Big Ten Football

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day announced Saturday that C.J. Stroud will be the Buckeyes' starting quarterback for their Week 1 game against Big Ten rival Minnesota on Sept. 2.

"He has separated himself with his leadership skills, accuracy," Day told reporters after Stroud competed with Jack Miller and Kyle McCord for the top spot on the QB depth chart.

Stroud became the presumptive starter after an impressive showing in OSU's spring game. He completed 14 of his 19 throws for 175 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Buckeyes began training camp with an open competition for the starting job, but Day made it clear Monday that Stroud was the front-runner based on his all-around performances.

"I don't know how much separation, I'm not sure, but every day he's been competing, he's been taking care of the football, making good decisions, he's been a leader," Day said. "Those are all some of the traits we've been looking for. Certainly moving the team down the field to score touchdowns is something we've been looking for."

Now the decision is official.

Stroud joined the Buckeyes out of Rancho Cucamonga High School in California as a 4-star prospect and the second-ranked pro-style quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

He didn't make a major impact as a true freshman with Justin Fields, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, guiding the Ohio State offense last year. That said, he did have one highlight-reel play, a 48-yard touchdown run late in a blowout win over Michigan State in December:

Stroud will be thrust right into a pressure-packed environment. His first start will come on the road against the Golden Gophers, and then the Buckeyes welcome 11th-ranked Oregon to The Horseshoe for a marquee clash in Week 2.

Although the schedule hits a lull between those two games and the heart of the Big Ten slate beginning in October, Ohio State can't afford a sluggish start if it wants to make a serious push toward a College Football Playoff berth.

Looking further ahead, Stroud's performance this season will be crucial if he wants to keep the starting spot for the remainder of his tenure because Quinn Ewers, the top-ranked quarterback in the 2022 class, recently reclassified to 2021 so he could join the Buckeyes for practice this year while also exploring NIL opportunities.

Ohio State opens the campaign as the No. 4 ranked team in the country.

The Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC will reportedly officially announce an alliance between the three conferences as early as next week, according to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic on Friday. 

The move comes in response to the SEC adding Oklahoma and Texas to become a 16-team conference.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN first reported news of the alignment between the conferences, which is to "create stability without schools moving conferences."

The Big 12 has not been part of these discussions.

Auerbach reported many administrators in the three conferences involved in this alliance still "believe in the collegiate model."

While some believe the SEC could become a minor-league type system for the NFL, including player salaries, the remaining power conferences want to prioritize graduating athletes at high-profile institutions. The Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 also give attention to sports beyond football, with each league averaging more than 22 different sports per campus; SEC schools average 19.9.

A new agreement could help the three like-minded conferences remain aligned when it comes to new NCAA endeavors, including potential rule changes or an expanded College Football Playoff system.

Improving nonconference scheduling between the leagues and expanded television rights would also be a significant plus for the proposed alliance.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 currently both have a relationship with Fox and are pushing the league to get more involved in the bidding for CFP broadcasting. 

Nebraska and head football coach Scott Frost are reportedly under investigation by the NCAA. 

Per Brett McMurphy of The Action Network, there is “significant video footage” of the Cornhuskers improperly using analysts and consultants during games and practices dating back 12 months. 

McMurphy noted the video footage shows the practice violations occurred in the presence of Frost and other assistants. 

Frost has already been interviewed by the NCAA about the allegations, as well as "multiple current and former staff members, administration and football players."

In addition to the improper use of analysts and consultants during games, Nebraska is also said to have organized workouts at a time when such events were prohibited by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to McMurphy, it's unknown if the program is currently being investigated for organizing unauthorized workouts. 

McMurphy added that Frost could be suspended for "an unknown number of games," among the other potential penalties the program could receive from the NCAA after the investigation gets wrapped up. 

The Cornhuskers have seen significant turnover over the past two years. Twenty-four scholarship players have transferred since the end of the 2019 season. 

Gerrod Lambrecht, who worked with Frost the previous five years dating back to their time at Central Florida, stepped down as Nebraska's chief of staff last week to pursue other opportunities. 

Frost took over as Cornhuskers head coach in December 2017 amid a lot of hype. The Nebraska alum went 19-7 in two seasons at UCF, including a perfect 13-0 record in 2017. 

Things haven't gone as planned since the 46-year-old returned to his alma mater. He has gone 12-20 overall (9-17 in the Big Ten) with no bowl appearances in the past three seasons, including 3-5 last year. 

Nebraska is scheduled to open the 2021 season on Aug. 28 at Illinois.    

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Monday that redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud is leading the Buckeyes' quarterback competition, but a decision about the Sept. 2 season opener against Minnesota hasn't been finalized.

"I don't know how much separation. I'm not sure, but every day he's been competing, he's been taking care of the football, making good decisions, he's been a leader," Day told reporters. "Those are all some of the traits we've been looking for. Certainly moving the team down the field to score touchdowns is something we've been looking for."

Stroud is battling Jack Miller and Kyle McCord to replace Justin Fields atop the OSU quarterback depth chart after Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Day noted the quarterbacks know where they stand heading into the final weeks of training camp, but he's stressed to all of them it'll be important to stay ready, regardless of where they stand when the campaign kicks off against the Golden Gophers.

