Jon Joseph

Spinning like a spinning top. Herbie on ESPN Tuesday night on the preview show of the this Tuesday's night PO Committee first reveal completely dismissed the Ducks W in Columbus in favor of his personal eye test. Since the Ducks L the Buckeyes have played better than Oregon so it is 'logical' to rank OH ST ahead of the Ducks. Right? Herbie mentioned that he was not going to be bound by what happened in the 2nd game of the season. But every game counts, right? THIS notwithstanding his employer has Oregon with a better strength of schedule and a better strength of record than Ohio State. THIS notwithstanding that KT did not dress for the Ohio State game. On the other hand on the weekly CBS, CFB show, all 5 folks said that if head to head does not count then why play the games? Why indeed? These people simply make it up as it goes along to fit their particular narrative.

Great take! And DJ Johnson has been one heck of a pinch hitter.

1. Georgia -14 vs NR Florida in the World's Largest Gathering Of Folks Imbibing Adult Beverages Game - 3:30 CBS Florida despite the debate over the starting QB, can put up points. But against this D? How about NO! 5. Ohio State -18.5 vs 20 Penn St. - 7:30 ABC With PSU's 2nd L in a row vs Illinois in a 9 OT game, this contest has lost a lot of its luster. PSU is only the 2nd top 25 team the Buckeyes will have played this season. Don't tell the AP voters but the 1st top 25 match up did not go well for the Buckeyes. I think a desperate PSU team keeps the final score within the spread? If both tOSU and the Ducks win, will the PO Committee have the Bucks ranked ahead of the Ducks. And where will the Committee rank Cincinnati? 6. Michigan -4 at 8. Michigan State - Noon - FOX The B1G E with this game and the OH ST/PSU game starts to sort itself out. In the long PO run an L by either team should help the Ducks? First time these 2 have played as top 10 opponents in over 5 decades. If Harbaugh wins will he ask for his former pay to be restored? If Tucker wins the Tucker to LSU talk will heat up. 10. Ole Miss +2.5 at 18 Auburn - 7 ESPN Matt Corral has taken the lead in the Heisman race. (If Mr. T keeps it up and isn't in NYC, something is very wrong.) Can Corral outduel Bo Nix on the road at a tough place to play? Can Kiffin continue the impressive year 2 turn around? 11. Notre Dame -3.5 vs NR UNC - 7:30 NBC Only because of Clemson's poor season, UNC, with all due respect to Washington, is the most disappointing team in 2021. Will the Domers 'steal' another Final 4 spot? CLOSER TO HOME 7. Oregon -24 vs NR Colorado - 3:30 FOX It's too bad this game is opposite UGA vs UF. The Ducks need style points and lots of folks watching Puddles put them up. I expect this game will not show up on big FOX until well into the 1st quarter? Although the style of offense played by both MI and MI ST should help run the clock in East Lansing? UCLA +3.5 at Utah - 10 ESPN UCLA is very much in the hunt for the Pac-12 S. Will DTR be able to play? Will Bruins FG tries be reviewed? Did you know? The HC of Troy also goes by the name the name of Chip Kelly? Oregon State -2.5 at CAL - 7 Pac-12 Network The Ducks need the Beavs to keep on rolling. Strawberry Canyon has not been a fruitful place for the Beavers to play. OR ST is 1-2 on the road in 2021. Once again the Beavers light is hidden under the bushel that is Larry's Lost Network. After the loss in Corvallis, Utah HC Whittingham expressed his belief that the Beavers have the best O in the conference. Keep an eye on: NR Texas at 16 Baylor - 2.5 - Noon ABC; 9 Iowa +3 at NR Wisconsin - Noon ESPN; 17. Pitt -9 vs Miami - Noon ACC Network. The Canes defeated ranked NC State last Saturday but a win here would help get Manny Diaz off the hot seat. Did you know? The Fighting Flecks a/k/a Minnesota, are tied for the lead in the B1G W? GO DUCKS! Make the Buffs ralph!

The CFB Playoff Powers That Be will soon be revisiting the issue of an expanded Playoff field. The G5, undergoing massive change since OK/UT to the SEC started conference realignment rolling again, want a 12 team field. Ditto the SEC and Notre Dame. It appears that the ACC, B1G and Pac-12 (so-called Alliance) favor an 8 team field with all P5 champs guaranteed a spot in the field. Also, these 3 appear to want Notre Dame in a conference or playing 13 regular season games as an independent. And these 3 do not want ESPN to have any kind of exclusive when it comes to broadcasting the Playoff. I do not believe there is enough consensus for the field to expand before 2026, if then? I still believe there is a chance for the ACC, B1G and the Pac-12 to take 'the academic high road' and abandon the existing PO in favor of the 3 conferences competing for a title of some kind in the post season. There are zero antitrust problems now with the B1G and the Pac-12 contracted to play in the RB 2 out of 3 years and I do not see any antitrust issues if 3 conferences were to agree to compete for the 2 RB spots? HOWEVER and it is a big $ however, the Alliance going it alone in the post season will be profitable but nowhere near as profitable without the SEC in the mix.

