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However, screw the folks at B1G HQ You and I at least agree on our feelings about the B1G HQ

A 3-star OL Soren Fifer was offered by Dan Lanning yesterday in Illinois. This morning Indiana's OL coach was paying Soren a visit. What are you doing trying to rob "our" 3-star recruits? 🤣

Oregon123, if you start a contest for how many games a team in Lubbock, Texas, will win this season, on December 4, 2026, well, I predict That'll Be The Day Texas Tech goes 13-0.😁 - 🤪 But, be wary of Beavis! But automatic qualifiers will destroy CFB, right? With this schedule, I'll leverage everything I have and borrow money to get down on the Ducks going 12-0. Oregon would probably have to face a worthy opponent in the conference champ game. Wreck'Em RedCFB fans sound off on the Big 12 as Texas Tech’s 2026 foo...Well, the 2026 Texas Tech football schedule has been released and it sure seems like something that the Red Raiders are going to enjoy playing. Being fully tra

Yeah, what is left of Sports Illustrated today. A "legacy brand" that essentially exists to be licensed to whoever wants to pay to attach their content to its name. ABG now owns the S.I. brand. First gave it to the Arena Group who eventually bailed and now Minute Media is trying to do something with it. You, me, Jon, and $30 million lying around and we could have been Sports Illustrated instead. I recently caught an S.I. Fox Crader article that sounded interesting. It turned out to be mostly a nothing burger of info, which wasn't great but fine. The thing that bugged me more was the article had two pictures, one of Dante Moore and one of OL coach A'lique Terry. S.I. going to write an article called "Oregon's Next Star OT is Already on the Roster (Fox Crader)", yet not get a picture in there of him? I know he didn't play a ton, but he did make it into 5 games (including the entire USC game and most of the second half of the Indiana game). S.I. regularly seems like barely trying, with "barely" having one foot out the door. 🫤

Correct, there is no way to balance mega-conference schedules. But there is a way to ensure that one member school doesn't play 8 straight conference games without a break in 2024 and 2026. With today's computer power and AI, how about asking "HAL" to have 10 teams bye in Week 6, 8 teams bye in Week 7, including the four teams in the Pacific time zone that have the farthest to travel, and have quality over quantity in Week 6 and 7 by scheduling appealing matchups between the teams playing those weeks. Also, HAL, please have the Pacific time zone teams travel East before inclement weather arrives in November. I'm a 79-year-old tech dummy, but in today's wired world, with the world's knowledge in whatever hand you carry your smartphone, I don't think this is a huge ask. No way one conference team in two of three seasons should be asked to play 8 straight conference games without a break. And sending any team from the Pacific to the Eastern time zone twice in November is just wrong. UW traveled East twice last November, and its PO hopes were doomed when UW lost to Wisconsin on the second trip, which was a trip to the Central and not the Eastern time zone. East Lansing, Michigan, like Columbus, Ohio, is in the Eastern time zone. There's a good chance that the game in Columbus will be a 9 AM body clock kickoff, coming off a game at Illinois, which is off the week prior, and Northwestern at home. Three trips East in six of the final regular-season games is a yo-yo with a good chance of the string running out. You want better TV ratings? Take control of when the games are played. Ohio State at Texas this season at 7:30 Eastern will draw millions more eyeballs than last season's B1G Noon game. OBD will show up and play the games as scheduled, but to give B1G HQ a pass on Northwestern playing 11 games in a row, and doubling down on 2024 conference champ and a two-for-two Oregon PO team that brought millions of dollars to the conference in 2024 and 2025, playing 8 straight conference games? Why? Because scheduling is hard? Because you want to make more money off the Ducks' back? Male Bovine Excrement! Playing the best opposition is one season, like in 2027, bring it on, but don't tie a wing behind my back. If I have done nothing to deserve it and get punched in the mouth, not once but twice, I'm not going to apologize on behalf of the guy doing the punching. I'd wager that members of the Forum with less computer power at their hands could do better than this.

