Duckley Palace

We've been told the parameters include strength of schedule..FSU at least played and defeated LSU and Florida(even if they weren't very good). They beat Miami and Clemson along with Louisville in the ACC Title game going undefeated. Had they lost a game then I get the QB projection. But they did everything they could but got passed up because Alabama beat Georgia and Texas beat Alabama. A projection should be used as a tiebreaker, not the dominating factor. Had Oregon gone undefeated but lost Nix and still won the PAC -12 in a game where the backup QB struggled, we would all lose our minds. I'm still salty over 2001. Perhaps that's what is driving my opinion. All I can say is FSU won a P5 conference, went undefeated and played two SEC opponents. One was considered a big reason Alabama got in. In retrospect Alabama almost beat Michigan. FSU likely wouldn't, but they never got a shot. They gave up after that and we got a terrible Orange Bowl because of it. That is one of the reasons we needed at least an 8 team playoff from jump. Five Power conferences and Notre Dame equals 6..What if Notre Dame, Oregon, Michigan, Clemson, Georgia and Texas all went undefeated and did it impressively while staying healthy? Unlikely yes, but why draw yourself into that corner. Why diminish the importance of the NY6 bowls? The solution was always so simple. Five conference champions get in, Notre Dame gets in and you have two at large teams get in.

I think some people associate more teams as watering down the field. But why did Alabama deserve a second shot when they already lost a game? Because they beat Georgia? If that's the case then Georgia should've been in if they were considered the deciding factor. It was already established by Alabama and Ohio State in previous years that winning your conference wasn't a necessity. So FSU was playing meaningless games because they had no chance to get in anyhow. Washington almost lost to Washington State and Alabama needed a fourth and forever to beat Auburn. Exactly. FSU was basically told that whatever they did wouldn't have mattered because of a projection. They lost their starting QB so their body of work meant nothing. Meanwhile Texas got in because they were healthy but the Big 12 wasn't much better than the ACC and they had a loss on their profile. Neither Alabama or Texas proved they were the right choices because they lost in the playoffs. At least Alabama and Ohio State backed up their controversial inclusions in years past because they ended up winning the whole things in those years. But those were just projections. In a twelve team playoff it's much harder to say the 13th rated team got unfairly passed up. Last year you had Missouri, Georgia and Ohio State as viable inclusions based off whatever guidelines the committee chose to enforce. Heck Oregon only lost twice and it was razor thin both times to the squad that beat Texas by two scores. So now it's not about opinions, that means the only question is at large considerations and that means we get to see it played out on the field, not in a closed boardroom with people in suits.

The two lil piggies got their straw houses blown down and are now in danger of losing their partnership with the MWC after this season. According to sources the two sides are far apart on a 2025 football scheduling pact. Sources - Pac-12, Mountain West football don't reach deal for '25 - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM The Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences did not come to an agreement before Sunday's...

I've seen DG make three reads in quicker time than he did against Idaho. It seems like the game plan was quick read slants or dump passes. I don't think anyone expected the offensive line to struggle so much in pass protection or run blocking. I'd expect Stein to draw up more elaborate tree outs vs Boise, but still save up his best stuff till conference play starts.

Can we put to bed this ridiculous rhetoric the detractors of an expanded playoff were putting out this off-season? All I heard was that a twelve team playoff was going to ruin the greatest regular season in all of sports. But clearly LSU, FSU, Oregon, Florida, West Virginia and everybody else didn't get the memo. Brian Kelly had a mini meltdown after losing week one in a non conference game. Billy Napier is on the scorching hot seat for losing a week one game vs an ACC opponent. If both teams win out or just win their conference then they are in the playoffs. Nebraska vs Colorado, Wisconsin vs Alabama and Michigan vs Texas are all huge games in September. Oregon hosting Ohio State and traveling to Michigan are two of the biggest in program history, not just because of conference realignment but because of playoff positioning. This weekend is huge for both Boise and Oregon. If Boise wins they get the inside lap on that G5 playoff spot. You telling me they would get that consideration in any of the old systems? So I think it's safe to say the expanded playoff isn't going to ruin CFB. It's going to save us from terrible Bowl games that disappointed programs just don't care about like the Cotton or Orange last year. Getting to and winning the Rose Bowl is huge again. It gets you a step closer to winning a legitimate championship. Something the 2001 squad never got a chance to do.

