The Big Ten had a GREAT draft. How great? 55 Draft Picks. 20 in the first two rounds, which was the most of any conference. We break that down and more on the pod!

The Big Ten Conference is poised to have a GREAT opening night of the 2023 NFL Draft, but it's top star may wait a little longer to hear his name called.

Disclaimer: When I recorded the podcast, I didn't realize the rapid rise of prospects like Lukas Van Ness out of Iowa, so I may sound a bit ignorant when it comes to him.  But the combine is important when it comes to the NFL Draft, and can really help prospects rise earlier in the draft depending on how they workout in different drills.  So we are going to talk about it here, and we end with a discussion with why Anthony Richardson's impressive athleticism shouldn't matter in the long run when it comes to drafting a QB in round 1.

We recap the CFP Championship, and why it shouldn't be an indictment for or against playoff expansion (and also why, despite the blowout, TCU deserved to be there.)  Plus, the Big Ten fared very well in bowl season, and the future is bright, especially for Penn State, who looks poised for a potential playoff run.  Also, a couple of housekeeping details for the next few months in regards to the podcast. 

For the first time in the nine year history of the College Football Playoff, two teams from the Big Ten made the field.  Will they both advance?  Will neither advance?  Listen in as we break down each game, and why I think we will see one, but not two, Big Ten teams in the final game of the season.  

With time running out, I decided to put all the January 2nd bowl games together on one episode.  While there isn't much upheaval in the Granddaddy of them all, the same can't be said for the Reliaquest and Citrus Bowls.  Three new head coaches, plenty of opt-outs, and the tragedy of Mississippi State Head Coach Mike Leach's passing bring a lot of question marks for those two games.  Can Illinois and Purdue get to nine wins with all the question marks in their own programs?  Can Penn State cash in by going all-in on Pasadena?