He's got to take care of the football

Devlin Hodges will start the regular-season finale for the Steelers with a playoff berth on the line. It will be Hodges’ fifth consecutive start, but he likely wouldn’t be in the lineup if not for a shoulder injury that ended Mason Rudolph‘s season.

The Steelers benched Hodges on Sunday.

Hodges has thrown interceptions on four of his past five possessions over two games, according to Chris Adamski of triblive.com. Six of Hodges’ eight interceptions this season have come over the past six quarters he’s played.

“Does it matter?” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, via Adamski, when asked whether the interceptions were poor decisions or bad throws. ““You know, seriously, we’ve got to take care of the football. You can make a bad decision – but [with] a ridiculous, awesome throw, it’s irrelevant. You know what I mean? So I mean that in all sincerity – we’ve got take care of the football, and some of that minutiae is less important about intentions relative to performance.”

Hodges has one touchdown, six interceptions and a 41.7 passer rating in his past two games. He threw only two interceptions in his first five NFL appearances, including three starts.

“There’s nothing wrong with his preparation; there’s nothing wrong with his approach and his attitude and things of that nature,” Tomlin said. “But [whether he’ll perform better] won’t get answered until we get into the stadium. I can trick myself in terms of seeking comfort and looking for clues and things of that nature, [but] we are not in that world.”

Big shoes to fill in college football's top 10

College football’s talent turnover rate is part of what makes every fall so exciting. As one wave of superstars moves forward in life, new players, coaches and position groups are waiting to be the next one to shine.

Significant pieces of every College Football Playoff contender must be replaced from top-five NFL Draft picks to Heisman finalists to First-Team All-Americans.

Some players may be impossible to replace, but it will not be because of lack of effort. Using the latest CBS Sports top 25 power rankings, we examine some of the people or units tasked with replacing the impact faces of the 2018 football season.

10. Oregon, WR Juwan Johnson  — You could make an argument for new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos after the Ducks lost Jim Leavitt. But an elite quarterback like Justin Herbert needs his weapons, and it will not be easy to replace a single-season record breaker like Dillon Mitchell. Many fans hope to see Penn State’s grad transfer assume that mantle as a top target. The spring game was a step in the right direction. Mycah Pittman is certainly a freshman to watch while slot Jaylon Redd is the returning leading receiver.

9. Michigan, LB Josh Ross  — One does not simply replace the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, especially one the caliber of Devin Bush. While there seem to be solid edge rushers coming up to replace other NFL talents, Bush will be the toughest to replace. Ross started in Bush’s place in the bowl game against Florida. He appears poised to take over the MIKE linebacker role after 54 tackles and 5.5 TFLs last season. Jordan Anthony has also made noise while Ross sat out spring with an injury.

“Ross is the smartest linebacker, but Jordan Anthony has excelled in his absence,” said defensive coordinator Don Brown. “He’s barely missed any time and has played well.”

8. Texas, Second Receiver — Heisman hopeful Sam Ehlinger still has a proven weapon in Collin Johnson, but counterpart Lil’Jordan Humphrey is gone after a 1,200-yard, 10-touchdown season. Humphrey lined up primarily as an H-receiver. Now vacant, Joshua Moore, Jordan Pouncey or other freshmen could enter the mix.

And time will tell when it comes to five-star Bru McCoy, his eligibility waiver and role within the team. He will make an instant impact if the waiver works out as Longhorn fans hope. After Sam Ehlinger led the Longhorns to a Sugar Bowl win, expectations are even higher.

7. Florida, Buck end Jonathan Greenard — Florida has some work to do in developing an offensive line after the departure of four starters, including both tackles. Edge rusher looks like the single-toughest role to replace from last season, however, after a farewell to Jachai Polite. Enter graduate transfer Jonathan Greenard of Louisville. He missed 2018 with a hand injury and with the coaching change at Louisville, he made the move. Greenard excelled  in 2017 with 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham originally recruited Greenard to Louisville, and is now his position coach at Florida as well. Keep an eye on the likes of Andrew Chatfield, Jeremiah Moon (when healthy), early enrollee Mohamoud Diabate and prized late addition Khris Bogle, too.

6. Ohio State, QB Justin Fields  — Not only did Dwayne Haskins lead Ohio State to a Big Ten Championship in his only season as a starting quarterback, but the new Washington Redskin also threw 50 touchdown passes on the way to a Heisman Trophy third-place finish. Fields is far from a sure thing to carry the full weight, but he has all of the skills and an elite group of offensive minds to get him there. After ranking as the No. 2 overall recruit behind Trevor Lawrence a year ago, Fields got his fresh start at Ohio State and a waiver to play right away. Following JT Barrett and Haskins is no easy ask.

5. LSU, LB Patrick Queen — Devin White was an absolute star for LSU at linebacker, and he will do the same at the NFL level. Now, it is Patrick Queen’s turn to take over full time. Queen saw plenty of action last season, especially against Alabama with the targeting situation. He made nine tackles in that battle with the Crimson Tide, and did the same  in the Fiesta Bowl against UCF. Does Dave Aranda have another star in the making at linebacker? Time to find out.

4. Oklahoma, the offensive line

Sure, Jalen Hurts has massive shoes to fill as Oklahoma looks for a third-straight Heisman Trophy winner. Those shoes may be impossible to fill with the history we saw on the field last season. While Kyler Murray earned the majority of national hype last year, Oklahoma’s offensive line was also outrageously talented. That will be tough to replicate for the Sooners in search of another College Football Playoff berth.

“There’s bound to be an adjustment period early on in the season, but once Bill Bedenbaugh’s group gels, it’ll be a force to be reckoned with yet again,” writes OU Insider. “(Creed) Humphrey is an early All-American candidate, and he’ll be surrounded by a pair of new guards and two new tackles.”

3. Georgia, DB Tyson Campbell

Tyson Campbell has the higher expectations of the projected starting corners. He and Eric Stokes will have to be elite in lieu of Deandre Baker, who was a true star at the position. Early tests are coming with Ian Book, Jarrett Guarantano and Jake Bentley all on the first half of the schedule. He could be one of the true breakout stars in the SEC.

“Both Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell started multiple games opposite of Baker in 2019, and they are the favorites to win the two starting jobs this year,” said Dawgs247 reporter Jake Rowe. “We got a look at what that might look like in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Texas and both players held their own. Keep an eye on JUCO transfer DJ Daniel, who will push both of those players throughout preseason camp and is quite similar to Baker physically."

2. Alabama, DT DJ Dale

Alabama has weapons ready and waiting for most of its NFL departures but is Quinnen Williams really the kind of defensive force that can be replaced? We will find out soon with the expectation that DJ Dale moves into the role in some capacity. He will not have the same responsibilities as Williams, but projects to start next to Raekwon Williams for now. Dale worked with the ones by the end of camp, and the freshman should have quite the impact.

“Early enrollee D.J. Dale was the talk of spring drills after ascending to the top of the depth chart at nose tackle by the close of spring drills,” said BamaOnline Senior Analyst Travis Reier. “His jersey number and powerful build brings to mind Daron Payne, but few expected him to pass up Phidarian Mathis as quickly as Dale did — I still wouldn’t count Mathis out of the competition. They’re going to need both.”

1. Clemson, Four new DL starters

The major players are all back offensively from breakout quarterback superstar Trevor Lawrence to dynamic skill players like Travis Etienne, Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney cannot say the same about his championship-winning defensive line, however. All four starters moved onto the NFL Draft as 2019 selections, highlighted by Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall.

Now, it comes down to a new rotation of players to pick up the slack. Clemson ranked fifth nationally in total defense last season. Plenty of excitement surrounded Xavier Thomas to rush the passer in place of Ferrell. Jordan Williams, Nyles Pinckney and Tyler Davis are all among the linemen to watch in 2019.

New contact rules for high school football practice get mixed reactions

Adjustments to the high school football playoff format are not the only changes coming to the sport in the near future. According to a Wednesday release from the Michigan High School Athletic Association, further restrictions on collision in practice are being implemented immediately for the 2019 football season.

According to the release, the MHSAA is limiting programs to “no more than six hours of full-pads collision contact per week during the preseason and no more than 30 minutes of collision contact during a week of in-season (after games begin) practice.” The MHSAA defines “collision” as “contact at game speed, with the execution of full tackles at a competitive pace, taking players to the ground.”

The MHSAA also specified that “thud” contact will be unlimited, defining thud as "full speed but above the waist only, with no player taken to the ground and no winner or loser. Thud contact is not considered collision contact.”

