week 1 looked like it may have been Trey Hopkins the center, he got beat in the pass game a few times that led to some sacks. The Bengals do have a lot of talent up front between Jonah Williams, Quinton Spain, and Xavier Su’a-Filo, so the hope is we can see this offensive line turn a corner in week 2 and perform in both aspects of the game like we all think they can.

The loss of Trae Waynes was felt amongst the cornerbacks this week against the Vikings. While Trae Waynes was out, Chidobe Awuzie was the clear number 1 cornerback, while Eli Apple filled in for Waynes and Mike Hilton played the Nickel/Slot spot. Both Apple and Hilton did not have great showings last Sunday as they both gave up a reception on every attempt they were targeted. The Bengals were confident heading into week 1 with Awuzie and Waynes as the two corners, but with Waynes missing time (he is doubtful week 2 vs the Bears) the Bengals have some question marks at that second corner spot. Adam Thielen got Apple and Hilton for touchdowns in this game. On Apple, Thielen ran a nice out route to the front pylon from 5 yards out that left Apple on the ground as he lost his footing on the break. It was a poor play from Apple and an easy touchdown from Thielen. On Hilton, the Vikings had a 4th and 4 on the Bengals 24 down 21-7 and they decided to go Thielen. Thielen ran a quick slant against Hilton while the Bengals were in cover 0, Hilton jumped outside on the break from Thielen and it was to the house from there. Now, cover 0 is no easy task for any DB whether it is Mike Hilton or Jalen Ramsey, but that is a play you hope the DB can make the tackle after the catch and live to play another down. Once the Bengals start to play some of the top tier teams in the league they are going to need to be able to count on whoever is playing that number 2 corner spot.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) lept into the end zone with the ball to score a touchdown in the third quarter. — Adam Thielen (19) leaping into the endzone as he celebrates his 2nd touchdown of the day against the Bengals. (Photo by Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune)

Last Thought

This last thought I saved for the end because it has both positive and negative thoughts to it and there have been a lot of varying opinions on the topic. The aggressiveness of Zac Taylor is what Bengals fans have been asking to see for years through the Marvin Lewis era and the first two seasons with Taylor, but everything has a time and a place. Do I and every other Bengals fan want to see the Bengals be more aggressive? Yes we do, but there is a huge difference between 4th and 1 at your own 30 up 14 points and 3 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter compared to 4th and 1 at your own 48 with the game tied and 39 seconds to go in overtime. There was no reason to go for the 4th and 1 in the 3rd quarter. At the time, the Bengals defense had been phenomenal and forced punts on the Vikings last three drives. Why even take the risk of giving them life when you can punt the ball back to a struggling offense and make them go the distance against your defense while they are down 14 points getting close to the 4th quarter. I know people will say it is a move Bill Belichick would do, but just because Bill did it does not make it right. The Patriots did go on to lose the game after that decision everyone is referring to, just an FYI. The positive thing that transpired from the missed decision to go for it was Zac Taylor pulling the team together immediately after being stuffed and telling them this is who they are this year and they are going to take chances. The Bengals have needed to be more aggressive in their decision making for years and this is overall a positive, Zac just needs to have some limitations when making those gutsy decisions. As for the overtime 4th and 1, I love the call to go for it because you are playing to win the game! There is 39 seconds left and no one wants to play for a tie, you have to go for it there. I will admit, I did not see that ballsy of a play call coming, but it really paid off. All in all, most Bengals fans are glad to see Zac Taylor being aggressive with the play calling, there are just certain times when you need to pull back the reins.

It was a great week 1 win for the Bengals and you cannot beat 1-0! Looking forward to watching this team on Sunday in the Windy City taking on a familiar face with Andy Dalton and the Chicago Bears.

Cincinnati Bengals 2021 Defensive Preview

The Bengals defense is going to look quite different at the start of this season compared to the start of last season. Heading into the new season it is weird to not have Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, or William Jackson on the roster. Those are three guys who have been Bengals for a while and will always be thought of as Bengals when you hear their name. Geno Atkins is arguably the best defensive lineman to ever wear a Bengals uniform and it is gonna be hard to not miss big Geno. There is a time when you move on from the old team and start with a new look and that seems to be where the Bengals are at on both sides of the ball. This is going to be year three with Zac Taylor and defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo. To be quite honest, the defense has looked poor the first two years under Lou as they were 22nd in the league in points allowed and 26th in yards allowed last season. The biggest problem with the defense was the ability to stop the run. With a new defensive line and a young linebacker crew that is getting better every year with experience that should be a problem the Bengals can fix.

