The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️
@TheBigTenHuddle • 5,640 subscribers
The Big Ten Huddle Podcast provides daily coverage of Big Ten Football and Men's Basketball | @bleavnetwork | Live Sun. & Tues. @ 9 pm ET on YouTube
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Justin Field has been sent OUT! The last QB remaining is Nebraska's Adrian Martinez.
The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️102,136 Aufrufe • vor 11 Monaten
The Hoosiers are being criminally SLEPT ON, and it’s time to set the record straight with some cold, hard FACTS. Let’s start with the headline: Indiana landed Fernando Mendoza, arguably the BEST quarterback in the transfer portal. This guy threw for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns at Cal last year, starting 19 games. Coach Curt Cignetti, who’s turned every QB he’s touched into gold, says Mendoza’s on track to follow the same path as his past stars like Kurtis Rourke (Big Ten’s No. 2 QB in efficiency last year), Todd Centeio (Sun Belt POY), and Jordan McCloud (Sun Belt POY). Mendoza’s got ELITE potential, and with a revamped O-line featuring transfers like Colorado’s Kahlil Benson, Notre Dame’s Pat Coogan, and Ohio State’s Zen Michalski, he’ll have the protection to shine. Then there’s the returning core: FOUR All-Big Ten studs. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds (9 PBUs), linebacker Aiden Fisher (118 tackles), defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (15 TFLs), and wideout Elijah Sarratt (957 yards, 8 TDs) are back and ready to explode. This isn’t a rebuild—it’s a reload. What's even worse is the hypocrisy in college football. Fans and media are quick to overhype SEC teams like Oklahoma, Florida, and Auburn, despite their coaches—Brent Venables, Billy Napier, and Hugh Freeze—floundering as lame ducks. Oklahoma’s 6-7 last year? Auburn’s 5-7? Florida’s 7-5? Yet they get a pass because of their team's history. Meanwhile, Big Ten coaches like Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell and Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith get deserved criticism for their shaky starts. Why the double standard? Apparently, John Mateer will change Oklahoma, but Fernando Mendoza can't be as good as last year's starter, who played with a torn ACL all year? That's insane. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti just led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record, a College Football Playoff bid, and a No. 10 AP ranking—their best since 1967—yet people act like it’s a fluke. Wake up! Cignetti’s resume speaks for itself: in 14 years as a head coach, he’s finished outside his conference’s top 3 just TWICE. The man’s a winner, and Indiana’s backing him like never before. A $72M contract over eight years, an $11M staff salary pool (top 5 nationally) that kept away schools like Penn State, Ohio State, and USC, who came calling for their top assistants, and a fan base buzzing with belief after decades of being a basketball school. Indiana is Fast. Physical. Relentless. Smart. Discipline. Poised. That’s the kind of culture Cignetti’s built. Sure, the schedule’s tougher this year—road trips to Iowa, Oregon, and Penn State, plus Illinois at home early—but Indiana’s ready. They’ve addressed last year’s weakness (a 13% sack rate against elite teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and Notre Dame) with those O-line upgrades. Mendoza’s mobility will add a new dimension, unlike Rourke, who played on a torn ACL. And with coordinators Bryant Haines ($2M deal) and Mike Shanahan locked in, this program’s built for the long haul. College football fans need to stop clinging to brand names and start respecting Indiana for what they are: a program on the rise, with a proven coach, a star QB, and a roster ready to compete with anyone. The Hoosiers aren’t a one-hit wonder—they’re here to stay. 🏆 #GoogleMe #Hoosiers #BigTen #CFB
The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️97,442 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
Is Aidan Chiles the most UNDERRATED QB in the Big Ten heading into 2025? Michigan State’s dual-threat star has all the tools to be a Top-3 QB in the conference. A former Big Ten coach even said Chiles’ has continued to improve this offseason and his arm strength and mobility will make him a “nightmare” for defenses, with the ability to lead the Spartans’ offense to new heights. At the Michigan State pro day, NFL scouts were even talking about being at Michigan State games next year just to watch Chiles play. One Big Ten coach last year called him a “raw but electric talent” with first-round potential if the coaching staff knows how to develop him. After showing flashes of brilliance in 2024, improving consistency with his accuracy and elusiveness in the pocket combine with his quick release will stress defenses. One college staffer even went as far to say, “You keep hearing Julian Sayin this and Dante Moore that. But Aidan Chiles is a name no one is talking about but they need to be.” With improved processing and fewer turnovers, he could shred secondaries with Nick Marsh, Omari Kelly, and Jack Velling. Chiles will face off against elite QBs like Drew Allar, Dylan Raiola, and Bryce Underwood in 2025. Aidan Chiles is poised to have a BREAKOUT year! 💪 #Spartans