According to Chippewa Valley coach Scott Merchant, these new definitions will allow teams to do more despite the new restrictions on collisions.

“I’m really pleased that they made a differentiation between live-collision contact and thud,” Merchant said. “I think for most of us, very few of us are doing a ton of live or full collision or full-go in practice as it is. Prior to this changing of definitions, basically thud contact was considered collision too ... I think that, with this change, it will allow us to do a lot more in terms of tackling and keeping the head out of tackling and teaching proper form with that.”

Chippewa Valley won the Division 1 state championship last fall and Merchant says he already includes three different types of contact in practices. Along with thud and live collision, Merchant has “tag-off” contact where the players tag the opponent and then stop.

“If anyone is doing live contact for hours upon hours in this day and age, that’s just crazy,” Merchant said.

Detroit Cass Tech coach Tom Wilcher said the MHSAA is moving in the right direction with this new rule. However, he also has some concern when it comes to quality instruction time on how to properly teach athletes to tackle in a game, especially with those new to the sport.

“In order to teach safety, you’re going to have to have drills where you teach them how to hit and tackle and you’re going to spend more time with it," Wilcher said. "That’s the problem. It’s called time on task. If you limit the amount of time on a task, that means that you are limiting the amount of instruction time to teach the kids. That’s the biggest problem I have.”

Clarkston coach Kevin Richardson echoed the same concerns that Wilcher brought up.

“The thing that I hesitate on about this whole thing is that drills are great but you have to have some live contact to teach tackling,” Richardson said.

At the same time, Richardson also mentioned the MHSAA does not have an efficient way to police the collision rules.

“People are still going to do what they want to do,” Richardson said. “How are they going to monitor it? I mean, you take care of your kids anyway. Our amount of contact has dwindled so much from the old days that it’s unbelievable."

According to Freeland coach Kevin Townsend, the lack of proper live collision in practice could have a negative ripple effect for game nights.

“My only worry of the ‘thud’ is kids losing the technique of tackling,” Townsend said. “We do simulation drills, but nothing can replace what a tackle might be like on Friday nights. It will obviously cut down on injuries during practice, but might increase them when kids go full out on game days."

Over at Muskegon High School, however, the Big Reds already eliminated full-speed tackling from practice. According to Muskegon offensive coordinator Brent White, it has not come at the expense of proper tackling in games. In fact, White thinks the new rule will allow for better instruction.

“Essentially, the way that I interpret the rule is the state has actually loosened the practice rules a bit in allowing more team activity, more opportunity to teach kids how to tackle in a safe environment,” White said. “I don’t know how many teams full tackle in practice. I know that the majority of coaches I know and associate with ... none of us full-speed tackled around in practice. It’s just not a very safe practice. It’s not safe so we don’t do it.”

For some coaches, it will be a wait-and-see approach to see what kind of difference the new rules make.

College football schedules with fans in mind

All around the country at Power Five schools, most athletic directors have been working the phones for the future.

The ADs have been trying to line up other Power Five schools rather than put colorful icing on the usual cupcakes.

The reasons are twofold — 1. attendance is down and the competition has never been more intense for the entertainment dollar, and, 2. The College Football Playoffs could one day expand to six or eight and they are trying to put themselves in position to have an edge in strength of schedule.

Mostly, though, it’s the former rather than the latter.

“Some years it could help, some years it could hurt,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “It’s a moving target. You don’t know how good the teams will be 10 years from now.”

For example, Florida just announced a home-and-home with Colorado in 2028 and 2029 earlier in the week, then Friday announced a two-game series against Texas the following two years.

Schools are reaching 10 years into the future and beyond trying to stack schedules to make their home season-ticket packages more seductive.

“More than anything, we’re looking to provide value to the season ticket holders,” Stricklin said.

For example, the Rocky Mountain High of bringing Colorado to Gainesville is made even more valuable because the trip to Boulder, Colo., can be seen as a destination trip for Gator fans.

Stricklin isn’t finished, but these two series are certainly a departure from the norm. Even with the annual game against FSU on the schedule, it’s not enough just to play the SEC schedule, especially in the years where there are only three conference home games because of the Florida-Georgia game.

Florida knows that it can’t stick with the old formula anymore — eight SEC games, FSU and three money games. Too many fans have too many options than to simply show up because the Gators are playing.

While UF continues to work to make the stadium better and sleeker with capacity expected to eventually drop by as much as 10,000 seats, all of the schools in America know they have to schedule better because of what has become an annual decline in ticket sales and an even sharper decline in the number of scanned tickets.

Florida has had a pair of money games — Michigan in 2017 and Miami coming up this year — and Stricklin is OK with more of those games. But he prefers home-and-home series with Power Five teams.

Up the road, Georgia has taken it even further.

The Bulldogs have scheduled three Power Five teams in addition to the eight conference games in 2028 and 2029 and have non-conference series on the books with Oregon, Clemson, Florida State, Texas and Oklahoma.

“It’s both,” said Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity. “We went to Notre Dame in 2017 and saw what that meant for our fans. They want to see big games and we get that. It’s important for the health of our game that we’re giving TV as many iconic opponents as we can.

“We’ve become very aggressive. Kirby Smart really wants to play at least two (Power Five) a year because of where the College Football Playoffs may be headed. Maybe eight teams by the next decade.”

This despite the insistence of the Power Five commissioners that there is no discussion about expanding the playoffs.

But we know where we’d like to see it go, right?

It’s not that the Power Five teams want to squeeze out everybody else.

It’s that they have no choice.

We live in a different world of transfer portals and Snapchat.

You either evolve or you get left behind. And in this case, the evolution benefits the fans.

That in itself is unusual.

Searching for transfers in college football

Justin Crouse, director of player personnel for Memphis, makes his first check of the transfer portal around 8 a.m. each day, searching for new names in the NCAA’s database of football players looking for a new school.

He checks again at lunch and one more time — at least — before he calls it a day.

For years, Crouse’s primary duties for Memphis have been identifying and evaluating recruits in high school and junior college. That was pre-portal.

“I would say 40 percent of the time now is concentrating on guys that are leaving other places,” Crouse said.

The NCAA’s new transfer rules have changed the process by which athletes switch schools, loosening some restrictions and leading more players to explore options. Football coaches have responded by throwing more manpower toward monitoring that growing talent pool and scouting the portal.

“We get an alert every day that somebody gets added into the portal, but then we get a weekly breakdown of position, hometown,” Memphis coach Mike Norvell said. “And then trying to collect all the information, the video, to get a sense of who these kids have developed to be.”

The portal is the NCAA’s cryptic name for the database it maintains to track which athletes — in all sports — have notified their schools they wish to transfer. The big change from last year’s rules reform was athletes no longer needed to request permission to transfer. Schools and coaches can no longer stop a transfer and dictate where the athlete goes. The point of the portal was to create transparency and order.

Before rules reform, the transfer process could be clandestine. Because athletes needed permission from their current coach to be contacted by other schools, it encouraged third parties to get involved, an active grapevine filled with high school and 7-on-7 coaches, personal trainers, parents and friends of friends.

“Before it was by word of mouth,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said. “Somebody gave you a call, ‘This guy might be transferring,’ and get going. Now, it’s every day we have people that are in our program checking the portal.”

The portal provides more exposure for the transferring player and, ostensibly, more opportunities. Instead of deals being struck under the table even before players officially were granted their release, now every school in the country has the chance to make a pitch.

“It takes away … the middleman in making the connection,” Norvell said.

Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins said: “I think it’s beneficial for the players.”

Portal patrol duties tend to fall to the player personnel department — or some equivalent.

Crouse said he prioritizes players from Memphis’ recruiting area and those who play positions of team need. All highly productive players and quarterbacks get a look, too. Crouse compiles background material and film, going back to high school, using services such as Hudl and Pro Football Focus. He then sends that information to the Memphis coaches sorting by position, recruiting area and previous relationships.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart compared working the portal to NFL teams having a portion of their scouting department dedicated to veteran free agents.

“We just happen to have a larger pool (of players), which is the portal,” Smart said. “We know most of the guys on the board because we knew them coming out of high school and so we had a background on that. We said, ‘yeah, we didn’t think that guy was very good there and that’s why he’s leaving. So we’ll pass. That guy is an intriguing guy because we don’t have that position or we just had a mass exodus of three guys leave some position, juniors came out early we weren’t expecting. Better go to the portal, find a good backup.'”

The portal has opened up the process, but ultimately relationships built during high school recruiting still play a major role.

Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said he wants his staff to keep track of players who really liked Oregon coming out of high school but chose to sign elsewhere.

