The storylines of 2023 Big Ten Media Days
INDIANAPOLIS — In his first press conference as Nebraska football coach, Matt Rhule got asked — and answered — how his program would win in the Big Ten. First, he noted the small margin for error. His second sentence pivoted to a position.
“If you look at the Big Ten, whoever has the best quarterback play is typically going to win,” Rhule said that day in late November. “So you need to have — not just a quarterback, but a system around the signal caller that let them to be successful.”
So it’s not surprising Jeff Sims heads to Big Ten Media Days this week. He’s the first quarterback to represent the Huskers since 2019.
Though Rhule intends to build his program more through high school recruiting than the transfer portal, Sims, who played three seasons at Georgia Tech, quickly became a key part of a team lack offensive skill depth and experience. It’s possible the team’s top two receivers — Marcus Washington and Billy Kemp — are transfers. Arizona State import Ben Scott should get the nod at center. The Huskers’ fullback battle will develop in training camp, but former Omaha Skutt and Notre Dame back Barret Liebentritt will get a long look.
Rhule felt good enough about the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Sims to effectively make him a starter after the spring game, given that his competition, Casey Thompson, saw the writing on the wall and transferred to Florida Atlantic. Sims is in the same boat, too, as Wisconsin’s Tanner Mordecai and Purdue’s Hudson Card, who join Sims Thursday as player representatives at Lucas Oil Stadium. They, like Sims, play for new head coaches.
Mordecai is the old man of the bunch, playing for his third team, daring to run the new Badger offense after tossing 72 touchdowns over the last two seasons at SMU. Card, once Thompson’s foil at Texas, is resetting his career with the Boilermakers, who have produced two straight NFL QBs in David Blough and Aidan O’Connell.
All three will post up at their podiums Thursday afternoon as part of day two, highlighted by the three new head coaches and their QBs.
Day one could be a fascinating eight hours of storylines. CBS is having a media breakfast. NBC is hanging out at the same podiums as coaches and players. The Two TV giants — new to broadcasting Big Ten football games — picked a heck of a time to take in the annual league soiree.
A still-growing hazing scandal at Northwestern — with more allegations and player lawsuits by the week — takes center stage with new Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti giving his first Media Days address. Wildcat interim head coach David Braun remains scheduled to field questions from reporters who have yet to get public answers from Northwestern’s president and athletic director. The players announced Tuesday they will not appear at Big Ten Media Days.
Petitti inherited the role from Kevin Warren without knowing the TV deal wasn’t quite finished. According to ESPN, the Big Ten had more work to do with its TV partners well after the deal was announced last year — and may still have more work to do. Part of Petitti’s role Wednesday will be to pick up the pieces left behind by his predecessor.
A Big Ten horserace that just may favor James Franklin: The Penn State coach may take pains to remind media he’s already won a Big Ten title, in 2016. But that title felt almost accidental, like the Nittany Lions fell into Indianapolis by blocking an Ohio State field goal and Michigan falling inches short of later beating the Buckeyes.
Ohio State and Michigan have won the last six Big Ten titles and they’re favored to vie again for it in 2023. But Franklin may have his most complete team, led by a young quarterback, Drew Allar, who can may rate among the league’s best passers.
That’s no knock on Trace McSorley and Sean Clifford, two tough athletes who won Fiesta, Cotton and Rose Bowls, respectively. But the 6-foot-5, 243-pound Allar — a former five-star who played prep ball south of Cleveland — can make all the throws. Combined with PSU’s offensive line and skill talent, Allar could control the Big Ten’s best offense.
Three new coaches for three different reasons with three different goals: That’s Rhule, Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell and Purdue’s Ryan Walters. Rhule takes over a Husker program that cratered when can’t-miss coach Scott Frost drove it into the ground with apathy. Walters replaces Jeff Brohm, who won a West division title in West Lafayette but never seemed to win over the local media before he left for alma mater Louisville. Walters will do well to match Brohm’s 51% win rate over the next six years.
And Fickell, of course, follows Paul Chryst, who 72% of his games in Madison but failed to sufficiently impress newish athletic director Chris McIntosh. Fickell follows a tough act. Walters is a risk/reward hire. And Rhule will be a loquacious successor to the grim Frost.
Still Ferentz, after all these years: Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has become an anachronism in college sports. Football coaches just don’t stay in one spot 25 years anymore and Ferentz starts his 25th year this September. He does so without the athletic director — Gary Barta — who retires Aug. 1 after having Ferentz’s back for 17 years. He does so with an offense — coordinated by son Brian — that gained just 251.6 yards per game last season.
But Ferentz has a new quarterback — Michigan transfer Cade McNamara — who should make Iowa a favorite to win the last West Division crown, and the usual top shelf defense and special teams.
Odds and ends: Big Ten coaches will be asked more about name, image and likeness than they will the transfer portal, with at least one soundbite going viral ... Jim Harbaugh, who chose not to bring quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the event, will regard a straightforward question with confusion and make at least one pop culture reference ... Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr. will be asked for the 100th time about his dad, Marvin, Sr., playing for the Indianapolis Colts ... Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck will bring fifth, sixth and seventh-year seniors to Indy.
