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Off Tackle Empire

https://www.offtackleempire.com/ | 165 entries published

The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.

Latest Entries

GameAbove Sports Bowl, Rate Bowl Recap and Reaction

Northwestern and Minnesota both win their bowl games, and isn’t that the nicest thing we can say about the whole endeavor. A win in a third rate cold weather bowl game is still better than no bowl invite, or a loss in a third rate bowl game.—Midnight Rambler GameAbove Sports Bowl Northwestern Wildcats 34, Central Michigan Chippewas […]

2 months ago | 4 reads

REACTION: Michigan hires Kyle Whittingham as head coach

Grading the hire of Kyle Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore as head coach of Michigan Wolverines football. Michigan has signed outgoing Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham to the same role, per ESPN and Brett McMurphy and Jeff Passan and Shams Charania and probably MLive dot com and/or TMZ, too. The deal lasts five years, […]

2 months ago | 2 reads

2025 Rate Bowl Preview

Once again, here we are. Minnesota is in a lower-tier B1G bowl game because a) they shit themselves against a pair of bad opponents in Cal and Northwestern and b) we were jumped by a team we were better than and defeated, but the B1G knew that they couldn’t count on Nebraska fans to travel […]

2 months ago | 4 reads

Friday Bowl Game Open Thread

GameAbove Sports! Rate! Comedy is best in threes! Here is a place for you to talk about the day’s college football. I am told there are several such instances of it being played, and watching it beats watching whatever I am sure West Ham is doing on Boxing Day . GameAbove Sports Bowl Central Michigan […]

2 months ago | 2 reads

GameAbove Pizza City Motor Sports Bowl Preview

Chippewas! Wildcats! A PREVIEW! Today, in the bowels of the Rust Belt, two mediocre football teams play a postseason game that means something, damnit, and that I earnestly care about, because I am an idiot online. Let’s talk about… The GameAbove Sports Bowl Central Michigan Chippewas (7-5, 5-3 MAC) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (6-6, 4-5 B1G)Friday, […]

2 months ago | 1 read

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays: An OTE Open Thread

The greatest* tradition** in college sports: it’s time for the Hawai’i Bowl. First: wherever you are, whoever you’re with, and whatever you celebrate — a happy holiday season to you. As we take stock of the shitshow that was and is and will be 2025, I am grateful that, if even just for a second, […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

I GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE

SO LET’S PLAY THE GODDAMN FRISCO BOWL Please air your Big Ten, college football, or just plain personal grievances in the comments. Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl Toledo Rockets vs. Lhvl CrdnlsTuesday, Dec. 23 | 1pm | ESPN | Lhvl -9.5 | O/U 43.5Flagler Credit Union Station (Boca Raton, FL) Remember a couple years ago when […]

3 months ago | 3 reads

Ducks Soar, Jays Crash, Now Who Wants Potatoes?

Recapping the college football weekend and looking forward to TATER BOWL. Weekend Roundup One—okay, two—Big Ten teams in action, so let’s check in with how those avian outfits did: D-III Semifinals Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons 48, Johns Hopkins Blue Jays 41 ALL HAIL THE TOP GUN OFFENSE. You know a D-III football team is doing something […]

3 months ago | 5 reads

MNW and Jesse Preview the Bowl Games, Pt. II

Taters, beans, shitty coffee, and more. Our watchability is PopTarts. Five out of Five Pop Tarts means you know what the hell you’re doing, team agnostic. We can preview it as something like: Okay then, we’re going to go ahead and preview all of the bowls left starting with an OTE classic: The Word Association. […]

3 months ago | 3 reads

Saturday Football Open Thread: BRAWL OF THE WILD, PART II.

Or the College Football Playoff. Or my family’s Christmas party. But I guess you’re probably not invited to that. FCS Playoffs — Semifinals #3 Montana Grizzlies at #2 Montana State Bobcats3pm | ABC | MTSt -5.5 | O/U 54.5 | BRAWL OF THE WILD Game of the day, and it’s not particularly close. It’s a […]

3 months ago | 2 reads

Michigan’s Coaching Search Continues

To say it’s been a tumultuous week in Ann Arbor would be putting it mildly. After the shocking dismissal and subsequent arrest of head coach Sherrone Moore last Wednesday, Michigan abruptly shifted its focus from its New Year’s Eve bowl game against Texas to an unexpected search for a new football coach. The timing couldn’t […]

3 months ago | 6 reads

Regional Recap: Where Dreams Went to Die

When Regionals weekend started, there were five Big Ten teams still in the tournament. When it was over, there was one. And it’s probably not the one you think. Let’s break down this travesty. Third Round Matches After a relatively unsurprising first weekend, save for USC’s upset loss in five sets to Cal Poly, the […]

