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I agree that REQUIRING a P4 out of conference game will help. But my point was that coaches will never do that voluntarily. They will only do that if there is such a rule requiring it (and FINALLY starting next year that will be required for the Big-10). But where I disagree you is about the other games. I definitely don't see the FCS games going away altogether. Look for Indiana to set up an out-of-conference schedule that looks something like this: Boston College, Ball State and Indiana State. That satisfies the P4 requirement (since BC is in the ACC), but it's a truly weak opponent. Indiana will almost certainly be favored in all of those games, probably by a lot. Cignetti will then know that he can then go 6-3 in Big-10 conference games and still make the playoffs easily (they may even be able to go 5-4 and make it in some years). While the records will matter for seeding, as you pointed out, that's not nearly as big of a carrot as actually making the playoff is. We just saw a fantastic ND vs. Miami game last Saturday. That game was essentially a playoff elimination game for ND. But it won't be next year because both of those teams will be SAFELY in the field. I also think we'll see some (not all though) coaches rest key players down the stretch if they are already safely in the playoff. In many cases they won't even risk falling out of bye contention. But I also think some coaches would MUCH rather just ensure they have key players healthy over having to play on the road. On a separate note, I could not agree more strongly with you about the cartel that is the bowls. I absolutely hate them. IMO, ALL of the playoff games should be on home campuses and only the championship game should be at a neutral site. The Bowls already got to run their grift on college football for like 100 years. It's time to send them to the cemetary!

Falling behind at home to Texas State 42-7 was just a matter of luck 😆 🍀 🍀

Damn, that was a great run with strong downfield blocking.

ESPN is all-in on the CFB PO for the Good of the Game, right? 2nd PO Committee rankings will be revealed tonight on ESPN at about 9 PM Eastern, when the Duke vs. Michigan State CBB game concludes. There should be no interim rankings, and ESPN should not manage the CFB PO. 🤬 CFB-HQ On SIWhen Do the New College Football Playoff Rankings Come Ou...Coming out of another active and confusing weekend of college football, the playoff selection committee is tasked with reorganizing the top 25 rankings. The one

No, after looking at his posting history since he joined us this fall…it becomes evident that he is a Beavis, and joined to troll us. He won’t be posting any more…

Somewhere, someplace, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed.🙃

Thanks, David, total agreement with your take on Dan. The Gambler? Good reference. However, if 'you never count your money when it's sitting on the table', how in Hades do you know how much to bet? 🤑🤪

I am not so sure Oregon can't get it done now. They need a ton of help to get into the post season and losing Tatum makes it difficult. Oregon is playing outstanding football right now and getting better. Make it in and anything can happen. Especially with the talent on this team. I know we saw some ugly this year and its hard to imagine with the ugly we saw. But Oregon can stand toe to toe with anyone in game. Maybe I am crazy, maybe not. This is football and anything can happen when you have one of the top rosters in talent.

I believe coach Mike B. defined “luck” as when opportunity meets preparation….or something along those lines. If there was actually such a thing as luck, a team missing their flight and having to forfeit would fit the bill. Anyone can isolate a couple plays in a game and say “that was luck”, but that’s why it’s a sport and not scripted entertainment. Luck is usually just a term used for some sour grapes to dodge accountability - imo of course 😁

Sad, but true - 🥸😒😧 🤬Go Trojans! https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2026/11/09/dan-lanning-oregon-football-hoping-lincoln-riley-usc-win/92688319007/

Playing a P4 team out-of-conference is required by rule. By 2030, we'll see an SEC/B1G challenge and the money that comes with these value-added out-of-conference games. I believe we'll see similar ACC/B12 matchups. 4-loss Iowa would have been in a 2025 24-team PO field. Deservedly so, with four close losses to quality teams, before defeating 10-2 Vanderbilt in an all-hands-on-deck bowl game. This was with playing and losing to Iowa State OOC. The calculus for PO admission has changed. Strength of schedule and strength of record will factor into seeding, which is critical for securing a 1st or 2nd round home game. I am not certain, but I expect the PO home games will have the same attendance criteria as today's first-round PO games. These are true home games. The host team has to make 3500 seats and seats for the visiting band available; that's it. Tony Petitti is an intelligent businessman. He heard the same kind of concerns when he helped engineer MLB playoffs expansion. Expansion was needed because the cost of fielding a quality team skyrocketed. Exactly what we see in today's CFB. People still attend MLB games and watch postseason games in record numbers. I expect OOC games vs. FCS opponents will disappear. Most programs will play two G6 opponents, with the majority of these games played on home turf, and, again, all P4 teams have to play a P4 opponent OOC. (Rob needs to seriously consider whether playing the Beavers home-and-home makes $ense.) How can OOC game quality not improve? The five B1G teams that played no P4 teams OOC this season will not be able to do so next season. Requiring a P4 OOC game is an ipso facto improvement over scheduling three lower-level teams OOC. In 2027, Oregon will have to exchange Eastern Washington, Coastal Carolina, or Western Kentucky for a P4 opponent. Another benefit to the format is starting the season on what is now Week 0 and starting the PO earlier. (Not too far in the future, I expect the Army-Navy game will not have an exclusive broadcast window on a Saturday, and the PO will start a week earlier than next season through 2031. How about an exclusive window on the eve of Thanksgiving? ) Give 24 a chance. IMO, it will be terrific. And quality teams like BYU and Notre Dame will be in the field. Going back to the first season of the four-team PO, with a 24-team format, 80 programs would have participated in the postseason. And in today's CFB world, programs across the board need the postseason money. I'm hoping a 24-team PO will hold off consolidation into a Super League and that the ACC and the B12 can survive. I do not want millions of ACC and B12 fans to be 'disenfranchised'. I don't know if this will help assuage concerns over expansion, but the NCAA not conducting a D1 football PO is a quirk of history. If the NCAA managed the postseason, D1 would have had a 24-team PO field decades ago. I hope that by 2032, using bowl games for quarterfinal and semifinal games will be eliminated. And that the PO is managed by the FBS schools and not ESPN. If the expansion concerns come to fruition, I'll be at the front of the line with a Mea Culpa, but I don't see it happening. MASH MICHIGAN!

