Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.
New Coordinators Up North
With Josh Gattis heading to Miami and Mike Macdonald heading back to the Ravens, Michigan named its new coordinators this week.
On offense, the Wolverines are saying in house and promoting from within, naming offensive line coach Sherrone Moore and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss as the team's co-offensive coordinators.
On defense, however, they've outsourced the job to former Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter has Harbaugh and MacDonald connections as a former Raven's assistant, but things did not go well at his last stop as the Commodores ranked just 118th in total defense (457.3 yards allowed per game) and 119th in scoring defense (35.8 points allowed per game).
Jim Harbaugh's hope is obviously that these moves keep Michigan's momentum going after the Wolverines' first win over Ohio State in a decade and first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. We'll have to see how it goes.
Night Game Spring Game?
Typically, spring games are a lazy afternoon affair fit for the whole family. But this year, it looks like South Carolina is doing things a little different, doing this year's intrasquad scrimmage under the lights.
The grand finale of a Big Gamecock Weekend! https://t.co/M2ALq7GXlu pic.twitter.com/mcka59s5nZ
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) February 10, 2022
While the afternoon delight has become a staple for Ohio State spring games, this certainly ain't a bad idea. It'll bring a little more juice, a better atmosphere and probably a slightly bigger crowd to campus for what figures to be South Carolina's biggest recruiting weekend of the spring.
Plus, new quarterback Spencer Rattler will be making his Gamecock debut. You may as well give him a good environment.
Crossover Episode
We got a little Buckeye State synergy on Saturday night when the Blue Jackets showed up to their game against the Montreal Canadiens rocking Joe Burrow jerseys and Bengals gear ahead of Cincinnati's Super Bowl showdown with the Rams.
Earned our stripes @Bengals | #RuleItAll | @NFL | #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/qbF3B7b4Tc
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 12, 2022
Frame it pic.twitter.com/qbZkOtU6fL
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 12, 2022
Might be the Peeke of this #CBJ x #RuleItAll crossover pic.twitter.com/LT0IUL1byF
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) February 13, 2022
The mojo seemed to work for the Jackets – they beat the Habs 2-1 on Saturday night. We'll have to wait and see if the local support spurs the Bengals to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history.
ICYMI
How Long Does Jim Knowles Have to Fix The Defense?
Jim Knowles is very aware that he doesn't have much time to fix Ohio State's defense, but Johnny tries to pin down exactly how long that could be.
Ohio State is Among the Leaders in NIL
With more than 600 deals worth more than $3 million in total, the Buckeyes are among the leaders in the country in NIL seven months after the new name, image and likeness legislation.
Eli Apple and Vonn Bell Bring a Buckeye Bond to the Bengals’ Secondary
Eli Apple and Vonn Bell have been playing football together for a long time, and now they've taken the bond that began at Ohio State to the NFL and all the way to the Super Bowl.
What's Next
- Men's Hoops: Ohio State hosts Minnesota at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday and Indiana at Noon on Saturday.
- Women's Hoops: The Buckeyes travel to Illinois on Monday and face No. 15 Maryland on Thursday.
- Men's Hockey: Ohio State travels to face Michigan in Ann Arbor on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
- Women's Hockey: The Buckeyes host No. 3 Wisconsin on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
