Introducing a new article series on The Floor Slap: 3 on 3. We have our Basketball expert ask our Football expert three questions about the biggest offseason storylines, or vice versa. Today we start with three football questions.
Jordan: Hello, I’m Jordan the Floor Slap’s College Basketball expert.
Sean: and I’m Sean the Floor Slap’s College Football expert.
Jordan: Great. So for this series, I just wanted to come up with something where we can hit more topics without having to write whole articles about it. I had some burning offseason questions for you. You ready to start?
Sean: I love it. Let’s get into it!
Jordan: In the Big Ten East we have Taulia Tagovailoa and JJ McCarthy, but what about the Big Ten West? Who do you think is the best QB in the Big Ten West?
Sean: As of this spring, it’s gotta be Cade McNamara at Iowa. It was just 18 months ago that he started every game for Michigan and led them to a Big Ten Championship and their first College Football Playoff appearance.
In that run, McNamara completed 64% of his passes for over 2,500 yards, 15 TDs, and 6 INTs. The numbers aren’t gaudy, but he’s an experienced quarterback who can consistently hit open receivers and make good decisions. That’s more than you can say about just about any other quarterback in this division.
But there’s another quarterback in the Big Ten West with an exciting ceiling – Nebraska’s Jeff Simms. What was supposed to be an exciting open quarterback competition heading into the summer came to an abrupt end when three QBs hit the portal after the spring game – most notably last year’s starter Casey Thompson. That speaks volumes about Simm’s play in the spring.
Simms has plenty of experience with 28 career starts under his belt at Georiga Tech. Standing at 6’3″ with a big arm and elite athleticism, he has all the physical tools you want in a college quarterback. Simms’ speed and experience running the option could prove to be dangerous in an offense that will run plenty of RPOs.
But with just a 57.5% career completion percentage, Simms has plenty of polishing left as a pure passer. Playing in a more QB-friendly offense may unlock something special in Simms, but that might be a little too optimistic based on what we’ve seen so far. Nebraska still has a long way to go to be a top tier offense.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Jeff Simms ended the season as the Big Ten West’s best QB. But if I had to choose one today, I’d have to go with the more-reliable Cade McNamara.
Jordan: I like Simms. It’s weird to think Iowa might have the best QB and best offense in the Big Ten West next year.
So, they just announced earlier this week some of the primetime Big Ten games on NBC and CBS… Who are you most excited to hear call Big Ten Games? Play by play or Color Commentator.
Sean: While hearing Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson calling Big Ten games on CBS is going to be hilarious and will take some getting used to, I’m most excited to hear Noah Eagle on Fox.
I might be in the minority, but Ian Eagle is one of my favorite NFL announcers across any network. His voice just screams football and he shows tremendous emotion during the game without losing professionalism. And Noah Eagle is a dead ringer for his father.
You might remember him from the NFL games on Nickelodeon the past couple years. He and Nate Burleson absolutely crushed those broadcasts.
Even though Eagle will be paired with Todd Blackledge on NBC, I’m still excited to get that kind of voice in the Big Ten. He’s no replacement for Gus Johnson, but Noah Eagle should be a refreshing change from what we’ve heard on Big Ten games in the past.
Jordan: Noah Eagle? Wow. That’s a take. Call me old, but there’s something about Brad Nessler and the CBS theme on a Saturday that’s so special. I’m excited for that energy to be calling the Penn State Whiteout or a game in Ohio Stadium.
Last question. Head Coaching hires get all the publicity, deservedly so, but what about Coordinators? Who is your favorite Big Ten Coordinator hire of this offseason?
Sean: Phil Longo as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator. Luke Fickell is a recruiting and defensive-oriented head coach – a profile that fits the traditional Wisconsin perfectly. But this hire helps bring the Badgers into the modern era of college football.
Longo’s offenses have a reputation of being like an air-raid. The truth is he’s consistently boasted some of the most balanced offenses in the country, leading top-20 offenses at both Ole Miss and UNC. Over the past four seasons, the Tar Heels were first in the ACC and top five in the country in pass yards per game, pass TDs, pass rating, rush yards per game, and total offense. There were also ninth nationally in points per game.
Bringing a balanced, up-tempo offense like that to Wisconsin could be scary. It may take more than a season to see the this offense reach its full potential. Still, an elite offense in Madison might not be too far away. Phil Longo specializes in getting playmakers in space and creating easy throws for the quarterback – something that should be easy if Wisconsin gets it’s offensive line back on track.
The trio of head coach Luke Fickell, defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, and offensive coordinator Phil Longo is perhaps one of the ten best in all of college football. With Longo’s track record of creating elite offenses, Wisconsin should be in the thick of the playoff race after it expands to 12 teams for years to come.
Jordan: Yeah it’s going to be an exciting season for the Badgers. I think it’s fair to say that their offense is due for some modernization… Well, this was fun. Let’s do it again.
Sean: Yeah for sure. Next time, I’ll ask the questions.
Jordan: Deal.
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