Jon Joseph

- Dan Lanning has coached in the Coliseum as an assistant coach but never as a head coach. - Arch Manning has never won a road game in regulation time. - Week 4 Quarterback Rankings - 29 Faizon Brandon - Tennessee/ 40 Arch Manning - Texas 1 Michael Hawkins - West Virginia/ 33. Drew Mestemaker - Oklahoma State (49 John Mateer - Oklahoma 🤪) 48 Hank Brown - Iowa/ 69 Bryce Underwood - Michigan 9 Jayden Maiava USC/ 47 Dante Moore - Oregon - Kirk Ferentz - 9 seasons at Iowa as an assistant coach - 28 head coach Kyle Whittingham - 11 seasons at Utah as an assistant coach - 21 head coach Saturday- 1st meeting of these two venerable coaches, with the game being played in the venerable Big House? Perfect. - Tennessee - 0-6 in the last six home games vs. Top 25 opponents, and 0-0 with a President of the United States in attendance. Texas - 1-0 at Tennessee - and 1-0 with a President in attendance. 1969 - Texas 15 - Arkansas 14 in the 'Game of the Century' with President Richard Nixon on hand. Down 14-0, Texas came back to win the game 15-14. _ Week 4 games with a higher-ranked team as the underdog. No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida/ No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan/ No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State, and No. 20 Oregon at No. 12 USC. - Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is paid $6.75 million a season, with a 500K salary bump coming in 2027. To date, that's $562,500 for each of the three losses. But, easy money 🤑. Rutgers -14.5 is hosing Howard. - G6 Game of the Season? Week 4 sees the 2-1 Boise State Broncos traveling to Kalamazoo to play the 'undefeated' Western Michigan Broncos. - Versus Top 25 opponents: Dan Lanning 15-8/ At USC, Linc is missing vs. the top 25 with a record of 5-14 - On Saturday, Minnesota is visiting Seattle for the first time since 1976. UW 38 - Gophers 7 - One team has started 2-2 and won a CFB championship - 1970 Nebraska - Game-time weather in LA: 85 degrees, 10% chance of rain, 32 % humidity, wind 11 mph. GO DUCKS!

Good take, but Johnson and Harrison may not be able to play.

The SEC Gets Its Way with the Playoff Poohbahs - I'm Shocked! 🤬 https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-metric-conference-strength-sec-schedule/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-10aaa0b&ET_CI

6 out of 6 CBS Sports reporters like OBD to win. And Sports Illustrated had a B1G time article on Maiava that included a picture of his mug. 😁 Mug Maiava! https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/usc-oregon-prediction-picks-odds-spread-where-to-watch-live/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-10aaa0b&ET_CID

Who Needs it Moore? Danno, or Linc? https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/dan-lanning-lincoln-riley-pressure-oregon-usc/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-10aaa0b&ET_CID=585736&ET_RID

Four Week 4 Games with a Playoff Punch include Iowa at Michigan and OBD at USC - https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/week-4-college-football-playoff-impact-games-ole-miss-florida-sec/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-10aaa0b&ET

B1G Games Tonight. And two games on Saturday where Oregon fans should cheer on the visitors! Tonight - September 25th - 5 PM Pacific on Fox: 2-0 Northwestern (the Wildcats were off in Week 2) goes on the road to play 3-0 and No. 5-ranked Indiana. Under the tutelage of Chip Kelly and Jerry Neuheisel, NW QB Aiden Chiles is avoiding the inconsistent play and the turnovers that have plagued him for the prior three seasons. Under the tutelage of Mike Shanahan and Curt Cignetti, the previously turnover-prone Indiana QB Josh Hoover has not thrown an interception. (Next week, renovated Ryan Field opens with Northwestern hosting Penn State. Friday night, October 2nd, 5 Pacific on Fox.) --- 1-2 FCS Howard at winless Rutgers. If Greg Schiano does not win this game, he could be fired early in the season, as were James Franklin and Brian Kelly last season, and replaced by ... Brian Kelly. Scuttlebutt has it that Kelly has offered millions of dollars from his $54 million severance payment to help build the Rutgers roster. Big Ten Network - 4 Pacific --- HEADS UP - Two games on Saturday that could affect Oregon's PO chances and seeding. ESPN2 - 12:30 Pacific - 2-1 Boise State at 'Undefeated' Western Michigan - Who knew that when these two meet in Kalamazoo, it could be the G6 Game of the Year? Four years ago, these two Broncos agreed to play one another only after BYU canceled a four-game series with Boise State. (Pay attention, Rob! 🤬) --- 4 PM Pacific - FS1 1-2 Oklahoma State at 3-0 West Virginia - Two weeks ago Saturday, OK State upset a favored, top-25-ranked team. Or so I've heard.😒 Last week, Rich Rod's Mountaineers went on the road and upset No. 25 Virginia, behind the stellar play of former Sooners QB Michael Hawkins Jr. (I think Brett Venables would Sooner have Hawkins at QB, rather than Tracks of Ma Teers.) Which one of these two Dark Horse B12 champs will prevail? (Furniture salesman in Morgantown will be cheering for the home team. But not the Fire Department.) Hamstring Traveler!

