TOUGH TESTS: Fall Camp Drama and The Most Dangerous G5 Matchups for Big Ten teams

In this action-packed episode of The Big Ten Huddle, hosts JR and Jeff deliver the latest insights from Big Ten fall camp, spotlight key position battles, name the top 5 players for every Big Ten team, and break down the 10 most dangerous Group of 5 (G5) matchups that could trip up conference teams in the 2025 season. From surprising positional shifts to intense competitions, this episode is a must-listen for Big Ten football fans gearing up for the season.

Topics Discussed

Fall Camp Updates: The hosts dive into the latest from Big Ten fall camps, including standout performances and key position battles. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is experimenting at nickel, showcasing his versatility in the secondary. At Alabama, Elijah Pritchett is locked in a “tremendous battle” for the starting left tackle spot, raising questions about the Crimson Tide’s offensive line stability. Minnesota’s Koi Perich turns heads with his impressive wide receiver skills during open practice, hinting at a potential two-way role. Indiana’s second starting cornerback position remains a three-horse race between Jamari Sharpe, Ryland Gandy, and Jaylen Bell, with coaches still undecided.

Top 5 Players per Big Ten Team: JR and Jeff reveal their picks for the top 5 players on each of the 18 Big Ten teams, highlighting stars like Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Minnesota’s Koi Perich, and Penn State’s Drew Allar. They discuss NFL potential, breakout candidates, and how these players could shape the 2025 season.

10 Most Dangerous Group of 5 Matchups: The hosts rank the G5 games posing the biggest threats to Big Ten teams, analyzing why these matchups could lead to upsets. The list includes:

Northwestern at Tulane

UCLA at UNLV

Washington at Washington State

Northern Illinois at Maryland

Ohio at Rutgers

Miami of Ohio at Wisconsin

Miami of Ohio at Rutgers

Buffalo at Minnesota

Colorado State at Washington

New Mexico at Michigan

Honorable Mentions: Oregon State at Oregon, New Mexico at UCLA, Western Michigan at Illinois, Old Dominion at Indiana, Ohio at Ohio State, Georgia Southern at USC.

The hosts break down why these games are risky, citing factors like road environments, G5 team momentum, and Big Ten vulnerabilities.

Fan Interaction and Season Outlook: JR and Jeff engage with live YouTube chat, answering fan questions about camp surprises and upset potential. They also discuss the Big Ten’s competitive depth, predicting a chaotic season with no undefeated teams.

Additional The Big Ten Huddle Channels:

@TheBigTenHuddleBasketball

@TheOhioStateHuddle

More from JR:

Personal Twitter: https://x.com/jrs_rankings

Big Ten Twitter: https://x.com/TheBigTenHuddle

Read JR's Ohio State coverage: https://scarletandgame.com/author/jrhoades1

Read JR's Illinois coverage: https://writingillini.com/author/jrhoades1

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Catch The Big Ten Huddle Football Episodes 3 times a week. Here is when to catch our live or premiere episodes that are about an hour long (eastern time):

• Sunday at 9 PM w/ Zack


• Tuesday at 9 PM w/ Zack


• Thursday at 9 PM w/ Jeff

You can also expect videos by JR throughout the week covering news and interesting topics.

*All times are Eastern time

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The Big Ten Huddle is a podcast dedicated to providing honest, humorous, and insightful analysis of Big Ten football and basketball. With a focus on challenging the national bias, especially against the SEC, hosts JR and Zack offer unfiltered discussions that engage fans of all Big Ten teams. Though critical at times, they always aim to defend the conference and give credit where it’s due, bringing humor and deep analysis together for a unique listening experience.

Rooted in values of integrity, passion, and community, The Big Ten Huddle strives to become the go-to voice for Big Ten sports fans.

There is no show out there like The Big Ten Huddle!