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Mike, spot on, citing Penn State's schedule. And Notre Dame? The Domers have a Golden path to the playoffs. On3Notre Dame, Georgia and, yes, North Dakota State among 6...Entering the 2026 college football season, there are six schools currently favored in all 12 of their regular-season games.

Good luck, yuck, yuck 😁. The NCAA Been There, Done This and Paid BIG Legal Fees to No Avail - On3Donald Trump proposes return to pre-NIL era, wants to 'ra....

Beat the Twerps, er, Terps! On32026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket: Finaliz....

The affect of this season's injuries:

With those injuries I just don't think many coaches would have success. I would challenge anyone to find a program more snake bitten than Oregon when it comes to it. You're talking about a lot of the best players on those teams, multiple starters at a time. This is the only year where I feel like we just didn't have the talent to compete. Time after time Dana would have to figure it out, and he usually did to the extant of getting the team to 20 wins, this season is the first where the team had no chance of going anywhere. Last season was derailed by some players going into the biggest slumps of their careers, if TJ Bamba just has an average shooting year for himself, that team wins about 3-5 more games in the regular season, nobody could have predicted him having the shooting slump he had after 4 very consistent years in two different programs.

When I first posted this article, I scratched the surface on the plight of the four west coast schools. Much to my surprise, Jon Wilner wrote an article on the same thing today, although he does a deep dive into the situation facing these schools. It's behind a paywall but well worth reading. I did my own 'deep dive' into the injuries that Oregon has had to deal with these past six seasons, naming the player, year and how many games were lost to injury. 2020-2021 N'Faly Dante 22 Will Richardson 12 2021-2022 Nate Bittle 13 Richardson 5 2022-2023 Jermaine Couisnard 17 Keeshawn Barthelemy 12 Bittle 8 Dante 5 2023-2024 Bittle 31 Jesse Zarzuela 31 Barthelemy 18 Dante 14 2024-2025 This is the only season the Ducks were healthy. Brandon Angel, T.J. Bamba, Barthelemy, Bittle, Kwame Evans Jr., Jackson Shelstad and Jadrian Tracey all played in 35 games. Supreme Cook played in 32 games and Ra'Heim Moss in 30. 2025-2026 Shelstad 19 Devon Pryor 15 Ege Demir 12 Bittle 7 The grand total for all the games missed. Bittle 59 Dante 41 Zarzuela 31 Barthelemy 30 Shelstad 19 Couisnard 17 Richardson 17 Pryor 15 Demir 12 With this many injuries, it doesn't matter if Coach Altman or any other coach could win games with a depleted lineup. They could squeak by with a couple of wins in the old PAC-12, but not a chance in the rugged B1G Ten.

Thanks Charles if feels good to be back Have invited Jack Loe to join us. I leqrned yesterday that he is friends with Steve Fountaine's sister Linda

You arte right, My partner had a long chat with her dad last weekend and we will post about the conversation this week

I’ve only been able to watch games telecast on Big Ten plus this season, but it seems to me that Taryn Ho has played significantly more time at shortstop than Amaral.

Thank you Charles I really enjoy your play by play analysis. You are a natural! Brings back memories of Russ Hodges partner Lon Simmons (sans a couple cocktails) describing the Giants in the early sixties.

Thanks, Mike. Your format, including flex scheduling, could work and would be an improvement on the current throw of the scheduling dice from 2024 through 2028. The difficulty would be in selling the idea to Tony P and the folks at Fox, CBS, and NBC. But as you noted before, discussing the issue is a start. As iuphound pointed out, and as Charles commented on above, the Legends and Leaders split, followed by the more aptly named East-West, did not work out, due to Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and, on one occasion, Michigan State's dominance. Two years in, OBD has won a conference championship, with the other won by Indiana. Not what the folks in B1G HQ imagined when putting the schedules together. I do believe Petitti's 24-team playoff without automatic qualifiers format will be adopted, including no conference champ games being played. I also believe that, in addition to Oregon, SC, UCLA, and UW are spending the money required to be successful in football. Wisconsin has stepped up, and one day, Nebraska may see a decent return on its football investment. So, would East-West Divisions be better balanced today? I think OBD, USC, UCLA, UW, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois could be competitive versus the East. Perhaps a flex-scheduled East-West crossover conference opening slate of games using the prior season's standings, and a final week of crossover games using the standings after the penultimate week of the regular season. Play ten conference games, eight division, and two crossover games. Have half of the B1G teams idle in Week Six, the other half in Week Seven. Could the ACC, B12, and SEC be convinced to play ten conference games and follow the same format? I do think travel matters. Your Division structure would help with travel. Asking OBD to play two games in four weeks in the Eastern time zone in November is handing Oregon the short end of the scheduling stick. Trying to balance the in-conference SOS is certainly worthy of consideration. Can the folks in Chicago be convinced? Great follow-up article, Mike, thank you.

