What I think I learned about every Big Ten team at Media Days

nitramnaed · Aug 1, 2022

What I think I learned about every Big Ten team at Media Days

Alex Hickey
https://www.facebook.com/dialog/sha...arned-about-every-big-ten-team-at-media-days/

INDIANAPOLIS — Predictably, the actual 2022 football season felt like a sideshow at the Big Ten’s 2022 Media Days. Too much has happened off the field for anything else to be true.
Commissioner Kevin Warren didn’t exactly calm the waters with his aggressive opening address, which basically warned every other conference that the B1G is coming for your schools if it so desires.
There’s also the matter of CFP expansion, which again appears inevitable once the current contract expires following the 2025 season.
Warren made it clear everything will be on the table, including a field of as many as 16 teams. Penn State coach James Franklin is understandably pro-expansion given his personal history, but also offered a nuanced take on what should be taken into consideration when it does happen.
While all of those things are deserving of the headlines they garnered, there is still an actual football season around the corner. And ostensibly, that’s the reason Media Days exists in the first place.
After making the rounds in Indy, I think I learned the following things about each Big Ten team for the upcoming season. And in some cases, beyond.

Minnesota: I think I trust Tanner Morgan

Last season was the first I’ve watched Tanner Morgan in-depth, and it’s safe to say the experience turned me into a skeptic. He had 10 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and just 47 completions beyond 15 yards in 2021. (As a point of comparison, Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez had 71 such completions.)

But everyone knows he’s capable of more. In 2019, Morgan had 30 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and 84 completions beyond 15 yards.

It helps that his 2019 offensive coordinator, Kirk Ciarrocca, is back at Minnesota. But more than that, I was impressed by Morgan’s demeanor at Media Days. Morgan was loose, confident, not the least bit tense. Basically everything that Nebraska coach Scott Frost wasn’t.

At one point when I was interviewing Gophers center John Michael Schmitz about his quarterback’s growth this offseason, Morgan snuck up next to me.

“Yeah, what has that been like?” Morgan butted in.

A happy and relaxed Morgan may sneak up on a lot of people this season.

And this gem on Scott Frost

Nebraska: I think I’ll pass on Scott Frost

If I were a recruit — which I am not at this age — there are a number of Big Ten coaches I’d be interested in playing for based on their charisma.

Bret Bielema is a blast. Greg Schiano is a surprisingly fun guy. James Franklin is energetic without being over the top. Even Kirk Ferentz is extremely engaging when you get him out of a press conference setting.

Scott Frost is a rock-solid 14th in the league in charisma. He just oozes … boringness. Which would be fine if he had the same record as the similarly unexciting Paul Chryst.

He does not. Frost is looking for his first winning season in 5 years at his alma mater. And at least Chryst can be sneaky funny even if he isn’t the most dynamic public speaker.

Dull and losing is no way to go through life as a coach.