The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.
Illinois in the Music City Bowl, USC in the Alamo Bowl, some hoops on—what more do you need in life? Good morning, good afternoon—wherever you are, I hope you’re doing well. Bowl Games Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs1pm | ESPN | LaTech -10 | O/U 50.5 | at Independence […]
about 8 hours ago | 0 reads
Northwestern football does something legitimately exciting.Good morning or afternoon, wherever you are. One bit of news, then off to the open thread. You’re not drunk, I’m not drunk, that’s a real NCAA football headline in the year of our Lord 2025. The last time I can count being legitimately excited when Northwestern’s offense got the […]
about 8 hours ago | 0 reads
When USC takes the field against TCU in tonight’s Alamo Bowl, the Trojans will look like a very different team than the one that won nine games and finished tied with Michigan for fourth place in the Big Ten this season. The Trojans will be led by junior quarterback Jordan Maiava (who led all Big […]
about 12 hours ago | 0 reads
I joined OTE full time just after the 2014 season, which means this is only the fourth bowl preview I’ve ever had the opportunity to do. I never imagined I’d have to do them in consecutive seasons! Illinois plays Tennessee in the ostensibly neutral-site Music City Bowl tomorrow, and I have a slow week at […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
There are plenty of Big Ten teams that are powers on the court, and the names I could list would probably bore you: Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois… yawn. All of these teams are doing well so far this year, were expected to do well this year, and likely will continue to do well this […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
Well…assuming you count Maryland and Oregon as “Big Ten”. I hope you’ve had a pleasant holiday season. It’s starting to snow sideways here in Minnesota, and I already did my Midwestern Dad duties for the day: shoveled and salted the church walk after realizing there was nobody to do it before the 10:30am Mass, then […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
Eight bowls. Most are terrible. Let’s get weird. Go Bowling Military Bowl Pittsburgh Panthers vs. East Carolina Pirates10am | ESPN | Pitt -10.5 | O/U 53.5at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, MD) What I’m excited for: East Carolina starting quarterback Mike Wright. The super-senior transfer, most recently at Northwestern, turned up in Greenville and proved […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
Why this game? Don’t ask questions, that’s why. Pinstripe Bowl Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Clemson Tigers11am | ABC | Clemson -2.5 | O/U 47.5at Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York, New York) misdreavus79: Here’s something neat: James Franklin’s first loss at Penn State was to Northwestern. His last loss was… to Northwestern. James Franklin’s first […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
Northwestern and Minnesota both win their bowl games, and isn’t that the nicest thing we can say about the whole endeavor. A win in a third rate cold weather bowl game is still better than no bowl invite, or a loss in a third rate bowl game.—Midnight Rambler GameAbove Sports Bowl Northwestern Wildcats 34, Central Michigan Chippewas […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Grading the hire of Kyle Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore as head coach of Michigan Wolverines football. Michigan has signed outgoing Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham to the same role, per ESPN and Brett McMurphy and Jeff Passan and Shams Charania and probably MLive dot com and/or TMZ, too. The deal lasts five years, […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Once again, here we are. Minnesota is in a lower-tier B1G bowl game because a) they shit themselves against a pair of bad opponents in Cal and Northwestern and b) we were jumped by a team we were better than and defeated, but the B1G knew that they couldn’t count on Nebraska fans to travel […]
4 days ago | 1 read
GameAbove Sports! Rate! Comedy is best in threes! Here is a place for you to talk about the day’s college football. I am told there are several such instances of it being played, and watching it beats watching whatever I am sure West Ham is doing on Boxing Day . GameAbove Sports Bowl Central Michigan […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Chippewas! Wildcats! A PREVIEW! Today, in the bowels of the Rust Belt, two mediocre football teams play a postseason game that means something, damnit, and that I earnestly care about, because I am an idiot online. Let’s talk about… The GameAbove Sports Bowl Central Michigan Chippewas (7-5, 5-3 MAC) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (6-6, 4-5 B1G)Friday, […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
