GatOrlando

I think the state of Oregon wants this game to help Oregon State financially. We all know who benefits most from this, and it's not the program in the B1G. I remember the foolish anger from Oregon State and Washington State fans saying they didn't want to ever play another road game against their traitorous in State rivals. They were saying the schools should only do a renewal if it was a 3 for 1 in their favor. It's like FSU fans complaining about Florida blocking them from SEC membership. I won't get into that whole mess, but FSU turned down the SEC four times under Bowden, and now they want in because their boat is sinking. Oregon State was content being bottom feeders, while Oregon became a national brand. Yet the lazy little brother who slept in every Saturday while big brother hit the weights, went running and built themselves up got the scholarship. Now little brother is crying how it's not fair, when they decided to just sleep in and watch Spongebob, and eat hohos.Completely irrational.

Just like Oregon State and Washington State leveling claims of traitors to their more successful in state rivals. Iowa State would jump at an invite to the SEC or B1G. This AD would jump to Penn State or dare I say Iowa.. because you know the money. There's a saying about casting stones when you live in a glass house. Hurt people, hurt people. It sucks to get dumped or not get invited to the party. But what a healthy and self assured individual does, is say nothing. You move on, keep improving yourself. Iowa State has had a very good football program under Campbell, but they were atrocious before. They have had a decent basketball program since the early 2000's. But football drives expansion, and Iowa State just didn't do enough to make them attractive enough. There are certain things they can't help, it's geography and having an instate college already in one of the big two, while residing in a State with a small populace just sucks. But they are incredibly lucky to still be in a P4 league, and it's much more regional friendly league to a smaller athletic department like them.

Remember all the hoopla just two years ago with Ohio State having a reported 20 million dollar roster? I remember some burnt orange individuals crying foul, well until it came out they had spent 26 million. Last year there was chatter about the bake sales in Tuscaloosa, and NIL shifting the balance of power to the north..I was in the minority when I said it wasn't that the SEC programs couldn't muster the funds, but rather the fact that everyone was going to be able to do what many SEC programs had been doing with creative "scholarship incentives". Alabama, Georgia, and that ridiculously stacked 2019 LSU had five stars three deep. You can't do that anymore. It's been an adjustment for guys like Kirby and Dabo(much more so). Saban retired because he knew that even he wasn't going to be able to keep up with the changing rules. High end players now have the same options as high end coaches. Now you can just transfer out, even if you signed an NIL deal. As long as the team you are going to can buy out your contract (Miami).Something that college football is going to have to fix. The whole Lane Kiffin drama is such a dark cloud. I don't like the NFL nearly as much as college football, but they do know how to run a calendar. Contracts and commitments hold firm. If you play or coach for team x for set amount of years, you can't jump to team z without both sides agreeing to letting you out of your contract. You certainly can't leave for a divisional foe(LSU) a few weeks before your current team is getting ready for a playoff game.

Why does the NCAA even exist at this point? At least over college football. It's clear and simple that college football pays the bills for everyone outside of men's college basketball. Let's separate the ones that pay players from the ones that have no hope of staying afloat with this current conference affiliation of women's college basketball,lacrosse,softball,volleyball,baseball,soccer,gymnastics,golf, tennis,water polo, and track, with the one sport that pays the bills. Having these non revenue sports assigned to these nationwide leagues are insane. Arkansas just recently brought back their tennis program after finding some donors to keep it afloat for a couple years. They are a top 25 athletic department revenue earner in the SEC. How in the world can Cal hope to keep all their Olympic programs afloat with the coast to coast travel on the ACC revenue sharing platform? I think the 24 team playoff is gaining steam because the added revenue is needed in the Big 12 with 35 million dollars a year, and the ACC with around 50 for full share members a year are getting. SMU isn't getting anything for another year, and CAL and Stanford are at a reduced rate for one more year. I'd say the ACC and Big 12 should do an annual scheduling agreement. While the B1G and SEC could do the same. The G6 and lower division programs would suffer without those two million dollar payouts to get trounced, but they could have their own little playoff to offset that. Uploading Attachment...

There's money to be made in a scheduling alliance imo. But there's one thing getting in the way that even is more powerful than greed.

