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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.

Building momentum. We are going to need a closing date to lock in. I am thinking before Spring camps because injuries can happen. Or we could extend to just before fall camps? But since we are already predicting, waiting gives everyone else an unfair advantage. I would say leave it open until and including the last day of February. And I also think pay end of season is good. We probably need at least 8 to 10 contestants to make it worth the while of a bet.

I'll never forget my first true winter storm in Northern Ohio when I moved there for graduate school. I had about a 20-minute walk across campus to my office. Being a Californian, I had no true winter coat (My mother bought me a reversible Jacket with fur which I turned out (like a fool) and made myself look like a Sasquash. I had no head covering. I walked in the building feeling no pain and the Department Head said "I envy you Californians getting all that sun on the beach in December". I hadn't been to the beach and was wind burned from the 25 MPH winds and -20 wind chill that morning. And I thought I was going to die 15 minutes later as my frozen ears thawed. I immediately thought of that day as I read about the frozen East Coast this week. Poor devils!

Love it, I'm down, and if doable, I'll color within the lines and complete my prediction as required, Mr. Trebek, er, Oregon123. Somehow, in a world with an ocean of rules and regulations, except for college football, I wonder if funds up front are kosher? As Ladies and Gentlemen of OBD Forum, will our word suffice? If so, I promise to pay up, if need be, that is, cross my heart and hope Cig doesn't die. 🤪 Get It On. And thanks for another entertaining topic; desperately needed between now and September 5th.

8-4, 16, 4, 295 Going with gut feeling. Replacements are not the same guys.

In 2024, Oregon was the only Big Ten team to play eight consecutive Big Ten opponents without a week off. In 2025, Oregon is the only B1G team that plays eight Big Ten opponents in a row with a week off. It is the only B1G team that will play a road game against a Big Ten team coming off a bye. And the team is Illinois, not Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, or Maryland. Your Honor, on behalf of OBD, coaches, players, and fans, I respectfully plead: Res Ipsa Loquitor - The schedule compared with other top Big Ten teams speaks for itself. Of course, in an 18-team conference, the four Western teams will have to travel East. However, there is no justification for Oregon to have to travel to the Eastern time zone twice in November. And Oregon will have its third trip in five weeks to the Eastern time zone if it plays in the Big Ten champ game. On posts up on the Forum, read what the Oregon players had to say about playing eight Big Ten, that's eight Power 2 teams, in a row without a break in 2024; the players were on their last legs when they traveled to and barely defeated Wisconsin. After playing Ohio State in Columbus in Week 10 and returning home to play Michigan in Week 11, look out for a Week 12 letdown at Michigan State. Hopefully, OBD will not be too dinged up when it plays UW and its mobile QB in Week 13. Today, with players able to transfer at will for better deals, no program has the depth it once had. Oregon lost its very good slate of young edge rushers and D-Line players. The depth is not there, and it's not there at the LB position. Eight games in a row increases the chance of injury. Oregon could play 16 or 17 games in 2026-27. I care about the players' health and safety. I want Oregon to have the same chance as Ohio State to play PO games with a healthy roster. Equal, no. In a mega-conference, there will be scheduling winners and losers, but Oregon should not be taking 'losses' in both 2024 and 2026. Eight straight for Oregon and five for the Buckeyes give Ohio State an unnecessary advantage that could have been easily avoided by having the Ducks play UCLA in Week 5, Nebraska in Week 6, with a Bye in Week 7 before traveling to Illinois in Week 8. I'm not buying that Oregon, because it's a junior partner, should willingly accept this scheduling disparity. Dan will put a public positive spin on things, but Dan and Oregon's Strength and Conditioning coach cannot be happy about playing the same gauntlet two out of three seasons. If you are fine with the schedule and believe it doesn't put Oregon at a disadvantage, allows more folks to watch one of the most-watched college football teams, and that playing eight without a break helps with recruiting, good on you, mate. You and others who are not worrying about something out of your control hold the high ground. So, hats off to you and those who have the serenity not to worry about one of the many things in life that we cannot change. However, when it comes to scheduling, I do hope Rob Mullens is speaking up on behalf of OBD. And Rob, about scheduling Boise and playing P4 opponents OOC and on the ... Oops! 😁 BEAT BOISE!