Jon Joseph

3 Losses and the Ducks make the Playoff Field? FWIW I don't see a 3-loss team making the field unless it is a P4 conference champion. College football teams which could reach 2024 playoff with three losses 247SPORTS.COM These seven squads are built to overcome adversity.

Oregon's Games Vs. Boise, Ohio State, and Michigan in CFB's 2024 Top 20 Games 20 matchups that will have the most impact on the college football season WWW.YARDBARKER.COM Every game matters. That has been the motto of college football fans and administrators for decades, and while we now live in a world of a 12-team playoff, that motto still stands tall today. Check out the games on October 12th with Ohio State's visit to Autzen ranked No. 1 on Big Game Saturday, a list that doesn't include Penn State at USC.

Some Hoosier Tidbits I have watched all of BTN's B1G training camp visits. Indiana - The Media predicts Indiana will finish 17 out of 18 B1G teams. But check new Coach Curt Cignetti's 13 years as a head coach record. 119-35. Cignetti has never had a losing season. In the last 2 seasons at James Madison, the Dukes went 10-4. 11 JMU starters followed Curt to Bloomington. Cignetti is the 1st coach to lead a team transitioning from the FCS to FBS to a Top 25 ranking, rising as high as 18th in the AP Poll. Cignetti was the Sun Belt's 2023 COY. JMU was not allowed to play in the SB champ game. The NCAA requires a team transitioning from FCS to FBS to play two seasons before being eligible for the postseason. 😒 Notwithstanding the prohibition, because the NCAA did not have enough teams eligible for the ridiculous number of bowl games it has approved, JMU played Air Force Academy in the Armed Forces Bowl with AFA winning 31-21. Twice in Cignetti's career, his team was picked to finish next to last in the conference. On both occasions, Curt's team won the conference championship. The Hoosiers play both Ohio State and Michigan in 2024 but should go 3-0 OOC and Indiana has a good shot at winning 3 conference games and being bowl-eligible in 2024. OBD plays at Indiana and at Northwestern, Penn State, and Rutgers, in 2025,

Saturday Blitz's Top 15 2024 College Ds. Ranking the Top 15 College Football Defenses for the 2024 season SATURDAYBLITZ.COM With 2019 LSU being an exception, defenses have essentially carried national championship programs in recent years. Georgia set the bar back in 2021 when the Bu B1G Ds in the top 15: 1. Ohio State 3. Iowa 5. Michigan 6. Penn State 7. OREGON 11. Nebraska OBD plays Ohio State and Michigan this season. Will B1G Ds hold down Oregon's O better than Pac-12 teams did? In every preseason poll I have seen except for Phil Steele's, IOWA is IMO, way under-ranked. Steele has Iowa finishing 10-2 and being rewarded with a spot in the Playoff. The only 'sure loss' game on the Hawkeyes schedule is vs. Ohio State in Columbus the Saturday before the Buckeyes visit Eugene. Oregon received little scheduling love from the B1G but playing Michigan State at home the Friday before the game with the Buckeyes gives Oregon an extra day to rest and game plan before Ohio State makes its only West Coast trip in 2024.

I'm not horsing around. My dislike of Troy is right there with Achilles. But if SC rolls craps in Vegas right out of the gate against SEC big boy LSU; well, a bad look for the B1G. LSU defensive tendencies could create Alex Grinch-level weaknesses TROJANSWIRE.USATODAY.COM LSU is placing a lot of faith in its corners and safeties in ways which offer a parallel with Alex Grinch. This could get interesting. Both teams won their bowl game without their Heisman-winning QB. Both teams were sieves on D in 2023 and are paying big bucks to their new DCs. Both starting QBs could have transferred out but stuck with it behind a Heisman winner. SC's passing game with a crew of talented young receivers will put up points if the O line can block. But will the O line be able to block and will the Troy D line get pressure on LSU's QB Nussmeier and limit the Tigers' run game? The SC D looked better in the Holiday Bowl vs. Louisville than it had all season but Louisville in the loss put up a lot of rushing yardage. LSU comes in at -6.5. A loss to LSU by less than a TD would be respectable. The score will likely go Over 62.5. In the other B1G vs SEC prove-it game played in Week Two, Texas visits Ann Arbor a -3.5 favorite. The Michigan D should be solid but will the Micigan O be able to score enough points to win this game? If LSU, Texas, Alabama -9.5, playing Wisconsin in Madison win, and Miami -2 'Mari(o)'s vs, Florida and A+M defeats Notre Dame, you can bet that Paul and his Dixiecrats will be Yellin' for all seven Playoff at-large spots. It's unfortunate that in this Power 4 Expansion Year, the B1G QB play does not appear to be 'all that.' Next year, Ohio State opens vs. Texas and Michigan opens against Oklahoma in Norman. Are these Power 2 preseason slug fests worth the Playoff candle? IMO, Ole Miss and SC canceling their home-and-home series, with the opener scheduled to be played in LA in 2025, made the smart move.