3 months ago | 5 reads

A LIVE!* Q&A with a faculty member giving an exam

We’re turning the AI machine back on, please hold A list of topics I would like the Vox AI Machine to consider: I am proctoring back-to-back exams this morning, and the vibes, friends…they’re not good. Anway, even if these students struggle, I hope they know (1) the business school will not allow us to let […]

3 months ago | 4 reads

BOWL GAMES! NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! A Wednesday Football Open Thread

Reivers and Blue Dragons and Brahman Bulls and—OH MY! [/swoon] It’s GASTON! StaffDNA Cure Bowl Old Dominion Monarchs vs. South Florida Brahman Bulls4pm | ESPN | USF -3.5 | O/U 52.5at Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL) Did you know I previewed ALL these games with former managing editor Jesse Collins? It’s worth a read as […]

3 months ago | 6 reads

B1G Hoops Catch-Up: NEBRASKETBALL INTENSIFIES

So…uh…basketball! Best Win #23 Nebraska Cornhuskers 83, #13 Illinois Fighting Illini 80 Nebraska has now won 11 straight this season. Something like 30 straight dating back to last season—don’t bother looking that up. The Netherlands-Turkiye axis turns out to be stronger than the combined firepower of the Balkans and Baltics. WHO KNEW. Worst Loss Seton […]

3 months ago | 5 reads

Bowl Game Previews: WEEK 1

Whether you want word association, half-assed attempts at understanding what it is a Kennesaw State is, or an overwhelming sense of ennui toward college football, this preview has it all. First, Jesse, good afternoon. Long time, no talk. Jesse: Wait, do I still work here? Am… am I a real person? IS THIS ALL A […]

3 months ago | 7 reads

Big Ten Basketball Weekend Catch-Up

Oh, right! Basketball! Well I sure picked a good time to drop off the face of the world, huh? Turns out Northwestern isn’t that good at basketball, Michigan is, and we watched as Iowa State both laid waste to Purdue and gave Iowa some hope. Ick. At least Nebrasketball is…actually doing the damn thing? We’ll […]

3 months ago | 7 reads

So This Week’s Mailbag Took a Turn…

Remember when this week was fun and lighthearted and just disappointing because Indiana isn’t shit at football anymore? Yeah, things have changed just a little bit. Now the ND is shitposting the ACC, if you were the B1G commish, would you make a run at adding the Irish to the conference? – JayMPSU RockyMtnBlue:  Of […]

3 months ago | 5 reads

Catching Up with the Big Ten in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament

I had all kinds of good intentions to write this for you on Saturday! Instead, I went to the ER. I will be fine, but it has not been the ideal way to end the semester. Thankfully, I’ve had some quality volleyball to soothe the travails. Overall, the Big Ten acquitted itself well in the […]

3 months ago | 6 reads

Sherrone Moore Fired at Michigan

It appears that the College Football Coaching Carousel isn’t done spinning yet. On Wednesday, Sherrone Moore unceremoniously ended his tenure at Michigan, with the University announcing that he was done, “with cause, effective immediately.” Though verified details remain scant, the statement said that the firing was a result of credible evidence of an inappropriate relationship […]

3 months ago | 5 reads

THE AGENDA WEEK 15: Big Ten Football vs. The World

This is a column to check in on the rest of the football world, but since it’s 2025 in America I will beat you over the head with The Agenda, which in case you’ve forgotten is “Big Ten Superiority Unless It’s Funny.” THE AGENDA MVP: ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI The winner of Indiana-Ohio State was going […]

3 months ago | 8 reads

The Mailbag Needs to Start Funding NIL

It’s Monday, and I’m still trying to reconcile the fact that fucking Indiana won the B1G. The NIL era is awful. Anyway, fire away with questions. We’ll answer a bunch of them and then post the responses on Friday. And the results will be better than a Ryan Day that once-a-year bed shitting Ryan Day […]

3 months ago | 5 reads

Bowl Games, College Football Playoff Rankings Released LIVE

…y’know, as we get them. Where will Ohio State and Oregon fall? Who’s going somewhere warm, and who’s going to somewhere Detroit? Indiana is your new AP #1 for the first time. Ever. Congratulations to the Hoosiers. This is the space where we’ll update the College Football Playoff rankings and bowl pairings as they come […]

3 months ago | 9 reads

Sunday Morning Coming Down // Big Ten Championship

Ten Fourteen Eighteen B1G Things The Rundown Those crazy sonsofbitches did it! They actually did it! Indiana played like a team that wanted to win, and the aggressiveness paid off. They held Ohio State to its fewest points all season, harassing Julian Sayin all night. The win basically locks the No. 1 seed for the […]

3 months ago | 9 reads