All Activity

Lots of Questions for Bill Connolly. https://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-fans-voiced-their-displeasure-over-espns-latest-sp-rankings Disagreement over rankings? I'm shocked!

I gotta say, my interest in sports started in '69 with the Jets & Broadway Joe winning Super Bowl lll, then it was the Miracle Mets, Seaver, Tommy Agee, Ron Swoboda making miracle catches in the OF, and finally, the Knicks, with Walt "Clyde" Frazier beat the Lakers 4-3, to win the NBA Championship, and oh yeah, THIS>

I agree with you, as the Iowa game tonight...as the Michigan State-Oregon game tonight has no bearing on anything...so why are we playing these games?

This 3-team 4-Pod thing is interesting. There is a Pod with (3 seed) Iowa, Indiana and Rutgers, for example. Iowa is 1-0 after playing May 21. The other 2 teams are 1-1 Rutgers 0-1 Indiana Because the best Rutgers and Indiana can be is 1-1, and the worst Iowa could be is 1-1, the 3-seed Hawkeyes already know they will play May 24 in the semi-final. Iowa plays Indiana tonight May 22, but the outcome makes absolutely no difference in progressing to May 24. They could start the ball boy on the mound, and it wouldn't matter. They already know they will play UCLA because UCLA is 2-0 after two early games, the second one completed early this morning. (Oregon's first game is this evening) I don't know the better approach, but this just seems weird to me in terms of "competition." Play more games in a single day? Play games at two sites instead of one? Seems counter to seeding? Maybe I'm just making it too complicated?

Michigan does have 13 starters returning, ranking 10th in that category. For comparison, OBD has 10. Last season, after the Natty, they returned 5. so, there is reason for optimism. Oregon however is not returning its QB, leading receiver, leading running back, the O & D lines, along with the secondary will be new for the Ducks. Let's see if Oregon reloads or has to rebuild. Sadiq is not regarded as a returning starter, so there's that.

OT, but amazing! It could not have happened against a better team than the NY Knicks. Watch: Tyrese Haliburton's clutch shot leads Pacers to Game 1 win over Knicks WWW.YARDBARKER.COM Tyrese Haliburton channeled Reggie Miller on Wednesday when he hit a huge shot and gave the Madison Square Garden crowd the choke sign.

This isn't the Pits. A Steel-City deal for Derrick! Major news emerges on Steelers first-round pick WWW.YARDBARKER.COM Harmon is the first D-lineman the Steelers have drafted in Round 1 since Cameron Heyward in 2011.

I have no doubt that the Ducks will take this game, this "Opportunity" in Duck talk, seriously. A Super Regional @ The Jane is what they play for.

Yep, it's LSU No. 1 for Connor O'Gara. And Bill Connolly's Post-Spring SP+ is Out. I'm with Charles, thousands, if not tens of thousands, of playoff field predictions will be released before the PO Committee speaks on December 7, 2025. (Hopefully, not a B1G Day of Infamy?) I posted the Saturday Down South projection to see how one of the key writers for the SEC's Saturday site sees the field post-spring practice and post-spring transfer portal roster moves. Predicting the Playoff: No. 1 LSU - Saturday Down South WWW.SATURDAYDOWNSOUTH.COM Can LSU get to the Playoff for the first time in the 2020s? Not only can Brian Kelly's squad do that, but it can claim the No. 1 seed. I am not surprised that author Connor O'Gara predicts four B1G and four SEC teams will be in the PO field, along with two teams from the ACC, and one Independent, B12, and G6 team. Here's one more prediction before the 2025 preseason AP poll is released, using the widely used Bill Connolly SP+ post-spring rankings of the 136 teams theoretically in the hunt for a spot in the 2025-26 PO field. Spring update of 2025 college football SP+ rankings for every FBS team - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM How the spring portal and other changes have impacted the numbers for the coming season. As usual, SP+ is SEC friendly with 12 SEC teams ranked in the top 25, along with six B1G teams, four ACC teams, two B12 teams, and one Independent. Despite the top 25 love for the SEC, Connolly's projected PO field would feature four B1G teams. No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State, No. 7 OREGON, and surprise, No. 10 Michigan. Greg Sankey would not be happy about No. 11 Ole Miss being knocked out by No. 18 Kansas State. Ditto ACC commissioner, Jim Phillips, with No. 12 Miami () being knocked out by No. 33 Boise State. With a 4-4-2-2-1-3 16-team field, both Ole Miss and Miami would be in. A reason why a 16-team field is favored to be adopted for 2026-27 and thereafter. Of course, no preseason prediction is likely to be spot on. But both the Saturday Down South site and SP+, among every other metric, support the above referenced PO format. Come On 8/30!

Something that might be overlooked is that while Oregon was rated No. 6 in the final poll, (And given a No.16 Seed?) the Cardinal were ranked No. 16 in the nation, thus they had recognized talent to take a game off a higher ranked team. Liberty was not in the top 25, but received enough votes to effectively be No. 28 in the nation, and caught TAMU on either an off-day or two, a hot day or two for Liberty, or a combination of both of which happens in sports! The Flames had enough talent to be recognized, and it is evident they are better than their final ranking.

No, as reported in another thread...he pitched 104 pitches on Tuesday against Nebraska, and thus will not available for us.