Jeremiah Johnson is a game-time decision, so for this game, I'm going to Duck. 🤔 Best of luck to all who predicted the game. GO DUCKS!

It's a big blow if Johnson can't go. Game-time decision? I hope Dan is playing games, but B1G HQ has warned against anything less than full disclosure in the mandatory player availability reports. https://www.rotowire.com/cfootball/headlines/jamari-johnson-injury-projected-to-be-game-time-decision-231696

Presidents Cup - Oregon's Wyndham Clark is a Day 1 Winner. Day 1 - USA 3 - International Team 2 https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/presidents-cup-day-1-winners-000755721.html

Week 4 Preview from ESPN's David Hale begins with a look at OBD- https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/gamedaykickoff092426/2026-gameday-kickoff-week-4-preview-top-games-usc-oregon-alabama

Assume the Positions! https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/09/24/oregon-football-usc-trojans-tale-of-the-tape-breakdown/91911896007/

Inf(l)ect Lincoln! 😁 https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2026/09/24/lincoln-riley-future-usc-hinges-oregon-game/91924819007/

Mike, on the same day you posted this terrific take, The Athletic's ($ Wall) Chris Vannini asked: What's Wrong with the Ducks? Vannini notes five problems. All of the problems have been raised by Forum Friends, but Vannini provides stats to confirm his points. 1. Too many penalties. 10 vs. Boise and 7 in the games vs. OK State and Portland State. This averages out to three more per game than in 2025. 15 of the 24 penalties have been called on the defense. Two penalties on 4th downs vs. OK State led to Cowboys scores. 2. Too many 3rd-and-long - The Oregon offense has not been on schedule. 9 out of 26 3rd downs converted against Boise State and OK State; 34%. 2025 conversion rate was 47%. Oregon is 0-for-5 on 4th down attempts. 4th down failures in the first two games resulted in 16 points scored against. 3. O-Line Struggles - The Oregon offense is averaging 3.8 yards per rush, No. 78 in the nation. Only one running play has gone for more than 30 yards. The OL surrendered 4 sacks to OK State; 3 came against a 3-man rush, and 3 sacks to Boise State. Both Addison's and Crader's Pro Football Focus Pass-Blocking Grades are below 30%. 4. Dante Moore struggles when defenses change post-snap. Dante continues to have problems reading the field when defenses make post-snap adjustments. There has been no improvement since 2025, and a modest regression. USC DC Gary Patterson will mix it up post-snap. Does the SC D have the chops to take advantage? 5. The Defense Has Been Busted. 7 plays of 30 or more yards allowed to date. In 15 games in 2025, the defense allowed 18 impact plays. But 6 of the 7 breakdowns occurred in the Stillwater meltdown. Can these problems be avoided or overcome against USC? Perhaps, and it helps that USC's outstanding freshman WR Trent Mosely will not be able to play. SC should have lost at Rutgers, and previously, under Riley, SC would have lost. But there are better players on the field, including on a defense that scored two TDs, and in 2026 SC has run the ball much better than Oregon. Which D shows up on Saturday? The SC D that shut out Fresno State or the Swiss cheese D that played against Rutgers? Which O shows up for Oregon? If it's the O that no-showed in the first two weeks, USC wins. Before knowing whether Jeremiah Johnson can play, I'm keeping my prediction powder dry.

"I'm not asking for sympathy." It's missing, Linc, and outside of South Central, it will not be found. 😁 https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49713288/usc-lincoln-riley-hot-seat-job-security-2026

Koi, where are you? Many quality OL players and B1G players are on this list of the 25 most impactful transfers to date. But no Ducks. SIRanking the 25 Most Impactful Transfer Portal Players in...These 25 players have made big impressions in their new homes through the first few weeks of the season.

Sorry, Jayden, but this Saturday I hope it's not Ohana, but Oh 🤬! SIJayden Maiava’s Remarkable Rise From Hawaiʻi to Heisman C...The USC QB grew up in public housing with 15 to 20 family members in one home. Now at the Trojans’ lavish facilities, he carries the values of community.

