Would you consider the past four years a success?

Rich Rodriguez is entering his fifth season as the head football coach of the Arizona Wildcats. He will try to become the first coach in school history to appear in five consecutive bowl games. Arizona legend Dick Tomey was able to reach five bowls in six seasons, but never accomplished the feat of five straight.

Bowl games can be a funny thing as 5-7 teams now have the ability to receive bids since there are 40 different bowls. Their significance has somewhat diminished over the years with the expansion of games. However, they can be used to gauge one aspect of the season: if you don’t make one, you had a bad season.

By that measure, is it fair to say that no RichRod-led UA team has had a bad season? There may be no way for anyone to answer that objectively as everyone has their own meaning of “bad”. However, there are statistics that can be used to help support the argument one way or the other.

Let’s review some numbers from these past four seasons that may provide clarity to the debate.

Good teams win close games – The Wildcats are 13-9 in one possession games.

Performance against ranked teams matter most – They are 7-11 against ranked teams.

A winning record in the end is all that matters – They have finished with a winning record in all four seasons.

Overall record is good but conference records are more important – They have finished with a winning conference record only once.

So maybe that didn’t provide an edge to either party of the debate but those numbers fascinate me. Who knows how much different the team could have looked if last season wasn’t injury plagued? If they win two more games last year, the numbers turn into 35-18 overall with a 20-17 conference record. Those marks are much more appealing.

Of course, there’s the butterfly effect where the bowl opponent could have been stronger if this scenario happened, but let’s assume they still win it.

The Wildcats have begun 3-0 each season with RichRod at the helm. Granted, those 12 games weren’t against heavyweights, but it’s still an undefeated mark. As shown above, they’re 33-20 overall during his tenure but only 18-19 against Pac-12 opponents.

I think the sub-.500 conference record is the most difficult hurdle to overcome for the Pro-RichRod contingent. The silver lining is he has compiled a winning record at home. The most trouble is clearly with Jim Mora and UCLA as he is still winless against the Bruins.

The first four seasons of the Rodriguez era have shown us just about everything you could imagine. Arizona has been on both ends of blowouts and nailbiters. He has won the Pac-12 South, appeared in a New Year’s Six bowl, and upset a top ten team every year.

This is the most excitement and success UA fans have seen with their football program in a long time, if not ever. Personally, I have been pleased with his tenure thus far. I would argue it has been successful relative to the history of the program.

There will come a time where 6-6 or 7-5 are unacceptable. However, the recent coaching changes suggest that he understands 2014 is the standard moving forward.

Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis has a knack for getting me fired up for Aggie Football. Chavis begins by heaping praise on the defensive line, confirms that the Aggies will play a lot of nickel, and requests all of the corners. GIVE HIM TEN CORNERS.

We will be improved at linebacker.

Everyone at linebacker is benching all of the weight available. The freshmen look pretty and it is TBD whether they can play football. The defense finally has older players to help the young players along.

Watch the full interview.

Now that Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett are in the NFL, the redshirt junior feels it is his time to shine.

“I have a pretty good role in the offense, better than (for tight ends) in past years. The way it’s looking right now, I have a pretty good role in the passing game. We’ve changed some reads to where I’ll be the first read … or if the first read’s covered, I’ll be the second read.”

– Ohio State tight end Marcus Baugh via Tim May, The Columbus Dispatch

It seems like every year Ohio State fans hear about how the team is planning to get the tight ends more involved in the passing game. The last couple years it is a little more understandable about how those plans never really materialize when the Buckeyes have had other offensive threats like Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas, and Jalin Marshall to lean on. This year could be different though, since Ohio State is so young at their skill positions. One reason where there is some optimism for an increased output from the tight ends is because Ed Warinner has moved from offensive line coach to tight ends coach so that he can focus a little more on his offensive coordinator duties. After seeing the problems Clemson had with Alabama tight end O.J. Howard in the national title game, he is looking for ways to get the Buckeye tight ends more involved in the game if the matchups are right.

The player who could most benefit on some of the increased usage the tight ends might get is redshirt junior Marcus Baugh. So far during his career in Columbus, Baugh has had to sit behind tight ends Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett. Both of those players are now in the NFL, so it is Baugh’s time to shine. So far Baugh has only caught three passes as a Buckeye, but one of those was a 27-yard reception against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Baugh also earned the trust of his coaches during the season last year, averaging 38 plays per game the last eight games after only 15 plays per game in the first five. Baugh has the size, athleticism, and hands that are very attractive as a tight end, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make some noise in this young Ohio State offense.