"It's a long season, that's what I think all those guys understand and will continue to understand," he said. "We're talking about going all the way till January, so my experience is we're going to need everybody. One thing's for sure: There's going to be one starter in terms of that first play against Minnesota, and at that point, we'll see where it goes."

Stroud emerged from the Buckeyes' spring game as the favorite for the starting spot. He completed 14 of his 19 throws for 175 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, leading his squad to a 28-13 victory. 

The four-star prospect out of Rancho Cucamonga High School in California spent most of last year as a little-used reserve, but he did produce one electric play—a 48-yard touchdown run in a December blowout of Michigan State.

"I feel I can throw the ball with anyone," Stroud told reporters in early August. "I can run the ball with anyone. I feel like I'm one of the best players in the country."

Ohio State has also added Quinn Ewers, the top-ranked recruit in the 2022 class, to its practices as he's opted to skip his senior season of high school in order to enroll early to take advantage of the new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules.

Day called it a "unique situation," but he doesn't think Ewers' presence will impact this year's squad.

"It's just one of those things, we have to start embracing different situations like this, and I know our guys are going to do the same thing. They'll embrace him," Day said. "We've had high-profile guys come into the program, that happens here. He'll do a good job of working his way in, earning the respect of the team."

The Buckeyes, who ranked fourth in both the Coaches and Associated Press preseason polls, won't have much margin for error in the early going as they face Oregon (No. 11 AP, No. 12 Coaches) in Week 2 after opening against a Big Ten rival in Minnesota.

It'll increase the pressure on Stroud to make an instant impact if he holds off Miller and McCord to win the starting job.

The Pac-12, ACC and Big Ten are having "high-level discussions" about forming an alliance between the three conferences, per Max Olson of The Athletic:

Talks have centered around not just a scheduling alliance in football but in broader cooperation, according to sources in the three conferences. Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips have been having conversations for several weeks.

As The Athletic noted, it's unclear how scheduling would work between the three conferences, but the goal is to get on the same page and vote on key concerns, including College Football Playoff expansion and any "NCAA governance changes," per Olson.

Olson's report also comes amid news that the SEC plans to expand by adding Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas.

“This is their shot right back at the SEC,” one athletic director told Olson.

Per Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, the Big 12 is reportedly not involved in these conversations. The Big 12 is currently a 10-team league at the moment, although Oklahoma and Texas reportedly will be gone in 2025.

Stewart Mandel of The Athletic tweeted that the report is "not good news" for the Big 12 as the conference is likely forced to forge ahead without the two powerhouse schools.

Regarding why the Pac-12, ACC and Big Ten would go this route, Matt Fortuna of The Athletic explained the logic.

The NCAA announced the formation of a constitution committee, with the hopes of expediting a proposed governance model. It is there, in voting power, where an alliance among the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 would really show those three conferences’ power—41 votes to the 16 votes of the expanded SEC.

When asked for comment, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff told the following to The Athletic:

"I’ve been in frequent and regular contact with all of the other A5 commissioners the last few weeks about the complex issues that are facing the industry." In addition, he said there is "nothing to report on this specific matter at this time."

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg confirmed the Athletic report, writing that the conferences "have engaged in preliminary talks about an alliance, likely centered on scheduling."

Rittenberg also noted that the conferences have "plenty to work out" but numerous meetings in person have occurred in the last few days.

Quinn Ewers, the top-ranked prospect in the class of 2022, will forgo his senior season of high school and enroll in Ohio State early, his father, Curtis Ewers, told Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.

Ewers discussed his decision in a post on Twitter:

Per Thamel, Ewers will benefit greatly from the NCAA's new name, image and likeness rights rules and is "expected to make nearly a million dollars in the next year from endorsements, which he can't while playing high school football in Texas." 

Ewers said in his tweet that a part of his decision was the ruling by the University Interscholastic Association in Texas that he couldn't profit off his NIL rights while finishing his senior season at Southlake Carroll High School.

But he added that the decision was also a football one, giving him the opportunity to get a head start on his college career, as he's close to completing the final high school class he needs to get his diploma. 

Riley Dodge, Ewers' coach, reacted to his quarterback's exit, saying the "community will greatly miss" him.

Even with Ohio State's untested trio of quarterbacks under scholarship—Jack Miller, CJ Stroud and Kyle McCord—it's hard to imagine Ewers will see the field in 2021 with the expectation that he'll be cleared to start practicing in August. 

As Thamel noted: "While it will be tempting to insert him as immediately competing for the starting job, there's such a significant learning curve that reasonable expectation would be to see this as a year of development."

As for what Ohio State will be getting in the young quarterback, Gabe Brooks of 247Sports.com called Ewers an "elite" prospect and a "pro-style quarterback with athleticism and mobility that qualify for a dual-threat label." He added Ewers is an "elite improvisational quarterback who can extend plays and remain accurate on the move" and a "future impact high-major starter with long-term potential to be taken high in the NFL draft."