For the last decade the defensive line was the one spot on the Bengals defense where you knew they would be dominate. From Atkins, to Dunlap, to Robert Geathers, to Domata Peko it was always the best unit on the Cincinnati roster. Now the Bengals are at a moment where they have to find their next stud up front. They did have two nice pick-ups in the offseason where they signed defensive end Trey Hendrickson from the Saints and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi from the Browns. Both those players should have an instant impact on the defense playing next to each other. I imagine both of them will get tested in the run game early on in the season since teams will try to run the ball away from D.J. Reader and Sam Hubbard. Getting Reader back after his season ending injury last year will have a direct impact on the play of Hubbard. Last season with Reader out teams were able to put all their focus on Hubbard on the right side. This tactic by offenses really hurt Hubbard’s performance last season. Hubbard only finished with 2 sacks in 13 games compared to his 8.5 back in 2019. With Reader back in the mix defenses are going to have a hard time accounting for both of them up front.

Bengals D.J. Reader ready for the 2021 season emboldened by his strong rehab from injury — D..J Reader hopes to bounce back in 2021 after his season ending injury last year (Photo by Rich Schultz/AP Photos)

The youngest group on the defense this season will be the linebackers. 25, 25, 23 are the ages of the Bengals three starting linebackers this year. The good news is all three of them started at least one game last season and were in the rotation all season long. Germaine Pratt started almost every single game last season and it will be his defense to call this year at middle linebacker with no questions asked. Pratt had a tremendous showing last year in his first season as the guy and he is looking to build off that with the confidence he gained from his teammates. Now with the Bengals primarily running a 4-3 Based D they have three linebackers on the field very often. This means that the “Sam” linebacker is the linebacker that plays to the field side. Last year it was often Josh Bynes who did that and he had a decent season there, but this year it going to be the young Akeem Davis-Gaither. Akeem should accel at this role with his speed and quickness for the linebacker position. You want to have a guy like Akeem there who is comfortable playing in open space and making open field tackles. I am excited to see how this young linebacker core looks this year between those two and Logan Wilson at the “Will” linebacker spot and Jordan Evans in the rotation. The fun part about having a young group of linebackers is you know you can see enormous leaps in play every single game.

I grew up playing cornerback in high school and college, so watching the secondary is always my favorite part of any football game. Knowing who the Bengals have returning in the secondary this season, they are going to be so much fun to watch. The two best players on the Bengals defense are in the secondary with the duo of Jesse Bates and Vonn Bell at the safety spots. Last season may have been a bad defensive year for the team overall, but certainly not for these two guys. Bates and Bell were the heart and soul of this defense and made big play after big play. My favorite play of all of last season is still the Vonn Bell hit on JuJu Smith-Schuster on Monday Night Football. The two of them were the teams two leading tacklers last season and Bates lead the team in passes defended with 15 and interceptions with 3. Many people, myself included, believe Bates was robbed of an ALL-PRO selection last season. He is going to come out as hungry as ever and replicate the season he had last year. Bell and Bates are going to be the leaders of this defense and be big reason why teams want to try to rely on the run against the Bengals rather than the pass. The question mark in the secondary is the two cornerback positions. The loss of William Jackson will be felt because he is a tremendous player who made some huge plays for the Bengals over the past few seasons. The guy who is taking that spot is going to be Chidobe Awuzie. Awuzie played in Dallas for the last four seasons where he started the last three. On the other side the Bengals have Trae Waynes who was at one point the top corner in college football. The problem with Waynes and the Bengals is that he never seems to be available for them. Waynes missed the entire 2020 season on the IR and is now already listed out week 1 vs his old team the Vikings with a hamstring injury. Taking his place for the time being will be Eli Apple. The Bengals have some talent in the secondary with Bates and Bell, but if they want to take the ultimate leap as a unit they are going to need to be able to count on Trae Waynes.