Great to have you back Oregonjoneses, and having you cover the women who are competing for another B1G title is fantastic. I am passionate about Oregon Baseball, and having someone keep an eye on the Womens Softball will make it fun for everyone this spring.

Thank you Mike, as you came up with a very reasonable way to solve this. I realize that the teams are swapped every two years, but I do feel that the East is a bit more top-heavy than the West. I would propose moving Wisconsin to the East, and placing Indiana in the West...not because I want to play them, but because we cannot break up Ohio-State Michigan, and Indiana is closer than Penn State. (I believe the 'Lions will be back as a power immediately) Washington has gone from the ashes of only two returning starters to nine wins in just two years under that bastard Fisch, thus once they get to the final stage and are winning 10 games consistently--that can also help balance the power between the two divisions. Great ponder points--thank you.

What's new with the Oregon Ducks' LBs ahead of 2026 spring season? https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/09/oregon-football-spring-linebacker-preview/89054603007/ What's new with the Oregon Ducks' EDGE's ahead of 2026 spring season? https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/03/08/oregon-football-spring-preview-edges/89048804007/

Drew Mehringer reflects on what he took from his time working alongside Will Stein at OregonOregon's new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer worked directly with outgoing offensive coordinator Will Stein for three years with the Ducks. What did he learn from that experience? https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/drew-mehringer-reflects-on-what-he-took-from-his-time-working-alongside-will-stein-at-oregon-276953791/

Many thanks to those who gave freely of their thoughts in the thread titled: “Is ‘Flexible Symmetry’ the Answer to Big-10 Scheduling?” This rainy Sunday morning in Eugene I asked Charles to lock that thread. As requested, you have given me a load to sort through and I will consider some of that below. As anticipated, you provided information I ... How the BIG-10 Football Schedule Can Become Fair

If we want to continue slightly above average basketball in a good year, by all means, stay the course. 😉 There is some pretty heavy apathy at the moment.

The Hillsboro Hops A league (Diamondbacks) have steady attendance at that stadium. I think the Cascade will bring in new fans as well.

The Signal is Strong: Pro Softball Arrives in Oregon!Now that I’ve settled into the FishDuck forums, I have to talk about the massive shift in the softball landscape. For those of us who have spent years watching the Ducks, the "professional ceiling" always felt a little far away. Not anymore. The Big News: The Portland CascadeAs some of you may have seen, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) officially announced the Portland Cascade as Oregon's newest professional team! They’ll be playing their home games right up at Hillsboro Ballpark starting this June. For a guy like me who spent years at the OSP dispatch center, I love seeing a local "unit" finally get a home base. No more touring models—we have a team to call our own. The Duck Connection: Paige Sinicki Goes ProThe best part? Our very own Paige Sinicki has officially landed a spot on the Cascade roster! Watching her win the Gold Glove at Oregon was a treat, and seeing her stay in-state to play professionally is a huge win for the program. She’s joined by former UW star Sis Bates, so the middle of that infield is going to be a defensive masterclass. It’s a great example of the "Oregon-to-Pro" pipeline that Coach Lombardi is building. Tracking "Version Eight" (2026 Season)Back in Eugene, Coach Lombardi is in her 8th season, and the data on this squad is fascinating. She’s calling this group "Version Eight," and from my vantage point in the Arizona desert, the hardware looks solid: The Rotation: We returned nearly the entire staff from last year’s WCWS run. Lyndsey Grein and Elise Sokolsky are our veteran "operators." They have the experience to handle the high-stress calls. The Sophomore Class: I’m keeping a close eye on the "Young Guns"—Rylee McCoy, Kaylynn Jones, and Stefani Ma'ake. They were massive as freshmen, and if they avoid the "sophomore slump" bug, this lineup will be lethal. The New Shortstop: With Sinicki moving on to the pros, I’m watching Addison Amaral (the Notre Dame transfer) very closely. Filling Sinicki’s shoes is a tall order, but Amaral has the range to make it happen. The Big Ten schedule is going to be a gauntlet, but the "fancies" (stats) suggest this team is built for a deep June run. I’ll be monitoring the box scores and sharing my analysis as the season heats up. Go Ducks!

