Sunshine Larry

I don't know this, but I have a strong feeling Lanning was contacted by Alabama to Gage his interest. Just as i'm sure he'll be contacted next year if Florida, Ohio State, or USC are looking for new guys. Neither side will admit this of course. It doesn't make either look great. It makes the big time program lose shine if they can't swipe anybody they want. It makes the coach look like a mercenary. Will successful coaches get called? Yes. Will the coach take the call? Yes. It's precisely due to the fact that once you have success, you have to live up to that. You have to realize your job is never safe. Look at Dabo, the guy is the legacy coach at Clemson. Two years of not making the playoff, and he's skewered. Two years!!! Ryan Day has won 11 games every year (excluding the weird 2020 season). A year ago he had a team that should have won the whole thing. Now he is on the hot seat. The hot seat!!! That's expectations only Saban has been able to live up to. Sure these dudes make bank, but college football is a much tougher gig today, with transfers, NIL, opt outs. Loyalty means nothing, and the sooner fans understand that they may have loyalty to one school. Players are looking to make a living in a very physically demanding gig. Coaches are as well, and everyone would jump at a job offer that gives them more benefits, better pay, and a greater chance to provide a better life for their family. I love people with high morals, loyalty to one's family, friends, coworkers. But the business side of me would kick myself if I turned down a chance to make more money , and allow me to retire at a younger age. That doesn't mean you stab anyone in the back either. You can be a good honest person who does whatever it takes to give yourself a better life. Just be honest about it. Oregon has the means to get into a better conference, which means it can pay to keep a better coach. Some say they weren't loyal to the Pac_12, but it was really a no brainer. Feelings were hurt, but Oregon had to do what secured a better future for itself. I think most of us agree with that. Outside of the travel, it's a better product for us as fans.

I think Washington doesn't want a guy that could bolt after a year. Smith leaving two jobs in two months, plus essentially leaving a new job he already signed on for isn't a great look. Washington didn't have the cash to keep their own guy, they aren't going to pay for his buyout. Next year I see two possible huge openings. Ohio State and Florida. Possibly even USC if they struggle again. Fisch is gonna be a target if he continues winning at Arizona. It's a bad look to become the launch pad job. Washington just played for the Title, they are a Big 10 school now. They are an upper tier member not brought in for the same reasons as Rutgers or Maryland. They are travel partners for USC, UCLA, and Oregon sure. But they are also meant to strengthen the league on the field. For that, they need to shed the transitional tag. Oregon is doing that with its commitment to Lanning.

It's obvious to Cam that he can make more money on a one year NIL deal in Miami. This is a pretty strong year for QBs in the draft. Plus the ACC is pretty meh. If he can beat out UgiUgi at Tallahassee, he can likely win the conference. He'll get way more hype, because ten wins at Miami is gonna get him way more credibility than anything up in Pullman. Next year's draft has that kid from Texas, the transfer QB going to Ohio State, Gabriel, and Cam. Oh and UgiLove from Tallahassee. All transfers btw. Come to think of it, everyone outside of May and McCarthy are transfer guys this year. New World of college football kids.

Some say the transfer portal helps smaller programs. You can't have five stars riding the bench anymore. But at the most important position, the smaller programs will turn into farm teams for the Big guys. Look at the QB from Toledo. A low two star with zero big time offers. This year he showed off his upside and development. Now he has options he didn't have three years ago. It's great for Oregon, Washington, Alabama, LSU and Notre Dame. Not so much for Oregon State or Washington State. Haves and have nots isn't going anywhere. To answer the question, I say development isn't dead. It's just you'll be developed in the MAC or Mountain West, and play in the Big Ten and SEC.

So if the ten departing programs felt that way, why did Washington file a countersuit? If he is saying the ten departing members fan base wants the two to have it all, that's a bold faced lie. Journalistic integrity is nearly extinct. People don't do their research. They lead with emotion, not facts. If you choose to disagree with them, or dare question their source. Holy Smoke!!! That's why I enjoy when the media gets called out. They are so thin skinned, but have no issue calling out kids that have done nothing but give their all to continue their dream. Canzano is a shill, I already know he has an agenda. He makes high school bloggers look unbiased. I've seen these guys talk about free speech and fair use when questioned about their work. But when you are a professional getting paid to inform the reader, you need to present facts first. Let the reader digest the straight unfiltered facts. Like saying Bo Nix threw for 400 yards, but only 80 came in the second half. That may lead you to understand why Oregon blew a lead. The opposite of this is saying that Bo was just terrible. He threw 3 interceptions, missed several reads. He should have been benched in the third. It's all his fault, and there was no reason to leave him out there. Well possibly the reason he was out there was due to 320 first half yards. Possibly the opponent began generating pressure differently. Perhaps it wasn't all Bo's fault.