At least according to this guy. Florida and Oregon are seen as the disruptors of the status quo. Florida with Steve Spurrier and his refusal to avoid southern gentleman behavior, and up tempo play style in the traditional SEC in the early 90's. Oregon took that formula and added the uniforms to match in the 2000's. I guess that's the connection I feel with all my feathered friends here. Oh and Georgia is matched with Michigan, and Alabama is paired with Ohio State.

We have enough villains. Texas, Alabama, Miami, USC, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Florida,Georgia, LSU and now Indiana are well hated for various reasons. Notre Dame is loved by many, hated by most like all those other teams. But they aren't a pillar, without them the game feels a little less meaningful. But you can say that about any of the teams I mentioned, especially the old school powers. Notre Dame has been largely a big game no show up until Marcus Freeman showed up. If the B1G and SEC made it a mandate for their football team to join a league like all their other sports programs if they wanted entry to the playoff, the unicorn would turn in it's horn and become a pony. Still a villainous pony to many. But they would give in, after all they have their other sports teams in leagues because it's mandated.

It's all good to realize the deadbeat brother in-law of the house. But it's really about what you are going to do about it. Nobody else would put up with it, but you've enabled him ACC. You got used in 2020, when you had all the leverage in the world. But you let the deadbeat in and even allowed him into the master bedroom so he could play for a conference title. I bet he didn't even give you any of the revenue from that year's playoff appearance. It sucks to get used. But everyone was telling you what was happening, but you decided to ignore it. I'm not mad at Notre Dame for taking the free room and board. I'm mad that the ACC has enabled them to continue thinking they are a unicorn. Who cares if Notre Dame gives Wake Forest a home game. They don't add anything to your potential television deals because they have their own deal. Stop letting that brother in-law in the house. Otherwise you won't have a P4 house for much longer. Clemson, North Carolina, Miami, FSU, Virginia, and maybe Georgia Tech will soon just move out. Your property value is going to drop to Pac Who levels if that happens.

The ACC just came out in support. They've also seemingly grown tired of Notre Dame using them as a doormat. Since Notre Dame is assured of always making the twelve team, I'm guessing the other programs want to make their special privileges just a little less special. Sure Notre Dame, you can get in a 24 team playoff if you are top 12.

Great info as always Jon. As far as my hopes for the upcoming season, I'm kind of looking at this year as hopefully similar to 2005 under Urban. Eight wins and breaking the streak vs Georgia, although the game will be played in Atlanta for a few years while Jacksonville is renovating their stadium. As for insulting Kiffin, there's always material readily available. The guy can't help but make himself just look like a bad wrestling character, that you just want to see get humbled. Short term, he's going to be better with all those transfers. Long term, I like Sumrall building a culture of accountability. Let the actions speak louder than the words.

Has there been a guy with more controversial exits in the game of football? First you had the whole Oakland Raiders strange press conference with Al Davis in 2008. Old Al had his dry erase board and receipts on Mr. Kiffin and his "lies". I just thought Al was being Al...... Fast forward just over 14 months. Lane Kiffin gets another opportunity to coach the Tennessee Vols. He made a strange comment leading up to the game against the defending National Champions, the FLORIDA GATORS🙂. "We'll be playing Rocky Top all night after we beat them in the Swamp!!!!" Well that didn't happen, and Urban called him out for playing not to lose, and a few other things we've seen old Lane do like faking injuries to get extra timeouts. Mr. Kiffin looked to actually have Tennessee headed in the right direction by years end. But then the USC job came open, and Lane left in the middle of the night. He didn't tell anyone, no meeting with the team. Okay, maybe Al wasn't so crazy. Let's fast forward a few years, and Lane isn't doing so hot in Los Angeles. So in a odd twist, USC fires him on the tarmac, no meeting. Makes you question why, but let's move on. Lane gets hired by Nick Saban, and he helps modernize the Tide. They start throwing the ball and landing first round talent to merge with that dominant defense. Lane gets an offer to become a head coach again, and he accepts it while Alabama is prepping to play in the CFP. Nick Saban doesn't let his offensive coordinator finish the year, he forces him out after Lane accepts the FAU job...Hmmmmmm, foreshadowing? Let's fast forward to the invention of the Lane Train at FAU. Two double digit win seasons, and National rankings for FAU. A program that has a campus that looks more like a resort than a academic campus. Perhaps this guy Kiffin has gotten it together. He's due a shot at a bigger job. Not Nebraska, Florida, Texas, Oregon, or LSU(yet). Let's see what he can do at Ole Miss. Well he builds a freaking ten win machine at Oxford. Not through recruiting traditionally, their classes never reach higher than low twenties. But he aces the transfer portal, and Ole Miss becomes playoff contenders. Lane is doing hot yoga, he is praising how Oxford treats him and his family. Just last year he speaks about the love he was shown by that town after losing his parents. Sounds like redemption? Nah, the snake just learned a trick from the chameleon. Lane was actively campaigning to get the Florida job in 2021, and last year when old sleepy Napier was thought to be fired before stupidly being given another off-season and four games. In 2025, Ole Miss is looking like a title contender. Florida, and LSU fall on their faces early and fire their coaches. Instead of shutting down the talk until the season is over. Kiffin plays LSU and Florida against each other for his services, while coaching an Ole Miss squad capable of winning it all. He finally gets an ultimatum to sign an extension or leave. He pouts and drags everything out; not the open. He takes the LSU job, but threatens Ole Miss if he isn't allowed to coach in the playoffs. He'll take his whole staff and might take some players. He then lies and says he was almost run off the road on the way to the tarmac,despite his police escort debunking this. Kiffin finally relents and moves on,no not really. He does an interview with Vanity Fair last week where he lays some really unkindly words on why he couldn't succeed in Oxford to the level he can at LSU. He says this about a program that gave him everything he asked for, and went to the CFP semis. Is there a more controversial coach in the game today? Will Lane do this again if the NFL comes calling? How about Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, or Miami?

