About this episode
Alex, Richard, and Rodger Sherman preview the Big Ten for 2025. This nearly two-hour episode runs through all 18 teams, in this order: * Penn State faces “semifinals or bust” season * Ohio State should step back, but how much can a team step back when it has Jeremiah Smith on one side of the ball and Caleb Downs on the other? * Oregon has a few question marks but all the talent in the world * Iowa has Rodger thinking about a darkhorse playoff run * USC beefs up and has a QB that you could look at in one of two ways * Michigan’s season is “found money,” but how much cash is in there? * Wisconsin starts to get back to being Wisconsin * Minnesota has a great running back, an optimistic QB, and … ? * Indiana is poised to avoid a cliff after last year’s breakout * Michigan State has an intriguing passing game. Will it be good ? * Illinois, with a light schedule and a heavy defensive front, has a playoff shot * Nebraska figures out offensive line and maybe receiver, leaving a world of possibility in Dylan Raiola’s second season * UCLA has a famous QB and a whole lot of questions (including that QB) * Maryland is still Maryland, but it might have its QB of the future * Washington could be the league’s hardest team to make sense of either way * Northwestern will probably be bad, but it’s a left tackle development hub now * Purdue has a good running back and, well, not much else * Rutgers continues to play Schianoball, and it’s working fine After going through each team, the group awards preseason honors: The Split Zone Duo Dude of the Year, the Low-Key Cool Game of the Year, and the Coach Who’s Not Gonna Be Here Next Year Award. Producer: Anthony Vito. Thank you to our subscribers and partners Become a paid subscriber today to get a lot more SZD, and check out www.nokiantyres.com/szd and www.homefieldapparel.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.splitzoneduo.com/subscribe