I Tell Ya' Herbie

       It's the return for the 2025 season of our weekly look at the world of college football, also known as I Tell Ya' Herbie.

Leading into the oddity known as Week Zero, there are always things to glance at and think about, so here we go!

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Week zero games often aren't games that will impact the season ahead, but there is one this year- Kansas State meets Iowa State in "Farmageddon" in Dublin, Ireland.

The Cyclones and Wildcats are both predicted to be in contention for the Big 12 title and are ranked entering the season, so this is the rare early-season matchup that could prove to be a major deal in the standings at the end of the year.

The game in the last two seasons was played in six inches of snow in 2023 and with wind chills around zero in 2024, and now travels to Ireland.

It's weird for me because I really dislike the NFL's international games, but when college football does it, I enjoy it more.

Perhaps because they aren't so overt about it being a total cash grab?

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I know I'm biased, but it takes a lot of gall to pull what Michigan did in the Connor Stallions debacle, receive a punishment that didn't include a vacated national title or postseason bans in the future, and THEN appeal the penalty.

For the record- Michigan's record without Connor Stallions 69-24, a good record but not elite.

With Stallions 21-1.

That does nothing to excuse Ohio State's defeat to Michigan last season without Stallions, but the stain from their actions can't be scrubbed away.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Former Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown transferred to California after the 2024 season as he looked for a place where he could start, and the Golden Bears, who finished 6-7 after a bowl loss to UNLV, looked like a promising place.

It didn't end that way as Brown was beaten out by true freshman Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele.

Brown never caused a problem at Ohio State, and I liked his attitude for staying with the team throughout the playoffs rather than looking through the transfer portal, but it could be that Brown just wasn't good enough to start at the Power Four level.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The coach who might be in the warmest seat that isn't being talked about?

Wisconsin's Luke Fickell hasn't jumped out to a stellar start in Badgerland with offensive style changes and a brutal schedule against six ranked preseason teams.

Fickell's position is one to watch as the season begins.

                             

Ohio State lands Will Howard

    With concerns about the quarterbacking situation at Ohio State, Ryan Day had to have some questions about dipping into the transfer pool before the Cotton Bowl.

After Devin Brown's ankle injury early in the game, the worries became larger and forced Day into making a decision for 2024 that could cost the Buckeyes both Devin Brown and potentially Lincoln Kienholz.

The decision to add transfer quarterback Will Howard, late of Kansas State, may have been one that Day didn't want to make but it was one that he had to make.

The 6'5 242 pound Howard threw for over 2,600 yards last season with 24 touchdowns against ten interceptions, completing sixty-one percent of his tosses for the Wildcats.

Howard also ran for 351 yards with nine rushing scores, so Howard is far more mobile than last year's starter Kyle McCord but he's not perfect with a tendency to force the ball into coverage.

I'm seeing some snarkiness that Howard is similar to Kyle McCord but I'm not buying that.

Howard is far more mobile and able to avoid rushers in the pocket than McCord but isn't quite as smooth as a passer in the pocket as Howard is better on the run  or with a moving pocket.

Ohio State had to make a move here mainly because they don't know what they have in Devin Brown, due to his injuries and lack of playing time.

Give Brown credit as he is indicating that he won't be transferring and will fight for the job in the spring and in training camp.

Should Brown win the job, Howard gives the Buckeyes a veteran arm in the event that Brown would be injured, and should Howard emerge with the starting spot, it buys a year for incoming freshman Air Noland to develop slowly.