Scoreboard, Chipper, scoreboard. And Charles, great take on that lousy Stem call.

Ducks 41-17, 2, 2, 250. Love these contests.

Great points Charles. With all due respect, we have seen AB make a number of very bad passes this season. Why put him in a position to screw up and keep UCLA in the game? With the score what it was and the time left in the game I don't see the risk of these 2 play calls justifying the potential reward? But that's just me. If the calls had worked, it further cements JM's great play calling in this game. Really looking forward to tomorrow's article. The end game is so critical in this sport and has been critical in seemingly every Ducks game this season.

I'm not sure that the B12 will end up with a TV contract less than that of the Ducks? BYU has a nationwide following. Houston is a huge media market. Cincinnati is a decent sized market as is Orlando and UCF and Cincinnati will be bringing in additional eye balls from the eastern time zone. I agree the Pac-12 will come nowhere close to the B1G and the SEC in the new media deal. But I believe expansion could have closed the gap more than will the Pac-12 negotiating as-is? I also believe that with expansion the Network could have been brought to solvency and made a decent target for a buy out with the conference splitting the proceeds. You are fine with standing pat? I get it. I hope it works out in the long run but I don't see it? Recruiting #s for Oregon are fine. For the rest of the conference? They stink. Mario is the best recruiter in CFB. In the long run, what happens to recruiting once Mario departs? I reiterate, I think the conference made the easy decision to stand pat which looks good in a number of ways today. But IMO this decision will not help the conference and the Ducks in the long run.

PUDDLES - "They call me Mellow Yellow, quite rightly!'

Interesting take. Thank you. I note that 1 of AB's 200 yard passing games came against UCLA's awful pass D. I think this is more the product of what UCLA had on the field vs Joe's play calling. I think JM made two crummy play calls late in the game that led to picks. I don't think we have enough data in 2021 to compare Joe-In-The-Box to Joe-On-The-Field? I am certain that if JM is on the field an assistant is watching from above and communicating with the sideline. Joe was on the field when Penn St played SC in a classic Rose Bowl game; the PSU O put up close to 50 points on the Trojans D. I do not understand why CFB has yet to emulate the NFL and put headsets in the QB's helmet? I guess they like the sideline card shows?

Thanks jrw. Far more guys than there are openings. Today, portal management is not as important as recruiting but it is coming closer all the time. Turn arounds at Michigan State and Baylor have been fueled by savvy portal moves (and Baylor hiring a new OC from BYU.)

Thanks for the heads up.

Only in my dreams but there are some top drawer guys in the portal.

Great take. But 1 of the only certain things in life is change. Going to 8 games but playing 2 P5 teams OOC is playing with Playoff as currently structured, fire.

Lose Divisions? Not just 'yes' but 'heck yes!' I know this to a certainty. And I am neither the Egg Man; nor, The Walrus. But when on Abbey Road in London I do know not to go barefoot.

Thank you Mr. FD. Not to expand 'at this time,' IMO, was tragic mistake for Oregon. When will there be a better time to expand than now? After the SEC did 'the dirty work' for you? Go after B12 teams now and you are a skunk; just like SEC Commissioner Sankey. Strike before Bob Bowlsby strikes and you are a 'hero' for saving a bunch of B12 leftovers. THIS was the logical move if you have any intention of saving and growing the Pac-12 Network. Compare the eyeballs watching TX TECH and OK ST for example, to those watching OR ST and WAZZU? It's not just the media market per se. It is the size of the number of folks watching your product. And the Dallas market and Houston market, if you added Houston and money bags supporter Fertitta, are huge and full of rabid CFB fans.? Lots of TX and AM fans live in Houston. But Houston, not Rice, is the 'it' Houston market team. And Houston is a tier 1 research school with many the graduate including a Heisman Trophy winner, Jim Nance and Freddy Couples. It was a chance to move into the Central time zone, grow the network and get better kick off times. And get directly into the rich Texas recruiting area. The Alliance may be a savior for GK's job but for the Pac-12 conference?