The business and enforcement side of college athletics is The Dark Side, no doubt. I apologize for spending an inordinate amount of time on and in The Dark Side, but lawyers and state legislators continue to act in ways that are detrimental to the long-term health of college athletics. The end result of this litigation and legislative furor will be further consolidation and the professionalization of the 'Moneyball' college sports, football, and men's basketball, with many non-revenue sports being dropped from Varsity to Club staus and the consequent loss of athletic scholarships. Any solution short of 'Relief' from the United States Congress will not fix what ails college sports. Will it be forthcoming? This article from CBS Sports does a terrific job of detailing where the enforcement, or lack thereof, of agreed upon rules for the good of college athletics stands today. Notwithstanding my tendency to go 'Darth Vader,' I'm looking forward to August 30, 2025, while hoping that the entirety of college athletics will not implode as did the Pac-12, a century-old entity that failed from the top down. Conference expulsion? No penalty structure? Questions mount as college sports enforcement comes into focus - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM As the House v. NCAA decision draws near, questions remain over what the college sports landscape will look like in the future

WE know there are plenty of lawyers and legislators, but Is There A Cop In The House? Conference expulsion? No penalty structure? Questions mount as college sports enforcement comes into focus - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM As the House v. NCAA decision draws near, questions remain over what the college sports landscape will look like in the future With state legislators making enforcement of the House settlement terms illegal in Tennessee and legislators exempting NIL payments from state taxation in certain states, more than ever, 'relief' for college sports is needed on the federal level. What good does it do for the SEC, the ACC, B1G, and B12 to enter into a settlement that caps direct payment to athletes at $20.5 million in the first year of the settlement when this and other terms of the settlement cannot be enforced in Tennessee? Two of the SEC's 16 teams are located in Tennessee. This law in the Volunteer State holds up, and other legislatures, particularly in Dixie, will follow suit. What a mess. However, I can't wait until 8/30/25 .

Ranking players 11-20 on Oregon's 2025 football roster Here is a rundown of a ranking of players 11-20 on this year's Oregon football roster. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/oregon-ducks-football-2025-football-bear-alexander-emmanuel-pregnon-dakorien-moore-250154981/

Early Enrollee Spring Rewind: Ziyare Addison Here is a breakdown of what Oregon true freshman Ziyare Addison showed during his first spring football camp. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/oregon-football-ziyare-addison-ducks-football-spring-football-250152085/

Thank you, NW, for keeping the title in the B1G Family! Nine national titles for NW Men's golf; first one for the Women.

Why this format? Why not 16 teams with the Ducks playing the No. 16 seed and assuming a W, the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game, etc.? Or, how about the top 8 teams go to Omaha and OBD opens against No. 8, and UCLA against No. 7, etc.? Is the stud pitcher for Sparty starting the game vs. OBD? Look at an orange long enough and you can convince yourself it's a grapefruit. Better yet, how about call the whole thing off and prepare to play in the tournament where a trip to Omaha really matters. I don't believe Fox came up with a lot of extra money for the right to broadcast this tournament. Meanwhile, GO DUCKS! And thanks again Charles for the terrific coverage.

5/21 Softball, Track and Field and Baseball Thursday Roundup: Champions Week OREGON.RIVALS.COM Today in the Roundup: Oregon softball stuns Stanford, track overachieves, and baseball claims top seed in Big-10.

It won't be Stanford, but emotions will be high as Liberty is in Oregon's way to get to Oklahoma City. Who will be in the circle for the Ducks?

#3 gives the team incentive to prove them wrong! Oregon Ducks Snubbed In Latest Big Ten Power Rankings? WWW.SI.COM The latest Big Ten power rankings have been released by Tom Fornelli with CBS Sports and the Oregon Ducks rankings are turning heads. Despite the Ducks finishin

I guess the question is would you rather be sitting around a hotel room playing video games in an unfamiliar town or out playing baseball with an opportunity to go to the college World Series. I know what my answer would be. Play Ball!! go s

I think the rest time is only important for the pitchers, and again, the Sports information director told me that the starters will be resting for seven days regardless. We could put nothing but freshman pitchers out there on Thursday, and lose the game, but we have everybody rested for a normal three day weekend series, so I think we will be OK. We have three catchers, and plenty to sub for infield and outfield that are quality players with little to no dropoff. I think everyone knows me well enough to confirm that if I was really concerned about this now, I would be asserting it strongly as I usually do. We may disagree, and that is fine. I actually think that throwing freshman pictures out there Thursday that haven’t had any action in a month or so besides practice, would be good for them in case we need to turn to them in the playoffs for an inning or two.

While the Ducks have played 3 straight days on weekends, so have their opponents. With time off like Nebraska and Penn State would have, both can rest starters and relievers. But, my real point was the seeming unfairness to higher seeds in the Pods. Just like the CFP. What if No. 1 seed Oregon had Nebraska's schedule (with rest) instead?

Meh. If I know Coach Waz...he will remind the team that they've been playing three straight games a weekend for a couple of months, with a number of weekends of four straight games. They have their routine, and know how to approach it. Frankly, breaking up the routine might have made it worse? In his interviews he explains that he tells the team..."instead of practice--we get to play BASEBALL!"

Add another crazy thing about the seeding... Remember, we said since Nebraska played on Tuesday, they will have time off until Friday before facing the Ducks, while the Ducks play on Thursday. Well, for the moment, assume Oregon beats Nebraska and wins Pod A. The Ducks would then play on Saturday after playing on Thursday and Friday. But, if Penn State beats USC on Thursday, they would be the Pod D winner with a day off before facing the Pod A winner on Saturday. So, you could have the No. 1 seed Oregon playing two teams coming off rest on Friday and Saturday while the Ducks would have played 3 consecutive days.