Via Laken Litman
FOX Sports College Football Writer
INDIANAPOLIS – A year ago, CJ Stroud didn’t even get a college degree, not even named Ohio Stateis the starting midfielder.
He then went on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist, led Ohio State to the Rose Bowl and was in charge of the best offense in the country as a freshman. The Buckeyes were ranked number 1 for total fouls (561.5 yards per game) and fouls (45.7 PPG) last year, and Stroud edged past 4,435 yards with 44 touchdowns 6 interceptions. He placed second nationally in passerby efficiency ratings (186.6) and broke 17 of the show’s records.
However, because fall camp will begin next week, Stroud said he doesn’t really think he made it last year.
“I don’t think I’ve done much,” he said this week at Big Ten media day. “I feel like I’ve barely reached my potential. I feel like I could do so much more… There’s always room for improvement. I look into it. brave cat and your thinking. He comes back every year with something to prove that he has to do better.
“And I respect that because, I mean, it’s a fight. It’s a challenge every day. It’s not easy to do. It’s not easy to stand up. People pat you for things. simple, things I have to do – which I appreciate, but I don’t need. I don’t pat myself on the back. I think I’m my biggest critic.”
CJ Stroud Will Win Heisman, And Jack Sawyer Will Have A Breakthrough Year
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Stroud, just 20 years old, was very laid back and relaxed in his early days in media. He talked to reporters for an hour, joking about NCAA Football video game ratings and talk about his passion for cooking. His mother taught him how to cook when he was young and he loves to prepare soul food dinners for his teammates at least once a week. His favorite menu features mac ‘n’ cheese, fried chicken, and waffles.
While Stroud’s statement about not achieving much last year raised many follow-up questions – almost “What’s in that mac ‘n’ cheese recipe?” – Coach Ryan Day said he was not surprised by such comments.
“That’s his way,” Day said. “He’s very motivated. He wants it really badly. He’s very competitive, but he’s a very good leader. I think during the off-season he realized that it’s going to make a difference. everyone [to win], and that comes with maturity. And he did an excellent job of that.
“But to say he accomplished nothing last year – that’s not accurate. But that’s his approach, and I think that’s what makes him great. And I respect that. That’s about him. He’s done a lot of great things in the last year, but I think he’s got the best football is ahead of him.”
Stroud later explained that he didn’t feel the need to prove anything. But he wants to show more of what he can do, such as running, mainly because friends at home have given him a hard time rushing about -20 yards into the season. before. He also mentioned improving his game management skills.
Even so, Day said Stroud has “really got the edge” this season and has become even more of a team leader.
Day said: “He always had a say. “Once you go out on the pitch and show confidence that you can do it, you walk a little bit differently, and people see you through a different lens. I think so.
“I think when you’re young, and you go into a season, and you’re not playing, you’re just trying to figure out how to get that first pass, to get that first win and you’re very training. being mean about your job and possibly criminal.”
Michigan’s QB Situation
Jim Harbaugh wants you to join his mind games and question who you think will start Michigan in Week 1 against Colorado State.
Last year, Cade McNamara led Michigan to victory over Ohio State, a Big Ten title, and college football knockout. But he enters his senior season with mounting pressure on why he should keep his job. That’s because second year JJ McCarthyA promising five-star alumnus recovering from a shoulder injury, was once thought by many to surpass McNamara as a full-time freshman, but that didn’t happen.
While he may have been irritated by the constant questioning and the fact that he has yet to officially finalize his position, McNamara has expertly answered questions on the topic at the end of the day. the media.
“I think no matter what position you are in, if you become complacent, you become vulnerable,” he said. “I think this whole, whole situation has really helped me understand that I’m no longer complacent about my situation and my position on the depth chart. comfortable midfield.”
Meanwhile, Harbaugh makes things even more confusing.
“Cade McNamara is going to be really tough to beat for the starting quarterback,” he said. “JJ McCarthy will be really hard to beat for the starting midfield job.”