“This is one we may want to keep on a hot file,” Cristobal said. “So if it does happen, then you have the option to act relatively quickly.”

Staffers are on the lookout not just for talent, but fit — on the field and off.

“He went to this college, but he’s from here. Yeah, that raises attention regardless of position,” Collins said. “He’s leaving because he wants to be closer to home. Well, if his home is Dallas then don’t worry, we’re good.”

Background checks might be the most important part of portal scouting. Why exactly is the player leaving?

“There’s always a story,” Norvell said.

It’s those stories that have made some coaches stick to an old-school approach to pursuing transfers.

Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said if the Panthers bring in a transfer he prefers it to be a player with which the staff is already familiar.

“But you know we do look at (the portal), but like I said I don’t think you want to build your football program with a bunch of guys that have already quit somewhere,” Elliott said.

And that grapevine is still plenty active.

“I think everyone’s just kind of waiting for that bulletin to pop up,” Cristobal said. “But I think everyone speculates as well.”

10 bold predictions for college football season

Could we see a first time College Football Playoff participant this season? Will a non-quarterback be a serious threat in the Heisman Trophy race? Is there a chance Clemson or Alabama doesn't reach the national championship finale?

There's a lot of intrigue three months out from the start of the 2019 season, one that can't get here fast enough as we trudge through the summer months without it. Coming out of spring practice, there's a handful of teams we know will be ranked among the elites in August and a couple others with darkhorse buzz.

As for the stars expected to carry college football's momentum? The 2020 NFL Draft appears to be quarterback-rich and those guys are expected to carry their respective teams throughout the fall. But there's a few teams and individual standouts we're not talking enough about as well and perhaps this projection sheds some light on those.

Here are 10 bold predictions ahead of the 2019 college football season:

10. Highly-ranked flop? Notre Dame
Flop might be a bit harsh, but there's a chance Notre Dame — despite talent returning on both sides of the football — finishes with three regular-season losses, a number that will certainly keep the Irish well short of their expectations nationally as a preseason Top 10. Ian Book returns and should be one of the nation's top quarterbacks, but losing two captains up front — Alex Bars and Sam Mustipher — along with Dexter Williams and big-play wideout Miles Boykin means the Notre Dame offense will look a little different. Notre Dame won't be favored in road trips to Georgia or Michigan and there's several other games that could go either way on the schedule this fall, one that's tougher than last season's slate. Their efforts in getting back to the Playoff will be on life support after the September setback in Athens.

9. Nebraska reaches Big Ten title game
Perhaps the boldest prediction on the list, could the Huskers really turn the tables on a 4-8 season with a Big Ten Championship appearance? It would take a Herculean effort from sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez, but more importantly, better-than-expected play out of a defense facing questions entering the season. But there's two factors that weigh heavily on Nebraska's chances — the Huskers don't play in the black-and-blue division and face one of those rare schedules conducive to success. Scott Frost's team won't play a single Top 25 opponent on the road and their two toughest games — Ohio State and Wisconsin — come in ideal spots. They'll play the Buckeyes with budding confidence at 4-0 and battle the Badgers following an open week in November. Northwestern won this division last season and I expect it to be wide open once again.

8. Tennessee wins 9 games
It'll take a bowl victory, but the Vols will finish 9-4 during Jeremy Pruitt's second season and all will be well in Knoxville. We'll know if a better-than-expected finish for Tennessee is feasible heading into the Georgia game on Oct. 5 after a bye post-Florida. There will be extreme optimism and buzz if Pruitt's team goes into Gainesville and beats the Gators in their SEC opener after three straight victories at home. The offense should be much-improved under Jim Chaney if there's solid play up front and Tennessee likes its starting 11 on defense. Depth could be an issue with any significant injuries, but I'll roll the dice here and says the Vols only lose to Florida, Georgia, Alabama and either Mississippi State or Mizzou during the regular season.

7. Alabama places two in Heisman Top 5
The last time one team has placed two players in the final five in Heisman voting came in 2008 when Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell and wideout Michael Crabtree were voted fourth and fifth, respectively. It has only happened four times since the turn of the century, but there's a good chance it comes back around this season with Tua Tagovailoa and Jerry Jeudy. These two have a chance to be the nation's top quarterback-wideout tandem in terms of production and that comes in spite of Alabama's talent-wealth at the receiver position. Jeudy won the Biletnikoff award last season and could add more hardware to his trophy case as a junior. Both of these talented players will be first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft should they choose to come out.

6. Sam Ehlinger is Heisman finalist
More on the Heisman conversation — here's a guy with Tim Tebow-like qualities, someone who makes the players around him want to use every last ounce of energy they have to win football games. Ehlinger is one of the few players nationally with it this season, an athlete with intangibles needed to be successful at the all-important position of leadership. The straw who stirs for the drink for the Longhorns, Ehlinger might be college football's most important player respective to his team's success. Should he take the next step as a passer this season, and I expect he will after last year's rise, this bulldozing signal caller could exceed 50 total touchdowns — especially if the Texas defense takes a slight step back with several new starters. Ehlinger's numbers will be too impressive to ignore for Heisman voters not to mention his play in spotlight games.

5. Florida beats Georgia
All that preseason chatter from the Gators has increased the intrigue a bit for this one in Jacksonville and I liked Florida to back it up against the unbeaten Bulldogs. How's that for a big-time SEC upset pick? Honestly, it won't be all that surprising if both teams are inside the Top 10 when this matchup comes around in November. The Gators' schedule isn't going to do them any favors, however. Florida will come into the Cocktail Party with at least one SEC loss (Auburn, LSU, South Carolina three straight weeks pre-Georgia) and then face enormous pressure at Mizzou on Nov. 16 after beating the Bulldogs with a potential chance to clinch the East. Somehow, Florida will finish 6-2 in SEC play and miss out on a trip to Atlanta despite beating the eventual division champs. Another 10-win season for Dan Mullen, perhaps 11 if the Gators show up to their postseason with focus (like they did last fall vs. Michigan).

4. Oregon wins the Pac-12
Returning a veteran quarterback as talented as Justin Herbert can not be understated. But even with that universally-understood as a strength, if you're betting on a Pac-12 champion, chances are you're placing your wager on Chris Petersen's Washington Huskies. There's a certain trust factor there coupled with the Ducks' treacherous road slate — Stanford, Washington, USC and Arizona State. One of college football's national sleeper teams in 2019, if Oregon can rely on its defense in late-game situations, a Pac-12 championship is not out of reach. Justin Herbert's return means the Ducks will be in the thick of the conference title race if they can navigate their way through a challenging schedule. Much like Washington this fall, one of the Pac-12's top teams in 2019 won't be without a blemish or two. That elite-level 2019 signing class will pay immediate dividends for Oregon, too.

3. Michigan beats Ohio State
It's bound to happen at some point for Jim Harbaugh, right? He gets the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor this season with senior quarterback Shea Patterson finally finding his comfort zone in an offensive scheme that'll compliment his skill set. And considering 2018's massacre and the year-long aftertaste it has left in the mouths of the Wolverines, there's extra motivation in this one for Michigan to snap the streak. There's three teams in my opinion who could win the Big Ten in 2019 and the Wolverines are one of them. Keep an eye on Michigan's defense this fall. Despite losing key contributors Rashan Gary, Devin Bush and Chase Winovich, Don Brown believes this could be the most athletic unit he has fielded at the program. There's the Ryan Day factor, too. Ohio State's first-year coach will be facing immense pressure to get back to the Big Ten title game in his first season and needing this one to do so.

2. Big Ten misses Playoff
Since Ohio State's national championship commenced the Playoff era to end the 2014 season, the Big Ten has scored zero points in two final four appearances and has not been represented since the Buckeyes' 31-0 loss to Clemson in the semifinals to end the 2016 campaign. That streak will continue as Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and Nebraska beat up and each other this season in the upper tier. From the outside looking in, it's Michigan who appears to have the fewest questions but the schedule is challenging and a two-loss conference champion — whether that's the Wolverines or Buckeyes — won't be enough to impress the selection committee against the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and the Big 12 victor.

1. Clemson loses a regular-season game
One of five teams this season expected to be favored in every regular-season game (perhaps by double digits), the defending national champions should cruise to another Playoff berth without much adversity standing in their way. But no team nationally has a bigger target this fall and there's a possibility that the lack of competition on the schedule may backfire somewhere the Tigers least expect. With Clemson's over-under win total matching Alabama's at 11, beware. The Tigers needed a 13-play, 94-yard touchdown drive to earn the come-from-behind win last year vs. Syracuse at home and lost the previous time these two teams met at the Carrier Dome. That matchup comes on Sept. 14, after what could be a tough tilt vs. Texas A&M. And if the Tigers get past those two unscathed, there's two potential upsets in November away from home against rivals N.C. State and South Carolina.