The projection based off Duke basketball getting 94 million was that Ohio State could get four times that amount, approximately 356 million. Football is far more lucrative, but the B1G would have a say in their FOX Noon darling trying anything like this. There's only one program that can have it's own deal, and they can get their own special rules. They get to keep all the playoff revenue that the committee is now obligated to put them in every year as well. We all know who the special unicorn is. Please can the B1G and SEC agree on just one thing. For all of us non unicorn fans, make them join a darn league. They can get the majority of ACC money instead of FSU or Clemson. Just stop allowing them to walk into the office without shoes or a shirt.

I'm tired of the whole SEC cannibalizing itself excuse as to why the SEC has faltered in an expanded playoff. Tennessee, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma all had three plus weeks of rest heading into their playoff losses the last three years. Texas was gifted an essential home playoff game in the Semis vs Ohio State, and Georgia in the Quarters vs Notre Dame two years ago. That's a geographical advantage the South and SouthWest schools will always have over the north. You don't hear Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, or Notre Dame crying about playing road games against Miami, Georgia, or Texas. They just show up, the better team wins. One surefire way to prove the SEC is better, and the way to make the B1G play a tougher schedule, is to do a scheduling agreement. I'm sure it would be great television. An SEC/B1G challenge would be a great opening week attraction. Instead, we get excuses. "We can't play nine games" Bear Bryant would tell all these whiny twelve million dollar a year coaches to suck it up. The players would make more with a better product. To any coach in the SEC crying foul, suck it up buttercup. Lane Kiffin, Kalen Deboer, Kirby Smart, Steve Sarkasiian, Mike Elko, and every other SEC coach are making more than most NFL coaches.

So basketball can implement this into one off-season, yet football can't figure anything for years upon years. Do we really need 12 teams from the B1G or SEC? The answer is no, Auburn didn't deserve a bid with fifteen losses. Next year they'll get in with sixteen. I'd like more mid majors, to me March Madness has been quite dull with straight chalk the last few years. Outside of SDSU and FAU in 2023, it's been pretty predictable.

Great presentation Jon. We need you to help Sankey and Petiti get their heads out of the sand. Come together and stop worrying about looking weak in a standoff. We'd have to move up the playoff, and that would likely mean CCG and the Army-Navy game weekends would have to change. Joel Klatt spoke about moving Army-Navy to open every season. Purists wouldn't love that. We'd also need some more info on who from the G6 should get the nod. But as Notre Dame proved two years ago, and Miami last year. Anybody can get hot and make a run, given the chance. Of course those were two loss teams, but who's to say Texas couldn't have gotten hot with Arch finally starting to put it together. Iowa would've been a tough out imo. Look at what they did vs Indiana and Oregon, plus the beat down they put on Vanderbilt.