Big Ten Football

The implementation of NIL rules has allowed college athletes to take full advantage of the star power carried by their names. Nebraska freshman wide receiver Decoldest Crawford is doing just that with a unique deal that is a match made in heaven.

Crawford signed on to represent SOS Heating & Cooling, a Nebraska-based HVAC company.

NIL that just makes sense.

Nebraska WR Decoldest Crawford has signed a deal to become the new spokesperson for SOS Heating & Cooling ♨️ pic.twitter.com/JeFnYBQN6V

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 28, 2022

A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Crawford was a 3-star prospect in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He originally committed to LSU in 2019 before reopening his recruitment last December and committing to the Cornhuskers.

The Ohio State football team finished last year with an 11-2 record and a Rose Bowl victory, but the Buckeyes also lost to Michigan, failed to win the Big Ten title and missed out on the College Football Playoff.

It was still a good season for the Buckeyes, who finished sixth in the Associated Press poll, but head coach Ryan Day told reporters that there are still "scars" from last season amid the team's annual sky-high expectations.

"Last year, we were so young that we didn't know what we didn't know," Day said (h/t Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch).

"This year, we know what it's like to lose a game. We know what it's like to lose that rivalry game. And that was not good. And so there are some scars there, which is a good thing."

As Day noted, last year's team was inexperienced. That's not so much the case this year, especially with Heisman Trophy candidate and quarterback C.J. Stroud entering his second season as the starter.

"The expectations don't change year in and year out at Ohio State. We all know that. So is it different this year? No. The team is different, though. We have more experience than we had last year. We have a veteran quarterback coming back, a lot more guys on defense who are veterans, and a new scheme on defense."

The Buckeyes will open the 2022 season against Notre Dame on Sept. 3.

They will enter the season as the unanimous Big Ten favorites. They are also the No. 2 team in the country behind Alabama in numerous preseason rankings, including lists from Phil Steele, Wayne Staats of NCAA.com and ESPN's college football power index.

The offense was tremendous last year, averaging an FBS high of 45.7 points per game. The defense was hit or miss and finished 38th in points allowed (22.8 per game).

The run defense notably struggled in the team's two losses against Oregon (35-28) and Michigan (42-27), with the Ducks' CJ Verdell (195 total yards, three touchdowns) and Michigan's Hassan Haskins (169 rushing yards, five scores) going off.

Changes were made on that side of the ball, though, as Jim Knowles left Oklahoma State to become the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Ohio State. The Cowboys allowed the fifth-fewest yards per run (2.7) last year.

Ohio State has a track record of excellence and over the past two decades has reached five national title games, winning two. OSU also hasn't lost more than two games in any of the past 10 seasons.

This year's team looks like it'll be in the thick of the national title race as usual, and it very well could leave the scars from last year behind en route to a better season.

There has apparently been plenty of chatter about the four-team College Football Playoff format eventually quadrupling in size.

"Sixteen just seems to be out there," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Tuesday, per Pete Thamel of ESPN. "You can't ignore it."

While Smith, whom Thamel called "the most powerful athletic director in the Big Ten," clarified that there have not been formal discussions about increasing the field to 16, he said the topic has come up multiple times.

Whether the CFP would eventually expand has seemingly been a major discussion point since it was first put in place for the 2014 season.

Powerhouse programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia and Oklahoma have been dominant presences throughout the event's history, and a Group of Five team finally made the field just last season when Cincinnati did so from the American Athletic Conference.

Yet it may remain a discussion point for the foreseeable future since the current format is in place until the 2026 season and a potential expansion to a 12-team field never gathered much momentum largely because the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC voted against it.

Smith isn't the only voice inside the Big Ten who brought up 16 teams, with former Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez saying: "I can live with 12, I can live with 16, I just think we need to expand. I think access is important. I can live with 16."

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren didn't specifically mention 16 teams, but he did say he was "100 percent supportive" of expanding.

That Smith brought up chatter about 16 teams is all the more notable because Ohio State president Kristina M. Johnson is on the CFP's Board of Managers. It is reasonable to think she and Smith have discussed expansion a number of times, especially since the Buckeyes are one of the teams that are typically in the middle of the playoff race late into the season.

Expanding the field to any number will open up debate about whether conference champions should be given automatic bids and how many at-large teams will qualify.