5 Newcomers to Watch for the Gators

The Florida Gators have a ton of talent returning from a team that went 10-3 last year, capping things off with an impressive 41-15 victory over Michigan in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Now it seems the Gators will bring in a gifted class of newcomers to help replace some of the players they lost.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen will play the best players no matter if they're freshman or seniors. So here's a list of five new faces that need to be followed heading into the fall.

Arjei Henderson, WR

During the All-American Game in January, Henderson surprised many when he chose the Gators over Oregon and Oklahoma. He was the No. 126 prospect in the 2019 class per the 247Sports Composite Index. Expect Henderson, who was a four-star recruit, to get some reps on offense this fall.

Nay'Quan Wright, RB

As a freshman for Miami's Carol City High School, Wright ran for 983 yards and 11 touchdowns on 122 carries. He followed that up with an equally successful sophomore campaign (112 att., 810 yds., 8 TDs) and Wright figures to be a part of the Gators' stable of ball carriers for this fall.

Chris Steele, CB

A top-100 recruit per ESPN.com, Steele reached for the Florida hat at the All-American Bowl over Oregon, USC, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. An early enrollee, Steele will take part in spring practice in hopes of getting him ready to play this fall. Florida had a significant need for cornerback help so getting Steele's signature was a huge deal for the Gators. ​

Kaiir Elam, ATH

Elam was ranked 48th overall in the 2019 class by 247Sports and he was one of the highest-rated prospects who had not committed entering National Signing Day. If the name sounds familiar, it's because he is the nephew of former Gators star and first-round NFL draft pick Matt Elam. Kaiir Elam is listed as an athlete, but he will likely play defensive back.

Khris Bogle, DE

On National Signing Day, Florida flipped Bogle from Alabama, giving Dan Mullen and his coaching staff another nice W to enjoy on Feb. 6. The in-state product from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Bogle should slide right in and compete for playing time as an edge rusher. With Jachai Polite off to the NFL, Bogle will have a chance to be an impact player from Day 1.

New football rules make little impact in opening game

Can all statistics teachers please look away now, because we're about to attempt to draw meaningful conclusions from a sample size of one, and that's not something you're going to want to see? Thank you.

In the end, it was neither the game's ruination, nor the game's salvation. It was barely even a disruption.

On a miserable night in O'Moore Park, with driving rain and a biting cold wind into the bargain, the press box was a full house as the scribes and hacks came in their droves, hoping to see first-hand the dramatic changes that would be brought about by the new playing rules for Gaelic football.

Drawn up with a view to balancing the scale which has been heavily weighted in favour of possession football in recent years, whispers and mutterings from secret training sessions have swept the nation in recent weeks.

These murmurs told of teams completing three handpasses and then kicking backwards instantly, or even going to more extreme lengths, with headed passes and deliberate kicks to touch all supposedly featuring on the tactics boards of the various county teams.

That's the thing with coaches and managers these days. If you wrote a rule forbidding armed robbery, some know-it-all would be sure to find a way to strap a weapon to the chest of a man with no arms and claim that he was still following the rule.

If John Sugrue or Andy McEntee had any such tricks up their sleeve, they didn't reveal them last night.

In Sugrue's case, one suspects that he has looked into the whites of the eyes of the Standing Committee on Playing Rules, and decided that they are bluffing.

The Kerry native spoke after a game that featured precisely zero offensive marks, no contentious sideline kicks, very few short kickouts and enough space to make a kicking game relatively easy to execute, and he conceded that the new rules made very little impact on the game.

"You're looking at something that may not even necessarily be applicable by the end of January" he noted.

Suddenly, a flaw. A trial period only works if teams commit to the trial process, and Sugrue might not be the only manager who decides that he has more urgent priorities than trying to learn to work with new rules that may not even be in place for the start of the league.

Certainly the evidence on the field suggested that whatever work had been done by this Laois group, wasn't with these experimental rules in mind.

Andy McEntee on the other hand, spoke of how his Meath panel had worked to prepare for the new environment.

"It doesn't matter whether you agree with them or not, you have to abide by them. We bring it into every training session" he said of the rule changes after his side's win.

Aside from the fourteen-point gap on the scoreboard, that gap in preparation was evident in the first half. Three times Laois were penalised for a fourth consecutive handpass, while Meath rarely even put three together, and never four, for the full 35 minutes.

They used the foot pass well, but it was notable that they still did so with high-percentage kicks. They simply found more space, and kicked to free men – kicking into contests for possession close to goal was just as rare is it was in any intercounty football game played in 2018.

Moreover, the Royal County seemed to be conscious of this new paradigm on both sides of the ball, stepping off their men a fraction and offering up the short ball until the third handpass was played, and then attempting to pounce with sudden pressure to force an error - often with success.

Laois, in contrast, conceded space. Thus they conceded lateral kicks to the opposition and so rarely left Meath in a situation where boot-to-ball was the only option for the man in possession.

"Meath played with better structure, they had fellas in the right areas of the field at all times, they didn't have the packs of fellas defending and then packs attacking too much" said Sugrue.

The irony of this is that while Laois fell into the trap that the rule designers might have hoped – they used up their handpasses and often kicked long due to the lack of an alternative - Meath always left themselves with options.

Consequently, they rarely kicked long balls into the full forward line, instead spreading the play across the width of the field.

0-2 of the final Laois tally of 0-6 came from long, direct ball into the full forward line. Meath too got just two points from the same tactic, until Thomas O'Reilly's late goal when the result was already locked in, leaving them with a final yield of 1-2 from long kicking play out of their total of 3-11.

But because that option was on the table, Laois had to honour the threat, and so defenders like Ronan Ryan and Donal Keogan were able to get forward, attack holes in the defence, and deliver key scores in the first half.

There was mixed success for Gators transfers in 2018

There are always going to be those guys that don’t work out after recruiting them to a football program. Finding the best fit for both the program and the player can fail for many different reasons. When the prospect signs with your school, you want them to be that difference maker for your program.

When they transfer, most want them to do well, and that may depend on why they transferred. Here is a look at the players that Florida signed that played college football in 2018, but somewhere else. 

QB Will Grier (West Virginia)
Grier sat out the 2016 season at West Virginia after transferring from Florida. Grier was the starter all of 2017 and threw for 3,490 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Grier was the Big-12 Newcomer of the Year as voted on by the league coaches. In 2018, he started 11 games and finished with 3864 yards, 37 touchdowns and seven interceptions. At the end of the year he was a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist, a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Top 5, and a Maxwell Award finalist. Needless to say he is the most decorated player on this list and his stats are better than any quarterback Florida has had since Tim Tebow.

QB/ WR Treon Harris (Tennessee State)
Harris, who signed at Florida in the same class as Grier, moved on after a bout of trouble in Gainesville. After sitting out a year when transferring to Tennessee State, Harris played quarterback for his first year back on the field in 2017. That season he played in six games, starting the first five and went 58-of-106 for 729 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.  He was moved to receiver in this, his redshirt senior year, he finished with a solid 35 catches for 476 yards and five touchdowns in 2018.

QB Jake Allen (Dartmouth)
Allen transferred to Dartmouth in the offseason. As a redshirt freshman he saw action in two games, completing one pass for nine yards against Georgetown.

RB Jordan Cronkrite (USF)
After transferring before the 2017 season Cronkite had to sit out that year as a transfer. Cronkrite had 402 yards and four touchdowns in his first two years on campus at Florida. As a redshirt junior with the Bulls, Cronkrite ran for 1,095 yards and nine touchdowns averaging 6.33 yards per carry.

WR C.J. Worton (FIU)
After a couple of seasons of very little action (10 catches) for Worton at Florida, he transferred to FIU. As a redshirt junior, Worton led FIU in receiving hauling in 36 receptions for 620 yards and six touchdowns.

WR Kalif Jackson (Grambling State)
After graduating at the end of 2017, the seldom used Jackson transferred to Grambling. Still just a junior, Jackson saw the field in 10 games, but caught just three passes for 10 yards. He has another year to play.

TE Camrin Knight (Georgia State)
After transferring and sitting out the 2017 season ay GSU, Knight was eligible to play this season. He saw action in eight games this season catching three balls for 34 yards.

OT Andrew Mike (Rice)
Mike played in a lot of games at Florida, but most all of them on the kick protection. He did the same at Rice as a graduate transfer in his only season playing on special teams in six contests during the season.