Cincinnati Bengals News: No extension for Jessie Bates ahead of season — Jesse Bates hopes to have the same dominate season he had in 2020 (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

The Bengals defense holds a lot of mystery this upcoming season, between the additions of Hendrickson and Ogunjobi on the defensive line, the young linebacker core, and the unknown at the cornerback spot. The Bengals have the talent to improve from last season because we know they have a few players of top NFL talent on their defense, but it is going to take the other players to step up and make plays for the defense if they really want to open some eyes around the league.

Cincinnati Bengals 2021 Offensive Preview

The 20-21 season for the Bengals offense had some bright spots that we hope become the type of play we see from this team every week. Last year was the second season with Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator, Brian Callahan and the offense did not have a huge increase in points produced from year one to two. The offense finished 29th in points scored and 26th in total yards last season. Those are two categories you do not want to see your team towards the bottom if you want to be a contender. The offense was 29th in passing yards last season and 24th in rushing yards. The passing yards per game took the biggest drop of all these stats, part of that has to do with Joe Burrow being injured for a good portion of the season. The passing yards could have also dropped from the poor play on the offensive line that we watched last season. Whichever QB was in at the time seemed to always be on the run, making it difficult to successfully execute in the passing game.

Looking towards the 2021 season there is some good news for this Bengals offense. First and foremost, Joe Burrow is healthy! Burrow has looked good in all the activities he has participated in training camp leading into the start of this season so far. Now in his second season with Callahan, Burrow should start to feel more comfortable in the offense as the season progresses.

Cincinnati Bengals build around Joe Burrow in 3-round 2021 mock draft — Joe Burrow hopes to have a strong bounce back from his 2020 season ending knee injury (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The skill guys for the Bengals are some of the top in the NFL. The Bengals are finally back to the point where it feels like they have a three-headed monster at the WR position, just as they did back when it was A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, and Mohamed Sanu. With the addition of their 1st round draft pick, Ja’Marr Chase, it is going to be tough for teams to key in one one specific receiver when the Bengals have Chase, Boyd, and Higgins all on the field at the same time. The connection between Chase and Burrow in the NFL can be special if they replicate what they did at the college level. In Burrow’s last season at LSU Burrow and Chase connected 84 times for 1785 yards and 20 touchdowns. 20 touchdowns for ONE wide receiver on his own is almost unfathomable. Then, you shift to the backfield and have to note that the Bengals still have a top 10 running back in the league with Joe Mixon. Mixon only played in 6 games last season and was on pace to hit the 1000 yard mark for the 3rd season in a row. The part that intrigued me the most about Mixon’s 6 games last season was that not only was he on track for another 1000 yard season, but he was on pace to have the most receiving yards in his career too. Those 6 games Mixon played in last season were all still while Burrow was healthy. The increase in Mixon’s contribution in the passing game tells me Burrow has a high level of trust with his running back. This years RB2 will not be Giovani Bernard, who is now with the Bucs, but it will be a combination of Samaje Perine and Chris Evans. Both will get their opportunities moving forward to give Mixon a rest throughout the game. Evans had an outstanding preseason and looks like he could be the number two guy out of the backfield by the end of the season.

The main question on every Cincinnati Bengals fans mind, “How will the offensive line be this year?” The overall perspective of the line is plain and simple, they have to be better this season. Before the injury, Burrow was on the run all season long. Play after play it felt like he was running for his life or taking a big hit trying to throw the ball away. The good news here is that I do think the line will be much improved. The offensive line is returning three of their five starters from last season including Xavier Su’a-Filo who was on the IR for a part of last season. Four starters are returning when counting Quinton Spain who started 8 games after joining midway through the season. Jonah Williams at left tackle continues to get better and better each season and that is saying something because Williams is already really damn good. The time has come that the Bengals have finally moved on from Bobby Hart at right tackle. This move has needed to happen for a few years now. Outside of the 2018 season, Bobby has been subpar from what was expected out of him and it will now be Riley Reiff taking over the spot at right tackle. The return I am most excited for on this offensive line/skill position is C.J. Uzomah. Uzomah had a season ending injury in the second game of the season. He is one of the most versatile players on the team with his ability to block well and get open. With C.J. in the lineup it allows the Bengals to open up the run game with his route running skills, so the defense cannot just throw 7 in the box and stop the run. I am looking forward to Uzomah having a tremendous season and excited to see this whole offensive line put together week 1.

