Jon Joseph

Put Me In, Coach!

Dante did not have his safety blanket TE, and the replacement players didn't step up, including a 5-star recruit. In today's college football, loss of key players is magnified. Ditto recruiting muffs on the O-line and elsewhere On the D-line, Washington was injured, but the entire D-line played like it was injured. And Dan's in-game 4th down decisions? See baby on nipple. And Ferguson and Davidson going down? Even after the stumble at Tulsa, I knew OK State, playing its opening game in the Boone Pickens madhouse, was not going to be a layup. I'm not happy with the way Oregon played in the opening games, but Oregon should have opened against Portland State and played the next two games at home against 'middle-class' G6 competition. You know? Like SC. Glad Oregon lost? Heck no! Not with a 12-team PO and a selection committee that focuses on losses. Boise State provided a wake-up call, and OBD did not wake up in Week 2. Get healthy this week, I hope, against an opponent who should have been in Autzen in Week 1. ESPN analytics give OBD a 38% chance to win at SC. Flock ESPN!

In Week 2, L$U's $am Leavitt threw three picks, and Jordan $eaton and friends gave up 5 $acks to Louisiana Tech. But this game was played at home against a G6 team. Not in a steam bath in Stillwater. As OBD fans painfully remember, the last team to go 1-1 and win it all was Big Ten Ohio State. History was made last Saturday, and history could be repeated in Vegas on 1/25/27. But OBD needs to stop having key players injured (why, time after time?) and a team WAKE-UP CALL! Excuse? Yes. But Dante went into the game with his TE bail-out security blanket. And a 5-star TE recruit is apparently not ready to see the field. Along with two O-line frosh highly rated recruits. In defense of the Defense? I've got nothin'. What happened in Japan needs to stay in Japan. Vanquish the Vikings!

I think that I, too, was frequently floored, but I can't remember. 🙃

Et tu, Nike? Rutgers? OK. But Miami? 🤬🤬🤬 On3Miami signing 10-year sponsorship, apparel deal with Nike....

Amen, Herbie, Amen! On3Kirk Herbstreit calls out Ohio State's drop in AP Top 25...Kirk Herbstreit called out Ohio State's drop in the AP Top 25 poll after the loss to Texas and said, "It makes no sense to me at all."

Relax, it's OK. Grandkids? I have four on the floor. Well, one on the floor and three in college. 😁

A Picture is Worth a Lot More than JJ's Words - ( I am NOT referring to the photo of the cheerleaders!) CFB-HQ On SINew Chart Shows Most Expensive Teams in College FootballCollege football's roster-building arms race now carries a price tag approaching $54 million, with The Athletic's new survey showing how sharply access to playe

Dan tells what is needed - https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/09/15/oregon-football-dan-lanning-offensive-tells-oklahoma-state/91770184007/

Will the Bill Cruz to passage and end well for Cantwell?😁 https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2026/09/15/college-sports-act-ncaa-debate-maria-cantwell/91780894007/

Therein lies the rub. You can check to see whether NIL deals are kosher, if programs submit NIL deals to the clearinghouse as they are supposed to under the House settlement, but you can't cap players' legitimate NIL deals. Back in pre-NIL days, UNLV basketball players made a lot of money parking cars at casinos.😁

In a season when the O-line isn't playing up to Joe Moore Award standards, it's nice to have someone like Marcus Mariota, Tua, or Trinidad Chambliss at QB. In CFB, give me a dual-threat QB. One reason Texas came back Saturday is that Archie has wheels and Julian Sayin does not. Watching Sayin's former backup, Lincoln Kienholz at Louisville, I wonder if Ryan Day made the right choice? With a semblance of defense, Louisville defeats Ole Miss. So far in 2026, Ohio State doesn't have a WR to complement Jeremiah Smith. Texas switched to man-on-man coverage in the 4th quarter, and the Buckeyes' passing game disappeared. Assistant coaching? Texas DC Will Muschamp finally decided to copy the defense Coach Kwiatowski put on the field that shut Jeremiah down. DUH! I believe Coach K is available for hire? Just Sayin.

