The Big Ten Huddle Podcast

JR and Zach kick off by welcoming viewers and outlining the episode: critiquing the AP Poll, sharing their top 25, and predicting the CFP. They dive into the AP Poll, with Zach arguing Penn State is overrated at No. 2 due to lackluster performances compared to teams like LSU, Oregon, and Miami with stronger resumes. They highlight SEC bias, questioning high rankings for teams like South Carolina (...

JR and Zack kick off with fun banter about Minnesota running out of fireworks after scoring big, then roast the AP poll for biases like underranking teams such as USC, Nebraska, and Minnesota while overhyping SEC squads. They critique voters like Pete Yannity and Reese Davis for odd rankings, including Notre Dame too high and Illinois inconsistently placed. Transitioning to the main topic, they sh...

JR gives his Big Ten football power rankings following week 2, discussing each game and providing an overview of the entire Big Ten conference. He encourages viewers to share their thoughts on michigan football, Ohio State football, USC football, and more, while reminding them to like and subscribe for more college football and Big 10 football content. Be sure to tune in for more sports analysis t...

JR kicks off the episode welcoming Big Jeff, chatting about his road trip to Indiana for the Western Illinois game and fan interactions. They review Week 1 takeaways: avoid overreactions but watch trends in Week 2; Ohio State's defense under Matt Patricia impresses; Big Ten rankings are solid with room to grow; defenses dominated nationally with unders hitting often; new Big Ten QBs performed well...

Hosts JR and Zack dive into Big Ten Week 2 previews, focusing on five teams facing Power Four foes. They start with Oregon vs. Oklahoma State, roasting Mike Gundy's press conference rants about Oregon's NIL spending (claiming $40M vs. OSU's $7M over three years) and his suggestions for budget-based scheduling. Gundy's quips, like duct-taping Nike logos, draw "loser mentality" criticism,...

Hosts JR and Zack kick off with an intro to Week 2 previews, focusing on Big Ten teams vs. G5/FCS foes. They rank games by largest victory margins: Ohio State over Grambling State (49-0), Minnesota over Northwestern State (45-0), Penn State over FIU (45-10), Washington over UC Davis (35-3), and Indiana over Kennesaw State (38-6). Discussions include PJ Fleck's scoring tendencies, Curt Cignetti's p...

JR and Zach kick off with a national perspective on college football, sharing their top 25 rankings ahead of the first in-season AP poll. Zach defends Ohio State at #1, praising their defense and win over Texas, while ranking LSU #2 for their road victory over Clemson but cautioning against overhyping it. He places Penn State #3, Texas #4, Miami #5, and continues down to Nebraska and Indiana at #2...

JR kicks off by noting this episode dives into rivalry drama rather than pure football analysis, warning it's not for everyone but perfect for those who love juicy stories. He recaps the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving Connor Stallions, who got an eight-year show cause from the NCAA. Recent penalties hit Michigan coaches, but new CBS News Detroit info revives the saga with sources allegin...

JR and Zach kick off The Big Ten Huddle reacting to Week 1 Big Ten football madness, from Northwestern's shocking loss to a Group of Five team to Ohio State's dominant performance that crushes Paul Finebaum's dreams. They share 10 key takeaways, labeling them as hype or panic: JR declares Ohio State the new king of college football after beating top teams and outcoaching rivals, but Zach questions...

JR rgives his Big Ten football power rankings following week 1, discussing each game and providing an overview of the entire Big Ten conference. He encourages viewers to share their thoughts on michigan football, Ohio State football, USC football, and more, while reminding them to like and subscribe for more college football and big 10 football content. Be sure to tune in for more sports analysis...

JR kicks off with biggest takeaways: Big Ten's perfect 4-0 record, but MAC teams pushed hard with too-close games, and a reminder not to overreact to Week 1. For Nebraska vs Cincinnati, he covers the game-sealing INT by Hartzog redeeming a 4th-down slip, Matt Rhule's weight loss, and turning it into a home-like atmosphere for the Huskers. Pros include Raiola's improved zone coverage reads over las...

JR kicks off The Big Ten Huddle by introducing Big Jeff for a Week 1 preview, covering five key Big Ten games with betting lines, spreads, and winner picks. Jeff shares a personal story from a College Football Hall of Fame event in Atlanta tied to autism and Down syndrome support, featuring Tony Barnhart. He outlines his four rules: don't overreact to Week 1 games due to sloppiness and no preseaso...

JR and Zack kick off with lively banter, including a Paul Finebaum "leaving the country" tracker for teams out of playoff contention and chat shoutouts. They discuss Dave Portnoy's ban from Ohio Stadium, debating if it's Ohio State's call or Fox's, criticizing Fox's hiring as bringing a "clown show" amid Michigan rivalry tensions. They compare it to ESPN's Pat McAfee and sugges...

