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"...four-loss Iowa defeated 10-2 Vanderbilt in a terrific bowl game four losses sounds like a lot but sometimes fate lays a blow Iowa in 2025 L 13-16 at Iowa St - ISU FG with 1:52 left L 15-20 vs Indiana - Hoosiers got a TD with 1:28 left L 16-18 vs Oregon - Ducks FG with 0:03 left L 21-26 at USC in a rain deluge

Before I begin lobbying on behalf of a 24-team college football (CFB) playoff (PO), allow me to present the 2026-27 24-team PO field determined by using The Sporting News 2026 Composite Preseason Top 25. The Composite Ranking is a compilation of preseason top 25s from The Sporting News, Athlon, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Yahoo Sports, and On3. Ten of the most popular CFB sites. One comment before posting the field. What Tony Petitti and the Big Ten propose is actually a 16-team PO field with eight first-round play-in games. Think of a 64-team basketball field with four play-in games. The 24-team format, which no longer includes automatic qualifiers, will deliver a far less controversial playoff field. Of course, the fans of the team ranked twenty-five will witch, thus be it ever. The eighth teams with a first-round bye will, depending on the calendar, be idle for only seven to ten days. Let's end or at least reduce the subjectivity that comes from having to determine a PO from twelve disparate data points, and through a mirror looking darkly. In 2025, the 3-loss team that should have been in the playoff field was Texas and not Alabama. Texas was not rewarded for playing a marquee out-of-conference (OOC) game at Ohio State. 3-loss Alabama was not penalized for losing an OOC game to a bad Florida State team. Then, there was 11-2 BYU. Both losses were to No. 4 Texas Tech. Alabama's conference champ game loss did not matter to the committee. BYU's loss made a multi-million-dollar difference to the B12. To the field: 16 Alabama vs. 17 SMU - Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Winner plays No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio 15 Ole Miss vs. 18 Utah - Oxford, Mississippi - Winner plays No. 2 Texas in Austin, Texas 14 Michigan vs. 19 Louisville - Ann Arbor, Michigan - Winner plays No 3 Georgia in Athens, Georgia 13 USC vs 21 Iowa - Los Angeles, CA. - Winner plays No. 4 Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana 12 LSU vs 20 Penn State - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Winner plays No. 5 Oregon in Eugene, Oregon (Under the proposed format, there would be no 1st-round rematch games. Accordingly, USC, which played Penn State in the regular season, would play 21 Iowa, and LSU would play 20 Penn State) 11 BYU vs 22 Washington - Provo, Utah - Winner plays No 6 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana 10 Oklahoma vs 23 Houston - Norman, Oklahoma - Winner plays No 7 Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas 9 Miami vs No. 24 G6 representative - Miami Gardens, Florida - (G6 representative knocks out 24 Missouri.) Winner plays No 8 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. A review of the bidding - Group of 6 - One team in, but come December, two G6 teams would likely be in the field playing 1st-round opponents. This would give the G6 teams a better chance to advance to the 2nd-round. No need to send the paramedics to South Bend; Notre Dame is in. ACC - Three teams in the field: Louisville, Miami, and SMU - One first-round home game - Two more teams than were in the 2025-26 playoffs. B12 - Three teams in the field: BYU, Utah, and Texas Tech - One first-round bye - Two more teams than were in the 2025-26 playoffs. One home game. SEC - Seven teams in the field: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M - Three 1st-round byes - Seven home games. Two more teams than were in the 2025-26 playoffs. Big Ten - Eight teams in the field: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, USC, Washington. Three first-round byes. Five home games. Five more teams than were in the 2025-26 playoffs. (Hey, it's Tony's plan, right?) All of the G6 and Power 4 conferences would benefit financially from this format. Fox, CBS, and NBC would join the PO broadcast bidding. Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks estimates that the CFB postseason revenue would at least double. In addition, under this format, more money would flow from better out-of-conference matchups. The B1G and the SEC will compete in a Volleyball Challenge in 2026; why not a football challenge? Flex-scheduled end of the regular season conference championship and 'playoff play-in games', matching three versus six and four versus five, would also increase the value of a conference's college football game inventory. In today's college football world of mega-conferences with all conference teams matching up over a number of seasons, NIL, and largely unregulated transfers, these flex-scheduled games, while bringing in more money, would provide in-conference scheduling equity. The B1G's proposal, now also recommended by the NCAA, would have the season uniformly begin in Week Zero, with the playoff beginning and ending two weeks earlier than now, and also reduce PO games competing against NFL postseason games. A third and even a fourth loss in football (unless you're Bama) will not destroy a team and its fans' playoff hopes. Last season, four-loss Iowa defeated 10-2 Vanderbilt in a terrific bowl game. This game would have been worthy of a 1st-round game, a game that would have drawn millions more viewers than watched the Whatever Bowl. In 2025-26, two-loss Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, BYU, and Utah, three-loss Texas, USC, Illinois, and four-loss Iowa in a 24-team playoff would not have rocked or destroyed the very foundation of college football. College sports have to find access to additional money. I do not want to see the ACC and the B12 disappear. I do not want to see non-revenue sports disappear. I'm tired of Tony Petitti's playoff format being dumped on because it will supposedly destroy the regular season. Horse Hockey! In my seven decades of following college sports, I cannot count the number of times expanding a playoff field would ruin the regular season. It hasn't happened, and it will not happen if a 24-team playoff field is adopted. If the NCAA and not a broadcast entity managed the Division 1 football postseason, we would have a 24-team, at least, college football playoff. All those out there, including myriad college football journalists, bemoaning the destruction of college football tradition, I ask you: What tradition is left? If the CFB (and CBB) inventory is not further capitalized by expanding the playoff, what do you suggest to stave off a Super Conference, a Group of 8, and many non-revenue sports becoming club sports? I'm hearing crickets.

