Andy Backstrom

Boston, Columbus

Ohio State Beat Writer at On3

✍🏻 Ohio State, Big Ten + more @On3sports / @LettermenRow, @MedillSchool + @bcheights alum, Philly native. 📬 [email protected]

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Articles

Deion Sanders calls for people to 'disallow their disdain for me,' honor Colorado players

Nov 14, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s top-rated quarterback right now. He’s also the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Sanders completed 30-of-43 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns. He also netted 16 rushing yards and scored on the ground once in a 41-27 win at Texas Tech. En route to earning his first Big 12 weekly award, Sanders guided his now-No. 17 Buffaloes to a comeback victory in Lubbock.
James Franklin assesses how playcalling has gone for Penn State in 2024

Nov 14, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Penn State replaced both of its coordinators this past offseason. The Nittany Lions fired former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich almost a year ago to the day, following the second of two underwhelming defeats to top-three opponents in 2023. Penn State mustered a combined 27 points in losses to Ohio State and Michigan last season. As for the defensive side of things, the Nittany Lions thrived under Manny Diaz — so much so that Diaz got offered the Duke head coaching job after the season.
D'Anton Lynn describes how addition of Dana Holgorsen has changed Nebraska prep

Nov 14, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Skip to main contentUSC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn admitted there have been late nights preparing for Nebraska. He’s never been in a situation like this before. Lynn has to get his Trojans defense ready to play a Cornhuskers offense that just underwent a November coordinator change — and not just any change, but one that saw Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule make an outside hire.
'We want to keep playing': Akili Arnold emphasizes importance of USC reaching bowl eligibility

Nov 14, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Nine games and 11 weeks into the 2024 season, USC is below .500 and has made a quarterback switch. The 4-5 Trojans aren’t where anyone thought they’d be, including sixth-year safety Akili Arnold, who transferred in from Oregon State this offseason. But the goal has shifted from College Football Playoff berth to bowl berth — earning one more game means something, and not just for a player like Arnold who is in his final year of eligibility.
Mario Cristobal sets expectation for Cam Ward after first loss of season

Nov 14, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Skip to main contentAnother second-half comeback wasn’t in the cards for cardiac Cam Ward and his Miami Hurricanes last week at Georgia Tech. An early second quarter touchdown pass from quarterback Haynes King — one of 11 Yellow Jackets completions on the day — marked the turning point in a game that saw Georgia Tech hold the ball for close to 10 minutes more than Miami.
Slant and go route versus Purdue years in the making for TreVeyon Henderson

Nov 14, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson caught a 32-yard pass against Purdue on a slant and go route he's been working on for years.
Deion Sanders on direction of Colorado program: 'I like where we're headed'

Nov 13, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Skip to main contentWith the Dallas Cowboys slipping three games below .500, head coach Mike McCarthy’s seat is scorching hot, and national conversations about his potential replacement are becoming louder and more frequent. The name that keeps coming up is Deion Sanders, the former Cowboys star and Pro Football Hall of Famer who has climbed the coaching ranks and now has Colorado in the College Football Playoff discussion.
Rece Davis evaluates how Ohio State result will affect Indiana's College Football Playoff chances

Nov 13, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Indiana has the week off, but the conversation surrounding the Hoosiers hasn’t slowed. It’s picked up now that the Hoosiers are No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings with just three weeks of the regular season remaining. Indiana has already notched its first-ever 10-win season under new head coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers have a top-five date with No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus next week.
Cooper Flagg addresses late turnovers vs. Kentucky, Jon Scheyer defends star freshman

Nov 13, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Cooper Flagg scored Duke’s final seven points Tuesday night in the Champions Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The freshman was every bit a part of the On3 Industry Ranking No. 1 overall prospect and furture No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick he’s considered to be. Except, when the Blue Devils needed a bucket in the final seconds — first to lead, and then simply to tie Kentucky — Flagg turned the ball over.
Greg McElroy believes Notre Dame can win national championship this season

Nov 13, 2024 | on3.com | Andy Backstrom

Skip to main contentNotre Dame made the four-team College Football Playoff twice but didn’t win a game. In the new 12-team CFP, the Fighting Irish, by rule, can’t earn a first-round bye because they don’t play in a conference. In other words, the odds are stacked against the Irish. Greg McElroy isn’t counting them out, though. The ESPN analyst believes Notre Dame is one of several teams that can win the national title in the first-ever expanded playoff.