Having more at-large teams figures to benefit the Big Ten and SEC moving forward, with the former set to add USC and UCLA to the fold in 2024 and the latter bringing in Oklahoma and Texas starting in 2025.

The two conferences seem to be further separating themselves from the others in terms of the sheer number of historical football brands and presumed contenders, and it would be a surprise if a 16-team field didn't feature a number of programs from each league.

The Big Ten added USC and UCLA for a 2024 expansion in a shocking move this year, but the conference may not be done.

Commissioner Kevin Warren told reporters Tuesday at Big Ten football media days:

"I get asked every single day, what's next? It may include future expansion, but it will be done for the right reasons, at the right time, with our student-athletes' academic and athletic empowerment at the center of any and all decisions that we will make. We will not expand just to expand. It will be strategic, it will add additional value to our conference."

The addition of the two California schools has been controversial. California Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly demanded an explanation from UCLA as to how its move will positively impact its student body.

He said last week:

"The first duty of every public university is to the people—especially students. UCLA must clearly explain to the public how this deal will improve the experience for all its student-athletes, will honor its century-old partnership with UC Berkeley, and will preserve the histories, rivalries, and traditions that enrich our communities."

UCLA did not publicly respond to the comments.

Expansion has continued to gear college football toward a handful of powerful conferences, however. The SEC made a huge move last summer, securing the future additions of football powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas.

Once UCLA and USC are added in 2024, the Big Ten will have 16 schools. Alongside the two California institutions, the league will also have Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers.

The expansion will give the league a major presence in huge media markets across the United States such as New York City (presumably through Rutgers, which is in New Jersey), Los Angeles and Chicago.

"A lot of work we've done on any potential expansion, we've done multiple years ago," Warren said Tuesday. "We're always in a perpetual state of analyzing the goodness of fit for any institutions that were coming to the Big Ten Conference."

NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah wrote Tuesday in a scouting report of Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud that he sees "a lot of similarities" between the 2021 Heisman Trophy finalist and New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.

He continued:

"Both guys see the field well, make good decisions and take what the defense gives them. They protect the football and understand how to manage the game. Neither player has outstanding arm strength or athleticism but both have excellent touch on the deep ball. Jones surprised a lot of evaluators with his success as a rookie and I could see a similar outcome in Stroud's future."

Stroud, 20, was superb in the 2021 season, throwing for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record, though they did fail to win the Big Ten or reach the College Football Playoff.

Nonetheless, it was a successful first season for the then-redshirt freshman and made him one of the top overall prospects to watch in the 2023 NFL draft.

Likewise, Jones had a successful rookie season with the Patriots, throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 17 games while completing 67.6 percent of his passes and leading the Pats to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth. He was named a Pro Bowler for his efforts.

One of the knocks against Jones is that his upside is that of a game manager, and that ramped up after a 14-10 win over the Buffalo Bills in December when he attempted just three passes in snowy conditions.

The Patriots lost four of their next five games after that, including a 47-17 trouncing by the Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round. But for a rookie playing in the shadow of former New England legend Tom Brady, it was an incredibly successful first season.

As for Stroud, Jeremiah noted in his scouting report that the Ohio State quarterback has "a nice blend of size, production and poise" and "deft feel on fades and over-the-top throws."

He added that the 6'3", 215-pound Stroud "never seemed rattled, which is impressive for a first-year starter at the position."

Stroud will have a big season ahead of him as he looks to prove he's a top-10 talent for NFL teams looking to upgrade at quarterback. If his current comp is Jones, he's already on the right path.

The Big Ten is reportedly in a holding pattern as it waits to see if Notre Dame intends to join the conference.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Big Ten officials have told Oregon and Washington the conference is "standing pat for now" as it awaits Notre Dame's decision.

On Thursday, USC and UCLA officials notified ESPN's Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich that their respective applications to move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten had been accepted and that they would begin Big Ten play in 2024.

In the wake of the decisions by USC and UCLA, the Pac-12 released the following statement, noting that it intends to explore expansion options:

pic.twitter.com/zieBdwnLvv

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) July 1, 2022

With the departure of USC and UCLA putting the Pac-12 in dire straits, it has been speculated that other top Pac-12 programs such as Oregon, Washington and Utah might consider leaving as well.

