BleedGopher
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Per STrib:
The college football world has been abuzz the past couple of weeks without even one pass thrown in anger.
Instead of speculation on whether Georgia can win its third consecutive national championship, whether USC's Caleb Williams will repeat as Heisman Trophy winner or whether Michigan can pull off a Big Ten threepeat, the focus has been on the whirlwind that resulted in the demise of the Pac-12 Conference, which in a span of nine days went from 10 teams to four.
The Big Ten will see four new members — USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington of the Pac-12 — begin conference play in the fall of 2024. As part of the new, 18-team conference, the Gophers will be impacted by the move. Minnesota football players reacted to the conference realignment news with a mixture of excitement, intrigue, curiosity and "we're just focused on this season.''
"Growing up, you always thought of the Big Ten as what the Big Ten used to be,'' Danny Striggow, a junior defensive end from Long Lake, said following Tuesday's practice. "But it's exciting to think about, 'Hey, we might be able to get to play new teams.' Usually, you're only playing these teams in nonconference games and bowl games.''
Fifth-year offensive guard Quinn Carroll comes from a family with strong Big Ten ties. His father, Jay, played for the Gophers in the early 1980s, back when the conference's name matched the number of its members. Quinn respects the conference's tradition and doesn't see that going away. The transfer from Notre Dame also has the experience of playing marquee nonconference opponents like USC, plus a five-game ACC schedule arrangement that included games against Clemson, Miami (Fla.) and Florida State.
"For a program like Minnesota, we have tradition in the Big Ten, so [the change] is not much of a concern for us,'' Carroll said. "In my opinion, the more the merrier. It'll be fun to play those kinds of teams.''
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
The college football world has been abuzz the past couple of weeks without even one pass thrown in anger.
Instead of speculation on whether Georgia can win its third consecutive national championship, whether USC's Caleb Williams will repeat as Heisman Trophy winner or whether Michigan can pull off a Big Ten threepeat, the focus has been on the whirlwind that resulted in the demise of the Pac-12 Conference, which in a span of nine days went from 10 teams to four.
The Big Ten will see four new members — USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington of the Pac-12 — begin conference play in the fall of 2024. As part of the new, 18-team conference, the Gophers will be impacted by the move. Minnesota football players reacted to the conference realignment news with a mixture of excitement, intrigue, curiosity and "we're just focused on this season.''
"Growing up, you always thought of the Big Ten as what the Big Ten used to be,'' Danny Striggow, a junior defensive end from Long Lake, said following Tuesday's practice. "But it's exciting to think about, 'Hey, we might be able to get to play new teams.' Usually, you're only playing these teams in nonconference games and bowl games.''
Fifth-year offensive guard Quinn Carroll comes from a family with strong Big Ten ties. His father, Jay, played for the Gophers in the early 1980s, back when the conference's name matched the number of its members. Quinn respects the conference's tradition and doesn't see that going away. The transfer from Notre Dame also has the experience of playing marquee nonconference opponents like USC, plus a five-game ACC schedule arrangement that included games against Clemson, Miami (Fla.) and Florida State.
"For a program like Minnesota, we have tradition in the Big Ten, so [the change] is not much of a concern for us,'' Carroll said. "In my opinion, the more the merrier. It'll be fun to play those kinds of teams.''
Gophers try keeping minds on football amid current chaos in college sports
While curious and excited about the expanding Big Ten conference, Gophers football players say they're remaining focused on the upcoming season.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!