Welcome to the offseason version of Four Down Territory.
It’s going to be a little different than it was in-season. I'll post one weekly during the season, which for me is from SEC Media Days through Missouri's final game.
During the offseason, I’ll post every other week.
1. Recently approved NCAA football rule changes.
Last month, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved some new rules that can take effect this season.
1. The option for teams in all three divisions to use tablets to see in-game video from the broadcast feed, camera angles from the coach’s end zone and the coach’s sideline.
2. A two-minute warning in the second and fourth quarters.
3. Allowing conferences the option of using a collaborative replay review system.
4. Coach-to-helmet communication
5. Penalizing horse-collar tackles within the tackle box for a 15-yard personal foul.
6. Allowing head coaches to do interviews with broadcast partners after the first and third quarters.
Let’s talk about what seems like the two most important rule changes, which is the two-minute warning and the helmet communication.
The two-minute warning at the end of the first and second halves adds an extra timeout for teams and TV broadcast partners (there won’t be back-to-back TV timeouts) and allows for more dramatic moments at the end of the halves.
Eli Drinkwitz, who led Mizzou to a couple of close wins over Kansas State and Florida with some good play under two minutes in 2023, sees the rule change as another coaching and learning opportunity for his team this offseason.
“When you're talking about one-possession games on both sides of the ball, whether you're trying to run out the clock or get the ball back, you're going to see teams mismanage or mishandle that and we got to do a great job as coaches, preparing ourselves for those situations,” Drinkwitz said at the Come Home Tour event in St. Louis last week.
Wide receiver and projected first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Luther Burden III, was asked about the two-minute warning and NCAA rule changes over the last couple of years being similar to the NFL game and he said he likes how the college game is translating to the NFL.
During the 2023 bowl season, the NCAA allowed teams to test the helmet communication system, which lets coaches talk to one designated player through their helmet.
Like the NFL, the designated player will have a green dot on their helmet and the communication will be allowed to happen until the ball is snapped or there are 15 seconds left in the play clock, whichever happens first.
Mizzou didn’t elect to participate in the trial run during their 14-3 win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
Drinkwitz believes it can be a useful tool but implementing it will be a bit of a task.
“You can use it to your advantage, but you got to be adamant in trying to figure out how,” Drinkwitz said. “There's no real manual to both (this and the two-minute warning) of those things.”
2. What video games do you wish would return to the market?
Last week, EA released its deluxe edition cover for EA College Football 25 that featured several stars from the college football landscape including Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Michigan’s Donovan Edwards and Texas’ Quinn Ewers.
This Thursday, supposedly cover athletes for the Standard Edition and Heisman's Edition of the game are supposed to be released.
After 11 years, the college football game will be released this summer.
That brings me to some questions I have for you.
What non-Mizzou team will you try to build a dynasty with once you flyby the game and why?
What are some games you wish would return to the gaming market so you could play them again? This could be you wanting a revived version of an old game you used to play or it could be the exact version of the game you played.
Personally, to answer the first question, I may use a randomizer. This is the first time I’ve been excited to play a college football game. I had a couple of games back in the day but to me, they didn’t compare to Madden. This time around, I’m a little more excited.
Honestly, the team with the best scenery and or uniforms may be the team I use.
To answer the second question I asked, I’d like to play the following:
There are new rappers and actors out now. For example, Kendrick Lamar and Drake (while not Def Jam guys per se) would be great players to play with considering their feud (the more I think about the feud the more it becomes a draw for those who will ask in the comments).
By the way, I asked Burden at the Come Home Tour in St. Louis who he thought won and he said, Drake.
I’d like to play Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 again because it was the first wrestling game I owned and it helped me get hooked on wrestling even more. I just wish they would make the game backward compatible, That means taking an old game from a previous Xbox generation (like the Xbox 360 in this instance) and making it playable on Xbox Series S/X.
The Fight Night boxing game series was one that I played throughout my life. I had every game from Fight Night 2004 to the last installment, Fight Night Champion, which came out in 2011. Fight Night Champion is backwards compatible but it's old and boxing is being revived in real life so I think there is a market for the game.
3. I'm staying busy.
I forgot who I was telling this to the other day but this offseason for me is busier than last year’s. That’s what happens when the school you cover is making things happen.
I started working on the newcomer profiles before spring ball around late February. I just finished them last week. Not because I wanted to hold them off this long but I kept getting interrupted (which is good).
There was spring football, the search and hiring of a new athletic director, the NFL Draft and the spring portal. Keep in mind, those are just the things I had to work or on or do a lot of work on. Gabe and Sean have been killing the recruiting game while I was tied up in the other stuff.
Let’s take a look at the spring portal.
The Tigers added Drew Pyne (technically not in the spring portal but it happened around the start off spring ball), Eddie Kelly, Jeremiah Beasley and Marcus Bryant. Last spring, I believe Nyles Gaddy and Cam’Ron Johnson were the only significant spring portal adds.