DT Gerald Willis (Miami)
Willis transferred from Florida to Miami after the 2014 season after finding himself in different off-the-field issues on campus that weren’t law issues, but a detriment to the team. At Florida he had 14 tackles in nine games in 2014. After sitting out the 2015 season due to transfer, Willis played in nine games and had 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two pass break ups for the Hurricanes in 2016. Willis cited personal issues and sat out the 2017 season before returning for a big 2018 year. He was really playing well early this past season and finished with a really strong with 59 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, four sacks, and two passes broken up. He was voted second team All-American by Sports Illustrated and second team All-ACC by the league’s coaches following the season.

DT Richerd Desir-Jones (Coffeyville CC)
Desir-Jones came to Florida as an offensive lineman in the 2015 class. After a couple of seasons he was moved to defensive tackle. He saw action in a couple of games in 2016. Desir-Jones transferred from Florida to Coffeyville after sitting out the 2017 season as part of the credit card scandal in Gainesville. In 2018, Desir-Jones had 16 tackles in nine games.

DE Jordan Smith (Butler CC)
Smith was another caught up in the credit card issue at Florida and left after the season. In this season with the Grizzlies, Smith had a pretty big year notching 68 tackles and 11 sacks as an edge rusher in 12 games. That is the kind of production that will get him noticed to move on to a bigger school, despite his off-the-field issues.

Basic soccer drills to improve your skills

Soccer drills will help you to improve your soccer skills. Some of the drills can help your control, speed and ability to dribble the ball, and improve your agility, too. These drills will give you a boost when it comes to playing on the field. You will see yourself lasting longer on the field if you build more stamina.

* FIGURE-8 (you need two cones) This drill is used to improve your touch and stability on the ball. It improves your speed while dribbling. First put two cones about 10 feet apart. Dribble the ball around the cones while making a figure-8. As you repeat this drill, try to focus on increasing your speed each time. While going around the cone, try to take more touches and then sprint with the ball while crossing as an 8.

* LADDERS (using a flat-rung agility ladder) Ladder drills help your footwork and movement and improve your agility. There are different ways to do a ladder drill. One way is called high knees. To do high knees you stand in front of the agility ladder. Then you drive your knees up to waist-level while moving in and out of every section. As you do this drill, try to get your knees as high as possible while still maintaining balance. Try to do this as fast as you can so you can improve your footwork.

* CONE DRILL (eight cones) Put seven cones lined up about 2 to 4 feet apart and a final cone about 15 feet away from the last of the seven cones. It’s your choice on how far apart you want the cones to be. Then while moving from one side of the cones to the other, dribble in and out until you get to the seventh cone. Finally, sprint 15 feet to the eighth cone. As you do this drill, try to take more touches to control the ball as you go through the cones. When you get to the second to last cone, sprint to the last one at your top speed. Work both feet equally.

How Are Football Cleats Different From Soccer Cleats?

We all know that cleats are part of the uniform if you're a football player or a soccer player. But what you may never have thought about is that all cleats aren't created equal. Sure, both football cleats and soccer cleats are supposed to make athletes faster and more stable. But as Popular Mechanics reports, there's some "surprisingly sophisticated science" behind the design of those cleats.

Below, discover how football cleats are different from soccer cleats. And find out exactly why different players on the team wear different shoes.

Players choose their cleats based on their position on the field

Popular Mechanics notes that manufacturers can produce cleats that are specifically tailored to a player's position on the field. For instance, receivers wear different cleats than running backs and linebackers, who don't wear the same cleats as players on the offensive and defensive lines. "Soccer is similar," Popular Mechanics notes. "Attacking forwards, dynamic midfields, and steady defenders wear specific shoes."

Just as the shoes themselves feature different materials depending on their intended purpose and position, the same holds true for the actual cleats. "Thermo nylon studs are rigid but lightweight for sudden propulsion," Popular Mechanics notes. "TPU, meanwhile, offers a stable yet comfortable stud for a forgiving fit, more appropriate for a defender."  The movement and weight of players also help determine the size and style of studs.

Football cleats come in three main styles, while soccer cleats come in one

Livestrong reports that because every player on a soccer team needs agility, all soccer cleats feature a low-cut style. (That enables maneuverability at the ankle.) Football cleats, on the other hand, come in three different styles. High-tops support the entire ankle. Linemen prefer this cut because of how well it supports the continuous lateral movements needed to play the position.

Mid-cut shoes surround only a portion of the ankle. They work best for players including defensive backs, running backs, wide receivers, and quarterbacks. This cut offers support. But it also allows more maneuverability than high-tops. However, some defensive backs favor the last style, low-cut shoes, because they're lightweight to enable maximum running speed.

Soccer cleats feel lighter than football cleats

Another difference between football cleats and soccer cleats? As Livestrong reports, all soccer cleats feel lightweight, because just about everybody on the team is running continuously. They have rubber or polyurethane outsoles to make them both light and durable. The upper can be synthetic or leather. And soccer cleats don't have midsoles because they need to keep the players' feet — and center of gravity — low to the ground.

Football cleats, on the other hand, tend to have thicker outsoles and heavier construction. They come in leather and synthetic materials. While most soccer shoes have outsoles equipped with removable aluminum cleat caps, football cleats come in removable and molded varieties. Detachable cleats are made of rubber, hard plastic, or metal. And they come in a variety of lengths for use on different playing surfaces.

Football cleats have a toe stud that soccer cleats don't

AZ Central reports that football cleats typically have a feature that soccer cleats don't. Football shoes have a toe stud near the big toe, which enables players to get additional grip when they push off from a hunched position, such as a three-point stance. This toe cleat wouldn't improve traction for soccer players. Plus, it could even injure an opponent during a slide tackle.

But in either sport, the type of field can affect the kind of footwear that players choose. Some soccer cleats work specifically on hard field conditions, such as dirt or hard-packed turf. Those shoes use shorter studs that won't dig into the ground. Playing football on natural grass, on the other hand, requires a variety of lengths of studs as compared to playing on turf. Factors such as muddy fields or long grass can require even longer studs with additional traction.

Chris Del Conte suggests Texas football is on the rise

While I got ya, here are nine things and one crazy prediction:

1. Many of us among the local print jockeys have sensed a very low-key approach to the season by Tom Herman, who intimated as much Monday when he said it was “fair” to suggest Texas hasn't proven anything yet. Athletic director Chris Del Conte doesn't agree with lower expectations. “I don't see the low key,” Del Conte told me, “because I wasn't around for the high key.” Nice line, but it's been a minute since the high key. Behind closed doors, Del Conte suggests there are a lot higher expectations more than outside the football complex. “It's flat-out so exciting,” he said. “They're embracing the new kids. They see the evolution taking place. Most programs take two to three years of great recruiting classes to galvanize and have the culture take hold. Players have to believe in their coaches and their philosophy, and when they do, magical things happen. When you have a fan base that's just thirsty, last year was a successful year.” Come again? A 7-6 record was successful by whose standards? “We won a bowl game,” Del Conte said. “That's pretty awesome. That gets lost. It's you and your job to paint a picture of reality. Tom has high expectations. He has so much confidence in those boys, but at the same time you have to have a pragmatic approach, so not every week is a high or low.”

2. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit was very blunt about Texas A&M's prospects going forward. The Aggies open the season Thursday night against Northwestern State, one of three opponents that won four games each last year. But they also play seven teams that won at least nine games. “I know Kevin Sumlin is now at Arizona, but one of the things I watched with A&M was the inconsistency from an attitude standpoint,” Herbstreit said in a conference call. “They seemed to be front-runners. When things were going good, they were in a good state of mind. They could beat anybody. And then when things were going bad, boy, they seemed to head south in a hurry. So he's got to change that, Jimbo Fisher. That's something I'm sure he's tried to push them to improve on quite a bit. So we'll see where they are.” Asked the biggest difference between Sumlin and Fisher, TexAgs.com writer and former Statesman alum Olin Buchanan said, “Details, discipline, demand. Fisher doesn't recoil from expectations. He embraced them.” He adds that eight wins “seem attainable” with eight starters returning on each side of the ball. Look out for big things from freshmen receivers Jaylen Preston and Caleb Chapman and backup safety Bobby Brown.

3. Getting the sense that Major League Soccer using Texas' Royal-Memorial Stadium or Mike Myers Stadium may be a tougher deal than meets the eye, with the north end zone construction and the use of Myers for the NCAA track and field national championships in June each of the next two years and the Texas Relays and the Texas soccer team and general student parking. “We haven't unraveled any of that stuff,” Del Conte said. “None of that stuff has been vetted. It's a long row to hoe. All these things are intertwined, and we haven't unpacked any of this.”

