The gates opened to the media at 9:00 am Eastern Time, as Day 3 at Big Ten Media Days was set to begin just two hours later. The Big Ten had each team’s home uniforms on display. They lined the tunnel leading out onto the field inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Stepping onto the turf, the trophies from each Big Ten-partnered bowl games were on display. The set included the trophies of the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and the Rose Bowl, among others. At the center of the display were the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy and the Big Ten Championship Trophy – the goals of each team in attendance this week.
Day 3: Big Ten Media Days
The main-stage press conferences began with Oregon’s Dan Lanning. His message was that Oregon is “Mighty Different” this season. The Ducks are among the favorites to win the conference and compete for a national title this year, and expectations surround his program. Minnesota’s PJ Fleck was up next. Minneapolis’s eighth-year head coach filled nearly the opening statement window before fielding just two questions. His energy filled the room and his passion for coaching football was evident with everything he said. Mike Locksley of Maryland followed him, and he spoke of his team’s opportunity this season with no more divisions. Locksley intends to compete for a Big Ten Conference title. He added that his “give-a-crap gauge is on ‘E’”, referring to the past criticism he’s received for his goal of a league title.
Washington’s Turn At The Mic
Jedd Fisch took the stage fourth, around 12:25 pm Eastern Time at Big Ten Media Days. His opening statement was met with a purple and gold Big Ten backdrop. He spoke about the program’s belief in Husky Football, from both the players and new coaches he hired this offseason. Fisch believes that this team has the opportunity to win championships like they have in the past. He spoke about the Huskies’ entirely new staff, and replacing 21 of 22 starters from last season, saying it’s never been done before. But Fisch’s message was embracing the change and using it as momentum to build a new path this season, focused on the same results – winning.
Continuing With New Head Coaches
The opening press conferences continued with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. He talked about his past coaching stints where he took programs where people didn’t want to go to games, and changed them into programs where people couldn’t get into games. Cignetti noted how Indiana was one touchdown away from the Big Ten Championship in 2020. The Hoosiers lost to Ohio State by seven points that season, narrowly missing the title game.
Sherrone Moore capped off the main-stage press conferences by introducing the defending National Champions. Michigan has a quarterback competition, and Moore said he doesn’t have a specific date or time when he plans to name the starter. He only said he’ll do it when one of them shows they’re ready to win football games.
Individual Podiums
The session broke into individual podiums for the remainder of the afternoon at Big Ten Media Days inside Lucas Oil Stadium. 12 podiums were filled with individual player and coach interviews until about 4:30 pm local time. Large media scrums surrounded Michigan’s Moore and Indiana’s Cignetti. Lanning fielded a lot of attention as well. Michigan running back Donovan Edwards was one of the busiest players during this breakout session. He fielded questions about becoming the premier back in Ann Arbor, as well as how it felt being on the cover of the new EA Sports College Football 25 video game.
For Washington, running back Jonah Coleman, safety Kamren Fabiculanan, and linebacker Carson Bruener answered questions in the second half of the afternoon session. The overall takeaway is confidence in what Washington brings to the table this season. Fabiculanan believes “without a doubt” that Washington has the pieces to make another National Title run. Coleman said his goal is to win football games this year, no matter the situation. He also expressed confidence in the Husky offensive line. Fisch took to the individual podium as well. He noted that there shouldn’t be any players ruled out of Fall Camp at this point, a positive signal for a handful of players who battled injuries this Spring.
There’s so much more to get into on the takeaways from Washington’s debut in the Big Ten. Stay tuned for detailed breakdowns of what Fisch and the Washington players talked about in Indianapolis.
Photo from Nick Lemkau