When you’re a good team, there’s more portal activity. Not to mention, that added four more profiles to make. I'm not complaining though, I'm just saying that's why it took even longer to finish the series.
Going to the draft to cover Darius Robinson and the five other draftees was fun. Not only for me, but I imagine anyone who calls themself a Tigers fan. For the 2023 NFL Draft, I remember being at home waiting for Isaiah McGuire to get picked on Day 3 so I could post something quicly and go to the grocery store.
That’s a telling sign about the state of the program. Mizzou went from one person being drafted on Day 3 to having six guys drafted on all three days of the draft and a handful more getting signed to UDFA deals immediately after the draft concluded.
Looking at what’s on the horizon, the softball team is in the NCAA tournament and PowerMizzou will have coverage of that. Next month, there should be the high school elite camps and the official visit weekend toward the end of the month.
After that, it’s SEC Media Days from Dallas, fall camp and then the start of the season in late August.
All of this to say, my offseason has been a little busier than last season and I don’t mind it. There are usually lulls in the year when writers are scrambling looking for stories to do. Thankfully, this year I’m not. I’ve got plenty in store before SEC Media Days because the school is riding this seemingly never-ending wave of momentum.
4. Today is the start of the WNBA season.
I drafted my WNBA fantasy team a couple of weeks ago. I’m playing alongside five of my friends. But I got the fourth pick. So, I started with Jewell Loyd, the W’s scoring leader from a season ago. Then, I got Sabrina Ionescu. She’s the one who battled Steph Curry in a three-point shootout at All-Star Weekend in February for those of you who are unsure.
Here’s who I rounded out my team with:
Ezi Magbegor, NaLyssa Smith, Shakira Austin. Marina Mabrey, Diamond Miller, Allisha Gray, Rickea Jackson and Aerial Powers.
Here’s the thing with me when it comes to any fantasy league. I don’t think I’m the greatest drafter but I think I’m an elite trader. I get deals done.
I’m trying to defend my title from last year but we will see.
I will be ordering the WNBA League Pass again this year. It’s less than $40 and it’s a way for them to get better 一 everything. The League Pass got me through the bulk of the summer last year because TV in the summer isn’t all that great. So, it’s a good investment especially if you play fantasy.
I’m glad Caitlin Clark is in the WNBA now because every game will be special. I assume this is how everyone felt during LeBron James’ rookie season. Even though he hadn’t done a thing in the league, he had a target on his back. Clark will have the same thing.
It’s going to be a little different than it was in-season. I'll post one weekly during the season, which for me is from SEC Media Days through Missouri's final game.
During the offseason, I’ll post every other week.
1. Recently approved NCAA football rule changes.
Last month, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved some new rules that can take effect this season.
1. The option for teams in all three divisions to use tablets to see in-game video from the broadcast feed, camera angles from the coach’s end zone and the coach’s sideline.
2. A two-minute warning in the second and fourth quarters.
3. Allowing conferences the option of using a collaborative replay review system.
4. Coach-to-helmet communication
5. Penalizing horse-collar tackles within the tackle box for a 15-yard personal foul.
6. Allowing head coaches to do interviews with broadcast partners after the first and third quarters.
Let’s talk about what seems like the two most important rule changes, which is the two-minute warning and the helmet communication.
The two-minute warning at the end of the first and second halves adds an extra timeout for teams and TV broadcast partners (there won’t be back-to-back TV timeouts) and allows for more dramatic moments at the end of the halves.
Eli Drinkwitz, who led Mizzou to a couple of close wins over Kansas State and Florida with some good play under two minutes in 2023, sees the rule change as another coaching and learning opportunity for his team this offseason.
“When you're talking about one-possession games on both sides of the ball, whether you're trying to run out the clock or get the ball back, you're going to see teams mismanage or mishandle that and we got to do a great job as coaches, preparing ourselves for those situations,” Drinkwitz said at the Come Home Tour event in St. Louis last week.
Wide receiver and projected first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Luther Burden III, was asked about the two-minute warning and NCAA rule changes over the last couple of years being similar to the NFL game and he said he likes how the college game is translating to the NFL.
During the 2023 bowl season, the NCAA allowed teams to test the helmet communication system, which lets coaches talk to one designated player through their helmet.
Like the NFL, the designated player will have a green dot on their helmet and the communication will be allowed to happen until the ball is snapped or there are 15 seconds left in the play clock, whichever happens first.
Mizzou didn’t elect to participate in the trial run during their 14-3 win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
Drinkwitz believes it can be a useful tool but implementing it will be a bit of a task.
“You can use it to your advantage, but you got to be adamant in trying to figure out how,” Drinkwitz said. “There's no real manual to both (this and the two-minute warning) of those things.”
2. What video games do you wish would return to the market?
Last week, EA released its deluxe edition cover for EA College Football 25 that featured several stars from the college football landscape including Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Michigan’s Donovan Edwards and Texas’ Quinn Ewers.