Yesterday, September 15, 2026, the Senate voted 74 to 24 to send the Protect College Sports Act to the floor, where it is expected to pass, at least in the Senate. Perhaps the good Senators read The Athletic's article ($ Wall) on what it costs to build a roster that can compete for championships in today's college football (CFB). The Athletic used 70 different sources to make an educated estimate of the cost of 68 Power 4 rosters. As The Athletic's Stewart Mandel noted, nailing down exact numbers is difficult. Very few people associated with a program know the exact number, and these people do not want to share. Exact roster cost and a player's individual earnings are kept under wraps to, in theory, thwart agent salary demands. It isn't working. You don't have to be a mathematics savant to recognize that $20 million to $54 million in two years is exponential growth. In 2024, Ohio State AD Ross Bjork acknowledged that the cost of the roster that would win that season's championship was slightly over $20 million. Today, Ohio State's roster budget is estimated to be between $49 and 54 million, the nation's top estimated budget. Not surprisingly, in CFB, on-field success generally follows the money. The median budget for each Power 4 conference in millions of dollars: B12 - 18 to 22. Six of 16 programs budget at least 20 million. ACC - 20 to 24 - Six of 17 programs and Notre Dame budget at least 20 million. Number 68 - at an estimated 8 to 13 million dollars, Boston College is last in FBS CFB. But in Week 2, the Golden Eagles defeated Rutgers, with an estimated budget of 20 to 23 million dollars, 28 to 21, with help from the Rutgers QB, who completed four passes to BC DBs. B1G - Seven of 18 programs budget more than 29 million; on the low side of the estimate, four programs budget less than 20 million. SEC - 10 of 16 programs budget at least 29 million. No program budgets less than 22 million. If the Big Ten is top-heavy compared to the SEC, the budget numbers explain why. Week 2 - Mississippi State 38 - Minnesota 13 - Bulldogs' budget: 25 to 30 million. Gophers' budget: 18 to 20 million. Of course, every game does not follow the money. Oregon's budget: 48 to 54 million. Oklahoma State's budget: 15 to 19 million. Dan shouldn't lose games to unranked teams. However, one loss so far in five seasons is not shabby. CFB's Top 10 budgets: Ohio State - 49-54 Oregon - 48-54 Close to a dead heat for the top budget. The grass is damn green. Texas - 45-55 LSU - 47-50 Texas A&M - 45-50 Miami - 44-50 Notre Dame - 41-48 Ole Miss - 39-45 Tennessee - 41-43 Alabama - 38-42 Big spending Texas Tech is tied with Bama - 38-42 --- Other B1G programs: USC 37-40/ Indiana 36-40/ Michigan 36-40/ Nebraska 31-35/ Penn State 29-32/ Wisconsin 27-31/ UCLA 26-30/ Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Washington 21-25/ Rutgers 20-33/ Illinois 19-23/ Minnesota 18-22/ Iowa 17-23/ Purdue 16-20. How does a team win with a smaller budget? Kirk Ferentz's Iowa program has a stellar long-term ROI. His Hawkeyes win with sound defense, special plays from the special teams, and not turning the ball over. Vanderbilt's budget is 25 to 28 million. But if you can find a talent like Diego Pavia in the G6, you can soar for as long as The Guy is on campus. Will Trinidad Chambliss from DII Ferris State bring down L$U on $aturday? Upsets happen (🤬), but for the most part, program success follows the money. How long before the moneyed programs form a Super Conference? Will the Protect College Sports Act pass? Will $54 million today be $88 million in 2027? And if this happens, will we witness college sports committing suicide?

Dan, the Schwartz is With You - Oregon Ducks On SIFormer Oregon Duck Geoff Schwartz Sounds Off Against Dan...The hours and days after a loss are typically tough for a college football teams' fanbase. For the No. 21 Oregon Ducks, their historically dismal 39-31 loss on

It was a CFB historic loss for OBD - A historic win for OK State. And Ducks Wire starts by calling out the coaches. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/09/12/oregon-football-ducks-oklahoma-state-5-takeaways/91730812007/

A historic win for OK State and a historic loss for OBD - https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/09/12/oregon-football-ducks-oklahoma-state-5-takeaways/91730812007/

Dan accepts the blame for the loss at OK State. Kudos to Dan. https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/dan-lanning-accepts-blame-says-a-lack-of-leadership-led-to-oregons-shocking-loss-to-oklahoma-state-124328718.html