Ewers has become a trailblazer in the new NIL landscape. It's unlikely he'll be the last high-profile prospect to go this route, especially in states that prohibit high school players from profiting off their name, image and likeness.

Jaheim Singletary, a 5-star cornerback and the No. 14 prospect overall in 247Sports' composite rankings for the class of 2022, decommitted from Ohio State on Sunday. 

Per Tom VanHaaren of ESPN, "Singletary recently took a visit to Miami and has had Georgia recruiting him heavily, despite being committed to Ohio State."

Based on Singletary's Twitter feed, Florida, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State appear to still be in the running for his signature:

Singletary is ranked as the No. 5 corner in the class of 2022 and the No. 3 player from the state of Florida, so whichever team ultimately lands his commitment will be getting one of the top recruits in the nation. 

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports called Singletary a "physically imposing defender with plenty of length" and a "ball magnet of sorts that has shown at the high school level that he’s capable of shutting down an entire side of the field."

He added that the young corner "should develop into an impact player for a Power Five program and eventually play on Sundays."

His potential loss would hurt Ohio State's haul in the class of 2022, though they still sit atop 247Sports' rankings, with two 5-star commits—quarterback Quinn Ewers, the top prospect in the class, and linebacker C.J. Hicks—along with 11 4-star recruits.  

Outside of the Buckeyes, only Alabama, LSU, Florida State and USC have two incoming 5-star prospects in the class of 2022. 

The Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences will reportedly work toward "some type of merger" with the goal of preserving their Rose Bowl football contract.

On Tuesday, Peacock's Dan Patrick reported full details of the discussions, which come amid the potential for widespread changes to conference alignment after Oklahoma and Texas formally requested to join the SEC when their media deals with the Big 12 expire in 2025:

The key question is whether the conferences will try to do a full-scale merger or bring together the most high-profile, profitable schools while leaving some of their members out to dry in the process.

Oklahoma and Texas have jump-started a process that's likely to have a massive impact on the landscape of college sports over the next handful of years.

In turn, Andy Staples of The Athletic noted Monday the Big Ten is facing a sudden "eat-or-be-eaten situation," which will likely require significant maneuvering. He suggested a four-division "super conference" with 20 total teams combining the marquee schools of the Big Ten and Pac-12.

While it would create an intriguing group of teams, with USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Oregon and Washington joining the traditional football powers of the Big Ten, there's "no guarantee" the Pac-12 schools would be interested in such a change, per Staples.

The future of the Rose Bowl partnership could come into question if no deal is reached.

Although the Rose Bowl has an agreement as part of the College Football Playoffs, it still maintains its alliance for a matchup between the Big Ten and Pac-12 in years when it's not serving as a CFP semifinal.

The current contract between the Rose Bowl and the conferences run through 2026.

The Big Ten reportedly has "little to no interest" in expansion in the wake of reports that Texas and Oklahoma are laying the groundwork to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC.

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported the Big Ten's desire to stay put at 14 teams on Twitter Monday.

The Big Ten's last expansion occurred in 2014, when the league brought on Maryland and Rutgers. The Big Ten had been a 10-team league from 1950 to 1990 before adding Penn State in 1990 and Nebraska in 2011.

Earlier Monday, Texas and Oklahoma told the Big 12 that they would not be renewing their grants of media rights after they expire in 2025, per a joint statement from both schools.

On Monday, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported that the Big Ten would be interested in expansion but only if it involved a school from the Association of American Universities.

The early half of the 2010s featured a host of teams changing conferences.

Colorado and Utah bolted for the Pac-12. Missouri and Texas A&M went to the SEC, and the ACC took on Notre Dame (minus football), Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Louisville.

It remains to be seen whether Oklahoma and Texas' potential move is the first domino leading to another wave of conference changes.

If anything, the Big 12 would feel the biggest negative impact with the loss of two prominent institutions in Texas and Oklahoma.

As for the Big Ten, though, the league appears to be sticking with 14 teams, although the ever-changing college sports landscape could dictate otherwise.

Antonio Gates Jr. announced his commitment Monday to Michigan State on Twitter:

The Michigan native is the son of Antonio Gates, who spent 16 years in the NFL with the Chargers while earning eight Pro Bowl selections. The 41-year-old leads all tight ends and ranks seventh in NFL history with 116 career touchdown receptions.

The younger Gates plays wide receiver but is considered a 4-star recruit and the No. 293 overall player in the class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The 6'1", 185-pound prospect had more than 20 scholarship offers, including from Florida, Penn State and Tennessee, but he liked what Michigan State has shown with young receivers.

"They utilize their receivers right, they had one of the top freshman receivers in the country last year and they're just a good program overall," he said of Michigan State in April, per Allen Trieu of 247Sports.

Spartans wideout Ricky White averaged 22.3 yards per catch as a freshman last year.

Gates will already have a head start on his father, who did not play football in college and instead played basketball at Kent State before reaching the NFL as an undrafted free agent. The future Hall of Famer initially signed with Michigan State to play football for then-coach Nick Saban, but he transferred to Eastern Michigan for the opportunity to play basketball before moving on to Kent.