Given the Big Ten's expansion into a superconference rivaling the SEC, speculation has ramped up regarding Notre Dame moving to the Big Ten as well.

While Notre Dame officials haven't said anything publicly about interest in the Big Ten, it may prove too much to resist joining the conference given where realignment is heading.

USC and UCLA are about to join the Big Ten, while Texas and Oklahoma have already committed to moving from the Big 12 to the SEC.

Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reported on Thursday that a source told her to expect the Big Ten and SEC to become megaconferences with 20 or more teams each.

If that happens, it would perhaps spell the end of the Pac-12, ACC and Big 12, or place them well down in the pecking order at the very least.

With the exception of the 2020 season, Notre Dame has always been an independent program in football, and it has worked out well to the tune of 11 national championships and two trips to the College Football Playoff.

In 2020, Notre Dame played in the ACC for one season due to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was uncommon for the football program, many of Notre Dame's other athletic programs are in the ACC, including men's and women's basketball.

If Notre Dame wishes to move all of its programs to the Big Ten, including football, there could be some massive ramifications for the school.

Per ESPN's David M. Hale, there is a television contract in place through 2036 that requires Notre Dame to play in the ACC if the football program decides to join a conference.

Should Notre Dame try to play elsewhere, it would face financial penalties worth $150 million or more.

Even so, from Notre Dame's perspective, there is likely great appeal in sharing a football conference with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and USC.

To be upfront and concise, college football isn’t doomed. The sky isn’t falling (yet).

Saturdays aren’t spoiled; they will continue to be brilliant and vibrant. You can (and should) continue to enjoy them.

The sport you know and love won’t immediately mutate into some foreign, unwatchable product. That is not where we are headed (yet), no matter how uncharted the waters might be. But after USC and UCLA bolted the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in a matter of hours before many checked out for the holiday weekend, one can’t help but question what the sport will look like in 10 years.

More specifically, whether the interest of the fan—the greatest commodity in college football no matter the conference, team or time zone—is even being considered at all.

Mercury News writer Jon Wilner broke the story Thursday. The very concept was denied at first by many, only because it felt too abnormal to be true.

By Thursday night, the move for the 2024-2025 season was finalized and confirmed by all parties involved. The Big Ten Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted on expansion, and it was quickly (and unanimously) approved.

"The unanimous vote today signifies the deep respect and welcoming culture our entire conference has for the University of Southern California, under the leadership of President Carol Folt, and the University of California, Los Angeles, under the leadership of Chancellor Gene Block," Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement. "I am thankful for the collaborative efforts of our campus leadership, athletics directors and Council of Presidents and Chancellors who recognize the changing landscape of college athletics, methodically reviewed each request, and took appropriate action based on our consensus."

Remember "The Alliance"?

Less than a year earlier, the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 formed a pact that sounded splendid on a press release.

Although it was unclear exactly what this meant outside a few unifying quotes on the press release, a bond was constructed. The three conferences would work together moving forward, so they said.

Despite the lack of clarity, the timing was noteworthy. Following the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC, nervous emotions erupted around the sport. We assumed the next wave of realignment was imminent.

One could tell back then that this union was nothing more than a way to temporarily ease nerves that needed easing. It was a surface-level attempt to round up some unity at a sensitive time. On Thursday, as the Big Ten quickly opened its doors for two valuable Pac-12 members, we saw how much it meant.

It’s difficult to drum up an appropriate parallel, although let’s try.

Imagine if the New England Patriots were suddenly yanked from the AFC East and thrust into the NFC West on a random offseason afternoon? That is essentially what is happening in the world of college football.

Geography? It is no longer a consideration. Football programs in New Jersey and California will suddenly be conference foes.

The business of college football is booming. Make no mistake about what is happening; this is a business decision made by multiple parties looking after their own future financial safety.

USC and UCLA clearly had concerns about the prospects of playing in the Pac-12 long-term. The Big Ten, which is in the process of negotiating new television and distribution contracts in the years to come, would like to increase its value along the way by adding new markets to its collection of teams.

Oh, and it’s a massive market.

The end result is a few awkward marriages that will become less awkward in time. It won’t make that first early-morning matchup between UCLA and Illinois any less strange, but it will eventually become normal. It will simply be the new normal.

The sport is changing and evolving, and one can’t help but view many of these changes as a detriment.

