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I don't know how this FB suggestion on one of my recent searches fits into the greater complexity of the universe, but I'm just going to leave it here for now.

The Big Ten, Pac 12, and ACC formed an alliance last summer that was just nuked up by the Big Ten. At this point you can't trust anything you think you know about college athletics.

In the inevitable rearrangement that will result in 4 mega-conferences, the PAC 12 will be the one unable to find a chair when the music stops. It will cease to exist. USC & UCLA are just trying to get ahead of it … like Texas & Oklahoma did.

The SAC is turning into a yearly crapshoot. What used to be the Snider/Dwenger show has suddenly turned into the Snider/Dwenger/Homestead/Carroll show with a bit of Luers mixed in. And it looks like it might be another one of those years for the Knights. Then you have the new "magnet" school in North Side. Things could get interesting in the SAC, especially 5A sectionals. Alphabetically Carroll: Have the Chargers finally turned the corner? This year will be a good test after losing a D1 caliber, three year starter at the quarterback position. Some of Dinan's teams have severely struggled since joining the SAC in 2015, but they've been no slouch over the past three years. They have the facilities, community support, and student population to become one of the better programs in Northern Indiana. Time will tell how this years team measures up. Concordia: Tim Mannigel is back after a one year absence. His teams were known for giving the upper half of the SAC fits, especially Bishop Luers. He has a victory over Carroll to his credit and a couple of close battles with Homestead. His return only makes the SAC stronger. Look for an increase in production this year after a lackluster 2-8 season a year ago. Dwenger: Poor Dwenger. Dwenger is down. Dwenger lost this guy and that guy. Dwenger didn't lose Jason Garrett. And Dwenger still has a program that continues to reload. Oh, and a D1 transfer from Northrop. Garrett's teams play great defense and are as tough as nails on the whole. And they proved that they are capable of post season success even on a "down" year (last season.) It would be foolish to write these Saints off. Homestead: Homestead's success goes back all the way to the mid-90's. Sometimes they are NHC good, sometimes SAC good, and sometimes state-wide good. But they are always good. I expect that they will reload as usual and plug in a QB that will be among the best in NE Indiana. Count on the Spartans to compete for the SAC title, but don't expect too much when they meet up with Indy........they may still be a few years away from that level of play. But consider this, Homestead is 5-1 against Snider and Dwenger over the last three years. If they run the table on the Panthers and Saints this year, then they'll be the official kingpin of the SAC. Luers: It's my understanding that Luers returns many key elements to a team that should be defending their 2A title. Yes, they were upset in the post season last year........plain and simple. They could have beaten 1/4 of 6A teams last year and 1/2 of 5A. How good will they be this year? I'll leave that to some of the Luers insiders. But then again, most those guys have Lou Holtz Syndrome. North Side: Is this Fort Wayne's new magnet school? They already feature the best player in Indiana and one of the best wide receivers in the country. Now we are hearing of transfers from Dwenger and Luers. This doesn't happen in Fort Wayne. Dwenger and Luers kids don't transfer to North Side. Sorry, they just don't. So how is Ben Johnson getting it done? If he's as good of a coach as he is a recruiter, then the SAC better be on high alert. Last season, Coach Johnson's first at North Side, was pretty rough with only 2 wins. But he only lost to Snider and Dwenger by a combined 5 points. The Legends could be dangerous. Northrop: I've been saying "potential" for years now. I thought the Doerffler's would turn the Bruins into an SAC contender, but that never happened. Why is that? That's a question that may be a little too deep for me to answer. There is talent in the halls at Northrop, just as there is at every other FWCS. But what's it going to take to get them over the hump? Maybe a guy who's been in the Snider system for a couple of decades...........bring in Quenton Bowen. Imagine that....from black/gold to orange/brown. That's comparable to moving from Ohio State to Michigan. Good luck to him. A better Northrop means a better SAC. Snider: The panthers seemingly pulled out of their slump last season and found themselves once again at the top of the SAC. The post season wasn't so kind to them. They squeaked by a 3 win Northrop team, then got waxed by Dwenger after beating them by two touchdowns a few weeks prior. I think the Panthers had their sights set on the likes of Zionsville and Cathedral..........hopefully they don't make that same mistake again this season. They should be in a pretty good position this season with the return of many key positions from last seasons SAC championship run. Look for much of the same this year with a possible deep playoff run. South Side: I'm not sure where to begin here. Again, another school that is rich with talent in the hallway. Bring back Matt Land? Had he stuck around, South Side would have hoisted a couple of state title trophies. They've struggled ever since. Let's hope that Guy Lee is the one to bring this program back to respectability. Wayne: Sherwood Haydock won when he was at Harding and he won when he was at Woodlan. He can win at Wayne too. Others have done it before him, and he will too. Look for the Generals to make a run in 4A regardless of their win/loss record in the SAC.

