- Dave wilson
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ESPN Staff Writer- Dave Wilson has been an editor for ESPN.com since 2010. He previously worked at the Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Las Vegas Sun.
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Kyle Bonagura
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ESPN Staff Writer- Includes Pac-12.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Attended Washington State University.
The longest tenor in our lifetime got a lot more time for the Big Ten and Pac-12 last week, with the postponement of college football seasons.
Apparently, this is a painful thing for the biggest sports fans on the planet. To make it even worse, the ACC, Big 12 and SEC still have to play, with potential for four months of fall for fans of sideline teams.
On the contrary, all bets are off, and Nishtha gets a one-year pass. We studied each team for possible matches. There are some obvious similarities. Others take the opportunity to see how the other half lives for a season.
Here is a handy guide for free-agent fans. Enjoy, Rutgers.
Big TEN
Illinois
about me: Trying to roam there, catching someone by surprise.
Selection of matchmakers: South Carolina
Why you would kill it: A defensive-minded coach with a conservative offensive approach would feel right at home. Illinois upset Wisconsin 24-23 last season and finished 6-7. South Carolina defeated No. 3 Georgia 20-17 and finished 4-8.
Indiana
about me: Football is not my strong suit. But we are rotating things.
Selection of matchmakers: Kentucky
Why you would kill it: Coach Tom Allen’s first three seasons (18–19) mirror Mark Stoops’ second, third and fourth seasons (17–20). But Stops won just 10 games after two years.
Iowa
about me: Love life on plains, creepy birds, reliable yet dangerous looks.
Selection of matchmakers: Golden brown
Why you would kill it: You both understand the unpredictability of the football season. You can win eight games with some close losses, or mess around and win 12 and crush the dreams of a national title contender. You have the experience and nature of jumping in this train.
Maryland
about me: Recently in search of stability after some major changes.
Selection of matchmakers: Virginia tech
Why you would kill it: We know it is hard to root for an old ACC rival. But you know what helps? When the enemy of your enemies becomes your friend. Spend season routing Against Old ACC rivals such as Duke, North Carolina and NC State – who you used to battle in that other game you just love a little bit.
Michigan
about me: Love tradition, iconic headwear, rose bowls.
Selection of matchmakers: Texas
Why you would kill it: You have both won – a lot, over 900 wins each. The last decade or so has not been so kind, but this could be your year.
Michigan state
about me: Fans of Upset, Anarchy, Defense and Pat Narduzzi.
Selection of matchmakers: Pitt
Why you would kill it: Michigan State fans can claim Pat Narduzzi again and remember for the glorious days when he teamed up with Mark Dantonio to win big. In some otherwise mediocre pit seasons, however, Narduzzi ended UCF’s 27-game winning streak last season, beating No. 2 Miami in 2017 and No. 3 Clemson in 2016.
Minnesota
about me: Retro vibes (1960 love), but my division rivals celebrate the 1990s. Millennium coaches are blueprints.
Selection of matchmakers: Missouri
Why you would kill it: Coach PJ Fleck picked you up at a prefontane pace for the Sport’s ELITE. Row over Row Columbia, where the Tigers are facing a brutal schedule in the first season of Eli Drinkwitz in #NewZou and can use some energy.
Nebraska
about me: Corn is life. Breach of authority Proud Midwesterners.
Selection of matchmakers: Iowa State
Why you would kill it: The Cyclones may be members of the old convention, but you have given them ownership. He now finds a solid team with Brock Purdy, one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Wouldn’t it be fun to root for clones against Texas and Oklahoma?
Northwestern
about me: Defense is great, any offense is a bonus. Big fan of purple.
Selection of matchmakers: TCU
Why you would kill it: You would love to see coach Gary Patterson defend. Freshman running Zach Evans could add a shock to the lack of last season.
Ohio State
about me: Dynamic quarterback, linebacker, not a fan of neighboring states.
Selection of matchmakers: Georgia
Why you would kill it: You both wonder what might happen if quarterback Justin Fields got to take the field. Ohio State is the most recent team that has not named Clemson to end the season with a loss to Alabama in the 2015 Sugar Bowl. You can give Georgia a little mojo in exchange for the fields.
2:09
Justin Fields joins Zubin Mehendi, Jay Williams and Keyshawn Johnson to find out why he is petitioning the Big Ten to reinstate his football season.
Penn State
about me: Committed, but still has an independent streak. Love history, tradition.
Selection of matchmakers: Notre dame
Why you would kill it: Eliminate old upsets and route to a return to the blueblood days when independents can demonstrate and show these conferences to people how it has been done.
Purdue
about me: Engineering upsets are my passion. Love transport and sleeping goods.
Selection of matchmakers: Georgia tech
Why you would kill it: Take the Boilermaker Special to catch a ride in the Rambilin wreck. Surely you can appreciate a school whose Fight Song says, “I’m a Ramblin, Gamblin ‘Hell of an Engineer!”