Who cares what the rankings are this early anyhow? The B1G and SEC are going to get the top two seeds and likely three teams in the playoffs. So win the conference and you finish top four with a bye.

I cut the cord a decade ago. I had DirecTV and my initial plan was like 82 bucks. Then without me adding anything or being told that my two year locked in price wasn't guaranteed , the price jumped to 115 dollars the next year. I later found out DirecTV had added a bunch of useless channels to my plan without informing me. Not to mention the satellite would go out during any kind of storm and the customer service was worse than renewing your license at the DMV.

Let's hope it doesn't take as long as it did in the 1910's. Glad I switched to streaming.

If you have Comcast as your carrier you probably noticed you still don't have access to the B1G Network. Word is the two parties have been negotiating since Friday but still no deal. I would recommend looking into streaming services until the two sides come to terms. Fubo offers a free week if you are interested. Hopefully this standoff will be resolved quickly. The great thing about the B1G is the amount of stations affiliated with the conference. I think Beavis was on the super prestigious beanie baby channel.

I feel something ....... But for the life of me I can't put it into words. I just went through a weekend where Oregon was on a television program I didn't have to as Miss Cleo's ghost where to find it. The B1G had a game on just about every network, the B1G Network is ran so professionally. The studio is fresh and every team was highlighted. Meanwhile I don't know where Beavis or the Apple were being broadcast on.

One reason I don't like preseason rankings. But that's never going to go away. I can only hope this was more about Oregon than Idaho. No disrespect, but the two recruit and operate on two different levels. Week one is usually a throw away. Coaches don't want to empty the playbook against opponents like Idaho, Weber State, Akron or Fresno State. You could just tell there wasn't that typical physicality and tempo with the team tonight. You wanna know who looked great? Penn State and Georgia. Both played challenging opponents but opponents not on their level. Idaho isn't a P4 member, they scored off a bad pass and a trick play. But 24 to nothing is only slightly better than 24 to 14. Oregon was never going to lose today imo. But it's a bad look.

Georgia sure looked the part against Clemson. Kirby had to learn how to lose before he learned how to win. I'm hoping Dan follows in the footsteps of his former boss who learned it from his former boss, the one and only Nick Saban.

It's great to be loved, to be thought of as elite. But with all the media kind of riding with Puddles the last two years, could that have caused the two defeats to Washington or tonight's performance? I believe Nick Saban called it rat poison. His squads would win the whole thing but rarely going perfect. They'd slip up against Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU, Auburn, or Mississippi State along the way. If you want to go back further just look at USC. They'd be hyped to all the moon bases, but then they'd lose to Stanford, Oregon State or UCLA which would cost them National Championship chances. Then they'd blow out whoever in the Rose Bowl or Orange Bowl and the media would say they had the best team despite not winning it all. Florida State would do it several times under Bowden if you wanna go back any further. Is there something to it?

Well hopefully this serves as a wakeup call. Ohio State struggled for a quarter and a half against Akron. So maybe it's just gonna be that one letdown game. If you have that and still win, that's a positive. Gotta fish for the positives in this one.

Oregon has two hundred more yards, three times the amount of first downs. But you can't let underdogs stay around. Silly things happen when the favorite starts pressing. Idaho can't move on this defense, their defense is going to start breaking down as well.

Sluggish and sloppy. Is it the Idaho curse? Can't beat Boise or the freaking Vandals?

We lost by seven to Stanford but won out and actually won a pretty decent Pac-10. Then went on and beat Colorado soundly. The same Colorado that pounded Nebraska and beat Texas just prior to the bowl game. Maybe Miami was too good , but it sucks that we didn't even get a chance.