NFL: SEP 27 Bengals at Eagles — Jonah Williams hopes to be the anchor to the Bengals offensive line this season (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Bengals offense is going to take a huge leap in the 2021 season. Between Burrow, the three headed monster at wide receiver, Mixon in the backfield, an improved offensive line and the versatile C.J. Uzomah I think this offense has the potential to be a top 10 offense. 17 games of airing it out is going to be fun to watch.

Week 1 Friday Night College Football Predictions

Nasty’s Thursday Night Recap: Boise State at UCF was an absolute thriller! Boise State looked unstoppable in the first half and it looked like there was a chance they were going to open the flood gates in Orlando. UCF came out in the second half and had some major adjustments on defense. I was tremendously impressed with the grit Gus Malzahn’s guys showed in the second half to rally back from 14 at halftime. Ohio State has some serious firepower on that offense. I know a lot of people expected more of a blowout from the Buckeyes against Minnesota, but I give them some leeway with it being the season opener on the road in Minneapolis in the rain. Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Chris Olave both scored two touchdowns and showcased their NFL level speed. Arizona State took care of business against Southern Utah as expected. The Sun Devil defense was not as strong as people hoped to see. ASU was able to force 4 turnovers to get off the field, but they were giving up to many yards to a Southern Utah team before the game was a blowout. Defense is always the main problem for ASU, so we will see how the defense looks, especially the secondary, when they play a better opponent.

Chilly’s Thursday Night Recap: My game of the night was a quite depressing if you are a USF fan. Now on the other hand NC State looked like they are going to be a force in the ACC this season. The Wildpack had two backs over 100 yards last night as USF had ZERO answers for the rushing attack. USF is not a good team by any stretch this year, but it was still an impressive win by NC State. Utah looked fantastic up front stopping the run last night against Weber State, but had a tough time stopping the pass. The Utes gave up over 200 passing yards to Weber State. While the offense was dominating they did not really break this one open until the third quarter. Utah had a tough time getting off the field defensively in the first half which kept Weber State around longer than they would have liked. Utah is gonna have to tighten some things up on the defensive end moving towards conference play.

Nasty’s Friday Night Outlook: Kansas opening up their season at home tonight against South Dakota is a good chance for them to prove that they are now a team above FCS caliber teams. The Jayhawks have a new coach in Lance Leipold this season after a disastrous two seasons from Les Miles. Not a lot of people have faith in the Jayhawks for this upcoming season, but I would like to see them prove they are clearly out of the FCS talent level they have been playing at the last few seasons. My game of the night has to be Michigan State at Northwestern. Big 10 conference play in week 1 is hard to not get excited about and getting to see last years Big 10 runner up open the season at home in conference play does it for me. Many project Michigan State to have another underwhelming season, so we will see how they look as they travel to Evanston week 1.

Chilly’s Friday Night Outlook: Here comes the ACC bias in me, but I am excited for Duke at Charlotte. Duke travelling to Charlotte’s home field intrigues me because I think Charlotte can pull this upset. Duke was one of the most sacked teams in the entire country last year and do not expect any differently this year. The Blue Devils lack the skill and depth upfront as a unit to protect the QB and, honestly, to establish a run game either. Charlotte did not have a great season last year during COVID, but they did go 7-6 the previous year and made their first ever bowl appearance at the Bahamas Bowl. This game could be one where Duke is fighting for their life heading into the 4th quarter. My game of the night has to be North Carolina at Virginia Tech. We have Sam Howell, the Heisman hopeful, and the number 10 team in the country going on the road for an in-conference battle, how can this not be anyone’s game of the week. I can’t believe Nasty picked any game over this! North Carolina should ultimately handle business, but the atmosphere in Blacksburg is different than almost anywhere in the country. A win for Howell at Virginia Tech will be a nice start for his Heisman campaign.

All the picks we do will be for the games that include a ranked team, a power 5 team, or a popular team.

