Charles Fischer

The title above and the article was written by Max Olson of The Athletic. I cannot copy the entire article, and would encourage you to join for only a buck a month, but below is jarring conclusions, that even the most crazed fan such as I--could not have anticipated. ---------------------------------------------------------- My first objective upon downloading EA Sports’ College Football 25 was a fact-finding mission. I simulated the upcoming and unprecedented 2024 season in Dynasty mode to find out how the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff and this new era for conference realignment played out. And then I started over and simulated the season over and over again until I had 25 seasons of data. I did not play any games, I did not alter the default settings or rosters and I did not get much sleep. After creating 25 Dynasty files, an Xbox notification urged me to stop. Still, sicko mission accomplished. Just like Doctor Strange on Titan, I went forward in time to see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflicts: conference races, Heisman winners, CFP brackets, even the coaching carousel. Here’s what I learned. Twenty-five Attempts, 61 Playoff Teams The Playoff expanding from four teams to 12 this fall means more programs across the sport get a real opportunity to enter the national championship race. Over the course of the 25 simulations of this upcoming season, 61 different FBS teams made at least one CFP appearance. The 12 teams that most frequently earned playoff appearances: Michigan (23), Oregon (22), Georgia (17), Ohio State (17), Texas A&M (13), Alabama (12), Utah (11), Miami (10), Clemson (nine), Kansas State (nine), Notre Dame (nine) and Penn State (nine). In the end, there were 46 teams that made multiple CFP appearances in the game. Texas Tech, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Iowa State and Syracuse are all on that list. Colorado did not make a CFP in any of the simulations despite having the best QB in the game and a top-20 roster. In fact, Shedeur Sanders only finished in the top five in Heisman voting once. Nine different teams won Big 12 titles over the 25 sims, but the Buffs weren’t one of them. There were several more curious snubs among the 23 Power 4 programs that never made the Playoff. Iowa earned zero bids despite its excellent defense. TCU came up short every time, and the computer frequently fired its coach. Indiana actually played in multiple Big Ten title games but could not break through to the Playoff. And oddly enough, UCLA did win one Big Ten title yet was left out that year. The battle for bids in the SEC was rather remarkable to track. Fourteen of its 16 members achieved playoff berths over the 25 simulations, but would you have guessed it would be Texas A&M earning the second-most? Texas and Ole Miss got in seven times each and never managed to win it all. Missouri made it to three CFPs. LSU only got in twice. And believe it or not, the SEC emerged with just five national champions over the 25 simulations. Oregon is the Best Team in the Game One clear conclusion after all those simulations: The Oregon Ducks are extremely tough to beat in CFB25. The newest member of the Big Ten won 15 conference titles in its 25 attempts, went all the way to the CFP title game a dozen times and won nine national championships. That’s not a big surprise to anyone who has already played with super senior QB Dillon Gabriel and his wide receiver trio of Evan Stewart, Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden. The Ducks’ offensive dominance shows up over and over again when you skim through the CFP box scores and end-of-season statistics in these simulations. Gabriel frequently puts up more than 5,000 yards and 50 TDs in this offense and became a Heisman Trophy finalist in eight different seasons. Thanks to the addition of Oregon, the Big Ten secured 15 of the 25 national titles. Many of those seasons came down to Oregon-Michigan, Oregon-Ohio State or Michigan-Ohio State facing off three times between the regular season, Big Ten title game and Playoff. Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia each secured three national titles over the 25 simulations. Alabama and Clemson won one apiece. Is THIS the year?

He is a Rivals 4-Star, but a coveted one by many. He has visited Florida, Michigan, Texas A&M, Penn State twice, USC twice, Notre Dame three times, and Ohio State four times. Trey McNutt | Rivals.com N.RIVALS.COM Trey McNutt - 2025 4 Star Safety for Shaker Heights (Cleveland, OH) on Rivals.com Trey McNutt isn't afraid to admit he's a family man. "Family is everything," he said. "It's why I work so hard." McNutt's mother, LaToya, isn't afraid to brag about her "baby boy." "Trey is just doing great things on and off the field," his mother said. "And so, just to see him reap some of the rewards and the recognition – he doesn't look for it, but to see it kind of come his way, those blessings. It's just a blessing and I couldn't be prouder of him. Excited for him and the opportunities that he has, and as a family. He's an inspiration and he wants to inspire kids." McNutt finished the 2023 season with 61 tackles, three tackles for loss, 12 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. On the offensive side of the ball, McNutt finished with 611 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a sophomore, McNutt finished the season with 16 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns. He also recorded 14 receptions for 308 yards and four touchdowns. McNutt’s father is Richard McNutt. His father won the 2002 national championship at Ohio State and was a three-year letter winner with the Buckeyes. He is currently working as a college football coach.