One of college football’s greatest assets has been its ability to regionalize competition. Rivalries, conference bragging rights and general fluctuations between time zones always separated it from other sports—specifically professional sports.

It was clunky and uneven, and that’s what we appreciated. The fact that different parts of the map could assume and appreciate the sport differently was never a negative; this was always one of its greatest assets.

That strength, of course, is being lost. It did not begin with USC and UCLA. It started years before when expansion fever started to kick in. Texas and Oklahoma elevated it to another threshold. USC and UCLA have now forced teams and conferences to abandon team and regional alignment for financial gain.

And what do we get out of this? That, more than anything, is the question that becomes increasingly difficult to answer as the business of college football blinds the future.

Sure, seeing USC and UCLA head to the Midwest will produce a flurry of uncommon matchups. This will certainly add a new element that many, especially in those conferences, will appreciate.

But is college football better for this decision? And if so, how? Are you, the fan, in a better position to consume college football than you were a few days ago?

That depends on what team and conference you root for, although regardless of the answer to that question, it’s hard to find a wealth of reasons why that would be the case.

The negative impacts on teams in the Pac-12 and beyond will be sizable. As intriguing as some unique geographical matchups might be, the teams left behind will certainly feel the long-term impact of two of the conference’s biggest draws saying goodbye.

And that is where this gains steam. The moves will only persist. Maybe it’ll take a few months or a few years.

Regardless, expansion is not done. In some ways, it feels like it’s just beginning again as the desperation will grow.

A sport that was once about regional dominance is morphing into something, well, different.

That doesn’t make it bad, and this is not an attempt to limit the joy. There is still nothing like a full Saturday of college football, and there will be nothing like a full Saturday of college football.

It is and will always be the sport’s greatest commodity.

But the pieces are no longer where they once were, and the financial security surrounding teams and conferences has become the driving force behind change.

That is the future. That is the reality.

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of all of this realization—outside of the direct impact on so many—is the simple truth surrounding the movement.

The sport as you knew it, while imperfect, will no longer exist as it once did. The sport you grew to love is growing up, for better or worse depending on your perspective.

No matter that perspective, however, one thing is certain: These changes no longer have your best interests in mind.

The next big domino in college football realignment has fallen, as USC and UCLA will leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten in 2024.

The Big Ten announced today that the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles will become conference members effective August 2, 2024, with competition to begin in all sports the 2024-25 academic year. https://t.co/DnwNMJSEe7

— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) July 1, 2022

OFFICIAL: USC will join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) June 30, 2022

𝗕𝗜𝗚 news! UCLA is joining the Big Ten Conference at the start of the 2024-25 season! 👀

➡️: https://t.co/ygoY70o2bo#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/Cgj5orGhiI

— UCLA Athletics (@UCLAAthletics) June 30, 2022

Jon Wilner of the Mercury News initially reported that the schools were planning on switching conferences.

The Pac-12 said in a statement that it was "extremely surprised and disappointed" by the news:

pic.twitter.com/rdM2IEuQ6m

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) July 1, 2022

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman added USC and UCLA broached the idea with the Big Ten and not the other way around. Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported the Big Ten conference may not stop at 16 teams.

College football has always featured a gap between the haves and have-nots. The stratification has widened in recent years to the point where a "super league" made up of the elite programs feels inevitable.

In the case of USC and UCLA, the schools' administrators seem to feel they're getting left behind.

Under the stewardship of former commissioner Larry Scott, Pac-12 football fell noticeably behind its Power Five rivals.

USA Today's Steve Berkowitz also wrote in May how the most recent payouts to the Pac-12 member schools, which fell from $33.6 million in 2020 to $19.8 million in 2021, "were the lowest among the Power Five by a significant margin."

For USC and UCLA, the motivations to join the Big Ten are the same ones that led Oklahoma and Texas to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC. There's more money and prestige to be had from playing in the Big Ten.

The biggest obstacle in such a move had long been UCLA leaving behind Cal because it meant breaking away from UC system, per sources. One Pac-12 source said they were "stunned" UCLA would make that move. https://t.co/jWgX3ZBs2J

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 30, 2022

By expanding their footprint, the Trojans and Bruins might also more easily attract recruits from outside their traditional pipelines.

https://twitter.com/cpetagna247/status/1542562311038197767

Losing USC and UCLA deals a major blow to the Pac-12, and the conference might struggle to recover even if it works quickly to line up programs to take their places.