“We have been working with each other the whole summer so we built that bond and that chemistry on the field. Once you build that chemistry on the field, you can work together and play together.”

– Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan via Jacob Myers, The Lantern

It’s no easy task to replace players like Darron Lee and Joshua Perry, but at least Ohio State has the luxury of having Raekwon McMillan to lead this year’s group of linebackers. McMillan has already started to establish himself as the latest great Ohio State linebacker, but after having Lee and Perry to lean on the last two seasons, this year the spotlight will be firmly on McMillan. After leading Ohio State in tackles last season, now McMillan will be hoping the linebacking corps don’t miss a beat this year even though they’ll have two new starters.

Unlike when McMillan started to see time for Ohio State as a true freshman, this year’s new starters have already seen some time on the field for the Buckeyes. Chris Worley and Dante Booker have taken some snaps for the Ohio State defense, as well as contributing to the special teams unit. Even though Booker and Worley may be the new starters at linebacker, it doesn’t mean they’ll be cut any slack. Ohio State linebackers have always been held to a high standard, and this year will be no different. The trio has already spent time in the offseason working together so when the season kicks off they’ll be comfortable playing next to each other the field, as they try and help the Buckeyes return to the College Football Playoff.

“I’m approaching this year as a make or break year. I’m going to make it or it ain’t going to work. I’m really trying to focus in on this year. To me, this is a huge year.”

– Former Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde via Jeremy Bergman, NFL.com

Entering his third season in the NFL, running back Carlos Hyde hasn’t exactly gotten dealt the best hand. After being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Hyde is already on his third head coach. Hyde started out in San Francisco by backing up veteran Frank Gore in 2014 before taking over as starter in 2015. The former Buckeye running back put the NFL on notice when he rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener, but injuries throughout the year only allowed him to appear in seven games. Now Chip Kelly takes over for Jim Tomsula, who was fired after the 49ers went 5-11 in 2015.

Even though there isn’t much on the 49ers depth chart behind him, Hyde doesn’t exactly feel like his role in Kelly’s offense is safe. That’s why the third-year pro is focused on making this year his best. Hyde has spent the offseason getting used to the up-tempo offense that Kelly likes to run, but he is hoping he can mirror what LeSean McCoy did in two seasons under Kelly in Philadelphia. As long as Hyde is able to avoid the injury bug this season, it’s likely that he’ll have a huge season, since Kelly will likely find ways to get the football into his running back’s hands early and often.

“The history of golf, nor Ohio State athletics, cannot be spoken of without this historic venue. Opened in 1916, Scioto Country Club has been thought of as one of America’s great golf courses for nearly the entirety of its century-long existence, a credit that will be recognized this year when it hosts the U.S. Senior Open starting Thursday and running through Sunday.”

– Jeff Svoboda, Scout.com

For most golf fans around central Ohio the only chance to see the professionals play in Columbus is when The Memorial comes to Muirfield in June. This year the capital city gets an added bonus, as the U.S. Senior Open teed off at Scioto Country Club earlier today. The USGA is returning to Columbus for a major tournament for the first time since 1986 when Scioto Country Club hosted the same tournament. Even though Scioto might not be as popular as courses like Augusta National and Pebble Beach, it is still ranked one of the top 50 courses in the world by Golf Digest.

This weekend’s tournament will have a decidedly scarlet and grey feel, but that’s not just because the course is a couple miles from Ohio State. Scioto Country Club was the course in which Buckeye legend Jack Nicklaus took his first golf shot in 1950. Nicklaus will be serving as honorary chairman for this week’s event. While Nicklaus will be overseeing the event, Ohio State will have four former Buckeyes competing in the event. John Cook, Joey Sindelar, and Rod Spittle will all be paired together for the first two rounds of the event, and Brian Mogg will be also be in the field. Mogg, Cook, and Sindelar all helped Ohio State capture the 1979 national title. Hopefully a great weekend of golf is in store for fans in attendance, and it doesn’t take 30 years for the USGA to make their way back to Columbus for another major.

STICK TO SPORTS

• The Perseid meteor shower will take place on Friday and Saturday.
• Chipotle is offering happy hour at participating Ohio locations on Thursdays in August and September.
• An odd passenger was found on a flight from Columbus to Las Vegas.
• Swedish Fish Oreos? What a time to be alive.

A missed visit and Oklahoma pledge by a Texas target may keep the DeSoto product in the Texas class.

