Ever since 2021 and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reese’s Senior Bowl experience seemed to dwindle for fans, players, and media alike. While many players lost opportunities to go out and showcase their abilities for the final time before the draft, it also made it difficult for media and scouts to find the best available talent. As a result, the talent pool became very difficult to vet. While the game was exclusively opened to senior football players, the reality is that many of the nation’s top players were already highly touted as underclassmen, making it glaringly obvious that the best players were not participating in the Senior Bowl. 

For media personnel who want to see the best available talent one last time and fans who want to see their underclassman, All-American QB, it was in the Senior Bowl’s best interest to open up the invites to the underclassmen across the nation. With such a vast pool of new players being added, the competition will intensify come February. Media members will no longer be relegated to players opting out of the game, leaving Mobile early, and not participating in the final game.

The mindset that many top-projected players would not benefit from playing in the Senior Bowl is completely false. While the risk of injury plays a large role in many decisions to sit out, the likelihood of injury is always present even during pre-draft conditioning.

 With the competitive landscape of college football now, the opportunity to get more tape and live action in front of scouts is always a benefit. Within the NFL community, the Senior Bowl has a great reputation for allowing scouts to get a feel for the players that they are considering drafting. Since the teams are being coached by NFL staff, the players can get real experience working in an NFL organization. 

The Reese’s Senior Bowl will kickoff on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 in Mobile, Alabama at 1pm. 

LeMarkus Bailey
-Writer/President

The Colorado Buffs are currently the hottest team in the nation. Through the leadership of Hall of Famer Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, the Buffs have transcendent sports media. Their non-stop media coverage has everyone looking at them and how they will fare week to week. Now at 3-0 with two, one-score games, the Buffs have not dominated, but they have made people take notice. 

Going into Week 4, they face their toughest competition yet. The Buffs head to Eugene, Oregon to face conference opponent Oregon. Many analysts do not think that the Buffs have a chance against a talented and experienced Oregon team. While the Buffs have a revamped roster, there is no shortage of talent at their disposal. The Ducks are currently 3-0 as well and have scored an impressive amount of points thus far. Despite their points, the Ducks may have a tougher test this weekend than many expect. 

Oregon Run Game

The largest advantage that Oregon has over the Colorado Buff football team is the ability to run the ball. Oregon is averaging nearly 230 rushing yards per game in 2023, which ranks 11th in the country. The Oregon running backs have combined for over 7 yards per carry. On the other hand, the Colorado Buffs are dead last in the league in rush defense with nearly 200 yards surrendered on average. It can be argued that the Buffs have faced stiffer competition, but the numbers are pretty drastic. Oregon’s ground defense isn’t amazing considering they are 3rd in the conference in rush defense, but the Colorado offense is only averaging 60 yards per game on the ground. The ground game is the clear answer for Oregon to have the advantage this game.

The Oregon Ducks ground game is impressive and the Colorado Buffs defense is not. The biggest test for Colorado will be to find an answer to slow down the Oregon run and force Bo Nix to make mistakes. 

Bo Nix vs Shedeur Sanders

The difference between Bo Nix and Shedeur Sanders is simply in their mobility. While Bo Nix will use his legs to get things done, Shedeuer Sanders is more likely to stay in the pocket and find his options. Regardless, both quarterbacks are the best players for their team and will need to be precise to win this game. 

It is likely that the game will come down to who can score more points. Neither defense is exceptional, and both offenses are dynamic in putting up points. So far this season, Oregon has a slight advantage in the amount of points, but Shedeur’s ability to drive down the field in clutch moments has been his calling card. Both quarterbacks make great decisions and have not turned the ball over by their own accord. Whichever quarterback can get the ball last will likely have the best chance to win. 

Prediction: Oregon 55 Colorado 48 

Writer

Written By: Lemarkus Bailey

Week 2: (3) Alabama vs (11) Texas 

In this Week 2 matchup, Texas looks to finally beat Alabama in a game that has playoff implications. Both teams are 1-0 and look nearly even in terms of talent. With Texas sitting at #11 and Alabama sitting nicely at #3, the stakes of this game are incredibly high. 

The most evident gap is in the front 7, with Alabama being an experienced group with talent depth. DE Justin Eboigbe is an experienced starter. He is relentless off the edge and heavy enough to play interior. He is extremely powerful at the point of attack and has crazy speed on the perimeter. The front rotates heavily with not much drop-off to the next group. Jaheim Oates is a hoss upfront. As a freshman in 2022, Oates saw significant playing time.

The offensive line for Texas is good, but not great. They have a few young starters playing with the strength of the line coming from the right side. The rotation and multiple front defense that Alabama shows will be a challenge for Quinn Ewers and the Texas offense. Ewers will likely have to get the ball in playmakers' hands fast and lean on his running backs in the run-and-pass game. 

The WR/DB matchup seems even with both teams having a pair of good receivers. Texas has the upper hand in terms of dynamic receivers with Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy being two of the top receivers in the nation. These guys are explosive and can carry an offense if given the opportunity. Ewers will need these two to come up big. 

When I am evaluating a matchup, if the teams seem evenly matched in terms of ability, I will default to the strength of the QB play. Jalen Milroe is not a better quarterback than Ewers, but he has more ability in terms of extending plays. In this matchup, I will defer to Alabama. If this game becomes a heavily contested defensive battle, the playmaking ability of Milroe will be the X-Factor. If Milroe is able to protect the ball, I see Alabama winning this game by way of constant ball movement and clock control. If this becomes a passing battle, I do not think that strategy works to Alabama’s strengths.  

Prediction: Alabama 32 Texas 21