Beyond watching Southern California become Big Ten territory and suffering the consequences of that, the Pac-12 might see the likes of Oregon, Washington and Utah question their futures. The Ducks have become the best school on the West Coast over the last four years under Mario Cristobal and might not want to be the big fish in a small pond.

However, Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday night that no other Pac-12 schools are expected to join the Big Ten "at this time":

Multiple sources tell @latimes that no other Pac-12 members are expected to be added to the Big Ten at this time.

Oregon, Washington, Stanford, etc. will not be following USC and UCLA.

— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) July 1, 2022

When the commissioners for the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced their "historic alliance" last August—a direct response to the SEC's poaching of Oklahoma and Texas—many questioned how long the strategic partnership would last.

Less than a year later, the venture is dead in the water.

Class of 2023 5-star wide receiver Brandon Inniss committed to Ohio State on Tuesday.

According to Hayes Fawcett of On3, Inniss said the following about why he chose to become a Buckeye:

"The coaches there. I built a great relationship with them over time. I know [wide receivers] coach [Brian] Hartline will develop me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. Also the competition in the WR room is going to be great. I will have other top guys like me pushing me everyday and that's what I need."

Inniss chose Ohio State over schools like USC, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, Arizona State and Arkansas, among others.

A 6'0", 190-pound receiver out of American Heritage in Florida, Inniss is ranked as the No. 2 wideout prospect and No. 18 overall player in the nation in 247Sports' composite. He was named a Max Preps All-American in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.

247Sports recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins describes Inniss as "one of the most college-ready wide receivers to come out of the high school ranks in recent years. An elite route-runner with a competitive edge that can take over games and beat double coverage."

Ivins added that Inniss "should be viewed as a high-floor type of prospect and someone that is going to be able to contribute very early on for a Top 25 program. Will likely have a voice in the locker room given his dog-eat-dog mentality. NFL upside."

Inniss projects to be a strong contributor as soon as he steps on the field for Ohio State. His addition gives OSU one of the top recruiting classes in the country. Ohio State now has two 5-star prospects and nine 4-star prospects in its 2023 class, per 247Sports.

Inniss is set to join an Ohio State program that has been dominant in recent years, losing two or fewer games in each of the past 10 seasons.

That includes three seasons under head coach Ryan Day, who led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 mark and a Rose Bowl win last season.

Ohio State has churned out top wide receiver prospects such as Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin over the past several years as well, which likely contributed to Inniss' decision.

Class of 2023 5-star wide receiver Carnell Tate announced his commitment to Ohio State on Monday.

ESPN 300 wide receiver Carnell Tate just committed to Ohio State, giving the team 7 ESPN 300 commits in the class.

The #Buckeyes have landed 10 ESPN 300 receivers since the 2020 class, they also had the second and third receivers taken in the draft this year at No. 10 and 11.

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) June 20, 2022

"It was the coaching staff," Tate told John Garcia Jr. of Sports Illustrated. "I love the coaching staff and have built a strong bond with them. I know that my future is in great hands with them, and they will help me develop into a potential first-round pick and achieve all of my dreams and aspirations. It is a great program, overall."

Tate especially praised receivers coach Brian Hartline while making his commitment.

"Coach [Brian] Hartline this what made Ohio State right for me," Tate told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. "His development is very important to me. I know he would help develop me into a first-round pick and a great receiver."

Tate chose the Buckeyes over finalists LSU, Notre Dame and Tennessee.

A 6'2", 185-pound wideout from IMG Academy in Florida, Tate is the No. 3 receiver in the nation, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He was named a MaxPreps All-Florida Preseason second-team selection on offense prior to his junior season. Tate spent his freshman year at Marist High School in Chicago.

Tate is described as "the type of wide receiver that always seems to be open" by 247Sports recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins, who also pointed to Tate's ability to win at the line of scrimmage against both zone and man-to-man coverage.

Ivins added that Tate "should be viewed as one of the top pass-catchers in a deep 2023 wide receiver class and a potential all-conference type of player for a Top 25 program. Ability to consistently shake defenders and generate big plays will eventually have him on the radar of NFL scouts."

Tate is a strong get for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day. His addition gives the Buckeyes their first 5-star recruit in the 2023 class.