Tales from the Tour

News, notes, and lessons learned from a week on the road through Big Ten country & more

Hello from SoCal!

It’s been quite a week and it’s great to be back on the West Coast. Before we dive into my Training Camp Tour and the lessons learned, both Jim Thornby and I want to say thank you to all of you. We built Y-Option for the sole purpose that we believed that the West Coast has always been underserved from a college football lens and to read emails, texts and social media notes from many of you is the feedback we had hoped to hear. So thank you, as this is not a community without all of you. Also, we have some new content coming once the season kicks off and we are stoked to share it with you as we get closer.

And to those that have subscribed behind the paywall, thank you for trusting and believing in us at Y-Option. Like a good West Coast Offense, we will continue to scheme up ways to get you the best content about college football through the lens of the West!

Ok, let’s dive into the football.

Over the past 9 days I’ve visited Washington, Oregon, Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, Ohio State, Indiana and Purdue. Yes, that’s 8 teams in 9 days. Let’s go! This week I’ll be at UCLA, USC and Nebraska before finishing off at Michigan State and Michigan. It’s been an absolute blast and I’m reminded at each stop that I’m living a childhood dream. Below are my takeaways from UW and Oregon, as well as a few thoughts from the road along with a theory that is proving true at each stop.

Washington

What do I know: Year 1 under Jedd Fisch is a rebuild, but after visiting Montlake, it is not as dramatic as I expected. Yes, there are over 40 new scholarship faces and nearly 20 new transfers post-spring ball, but they have some talent. Will Rogers has experience and when it comes to the QB position, one cannot overstate how valuable experience is. Not just in snaps, but when it comes to throws. Rogers has made every single type of throw one can imagine and with Jonah Coleman joining UW from Arizona, this team will be a tough out. 

What do I trust: This staff. Brennan Carroll is as versatile as any offensive coach in the nation. The OC/OL coach has coached tight ends, wideouts and the offensive line at both the NFL and collegiate level. The run game when mirrored with the pass game will give opponents fits… think LA Rams/ SF 49ers. Same stuff here in their pro-style system. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick may be coaching college for the first time, but after talking with him I don’t think the distance between the hashes or the alignment of the numbers on the field will impact him as much as it had back in the day to defensive coaches transitioning to college from the NFL. Finally, Jedd Fisch is as good of a play-caller as there is in the game. He is aggressive, yet understands complimentary football and the impact of all three phases. Rarely did his former team, Arizona, have negative plays. It won't be easy but this staff will have the Huskies in the majority of their games.

What is up in the air: The OL and interior DL. After seeing a few other B1G teams, the challenge for UW in Year 1 will be sustaining/winning the line of scrimmage each week, for 4 quarters. Let’s check back in on this mid-season when they get into the heart of B1G play and host Michigan. And to the Cougs out there, the Apple Cup is going to be incredible as I think both teams match up extremely evenly across-the-board.

My favorite part: Hanging out with my mentor Pete Carroll. He’s changed my life in so many ways. I asked him what he looked for while watching a practice. He answered, “Everything. I look at everything.” It’s a great reminder for all of us who may feel the urge to criticize coaches that they know more about this game in their fingertips than we likely know in our entire bodies. More from Coach Carroll soon on the Y-Option podcast.

Oregon

What do I know: Dan Lanning has the deepest, most talented team he has had since arriving in Eugene. While that statement is low-hanging fruit, it must be noted as we are in a new era in college football as I think the teams that play the longest in a season will be the deepest and most veteran. Dillon Gabriel’s moxie is unique and over the course of my football life, he is in the top 1%. I’d compare his “It Factor” to that of Jameis Winston, Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez and Tua Tagovailoa. I define the “It Factor” as someone who walks into the room and has their presence felt, AND makes the room better. That’s Gabriel. If you missed it, take a listen to our conversation from a few weeks ago. Bottom line, this team follows him and he knows how to lead. In addition, this team is built from the inside out. Their offensive line is deep, and talented. Its defensive front is massive and athletic. If Jordan Burch can be the game wrecker the Ducks anticipate, look out.  

What do I trust: Everything. I don’t see a weak link. The Ducks have 10 second year defensive lineman/edge rushers and they all look the part. Teitum Tuioti, Blake Purchase, Matayo Uiagalelei and A’Mauri Washington are just a few of them and if this team can rotate on the defensive front like they expect, look out as they will be fresh, explosive, and on a mission. The back end is gifted with Jabbar Muhammad leading the way. We spoke at camp and the excitement he had for Dan Lanning’s program spoke volumes. Offensively, Jordan James should be in the conversation for the top running back on the West Coast. Both tackles, Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius, have Day 1 ability and this WR core is built like a hoops team, as they have a variety of weapons who each have a different unique trait. The player that stood out most was tight end Kenyon Sadiq who will be a household name by midseason. You heard it here first. Coupled with Terrance Ferguson, this may be the best TE room in the nation and was the most talented one my eyes saw thus far. Overall, this is a dramatically connected team and while others can talk about the portal, NIL and more, one thing will forever remain: the best teams have elite leadership and culture. The Ducks have both.