4. Count me among the Manu Ginobili Fan Club. He may be the most professional, cooperative and selfless athlete I've ever been around for any length of time. Among my favorite pro athletes are Lance Berkman, Jeff Bagwell, Darren Woodson and David Robinson with Ginobili at the very top. What is refreshing is that Manu indicated that he's open to having a role with the Spurs this season, telling reporters, “What I made clear to Pop is that it's not ‘Ciao, I'm leaving. … If I can help from the outside, I will do it with pleasure.” How about the inside? Would love to see him on Gregg Popovich's bench.

5. No cat suits at the French Open. Pleeeeeeze. Serena Williams is cool with it because, well, she's just cool. Doesn't matter if she wears a cat suit or a trench coat and military boots and a helmet, she's still the best tennis player ever.

6. On the other side of that coin, kudos to major-league baseball for allowing players to wear uniforms with their nicknames on the back as a reminder this is entertainment. The Texas Rangers rank at the bottom in the American League West standings but near the top in catchy monickers. Love Joey “Pico de” Gallo. That's almost as good as Miami's Jarlin “The Marlin” Garcia and Derek “Last Name” Holland.

7. We held our annual fantasy football draft, which is an auction draft with a $50 budget, on Monday night, and the team of mine and son John Tyler called the Sitting Ducks are very star-heavy with precious little depth. We have some front-liners like quarterback Tom Brady, wide receiver Antonio Brown, running back Leonard Fournette, kicker Justin Tucker and the Houston Texans defense/special teams. Our draft places a real premium on trash-talking. No one does it better than fellow columnist Cedric Golden. When Ced landed running back relics Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore — all of whom are already collecting Social Security checks — I asked if he was drafting for the Old-Timers Game. “Yeah,” Ced said, “I'm drafting you next.” Sports editor Rich Tijerina, a four-time champion in our league, wowed everyone when he took three quarterbacks — Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson and Philip Rivers — for $22.20, almost half his budget, in a defensive ploy to keep them off other teams. I am not going to second-guess him.

8. Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to rugged running back Darron Norris, who chronologically speaking filled in for a suspended Eric Metcalf in the opener against BYU and then made for a very good tailback tandem. Norris, like another fellow Longhorns running back who later had great success, hailed from California and specifically Oceanside, which also produced stud defensive back Bryant Westrook known for his big hit against Notre Dame.

9. Rented “Set it Up.” Cute movie in what could be considered a romantic version of “Horrible Bosses.” Total fluff. Gave it five ducks.

10. Crazy prediction: Dez Bryant will never catch another touchdown pass in the NFL.

Maryland football is four days from season opener

Maryland will open its football season in four days, like most teams in the country. But interim head coach Matt Canada, his staff and players are preparing to face Texas on Saturday while navigating a situation without compare.

“We're helping each other,” Canada told reporters before practice Tuesday regarding program upheaval in the wake of offensive lineman Jordan McNair's death in June from heatstroke suffered during a team workout. “When somebody's having a tough day, we try to help each other out. I think everything that they've dealt with, they've done the best job they could possibly do. I think we're as ready as we can be, given the situation that we're in.”

Canada met with reporters for the second time since he took over the job on an interim basis Aug. 11, a day after reports broke alleging a toxic team culture. Canada answered — and in a couple of cases dodged — questions about separate investigations into McNair's death and the program, and about his communication with Coach DJ Durkin, who remains on administrative leave.

The only topics that did not in some way point back to the recent tragedy and ensuing controversy were about Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger and the competition between Kasim Hill and Tyrrell Pigrome to start at quarterback for the Terrapins. Canada said Tuesday that he has chosen a starter but would not say who.

“I'm glad those two quarterbacks are back. I'll say that,” Canada said of Hill and Pigrome, who suffered torn anterior cruciate ligaments three weeks apart early last season. “I'm glad they're back and healthy.”

During the period of practice that was open to the media, Hill rotated first during most quarterback drills. Pigrome, however, also had a few turns at the front of the line toward the end of the period.

The Terrapins have tried to separate their focus on the game from the loss of a teammate, Canada said, while recognizing that grief over McNair is “never going to go away and we're not asking it to go away.” The game against No. 23 Texas at FedEx Field will feature a moment of silence, and players will wear helmet stickers with McNair's No. 79.

Maryland players were not made available to comment Tuesday, and other than two instances have not been made available to reporters since the spring game more than four months ago. Offensive linemen Johnny Jordan and Ellis McKennie delivered a joint statement to reporters last week addressing how the team plans to honor McNair during the season, but they did not answer questions. The only other public comments made by players about McNair's death or the upcoming season were when Derwin Gray, Darnell Savage Jr. and Taivon Jacobs answered questions at Big Ten media days in Chicago in late July.

Maryland's preparations Tuesday stood in stark contrast to those addressed by Texas Coach Tom Herman during the Big 12 Conference's weekly teleconference. Herman responded to a more typical array of questions — how the team has looked on the practice field, handling external expectations and the importance of an opener against a Power Five opponent.

Herman said Maryland's offseason problems have had no effect on his team's preparation. During preseason camp, Herman said his staff reminded Longhorns players that “this isn't a team that thinks they can beat us. They know they can because they have,” alluding to Maryland's 51-41 upset win at Texas to open last season.

In reference to Texas's cycle of disappointing results — as well as changes in university presidents, athletic directors and head coaches — in recent years, Herman said: “Any time you have that much instability in such a short amount of time, that's not usually a recipe for success. We've got stability.”

Big Ten football is poised for a strong season while mired in offseason scandal

The on-field happenings step into the spotlight this week, at least for those inclined to partake in a form of intentional amnesia. And the usual suspects — Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, all of which but Michigan has claimed at least one Big Ten title since 2013 — are set up for strong seasons.

In a different time, maybe it would have had the potential for an, ahem, legendary season. Ultimately, though, that's a poor description of the off-field happenings likely to be most remembered about Big Ten football's 2018.

West Division

1. Wisconsin (No. 3 nationally, 13-1 in 2017): The Badgers have three great advantages, all of which make them a strong playoff contender. First, they own one of the strongest offensive identities in the country, and capable returnees at tailback (Jonathan Taylor) and quarterback (Alex Hornibrook). Two, it feels like they've been superb on defense for forever, lending a sense of invulnerability even in a year when there are significant graduation losses to replace. And three, a place in the Big Ten West.

While the Badgers' defense probably won't match last year's, it will be fine. They haven't allowed more than 350 yards a game since 2007, and even some minor regression won't put them close to that figure. While the top half of the division should be better this season, Wisconsin still resides in a comfortable neighborhood. There's an obvious path to playoff: Split games at Michigan and Penn State, roll through the rest of the schedule and win the Big Ten title game. Easier said than done, but it's plenty plausible.

2. Northwestern (No. 35, 10-3): Not to pick on the Wildcats, but a lot of things went their way during an eight-game winning streak to close last season. Four of those victories came by one possession, and three in a row at one point were earned in overtime. It was a fortunate team.

But it's also a program that has become more talented in recent seasons. The defensive front is especially strong. Clayton Thorson could become the school's career passing leader with a good senior year, though he is coming off ACL surgery. Wildcats career rushing leader Justin Jackson graduated, but replacement Jeremy Larkin had 112 yards in the Music City Bowl against Kentucky.

In other words, a similar season isn't out of the question. But it might require a similar degree of success in tight games to match last year's record.

3. Iowa (No. 36, 8-5): Whose turn is it now to have their season ruined at Kinnick Stadium? Two years ago, things went sideways on Michigan. Last year, the Hawkeyes effectively knocked Ohio State out of the national title picture with a 55-24 drubbing. This year's candidates to curse a trip to Iowa: Wisconsin (Sept. 22) and Northwestern (Nov. 10).

As usual, you know Kirk Ferentz's team isn't going to be the most exciting bunch on offense, but they'll be technically sound and opportunistic on defense. They're also the most likely team to clock in with a sub-three-hour game in the early-afternoon television window. Iowa is hardly ever bad, excellent once every five years or so and rock-solid the rest of the time. Go ahead and put the 8-4 in the bank now.

4. Purdue (No. 48, 7-6): The funny thing about Jeff Brohm's first season at Purdue is that while the first impressions suggested the Boilermakers got much better on offense, their greatest progress was in more effectively stopping opponents. That was especially true in preventing the run, an area Purdue was downright inept at the entire decade.