This Thursday, supposedly cover athletes for the Standard Edition and Heisman's Edition of the game are supposed to be released.
After 11 years, the college football game will be released this summer.
That brings me to some questions I have for you.
What non-Mizzou team will you try to build a dynasty with once you flyby the game and why?
What are some games you wish would return to the gaming market so you could play them again? This could be you wanting a revived version of an old game you used to play or it could be the exact version of the game you played.
Personally, to answer the first question, I may use a randomizer. This is the first time I’ve been excited to play a college football game. I had a couple of games back in the day but to me, they didn’t compare to Madden. This time around, I’m a little more excited.
Honestly, the team with the best scenery and or uniforms may be the team I use.
To answer the second question I asked, I’d like to play the following:
- Def Jam Fight for NY
- Smackdown vs. Raw 2007
- Fight Night Series
There are new rappers and actors out now. For example, Kendrick Lamar and Drake (while not Def Jam guys per se) would be great players to play with considering their feud (the more I think about the feud the more it becomes a draw for those who will ask in the comments).
By the way, I asked Burden at the Come Home Tour in St. Louis who he thought won and he said, Drake.
I’d like to play Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 again because it was the first wrestling game I owned and it helped me get hooked on wrestling even more. I just wish they would make the game backward compatible, That means taking an old game from a previous Xbox generation (like the Xbox 360 in this instance) and making it playable on Xbox Series S/X.
The Fight Night boxing game series was one that I played throughout my life. I had every game from Fight Night 2004 to the last installment, Fight Night Champion, which came out in 2011. Fight Night Champion is backwards compatible but it's old and boxing is being revived in real life so I think there is a market for the game.
3. I'm staying busy.
I forgot who I was telling this to the other day but this offseason for me is busier than last year’s. That’s what happens when the school you cover is making things happen.
I started working on the newcomer profiles before spring ball around late February. I just finished them last week. Not because I wanted to hold them off this long but I kept getting interrupted (which is good).
There was spring football, the search and hiring of a new athletic director, the NFL Draft and the spring portal. Keep in mind, those are just the things I had to work or on or do a lot of work on. Gabe and Sean have been killing the recruiting game while I was tied up in the other stuff.
Let’s take a look at the spring portal.
The Tigers added Drew Pyne (technically not in the spring portal but it happened around the start off spring ball), Eddie Kelly, Jeremiah Beasley and Marcus Bryant. Last spring, I believe Nyles Gaddy and Cam’Ron Johnson were the only significant spring portal adds.
When you’re a good team, there’s more portal activity. Not to mention, that added four more profiles to make. I'm not complaining though, I'm just saying that's why it took even longer to finish the series.
Going to the draft to cover Darius Robinson and the five other draftees was fun. Not only for me, but I imagine anyone who calls themself a Tigers fan. For the 2023 NFL Draft, I remember being at home waiting for Isaiah McGuire to get picked on Day 3 so I could post something quicly and go to the grocery store.
That’s a telling sign about the state of the program. Mizzou went from one person being drafted on Day 3 to having six guys drafted on all three days of the draft and a handful more getting signed to UDFA deals immediately after the draft concluded.
Looking at what’s on the horizon, the softball team is in the NCAA tournament and PowerMizzou will have coverage of that. Next month, there should be the high school elite camps and the official visit weekend toward the end of the month.
After that, it’s SEC Media Days from Dallas, fall camp and then the start of the season in late August.
All of this to say, my offseason has been a little busier than last season and I don’t mind it. There are usually lulls in the year when writers are scrambling looking for stories to do. Thankfully, this year I’m not. I’ve got plenty in store before SEC Media Days because the school is riding this seemingly never-ending wave of momentum.
4. Today is the start of the WNBA season.
I drafted my WNBA fantasy team a couple of weeks ago. I’m playing alongside five of my friends. But I got the fourth pick. So, I started with Jewell Loyd, the W’s scoring leader from a season ago. Then, I got Sabrina Ionescu. She’s the one who battled Steph Curry in a three-point shootout at All-Star Weekend in February for those of you who are unsure.
Here’s who I rounded out my team with:
Ezi Magbegor, NaLyssa Smith, Shakira Austin. Marina Mabrey, Diamond Miller, Allisha Gray, Rickea Jackson and Aerial Powers.
Here’s the thing with me when it comes to any fantasy league. I don’t think I’m the greatest drafter but I think I’m an elite trader. I get deals done.
I’m trying to defend my title from last year but we will see.
I will be ordering the WNBA League Pass again this year. It’s less than $40 and it’s a way for them to get better 一 everything. The League Pass got me through the bulk of the summer last year because TV in the summer isn’t all that great. So, it’s a good investment especially if you play fantasy.
I’m glad Caitlin Clark is in the WNBA now because every game will be special. I assume this is how everyone felt during LeBron James’ rookie season. Even though he hadn’t done a thing in the league, he had a target on his back. Clark will have the same thing.