Ducks sweep the softball series with Washington. Huskies now 15-3 in conference...all 3 losses to the Ducks (16-2). Softball plays 8 conference opponents each season for 24 games out of the 16 B1G opponents possible. Since joining the B1G last season the Ducks are 14-0 in series wins with 2 more series on the schedule this season: Ohio State and UCLA. In addition to Ohio State, the Ducks will have not yet played Nebraska or Wisconsin in either regular season. Nebraska is currently leading the B1G at 17-1.

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Ducks Homer Four Times in Series Win Champaign, Ill. — Ryan Cooney hit two of No. 19 Oregon’s four home runs to lead the Ducks to a series win at Illinois on Sunday with a 11-5 Big Ten Conference win at Illinois Field. Cooney went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored leading Oregon to their 21st series win in the last two seasons covering a span of 23 weeks. How It Happened: Oregon (28-11, 12-6 Big Ten) jumped on top early scoring a run in the top of the first. Jax Gimenez led off the inning with a double over the third-base bag before scoring on a Brayden Jaksa base hit to center field. Illinois (20-18, 8-10 Big Ten) answered with a pair of runs in the second inning to take the lead, but Oregon took the lead back with three solo home runs in the top of the fifth. Ryan Cooney led off the frame with a line drive over the left-field wall, before Naulivou Lauaki Jr. and Maddox Molony went back-to-back with both homers off the TV tower just to the left of the batter’s eye. The Fighting Illini hit a solo home run of their own in the bottom of the inning to chase Oregon starter Miles Gosztola after he followed the homer with a four-pitch walk. RS Freshman Naulivou Lauaki after his Dinger... Oregon tacked on two runs in the sixth inning. After Jaksa reached for the third time in the game on a walk, Cooney went yard in the second consecutive inning for a 6-3 lead. Illinois cut it to two in the sixth, but Oregon answered with four runs in the top of the seventh. Gimenez came through with the bases loaded, ripping a one-out triple that scored all three runners. The Ducks’ right-fielder then scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-4. The Ducks tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. After hits by Drew Smith and Lauaki put runners at the corners, Molony drove in a run on a fielder’s choice for an 11-4 lead. Box Score Notes: Molony homered in all three games of the series to run his career total to 33 home runs … The back-to-back homers by Lauaki and Molony were the first back-to-back homers since Jaksa and Cooney did it against Nebraska on April 10 … The three home runs in an inning were the first since Chase Meggers, Anson Aroz and did it in the first inning at Texas A&M on June 9, 2024 … Cooney’s two home runs were his first multi-homer game of his career … Dominic Hellman made his 100th career start … Gimenez extended his reached base streak to 29 games with a leadoff double … On Deck: The Ducks travel to Oregon State for a nonconference game on Wednesday (5:35 p.m.)

Ducks win 11-5, as Tanner Bradley came in got two strikeouts, and then a walk. The next batter hit the pitch deep, and Jack Brooks caught it, but when he hit the wall--the ball came out to score an Illini run. Oh well... Official game recap will be on this thread much later...

If you got enough free Beavis breakfast sandwiches to pay back what they stole from us in the PAC 12, and you stacked them up, how far would that reach?

11-4 Ducks after eight innings. Drew Smith beat out the throw from 3rd for an infield single, and Naulivou Lauaki nails a grounder to CF as Smith races to third. Maddox Molony grounds out, but scores Smith to add a run this inning. Cooper Markham gave up a walk, but finished off the rest of the batters. If Illinois was going to make a comeback--the eight inning was crucial in scoring a few runs...but didn't. It increase our odds much better with three outs left.

10-4 Ducks after seven innings. Burke-Lee Mabeus starts it out with a walk, followed up by a Dominic Hellman line-drive hit to CF that moves Mabeus to third base. Jack Brooks walked, so now we have bases loaded with one out. A new Illini pitcher comes in with an impressive 2.16 ERA, and he's pitched a ton at 25 innings this season thus far. Jax Gimenez shows no respect, as he gets under a curve/drop-ball pitch and nails it to center field, where it is bobbled. The speedy Gimenez makes it to third and scores three runs! Finally...an important timely hit with the Ducks-on-a-Pond! A wild pitch scores Gimenez, but remember---with this wind and relief pitching--no lead is safe! Holy Crap! Waz put in true freshman Cooper Markham to pitch? He is a highly heralded recruit from Washington, but he has seen little action this year. To put him in during such a crucial time...in this ball-park? Then he goes out to create the only 1-2-3 inning of either team today!

