Jon Joseph

11-1, perhaps. But playing 8 straight games against Big Ten opposition and a double west to east yo-yo in November gives me pause. On November 7th in Columbus, I expect a 9 AM body clock time kick off. And Ohio State has many talented players on the O-side of the ball back. The weather in East Lansing, Michigan, on November 21st could be a great equalizer. OBD returns from Michigan State to play a UW team coming off a game in Seattle vs. Indiana. UW could be coming to Autzen with a victory over Cig and the Hoosiers and a chance for a spot in the playoff field. Indiana will not be an easy out, but the game is being played in the Pacific time zone, not the Eastern time zone. A plus for UW. Will the SC D step up under Gary Patterson? The offense will score points behind the now-experienced QB Maiava. I think the Week 4 game at SC is a defining moment for SC football under Lincoln Riley, and the Trojans and their fans will be geeked for this game. If you asked Trojan fans if they'd rather beat Oregon in Week 4 or Ohio State in Week 9, I think the majority would take a win over the Ducks, not the Bucks. SC has the easier early schedule. Three G6 opponents at home without one of the G6 teams being as dangerous as Boise State. SC does have to travel to Rutgers the week before the Oregon game, but I'll take that game over having to play at Oklahoma State in Week 2 with the Cowboys bringing a new HC, a QB, Drew Mestemaker, who led the nation in passing last season, and an improved roster including the Mestermaker's top receivers and running backs, and three players who started in front of Mestemaker on the North Texas O-line. After last season's pounding, OK State fans will be out to pluck Duck feathers, in a stadium that is loud with the crowd right on top of the visiting team's bench. Oregon also gets another short end of the scheduling stick, having to play Nebraska in Eugene before traveling to play Illinois in Week 9, with the Illini off the week before Oregon's visit. The Oregon O-line had lapses last season, but it was a Joe Moore Award finalist. Will three new starters on the O-line come through? Will the new OC and DC pan out? Will Dante be better prepared to play under physical and mental pressure? In this NIL era, the roster depth, even on Blue Chip Roster teams like OBD, will be tested by the worst part of the game, injuries. Of course, I hope you are correct in your 11-1 or better call, but there are too many questions IMO to bet the Over 10.5. Many of the 2026-27 playoff contenders have easier schedules than Oregon, and the schedule is harder next season. Gulp. Thanks for the article, and Go Ducks!

He looks good, but I wish Kenyon would hit the weight room more often. He has to have at least half of one percent body fat, no? 🤪

Final 4 Broadcast Information - https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-final-four-schedule-how-to-watch-keep-up-with-uconn-illinois-michigan-arizona-in-indianapolis-002940311.html

I'm hoping the predicted OBD vs Boise score happens. Hats off to CBS Sports for dissing Notre Dame's 2026 weak schedule. I hope Dabo crushes Kiffin and L$U. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-predictions-early-picks-week-1-2026-schedule-lsu-clemson-notre-dame-wisconsin/

Hail to the Victors? https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/24481271/final-four-teams-ranking-march-mandess-mens-national-championship?ueid=66c3ca35924fb3254520a3f8fe2aa9ce&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SB%20Nation%20Daily

AP - Four Storylines for the Final 4 - AP NewsMarch Madness: Here's a storyline to watch about each of...Arizona, Michigan, UConn and Illinois have reached the Final Four. The Wildcats and Wolverines got there as No. 1 seeds. The Huskies are a No. 2 seed.

I'm hoping this is a foreshadowing of more B1G/SEC challenges in Football, and Men's and Women's basketball. Ernie Banks, "Let's play two!", at Wrigley Field, comes true. The Ducks will play Mizzou in CoMo, a/k/a Columbia, Missouri. https://goducks.com/news/2026/3/30/womens-volleyball-big-ten-sec-challenge-match-at-mizzou Ohio StateBig Ten and SEC Announce 2026 Volleyball Challenge | Ohio...The Big Ten Conference and Southeastern Conference announced the 2026 Big Ten / SEC Volleyball Challenge on Monday. All 18 Big Ten teams and 16 SEC teams wil...