There's some rebuilding to do this season on defense, but that's easier to gloss over after making a surprise bowl appearance in which the Boilermakers held Arizona to 26 yards on the ground. Offensively, the same two quarterbacks who split time last year (David Blough and Elijah Sindelar) are back and vying for time.

Count Purdue among the teams with the most intriguing schedules of the first month. The Boilers will see Northwestern, Missouri, Boston College and Nebraska, and anything from 4-0 to 0-4 in those games is a reasonable prediction. The better the start, the brighter the immediate future for a team that's trended up ever since Brohm's arrival.

5. Nebraska (No. 55, 4-8): Sept. 22 could be the time the “Scott Frost: Returning Hero” story line runs into harsh reality. The Cornhuskers will visit Michigan that day, and will later travel to Wisconsin, Northwestern, Ohio State and Iowa, with no sign of Indiana, Maryland or Rutgers among the cross-divisional games.

Frost will get a mulligan if necessary, in part because he's a former Cornhusker quarterback who helped Nebraska earn a share of the 1997 national title and in part because he guided Central Florida to a perfect season last year.

It will probably be necessary. A true freshman, Adrian Martinez, will start at quarterback in the opener for the first time in program history. Nebraska ranked 119th nationally in rushing offense last year and was No. 114 against the run. That's almost an unthinkable combination for the Cornhuskers, and they aren't going to become good at both overnight. A more reasonable expectation for Year 1 is adequate, and that would probably be enough to win two or three more games and earn a bowl invitation.

...

In tiny Bartlett, football retains big dreams

When Barbara Sandobal opened Rustic Café on Clark Street in downtown Bartlett two months ago, she had more in mind than selling her delicious hand-made burgers.

The 71-year-old Bartlett wanted to do her part in rejuvenating the nearly empty downtown, whose red-brick streets and early 20th-century architecture draws a handful of tourists on the weekends.

“I opened this, really, to put another business in town,” she said on recent weekday afternoon as a handful of customers ate lunch or a $1 Bluebell ice-cream cone. “It's good some days and other days, it's very slow. We'll probably rearrange some of our hours to accommodate people at the football game when school gets going. But we're going to stick with it, because we figure it's going to get better.”

That type of attitude pervades the fieldhouse at Bartlett High School on the other side of this cotton-farming town that straddles the line of Williamson and Bell counties. The proud program — Bartlett won three state titles in the 1990s – has struggled in recent years on the field and with enrollment; the Bulldogs have won just four games over the past three seasons, and the student population has dropped from 125 in 2012 to its current UIL number of 94 students.

Bartlett is the smallest school in the Austin area and became eligible to play six-man football this past realignment. However, the program's players and coaches have no interest in a game that senior Roy Degollado says “isn't real football.”

“I've heard of it, but I thought it was something you play on the playground,” said Degollado, a four-year starter at linebacker and on the offensive line whose father and cousins played for the powerhouse Bartlett squads in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Second-year coach Drew Bridges, a 31-year-old who has already worked in schools ranging from his small hometown of Ganado to Class 6A's Katy Mayde Creek, shares his captain's opinion.

“I wouldn't have come here if they were going to play six-man,” he said. “The community here supports 11-man. Now, we know the challenges that comes with that, but I believe that we're starting to put some things in place that will allow us to compete and be successful. There's a lot of schools in our state that play 11-man with our numbers and do well.”

Bridges has already taken significant steps toward such success. In a school with less than 50 boys, almost 40 participate in the football program. Bridges re-established a junior varsity team last season after Bartlett went years with just a varsity squad, and he says that experience helped the varsity last season when a few injuries cut into the Bartlett lineup.

“Right after that first (JV) game, boy, they were excited,” he said. “They had so much fun. And they played the whole time. And then some came up (to varsity) and helped us, and they wouldn't have been ready for that f they didn't have that JV experience.”

Growth in the school as well as the town may soon creep up as more and more people that work in Austin seek affordable housing. Taylor, 16 miles south of Bartlett, has had its high-school enrollment grow from 882 in 2012 to its current UIL number of 1,024. Just 12 miles west of Bartlett, Jarrell High School' student population has almost doubled over the past 10 years.

“We've gotten smaller, but the corridor is pushing out this way,” Sandobal said. “And I hope people start taking an interest in these (downtown) buildings and fixing them up. It wouldn't be that difficult for the town to come alive again.”

10 things to look out for this weekend

1) Van Dijk finally making his Liverpool bow

If there is one message that Jürgen Klopp has to drum into his defenders before Friday night's Merseyside derby, it is to resist the temptation to place their hands on any Everton attackers in their own area. Manage that and Liverpool should be capable of extinguishing the frustration of last month's draw with Sam Allardyce's side, when Dejan Lovren conceded a late penalty with a needless and clumsy push on Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Klopp turned on plenty of people after the game – even a member of Everton's press team was in the firing line after Wayne Rooney's penalty – but Lovren was the real culprit and it is telling that Liverpool have bolstered their defence by spending £75m on Virgil van Dijk. Having scored once in their past four matches, Everton could find goals even harder to come by if Van Dijk is ready to make his debut. Jacob Steinberg

2) Derby fans left high and dry by scheduling

Any Derby supporters hoping to get the train back to the Midlands on Friday night will have to leave the away end at Old Trafford at half-time. Ridiculously, the last feasible train journey to Derby (via Sheffield) leaves Manchester Piccadilly at 9.22pm, midway through the second half. To make matter worse, a train previously advertised as leaving at 11pm is no longer running – East Midlands Trains were forced to apologise for “an error in the national Network Rail train planning system” – meaning there will likely be plenty of people stranded in Manchester on Friday night. The good news: those that bought tickets for the 11pm will be entitled to a free refund. The bad news: they won't be able to get home. The draw was made in early December. How has this shambles been allowed to happen? Michael Butler

3) Dyche going toe-to-toe with Guardiola?

Burnley wasted a golden chance to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup last season when Lincoln City became the first non-league team in 103 years to reach the last eight of the competition. In the third round this year, Sean Dyche's team face a tougher task: a trip to Manchester City. But while Pep Guardiola will almost certainly use Saturday's game as a chance to rest key personnel with league titles and the Champions League still to come, Dyche would be unwise to follow suit. Just as a weakened Leicester side came unstuck at Millwall in the fifth round last year, too often Premier League sides play their second string when they are clear of relegation danger and have nothing else to play for. Get through this tough tie, and Burnley have a genuine chance of winning the FA Cup – after all, the league table says they are the seventh best team in England. Dyche should go for glory – three points at Crystal Palace a week on Saturday doesn't matter nearly as much. MB

4) Bristol City need right balance before Etihad trip

In different circumstances it would be tempting to make Bristol City favourites to win at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon. The team who stunned Manchester United last month have already performed heroics in the Carabao Cup, reaching the last four after putting out four Premier League sides, and that giantkilling run began with a 3-2 victory away to Watford in August. Yet Lee Johnson has some tough decisions to make before facing Marco Silva's inconsistent side. Not only are his team chasing promotion from the Championship, he also has to keep his players fresh before they visit Manchester City for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final next Tuesday. Do not expect Johnson to wave the white flag, especially as Watford are vulnerable after a poor run of form, but finding the right balance will not be easy. JS

5) VAR may stir passions in Monday night derby

All eyes on the Amex on Monday night for the preposterously scheduled 7.45pm kick-off between rivals Brighton and Crystal Palace. During the match, Neil Swarbrick will be making history from a studio near Heathrow, becoming the first Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to be used in an English competitive club match. Surrounded by approximately 70 screens to aid him, Swarbrick will be able to liaise with the match referee, Andre Marriner, if a clear error has been made regarding goals, penalties, straight red cards and cases of mistaken identity. Two stewards were taken to hospital when Brighton and Palace met in the Premier League in November – the FA could hardly have chosen a more fiery fixture for their latest innovation. MB

6) More woe for Pellegrino against Fulham?

