Respective head coaches Charlie Strong and Kevin Sumlin are both interested in getting Texas vs. Texas A&M back on the schedule. Hell, so is Whataburger, for that matter.
THE READ OPTION: When could Texas and Texas A&M play again?
Good morning! It’s your daily digest of college football stuff. First, let’s look at the future and hope for rejoined rivals.
With talk about reuniting these rivals who were torn asunder by conference realignment, let’s see when several separated rivals could potentially get back on the schedule. Former Big Eight rivals Nebraska and Oklahoma are on the books for 2020, so why not others?
Let’s assume no one backs out of a contract for a currently scheduled non-conference game.
Texas vs. Texas A&M
The Aggies have a maneuverable non-conference schedule. They play series with UCLA and Clemson, but they have at least one open spot from 2017 on.
The Longhorns’ schedule is packed, especially since they only have three spots per year. Texas is scheduled to play series with Notre Dame, Cal, Maryland, and USC before a spot opens in 2019, and that year includes LSU. There’s little difference after that, with Arkansas, Michigan, and Ohio State following, but there is room.
Michigan vs. Notre Dame
While realignment didn’t overtly kill this one, you could make the case the Irish playing more ACC games squeezed out the Wolverines.
The contract for these games in 2015-2017 was cancelled last year. The language regarding the future is nebulous. Notre Dame is obligated to play five ACC teams a year, but they have room starting in 2017.
The Big Ten goes to nine-game conference schedules in 2016, so Michigan doesn’t have an opening until 2018. They’re signed up to play a lot of power teams, but if appeals to tradition can work anywhere, it’s with Michigan and Notre Dame.
West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh
The Mountaineers’ non-conference is crowded. With only three slots each year, they’re scheduled to face Maryland (three times), Missouri (twice), BYU, Virginia Tech (twice), Tennessee, NC State (twice), and Penn State (twice) between 2015 and 2024, but they have at least one slot from 2017 on.
Pitt has a stiff non-conference as well. Notre Dame counts in 2015, 2018, 2020, 2023, and 2025 despite quasi-ACC affiliation. The Panthers have a four-year series with Penn State starting in 2016, a home-and-home with Oklahoma State in 2016 and 2017, and a home-and-home with Tennessee in 2021/22 I’m just going to refer to as the Johnny Majors Invitational.
The Panthers could fit WVU starting in 2018, but their non-conference would be WVU, Penn State, and Notre Dame.
Mizzou-Kansas
Missouri is signed up for home-and-homes with BYU, West Virginia, UConn, Purdue, and Memphis. The Tigers have an open slot in 2016 and in 2018 and every year after that. If they wanted, they could fit Kansas without trouble.
Kansas’ non-conference schedule is surprisingly sparse. The Jayhawks have home-and-homes with Rutgers, Ohio, Central Michigan, Houston, and eventually Illinois. They have at least one slot starting in 2017.
And now, Tuesday’s other news.
Hey, an intelligent draft tibit. Former NFL defensive end Stephen White breaks it down about USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Spoiler alert: He is very good at football.
This guy is so fun to watch on tape, especially against the run. I mean the dude has to two-gap on most plays, meaning he lines up head up on the tackle or the guard, usually on the defense’s left side. His mission, if he chooses to accept it, is to come off and engage with that blocker until he gets control of him. Then he still has to make the play if the ball is run in one of the gaps on either side of that blocker. That’s why they call it “two-gapping” because Williams is responsible for two gaps on any given play.
CHUCKIE KEETON BACK. Could Utah State win the Mountain West in 2015? Bill C. is bullish on the Aggies as his preview series turns to them.
CROOTIN’: Four-star commits on Tuesday for Notre Dame and for Stanford.
The Ohio State QB competition will remain a QB competition. Urban Meyer claims moving Braxton Miller to another position hasn’t been discussed.
Speaking of intelligent analysis. Maize ‘N’ Brew was also spending some time in the film room, and they’re here to talk about how Jim Harbaugh’s run game works.
Good ole hatin’. Florida State fans over at Tomahawk Nation weren’t thrilled with how things looked in the Seminoles’ spring game, but they found time to buoy their spirits by looking at how Florida and Miami are doing. Good for them.
WONDERLIC-IN’ GOOD. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota both posted impressive Wonderlic scores, for what it’s worth.
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