OUTSTANDING! Thank you, Mr. West. I recall that after watching the 2nd possession drive against Indiana in the Peach Bowl, thinking Oregon was in business. (I continue to be baffled by Stein's opening play call, especially after watching Kentucky smash-mouth A&M in College Station.) After the drive to tie the game, nothing was Peachy. I don't get it. Oregon looked lost in the Rose Bowl and, after briefly battling back, in the Peach Bowl and also in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In all three games, a Blue Chip Roster turned into a Blow Lunch roster. The schemes may be suspect and easily decoded, but where is the on-field leadership? The will to punch back after being punched in the mouth. Coming into 2026, perhaps we should have recalled that the four DL NFL prospects who were going to lead the way this season as an inexperienced OL found their footing, disappeared in the Peach Bowl with a whimper. This, after shutting out the best O in the B12 in the Orange Bowl. These big-game no-shows would try the patience of Job. Yet, when things are going well, we are told this is a player-led team. In 2025, we saw a guts-ball performance from the D in a rainstorm in Iowa City. We saw a QB lead a refuse-to-lose 4th-quarter drive for the win. Where were these guys in Atlanta? In 2026, against two viable opponents, we have seen a team favored by a collective 40-plus points struggle against a G6 opponent and melt down in Stillwater. In these two games, the DL was impotent and gashed. The Boise State and Oklahoma coaching staffs figured out the schemes. This does not justify top players being pushed around by 2* and 3* players. There's a lot of Sound in 2026; where is the Fury? If the Broncos and Cowboys DCs knew what was coming, Trojans DC Gary Patterson knows what is coming. Jamari Johnson is listed as Probable for Saturday's game. With McClellan out, Dante better have one security blanket receiver on the field. Dante is not going to morph into Trinidad Chambliss. Riley's USC teams are difficult to defeat in the Coliseum. At home, Troy is on a 12-game win streak, including going 4-0 last season against the Big Ten. The SC team that was fortunate to win in New Jersey will not be the team that shows up on Saturday. Thanks again, Mike. May the Force be With You and With OBD!

CFB Top 10 Passers to date. B1G QBs make the list but No. 1 belongs to Oregon State QB Branden Atkinson. 🤔 CFB-HQ On SI2026 College Football Passing Leaders Through Week 3: Bre...College football's passing yardage leaderboard saw quite a shakeup in Week 3, but not at the very top where an emerging star out West continues to be one of the

Rece sees a Big House victory for the Hawkeyes. Iowa DC Phil Parker has done it again with only 3 starters back on defense. No. 1 overall and No. 1 scoring defense. If Iowa defeats Michigan, and Ohio State defeats Illinois, GameDay could leave Dixie for the first time this season and be in Iowa City for the Week 5 Buckeyes vs. the Hawkeyes game. https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/picks/rece-davis-predicts-major-road-upset-ranked-big-ten-showdown-iowa-hawkeyes-michigan-wolverines?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ONSI_Newsle

On the way to another SEC title, and a 2nd-round PO win in the Peach BowI, I want to see UGA TCB against Oklahoma. Oklahoma is missing an O this season, but the Sooners D has been excellent. Heading into Week 4, Gunner Stockton has CFB's top QBR rating. Archie comes in at No. 40. In the preseason, I thought three SEC teams were overrated: Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Missouri. Many terrific SEC matchups this week. Mizzou at Miss State is somewhat off the radar but could be one of the best games of the weekend. Go Dawgs!