I'd also argue that there is no way to truly balance schedules because you don't know the strength of any of the given teams from year to year. I'm sure many in the B1G schedule office thought that USC was going to cause more of a problem to B1G blue bloods than Oregon. Also... no one saw Indiana's rise when the teams were sorted for who plays who years ago. If you were putting the team slates together back in 2022 with the match-ups you would be absolutely shocked to find out that Oregon and Indiana both were power houses and both had a B1G Championship. And that Penn State imploded so badly that they fired Franklin, because Penn State has had a pretty manageable schedule from year to year, especially if you assume that Oregon and Indiana weren't supposed to be fighting for the top spot in the conference.

Based on "years in advance" scheduling the B10 claims, I have a feeling 27 and 28 are already done. The B10 commissioner has nothing in his background that is football related. It's been sports media around MLB.

When the 4 PAC 12 teams arrived, the B1G TEN did reveal which teams each team would play for the 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons. Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe official athletics website for Big Ten ConferenceThere is no way to balance schedules with 18 teams. It isn't possible for all the other B1G TEN teams to play all 4 west coast teams. The B1G TEN is looking out for its own interests as well. Do we really want to see Oregon, tOSU, Michigan, Indiana, Penn St. all play each other every year? When the schedule was revealed in 2023, did anybody think the 2025 schedule was going to be tough for the Ducks? It was essentially Penn St. Even with Indiana, last seasons schedule wasn't exactly murders row. After the opening week, the Ducks only had Penn St. and Indiana as ranked opponents on the schedule. There are going to be seasons where the Ducks have an easier schedule than others. I do hope the B1G TEN do rotate the BYE weeks though. It does look like the B1G TEN did do a better job of having teams play each other after both have BYES.

OR123, pondering the schedule, looking at teams to be played in November with two games on the road, the loss of jack-knife Sadiq, the talent lost through the portal, especially on defense and QB, I have to hedge my prediction. If all hands are on deck, 10-2. If not? However, screw the folks at B1G HQ: Win 'Em All!

The B10 Commissioner at the time had the mentality of a rock. He is now the Chicago Bears President and threatening the city of Chicago that he will build a new stadium in Northwest Indiana if they don't agree to terms for a new Bears stadium. That 2020 year the B10 Commissioner said prior to the season, teams had to play at least 6 games to qualify to be champs and possibly a playoff spot. Canceled games did not count. MID SEASON when it looked like OSU would NOT play 6 games, he changed it to 5 games. So when undefeated IU lost at OSU as their 5th game, they qualified. Beat Northwestern (west division champ) in the B1G, beat Clemson and lost to Bama in the playoffs. At the time IU was undefeated when they went to Columbus and lost 42-35 with Michael Penix throwing for 491 yards and 5 TDs. As far as your hoops team ... too many key injuries have killed your season.

Thanks for the post Mr. Smith, I think? What a sunshine pumping, puff piece. The schedule stinks, stinks with a B1G S. In today's world of constant roster turnover and lack of roster depth, asking any team to play 8 straight games against Power 4 competition without a week off is unfair to the players and the program. OBD is the only B1G team playing 8 straight against P4 competition, including Northwestern and UCLA. This, for the second time in three seasons. Asking a Western member to make two trips East in November, to Columbus to play Ohio State with a home game against Michigan to follow, then a game at Michigan State with a home game against rival UW to follow? And possibly another trip to the Eastern time zone to play the best or second best team in the conference? Does anyone at B1G HQ give a whip about the health and safety of the athletes? Looking at the opponents, before the dates of the games were revealed, I thought OBD would finish 11-1. Now? Knock wood that OBD this season has the same luck on the injury front Indiana had last season. Knock wood that OBD doesn't have injuries to its WRs, RBs, and O-Line players like last season. If Dante isn't healthy come and through November? However: Next Case! What are you going to do other than hope that Rob Mullens is making it known that 8 straight without a break will not fly in 2027, and 2028. Changing the schedule is out of anyone and everyone's control so let's hope for the best and play ball!