DeSota offensive guard Xavier Newman has been the Texas Longhorns’ only 2017 lineman pledge after committing back in April, but there was legitimate concern throughout the summer that he’d ultimately flip to Oklahoma. That concern of a flip began to seem almost inevitable when Newman was scheduled for a recent visit to Norman,

However, after not making it to the Sooner State and Monday’s addition of Texas target Creed Humphrey, an in-state center prospect, it’s looking more and more like Newman may remain a Longhorn, as the Sooners are now likely full along the interior offensive line with three commits.

For one, Texas had extended offers to five other interior linemen and all have committed elsewhere, which makes keeping Newman on board that much more significant for Texas. That’s something Newman may know as well, as he’s reportedly been recruiting for the Longhorns, according to The Football Brainiacs:

Spoke to a source on whether Newman was solid with Texas and I was told, “Well he’s out there recruiting Devodrick Johnson, Baron Browning and all the other guys with the other Texas commits, so I’d say so.”

Considering Texas’ youth on the line, it may take a while for Newman to break the rotation, but as we’ve seen with the lack of interior depth and talent of years past, there’s always room for additional big bodies.

Here’s a look at a quick scouting report Wescott Eberts previously wrote:

At DeSoto, Newman plays left tackle, guard, and some center for DeSoto because of his excellent mobility, but projects as a pure guard at the next level unless he has a late growth spurt. Since he does need to add some mass and strength, he’s a likely redshirt candidate unless he can a significant amount of weight over the next year. Newman also doesn’t have the most naturally powerful punch in his class, so that’s another major reason why he needs to continue adding strength.

On film, his best attribute is probably his motor — once Newman gets his hands on his opponents, he consistently keeps his feet moving and plays to the whistle, much like 2016 early enrollee Zach Shackelford.

Newman ranks as the No. 25 offensive guard in the nation and No. 69 player in Texas.

Texas Tech’s Defense Looks to Be Improved with Young Talent

The elephant in the room for the Red Raiders is the defense which ranked second to last in total defense. It gave up an astonishing 547.7 yard per game, and to add insult to injury, the team ranked behind Texas Tech in total defense was Kansas. It can be said a thousand times how important it will be for Texas Tech’s defense to improve upon last season’s outing, but that’s a generic suggestion. In order to understand how the defense should improve this year, it’s important to understand the players returning. This defense will be young, but it’s the handful of talented sophomores that are returning that will be an essential cog to the defensive machine. D’Vonta Hinton is one of those talented sophomores, and his case for a breakout season was his quiet but productive first year as a Red Raider.

Besides Breiden Fehoko, Hinton was the only other true freshman to play defense in the 2015 season. His season was quiet for the fact that he had limited minutes in the first half of the season, but in those limited minutes, Hinton produced. His first career tackle was against UTEP, and then he recorded two more in that game. He also recorded tackles against Arkansas, several against Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Kansas State, and Texas. He had five starts spanning the season. His play-making ability is yet to be determined, but with him recording tackles in almost every game, there isn’t much room for doubt. D’Vonta Hinton will only improve as this upcoming season begins.

It’s important to note his ability to create turnovers. He forced a fumble against West Virginia, he had a couple of sacks at Texas, and the most important component of his talent is his ability to hurry a quarterback. Hinton has speed on him and this will help him when it comes to force interceptions. He may become an effective pass-rusher when facing better quarterbacks. From what he’s brought to the table, it seems that Hinton has the abilities to become a constant defensive presence for opposing teams.

It’ll be interesting to see D’Vonta Hinton mature as the season progresses. The best hope is that not only does he mirror his first season, but improve upon it. To be clear, by no means does it mean D’Vonta Hinton will be Texas Tech’s answer to improving a mediocre defense. There are so many X-factors that must be calculated to determine the success of the defense, but with players like Hinton, Texas Tech’s defense can only see improvement with the help of underclassman that are ready to compete.

Thursday’s practice notebook provides injury updates for both Bryce Perkins and Demario Richard.

Arizona State wore full pads at practice Thursday morning in the Verde Dickey Dome as preseason camp continued. Media was able to watch stretching, individual drills, special teams and 11-on-0 offense before being removed.

Injury updates:

Junior running back Demario Richard was in green today with a heavily taped right ankle. He didn’t participate in drills from what media was allowed to watch, but he was in pads.

Freshman wideout N’Keal Harry did not participate in individual drills either. He and Richard were at “Muscle Beach” during drills.

