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I apologize for jumping the Week 10 games gun. I can't help but wonder if the Miami coaches and players will need a 'How to Fasten the Seatbelt' tutorial before leaving the State of Florida for the first time this season? Go Mustangs! 9 AM - ESPN - No. 10 Miami -12.5 Canes WarningFull matchup history between Miami and SMUMiami and SMU have met only once on the football field. On Sept. 18, 1965, the Mustangs opened their season by grinding out a 7-3 win over the Hurricanes at the

I think coaches tend towards conservative and when the day got rainy and windy it was natural to go to the run game. Wisconsin was a passing team that could not get 100 yards Saturday. The Ducks ground it out to assure the win. I have no problem with that. I have wondered if Dante or someone on the line has some tell that opponents are picking up on. Iowa will be interesting as they are a good team but would need a dominating defensive performance to win.

THAT!!! I wouldn't feel bad at all if Indiana won it all this year. Cignetti is an awesome coach who wins! (Google him.) Dan Lanning is still learning. We have compared Dante Moore to Nix and Gabriel and concluded that Moore needs Moore experience to be on their level. We can't say the same thing about Lanning comparing him to coaches who have had a couple decades of winning coaching practice??? I am rooting for the Ducks all the way... but if Indiana wins it.... GOOD FOR THEM!

I believe AQs are necessary. But THREE instead of four. I also believe the play in games should be used instead of expanding the field to 14 or 16. That in essence expands the field beyond 12. We will know in three weeks who is really slated to be considered playoff worthy. I'll definitely say this: there is no way on this planet that there are NINE SEC teams worthy of top 20 status. That is absolute nonsense. Florida, LSU, South Carolina and Auburn have been used as justification for bolstering a pretty average set of teams. The madness needs to end.

Is the Apocalypse near? A Trojan Wire writer acknowledging that OBD is one of the B1G 3? 😇 And Indiana will win it all! Whoa Traveler! But wait a minute! Oregon will not make the PO? Thanks, now I won't have to move into the bunker. 😁 https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2025/10/29/winners-losers-week-9-big-ten-football/86953071007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SMGbaseline&

Michigan visits Autzen next season. 😎 Which is nice.

I would add Solar that Moore needs more looks outside the pocket (for the third time this week-am I a broken record?). The middle of the crisis play call that bought Moore time resulted in a TD against Indiana. The OT pass that Moore threw was a designed bootleg. Moore has such a strong arm and is an effective enough runner screams for using that as an option at least a third of our calls. It was also mentioned by David Marsh that Davison is a better blocker than Whittington. I believe more two back sets, and better use of the RBs in pass blocking schemes is necessary. I happen to believe the OTs are being set up for failure. They are not quick enough to handle DEs that line up more than two yards away from them. They require assistance. The interior Lineman also seem to stand up too quickly at times, which creates havoc inside (hence my call for two back sets). I would also use Jet Motion far more often. Especially for WR Moore and Sadiq. Then run designs for the TE inside as you suggested Solar. As I have mentioned countless times, it is not the gameplan that matters, it is the ability to draw plays up on the spot based on what the defense is doing to counter your game plan. Hence, my call for knowing every damn play known to mankind. "Gentleman, this is a football". That is what that quote means to me. Football isn't simply what you can do at the LOS. That always blows up in your face eventually when you face teams of your caliber or better. It's what you do to respond to diminish their advantage. You must be prepared for poor play and getting manhandled as much as you prepare for your opponent. One of the greatest skills Kirby Smart displays is his ability to neutralize multiple score leads. I believe it is because he junks his gameplan and starts looking at what is actually going on in the game. Whenever I do root against Georgia (usually it against Tennessee or Ohio State), I am never comfortable with two score leads, because I KNOW WHAT IS COMING NEXT. Georgia slowly climbs out of the hole, because they no longer focus on what they wanted to do-they focus on finding out what will work. That is Dan Lanning's next step in his evolution as a coach. I saw sprinkles of it last week. He took the win. But before he decided to minimize the play calling, he dialed up throws downfield. THEN he had Stein change formations. If I see Moore getting out of the pocket more (pun intended), then I believe Lanning is starting to look for every solution possible. But I am seeing that idea percolating in his head.