If IU had lost those two games they would not have been in the B1G Championship game. IMO they might have not even made the playoffs with two losses with those on the committee remembering what their 2024 team did with two losses. As far as those last minute wins ... I will give you only one example that happened to the "Cardiac Kids" of Indiana in 1967 which resulted in playing and getting beat by USC in the '68 Rose Bowl with a Soph RB named OJ Simpson. The last game of the year it's the annual rivalry game with Purdue. With less than 2 minutes to go in the game with IU leading 19-12 against a #3 ranked Purdue, Purdue fumbled inside IU's 5 yard line and IU recovered the ball and won the game. That made a tie for the B1G with Minnesota. By rule the B10 would send the team that had not be to the Rose Bowl the longest time ... so IU got to go. So LUCK was definitely involved then and in 2025. Honestly I thought it was over in the Penn State game after they sacked Mendoza with no timeouts left and 90 yards to go. After IU lost in the Rose Bowl the final AP rankings had USC #1 and IU #4. 7 of IU's 9 wins were by 7 points or less and 8 of the 11 games (counting Rose Bowl) were decided in the last 4 minutes of the game.

I still cannot find an answer on why they moved the playoff championship game out a week further while remaining with the same 12 teams in the playoffs. How does that affect the number or the length of bye weeks in the playoffs?

Declaring “big winners” of the future schedule is a bit tricky. We certainly don’t have a very common 3 or 4 week stretch without a home game is nice. Start sliding around where the bye could have taken place and I’m not sure it makes that big of a difference. We play 4 then 8. Is that significantly worse than 5 then 7? 6 and 6? 7 and 5? What is the ideal bye week? Really hard to say.

Injuries are the main problem with your basketball team. Last night against UCLA 3 of 4 top scorers didn't play in that game, some have season ending injuries. Altman can recruit and gets McDonald All-Americans but no matter how good you are ... injuries are killers in college basketball.

I just posted on another thread the requirements the B10 uses to schedule games. I agree with you HappyToBeADuck ... it just doesn't make sense. Oregon is going to be beat up after 8 straight B10 games with additional travel to the east. The Penn State schedule is totally out of whack. They say the schedule is set "years in advance" ... what like 2 years since the 4 Pac12 teams joined? I would think in today's world of high tech and even AI ... the B10 could come up with something more even(fair) in scheduling. PSU (Iowa State) with a new coach will be THE surprise contender for the B10 Championship with two possibly three games they could lose but should win ... USC, Michigan and Washington. As an IU fan I would like a first round home game in the playoffs but after the weather in 2024 at Notre Dame and the weather in Bloomington this year when you played JMU ... I would not want a home game in that freezing cold weather in Bloomington.

Hoping to find answers for us on this B10 scheduling fiasco, with a new cup of coffee I went to ChatGPT and pulled some of these highlights from their answer. Typical Scheduling Goals -- Every team plays every other team at least once every 2–3 years Home/away balance over a 4–6 year cycle No school gets stuck with all road games vs elite teams in one season Rotations are mathematically optimized (this is where spreadsheets and algorithms come in) TV considerations can influence: Which opponents you get When during the season you play them Home vs away timing Media value is a major driver Once a draft schedule is built -- Schools review it -- Adjustments are negotiated -- The Big Ten officially releases it I think it is safe to say that TV schedulers are the biggest influence in the scheduling while "trying" to stay within the B10 parameters. Due to money and viewership vs SEC games at the same time I am sure the TV executives win vs the B10 office when negotiating teams, places and times games will be played.