It is strange to think that Southampton were preparing for a League Cup semi-final against Liverpool this time last year. They still felt like the perfect example of a modern, well-run club 12 months ago. They remained comfortable in mid-table despite being hit by so much upheaval, and beating Liverpool over two legs seemed to offer further vindication of Southampton's vision. Since then, however, drift has taken hold and Mauricio Pellegrino is under immense pressure after Tuesday night's defeat to Crystal Palace pitched his directionless team firmly into a relegation battle. The constant talent drain has taken a toll, sapping Southampton's spirit, and it will not go down as a shock if Fulham further loosen Pellegrino's grip on his job by beating the Premier League strugglers at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon. JS

7) Mir to make his mark at Molineux

Top of the Championship meets bottom of the Premier League – it will come as a surprise to nobody that Wolves are favourites to beat Swansea on Saturday. What will be interesting to see is if manager Nuno Espírito Santo utilises his new £1.8m signing Rafa Mir, who this week turned down a move to Real Madrid to play in England's second tier. Mir has been handed the No9 shirt at Molineux and a match against a Swansea defence bereft of confidence could be the perfect way to bed him in. If the 20-year-old scores on debut, all the better to give competition to the first-choice forward Léo Bonatini, who hasn't scored in a month. If Mir has a stinker, at least it won't affect Wolves' push for promotion. MB

8) Wimbledon fans soaking up Wembley return

Wimbledon have an excellent record at Wembley. On their last outing in the League Two play-off final in 2015-16, they beat Plymouth 2-0. In 2008, they won a pre-season friendly 8-1 to mark the 125th anniversary of Corinthian Casuals. The club's previous visit to that, albeit under a slightly different name, ended with them winning the FA Cup in 1988, 30 years ago. Whatever the score is when they play Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday, the trip from one side of London to another will be a nostalgic one for the thousands of travelling away fans. When they marched up Wembley Way before the final in '88, Wimbledon fans had to endure opposition fans pre-emptively wearing ‘Liverpool FC Double Winners' T-shirts. This time, AFC fans will be wearing a smile as wide as Wembley's arch and maybe even a limited-edition ‘We Are The Resurrection' T-shirt. MB

9) Pardew risks further pain by resting players

The Alan Pardew bounce is yet to materialise for West Bromwich Albion. Tuesday's painful defeat to West Ham means it is 20 games since their last victory and their new manager has been unable to ease their relegation fears. Goal difference alone is keeping West Brom off the bottom of the Premier League and after a draining run of fixtures, Pardew must be tempted to rest players for Saturday's trip to Exeter City. But that would be a huge gamble from a manager whose team desperately needs a win to start repairing their battered confidence. Defeat to the League Two side would only deepen the gloom and the danger is that another disappointment could still be on West Brom's mind when they host Brighton on Saturday week. JS

10) Cardiff look to bounce back against Stags

Cardiff have had a rotten Christmas, losing their last four matches in the Championship. Remarkably, they have only slipped one place to third – thanks to rivals Bristol City losing heavily at Aston Villa – but they are just a couple more bad results away from falling out of the play-off places. Confidence is key, and whilse Neil Warnock's assertion last week that Sol Bamba is a better defender than Virgil van Dijk has done nothing but heap more pressure on one of his key players, a clean sheet and comfortable win against League Two Mansfield could get his side back on the promotion trail. MB

Vincent Kompany calls on Premier League clubs to drop ticket prices

Vincent Kompany has called on Premier League clubs to force down the price of match tickets and attract the “right people” back into football.

The Manchester City captain has recently graduated with an MBA [Master of Business Administration] from Manchester Business School and, during his research on maximising revenues from home advantage, he concluded ticket prices should be reduced for business reasons.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Wake Up To Money, Kompany said: “You get better home advantage depending on the atmosphere that you can create within your facilities, and that is linked to the people who enter your stadiums. The Premier League is generating two or three times the revenue of the other top five leagues in Europe, so at what point do you realise that your revenues are that big as a TV product, and the revenue from match-day tickets is only getting smaller?

“At what point do you decide we are actually now going to make sure if it is a TV product, it is the best product in the world? Meaning not just the best players, but the best atmosphere in the stadium; meaning the right people in the right place.”

Kompany, who has been at City since 2008, in which time the club has been transformed into one of the world's richest, added: “Those that live for the club, are probably more attached to the club than anybody else. But those are probably not always the guys who can afford it.

“We know the Premier League can still grow. The question is at what point do you reach breaking point where you squeezed so much out of your people at home?”

Kompany, 31, who is likely to be part of the Belgium squad that faces England in their World Cup group in Russia this summer, added: “If you assume the Premier League gets bigger and you gain markets in China, India, Africa, America, you could fill the grounds with tourists. You can do it, and make more money. They'd just come and spend £400 a ticket, it's nothing for them because it is a once in a lifetime experience, like going to an NBA or NFL game. The question is if that affects your product, as the Premier League?”

Forget the football

Type in Uefa and the word “racism” into Google, and prominent search results tell us the view of European football's governing body. Uefa wants us to know it says no to racism. In fact, in 2013, its member associations “pledged to step up their efforts to eliminate racism from football” altogether. It's all rather grand, but what we know is that in recent weeks Uefa's self-congratulatory stance has been greatly undermined. Revelations from the England Under-17s World Cup-winning forward Rhian Brewster have once again highlighted the perniciousness of the problem.

Brewster's experience of racist abuse represents unacceptable treatment of a young man just trying to do his job. The player has been praised for unequivocally relating his experiences, which have been free from the euphemism so many would have preferred the shadow home secretary Diane Abbott to adopt when she shared that, last year, she had been called a “n----- bitch”.

In an interview with my colleague Daniel Taylor for the Guardian, Brewster frankly outlined the racist abuse he both witnessed and suffered while playing for Liverpool in Uefa Youth League matches and for England. Called the N-word and subjected to monkey chants, the 17-year-old has understandably lost faith in Uefa, whose responses to these incidents have been pitiful or nonexistent.

Uefa says it encourages referees to “stop, suspend or even abandon a game if racist incidents occur”. Players found guilty of racist behaviour can receive a 10-match suspension, and stadiums can face closure if this applies to fans. Uefa recognises the power it has to drastically change the experiences of young black players. However, for now at least, it seems disinclined to use it. It is an obvious dereliction of duty. The hope is that today – the first day its offices have been open since 22 December – the governing body will stir itself into more forceful action.

Slogans, though easy to cobble together and flash at millions of people, are empty. Like a sticking plaster for a virus, their flimsiness is obvious when set against the task of healing. It is a lesson the Italian football league painfully learned last October. The president of Lazio football club, Claudio Lotito, had players wearing T-shirts declaring “no to antisemitism” accompanied by a picture of Anne Frank. An excerpt of her diary was read at every Italian league match during the same week. Yet some Lazio fans sang fascist songs while making salutes during the reading. The horrified prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, called the scenes unacceptable. Quite. The trouble is in how governing bodies, clubs, fellow players and not least the fans act in solidarity to underscore that such behaviour is intolerable.

One way to do so is by not distancing the English game, run by the FA, from the routine instances of racism experienced by black and minority-ethnic (BAME) players. To focus solely on Uefa's failings is to miss the point of Brewster's interventions entirely. Yes, much progress has been made: in Brewster's interview it is clear he hasn't experienced in England racist abuse of the kind encountered in matches against Russian and Spanish teams. Still, players continue to walk out on English pitches subjected to such abuse. Anecdotally, others refuse to sign to the youth wings of certain clubs because of the rampant racism associated with their fans.

BAME players make up a quarter of players in English football's four divisions yet account for a miserable 4% of senior coaches. It is the same footballing establishment that last October couldn't admit it had failed in its duty of care to the England player Eniola Aluko. And it is the same leadership that couldn't quite bring itself to find anything wrong with racist texts sent “privately” between Iain Moody, now Colchester's head of player resources, and Malky Mackay, currently caretaker manager of Scotland and the performance director of the Scottish Football Association. The controversy eventually blew over, and both white men's careers in football continued, once the word “banter” was used to explain their seemingly indefensible interactions.

Who had the best Premier League results over Christmas

Mauricio Pochettino may have been disappointed with a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham on Thursday - but no team won more points than his Tottenham side over the Christmas period.

Pochettino's men had won their first three fixtures over the Christmas and New Year period, defeating Burnley, Southampton and Swansea, but had to settle for a point against their local rivals.

That point was West Ham's fifth from their last four games - a return boss David Moyes will be happy with after taking charge in November with the club in the relegation zone.

Liverpool have also had a good run of form since they kicked off the festive football with a 3-3 draw at Arsenal on Friday 22 December, beating Swansea, Leicester and Burnley.

Despite seeing their record-breaking winning streak come to an end with a draw against Crystal Palace, Manchester City have matched Tottenham and Liverpool's haul of 10 points from their past four games to maintain their commanding lead at the top of the Premier League.

Of the 'Big Six', Arsenal and Manchester United have come away with the fewest points, adding just six to their tally.

This season's surprise package, Burnley, have had one of the toughest Christmas schedules, and defeats to Spurs and Liverpool and draws at Manchester United and Huddersfield means they have the joint-fewest points from their past four games.

West Brom, Everton and Southampton also managed just two points, after being unable to deliver their supporters much Christmas cheer.