The greatest* tradition** in college sports: it’s time for the Hawai’i Bowl. First: wherever you are, whoever you’re with, and whatever you celebrate — a happy holiday season to you. As we take stock of the shitshow that was and is and will be 2025, I am grateful that, if even just for a second, […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
SO LET’S PLAY THE GODDAMN FRISCO BOWL Please air your Big Ten, college football, or just plain personal grievances in the comments. Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl Toledo Rockets vs. Lhvl CrdnlsTuesday, Dec. 23 | 1pm | ESPN | Lhvl -9.5 | O/U 43.5Flagler Credit Union Station (Boca Raton, FL) Remember a couple years ago when […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
Recapping the college football weekend and looking forward to TATER BOWL. Weekend Roundup One—okay, two—Big Ten teams in action, so let’s check in with how those avian outfits did: D-III Semifinals Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons 48, Johns Hopkins Blue Jays 41 ALL HAIL THE TOP GUN OFFENSE. You know a D-III football team is doing something […]
8 days ago | 0 reads
Taters, beans, shitty coffee, and more. Our watchability is PopTarts. Five out of Five Pop Tarts means you know what the hell you’re doing, team agnostic. We can preview it as something like: Okay then, we’re going to go ahead and preview all of the bowls left starting with an OTE classic: The Word Association. […]
9 days ago | 0 reads
Or the College Football Playoff. Or my family’s Christmas party. But I guess you’re probably not invited to that. FCS Playoffs — Semifinals #3 Montana Grizzlies at #2 Montana State Bobcats3pm | ABC | MTSt -5.5 | O/U 54.5 | BRAWL OF THE WILD Game of the day, and it’s not particularly close. It’s a […]
10 days ago | 0 reads
To say it’s been a tumultuous week in Ann Arbor would be putting it mildly. After the shocking dismissal and subsequent arrest of head coach Sherrone Moore last Wednesday, Michigan abruptly shifted its focus from its New Year’s Eve bowl game against Texas to an unexpected search for a new football coach. The timing couldn’t […]
11 days ago | 1 read
When Regionals weekend started, there were five Big Ten teams still in the tournament. When it was over, there was one. And it’s probably not the one you think. Let’s break down this travesty. Third Round Matches After a relatively unsurprising first weekend, save for USC’s upset loss in five sets to Cal Poly, the […]
12 days ago | 1 read
We’re turning the AI machine back on, please hold A list of topics I would like the Vox AI Machine to consider: I am proctoring back-to-back exams this morning, and the vibes, friends…they’re not good. Anway, even if these students struggle, I hope they know (1) the business school will not allow us to let […]
13 days ago | 0 reads
Reivers and Blue Dragons and Brahman Bulls and—OH MY! [/swoon] It’s GASTON! StaffDNA Cure Bowl Old Dominion Monarchs vs. South Florida Brahman Bulls4pm | ESPN | USF -3.5 | O/U 52.5at Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL) Did you know I previewed ALL these games with former managing editor Jesse Collins? It’s worth a read as […]
13 days ago | 2 reads
So…uh…basketball! Best Win #23 Nebraska Cornhuskers 83, #13 Illinois Fighting Illini 80 Nebraska has now won 11 straight this season. Something like 30 straight dating back to last season—don’t bother looking that up. The Netherlands-Turkiye axis turns out to be stronger than the combined firepower of the Balkans and Baltics. WHO KNEW. Worst Loss Seton […]
14 days ago | 3 reads
Whether you want word association, half-assed attempts at understanding what it is a Kennesaw State is, or an overwhelming sense of ennui toward college football, this preview has it all. First, Jesse, good afternoon. Long time, no talk. Jesse: Wait, do I still work here? Am… am I a real person? IS THIS ALL A […]
15 days ago | 2 reads
Oh, right! Basketball! Well I sure picked a good time to drop off the face of the world, huh? Turns out Northwestern isn’t that good at basketball, Michigan is, and we watched as Iowa State both laid waste to Purdue and gave Iowa some hope. Ick. At least Nebrasketball is…actually doing the damn thing? We’ll […]
17 days ago | 3 reads