Jon Joseph

Be True to Your Boss! I think Will will do all he can to fill the Stein with Natty Champagne. Oregon Ducks On SIKentucky Coach Will Stein Doesn't Hold Back On Dan LanningKentucky Wildcats coach Will Stein had his introductory press conference for the first time since being announced as the team’s coach earlier this week. Stein i

Thank you, Darren. Great take. Spot On in regards to last season's PO format that dinged the Ducks. Worthy coordinators like Danno leave and move on up. As Lanning knows, it's all part of the process. The time off before the first round of PO games allows Will and Tosh time to meet their new job back slapping and press responsibilities, and time to prepare for, hopefully, a G6 opponent. I doubt that new wrinkles on both sides of the ball will be dialed up vs. North Texas, Tulane, or JMU. All three of these G6 head coaches are leaving their programs for P4 jobs. (Debatable in the case of NT's Morris to OK State and JMU's Chesney to UCLA 😁) 2024-25's fouled-up format was exacerbated by Gurus of Grapevine having Boise State with a miserable SOS, ranked higher than an ASU team, which would have defeated Texas in the 2nd round if an obvious targeting penalty had been called. The combination dropped 6th-ranked Ohio State to the 8th seed. It was TOSU's 2nd loss 😁, but would the Buckeyes have won it all if not for being upset by Michigan and the players telling Day, and Chip via Day, to open up the offense and throw the damn ball to some 'pretty good' receivers. Thanks, WTD, for the Gruden post, but our B1G commissioner, Tony Petitti, has previously figured out what to do with conference champ games. As part of a 16-team PO with automatic qualifiers, flex scheduling would allow conference champ and PO play-in games to be played in the final week of the regular season. Here's to rooting for the Dawgs and the Red Raiders to keep seed No. 5 alive!

The NCAA manages college football playoffs. The folks at ESPN are all about managing and broadcasting big-time bowl games, while making sure folks behind closed doors, using metrics hidden behind closed doors, when the stats support preconceived ideas, teasing college football fanatics five times before the final reveal. That this season's final reveal will happen on a Day of Infamy, December 7th, is perhaps prophetic as well as ironic. I believe this could be the last, or the penultimate 😁time, college football's poohbahs allow this subjective sideshow to continue. Thank goodness, 3-loss Texas and 2-loss Vanderbilt will not be in the playoff field. With the committee 'snubbing' two SEC teams, and the SEC going to nine conference games next season, I think the SEC, including Commissioner Sankey, the SEC ADs, the SEC coaches, and the kids' hydrating players on the sidelines, once upon a time known as Waterboys, may be ready to support (in Sankey's case again support) Big Ten Commissioner's Tony Petitti's automatic qualifier (AQ) Playoff (PO) Plan. ESPN was asked and agreed to extend the new PO format date from December 1, 2025, to January 23, 2026, for a reason. Using the PO committee's final rankings tease, below is today's 16-team Petitti field. 4 B1G and SEC AQs, 2 ACC and B12 AQs, 1 G6 AQ, and 3 At Large (AL) selections. A committee would determine the 3 AL teams, the G6 representative, and the PO seeding. The conferences would be responsible for submitting their AQ teams, and the committee would seed them in the order submitted. On selection and seeding day, there would still be many P-Offed fans. However, the teams in the field would be more objectively chosen, and conference championship and play-in games would be contested in the final week of the regular season. For those of you still awake 😴here's the field. 1. Ohio State - B1G 1 2. Indiana - B1G 2 3. Georgia - SEC 1 4. Texas Tech - B12 1 5. Oregon - B1G 3 6. Ole Miss - SEC 2 7. Texas A&M - SEC 3 8. Oklahoma - SEC 4 9. Alabama - SEC AL - no risk of a 3-loss Bama being left out 10. Notre Dame - AL 11. BYU - B12 2 12. Miami - ACC 1 - both Miami and Notre Dame are in, as it should be 13. Texas - SEC AL - the Horns are not hosed for battling the Buckeyes 14. USC - B1G 4 - No. 16 SC knocks out No. 15 Utah - SC's resume is better 15. UVA - ACC 2 - No. 17 UVA knocks out No. 14 Vanderbilt 16. Group of 6 6 SEC, 4 B1G, 2 ACC and B12, 1 Notre Dame, 1 G6 He wouldn't be happy about Vandy not being in, but with 6 teams in the field, and two AL bringing in millions of dollars, why wouldn't Sankey support this format? And looking at where the ACC and B12 teams are ranked, same for these two conferences and Notre Dame. Stay at 5 and defeat Tulane, North Texas, or JMU in Autzen! Go UGA and Texas Tech!

