BOOM
Four-star Ohio offensive tackle Sam Greer commits to Ohio State.
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.
Colorado, Syracuse pushing for spring scrimmage
While some college football teams are choosing not to play spring games this year, Colorado and Syracuse are hoping to start a new kind of spring game.
After Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Monday that he wanted the Buffaloes to play another team in their spring game, Syracuse coach Fran Brown responded to his call on social media, telling Sanders that he would bring his team to Boulder for three days to practice and scrimmage against the Orange.
.@DeionSanders we will come to Boulder for 3 days https://t.co/RFkyveLPv1
— Fran Brown (@FranBrownCuse) March 17, 2025
Now, the two teams are taking real steps to try to make that happen. Syracuse.com reported Saturday that both teams’ compliance offices have filed paperwork with the NCAA petitioning for the opportunity to schedule joint practices and a scrimmage against each other in Boulder this spring.
NCAA rules currently prohibit teams from holding joint practices or intersquad scrimmages, and it’s unclear whether their petition will be approved. If it does come to fruition, however, college football coaches around the country will have one more option to consider when deciding whether their teams should hold spring games going forward.
Georgia suspends two players for reckless driving
The “Days Since A Georgia Football Player Got In Trouble for Reckless Driving” counter was reset this week – twice.
Georgia wide receiver Nitro Tuggle was arrested early Thursday morning on charges of reckless driving and speeding. Georgia offensive lineman Marques Easley was arrested Friday on charges of reckless driving and reckless conduct after he crashed his car into an apartment complex on Monday while “laying drag” – a term defined by the Official Code of Georgia as operating a vehicle “in such a manner as to create a danger to persons or property by intentionally and unnecessarily causing the vehicle to move in a zigzag or circular course or to gyrate or spin around.”
Georgia announced Thursday that both players had been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.
As outlined earlier this week by College Football HQ, there have been more than 20 driving and traffic-related incidents involving members of the Georgia football program since 2023. Tragically, one of those incidents claimed the lives of former Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy, who were killed in a car crash on the night of Georgia’s national championship celebration in January 2023.
Despite that tragedy, Georgia has remained unable to get a handle on the reckless driving problem within its program. By immediately suspending Tuggle and Easley, however, Kirby Smart has taken swifter action against the program’s latest reckless drivers than many of the players involved in previous incidents.
A cocaine-themed celebration up north
A Michigan baseball player received national attention this week for his questionable celebration during the Wolverines’ win over USC last Sunday.
After sliding into third base on a bases-clearing triple, Michigan infielder Mitch Voit celebrated his big hit by pretending to take a hit, sliding his nose along the baseline chalk as if he was snorting cocaine.
Michigan baseball players are used to playing in the snow pic.twitter.com/O8SrlX8gH2
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) March 16, 2025
After the celebration went viral, Voit took to social media on Monday to apologize for his actions, saying he “made an immature decision in the heat of the moment.”
— Mitchell Voit (@1Mvvoit) March 17, 2025
Michigan did not punish Voit, who earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors last week after a 12-hit, 12-RBI week. A Michigan spokesperson told The Athletic that the university “did not feel that it was necessary to issue any discipline,” saying Voit “immediately apologized for his actions in the heat of the moment.”
ICYMI
Observations and Highlights from Ohio State’s First and Second Spring Practices
Ohio State football held its first three practices of the spring last week, and it allowed media members to watch the first hour of the first two practices. We compiled observations from each of those practices in the links above, while you can watch the video highlights from our viewing sessions in the videos below.
Ohio State's College Football Playoff Run Led By First-Quarter Dominance, Second and Third Quarter Control
Andy Anders looked back at the splits by quarter and half from Ohio State’s four-game College Football Playoff run. The numbers showed just how dominant the Buckeyes were in the first quarter of those four games while they also controlled their opponents in the second and third quarters on their way to four double-digit victories over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame, culminating in a national championship.
Ryan Day Sees Ohio State’s National Championship Run As Testimony That Buckeyes Are Doing Things the Right Way
Ryan Day says he’s “definitely more relaxed” after winning his first national championship, but that isn’t changing his approach as he seeks to lead Ohio State to another in 2025. He thinks the national title run showed that Ohio State’s culture, system and process works, giving “credibility to everything we‘re doing.”
What’s Next
- Women’s Hockey: National championship game vs. Wisconsin, 4 p.m. Sunday (ESPNU)
- Women’s Basketball: NCAA Tournament Round 2 vs. Tennessee, 8 p.m. Sunday (ESPN)
- Ohio State Football Pro Day: Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.
- 20 Days: Ohio State football spring showcase
- 160 Days: Ohio State’s season opener vs. Texas
- 223 Days: Jim Knowles returns to Columbus
- 251 Days: The Game