I think the games lost by starters during the season leading up to the Ohio State National Championship was ~29 (about half coming on the OL). That number however doesn't count two starters who were lost for the season before it started (Johnstone, Addison) as they never suited up in 2014 (and the new starters for those spots were selected in fall camp). Adding in 30 starts there (which probably is the more accurate number) reaches 59 starts in 15 games (30 on the OL).

I think he has been listening to the force ghost of Kenny Rodgers. You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. Well I DO hear "The Gambler" term used to describe DL often. So, I have to agree with your Kenny Rodgers reference cuz, "There will be plenty time for counting....when the "scoring" is done! (Poor, abused, pushups marathon for "The Duck"). 🦆🏈🪨's.

Well this.....SUCKS! Loved his passion and leadership on defense. Seemed to get even better as the season progressed. Probably won't see him play again as an Oregon Duck. Some NFL team is going to get a STUD! Thanks for you commitment to OBD and good fortune to you on your professional NFL career. Once a Duck. Always a Duck.

In my Opinion..."Luck". Good or bad is actually part of the game. Probably why they put them darn pointed ends on the ball (aren't balls suppose to be round???), like some demented coin flip (which is how each game starts anyway). How teams respond (bad luck) or take advantage of (good luck) usually determines the flow and even outcome of games. Kinda a lot like life. GO QUACKERS!

Just absolutely utterly brutal......

Nice article David. I think Lanning is a great coach for both the Oregon fanbase and the Oregon brand. He's a modern guy that relates to the modern player. He believes in an exciting style of play which is entertaining to watch. His style of coaching translates to many players moving on the next level and having success there. I know it was impossible to make the OC change after the Nebraska win. It's hard not to contemplate the what ifs about making that change at halftime at Illinois. It has been wild watching Lanning 2.0 materialize right before our eyes. I think he has been listening to the force ghost of Kenny Rodgers. You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.

The hits just keep on coming. 🤬 Healing blessings for Mr. TT. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/11/10/oregon-football-teitum-tuioti-injury-impact/92701991007/

You could say it was luck that Ohio State whacked the Ducks in the Rose Bowl CFP Quarterfinal. However, I believe the Ducks were out coached and outplayed. Just like our win on Saturday, Ohio State was out coached and out played. Not much luck involved.

I could not d I could not disagree more strongly. I went to the game in person. Oregon essentially dominated that game from mid-2nd quarter onwards. They dominated both lines and pushed Ohio State around the field. Not only did they not get any sacks on DR, but he really only came under serious pressure on two dropbacks. Further, the two late touchdowns occurred when the outcome of the game was already decided and Oregon essentially went into prevent defense mode. I also don't exactly know what Ohio State's QB had to do with Oregon calling a screen pass at the perfect time (anticipating the blitz call) or Dierre Hill breaking a 48-yard run through the B-gap or Tuiotti throwing a phenomenal jump pass to Matayo on a fake punt that caught the Buckeyes with their pants down. Like I said.....I couldn't disagree more strongly.

Morning all and happy Thursday. I know Lanning has restored a lot of our trust and faith in him these past two weeks with two back to back ranked wins and I think he's proving he has what it takes to get the job done. Lanning is the Right Coach to get the Ducks a ChampionshipThe Ducks are a long shot from making the College Football Playoff, though it's not impossible, they are also an long shot to make the Big Ten Championship game, but again, not impossible.

Offensive line still sucks too. The scheme right now is built around allowing the offensive line to actually function. But the offensive line is still a major liability.

Notre Dame is officially required to play 10 Power 4 teams to be eligible. So their 2027 schedule is in compliance (two Big-10 opponents, one SEC opponent, one Big-12 opponent and six ACC opponents).

I humbly disagree. I don't think the 24-team playoff will automatically guarantee better out-of-conference games. The only way to guarantee that is to REQUIRE it with a rule. Let me give you one piece of evidence. Three years ago they tripled the size of the playoff--from 4 teams to 12 teams. Did that result in better out of conference schedules.......heck no!!!!!! Despite tripling access to the playoff, the out of conference slate was super weak this year. Teams like Indiana and Penn State scheduled three cupcakes without hesitation. The Big Noon game on week 1 was Indiana vs. North Texas!!! Thankfully, they are at least requiring 1 P4/ND out of conference game, which will help somewhat. It'd be MUCH better if they required 2 such games however.

Just look how lucky Hill gets as the sea just parts in front of him as he just casually strolls in for the TD.