Gophers try keeping minds on football amid current chaos in college sports

The college football world has been abuzz the past couple of weeks without even one pass thrown in anger.

Instead of speculation on whether Georgia can win its third consecutive national championship, whether USC's Caleb Williams will repeat as Heisman Trophy winner or whether Michigan can pull off a Big Ten threepeat, the focus has been on the whirlwind that resulted in the demise of the Pac-12 Conference, which in a span of nine days went from 10 teams to four.

The Big Ten will see four new members — USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington of the Pac-12 — begin conference play in the fall of 2024. As part of the new, 18-team conference, the Gophers will be impacted by the move. Minnesota football players reacted to the conference realignment news with a mixture of excitement, intrigue, curiosity and "we're just focused on this season.''

"Growing up, you always thought of the Big Ten as what the Big Ten used to be,'' Danny Striggow, a junior defensive end from Long Lake, said following Tuesday's practice. "But it's exciting to think about, 'Hey, we might be able to get to play new teams.' Usually, you're only playing these teams in nonconference games and bowl games.''

Fifth-year offensive guard Quinn Carroll comes from a family with strong Big Ten ties. His father, Jay, played for the Gophers in the early 1980s, back when the conference's name matched the number of its members. Quinn respects the conference's tradition and doesn't see that going away. The transfer from Notre Dame also has the experience of playing marquee nonconference opponents like USC, plus a five-game ACC schedule arrangement that included games against Clemson, Miami (Fla.) and Florida State.

"For a program like Minnesota, we have tradition in the Big Ten, so [the change] is not much of a concern for us,'' Carroll said. "In my opinion, the more the merrier. It'll be fun to play those kinds of teams.''

Gophers junior wide receiver Daniel Jackson took in the events of the past two weeks with a mixture of interest and intrigue.

"I just sit back and watch,'' Gophers wide receiver Daniel Jackson said. "We are here at Minnesota, so that's pretty much all I and the team are focused on. But it's interesting to see how it played out.''

Added junior linebacker Cody Lindenberg: "Some of the teams that are coming in, I'm not too familiar with or what that's going to look like. We're very focused on what we got going on now and what the season got in store for us.''

The Gophers held a spirited practice Tuesday that was open to media members. With the Aug. 31 season opener against Nebraska quickly approaching, the intensity ramped up. Especially on offense, the Gophers were much sharper than they were during Saturday night's open practice. Here are some highlights:

*Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis showed off his big arm by hitting Daniel Jackson early in practice for a 55-yard touchdown pass and Le'Meke Brockington later in the afternoon with another 50-yard-plus bomb.

"We're going to be an efficient offense,'' Jackson said. "We're going to make plays. Whatever is called, we're gonna make the most out of it.''

*Cornerback Tyler Bride, a transfer from Georgia Southern, read a pass by Cole Kramer, jumped the route and grabbed an interception.

*Running back Sean Tyler, the graduate transfer from Western Michigan, stood out among his position group.

*Wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell took part in individual drills as he works his way back from a knee injury that ended his 2022 season. The Gophers are easing Autman-Bell back into action.