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Upset favourite Oakland could have been eradicated from March Insanity, however different upsets are occurring in our CFB stadium debate …
CFB’s Finest Stadium
Nice bracket debate
We’re getting nearer to naming the very best stadium in school soccer, in accordance with you, our readers. Right here’s what you may have been voting on for the previous week and the place we stand after the Candy 16 vote.
No. 5 Jordan-Hare Stadium edged No. 2 Bryant-Denny Stadium within the state of Alabama’s SEC stadium vote.
Congrats to the Tigers, who will go on to face top-seeded Neyland within the Elite Eight.
Listed below are among the attention-grabbing Candy 16 outcomes (with winners in daring):
No. 1 Michigan Stadium (68.6 p.c) vs. No. 2 Ohio Stadium (31.4 p.c). For the entire backlash The Large Home will get in voters’ responses — “an enormous gap within the floor,” the fan experiences makes you are feeling “like a sardine” — Michigan Stadium tied Penn State’s Beaver Stadium for the biggest margin of victory in Spherical 2: No. 2 Beaver Stadium (68.4 p.c) vs. No. 5 Lane Stadium (31.6 p.c).
No. 1 Rose Bowl (58.4 p.c) vs. No. 3 Husky Stadium (41.6 p.c). A few of you may have caught on to the bracket’s most attention-grabbing debate! As one voter stated: “The Rose Bowl isn’t the Rose Bowl until it’s the ‘Rose Bowl!’” For consistency, seeding was solely based mostly on capability, however I used to be curious how voters would consider the Rose Bowl in opposition to the voting standards (game-day environment, tailgate scene, nosiest, finest identify/nickname). Does a New 12 months’s Day sport day outweigh lackluster fall Saturdays? True match champions solely can depend on their strongest participant for thus lengthy down the stretch. And, for the report, sailgating at Husky Stadium ought to have given it some further factors within the tailgate class.
No. 1 Kyle Subject (68 p.c) vs. No. 3 Darrell Ok Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (32 p.c). Texas A&M claims the Lone Star State rivalry.
No. 2 Tiger Stadium (63.5 p.c) vs. No. 5 Memorial Stadium (36.5 p.c). Some voters stated they gave the sting to Nebraska for the loyalty of its fan base, however LSU’s Dying Valley has been a favourite to win all of it since Spherical 1.
Elite Eight bracket
Right here’s a have a look at the groups shifting on.
Most intriguing matchup:
No. 1 Michigan Stadium vs. No. 2 Beaver Stadium. I’m intrigued to see which of the nation’s two largest stadiums survives within the Northeast area.
Vote for the Elite 8 right here. The outcomes might be revealed on Thursday.
Breaking the Curse
Which Large 12 staff will win a nationwide title first?
The Large 12 is the one energy convention and not using a nationwide champion within the CFP period (now that the Pac-12 isn’t an influence convention anymore). Even earlier than then, the final college from the Large 12’s 2024 lineup to say a title was Colorado in 1990 — which the Buffaloes cut up with Georgia Tech.
So, which staff will break the 34-year drought? The talk continues on as we speak’s Till Saturday podcast, which begins by breaking the Large 12 into three tiers of success. Right here’s a have a look at these tiers and which staff I consider has the very best probability of successful a nationwide title from each (and sure, these are lengthy pictures within the second and third tiers).
Tier 1: Applications with tangible success, whose home windows are open (or near it now) and have demonstrated sustainability: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have the very best successful share of the Large 12’s 2024 lineup within the final 10 years (68.3), have eight 10-plus-win seasons since 2010 and have spent extra weeks within the AP Prime 25 than another Large 12 program (growth included) since 2000. Coach Mike Gundy doesn’t seem like he’s going wherever both. Utah is one other common choose on this tier.
Tier 2: Some historic success however inconsistent and their home windows are open, even when barely: Kansas. No, the Jayhawks aren’t there but, however I’m siding with Lance Leipold. He simply signed a $7 million contract and has issues rolling in Lawrence. Baylor is a contender, however a 9-16 report the previous two seasons doesn’t encourage me a lot.
Tier 3: Lack of confirmed, constant success, recruiting questions, not within the aggressive window: Houston. The podcast crew is excessive on Houston’s recruiting potential though the Coogs have the second-lowest recruiting common within the final 10 years amongst Large 12 faculties. However Houston is coming off its first season within the convention, and there’s an opportunity the transfer will assist the varsity dial into its talent-rich space in years to come back.
USC’s Large Weekend
Trojans bolster 2025 class
USC picked up 5 commitments — all on protection — on Sunday, together with five-star DL Justus Terry. I introduced in USC author Antonio Morales, who wrote in regards to the Trojans’ huge day, to study a bit extra about what this implies for this system.
Of the 5 commitments USC landed on Sunday, which one stands as the most important difference-maker?
For my part, Justus Terry is the most important difference-maker as a result of there’s only a shortage of gamers like him out West. He’s 6-foot-5, 275 kilos and the kind of inside defensive position expertise that USC desperately wants however hasn’t landed a lot of these days. So I believe he was probably the most vital dedication, which may even make him probably the most difficult to carry on to.
How a lot have employees modifications, significantly on protection, impacted USC’s recruiting this cycle?
The defensive employees modifications have had a substantial influence. There merely wasn’t a ton of buy-in from a recruit’s perspective into former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. There have been questions on how this new employees will recruit however new defensive position coach Eric Henderson was anticipated so as to add an actual increase on the recruiting path and after touchdown commitments from Terry and top-100 prospect Isaiah Gibson, that’s performed out as anticipated.
It’s nonetheless early, however how would you grade USC’s recruiting efforts within the 2025 class so far?
It’s loopy how a lot a weekend can change issues. It wouldn’t have been a very good grade on Friday however I’ll put them at an A- for now. The category is small, solely 5 commits, however 4 of the 5 commits are top-100 gamers nationally. To place it excessive, USC must maintain on to all these gamers and land some high-level offensive linemen, which it’s struggled to do for about six or seven years now.
Fast Snaps
The newest from Colorado coach Deion Sanders: Coach Prime says NFL groups can count on his son QB Shedeur Sanders and teammate Travis Hunter to navigate their approach out of being drafted into dangerous conditions in subsequent 12 months’s NFL Draft.
And on this 12 months’s draft, Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles is getting good suggestions on QB Caleb Williams.
Georgia RB Trevor Etienne was arrested on prices of DUI, reckless driving and two different misdemeanors throughout the weekend.
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(Prime photograph: Michael Chang / Getty Photos)