#10 North Carolina @ Virginia Tech – 6PM – ESPN

Nasty: UNC
Chilly: UNC

Duke @ Charlotte – 7PM – CBSSN

Nasty: Duke
Chilly: Charlotte

Old Dominion @ Wake Forest – 7PM – ACCN

Nasty: Wake Forest
Chilly: Wake Forest

South Dakota @ Kansas – 8PM – BIG12N/ESPN+

Nasty: South Dakota
Chilly: Kansas

Michigan State @ Northwestern – 9PM – ESPN

Nasty: Northwestern
Chilly: Michigan State

Northern Colorado @ Colorado – 9PM – PAC12N

Nasty: Colorado
Chilly: Colorado

Overall Records

Nasty: 11-1
Chilly: 9-3

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Week 1 Thursday Night College Football Predictions

Nasty’s Outlook: Just excited to have college football back this week! We do not have any real thrillers on tonight, but a few ranked teams in action, including Ohio State, who I am excited to watch. Arizona State is an interesting team this year and I am curious about how they look tonight in their home opener. The game of the night for me is Boise State at UCF. Both teams enter this season unranked, but over the past decade have been known as the two top contenders outside of Power 5 teams.

Chilly’s Outlook: Looking forward to watching the front seven for Utah tonight. The Utes are supposed to have one of the best defensive lines in college football and they should look dominate tonight against Weber State. The ACC is vastly underrated by many people out there and I want to see NC State make a statement in their game against USF. With that being said USF at NC State is my game of the week. I want to see NC State come out and control the game on the offensive side of the ball and see that defense get off the field quick which was a problem for them last season.

All the picks we do will be for the games that include a ranked team, a power 5 team, or a popular team.

The Citadel @ #22 Coastal Carolina – 7 PM – ESPN+

Nasty: Coastal Carolina
Chilly: Coastal Carolina

Boise State @ UCF – 7PM – ESPN

Nasty: UCF
Chilly: Boise State

Weber State @ #24 Utah – 7:30PM – PAC12

Nasty: Utah
Chilly: Utah

USF @ NC State – 7:30PM – ACCN

Nasty: NC State
Chilly: NC State

#4 Ohio State @ Minnesota – 8PM – FOX

Nasty: Ohio State
Chilly: Ohio State

Bowling Green @ Tennessee – 8PM – SECN

Nasty: Tennessee
Chilly: Tennessee

Southern Utah @ Arizona State – 1030PM – PAC12

Nasty: ASU
Chilly: ASU

Overall Records

Nasty: 4-1
Chilly: 3-2

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College Football Week 0 Predictions

Nebraska vs Illinois

Nasty: Nebraska
Chilly Nebraska

UConn vs Fresno State

Nasty: Fresno State
Chilly: Fresno State

Hawai’i vs UCLA

Nasty: UCLA
Chilly: UCLA

UTEP vs New Mexico State

Nasty: UTEP
Chilly: New Mexico State

Southern Utah vs San Jose State

Nasty: San Jose State
Chilly San Jose State

SPREAD OF THE DAY: Nebraska -7.0

BIG 10 Preseason Predictions

East Division:

Ohio State

Year after year we know who the team to beat in the BIG 10 is and once again it is Ohio State. The Buckeyes made a trip to the National Championship last year after winning the BIG 10 Championship for the 4th year in a row. This season will be no different for them even with the departure of Justin Fields to the NFL. With enormous talent on both sides of the ball, the BIG 10 still runs thru Columbus.

2. Penn State

Penn State is coming off one of their worst seasons in many years where they went just 4-5 last season, but have the talent and the coaching staff to get back to a top caliber team. The Nittany Lions did a good job in the off-season snagging two DL transfers in Arnold Ebiketie and Derrick Tangelo. They lost a lot on the line from the previous season, so the addition of those two will be crucial. The season opens up with a monstrous game at Wisconsin and then at home against Auburn both in the month of September. We will have the opportunity to see if Penn State will be back to contender status early this season.

3. Indiana

The last two seasons Indiana has made a name for themselves as one of the more competitive teams in the BIG 10. The Hoosiers have arguably the best QB/WR tandem in the conference with quarterback Michael Penix and receiver Tyler Fryfogle. The offense is going to do what we expect them to do based off the last two seasons, but the question mark falls to the defense. Indiana is returning 9 starters on the defensive side of the ball, but in a full season can they hold their opponents below 21 PA again? The Hoosiers are a team to could beat Penn State, but also lose to Michigan, which is why 3rd in the East Division feels right where they will finish.

