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And when it comes to Eyes On The Prize, the B1G isn't backing down. But, about those noon kickoffs ... https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2026/02/03/big-ten-2026-schedule-must-see-games-sec-college-football-tv-ratings-war/88480976007/?utm_source=usatoday-sports-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=usatbaseline&utm_t

"Out coached, out schemed, out played." My observation is that it sometimes appears Oregon's staff watches too much video of opponent's prior games and assumes that is what they are going to see. Opponents make adjustments. It was particularly true in the Rose Bowl, and Oregon hadn't prepared adequately for the possibility. In high stakes games you can't wait until the second half to make adjustments, it will probably be too late.

Greta comment, Gat. But if the goal is to send the most teams to the postseason, and it is, why can't Sankey look at the final PO Committee rankings and see that under Tony Petitti's 16-team AQ PO format, the SEC would have had more teams in the mix? Sankey's OK with Notre Dame in if ranked No. 12 or higher, but not with Vanderbilt, and possibly Texas, being in the 2025-26 PO field? Ditto for the ACC's Jim Phillips and the B12's Brett Yormark. The ACC and the B12 would have had two, not one, teams in the field. Sankey, Phillips, and Yormark allowed two G6 programs to be in the field. Sense, meet Less.

At Kentucky (???), Will's off to a good start, filling the Stein with a fine brew of portal players. Notre Dame QB, CJ Carr, was in a tough battle for the starting job with Kenny Minchey, who flipped his 'commitment' from Nebraska to Kentucky. No dummy is Will. Without an adequate War Chest, Will wasn't leaving OBD. Bear Bryant won an SEC championship at Kentucky, so ...

Fantastic article Jon, as you featured the coaching chops of these coaches like none other. I love some of the word-play you had fun with, but boy--you demonstrated how the price of poker just went up B1G-TIME in the conference with these coaches. The new coaches are all very hard workers....grinders, who are going to make our schedule even more challenging and entertaining. Thanks Jon.

Thank you, Charles, for another fantastic editing job. 👍👌❤️ No surprise with Smitty's comment being spot on. The B1G is no longer content with being No. 2 in football. In today's college football world, you can break the bank trying to win a title, but a group of people, starting with the head coach, have to meld the new players with the old and have them play as a cohesive unit. Have them play as a team and for one another, not just for the money. Mike Norvell has assembled terrific talent at FSU. In year one, the Seminoles went 13-0 before being scalped by the PO Committee. But the last two seasons? LSU was one of the biggest spenders in 2025, and things started so well with a win at Clemson's Death Valley. Coach Brian Kelly was fired before the end of the season. Under Lane Kiffin, LSU is spending more dough this season than any other program, and breaking its academic rules in the process. Jordan Seaton was allowed to enroll two weeks after the enrollment period ended. It's all good. Jordan's studying will occur in the football facilities, not in the classrooms. Kiffin, in job number three in the SEC, has a Natty grace period about as long as a gnat's life cycle. Everyone on the Bayou is hoping Lane wins it all. Everyone else, especially folks next door in Mississippi, is hoping Kiffen comes up lame. Saint Nick's coaching rehabilitation facility is no longer open. After rebounding at FAU, Lane may have to try his luck at FIU. Please! And Texas Tech is doing it again, with the understanding that both sides of the ball matter 😁. And there's a Hurricanes warning in Miami: Rules, we don't need no stinkin' rules. Don't try to Duke it out with us! Campbell, Chesney, Fitzgerald, and Whittingham are now on a B1Gger stage with a B1Gger bankroll; watch out!

I think I was referring to Ka'ai and Araghi both look very young. Probably upper 20s or low 30s. I have no qualms about Hampton and Mehringer in terms of experience only potential execution.

Thanks for clarifying Will 😆

The question is did he and or Lanning learn from it?

No kidding.

How did we do in the portal? Winners and Losers From Oregon Ducks' Transfer Portal Efforts

Will Stein Doesn’t Hold Back On Indiana And Curt Cignetti Out coached, out schemed, out played. Pretty good game plan.