Rutgers
about me: Just happy to be here.
Selection of matchmakers: Alabama
Why you would kill it: See, you started college football 151 years ago. We love you for it, but it has not always been easy for you. So live a little in this season. This one on us
Wisconsin
about me: Keep a cooler stock. Make sure there is plenty of space for the tailgate. Get ready for some rescue.
Selection of matchmakers: LSU
Why you would kill it: You have already agreed to get to know each other with the sport in Houston in 2014 and Lambo Field in 2016, and you got on with swimming. Put on some sausages, have a few drinks and you’ll feel right at home.
Pac 12
Arizona
about me: Of an outsider, looking for some company to talk hoops for.
Selection of matchmakers: Syracuse
Why you would kill it: Both prefer to discuss the qualities of man-to-man versus zone versus 3-4 versus 4-3.
Arizona State
about me: Big state school, love a good party, big fan of Mike Norwell’s crime.
Selection of matchmakers: Florida State
Why you would kill it: A javelin is not as effective as the atomizer, but Arizona State has progressively deteriorated as Norwell departed after the 2015 season as coordinator.
period
about me: Very proud to be top ranked public Educational institutions, looking good in blue, like to go to a bowl game on the occasion.
Selection of matchmakers: Virginia
Why you would kill it: Rooting for the Cavaliers would be a similar experience to the old Blues, as neither program has won the outright conference title in more than 60 years. However, both made it to the top four in the US News & World Report rankings among the country’s top public universities last year. Not bad business.
Colorado
about me: Looking for something new outside.
Selection of matchmakers: Appalachian State
Why you would kill it: The Appalachians are not the Rockies and the Sun Belt is not the Pac-12, but some trade-offs appeal for a rare opportunity to win a conference title.
Oregon
about me: New-School Blueblood. Prioritize quarterbacks with shampoo spokes ability.
Selection of matchmakers: Clemson
Why you would kill it: Clemson is the program in which Oregon fans thought they were on the verge of becoming under Chip Kelly. This is a course correction.
Oregon State
about me: Halloween color fan, not big on recruitment rankings. Beware of rivalry games.
Selection of matchmakers: Oklahoma state
Why you would kill it: It is only a matter of a year, so why not replace a perfectly good orange and black OSU cupboard if you don’t have to?
Stanford
about me: More tortoises than green; More trains than planes. Smart, calculated and proven.
Selection of matchmakers: Oklahoma
Why you would kill it: When you are on vacation, where money is no object, do you rent a reliable car with good gas mileage left at home in the garage? No, you get a fast, fun car and get experience. Take a gap year and enjoy the ride.
UCLA
about me: Love the big, historic stadiums. The most fertile recruits in the country live among the grounds. A top-10 finish in the last two decades.
Selection of matchmakers: Texas A&M
Why you would kill it: UCLA can relate to A&M’s frustrations about punching under its weight class and expects it to eventually break through the Aggie. There may be some rude offense about to finish a 34-point deficit to beat A&M in the 2017 Rose Bowl.
Usc
about me: Desperate traditional power, enjoy being on the beach and talking about good ol ‘days (which were not that long ago).
Selection of matchmakers: Miami
Why you would kill it: USC fans have been feeling sorry for themselves lately and what can a better reality check do for Miami than season one? It can be “worse than this.”
1:12
Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott discussed the possibility of a spring football season and said that if there was no way to do it safely, the conference would not play.
Utah
about me: The ultimate Pac-12 champion, social media powerhouse and, according to the NCAA, 2008 national champion.
Selection of matchmakers: Florida
Why you would kill it: “Hello, fellow 2008 national champions!” The urban mayor’s path from Salt Lake City to Gainesville was working very well, so why can’t the Utah fan base follow suit? The real answer here, of course, is whoever is playing BYU.
Washington
about me: Boating, love dogs and savoring the glory of the 1990s.
Selection of matchmakers: Tennessee
Why you would kill it: The excitement is building in Knoxville after six consecutive wins to kick off the 2019 season, so this is a great time to ride the boat and exchange sailing tips.
Washington State
about me: Moving forward and stabilizing something after eight years of living the air raid lifestyle.
Selection of matchmakers: Mississippi state
Why you would kill it: Some things are difficult to give up. Does anyone really want to see a team coached by someone who gets punting fourth by an acceptable decision?
Monasten West Bones Peak
Boise state
about me: Hatred is being released. Such as taking over a system. When invited to a gala, the life of the party is made.
Selection of matchmakers: Ucf
Why you would kill it: This is the best shot for an outsider to crash the College Football Playoff, with a chance to make UCF 27.2% president by ESPN’s Playoff Predictor. We know that you will be the person to crash, but the precedent will go much further.
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