4. Michigan

The Jim Harbaugh hot seat cannot possibly get any hotter after their 2-4 shortened season in 2020. It is Michigan Wolverine football, of course, they have a boat load of talent on the roster. The problem for the Wolverines is most of that talent is inexperienced. Fans are wondering if J. J. McCarthy will get his shot at QB by the time this season ends and I think he does. A talented true freshman who I think can benefit from PT in some winnable games. Due to the inexperience of Michigan they will win a game or two against some top BIG 10 opponents, but then they will also drop a game or two against some lower BIG 10 opponents.

5. Maryland

As Alabama and Miami Dolphins fans know so well….. It’s Tua Time, except this time it is Tua’s younger brother Taulia Tagovailoa time. Possibly the best quarterback in the entire conference with Penix and Mertz, Taulia is looking to have his breakout season after an average 2020 year. With Brian Stewart now calling the defense the Terrapins hope to see some life shot into that defense, but it has been spotty at best. Maryland will be a lower tier BIG 10 team because of the side of the conference they play on. Make no mistake this team will be giving teams on the other side of this conference all they can handle.

6. Michigan State

Mel Tucker has not had it easy since he has got to Michigan State, but they did show some positives in winning the rivalry game over Michigan last season. Their offense was truly the problem this last season. The Spartans turned the ball over way to frequently causing their defense to be on the field all game long. The offense had the lowest PPG and most turnovers in the BIG 10 last season. They hope to be able to get something going on the offense side of the ball this year as they brought in two running backs, two wide receivers, an offensive lineman, and a quarterback from the transfer portal this season. The Spartans are going to need these older transfers to make an immediate impact if they do not want to be towards the bottom of the BIG 10 again.

7. Rutgers

Rutgers improved tremendously in just one season as we watched them win three conference games last year. The Scarlet Knights are going to need a repeat of creating turnovers if they want to be near three or four conference wins this season. They had 19 turnovers, but the second worst pass defense in the BIG 10. It is hard to sustain a defense relying on turnovers while giving up big play after big play. As for the offensive side of the ball, the offensive line needs to take a huge leap in a hurry. They do not get a lot of protection and it kills their passing game. The Scarlet Knights will put up a fight in some games here and there, but overall see them at the bottom of the East Division.

West Division:

Wisconsin

After a COVID riddled 2020 season the Badgers look to bounce back strongly here in 2021. With the star quarterback Graham Mertz looking to become the top QB in the BIG 10 Wisconsin is going to be a force. The Badgers have one of the easiest schedules in the conference this season with the the three teams they are playing from the other side of the conference being Penn State at home, Michigan at home, and Rutgers. Anticipate seeing Wisconsin take on Ohio State in the BIG 10 Championship this season.

2. Iowa

Iowa is riding a 6 game winning streak to end the 2020 season and will once again have one of the best secondaries, if not the best, in the BIG 10 this season. The offense has Tyler Goodson, the all-american hopeful, taking handoffs behind a scary strong offensive line. If Iowa can get their passing game going offensively they may have what it takes to beat Wisconsin in Madison towards the backend of the season.

3. Nebraska

The surprise team in the West Division is going to be Nebraska this season. Scott Frost and company are looking to make some noise with an experienced roster. The Cornhuskers are hoping to get their offense back to where it used to be after a bad 2020 season offensively. Running back Markese Stepp and wide receiver Samori Toure are expected to be key factors to give some fire power to the offense. Scott Frost is looking to make his first bowl appearance with the Cornhuskers and expect them to win some good BIG 10 games along the way.

4. Northwestern

Northwestern is coming off a season where they were the West Division champs and gave Ohio State a scare in the BIG 10, but are a new team coming into 2021. The Wildcats are not returning many starters from the previous season and are currently having a QB battle from two transfers. There are a lot of question marks for the Northwestern team this year and they are unsure of who their playmakers will be this upcoming season. With a strong offensive line they should be able to run the ball well to makeup for the potential lack of playmakers. If this team can find some playmakers they could be back at the top of the West Division this season, but with all the uncertainty this looks like a middle of the pack year.