The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️89,172 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
Luke Altmyer is one of the MOST DISRESPECTED QBs in the Big Ten heading into 2025. After a great 2024 season, this Illinois senior is getting ZERO love from analysts and so-called experts. In 2024, Altmyer was a straight-up game-changer for the Illini, leading them to a 10-3 record (tying the program’s single-season wins record) and three Top-25 victories. He had 2,717 passing yards, 22 TDs, just 6 INTs, plus 217 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs, and he led the nation with FIVE game-winning drives in the final minute or overtime, including clutch TD passes at Nebraska, vs. Purdue, and at Rutgers. He was the only QB in the nation with three game-winning TD passes in the final 2 minutes/OT. He was the only QB in the nation with four TD passes in a Top-25 road win. He was 36th nationally in passing efficiency (144.90) last year, which is within 5 points of Cade Klubnik, Kyle McCord, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe, and Nico Iamaleava—also tied with Fernando Mendoza. He is the first Illini QB since 2013 with 20+ TD passes in a season. All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and a Davey O’Brien Award Class of 2024 member. Despite all these things, the disrespect is still there. Analysts are leaving him completely off their Top-10 CFB QB lists and even Top-5 Big Ten QB rankings. They’re hyping up unproven freshmen like Bryce Underwood and Malik Washington, or guys with minimal starts like Julian Sayin, over a proven QB1 like Altmyer. Even QBs who haven’t matched his production—Nico Iamaleava, Dante Moore, and Dylan Raiola—are getting more shine. And get this: some NFL Draft sites don’t even list Altmyer as a prospect but have Hank Brown and Malachi Singleton on their boards. Are you kidding me? This is the same Luke Altmyer who turned down a massive NIL deal to jump ship to Tennessee—a CFP team last year—because he’s loyal to Illinois and believes in the Illini Luke stayed in Champaign to finish what he started. That’s a 2025 Wooden Citizen Cup nominee and a leader who walks the walk. The Big Ten is stacked, but Altmyer’s one of the top returning QBs alongside Drew Allar. The hype around untested 5-stars is always high and they'll get their shine this season. But Altmyer’s 35 career TD passes (tied for 9th in Illini history), clutch gene, and third year in Lunney’s system make him a game changer. He’s not just a QB; he’s the heart of a team eyeing their first-ever CFP appearance. So, to the analysts, talking heads, and draft sites sleeping on Luke Altmyer: WAKE UP. This man deserves more respect, and he has a chance to show everyone why sleeping on QB1 in Champaign is a huge mistake. Let’s ride, Illini Nation! #Illini #BigTen #AltmyerSZN
The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️39,946 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
Demond Williams Jr. is THE future star you NEED to know for 2025! 🔥 The true freshman dazzled in 2024, capping the season with a spectacular Sun Bowl performance against Louisville: 374 passing yards 4 passing TDs 81% completion rate 48 rushing yards 1 rushing TD He drove 90% of the Huskies’ offense against Louisville, averaging 14.4 yards per completion. Williams is locked in as Washington’s QB1 for 2025, ready to be unleashed. Williams looks like Bryce Young out there with elite arm talent and electric playmaking. Like Young, he zips pinpoint passes 30-40 yards downfield with touch or velocity, his quick, compact mechanics maximizing every throw. His 4.4-speed, instant acceleration, and knack for dodging defenders will be a treat for Big Ten fans to watch. Williams shares Young's cool-headed poise, shredding defenses with play-extending magic. His coach, Jedd Fisch, coached Jared Goff to 4,600-yard NFL seasons and built Arizona’s pass-heavy attack, and calls Williams “elite, elite, elite talent” with “everything you want in a player.” Fisch’s fast-paced offense is tailor-made for Williams’ dual-threat brilliance. In 2024, he posted a 78% completion rate, 944 yards, and 8 TDs with just one pick as a freshman—don't be surprised when you hear about him in Heisman contender conversation. In spring scrimmages, he threw five TDs in 11-on-11 drills, including a 35-yard strike to the end zone’s sideline and a 40-yard score to tight end Coutts while evading pressure. His Sun Bowl spin move and 33-yard pass on a key drive showed his knack for creating magic, which could lead to a potential first-round pick with his arm angles, pocket presence, and clutch playmaking. With weapons like Denzel Boston and Jonah Coleman, the offense is filled with weapons. Williams’ 2024 reps—from situational drives against Iowa and Penn State to a clutch UCLA appearance—built unshakable confidence. Fisch’s system and Williams’ ceiling could vault the Huskies’ offense to Big Ten elite. Demond Williams Jr. is going to be a MUST-WATCH in Seattle in 2025! 🌟 #Huskies #BigTen #DemondWilliams #CFB
The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️27,816 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
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