There are certain programs that are universally loathed, not because of a single player or coach or booster. But when you see that logo it brings out a feeling across the globe. The "U" is one of those brands. It's so simple but when you see it you know some blowhard isn't too far away with their goofy yell and hand signal. Luckily Miami has sucked for two decades, but rest assured the moment they become relevant again you'll understand Mario is only part of the reason you dislike them. I remember the 2001 season where Oregon went on a tear but got disrespected by everyone. Apparently the Ducks wouldn't be able to handle the Canes or Huskers no matter what.

But Washington is a destination not a rest stop..........

Iconic ’90s Starter NFL Pullover Jackets Return in Limited Edition Run by Homage – SportsLogos.Net News NEWS.SPORTSLOGOS.NET As a sports-obsessed kid growing up in the 1990s, there’s one jacket I can vividly remember seeing way more than any... I'm in my 30's now, about to enter a stage of life I thought was super old when I was a kid. Now I've pushed that back to 70 and if I'm lucky enough to make it there I'll push it back to ninety. Speaking of Ninety, or more accurately the 90's. I have a distinct memory of those old Starter pullovers with NFL teams as the font. They were bold, brash and super gnarly. Much like the decade they existed, much like a certain program we all love OBD. Oregon is the 90's personified. Big, bold, colorful and over the top. Programs like Penn State mock us due to our non signature look. But if all I had was a white helmet with a blue stripe, I'm not certain I'd be bashing anybody. But that's just me. I do like Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and USC's classic looks. But OBD are just built different. Do any of you own any memorabilia from the 90's? Do you ever still rock out in it?

Alabama is smart to play those games at Wisconsin and Minnesota early in the calendar year. I'm a bit shocked at their change in philosophy but the guess is going undefeated is no longer as important. Let's face it, if Alabama wins the SEC they'll get at least a top 2 seed. So losing at Notre Dame or Ohio State costs them little. The top 4 is now going to be important as you avoid playing that extra game. That's why Oregon winning the B1G is as important as ever. Even with an expanded playoff. You don't want to travel to a Alabama, Texas or Penn State while Ohio State or Georgia get to sit at home and play you a week later with rest. You also don't want to have to host a Boise State, Liberty or Memphis. A G5 team with nothing to lose while you may be coming off a loss to Michigan or Ohio State and looking forward to playing them again the next week. So Alabama vs Oregon could happen, but the SEC shouldn't get an essential off week while the B1G has Oregon traveling to Madison or hosting Illinois. Because every conference game is huge , the number one goal is to win the conference to get that top four seed.

There was some chatter about Miami hiring Butch Davis a few years ago, same with Florida with Steve Spurrier and Oregon with Chip Kelly. The truth is that the game has changed too much for guys of a certain age. It's much easier and less stressful at the NFL level. The Not For Long League. Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, Barry Switzer, Lou Holtz, Bo, Woody, Bear, and all the old time legends wouldn't last ten years in this day and age. Nick Saban learned how to lengthen his career by hiring ex head coaches as advisors to lessen his load. Dabo Sweeney is already complaining about the portal and NIL. You need young hungry guys like Dan Lanning, Lincoln Riley and Ryan Day. You can only hope they will learn how to close the deal like Kirby Smart did after failing near the finish line for a few years before breaking through in 2021.

Boise State is a game that SHOULD be a win. Ohio State is a game that would be great to win. Oregon could lose both games and still get a top four seed. But if they could only win one ....... That would be an interesting question. One is a conference titan, Blueblood of Bluebloods. The other is a G5 school in Idaho with no titles or Heismans. But they are undefeated against Oregon.

Howard is picking Oregon because he hates Ohio State. Herbie is picking Oregon because he loves Ohio State. One is a hopeful reprieve from them winning a National Title. The other is so the pressure isn't so heavy on the squad. Both will be right at the end of the year though. Only one will be ecstatic when their prediction comes true.

Well with the playoff expanded it leaves everything still in their hands. Win the ACC and they'll get a top four seed. But I'm sure they have a million excuses as to why they lost to a middling Tech team. As much as I don't like Finebaum and his SEC bias, I can't wait to hear him laughing about this.