1. CJ Stroud - QB - Ohio State 2. Bijan Robinson - RB - Ohio State 3. TreVeyon Henderson - RB - Ohio State

Steven, great point on the 'outside' income. I believe there is a better association for Oregon and for football 'out west?' A line up that would unfortunately take away many the old rivalry but a line up that could save the 6, Pac-12 'bolters?' The below operation could entice FOX to acquire the functionally insolvent Pac-12 Network and to consequently manage and operate a B18 Network? The B1G Network with FOX in charge is a big time operation. Combine the below 18 team media rights and you have an association that could stay within financial reach of the B1G and the SEC. WEST - ASU, BYU, KS, K ST, OREGON, STANFORD, USC, UTAH and UW. [Stanford and USC do not need CA legislature approval to bolt. If BYU is redundant with Utah, swap the Utes for CU and the Denver market? BYU brings in SLC and has a nationwide following. Same for CU instead of ASU if the Arizona legislature balks.] EAST - BAYLOR, CINCINNATI, HOUSTON, IOWA ST, OKLAHOMA ST, TCU, TEXAS TECH, UCF, WEST VIRGINIA. The Pac-12 powers that be decided not to expand 'at this time,' thus failing to eliminate the B12 as a competitor. Bob Bowlsby, no surprise, acted with alacrity to save the B12 as a P5 conference. The B12 still has its eye on SMU and San Diego State. The suggested conference would bring a strong, collective group of media rights to the table. Standing still after the OK/TX move to the SEC and the B12 expansion is moving backwards. 1 OOC game a year vs a B1G/ACC team is not going to entice folks to subscribe to the Pac-12 network; or, significantly improve the conference's bottom line. You have to look at the long term situation and not reject new candidates because they do not immediately drop $ to the bottom line. IMO, this would bottom line be a better group of partners than Oregon has today.

I like the idea of 16. But you have to lose a regular season game or 2 to manage a 16 team field. Otherwise, you are playing into February. I'd have 16 at 1, etc., in round 1. You have 10 conferences. Are you going to give 6 AL teams that do not qualify for a conference champ a 1st round bye? If the champ game = round 1, #1 in the country could play #2 in a conference champ gam? The possibility of top teams being knocked off in round 1 will not bring in the top media deals.

Great reply Utah and I think you are spot on regarding Utah fans including The MUSS. What I want, short of the Ducks finding better partners to play ball with and against, is an 8 conference game Pac-12 regular season schedule. No divisions. No CA scheduling agreement. Rivalry games protected. Week 9 = Championship Week. Team ranked #2 plays a Champ Game at the home field of #1. 12 plays, at 3, 11 at 4, etc. 8 team PO. 4 highest ranked conference champs and 4 AL. Conference capped at 3 participants. Notre Dame joins the ACC as a full time member or plays a 13 game schedule as an independent.(G5 gets a share of the P5 PO money but holds its own PO.) 1st round game played at teams seeded 1-4. 2nd round in bowls TBD. Champ Game 1/1 in the Rose Bowl. Move the start of the season for all teams to week zero, 1 bye week only and the timing works out. PO media rights put out to bid to all interested media outlets. What you expect could happen? But there is no reason for divisions; especially, once the PO field expands which it will. The 3rd best team in the conference should never play for a title over teams 1 and 2. Allowing for this possibility makes no strategic sense.

Stevan A and jrw, stop it! I'm rolling on the floor in laughter. But the laughter, like the truth, hurts!

I should have noted that in addition to the OH ST game bumping up OR's #s the LSU game did the same for UCLA. Query: You are the managing partner in a 12 person law firm. Should Oregon receive the same piece of the pie as partners who are bringing no where close to what Oregon is bringing to the bottom line? Do partners that budget and spend far less money than Oregon in an attempt to deliver a successful product deserve the same cut as Oregon? If your answer is 'Yes,' to these questions, why would Oregon want to remain in this partnership? Many of Oregon's 'partners' want to be the Ivy league of the West. Somehow, they expect to compete with the B1G and the SEC teams in football with the same budgets as many G5 programs. Or, they simply do not care at all about being competitive? Or they care but they do not, even when receiving the same share as Oregon, have the money necessary to compete. The Alliance will not 'fix this.'

The game in Columbus helped the cause with over 7M viewers. Good luck scoring a huge new media deal with these sorry numbers and deciding not to expand 'at this time.'

I'm shocked! About time these guys started to pay for those ugly blazers. Agree, no byes. I prefer 8 instead of 12.

Better? Not certain. But I posted above a list of guys who I believe could be MC's equal?