B1G New Additions Offseason Thread

[CatsbyAZ]

LSU has an SEC schedule and wants to play, even across the country.  Weird.

And USC's tougher schedule features of five of their first six games Vs LSU, @Mich, Vs Wisc, @Minn, and Vs Penn St. Given the difficulty, 4-2 should be about the best USC can hope for with realistically a 7-5 season. The oddsmakers would agree - from Lindy's preview on USC:

"There is a complete difference of opinion about USC between the boosters, who expect a trip to the expanded College Football Playoff, and the oddsmakers, who set the regular season over/under at 7.5. If Riley doesn't win 10 games, he will be under intense pressure because of the expectations set by his splashy hire in 2022. Once he started losing last season, there was grumbling that he doesn't meet with boosters or interact with people on campus. But if he wins this season, everything will be forgiven and his reputation as a quarterback guru will remain intact."

Which brings up another point. Look at the quarterbacks Muleshoes was gifted since becoming Oklahoma's head coach in 2017: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Spencer Rattler, and Caleb Williams - all on NFL rosters. Going into the Big Ten, this is the first year Riley is without a clear-cut favorite QB to lead the offense. Much less some kind of Freshman All-American or Heisman contender:

"QB Miller Moss will probably start the season opener against LSU, but UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava was more impressive in the spring game. That could set up a dilemma for coach Lincoln Riley, especially when two of the first three games are against the Tigers and Michigan..."

[847badgerfan]

I hope the Badgers go out there and whip their asses.

[FearlessF]

Joel Klatt lists 10 college football games that will shape the 2024 season

https://www.on3.com/news/joel-klatt-lists-10-college-football-games-that-will-shape-the-2024-season/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2O8U5kH8HX5KC7ieUENQ64k3rvpEMEvAhNLWVvZnQeXxNRHTjwD1S8euk_aem_AeZUUh8mU6MXp0DHmXqknEMJ5kqNCMNnA_s80TI6DxmfuPL9DCNNEwPkzMQeVOXqy8ieG8PVBUofnXeGaO4jig5Z

Sorry OAM, not sorry

“I think USC and LSU are pretty similarly positioned within their conferences,” Klatt said. “Which is, a bit of an unknown. We believe in their coaches… We believe in their locations… And yet, we still don’t know in the new iteration of these conferences — where are they going to be at?”

Klatt believes USC winning this game would be big for the Big Ten, changing the perception of the conference in terms of the number of teams making the College Football Playoff. The same can be said about LSU due to the marquee nonconference win and a favorable home game schedule.

[utee94]

Can't argue with any of those.  Gonna be some fun games this year!

[CatsbyAZ]

Klatt believes USC winning this game would be big for the Big Ten, changing the perception of the conference in terms of the number of teams making the College Football Playoff. The same can be said about LSU due to the marquee nonconference win and a favorable home game schedule.

Thinking LSU pulls away after a defensive standoff in the first half. Both offenses are unproven but LSU has the overall talent advantage and more a killer instinct.

On another note:


https://twitter.com/PeteFiutak/status/1798557657131061445

[FearlessF]

so, 11 or more?

[OrangeAfroMan]

Joel Klatt lists 10 college football games that will shape the 2024 season

https://www.on3.com/news/joel-klatt-lists-10-college-football-games-that-will-shape-the-2024-season/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2O8U5kH8HX5KC7ieUENQ64k3rvpEMEvAhNLWVvZnQeXxNRHTjwD1S8euk_aem_AeZUUh8mU6MXp0DHmXqknEMJ5kqNCMNnA_s80TI6DxmfuPL9DCNNEwPkzMQeVOXqy8ieG8PVBUofnXeGaO4jig5Z

Sorry OAM, not sorry

“I think USC and LSU are pretty similarly positioned within their conferences,” Klatt said. “Which is, a bit of an unknown. We believe in their coaches… We believe in their locations… And yet, we still don’t know in the new iteration of these conferences — where are they going to be at?”

Klatt believes USC winning this game would be big for the Big Ten, changing the perception of the conference in terms of the number of teams making the College Football Playoff. The same can be said about LSU due to the marquee nonconference win and a favorable home game schedule.

No earthly clue as to why I'm involved in this.  I don't care if LSU beats USC.  It's just interesting that one wants to play it and the other doesn't.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

Thinking LSU pulls away after a defensive standoff in the first half. Both offenses are unproven but LSU has the overall talent advantage and more a killer instinct.

Would you say LSU has the eye of the tiger?

[OrangeAfroMan]

so, 11 or more?

10.5 or more, dummy.  

[FearlessF]

gotcha

[CatsbyAZ]

More on USC: Three of SC’s biggest offseason storylines – from Fansided:

1. New QB: Will QB Miller Moss continue Lincoln Riley’s long line of championship level quarterbacking? “We already know Moss can run Riley's system. We all saw it in the Holiday Bowl against a solid Louisville defense. He threw six touchdowns in the first look USC fans have gotten of him with the first team offense. One performance doesn't prove a quarterback is capable of keeping his head game-in-game-out, play-in-play-out. And as fun as the Holiday Bowl was, it was an ultimately meaningless game. Taking on LSU, Penn State and Notre Dame is a whole other ask.”

Moss’s 6 TD showing Vs Louisville was widely praised – his stats were great – however, he tossed numerous weak floaters, especially early on. Look for USC’s tougher opponents to bait Moss into passing mistakes.

2. Defense: How much will SC’s defense improve under former UCLA DC D'Anton Lynn? It’s a guarantee that SC’s defense will be better because it can’t be any worse than last year, ranking as low as 118th nationally in scoring and 116th in total yards. Meanwhile, across town, Lynn had UCLA’s 2023 defense 14th in scoring and 10th in total yards – all without much NFL talent.

3. OL/DL Lines: “Is USC's talent and depth in the trenches good enough for the Big Ten? Even if the answer is yes, Riley needs an absurd amount of luck to make it through the 2024 season without any major injury issues on the offensive line because USC doesn't have a viable two-deep. The defensive line is an even bigger concern. There's practically no quality depth and there's a dearth of 300-pound bodies capable of clogging up the middle. Realistically, USC needed a full transfer portal rebuild.”


https://twitter.com/PenguinOfTroy/status/1798871104540623132

[847badgerfan]

USC will be lucky to win 6/7 this season. I only count 3 "certain" wins here.

[utee94]

No much faith in ol' Muleshoe, eh?

[847badgerfan]

Nope. 

I never thought he was "all that" in the first place.