It's Week 4, and Exhibition Season is over. The B1G had a small preseason. Things were delightful in Dixie. Are we seeing the B1G regress to the College Football (CFB) mean(ies)? Notwithstanding three seasons of B1G CFB dominance, the SEC never surrendered the recruiting ranking and NFL draft pick titles. And SEC programs are not shy about dropping dollars on athletics. Heading into Week 4, 29 Power 4 programs are undefeated. SEC: 9 teams - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas, and Vanderbilt. (It's not a Michigan asterisk for Vandy, but it's close.) ACC: 4 teams - Duke, Miami, Pitt, and Virginia Tech. I'll add ACC-enabled Notre Dame here. B12 - 6 teams - BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Utah, West Virginia. B1G: 8 teams - Indiana, Iowa, Michigan (?), Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, USC. Come Sunday, one of these teams will have a loss. No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee/ No. 4 Mississippi at No. 21 Florida/ No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State/ NR Kansas State at NR Cincinnati. (See Iowa at Michigan below.) In the B1G - FRIDAY. Northwestern at Indiana - 21.5 - 8 PM Eastern/ 5 PM Pacific - Fox Chip and Jerry Neuheisel have upped QB Aiden Chiles' game, but Indiana only -21.5? 🤑🤑 --- Howard at Rutgers -14.5 - 7 PM/ 4 PM - Big Ten Network (BTN) To date, Howie has been a B1G punching bag for Indiana and Maryland. After the way Rutgers played vs. SC and looking for the first win? 🤑🤑🤑 --- SATURDAY. No. 7 Ohio State -27.5 vs. Illinois - Noon/ 9 AM - Fox The Ohio State run game has not been robust. But Duke ran all over Illinois. Is there an Illini DB who can cover Jeremiah Smith? 🤑 No. 18 Michigan -5.5 vs. No.17 Iowa - 3:30/ 12:30 - CBS A game between two teams whose coaches like to get down in the dirt. The Hawkeyes come in having played lesser competition but with a more productive offense than Michigan. SPORTSLINE - Michigan 21 - Iowa 20. (Sportsline does not predict enough games correctly for me to subscribe. The referenced SL odds come from the few results shown on CBS Sports program Inside College Football.) --- THE GAME FOR LEFT COAST SUPREMACY. No. 20 Oregon -3 at No. 12 USC - 7:30/4:30 - NBC 🤪I'm fairly certain that back in the day, unless Timothy Leary and Lucy In the Sky tripped to Eugene, many Forum Friends would, in their wildest dreams, have had visions of Oregon squashing the men of Troy five times in a row. On Saturday, Oregon is favored to Give Ducks fans a High Five! Man, this game is difficult to predict. 🤔 SPORTSLINE - USC 31 - Oregon 27 --- B1G Saturday games featuring undefeated B1G teams. UCLA at Maryland -1.5 - 1:30 PM/ 10:30 AM - BTN UCLA does not have a defense that will travel, but to date the Bruins have the best run game in the B1G. Against Purdue, UCLA put up 369 yards rushing, the same kind of numbers the Bruins have put up all season. 🤑🤑 --- 3-0 Nebraska -5.5 at 2-1 Michigan State - Nebraska is 2-0 vs. the MAC, but can it win a game in the Midwest against a Spartans team that did not roll over against No. 3 Notre Dame in South Bend? --- Washington -9.5 vs. Minnesota - 11 PM/ 8 PM - Fox OK, in 1936, when Minnesota was ruling the CFB roost and traveled to Seattle to play Washington, rumor has it that the hotel the Gophers stayed in Seattle caught fire. Sadly, this happened in Missoula, Montana, not Seattle. (No one died or was hurt in these fires.) Like many B1G teams in 2026, the UW O-line is not performing to expectations, so the run game is struggling. But the defense has been solid. --- Everybody's heard about the Bird, but is anyone watching? On Peacock - No. 3 Notre Dame -27.5 at Purdue - 2 PM/ 11 AM Did you know that this is the Battle for the Shillelagh game? If so, congratulations! Wisconsin at No. 13 Penn State -10 - 5 PM/ 2 PM Penn State's Nittany Lion's leading receiver, Koby Howard, is out for an extended period, and the Wisconsin offense has improved every game. I think Bucky will give PSU a battle. ENJOY & TRASH TROY!

Charles, as noted above in excellent comments, Oregon is still the new kid on the block. The kid with a rich Uncle trying to buy him the nicest of things. NIKE U. Nike, the goddess of victory in war and peaceful competition. Oregon is the program that defined modern sports marketing: brash, up front, and in your face. This week's uniform reveal... A program that created turmoil in a 'small stadium.' Oregon is the program that took college football into warp speed. This also irritated folks, including Saint Nick. Whether the noise is negative or positive, when folks pay attention, O how U matter. Is Oregon this season's Penn State? Saturday will be a good tell. I hope OBD leaves LA on the wings of a Nike victory. Regardless, I'm a guy who stayed loyal to Bogus Bruins, Pathetic Pats, and Wicked Bad Red Sox. Advertising? Bring it on! Where would U of O be without advertising? 😁

Here Comes the Judge! With good news for the Hoosiers. Note: These two players did not sign with an NFL team. Also note: The good judge referenced the NCAA 'Manuel'. I'm happy to learn that Manny found a job. 🤪 https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/indiana-dl-stephen-daley-kellan-wyatt-again-eligible-after-receiving-injunction-following-expiration-of-tro-175651905.html

Another experienced coach joins the B1G? If Kelly takes over from Greg Schiano, he'll be in his element, which was not the case in Baton Rouge. CFB-HQ On SIEx-LSU HC Brian Kelly Linked to Winless College Football...Things did not go as planned for Brian Kelly at LSU, but college football rumors are already swirling about the coach's next stop. Kelly is currently a CBS Spor