As we prepare for the upcoming season, it is clear the numbers crisis in officiating not only still exists, but it’s not getting any better. We need your help to avoid radical steps like moving games off of the traditional Friday night schedule. What can you do to help? Here are some needed steps: (I first have to point out that this is strictly my opinion, based on my 45 yrs. of officiating experience, in which I’ve occupied many, many different roles: from crew member, to Association leader, to state champion crew chief, IHSAA official of the year, and now IHSAA observer.) In no particular order: Treat the officials better. Disagree with a call or no-call. Voice your opinion or ask a question. But do it in a sportsmanlike manner, and then LET IT GO. The assistants, players, and even fans take their cue from you. Be a good host. Make sure the officials have a secure place to dress and hold their pregame. Decent showers afterward. A towel and some cold drinks are greatly appreciated. Be a recruiter. Talk to your seniors, many of whom will never play another down. Get them interested in officiating. It’s a great way to stay in touch with the game and pick up some spending money, too. If you teach PE, talk to those kids, too. Here’s the tough one: give up the coach’s vote as the primary determinant of crew tournament advancement. In a quiet moment, when no one else is around, admit to yourself that coaches lack the three essential elements of a fair and accurate system of evaluation: training, objectivity, and a standardized method of evaluation. I can tell you for a fact that frustration with the tournament process is a significant factor in the inability to retain officials. Rightly or wrongly, the coaches’ vote is viewed as the principal flaw in the system. Coaches are entitled to have a voice in the selection of tournament officials. But making that voice the primary determining factor is killing careers. My $0.02.

True. I was livid as well 4 years ago

What about Warren Central? I remember that the Warriors used to rarely throw the football back when I was in high school. The 2018 team was very much an aerial team. And this is a 6A team. Previously was in 5A before the addition of a sixth class

Things are getting interesting. Maybe time to start an SAC Outlook 2022 thread.

CJ Davis. Committed to Marshall. Plays DB and WR.

I did not know that about Kansas. Based on Academic prestige, athletic success and location, I would think the Big Ten has their eyes set on North Carolina and Virginia. I'm cool with just about anyone from the PAC 12 other than UC Berkeley. Ground Zero of liberal elitism, no thanks. My personal preference from the Pac 12 would be:

True, guess we sort of agree. Fully prepared to admit I’m wrong or ask for help with my memory here but outside of last year’s Gibson Southern squad I’m struggling to remember a recent state championship team that had an unstoppable air attack as their base offense. Either way it’s rare.

Colorado has it and have read on Twitter a school the B10 wants. I think there are better options but Denver market makes some sense.

I guess it depends on how important the Association of American Universities is to the Big 10. Both USC and UCLA has it. The only school in the Big 10 that currently does not possess it is Nebraska, and they lost their after joining the Big 10. My understanding is that there is pressure for them to get it back. After Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC, only Kansas from the Big 12 has the membership. So I guess it depends on the importance. With the Big 10 announcement yesterday about USC and UCLA, this association was certainly included. Washington and Oregon are both members.....so is Stanford and Berkeley...both in major metro areas. https://www.si.com/college/northwestern/football/what-the-association-of-american-universities-has-to-do-with-big-ten-expansion https://www.aau.edu/who-we-are/our-members

And I am fully prepared to defend my stance ‘it depends.’ Lol Regarding 5A, I would say yes you need to be able to throw it. But the 1, 2, and 3A levels it is possible to win without throwing the ball. As teams get bigger and the ability to to two platoon gets easier, I say no. At 1A where a team has the same 11 guys who get minimal defense practice, a good rush attack is tough. But at the bigger classes (take Noblesville for example) when an opponent has bigger DL and all 11 can work on a defense game plan all week, the threat of a pass has to be there.

B10 Ten I believe is content with more than 20 teams. Cornering the West coast market by adding Cal/Stanford/Oregon/Washington makes a ton of sense. Doing this is going to force the SEC too expand even more and I see them adding Clemson, Miami, and Florida State sometime in the next year or two. UVa, UNC, and Duke are closer to SEC territory but academics align more with the B10, could see the B10 making a move for those 3 as well as the ACC will have now been blown up. This will force ND to make a decision one way or another.

Yesterday’s news surely got the wheels turning in the minds of all athletic directors across the county and ND is no longer immune.

Honest question: Do you NEED to throw the ball to win in high school football? I’m fully prepared to defend my stance of “not really”.

This all seems plausible, but I think plausibility is out the window at this point. The Big Ten is likely going to bring in somebody out of Oregon, Washington, Arizona State and Arizona. I'm sure they're still working on the white whales of North Carolina and Virginia. At some point Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and yes even Notre Dame will be forced into picking a side. Ultimately, I understand why it's assumed the ACC and left overs of the Big 12/Pac 12 will be the last 2 super conferences next to the Big Ten and SEC. But, is two watered down leagues a reality? The Big Ten and SEC will still hold all of the invitations and decide who gets into the party, which makes those leagues irrelevant. That's why I strongly feel we're heading towards two super conferences that just break away from everyone else.

Now that it’s started, I expect the pace will accelerate.

That’s not the point, the point is BTN being subscribed to on TV’s in LA County.

I got a feeling a break from the NCAA may be coming.

Yep, I heard similar reports. Here's all the bits and pieces I've heard about it: GS runs the ball well, Reitz pass defense is fast and physical, both teams have a tight QB battle going on, Reitz has dynamic playmakers all over the offense, GS defensive line is very solid, Reitz offensive line may struggle to give their QB time. Overall, it sounds like the scrimmage was very even and beneficial to both programs.

Thanks for insight Titan! Hope the PAC will represent 3A again!

I hope not.

I'd guess it's not the driving factor for most.

That assumes officiating is economically driven. Maybe for some. Certainly not all.