This prompted further questions about how McNamara had responded to entering fall camp without being told he was the starter.
“Who said he didn’t come in at the start of fall camp?” Harbaugh said. “I’m not saying he wasn’t an initiator.”
So is he?
“Yes, Cade is the starting quarterback,” said Harbaugh. “When we’re in line, first practice, he’ll be with the first team. Now, finally through training camp, JJ will have the same opportunity as Cade. Both will get tons of reps. , and it will be time for them to have that competition and determine who is the starting midfielder for the first game.”
Harbaugh hopes the quarterback battle will be “competitive, not antagonistic” and lays out criteria that will determine who wins. This includes which midfielder can lead the team into the bottom zone. Harbaugh has noted multiple times that McNamara did this on more than 50% of his drives last season.
His interest in football and first leg restrictions, playability and who performs best in passing games are also things he is testing.
“Get the balls out there on August 3, and they’ll get there,” Harbaugh said.
Has Michigan been looked down upon after winning the Big Ten?
RJ Young discusses the Michigan Wolverines as they prepare to attempt a repeat as the Big Ten Champions.
What will the college football round look like?
Perhaps the extended talk in college football will never end.
The topic, as it relates to conference reorganization and the College Football League, has been at the center of every splendid media conference day this month. This includes the Big Ten, which participated in Pac-12 and ACC last year when voting against the 12-team model after months of discussions. Now in the context of becoming even stronger with the addition USC and UCLA in 2024, commissioner Kevin Warren is more optimistic.
“I am 100% in favor of expanding the College Football Playoff,” Warren said. “What’s the right number? We’ll find out. I’m confident we’ll tackle the expansion of the College Rugby Round.”
The current four-team format ends when the CFP agreement expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, meaning plenty of time for the commissioners to come up with a new plan. Various ideas were launched, including proposals from groups of 12 and 16.
Of course, the latter offers more access, more games, and more money. SECOND Commissioner Greg Sankey told ESPN at media conference days last week that “he’s heard growing talk about 16 teams becoming a talking point.”
Although, like Northwest Coach Pat Fitzgerald points out that it’s difficult to have any real playoff expansion discussions if you don’t know what the conferences are going to be like.
“If we have Power 5, we can do it that way, but if we have Power 4, Power 3 or Power 2, that changes the game,” he said. “I won’t comment until I know what landscape we’re talking about. So let’s figure it out, so we can move on.
“I’m so glad we’re participating in this conference.”
That last bit was the sentiment shared by most of this week’s Big Ten coaches, who joked about how happy they were to be at the conference at a time like this.
Warren wants the Big Ten to lead in all aspects of change in college athletics. He wants his conference to “transform and transform.” And he wants to make decisions, “when we look back 30 years from now, people will say that the Big Ten Conference was ahead of the curve in making these decisions.”
An early example is that once USC and UCLA are members, the Big Ten will be available from coast to coast and in the country’s three largest markets: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
“You’ll wake up watching Big Ten football and go to bed watching Big Ten football,” Fitzgerald joked.
Warren vowed to be bold and fierce when it came to the many issues facing college sports, including realignment and expansion. Can the Big Ten add more schools? He said those kinds of potential moves and future decisions “will be made for the right reasons at the right time.”
Warren added: “It is important for all of us in business to recognize that we are in a time of change. “I think there are two types of people in the world: They see change as a problem, or they see change as an opportunity. I’m one of those people where when change happens, I get excited. an opportunity. opportunity for us to do a lot of the things that people have thought of but can be a little tight-lipped about doing.
“So I’m embracing change.”
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball, and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously competed in college football, college basketball, the United States women’s national soccer team, and the Olympics at Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and The Indianapolis Star. Her first book, written in partnership with Rizzoli and Sports Illustrated and titled “Strong Like a Woman,” was published in spring 2022, marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
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