What is up in the air: When the lights get brightest, who shines? While standing on the practice fields in Eugene and Columbus I kept imagining the Ducks battling the Buckeyes. Both have stars, both have connected teams, both have elite coaching. How does each team navigate the big lights? Who makes the 3 plays necessary in the second half to extend drives, stop an explosive play, navigate their emotions? I expect the Ducks to meet the moment, as well as the Buckeyes. I just wish I was able to be on that broadcast crew to witness it all.

My favorite part: Post practice getting our television crew to get into the cold tubs at Oregon. It was hilarious, beneficial and maybe even a new tradition here at Y-Option.

From the Road

• First off, people in the midwest have been incredible. Kind, thoughtful and welcoming as I visited their respective campuses. It was memorable to watch my Pitt Panthers practice and meet with the wideouts post-practice. I shared the standard in that room from back in the day and am bullish on them making some noise in the ACC. Speaking of the ACC, Pitt has been in that league since 2011 and I still don’t really consider them a true member of that league. Rather, that is just the league they compete in. I’m not sure if that’s my playing bias from competing in the Big East or not, but I thought about it while driving across Pennsylvania and wondered how fans are adjusting in their new league. Let me know how you feel in the comments or on social media.

  

• Ohio State is a superteam. Pre-practice in Columbus I jokingly asked Chip Kelly, “How would this team fare against your 49er team from 2016?” He didn’t answer, but did pause. I’ve never been a fan of comparing the USC team of 2005 or the Bama team of 2020 or the Georgia 2021 team against the worst NFL team, as I always think that’s dramatically disrespectful to the NFL and what it takes to get there. But this is just one of those rosters that are special.

• The Buckeyes have competitive depth like the Ducks, but from the lone practice I saw have more “1st round” NFL Draft picks. I think everyone who starts for the Ducks will get a shot in the NFL or get drafted in rounds 2-5. But I don’t know for certain who their 1st rounders are, outside of Terrance Ferguson, yet. The Buckeyes already have a few. It’s a noteworthy storyline that has another layer to it that will impact the 2024 season and beyond...

• Veteran teams will win it all. As we enter a new era of college football the ones with the true vets will be able to win it all, navigate the adversity and welcome big moments. For years, Ohio State has had one of the most talented rosters in college football but most of their top-tier talent were 3 years and out to the NFL. With NIL factoring in, I think more draft eligible players will return. Look no further than Michigan or Washington last year, both were loaded with 4th, 5th and 6th year seniors. In a 16 or 17 game season, the veteran teams will know how to win tight games in a different style than ever before.

• Penn State has a defensive front that will stonewall people this year. Abdul Carter is monster off the edge and Zane Durant is a true game-wrecker. (And I love his name as our oldest son is named, Zayn)

• The top 4 running backs I saw were at two schools, Penn State (Nick Singleton/Kaytron Allen) and Ohio State (TreVeyon Henderson/Quinshon Judkins). The Nittany Lions face UCLA and USC in back to back weeks, then in November host UW in their annual White Out. All three of those teams better stop the run as possessions will be at a premium against the Nittany Lions.

• Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai is special. He was on his way to the Ivy League and Greg Schiano offered him a shot to play in the B1G. He hasn’t disappointed. They host UW on a Friday night in late September. That game will go quickly as both Monangai and Jonah Coleman will put on show. They also visit USC in an 8 p.m. PST game in October. We will know about the Trojans run defense much earlier than that game.

• There is another biker gang in college football. Yes, Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights remind me of the Utah Utes. Not only are Kyle Whittingham and Greg Schiano eerily similar, as both are defensive minded, coach special teams, have tough teams that pride themselves on the details. I’m buying the hype around Rutgers due to their schedule. 

• Practices were incredibly physical in the B1G, more so than what I’ve typically seen out west in training camp. Hate to say it, but I have to be a truth teller.

• My Big Theory: I’m on a kick that the B1G didn’t have elite QB play last year and that is a reason why their defenses get so much love. I just believe that the QB can have such an impact on the game. Dillon Gabriel was easily the top QB that my eyes saw in my first week on the road while Purdue’s Hudson Card also impressed me under former USC OC Graham Harrell. More about that position in 2 weeks as I want to suspend judgement around that position until my camp tour ends.

• Finally, some personal tidbits. The Graduate is an awesome hotel chain. And no, they are not a sponsor of Y-Option, but we’d be open to it. Each spot told a story about that campus or community. My personal favorite was at Indiana where the movie Hoosiers was all over the hotel. Also, I took great pride in knowing the top yoga studio and cafe in each Pac-12 community and after my first true east coast and midwest tour, the West Coast still reigns supreme. Core Power in Seattle is competing for a #1 seed and Meraki Coffee & Co still holds down the #1 seed for top cafe in this new 18 team league. 

Thanks for reading and as always, thank you for the support and hope you forward this to a fellow lover of college football.

Much love,

Yogi

P.S. Don’t get caught watching the paint dry.