FWIW - The most recent odds from Bet MGM to win the 2025-26 championship. Ohio State +250 Indiana +700 Alabama +800 OBD, Georgia Notre Dame +1000 Miami +1500 Ole Miss, Texas Tech +2000 Vanderbilt +2500 Texas +4000 - Bet MGM has Texas -2.5 at home vs. Vanderbilt on Saturday. NOTE - Ohio State is odds-on to win it all by a large margin. Have we returned to: Defense Wins Championships? Ohio State's D under Matt Patricia (not Jim Knowles 😁) is posting historic numbers on defense with four games left to play - Penn State, at Purdue, UCLA, and at Michigan 🙃. Indiana's remaining B1G opponents, at Maryland, at Penn State, Wisconsin, and at Purdue, are 1-17 in conference play. There will have to be one or two major upsets for the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers not to meet in Indianapolis on December 6th, with the after-market ticket prices through the enclosed stadium roof. 🤑🤑🤑

Some notes.... Waz says that Oregon is not a portal team, that most of his players are developed from their freshman year onward. It is the high school recruits he mostly is focused on. He also said that the Ducks will have more options on the mound in 2026, and pitching will take a step up. (Good!) He stated that Dominic Hellman, and Drew Smith have stood out in fall practices. Great to hear that Smith is back for a fourth year, as he can fill in at third base, where he played before. I was not sure if he was going to return, and I sure wanted him to. The opening tournament in Las Vegas is going to be a DANDY. Oregon, UC Irvine, Arizona and Vanderbilt? Whew!

Great interview!

Tennessee elevated the fellow we thought to replace their HC, and Waz is safe for us at the moment. In the next post is more information...

Thanks, Mike. I agree with your points. I always root against the SEC. But, if Vanderbilt played Ohio State, I would go for Vandy!

I like your style! It's kinda like mine.

Agree, and of course NIL makes it easier to get good fast. As you said, the Ducks can get better, but will they? Hmmmmm.....

If I'm giving folks stomach issues then I know I'm doing my job! 😁

ABSO FREEAKING LUTLY

It would be difficult to stomach Indiana taking the crown this year. It just doesn't make sense to me. First of all, I don't think they're really in the great team category. But this year, no team really is. Every contender has flaws. Every single one. But to watch Indiana get more hype than OBD usually does infuriates me. Indiana or Bama, I'd have to swallow hard to root for the Hoosiers, but I already believe Bama is top three if not the best. I don't want to see an SEC team win a title for 15 more years, so Hoosier Daddy? is my moniker if they get there. Sorry GatOrlando and Nevada Dog, I like both teams, but I am so sick of eSECpn hyping the conference to the degree even the eye test is being overlooked. The SEC is still Bama and Georgia until proven otherwise, and NO I DO NOT BELIEVE A&M is going to win a Natty. Great article Darren...as usual

Yeah, I though about Clemson, but I always thought they kinda had the national name recognition like other blue bloods. More of a gut feeling by me. And, they did win it all in 1981. I put UW in the same vein, hence didn't mention them as an "outsider" who played in the championship game. Subjective for sure.

Some deep insight, appreciate it, Jon!

I feel your pain. Indiana "having our number" though is kind of like us having Michigan's number right now. Hopefully, that continues next year.

It's a thing in the NFL that you are only as good as your biggest weakness. That applies to players (especially QB's) and schemes. The reason being that opposing coaches are good enough to scout your strengths and take those options away, forcing you to play to your weaknesses. I think this has happened to Stein and Moore this year. Penn State, Indiana, and Wisconsin all doing similar things defensively to take away our strengths. Dante Moore does great with a clean pocket and man coverage? Then bring pressure and play complex zone coverages. Stein likes to use up every blade of grass within 10 yards of the LOS? Run a 4-3 multiple defense that crowds the LOS across the width of the field. The next evolution of our offense is for Stein and Moore to get better at executing to their weaknesses. Moore needs to learn how to deal with real time zone schemes with simulated pressure options and learn how to move in the pocket to buy every last millisecond of time. Stein needs to learn how to create openings up the middle of the field and revise the route trees to create opportunities that materialize quicker for Moore. We've had the luxury of being tested to our weaknesses early in the season. I really hope theses 2 weeks are used to strengthen our weaknesses. If we can have just enough success with our weaknesses (which I believe we have enough talent potential to do) that opponents have start defending them, then that will reopen our strengths.

Yeah, The Hoosiers will need to stay healthy.

Yup, the change to a playoff has altered the equation.

Probably not, Ohio State still looks dominate. But, they have the dawgs at the line of scrimmage, so they have chance.

I would, I would root for the Hoosiers. But, also with a great feeling of "crap, it wasn't us."