Hosts JR and Zach kick off The Big Ten Huddle with excitement for the 2025 college football season, vowing not to overreact to Week 1 results. They preview Thursday/Friday Big Ten games: Rutgers favored by 14.5 over Ohio (predicting a close first half but Rutgers pull-away, 37-17 or 34-20); Minnesota by 18.5 vs Buffalo (expecting a tight game early due to new QB Drake Lindsey, final 28-13); Wiscon...

00:31:19 - Main Topic Conference realignment talk ​ @InsideMarylandSports⁩ : https://www.youtube.com/live/21sSt5FfBn4?si=aRefPKKyXjqCWr02&t=2438 JR and Zack open with Week 0 reactions: Farmageddon's fumbles, Iowa State's comeback vs Kansas State, Dan Mullen's Florida defense flop vs Miami, and Georgia Tech's upset over Florida State. They highlight Bryce Underwood named Michigan's starting QB...

JR analyzes the impact of conference realignment and scheduling changes on Notre Dame football, emphasizing that the team will not be iced out. College football realignment might even create more opportunities for big-time matchups, ensuring that the Fighting Irish remain competitive. The Big Ten schedule and other conference adjustments play a key role. What does the SEC 9 Game Conference Schedul...

JR and Big Jeff kick off The Big Ten Huddle by recapping Jeff's earlier rant on the Coach of the Year award, where he initially called it the "dumbest" for rewarding media hype over excellence. Jeff admits he was wrong after researching 55 years of winners, sharing a table showing 31% went to blue-blood programs like Michigan and Ohio State with stellar records (e.g., Bo Schembechler won...

Join JR and Jeff on The Big Ten Huddle as they analyze the SEC's major shift to a 9-game conference schedule announced on August 21, 2025, effective 2026. Without divisions, teams will play 3 annual rivals to preserve traditions like Georgia-Auburn, with the other 6 games rotating—ensuring every opponent is faced at least once every 2 years and home/away every 4. Plus, SEC schools must schedule on...

JR and Zach kick off with intros, promoting the channel and upcoming content like power rankings. They banter about music and dancing before diving into reevaluating their Top 25 rankings post-spring. Zach shares his list, emphasizing teams like Penn State, Ohio State, Texas, and Clemson as top-tier due to depth and talent, while expressing uncertainty about Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Oregon. He h...

JR dives deep into the College Football Playoff's (CFP) recent adjustments to their selection process, sparking buzz across the sport. He outlines the basics: a revamped strength of schedule metric that prioritizes games against top opponents, and a new "record strength" factor that rewards quality wins but softens penalties for tough losses—while cracking down on bad defeats and cupcake...

JR and Zack kick off The Big Ten Huddle with the latest fall camp buzz shaking up Big Ten Football ahead of the 2025 season. They start with the bombshell at Ohio State: freshman phenom Julian Sayin has clinched the starting QB job, edging out veterans in a move that could redefine the Buckeyes' offense. The discussion heats up around eligibility woes—USC's DJ Wingfield and UCLA's Kaedin Robinson...

In this episode of The Big Ten Huddle, hosts JR, Big Jeff, and Zack Gugenheim dive into their predictions for the 2025 Big Ten superlatives, covering sleeper teams, breakout players, underrated games, and more while challenging SEC bias with insightful analysis and plenty of laughs. They share picks like Rutgers as a sleeper, Jeremiah Smith for offensive player of the year, and Bret Bielema for co...

JR and Zack kick off the episode with a deep dive into the Michigan sign-stealing scandal involving Connor Stalions. They recap the NCAA's investigation, which revealed unauthorized advance scouting and signal decoding during games, leading to penalties including a three-game suspension for former coach Jim Harbaugh (already served), probation for the program, and recruiting restrictions. JR argue...

In this episode of The Big Ten Huddle, host JR and guest Big Jeff analyze predictions for the bottom half of the Big Ten football conference, breaking down team records, schedules, and reasons for optimism and pessimism. They discuss bowl eligibility, potential upsets, and key players for teams like Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and more. JR welcomes listeners to The Big Ten Huddle, emphasizin...

The episode kicks off with JR welcoming co-hosts Zach Guggenheim and Big Jeff, setting the stage for in-depth Big Ten football predictions while poking fun at SEC bias. They dive straight into week-by-week breakdowns, starting with non-conference games like Rutgers vs. Ohio (Rutgers win) and Ohio State vs. Texas (Buckeyes edge it out despite Jeff's Texas pick). Early weeks feature quick consensus...