Not so fast, JJ - 2nd-seeded Michigan plays the 1st-seeded Texas women's team today in Fort Worth, Texas, for the last spot in the Women's Final 4. 7 PM/ 4 PM - ESPN

FYI - from a Jon Wilner Hotline ($ Wall) article. Before yesterday's loss by Duke, No. 1 seeds in the Tournament were 134-0 when leading by 15 points or more at the half. Duke's loss to UConn joins last season's late meltdown versus Houston, and the Blue Devils' fans would like to see Coach K retire from retirement and back on the Duke bench. UConn coach Dan Hurley is 10-0 Against the Spread in Sweet 16, Elite 8, and Final 4 games. Again, I caution against recency bias; the SEC dominated last season's tournament. But in this season's tournament, the Big Ten went 5-0 against the SEC. "It Just Means More B1G Wins?" 😁😁😁😁😁

Thank you, Vince Scul, er, Charles, for the great B1G baseball coverage of OBD and other Big Ten and Pacific time zone programs. The notes on Oregon's pitching prowess brought me back to Vin Scully's call of Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956 - "Got him! The greatest game ever pitched ... A no-hitter, a perfect game, in the World Series." 1956 was the last time the Brooklyn Dodgers played in a World Series. In 1958, the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to LA, and the New York Giants moved to San Francisco. St. Louis was no longer Major League Baseball's western-most team. The iconic Scully called the Dodgers games for 67 years, 1950 - 2016. He was also at the mike for Hank Aaron's 715th home run in 1974, and a lame in both legs, Kirk Gibson's pinch-hit, walk-off home run against Oakland A's closer Dennis Eckersley to win a 1988 World Series game in extra innings. In 1956, I listened to Scully calling Larsen's perfect game on my transistor radio. I was fortunate enough to watch Hank Aaron's record-breaking home run and Michigan State man Gibson's game-deciding home run. Charles, you have decades left to cover your beloved Ducks!

CBS Sports has the Nebraska Spring Game Covered. Nebraska visits Autzen on 10/17, the Saturday after OBD hosts UCLA. The only time in 2026 that Oregon will play back-to-back home games. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/anthony-colandreas-nebraska-spring-game-dylan-raiola/

Two B1G teams in the Men's Final 4, Illinois and Michigan, and 2 B1G teams, Wisconsin and Michigan, in the Frozen 4. Michigan, with a 4-3 win over Minnesota-Duluth, joins Wisconsin as one of the last four teams skating. Wisconsin vs. North Dakota and Michigan vs Denver in the semifinals. And do not forget the women. Michigan's women's basketball team also advances to the Final 4, joining UCLA. The 3rd NCAA postseason tourney with two Big Ten schools in the finals. Many a grape is being squeezed tonight in Ann Arbor.🤪 With both basketball teams in the Final 4 and the ice hockey team in the Frozen 4, it's hard to believe that Wolverines are an endangered species. Go Blue. Go Bruins. And let the champagne flow in Champaign.

Life is only a movie, right? Braylon Mullins, the UConn freshman who hit the winning basket against Duke, played at Greenfield-Central High School in Greenfield, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. Mullins, the 2025 Indiana Mr. High School Basketball Player of the Year, heads home to compete against Illinois in the Final 4. 🤔 Hmmmm.

UCLA's Women's Team, behind the play of All Big Ten Player of the Year Lauren Betts, dunks Duke, 70-58. UCLA moves on to the women's Final 4. The Bruins 35th win of the season sets the Big Record for Women's Basketball. I don't know about kings, but No Dukes are left in the 2026 basketball tourney play, which IMO is A-OK. 😍

Holy Hurley! Duke pulls defeat from the jaws of victory. Duke simply had to hold the ball to run out the clock, but a Duke player passed the ball, the pass was blocked and turned over, and with two seconds left, UConn freshman Braylon Mullins hits a desperation 3 from well beyond the 3-point line - UConn 73 - Duke 72 - and Mullins will never have to pick up a check in the Nutmeg State. Illinois will play UConn in a Final 4 semifinal game in Indianapolis. A Final 4 with two Big Ten teams, a Big 12 team, and a Big East team. Madness indeed. 🤪 ESPN.comUConn rallies, stuns Duke on last-second 3 to reach Final...UConn eliminated No. 1 overall seed Duke from the men's NCAA tournament on Braylon Mullins' 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left. 36 years later, UConn pays back Duke and Christian Laettner. 😍