This is the 3rd time i have read this article and I don't see where the Ducks are BIG Winners in their 2026 schedule.... Where is the benefit of 8 straight games after the break? With 4k plus round trips to play, tOSU, Illinois and MSU? The schedule difficulty from school to school is too unbalanced, PSU and tOSU travel west just once. PSU schedule is so soft that they should be favored in all their games except Michigan, USC and the Huskies. They can go 1-2 in those games and hit 10-2. NO IU, tOSU or Oregon on their schedule? Michigan has PSU, IU, tOSU and Oregon on their schedule in 2026. And for a tune-up the Sooners come to Ann Arbor.....WTH? DL and the team will not complain and they will take that schedule one game at a time. Only good part of the schedule is OBD's have until November to gell before playing tOSU. Gonna be another nerve wracking season and I can't wait. 11-1 and a 3 way tie with IU and tOSU. Hope we lose the BIG tie breakers. Looking forward to a first round home game. GO DUCKS!

That is some data that I don't recall ever hearing on a tv broadcast when the Ducks on the road. Thank you for keeping Bloomington off your schedule.

Count me in. Hard to believe by what some people believe but we really do have paved roads and nationwide mail service back here in Indiana (although I haven't a USPS, FedX or UPS truck in my neighborhood for 5 days since the snow took place). I like the timeline of Oregon123 with a February end date and paid after the season. Injuries even in the spring are part of the game and/or off season surgeries. I will send an email to Cig telling him to stop running the score up in B1G games to keep me in the running to win this thing. This was a great suggestion.

I agree. Mendoza the last half of the season and playoffs was the huge difference. I can almost confirm Josh Hoover does not have that "computer" between his ears like Mendoza had. That was a HUGE difference in their results. But as far as those 4 losses ... when he did one of his first sit down interviews after was hired he was asked "how will you feel if you start this season 3-2?" ... Cignetti replied "we are going 5-0" ... and he did. He has lost more than 2 games at those smaller schools as a HC, all rebuilds. I don't see him losing more than 2 games next year, if that. 12 of 22 starters return. In some positions there will be more speed as in RB's and WRs. 4 of 5 OL's return. On3 say #1 Portal class but I am not sure about that as OSU has imported the southern USA called the $EC. So yes not the same guys but I would say that only at the QB position ... the others like WR, RB, DL will be as good if not better.

I'm not sure I can support this writer's premise. Eight games in a row to finish season is not good news! Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Ducks Are Big Winners of Big Ten Schedule ReleaseThe Oregon Ducks enter the 2026 season aiming to capture the first national championship in program history. Oregon reached the College Football Playoff in 2025

The Running Back Commit Who Could Be Oregon's Latest Recruiting StealThe Oregon Ducks have two incoming freshmen running backs from the 2026 recruiting class. Oregon coach Dan Lanning is set to add Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith to the running back room in 2026. Oregon Ducks On SIThe Running Back Commit Who Could Be Oregon's Latest Recr...EUGENE – The Oregon Ducks’ running back depth became depleted at the end of the 2025 season due to injuries and transfers. Oregon coach Dan Lanning went on to r

91-92 was my freshman year at Oregon. It was rough. Lyden was hurt and only played a few games. Orlando and Antoine were basically the only two guys that could score on that team. IIRC, there were several games where they had less than 20 before half. This team might be worse right now, with Bittle, Shelstad, and Simpkins out. It’s too bad that nobody has really been able to step up and score consistently.

We dropped down to 35 degrees overnight here in southwest AZ. Highs got into the 70's. But , from experience from living in Tennessee, Ohio, and having visited family in Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, and northern California. I can tell you freezing rain is the worst. When there's a heavy wind chill sweeping through, that cold will cut through you, no matter how many layers you have on. I've driven through hurricanes, sandstorms, severe thunderstorms with hail and tornado breeding cover. But the one accident I got into was due to a car cutting me off, and I hit my brakes, but spun out as the offender drove off. Luckily all it cost me was my car. But a close second was during a nasty winter storm where my defrosters weren't working, and I had to drive and scrape to just have fifteen percent visibility. I couldn't pull over either. I had winding two lanes with concrete barriers on each side. I thanked God for getting me home that night. Be safe out there.