C’mon…even Portland State scored!

I think in this case he wanted to leave home, but not as far as Oregon--is the best guess. But hey...Lanning is going to get HIS share, and we'll be fine. 2025 all-teams football recruiting team rankings N.RIVALS.COM 2025 all-teams football recruiting team rankings by Rivals.com You know, a Top-5 ranking at the moment with a 4.0 average doesn't suck!

Well, he went to LSU after all! We're loaded at corner, so no sweat. But it was fun! Swimming in the deep big-boy waters has stuff like this happen. Just as Texas was in the drivers seat for three players that Oregon nabbed at the last moment...we just got our Karma. All the major pundits picked Oregon...

Whoa. A major Oregon recruiting guru now feels with a half-hour to go, that Pickett is going to LSU? Whew!

Are we having fun yet? The drama of recruiting 5-Stars...gotta love it!

McNutt is a Rivals 4-Star...but a dandy to have, should he announce to the Ducks!

My Duck-Buddies...this is silly football gossip--at the highest levels? Gotta enjoy the view...

Massive rumors abound in Miami!

See last couple of posts at the bottom of this thread... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Oregon has had two Rivals 5-Stars in a couple of classes in the past, but never three of the them. If DJ Pickett announces for Oregon, he would join Dakorien Moore, and Jordon Davison, who are fellow Rivals 5-Stars. Not only is everyone nervous about hometown Miami, but now there are murmurs about LSU squeezing in at the last minute. You want entertainment?

THAT is a really good observation. Same for us with California recruits; if we are going to lose a great one--better to Georgia, than to USC.

Interesting thought...how much would they add to the MW if they joined?

Bottom line is that nobody NEEDS them. Not only do they have a small brand and audience, but they are geographically located so far away from major conferences that the hassle factor and travel costs associated with adding them are not worth it, IMHO. When even the Mountain West says, "pass,".... Ouch!

Thank you! For every 25 registration attempts--between 18 to 20 of them are Spammers using AI and bots trying to penetrate this forum. A subscription site does not have this issue, but a free site like the Our Beloved Ducks forum has daily war ongoing. I am able to prevent them from entering only because I have to do a low-tech/high labor task of personally approving every registration. It has worked great, but it is another time-consuming task. Often I get registrants that are "iffy" and do not fill out all the fields of registration such as a phone number, thus I email them for more information. I don't know when I do not receive an answer if it is because it is a Spammer, or it is a legit fan whose email from me when to their spam filter and they don't see it. Oh well, trying my best!

How long before the Pig-2 end up paying the Mountain West entrance fees to join that G5 conference?

Well, I believe that many athletes love the drama created, the attention created as they "ponder" their decision. The word is...DJ made his choice about 10 days ago, and is using the build-up as most do for the media splash. Yet, that can change at the last minute. Just ask Texas....

"It's becoming clear the Mountain West Conference doesn't necessarily need or even want the Beavers and Cougars on a full-time membership basis."

Washington State, Oregon State Reportedly In Serious Trouble

"The feeling is that over the last few weeks, the Ducks have positioned themselves as one of the top schools and are now the top school. They've appeared to push past LSU and Miami, with the Hurricanes putting up the toughest competition between the other two schools in the running. Miami has sold the tradition of the Canes, being close to home, and a lucrative NIL package, and the family around Pickett seems to be at peace with the Hurricanes." "But for Oregon, they've sold a vision that goes beyond just playing football at Oregon. The leverage of Division Street and how it can help athletes not only from a monetary perspective but also from a marketing and branding perspective might be unmatched. Dan Lanning and Oregon's staff's track record of developing talent has caught the attention of Pickett. The culture at Oregon has also been able to position the Ducks into a position of strength heading into Wednesday."

The announcement is at 4:00 PM Pacific on Wednesday, and you can watch it on this YouTube Channel if you choose. Will Dano get a record third Rivals 5-Star in a year? Never been done at Oregon before! The 6-foot-4, 179-pounder is the No. 2 ranked cornerback in the country and the best player from Florida per the On3 Industry Ranking.