Solar

That is what I was commenting on. Why would you respond to that question, with that answer? Did you think that would make SMU play harder? Dude doesn't understand management 101, that something is not a problem to discuss outside closed doors until you are 100% positive it has become real. That comment combined with the "we won't drop anybody not playing comment makes it very clear that the best move for SMU is not to play the game. Tell the conference to pound sand and keep receipts on the committee 's public statements for Tuesday night. The other option here is for SMU to play their scout team and bench the 2 deep. The committee already set a precedents in the past that they extrapolate performance based on which players played the games. If your 2 deep doesn't play, it doesn't give the CFP anything to work with to knock them down. All that being said, I'm sure SMU will play hard Saturday. If they get beat and dropped out to keep Bama it will be the ugliest of ugly outcomes that will taint and damage the sport for all mid tier programs going forward.

You've got to be kidding me. We'll take a great quarterback with demonstrated production in the portal. Jackson Arnold is a rehab project. We already have one that is likely better. I still think we take a QB in the Portal and turn Spring ball into tryouts with way too many QBs.

Not surprising. Oregon has had the most success with the portal of any team in the country, meaning they've brought it great players and successfully integrated them into the team and brought out their best, vs. a team like FSU that is loaded with transfers and collectively they all fell on their face.

Smoke that cigar Dan, you've earned it.

Homesickness is real and due to the large distances and significant climate differences for such a large number of Duck recruits from their homes relative to other things it is a disadvantage this program has to lose more good recruits than other programs all else being equal. At least with DL as well as the portal, all else is not equal, but it does make it harder on the coaches to have to overcome the disadvantage.

Calls Mount For CFP Contender To Opt Out Of Conference Championship Game - Athlon Sports Can a team decline playing in the CCG without it being counted as a forfeit by the conference,? The committee themselves have already said teams that don't played can't be moved relative to other teams that did not play. If I were SMU I'd be pretty happy with 7th place and the seeding that gives. Take the bird in the hand. The AD would have to make the call and face the wrath of his conference, but it would force the hand of the Playoff Committee to back down from their threat to knock SMU out of the playoffs if they lose. Playoff Committee really kicked the hornets nest here. Why?

It's a valid issue that CFB fans don't have $50k to burn on Super Bowl seats like NFL fans. Heck even the NFL has every playoff as a home game for one team so at least one fanbase will fill the seats. This idea of 4 total rounds of away games for the top 2 teams, if they played in the CCG, with fans in the stands is not going to pan out. Even if tickets are free, travel cost will bankrupt everyone that isn't in the upper crust. And forget about the students. And then there is the matter of actually getting time off work multiple weekends in a row on short notice. Stands will be empty and TV screens will be packed.

Boise State will win its CCG and get the automatic bye as the 4th ranked CC over the B12 CC. That what makes being 5th so great. 1st you play the 12th or worse ranked team at home, then you play Boise State and next thing you know your in the final 4.. We honestly can't lose next week.

Here I go saying it's different this time to your examples above, but old successful people are extremely risk averse to changing the status quo, and making a decision that puts CCGs at risk in the future is not something they're gonna do. SMU will be in the playoffs even if Clemson beats them, even though that would push out Bama.

Maybe it was just locker room banter, looking for sympathy and connection with the poorman interviewer, not realizing that was actually just his last name? Stupid Donkey that he is with an inferiority complex to other teams that are better than his. No wonder they never freaking win the big games. It's now Penn State hate week. I'm up for it.

He's been about as good as Bo was his first year. Different, but overall about the same contribution to success and failure of the offense. I'm hoping Gabriel becomes a run option weapon in the playoffs. Perhaps he'll start playing a little more like second year Bo with the extra games and off weeks in the playoffs.

This. I will say that the OSU AD being in the middle of trying to stop the brawl while Ryan Day stood on the sidelines asking what was going on had to piss off the AD at a personal level at a minimum.

ND lost to NIU. OSU dropped 5 spots after losing to unranked UM. We will have been the undisputed #1 for the entirety of the CFP ranking and lose to #4 in the country in a game ND didn't have to play. Josh Pate is very tied in and had stated clearly the committee will not punish losers of a CCG relative to those that didn't play in one. Unless we look overmatched and get smoked by Penn State, ND does not jump us. Not happening.

On the coaching end of this matchup we have in one corner James Franklin who can't win a big game, and in the other corner Dan Lanning with a major recruiting distraction during the one week they have to prepare for team we didn't think we would have to play this year. Who will prevail?

No way the committee drops us 5 spots to punish us for playing in a CCG when ND did not, unless we get blown out by Penn State, which seems impossible. And it does matter to get the highest seed to have the easiest path to the semifinal. It's hard to win every single game, especially in the playoffs. My other comment is to state the obvious that this is our last chance to lose and still win it all. And a loss can serve as motivation going forward, so I'm okay with losing a close one where we make some mistakes and the ball doesn't bounce our way.

Watch: Former Oregon Ducks’ star posts career day, powers Tampa Bay Buccaneers to overtime win WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM Rookie running back Bucky Irving posts a career-high in rushing yards and scores a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 26-23... He's by far the best rookie RB in the league as a 4th round draft pick. The crazy thing is the knock they've had on him to this point is he hasn't been a very good receiver up to last week, which we know what he is capable of as a receiver. If he keeps up doing what he has the last two games he'll put himself in the running for best offensive rookie of the year with Bo.

Bryce comes out for down and distance scenarios, meaning he isn't as good of a coverage linebacker as Bassa. I'm sure PS will try to get Bryce singled with Warren as much as possible, so I'm thinking we may see more of Jeff Bassa this game. That being said, never bet against Bryce with his X factor to make a critical play.

ROC Boys on you tube covered the matchup well. Our OL needs to play lights out mistake free ball, keeping us from getting behind the sticks, and giving Gabriel time to throw. That will be what allows us to win comfortably. We are pretty evenly match everywhere except cornerback and WR, where we have an advantage with both.

If SMU is ranked 10th or better, they are in even if they lose. There is too much damage to be done if they penalize a team severely for going to the CCG. Boise State is a more interesting question due to their non P4 status. Are they still in if they lose, so Mountain West gets nobody in? This isn't being talked about enough.

At one time Washington was part of the Oregon Territory... Call it the Oregon's Territory clash. Haha.

He's gonna have a really tough choice really soon. He is a loyal Arizona homeboy, but he's never going to have the money and corresponding success he could have when a top flight program comes calling.

Isn't anybody going to talk about the most dominant defensive line performance in Ducks history? It was a record 10 sacks, and I numerous tackles for a loss.

More importantly he looked locked in first and foremost.

Riggs and Harris next year for lightning and thunder.

Bettors don't think Gabriel will win the Heisman. He will have to really light up Penn State to pass Jeanty and Hunter.