Redshirt freshman Bryce Perkins attended practice today wearing a large neck brace. From the looks of it, it’s doubtful Perkins will practice at all this season. Graham said after practice that Perkins will be out for an extended period of time but was not sure that it was a season-ending injury. Scout.com is reporting the injury will sideline Perkins for 2-3 months.

Redshirt junior safety James Johnson was in green for the second day in a row. Redshirt senior defensive back Laiu Moeakiola was not seen at practice today.

Offense:

Redshirt freshman quarterback Brady White guided the first-team offense through a quick series against no defense today. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Manny Wilkins was with the second team, and freshman Dillon Sterling-Cole got a few quick reps with the third team.

Team 1

QB: Brady White

RB: Kalen Ballage

WR (outside): Tim White, Ellis Jefferson,

WR (slot): Fred Gammage

TE: Kody Kohl, Raymond Epps

LT: Evan Goodman

LG: Sam Jones

C: Stephon McCray

RG: Quinn Bailey

RT: Zach Robertson

Team 2

QB: Manny Wilkins

RB: Nick Ralston

WR (outside): Ryan Jenkins, Manuel Harris

WR (slot): Ryan Newsome

TE: Raymond Epps

LT: Mason Walter

LG: Connor Humphreys

C: Cohl Cabral

RG: Cade Cote

RT: Steven Miller

Notes:

• Redshirt sophomore Dasmond Tautalatasi was in green today.
• Spotted playing safety alongside redshirt sophomore Armand Perry was junior J’Marcus Rhodes.
• Gump Hayes was not with the defense today.
• Tim White remained in a Pat Tillman jersey.

Former five-star wide receiver recruit Tyron Johnson announced via Twitter that he would be departing the LSU program and has been granted his release by the LSU coaching staff.

According to his father, Johnson is looking to play in a “more wide open offense.”

Johnson’s announcement comes on the heels of the team loosing Christian Lacouture and Isaiah Washington to season ending injuries, as well as Corey Thompson missing several weeks due to a broken leg. Unlike Lacouture and Thompson, however, Johnson was not expected to start.

The loss of Johnson does not help the Tigers’ depth at wide receiver after veterans John Diarse and Trey Quinn departed during the off-season. Though both Diarse and Quinn would have been upperclassmen entering 2016 while Johnson would have been just a true sophomore.

While this departure does rob the Tigers of some experience at the position, it isn’t particularly debilitating. Dupre and Doral figure to be one-two in receptions and receiving yards and would have started ahead of Johnson. Meanwhile, other veterans such as DJ Chark and Derrick Dillon, along with freshman Stephan Sullivan and Drake Davis are all vying for the remaining receiving yards, which would have made it tough for Johnson to get on the field.

One of the most sought after recruits as a senior in high school, and the top player in the state according to 247, Johnson should have no shortage of suitors. He was recruited heavily by several Big 12 schools before deciding on the Tigers.

In his one season with the Tigers Johnson had nine receptions for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

Who steps up in the new three LB system?

Some of the more interesting position battles of fall camp come across the board at the linebacker position. After losing the likes of Joe Walker, Rodney Hardrick , Tyson Coleman and Christian French the Ducks are in need of new blood at the position. Changing into a 4-3 means that not as many bodies will be needed as in the past where not only would we see the 4 man linebacker group but also the mass substitutions.

Departed

As mentioned the Ducks certainly lost some talent at the linebacker position and more importantly senior leadership. Although it’s fair to argue this point as there were so many times last year where we saw poor play from the position. Regardless, departed from the Ducks are 7th round draft pick Joe Walker along with inside linebacker partner Rodney Hardrick and outside linebackers Tyson Coleman and Christian French.

Newcomers

Definitely a spot for some newcomers to break their way into the rotation this year with the aforementioned departures. Transfer players Jonah Moi and A.J. Hotchkins both have a real good chance at early playing time. Moi redshirted last year so he has more experience with the program but Hotchkins is quite talented. Plenty of freshman join the list as well. LaMar Winston and Darrian Franklin are two that I have my eye on for playing time as well as A.J. Hotchkins, who Helfrich recently praised publicly.

Returners to watch

Johnny Raigan III. When you’re the defensive player brought to the Pac-12 media days, the pressure is squarely on you to lead the defense. Raigan has the expectation to be a very solid player in the middle and I look for him to have a nice season. I think he’ll be solid, but he needs to make a big jump from how good he was last year to be a star this year.