Terrific, well-reasoned post. Thank you. Before he was hired by LSU, Saban had head coaching experience at Toledo and Michigan State. When he was hired Dan had no head coaching experience. OK, it's an excuse. But on Saturday, Oregon should have been in Autzen Stadium playing San Jose State. Mullens screwed the pooch with his 2026 OOC scheduling, beginning with scheduling Boise State. OOC, SC played San Jose State, Fresno State, and LA-LA, all games played in LA. SC goes 10-2 and is in the PO. OOC, Indiana plays three donut holes at home. Go 10-2, and Indiana returns to the PO. Ohio State would make the same media revenue if it played Ohio U at home on Saturday instead of Texas, and would have cashiered home game revenue. Based on what happened to 9-3 Texas last season, Ohio State better go 8-1 the rest of the season to ensure a PO invite. With today's roster turnover, manning up OOC is senseless. Nine B1G games provide enough schedule strength. Enough said on OOC scheduling. --- Dan is 15-8 vs. Top 25 competition. Dan is 5-4 vs. Top 10 competition, and 3-3 vs. Top 5 competition. Ryan Day is 27-11 vs. Top 25 opponents, 16-10 vs. Top 10, and 8-7 vs. the Top 5. The winning percentages are similar. Day has a title; Dan does not. Why? Because in 2024, after losing again to Michigan, Day's team played to its potential and won four consecutive games to capture a crown. If Day had lost the 1st-round home playoff game vs. Tennessee, would he still be employed by Ohio State? Then, there's the GOAT - Alabama Crimson Tide On SISnapshot of a Coaching Giant: Nick Saban's Record Against...Nick Saban's success against ranked opponents, including at No. 1, stands out in college football historyAmong current head coaches, at the P4 level, Curt Cignetti's two-year winning percentage against top competition is phenomenal. Even if he continues to win like this against top competition, he doesn't have the longevity to catch Saint Nick. Your post today and Charles's post are reasoned looks at Dan's record. The most disappointing thing about the loss on Saturday was the Ducks, especially on defense, going down with a whimper, as happened in the Rose and Peach Bowl losses. Rick Neuheisel was far from the first person to reference the Jimmies and the Joes. https://medium.com/an-idea/the-magic-recipe-for-success-2f112c1d5f7d Dan has built top CFB rosters. He shouldn't lose often to unranked opponents, and he doesn't. What coach out there can recruit to Eugene like Dan? If Dan were canned, he'd have a top CFB job in a matter of days that would likely come with a bump in pay. One layup and then nine B1G games left. It's not how you start that matters; it's how you finish. BTW, if you think Nick Saban was the only CFB coach pre-NIL bending the rules, I've got a bridge to sell you.

"Who benefits?" Cicero: QB Drew Mestemaker is the Player of the Week. https://apnews.com/article/drew-mestemaker-oklahoma-state-player-of-week-6c557bf55dda9c606593cda52ecca261?user_email=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&utm_medium=Sports_wire&utm_so 🤬🤬🤬

LOL! And those guys were also B1G (something or other 🤬)

Good post, Geo. But if Dante had dropped back instead of rolling out, would Oregon have won the game? This game should have been over at halftime. If the Tulsa coaches were on the sideline, would Oregon have won the game? Oregon got punched in the mouth and couldn't get off the canvas against a bunch of G6 athletes. I respect your thoughts and the similar thoughts of other Forum friends. But I don't believe the Oregon players are failing to perform because of the coaching; I see an entitled group of athletes who are failing to show up and play disciplined and inspired football. If they are not coached up and not fired up, that's on Lanning more than it is on in-game coaching. Dan is moving into James Franklin territory. He has won a lot of games, but not the games that win titles.

I don't think this is the worst time for assistant coaches who are coaching a bunch of players who will play in the NFL? The D-line and the defense in general stinks because Tosh is at Cal? Stein isn't around, so 4* and 5* star O-line guys can't move guys out so Oregon can run the ball? At the end of the National Anthem, it's about the players on the field and not the coaches. To date, the Oregon players are uninspired and undisciplined. Would Tosh's coaching, with his defense destroyed by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and Indiana in the Peach Bowl, make a significant difference? Would Stein, last seen at Kentucky being blown out by Alabama, make a difference? No coach will make a difference if the players do not give a whip. If the players don't care, it's on them for cashing checks and not being invested in winning. The stats tell the story. To date, Oregon's loaded roster is simply soft. This is a top-down player and head coach problem, not an assistant coaching problem. And credit to him, Dan is the first to admit it. But can it be fixed? Will Dan, with an impeccable record against unranked teams before last Saturday, be able to close the deal with a championship? If the will to win from the players isn't there, it's on the players, and no group of coaches can fix it. If future NFL guys are fine with being beat up by the junior varsity, so be it. There are no extraneous reasons why Oregon has underachieved to date; top-drawer players haven't shown up.

OK State had the super-secret decoder ring? And the Ducks were toast. Plain and simple, Oregon was punched in the mouth and didn't punch back. Every team that played against Vince Lombardi's Packers knew what was coming and couldn't stop it. Does anyone believe Tosh and Stein on the sidelines would have made a difference in the game? Oregon was punched in the mouth, defeated on both sides of the LOS. The solution is with the athletes; show up ready to play and kick the south side of the mule headed north. It's about blocking, tackling, and attitude. Boise State and Oklahoma State had the better will to win.

Sometimes, you just get lucky, and hopefully, like Grand Dad, you make a move that turns out to be just Duckey! 😍 It's not how you start. It's how you finish!

A Bit More Serious Look From Week 2 - Like the Coaches and AP Polls, Ohio State is dropped by ESPN from No. 1 to No. 6 - ESPN will, of course, be first in line to whine about all of the crummy OOC games - https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49895966/2026-college-football-power-rankings-top-25