The Buckeyes have their eyes on back-to-back national championships, but first Day must replace three coaches — including both coordinators.
Every week after the Big Ten games, we will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more. With the Big Ten expanding from 14 teams to 18 teams in 2024 we will have a bunch to follow.
Check out the I-80 Football Show for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
When you win, they all want a piece!
Once again there is no rest for the national champions, as Ohio State has watched two more coaches walk out the door since losing defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Penn State.
In what ended up being a one-year rental, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is back in the NFL, taking a rumored $6 million dollar deal to become the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. Justin Frye, the offensive line coach, is off to the NFL as well after accepting the same position for the Arizona Cardinals while reuniting with Paris Johnson Jr.
Losing Kelly stings, but losing Frye may end up being the best for both parties. Frye made himself a lot of money with his development and coaching, helping the Buckeyes survive injuries from two of their starting offensive lineman. Despite this, Frye was an average recruiter at best, and now Day can try to replace him with a coach who can recruit to the highest level required in Columbus.
Day earned himself a lot of breathing room by winning his first national championship, but he’s going to have to continue earning every bit of his over $10 million salary this offseason as he tries to prepare a young team to repeat next year while searching for three coaches who can step in and keep the momentum going.
Matt is changing the Rhules
No spring game for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as head coach Matt Rhule is changing the rules for his program. At a recent news conference, Rhule was quoted saying, ”The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore, It’s just an absolute free open common market. I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world and have people watch our guys and say, ‘He looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.’”
Tampering in college football is real and should be addressed, especially when it’s causing coaches to end long-standing traditions for fear that someone will try to steal a player from their roster. You can argue that spring games aren’t important, but they are tradition.
It’s too early to know if this will become a trend — it’s doubtful since spring games are a nice way to make money in the offseason — but the fear of your roster getting raided is pervasive in college football.
Abdul Carter should be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
It’s officially silly season, better known as NFL Draft prep. For the next two months we’re going to hear about how *insert college quarterback* is a generational prospect or a future NFL All-Pro. In some drafts that’s true. In most cases it’s not, and it is absolutely not the case for the 2025 NFL Draft.
There is only one correct choice for the No. 1 pick in this draft, and it’s Abdul Carter. In the NFL sack production is king, and Abdul Carter is the closest prospect to Micah Parsons — and it’s not just because he wore No. 11 for Penn State. I would accept an argument for Travis Hunter, who is a generational prospect, but a lockdown corner isn’t as valuable as a pass rusher who can give you double-digit sacks per year.
As is the case in the NFL, quarterbacks reign supreme, which means Cam Ward is going to be the first pick, and while that may work out for the Tennessee Titans, the Cleveland Browns will be thanking their lucky stars they landed Abdul Carter — and that was before Myles Garrett requested a trade.
College football is crazy, but at least it’s not the NBA
College football is a national sport, and if you had the ability to talk to every fan you wouldn’t find one didn’t have at least one complaint about the sport. I’d wager even if you talked to every fan you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan as torn up about college football as Dallas Maverick fans are right now after superstar Luka Doncic got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and a couple of pennies.
NIL, the transfer portal, tampering, and even massive coaching buyouts can’t touch the level of dysfunction going on in the NBA. College football players haven’t been paid their worth in years, but one of the most ruthless aspects of the trade is that Doncic is no longer eligible for a super-max deal, which cost him roughly $117 million.
The Mavs were ruthless in their decision to trade Luka in hopes of winning a championship in the next three to four years, and college football may never reach that level of crazy.
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