Danny Mattingly. Mattingly is your everyday middle linebacker who brings the thump. Still never adjusted to pass coverage, but perhaps the change in defense helps with that. He’s a nice player to have who has been around for a while and seen what the Pac-12 has to offer.

Jimmie Swain. The junior from Kansas looks to play a much bigger role this year than what he has in the past. Swain played in 13 games last year, although he put up just 15 tackles with four of these coming against Utah. He played well in the spring game and he’ll certainly be in play for a starting role.

Wildcard

Freshmen. There’s a lot of talk about the former junior college transfers in Jonah Moi and A.J. Hotchkins but to me the biggest wildcard lies with the freshmen on the roster. A few of these guys have been getting some nice praise in spring and the early going of fall. There’s certainly some snaps available for freshmen to step up and take.

One freshman I see stealing snaps is Darrian Franklin especially after he got the jump on fellow newcomers by enrolling during the spring. My only concern though is his size, as 6’ 1” 200 pounds has the potential to be pushed around. Enrolling early with Franklin was also Troy Dye who brings a little more size. Dye played as a safety in high school so he brings more speed and versatility to the table. La’mar Winston and Keith Simms are the other freshman who have a shot at playing. Both of these two will be playing at the outside linebacker position, and my guess would be that they keep the better of the two on the travel squad while redshirting the other.

Overall rating

C+. Too many unproven pieces in this group to give them anything above a C+. I think what helps this team was the freshman recruiting class and how many have the potential to play early. Let’s be honest, can you get much worse than last year at the position? Wait, let’s not answer that.

Could Khaleke Hudson be the next Jabrill Peppers?

During Michigan football’s media day, Maize n Brew caught up with linebackers and special teams coach Chris Partridge. Believe it or not, Partridge compared some of Khaleke Hudson’s attributes to Jabrill Peppers.

“I don’t think that’s fair to compare anyone [to Jabrill Peppers],” Partridge said. “They’re rooming together in camp, if that answers your question.

“They’re not exact replicas of each other, but they are kids who have the same type of attributes. Khaleke [Hudson] had a tremendous summer and is going to be starting at safety. He will do some and will be looked at to contribute.”

Hudson, who is entering his freshman year, will start as a true freshman. The 5-foot-11, 2015-pound athlete was just a three-star prospect coming out of McKeesport High School in Pennsylvania. He committed to play for the Wolverines on January 27, 2016.

Last season, Peppers made 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and deflected 10 passes. He ran 18 times for two touchdowns, had eight receptions, eight kick returns and 17 punt returns.

Hudson, like Peppers, is an athlete. He is capable of playing defensive back, linebacker and even running back. It would only make sense that the Wolverines develop Hudson into the next great two-way player in Ann Arbor.

Although Rutgers is only three practices into Fall camp, some players are already emerging as huge pieces in the team. One of those players is strongside linebacker Najee Clayton.

Clayton is a true sophomore from Paramus Catholic who played on special teams in 2015 and transitioned from safety to linebacker when Chris Ash became head coach. In Ash’s presser after practice yesterday, he said that Clayton was the most game-ready linebacker on the roster. That is very impressive considering he is joined by Trevor Morris and Deonte Roberts who both had significant playing time at linebacker last year.

This Spring Clayton had to learn a completely new position and drastically change his body. He bulked up from 205 pounds last year to around 228 pounds. Ash said he is “practicing into shape” and actually looks like a linebacker.

He has dedicated himself to becoming a student of the game as well, tirelessly studying tape of guys like 1st-round pick Darron Lee to better understand his new hybrid position. Clayton also has the luxury of being coached by Chris Ash, the man who perfected the hybrid linebacker position.

Additionally, if you doubted Clayton’s ability to tackle and make big hits, check out this clip of him destroying Jarrett Guarantano in high school:

With the defensive line being the strength of the team and the secondary having experience, Clayton will be key in proving that the linebackers aren’t a weakness of this team.

With many team switching to spread offenses, Clayton’s position is becoming more common. He will have to cover speedy slot receivers and h-backs while also being responsible for a 6-6 tight end. If teams try to stretch the field against Rutgers, he will be key in preventing that. However, against a traditional team like Michigan State, he is still big enough to come up and make solid and reliable tackles.

Clayton will be a full-time starter for at least two more years and his potential is limitless. I think he can become an All-B1G linebacker and be a better linebacker than his high school teammate Jabrill Peppers.