6-4 Ducks after six innings. Things are getting lively with relief pitchers in as Brayden Jaksa walks to start, and then the Pride of Portland, Ryan Cooney blasts a 2-run dinger over the corner LF wall to put Our Beloved Ducks up three. Leo Uelmen gave up a solo homer, and that was it for the inning.

4-3 Ducks after five innings. Ryan Cooney blasted a solo home run, and not much later--Naulivou Lauaki just tore into the pitch and sent it hitting the camera deck past the CF wall. This RS freshman has quite a swing to back up his 6'5" 265 pound frame that just shouts power. Then, the Pride of Springfield, Maddox Molony made it back-to-back homers that his the camera deck as well! Oregon was facing a relief pitcher who had an ERA below 3.00 but today was not his day. Now a new Illini pitcher is in with an ERA below 3.00 as well. Miles Gosztola gave up a solo dinger, and a walk to yield the hill to Leo Uelmen, who redshirted last year due to injury, but was an important part of the staff as a freshman in 2024. He is rounding into form, and got the last two outs of the inning.

"a B1G Good Night" and Good Luck As I am sure Mr. Murrow was the MC.

2-1 Illinois after four innings. The Ducks strand one, and Miles Gosztola gave us another scoreless inning.

2-1 Illinois after three innings. Oregon strands another base runner, but Miles Gosztola kept the Illini scoreless this inning.

2-1 Illinois after two innings. Oregon stranded two on base this inning for a total of five in just two innings. In Friday's win, we stranded five the entire game, and in yesterday's loss we stranded a ridiculous 15. Miles Gosztola gave up hits and two runs...

1-0 Ducks after one inning. Oregon is taking on a freshman pitcher, Aidan Flinn, who has an ERA of 3.37 and both sides will deal with a stiff wind blowing out over CF. The sleeves of players were whipping at times from the wind already... Jax Gimenez nails a pitch down the 3rd baseline for an opening double, and then Brayden Jaksa follows that up with a line-drive to CF that scores Gimenez. Then the disturbing trend of the weekend continues as Oregon strands bases-loaded...again. It would appear that Cal Scolari is either injured or lost his starting spot, as Miles Gosztola (4.62 ERA) is the Sunday starter. He gave up two hits, but retired the rest for no-score by the Illini in this inning. We have a change in the outfield as Brayden Jaksa has switched with Jax Gimenez in moving from RF to LF, as they switch. Perhaps moving the speedy Gimenez due to the wind? Dominic Hellman is at first base with Burke-Lee Mabeus catching today.

Spring Games - Ohio State's O looked good - Michigan's O and QB Underwood underperformed - OBD plays TOSU in Columbus on 11/7, and plays Michigan at home on 11/14 - https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-spring-game-takeaways-ohio-state-freshman-injury-texas-a-m/

Young Oregon linebackers could offer preview of fall depth in spring gameThe Ducks’ spring game could provide an early glimpse at Oregon’s future linebacker depth heading into fall camp. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/young-oregon-linebackers-could-offer-preview-of-fall-depth-in-spring-game-282425045/

Danno is looking forward to a flock of Ducks joining the league. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2026/04/19/oregon-football-dan-lanning-2026-nfl-draft/89683919007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SMGbaseline&utm_term=

Figuring that it would bug the beavs to know you were getting something free because of them might help in your decision.

This list is based upon offenses only. Ducks come in as No. 1. Nowhere to go if they want to include defenses! ESPN Model Predicts Country's 10 Most Dangerous Teams - The Spun

Jamari Johnson thinks he has something to prove this year. Jamari Johnson hopes to leave his mark in his second season at Oregon Oregon Tight End Jamari Johnson Speaks Openly About New Role Devon Jackson has his own ideas for this season. Devon Jackson has 'prove-it mentality' entering final season at Oregon

New collegiate record for Simeon Birnbaum!

Kentucky guard Jasper Johnson coming to Eugene. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon Ducks Make Noise in the Transfer Portal With Key A...The Oregon Ducks men's basketball team is coming off one of the worst seasons for the program in recent memory. As a result, Dana Altman and the coaching staff

They used to give out Taco Bell Chalupa coupons for scoring 100 points at the Blazer games. The crowd would chant chalupa when they approached 100 pts. Never hear them chant breakfast sandwich after Taco Bell dropped out. I dislike the rodents, but free seems like a good price. You can give it away, perhaps to the Beavers alums who are always panhandling at the stoplights.

Ideally we land both him and Mikey Lewis having lost out on Preston Edmead to NC State. https://www.instagram.com/p/DXS8c4pCvtg/