Could Mendoza be the franchise game-changer the Raiders desperately need? @scottdochterman.bsky.social and @nickbaumgardner.bsky.social explain their picks ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...

Iowa’s offensive line earned the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best. Here was when they saw the trophy.

A tweak to the seeding format after the first 12-team CFP to allow the highest-ranked teams to also be the top seeds has the second round looking like a potential banger. Here’s a first look from @ralphdrussoath.bsky.social and @scottdochterman.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/690...

This is deplorable. Yeah, I used that word.

"The bowls’ contractual ties to specific conferences, which inform which teams receive invitations to each game, expire after this season." (@scottdochterman.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

College football midseason bowl projections: How 2025’s first half has changed December plans www.nytimes.com/athletic/672...

I feel like a number of my timeline folks would enjoy this.

Wisconsin’s 37-0 loss to Iowa marked the Badgers’ ninth straight defeat to a power conference opponent and first home shutout since 1980. “I’m crushed, disappointed in myself and our team,” Fickell said. And it’s about to get much, much worse for the Badgers. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Life and college football along the beer highway: Starting in Iowa City, weaving through Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, veering to New Glarus and then Madison, heritage, beer and football define the storied Iowa-Wisconsin rivalry. @theathletic.com www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Sorting through the Big Ten’s second tier: Who still has a shot at contention? www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

What a CFP selection dry run revealed about college football’s most scrutinized conference room www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

College Football Playoff 2025 bracket prediction: Hello Alabama! Goodbye Penn State! www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

What we learned about the Big Ten after the conference’s most consequential Saturday Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana pass major road tests Concern, yes, but not all bad for Penn State The league's "mushy middle" QBs making strides What if ... play-in edition www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

What we learned about the Big Ten after the conference’s most consequential Saturday Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana pass major road tests Concern, yes, but not all bad for Penn State The league's "mushy middle" QBs making strides What if ... play-in edition www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

College Football Playoff 2025 bracket prediction: A wide-open field after a chaotic Saturday (And good luck choosing among the SEC teams) www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...

Indiana’s gut-check win at Iowa could form backbone of special season: ‘Now we know’ www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...

‘I had to find out if the fan base was dead or just on life support.’ At Indiana, Curt Cignetti stepped out of his comfort zone and now is forcing fans to embrace a surprising football frontrunner. The infrastructure says IU could stay there. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

Illinois and Indiana share a history of losing. That’s why their matchup is so intriguing www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Big Ten football mailbag: Penn State’s schedule Disparities on Friday night games Illinois optimism Oregon concerns And more here ⬇️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz set the Big Ten wins record without fanfare. Iowa's governor didn't hand him a cake, like with Hayden Fry in 1991. No B1G official was on hand to celebrate it. Instead, Ferentz joined The Swarm & kissed his wife, which was perfect for him. www.nytimes.com/athletic/662...

From 2-18 to 206: Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz breaks Woody Hayes’ Big Ten wins record www.nytimes.com/athletic/662...

Iowa State once looked up to Kansas State and Iowa. After winning 3 straight against the Wildcats and 3 of 4 against the Hawkeyes, it’s now the other way around. www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

This week, The Broadside tackled… what else? The Belichick effect. Big thanks to @scottdochterman.bsky.social and @themhartman.bsky.social for explaining the money-sucking machine behind college athletics. And why winning may not matter when you can’t lose in college football.

In college football’s new era, is it better to be Iowa or Iowa State? A breakdown of the pros and cons ranging from financial data to CFP access. www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

10 things you need to know about the Big Ten as mega-conference kicks off 2025 www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

Who has the easiest, hardest Big Ten schedules? Ranking all 18, from Wisconsin to Michigan www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

How college football players spend NIL money, from muscle cars and fishing gear to wedding rings and long-term investments. www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

What if there were a Big Ten vs. SEC challenge: Who would win a 16-game showdown? For the second straight year @scottdochterman.bsky.social and I draw up matchups and make picks, and don’t always agree: www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

Why is Iowa State-Kansas State in Ireland? How ‘Farm O’ Geddon’ went international www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

There’s no longer any pretense this has anything to do with crime (there are cities or parts of cities in SC and Ohio that have higher crime rates than DC — send the troops there!). This is about establishing a precedent for Trump seizing control of the nation’s capital when he wants to.

More details ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...

Why didn’t Michigan vacate wins? What’s a show-cause penalty? @chrisvannini.com dives into the nitty-gritty details of the Wolverines’ punishment ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...

Unanswered questions remain after the NCAA released its ruling on Michigan's sign-stealing investigation. ◽ Is the punishment enough to discourage others from cheating? ◽ Who paid for Connor Stalions’ operation? ◽ Did Jim Harbaugh and other coaches know about the sign-stealing as it was happening?

Meet Minnesota’s Koi Perich: College football’s next best hope for a two-way star in a post-Travis Hunter world www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...

Iowa offense preseason reset: How Mark Gronowski and other key Hawkeyes are fitting in www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...

The Big Ten and private equity: Why college sports’ richest conference is exploring a once unlikely bond www.nytimes.com/athletic/653...

Made the switch tonight to YouTube TV just in time for this glorious CFL game (my cable company didn’t have CBS Sports Network).

The Big Ten and private equity: Why college sports’ richest conference is exploring a once unlikely bond www.nytimes.com/athletic/653...

2025 Heisman Trophy Fantasy Draft: Arch Manning, Jeremiyah Love and 30 more picks for NYC We conducted a four-round snake draft. Our rationale is in the link. @theathletic.com www.nytimes.com/athletic/653...

Breaking down the Coaches Poll Top 25. Last year only 12 teams in the preseason top 25 made the final poll. Who's underrated? Who's underrated? www.nytimes.com/athletic/653...

In 3 weeks, we get Farmageddon in Ireland. For Kansas State and Iowa State, Farmageddon is a treasure for the schools and the Big 12. www.nytimes.com/athletic/595...

NEW: I spoke with a woman named Andrea about her experience being detained by ICE after calling the cops for help during a domestic violence incident. She was recently postpartum, breastfeeding & put in an all-male facility. She was detained for 2.5 months.

Finally, a beautiful morning in Eastern Iowa. A perfect time to move the office outside and start season 20 covering sports in this area. Love it!

What a treat to preview the NFC WEST with the great @jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social 🎧: apple.co/3JbXYvO 📺: youtu.be/EAbwccix8Sc?...

What we learned from Big Ten media days: The feud with the SEC brings out the rhetoric from Big Ten coaches. Penn State the clear favorite on paper. The league’s best depth ever? Remember Champions Week? Could it return? www.nytimes.com/athletic/652...

What we learned from Big Ten media days: What we learned from Big Ten media days: The feud with the SEC brings out the rhetoric from Big Ten coaches. Penn State the clear favorite on paper. The league’s best depth ever? Remember Champions Week? www.nytimes.com/athletic/652...

This hurts.

Why have Big Ten football coaches rallied around a CFP plan the rest of college football doesn’t like? “They’re in sync with the plan because they helped create it.” An inside at the numbers and rationale behind its CFP proposal. www.nytimes.com/athletic/651...

Take a look at center Logan Jones, right guard Connor Colby (now with the 49ers) and especially right tackle Gennings Dunker.

I was fully prepared to dislike Happy Gilmore 2 and instead I absolutely loved it. Very enjoyable.