5. Minnesota

Minnesota is coming off a disappointing 2020 season where they went just 3-4 in the shortened season. The defense was the big issue for the Golden Gophers last season. The had a tough time getting stops and gave up over 30 points a game last season. This was surprising for a team that was anticipated to have a good back seven. This year the defense hopes that the BIG 10 stud Boye Mafe can give some energy to this defense on the line. The Gophers will be competitive in games, but it will come down to them getting key stops in the second half of games.

6. Purdue

Purdue struggled on both sides of the ball last season. The Boilermakers had a really hard time getting their ground attack going all last season. Their hope is that they have improved on the offensive line this off season, especially in an upcoming season where neither Aidan O’Connell or Jack Plummer have solidified their role as the dominate QB. The good news is with a new DC and a strong incoming defensive line this year they might be able to give their offense some opportunities to in the game in the 4th quarter. Purdue is going to need someone to step up on the offensive end for them to avoid a bottom tier finish.

7. Illinois

Bret Bielema back in the BIG 10, but with Wisconsin rival Illinois. The strong point for this Illinois team is going to be their offensive line. On the other hand they are going to have issues stopping the run on the defensive end. Their lack of depth at linebacker and on the defensive line is a big concern for the Fighting Illini moving into the 2020 season. With Bielema at the helm for his first season 2-3 conference wins would be a nice start for them.

BIG 10 CHAMPIONSHIP: OHIO STATE over WISCONSIN

PAC12 Preseason Predictions

North Division:

Oregon

After a very average 2020 season the Ducks look to bounce back with their Boston College transfer QB, Anthony Brown. Expect the Ducks to be back in the PAC12 championship game.

Washington

Jimmy Lake in his second year as coach of the Huskies has a chance to push Oregon for the top spot in the North Division. If they can get things going on the offensive side of the ball they will be a scary team in conference play.

Stanford

The Cardinals are breaking in a brand new QB while coming off a subpar previous season for their defense which could make things difficult at the start. They do have a tough out of conference schedule which will help make them competitive come conference play.

Oregon State

While the Beavers did lose their star running back, Jermar Jefferson, they are returning 19 starters this season. That type of experience is hard to match no matter who you are. Expect to see some improvement after their 2-5 season in 2020.

California

Cal seems to be in a familiar spot as they are expected to have another stellar defense and an offense with several question marks. If the offense can pull it together they could be a 6 or 7 win team, but even that may be tough sledding for Cal this season.

Washington State

The Cougars do have a big transfer in former Tennessee QB, Jarrett Guarantano, who could be a top QB in the PAC12 this season. While it is a nice addition, it is still hard seeing this Washington State team being a real competitor in the PAC12 this season.

South Division

As the Trojans are many seasons, this is the most talented team top to bottom in this conference. No reason USC should not be back in the PAC12 championship with their rematch against Oregon.

Arizona State

ASU is returning one of the most exciting QBs in college football, Jayden Daniels, along with both the Running Backs, Rachaad White and Chip Trayanum. They may have the best offense in all of the PAC12 this upcoming season. The South Division may come down to USC traveling to ASU in early November.

Utah

Once again the big men up front on both sides of the ball for Utah will be a force to be reckoned with. If they can control the line and maintain possession against some of these stronger opponents they will give a lot of good teams problems.

UCLA

While UCLA did go 3-4 last season all of those losses were one possession losses. The Bruins are close to turning the corner with Chip Kelly and this could be the year they reach a bowl game with him. They have the experience to pull a big upset in PAC12 play.

Colorado

Colorado had a good season in 2020 as they went 4-2. The problem with this season is they have a brutal road schedule in conference play. The Buffaloes may be a better team than some of these other PAC12 teams, but with a brutal road schedule it is tough to see them finishing anywhere near the top.

Arizona

The Wildcats had an absolutely brutal season in 2020 going winless on the year. The good news for them is they are bringing in a strong recruiting class they hope can make an impact immediately. Arizona should be happy to get 1 or 2 wins in conference this year. It would be a trend in the right direction.

PAC12 CHAMPION PREDICTION: USC Trojans

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