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I'm only laughing because we're talking about two specific and different games. Yes, 51 against JMU was fun. But seemingly abandoning our run game against IU still seems odd to me. However, with that being said, Stein knows about 1000x more about football than I will ever dream of knowing. Any he certainly knows more about what was going on at that time during the IU game than I do. But, from my cheap seats, abandoning the run game against IU was strange. But I'm sure Stein must have had a very good reason for doing so.

ND has no reason at the moment to join a conference. This however, might be the first domino towards changing that. I think they’re going to run into serious scheduling challenges once legitimate programs fully realize there is no advantage to scheduling a difficult OOC opponent. ND is going to start only attracting teams that need the exposure that comes from playing ND, and playing the UNLV’s of the world 12 times a year might start to bite them in the butt. I think they’re going to be relegating themselves to G6 status schedule wise. As to 3 loss teams in the field, get used to it. With a 16 team field and 9 conference game schedules across the board, I’m guessing a quarter of the field will have 3 losses next year.

Notre Dame just needs to join a conference. Even make a short term deal with the ACC and reevaluate after 5 years. If they were in the ACC this year they probably would have won the conference and then be in the playoff over Miami. Then playing USC earlier in the year doesn't effect their playoff chances as much.

Georgia looks as good as any team in the country (note: I picked a Georgia vs. Oregon championship game). Unfortunately for them and Ohio State they are both on the same side of the bracket. Right now that looks like it could be an epic semi final and either team can easily win that game. We’ll have to see how everything shakes out.

His growth this second half of the seasons has been significant. He used to either make a bug play or get 2 while running into a pile of linemen. His vision has improved considerably in games. I've been yelling at the TV for years as Whittington healthy or not has made both good and bad plays. But he is consistently getting good yardage now and that's because he's seeing the game better.

I'm both a Duck fan and a BYU fan. If you're looking for silver linings based on how the TTU vs. BYU games went, well I've got some soothing balm for you . . . maybe, since it depends on how good you think BYU is. Game 1: BYU hung with TTU through most of 3 quarters. They held TTU to mostly field goals. BYU has been starting a true freshman QB that is half RB and half QB (i.e., he can't pick you apart from the pocket with his arm at all). BYU depends on their QB and stud RB to establish the run to set up their passing game. BYU's RB (LJ Martin) is one of the top in the nation at YAC (yards after contact), but he was playing hurt in that game and was not effective; neither was their offense. Game 2: Again, BYU hung with TTU through most of 3 quarters . . . and even had an early lead with opportunities to extend. However, their running-reliant QB injured his ankle/leg in the first few possessions and was limping the rest of the game. Then the self-inflicted wounds came . . . 4 turnovers (2 INTs and 2 FUMB) between late 3rd Q and end of game, all of which set up TTU deep in BYU territory, basically near or in the red zone. Even with all that fortune and field position, TTU scored the following: 1TD, 2FG, 1 missed FG. Promise I'm not trying to make it seem like Oregon will win easy against TTU, but I also happen to think BYU was better than most give them credit for; worthy of consideration to be in the playoff (they certainly would have performed better than Tulane/JMU). As such, I consider TTU to be formidable, but beatable. If you think BYU (and the B12) is not that good, then I hope this gives you peace, comfort, and joy in time for the holidays :)

Two things I want to be rectified before next year's playoff. Put the best 12, 16, or whatever number in. Seed them correctly, and don't give the higher seeded team a road game against a lower seeded opponent. Like Ohio State would've gotten, if Texas A&M would've won. Don't give any guaranteed spots to P6/ or Notre Dame. If they don't merit a ranking, based off their wins, and loss record. Don't put them in because of arbitrary language. That means Notre Dame has to play at least ten teams from a P4 league. They have to have good wins, and have them ranked in the top twelve range. (I don't like a three loss team from the SEC or B1G either, but tbh those teams are still going to be more deserving than a two loss AAC, or one loss Sun Belt program, with zero P4 wins.) If the P6 doesn't have an undefeated program, with at least two P4 wins, they don't qualify. You have to do what Cincy did in 2021, or UCF did in 2017. You have to do what Boise State did in 2000's-2010's. Notre Dame doesn't have to join a league, but they have to pay a competitive tag for not being in one. They get all the playoff shares to themselves, and all the television revenue from their NBC deal. That's great, but USC, Michigan, Ohio State, and every other 'Blueblood' that you want to play, won't play you on your terms anymore. You have to budge, you have to move. Those programs don't control nine out of twelve games. Those programs have big in conference rivalries in November, while you've been feasting on turkey legs. USC isn't going to play Oregon, and Notre Dame in back to back weeks.

Well Heck! Is even throw in the extra cash to upgrade his SEC mouthpiece to First Class! Later Fawnbaum! Now let's make it so Quackers! Two more games and Ohio St ... Awaits.

Some sour grapes from Autzen Zoo. However, not necessarily misplaced. The Joe Moore Award couldn't mean less after illogical decision

I liked the demeanour in the locker room of both Coach and Team. Happy to win, but not happy in the way they won. I do not believe you will see anymore "letdowns", "letups" the remainder of the games Oregon has left to play. GO DUCKS 🦆! Rob The RedRaiders!

I was not even thinking along those lines, but that is an excellent point! I think perhaps you hit the nail on the head with this post.