Cole Thomas, although a walk on, returned 4 kickoffs and 1 punt for touchdowns last season for Central Catholic in Portland. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Ducks Secure Commitment From In-State RecruitWhile the Oregon Ducks and Dan Lanning are beginning to work on recruiting the class of 2027, a few 2026 commitments continue to trickle in for the Ducks, and c

Thanks, Jon Joseph, for all the information about these new head coaches. That was a great amount of well researched info! I agree that the BIG conference just got more competitive. Wow!

There is room to argue whether or not the B1G or the SEC is college football’s (CFB) top conference. However … In 2025, an unprecedented 32 new head college football (CFB) coaches were hired, 17 in CFB’s Power 4 conferences. The Big Ten won this head coach hiring frenzy; argue if you like, but it wasn’t that close. In the ... The BIG Won the 2026 Coaching Carousel...Big Time!

Greg works for the SEC. He isn't going to do a darn thing about Ole Miss tampering in football, or Alabama being allowed to use a G league dropout. He's too concerned with getting as many programs into the NCAA tournament, and getting the CFP to 16 with at least half going to the SEC. We need an actual commissioner, actual rules, and actual guidelines to oversee this mess right now. Somebody not associated with the B1G or SEC. College football funds everything, so let's get somebody the two controlling leagues both hates, but respects enough to give the pen to.

Vellum on the heals of Hoke ended badly. IMO, Helf was a good OC and QB coach, but not a good GM. Much of the blame may well have been in a lack of evolving in a changing college football landscape, similar to how some teams got left behind by not embracing the portal.

As I wrote in the article....one is 38 and the other is 39. Lanning is 39...

I certainly wasn't saying that crap about Nix. I sent Charles a clip of Nix's highlights and said he was bound to flourish in Eugene. Lanning knew it as well having to work his tail off to stifle the guy running the Auburn offense when he was DC at Georgia. I am nowhere near as optimistic about Raiola. Nix could move and take himself out of problematic situations. Raiola cannot and is so slow as to be a statue in the pocket. I wish the guy no ill will of course but actually breathed a sigh of relief when he flipped from Georgia to Nebraska on signing day. And as a Duck fan, I hope I am wrong by the way, but fear that I am not.

Internal hires I generally think are great from a continuity point of view. I think Ka'ai being promoted to an coach was part of the reason Moore has decided to stay another year. I think where some of the concern here for fans is that these internal hires are all super young. And there is nothing inherently wrong with promoting young coaches. It for a program like Oregon I think there is a mindset that the program should just go out and get the best of the best. Personally... I'm not so concerned with the QB situation. Moore needs to grow and progress and a lot of that comes from experience and he'll get a whole off-season to build. I'm more concerned with the edges. Matayo didn't produce that many sacks this year and Tuioti was fantastic but we need both players to be monsters. Are we going to get the most out of both of them via a young coach? We'll have to wait and find out. Also ... Though I love internal promotions I'll just bring up the internal promotions during Oregon long tenure era that everyone seems to dump on for internal hires... Helfrich to HC and Pellum to DC. I've personally been on record multiple times saying that Helfrich made sense to HC and was better than most give him credit for. Pellum made sense as an internal hire that just didn't work out. I don't know where I'm going with all this at this point. Your post got me thinking and this is just freeform thought dump.

I haven't heard a word from Greg since Selection Sunday. Does someone need to call in a welfare check?

It looks like both were promotions from within. Iny above posting the new coaching staff roster has a QB and Edge coach listed while Stein and Lupoi are not. I don't know how good they are as they are both young and I won't disqualify them because of youth. But Lanning is certainly betting on them over bringing in outside hires.

Bringing in a new DC or OC means that person would bring changes in the plays and systems that players and other coaches would need to learn. As it is OBD hit the ground running the day after Indiana ended their playoff run. There’s always room for improvement. What Lanning chose to do allows for growth without disruption.

Pretty sure he saw his shadow today, so radio silence for another 6 weeks.

Every time I see that name my mind auto corrects to GRANOLA... As far as the shades go, get him in touch with Dan Fouts and Joey Harrington for advice.