Daily briefing: On LSU-UCLA, Adrian Martinez and NIL radio gigs

On3 imageby:Ivan Maisel08/30/21

Ivan_Maisel

Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:

LSU-UCLA now a lot more interesting

There’s no way of predicting how LSU’s bugging out of Baton Rouge for Houston will affect the Tigers’ preparation for their opener at UCLA on Saturday. Football may serve as a distraction for players worried about their families dealing with Hurricane Ida back home. But the situation is unsettling to say the least, and the Bruins’ 44-10 rout of Hawaii in classic Chip Kelly fashion — 31 first-half points that left the Rainbow Warriors trying to figure out what hit them — served notice that LSU doesn’t have the luxury of making opening-game mistakes. This game just got a lot more interesting.

Adrian Martinez and his young line

Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez, the rare four-year starter, clearly is talented. He threw for 232 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 111 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown, in the Huskers’ 30-22 loss at Illinois. But Martinez once again had a crushing turnover, a fumble when he got sacked and stripped from behind by redshirt freshman tackle Keith Randolph. Linebacker Calvin Hart Jr. picked up the fumble and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. Martinez must endure a young offensive line that is learning on the job. Nebraska, once Offensive Line U, hasn’t had an All-Big Ten lineman since 2012 (guard Spencer Long).

NIL leads to radio gigs

If you live in an NFL city, you’re accustomed to hearing a top player on your team make a weekly paid appearance on one of the sports radio shows in town. NIL is making that possible in college markets, too. Birmingham, about the biggest college market there is, is the home of The Next Round, a new online radio show/podcast that features two fixtures in the Alabama sports radio market, Ryan Brown and Jim Dunaway. The Next Round has made deals for weekly appearances with Alabama wide receiver John Metchie and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. On separate days, of course. I hope they’re good. This is how NIL should work.