After watching atching a few TT games I'm more concerned with our offense. TTs D is fast and aggressive with lots of gang tackling and a great pass rush. TTs Offence while effective doesn't look as dominant. From what I saw the O line allows a bit of QB pressure especially on blitz's. A lot of sloppy tackling in the championship game by BYU led to lots of yards and first downs. JMU scoring on our D in the second half doesn't concern me. While there were some starters in, there were quite a few numbers I didn't recognize on the line and secondary.

He's going to Barbados for a weekend. He'll be back..... Always look at the wording, and......

Not that I like agreeing with USC but yeah, Notre Dame's absolute refusal to join a conference, even out their schedules home and away, take advantage of its notoriety and tradition to artificially place itself in an advantaged position for post season play, that no other teams get the same consideration for (well maybe a few SEC teams). It is a shame to see another college football tradition fall by the wayside because of the amounts of money involved in letting those traditions die. Notre Dame will continue to "position" itself until they finally agree to joining a conference to ensure they remain the highest earner in whatever conference they eventually, grace their presence with. Until that happens (2035?), ND will be the "thorn in the side" of NFL-lite and will remain so until ND can be assured of preferential treatment to artificially boost their image so as to stay relevant in this new age of NIL, transfer portal, and high stakes program positioning. I don't have to like it but it is what it is. Go Ducks.

Interesting read on the Saturday Down South article. TT QB has not played much in the 4th quarter all year, and has yet had to lead a comeback. "For what it’s worth, Morton has 211 career pass attempts in the 4th quarter, so it’s not as if a close game will be a completely foreign concept. But with this team, and specifically this play caller (Mack Leftwich), that would be a new situation if it presents itself. That’s not an ideal question mark in a Playoff quarterfinal against a Dan Lanning defense." Not sure how you prep your QB for the nerves of a 2 minute drill, knowing which plays you want for the 2 minute drill, without having to do it all year. Just thought it was an interesting stat. I know from reading some of the TT message boards, OBD shouldn't score more then 10 points and OBD Defense is trash so giving up 30 wouldn't be shocking. Guess thats why you play the game...

There's no place like home for the holidays!

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Every team is fighting for their survival at this point of the season. They have nothing to lose, so expect the unexpected. This is why we saw a fake punt and the Annexation of Puerto Rico play from JMU.

I know that the Sun Belt champion, 12-1 JMU, has better starters than OBD's backups, and is a well-coached team that never quit. I think UCLA may have found a heck of a coach. I think JMU was the best G6 team and should not have been ranked behind Tulane. I know football is a game of emotion, and it's hard to stay focused and fired up when you lead 34-6 after the second quarter. I know JMU never had a shot at winning the game, and this game has no bearing on how the team performs in the Orange Bowl on 1/1/26, and hopefully back in the same locale on Monday, 1/19/26. I know I'm happier than A&M and Sooners fans. And I know the Luckeyes lucked out again, playing Miami and not the Aggies in Dallas on New Year's Eve. I know that OBD is also fortunate to have played JMU and not BYU, and to play Texas Tech in Miami instead of in Dallas. I know this is a bowl extravaganza and not a playoff, and where you play is the luck of the draw, not decided on the field in the regular season. I know the PO field should expand to 16 teams, start and finish earlier, with no byes, 1st and 2nd round games, at least, played on the home fields of higher-ranked teams. Wreck Tech!

On a scale of 1 to 10, Zero on the panic meter for this old grey beard. TT has OBD's undivided attention. This game will be decided in the trenches. The Duck O line must protect Dante and give him time to throw. IMHO, all the Duck skill position players will play on Sundays. TT has not faced an offense this talented. Not to mention all 5 O line starters will cash NFL checks. Patience, balance, clean play and high level execution will keep the TT defense on their heels, not their toes. On defense TT and MU must hold the edges much better and contain. Force TT to be one dimensional. OBD's defense is stacked with future NFL talent. Play to their level, hold TT to 17 or under and let's get on the the semifinals. Go Ducks........

No worries about the 2nd half with 2’s and 3’s. That’s to be somewhat expected. And to be fair, it’s a reward for how hard those kids worked. There were 3 throws that stand out. 1 simply got away from Dante. The 2 others, a receiver fell down and another receiver bobbled it. Just sayin.

Are you not entertained? Our Oregon football program hung a healthy 51 points on JMU in their first College Football Playoff game of the postseason, advancing the Ducks to the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech on New Year’s Day (Jan 1st, 12:00 pm EST). This is Oregon’s first postseason win since beating Jameis Winston’s Florida State Seminoles in 2014, creating massive implications ... Oregon Football: Panic Meter After CFP Round One

The biggest issue and ridiculous problem is that ND automatically gets into the CFP if they only have 2 losses and are ranked in the top 12 starting next season. Seeing that they don't play anyone, they would be a bid stealer. For example, ND would not have been left out this year. The Committee ranked them 10th. Why on Earth would USC help ND by improving their strength of schedule- which might be crucial to being in the top 12 with 2 losses? What if ND already had two losses and played USC, who is trying to be ranked in the top 10, and ND takes away SC's spot at that 10th spot? No thanks. ND can play nobody and hopefully not get ranked highly, especially if they lose one or two games.

And a major reason the North was historically dominant in the 40s, 50s, 60s and until the mid-70s was segregated football in the South with the top Black athletes gravitating to the Big-10, the Big 8, Penn State, Notre Dame and other northern football powers. Th major rise of the SEC came as many more black athletes stayed home when member schools integrated.

I sure hope Whittington is good to go against TT, he’s been fantastic when healthy and yet strangely under appreciated by some fans.