Forget the Fat Lady, it ain't over until the Last Fast Player signs. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/national-signing-day-usc-keeps-234238188.html

Thank you, Charles. 14 fewer recruits than SC and yet, so close. But Oregon is winning the battle of the average recruit ranking. 2nd in 247's top 10 and only slightly behind Bama. How about two Left Coast schools ahead of Ohio State, Michigan, and, OMG! Penn State. UW's class is ranked No. 13 by 247. I believe this is UW's highest ranking ever. Eight B1G teams ranked in the top 30 by 247. I think this could be an all-time B1G showing for the conference. Considering quality over quantity, how about Billy Bob Belichick at UNC? 39 recruits signed, and the Tar Heels are not in the top 15. And, BTW, and with TB still missing, the Patriots under Ohio State grad and possible COY, Mike Vrabel, are 10-2, in the POs, and QB Drake Maye could be the POY. It would be sweet to finish first and score another win over USC.😁

Will Penn State be Puttin' On the Fritz? athlonsports.com/college-football/new-candidate-65-emerges-for-coaching-job-at-historic-college-football-program Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They're turning Beaver Stadium into a parking lot. 🤪

Marcus Freeman, 1-2 vs the committee's top 25 with losses to No. 12 Miami and No. 7 A&M, and a win over No. 16 USC, is shocked that the committee jumped Bama ahead of Notre Dame. Perhaps the committee believes a win at Auburn is more impressive than a win at Stanford? I hope SC drops the Irish. The series benefits the Domers monetarily and recruiting-wise, and does nothing for an SC team now required to make three B1G eastern trips every season.

USA Today's take on playoff penultimate rankings winners and losers. One winner: The English language, with more folks now understanding that 'penultimate' means 'next to last' and not 'beyond ultimate.' https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/12/02/cfp-rankings-release-winners-losers-james-madison-notre-dame/87575584007/?utm_source=usatoday-sports-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=us

Our Man Dan has no worries.😍 Oregon Ducks On SIDan Lanning’s SEC Moment Comes Full Circle In A Way Nobod...Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning’s comments that took a subtle shot at SEC scheduling have now come full circle in a hilarious way. Even after losing both of his

Don't Worry, B1G Happy 😁😁😁 AP NewsChampionship week: No CFP worries for Big Ten with No. 1...The Big Ten will be the only conference with a sense of calm this weekend with No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana squaring off in its championship game.

NO! Was it over when the Germans, er, Saint Nick, told Lame Kitten to get lost and head out to FAU?

Did he do so?

Stay at No. 5, por favor, play the G6, er G5 team, in Autzen on Friday, 12/19 or Saturday, 12/20. Cheer on No. 4 Texas Tech to hand BYU its 2nd loss of the season to the Red Raiders and out of the playoffs. TT stays at No. 4. And cheer for UGA to win the rematch against Bama, and UVA to defeat 7-5 Duke 🤪. If UVA wins, Notre Dame and Miami will likely be ranked next to one another, and according to PO Committee guidelines, head-to-head results will have to be considered. Miami's best win? No. 10 Notre Dame. The Domers best win? No. 16 USC. Notre Dame's best loss? No. 7 Texas A+M. Miami's best loss? Choose between Louisville and SMU. The Irish and the Canes both destroyed a ranked Pitt team in Pittsburgh. Shake your PO money maker? The Domers, of course. If the Committee decides Notre Dame is the last team in and Miami is out, cancel all out-of-conference games against P4 opposition. USC should definitely drop Notre Dame. 10-2 SC would be in the mix for a PO spot. Why should Texas play Ohio State in 2026 instead of Texas State? 10-2 Texas is most likely in the PO. 12-0 Ohio State is in with a win over Miami of Ohio, and likely no lower than the 2nd seed. These marquee OCC games with millions of PO dollars at stake are not worth the candle. Exhibit A: 2nd-ranked Indiana played Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State OOC. Of course, if the SEC decided to (again) support Tony Petitti's AQ PO format, then play the baddest guys on the block OOC. BTW, why does Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh keep doing this to Luke Fickell? In 2026, Wisconsin plays Notre Dame in Green Bay at Lambeau Field and also plays P4 Pittsburgh. 🙃 I think 11-1 North Texas and QB Drew Mestemaker defeat Tulane Saturday in New Orleans, win the AAC conference title, and earn the 12th seed. The Mean Green had one bad game this season vs. USF. In five of its last six games, North Texas has scored 50 or more points. Sit back, relax, and we'll learn on Sunday, ESPN - 9 AM Pacific, without having to cross the Rubicon, how (the PO) Alea iacta est.

So far, so good. Love OBD's per recruit ranking. https://247sports.com/season/2026-football/compositeteamrankings/?utm_source=247Sports&utm_medium=ExternalEmbed&utm_campaign=TeamRankings

CBS reports that Hartline will stay for the champ game and through the POs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/usf-hires-brian-hartline-head-coach-ohio-state/