To me it's when the comments get a little meaner that you know your program is making waves. Mean as in healthy trash talk, like Oregon guys saying Washington has never won a single men's national title. It's truthful and fun. I want Ohio State to view Oregon in a bad light. It means they don't like them, and you want the best programs to dislike you. They despise Michigan, mildly hate Penn State, dislike Wisconsin and Michigan State. They feel a slight tingle of disdain for Iowa. They used to have some silly turtle trophy for their game against Illinois, but never really cared. What does that show you? Despise Michigan. Mildly hate Penn State, and have varying degrees of dislike for the only relevant members of the Big Ten. It's the same for us here, we despise USC. It's finally being reciprocated. Look at how we view Washington in comparison to Oregon State. Washington is the same with Oregon in comparison to Washington State. Most of us don't wish ill will on the Beavs. That's because they are like your annoying little brother. Washington and USC are the guys that you are competing with at work for that promotion. We need to beat them, they are in our way. Every time they get a leg up on us, it's a deep personal swipe to our ego. I hope Ohio State fans begin to view Oregon in the same light as they do Penn State. Maybe hate us a little bit more. Let that begin as we get two straight this upcoming season.

At this point it's time to look to the future. Oregon is going to the second best league(soon to be best). They're going to be on every major network outside ESPN, and are going to have more eyeballs on them. Recruiting is going great, got probably the top transfer target to replace Bo. Money is flowing in, boosters are pouring in more support, and Ohio State has to honor their agreement to come to Autzen. What is the biggest name going to Oregon State next year? Washington State. What channel can you find them on? Two programs going in opposite directions. The Ducks worked their tail feathers off, and are being rewarded. The Beavers built a half straw dam ,and the water is about to wash it away. Puddles may pop in for a quick visit once a year, but then it's on to better parts downstream.

Make the age jokes, but maturity isn't a bad thing. Make the number of times he's transferred jokes, but that's just the way tho us are today. Gabriel has P5 experience. He's mobile, has a good enough arm, and has leadership qualities. Yeah he's under 6 foot, but that narrative is drying up today. A lot of programs would be ecstatic to get this guy. Oklahoma didn't want to lose him, and he's a one year guy. He can help mentor any young guy who wants to come be the next guy.

I'm guessing we were always heading there. Once NIL was allowed in, the writing was on the wall. This stuff has been going on behind the scenes for years. Even at the High School level. IMG Academy in Florida is as much an "Academy", as McDonalds is a fine dining institution. Super Leagues are already here imo. It's just a matter of time until Northwestern and Vanderbilt are traded in for FSU and Clemson. Undefeated seasons are going to become near impossibilities in football. Not only is the quality of opponents going up, but the number of games is as well. Twenty years ago, Ohio State set the record as the first ever team to win 13 games. Back in the 80's, 10-0 would get you a National Title. This year you have two 13-0 teams in the playoff. Your champion will either be 15-0, or 14-1. Next year it gets even longer. Do you think the season's are going to get shorter? These guys are gonna be playing longer seasons, against tougher opponents. Even the mighty SEC is going to have to play against at least two more quality opponents if they get into the playoff. Which of course many of them will. No taking the cap off the bottle now.

I read an article on the New York Times drawing the question of stipends. I'm hoping to just learn about all this once, then let it slip to the back as I enjoy the games. College football has always been about a maximum of about 16 programs that can win a title. College basketball is the big question, Rick Pitino recently brought up that issue. Many private small colleges have real title aspirations.

Say the option exists and players begin to get salaries through the school. How can it be sustained when equal pay is gonna be a major sore point if non revenue producing athletes don't get payed the same? We've heard about this issue with the USWNT not getting what the USMNT. It's going on with WNBA players as we speak. Football revenue funds sports like Lacrosse, Water Polo, and many other smaller sports. Separate the football funds and there's a major financial windfall effect. It's a major Pandora's Box. It will make college football lose its magic. I personally have no issue with pay, but I really don't want to have it become a recurring topic overshadowing the games.

The whole thing is a sham because they aren't consistent. If it were about the best teams, Ohio State would have gotten in the 2015 version. They lost one close game to Michigan State, that team was better but not deserving. TCU or Cincinnati shouldn't have gotten in. Everyone knew they didn't have the talent to win it all. But the committee chose them because they were deserving. Utah was better than TCU last year. Cincy won a G5 league. This isn't a playoff, it's an invitational where bias is obvious. The SEC didn't deserve a representative this year. But Sankey ran a very good propaganda ad. Alabama needed a miracle to beat Auburn. They got blown out vy Texas. This was the year the SEC didn't deserve a bid. But ESPN and Sankey own the committee. Not even the B1G gets that much preferential treatment. It's a bad joke.

The real question is if any of their veiled insults had any wit to them. Can they spell wit, or are they indeed that word with the added letters n and s at the beginning and end?

Didn't Oregon State fans say they never wanted to play Oregon again? Or that it would have to be a 2 for 1 in their favor? Seems like reality is settling in about now with that MWC scheduling agreement. Once their buddies in Pullman found a way to continue the Apple Cup, it was a matter of time. This favors them more than Oregon. They aren't getting nationally relevant Big-10 teams going up to Corvallis.

Oregon and Oregon State were like best buds in middle school. But then high school and college happened. Oregon got better grades, went to college, and got a job in engineering. Meanwhile Oregon State slacked off, got a job at a burger stand, and now works middle management at the engineering firm. It's painful to be stuck in the mud, all the while you see your former buddy lap you over and over again. It's painful, you can't blame yourself for your failures. Your buddy abandoned you because they had a rich uncle. Forget the fact they outworked you every day. It's a prime example of why that friend will stay stuck in the mud.