Last month during Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas, I spent one of my evenings in town at a poker table. I enjoyed a lot of time playing in my early 20s, but it had been a while since I’d sat down at an actual table to play with people I could see.
I was surprised at how easy it was to get back in the rhythm of reading people and their mannerisms. Reading tells is like riding a bike, except instead of a helmet, you’re protected by a healthy distrust of your fellow humans. Granted, the folks at the table with me weren’t the best players I’d ever come across, which helped, but a lot of the old tricks still applied. After a few hours, I’d made a tidy profit and headed back to my hotel room to prepare for another day of interviewing Big Ten coaches.
What does any of this have to do with Big Ten football?
Well, coaches aren’t all that different from poker players. They have tells. Last year in Indianapolis, I had the chance to talk to plenty of coaches, and they all said positive things about their teams, but I could tell that a few were saying what they felt they needed to say. They weren’t saying what they truly felt. It’s not an uncommon practice for these events. Rare is the coach who will come out and say, “Actually, we suck, and I’m just hoping we can win a couple of games.” Talking season is a time for hope. This year, it was much of the same. Every single Big Ten coach I talked to during my week in Vegas was positive about their team, but there was one huge difference.
They all believed it.
From what I could tell, the confidence brimming in their answers was genuine. That doesn’t mean they’ll all be proven right, but the belief is telling all the same. The 2025 season has the potential to be an incredible one in the Big Ten because everybody…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/b1g-time-big-ten-coaches-enter-2025-season-brimming-with-confidence-but-that-optimism-may-come-at-a-price/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2025-08-26 12:17:00
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