Version Eight: My Thoughts on Coach Lombardi’s 8th SeasonNow that I’ve introduced myself, I want to dive into what I’m seeing on the diamond. As I mentioned, I’m a bit of a geek for the data, and Coach Melyssa Lombardi’s 8th season is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing "builds" we’ve seen in Eugene. Last year’s "Version Seven" was a breakthrough, taking us back to the Women’s College World Series and proving we could compete at the highest level in the Big Ten. But as Lombardi says, every year is a "start from scratch" project. The "Frequencies" I’m Monitoring:The Power in the Circle: We returned nearly our entire pitching staff from last year’s WCWS run. Having Lyndsey Grein and Elise Sokolsky back is like having two veteran dispatchers on the desk—they know how to handle the pressure. Grein is a workhorse, and I’m watching to see if our bullpen depth can help keep her fresh for June. The Sophomore Surge: I’ve been crunching the numbers on our "Young Guns"—Rylee McCoy, Kaylynn Jones, and Stefani Ma'ake. They were massive as freshmen, but the "sophomore slump" is a real bug in the system. So far, McCoy’s power at first base looks like it’s only getting better. The New Connections: Replacing the speed of the Luschar sisters and the glove of Paige Sinicki at short was a tall order. I’m keeping a close eye on the transfers, specifically Addison Amaral (Notre Dame) at shortstop. She’s got big shoes to fill, but the data from her time in South Bend suggests she’s up to the task. Elise Sokolsky Early Season Sit-RepWe’ve had an up-and-down start with some tough losses in the early tournaments (that game against Auburn was a glitch in the system!), but we’ve also knocked off some top-25 teams like Duke and Liberty. To me, that shows the "Version Eight" hardware is capable; we just need to optimize the software before conference play heats up. I’ll be posting regular updates as we move toward the home opener at Jane Sanders Stadium. I’d love to hear from any of you who are attending games in person—give me the "eye test" to go along with my stats! Go Ducks!

From the OSP Dispatch Desk to the Sonora Desert: A Duck Fan’s LogHello FishDuck community! oregonjoneses checking in from the heat of Florence, Arizona. At 76 years young, I’m a bit of a desert-dwelling geek. After 25 years in Oregon—including 12 years working the consoles at the Oregon State Police Dispatch Center—I’ve traded the rainy Willamette Valley for the cacti of the Sonora. While my professional life was spent navigating the frequencies and logistics of the OSP, my heart remains firmly in Eugene. The Origin StoryMy "fandom firmware" was first installed back in the 7th grade at Waldo Junior High in Salem. My basketball coach, Mr. Dickey, hard-wired my loyalty by organizing a three-day trek to Mac Court for the Oregon High School Championships. Seeing that magic on the sunken floors as a kid changed my life. Since then, my wife and I made it an annual tradition to attend the Spring Football games. We would always make a weekend of it, staying up at Belknap Hot Springs to soak and enjoy the river before heading into Autzen. Those are memories I carry with me even in the Arizona heat. Current Project: Softball Stats & InsightsWhile I love my Football and Baseball (I’m a regular at PK Park when I can get there), my primary focus right now is on the diamond. We are heading into Coach Lombardi’s 8th season leading the Women’s Softball team. Just like my days at the dispatch center, I like to keep a close eye on all the moving parts. I’m currently processing the data and getting ready to share regular updates and information on the squad. I truly believe this 8th season is going to be something special. I may be living in the desert now, but my blood still runs green and yellow. I’m looking forward to connecting with you all! Go Ducks!

He also hasn't had a single season where he hasn't had major injuries to key players. The team is cursed when it comes to injuries to their best players.

Great perspective. It's important to understand everything that goes into a free fall. Altman led you guys to a Final Four in 2017. He's faced the most turbulent time in college sports, with NIL, transfer portal, and moving to a whole new conference.

I think our roster got down to 8 healthy players this year. Nobody wins in the BIG with 8 players. I am not adverse to change, but any decision should include a discussion with coaches, players, and key boosters, to determine if a change of direction is wanted, or needed.

If Nebraska, a program that has never won a game in the NCAA tournament can get their act together. Oregon can do it with the right coach. I'm not saying Altman should be fired, but sometimes stagnation can happen.