Friend Utki. A reasonable comment, no doubt. But 27 games and 22 victories including a Holiday and Fiesta Bowl win, a loss to national champ Georgia in Atlanta, a loss to OR ST without 'his guys' on D, and 3 Ls to UW by 9 points. Do you see Mario doing the same? Slick? Helfrich? Compare Dan's record to date with Harbaugh's first 5 seasons at Michigan, Saint Nick's first 2 seasons at Bama, and Kirby Smart going 1-5 vs. Saban. Lanning has not lost every game where he has been behind including a terrific Holiday Bowl win. Dan could not stop 2 starting CBs going down in Seattle. But, he has recruited and portaled so this will not happen again. (I cop to Dan and Stein being out-coached in the 1st Q of the last Pac-12 champ game.) When I was younger I was far worse at my job than when I grew into the job. I never stopped being 'aggressive,' and thankfully, 'things' worked out. GO DUCKS!

Dilly and Howard are on the list of QBs who will impact the 2024 PO race. https://athlonsports.com/college/buckeyes-now/will-howard-named-biggest-factor-in-college-football-playoff-race

25 B1G Bold Predictions for 2024 - No. 21 - Not So Fast on Texas winning in the B1G House. No. 18 - Love for Smitty and Sparty - I hope this happens notwithstanding an L in Autzen No. 14 - I do not share the same confidence in QB Will Howard No. 11 - See, No. 14 No. 8 - I agree that SC will upset at least one of Michigan or Penn State No. 4 - Not So Fast on Ohio State Capturing the 2024 B1G title - See No. 14 above and the Autzen experience No. 3 - Matt Rhule's prediction of 4 B1G teams in the playoff doesn't rule? Proverbial: 'We'll see?' No. 2 - Dilly a Heisman finalist. Make It So! No. 1 - Back to Back B1G Nattys. QUACK! 25 Bold Predictions for the B1G in 2024 SATURDAYTRADITION.COM From the best players to biggest upsets and, ultimately, who reaches Indy, we predict what's about to happen during the 2024 Big Ten football season.

25 Bold Predictions for the B1G in 2024 SATURDAYTRADITION.COM From the best players to biggest upsets and, ultimately, who reaches Indy, we predict what's about to happen during the 2024 Big Ten football season.

B1G Bad Juju in Ann Arbor. Shoot the messenger? 15 Fears for Michigan football in 2024 WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM If the Michigan Wolverines are going to have a chance to repeat, they must first conquer some fears: Not 1, not 2, not 3 things to be concerned about but Fifteen, 15!😒Call Annie in from the Arbor. Dan Lanning is one of the fifteen and is compared to John Calipari. WHAT! After two seasons the author believes Dan has shown that he can't win the big game. Harbaugh coached at Michigan from 2015 to 2023. He won the B1G and made the CFB Playoff in 2021, 2022, and 2023. 2021, Michigan was steamrolled by Georgia. 2022, Michigan lost to a TCU team that gave up 63 points to Georgia in the champ game. 2023. No. 4 seed Bama took No. 1 seed Michigan into OT before Michigan blew out UW. Michigan has defeated Ohio State three years in a row but between 2015 and the Natty in 2023 there was a whole lot of choking going down in Ann Arbor. Eight seasons for Harbaugh to reach the pinnacle. This is Dan's 3rd season as a head coach. In his first two seasons, Oregon took down UNC and QB Drake May in the Holiday Bowl and extinguished the 13-0 Liberty Flames in the Fiesta Bowl. And did this without one, let alone two NCAA investigations. Kirby Smart went 1-5 against Nick Saban. Is Kirby a choke artist?

Alrighty then, students, which of the below teams does not belong? How to buy Oregon Nike Air Max Solo shoe DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Check out the new 2024 Oregon Ducks Nike Air Max sneaker. Hint, busy as a ...

Ohio State is not on the Trojans 2024 regular season schedule, but 'down the conference road', No. 2 Ohio State could be a problem for Troy. Five teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll pose a huge threat to USC TROJANSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Five teams most centrally stand in USC’s path to the playoff and the Big Ten title. No. 3 Oregon? For B1G traditionalists to overlook the Ducks, OK. For SC? Traveler loves living in the past.

Thanks for the post. I'm blessed to have experienced: Ohio State - Varsity Club pregame in 1987 before a Buckeyes/Ducks game; Sailgating at UW vs. CU and UCLA; Nebraska - vs CU in the snow; OREGON (😍), Michigan, vs Notre Dame, FSU and Prime Time, and the Kordell Stewart Hail Mary game; Michigan State vs. Purdue, I'm not sure why?; SC vs. The Domers; and UCLA, in the Coli vs SC and the Rose Bowl vs. Nebraska. Bucket List: White-out in B1G Beaver Stadium at Penn State. [Not little beavers stadium up north somewhere.] Let's Play Ball!

Charles, your keyboard to the Football Gods' ears. Now, Puddles needs the ball to bounce in the right direction and for Danno to stay aggressive but more seasoned and reasoned in his in-game coaching decisions. Online Pokies? Gaming or an adult entertainment site? 😁

11-1 = no worse than 11-2 post a champ game loss and the fifth or sixth PO seed. 12-1 = B1G champ, first-round bye and opening in the 2nd round in the Rose Bowl. It's doable and it would be sweet but if wishes were ducks ...

Steinie's the Number 1 OC - Well Deserved Ranking the Top 25 OCs in college football in 2024 SATURDAYTRADITION.COM Offense wins championships. And these are the 25 best offensive minds in college football in 2024.

A Low Opinion of B1G QB Play in 2024. Hammerin’ the B1G: Matt Hinton’s bleak B1G QB outlook for 2024 feels… like an unfortunate reality SATURDAYTRADITION.COM Matt Hinton did not have a favorable outlook for QB play in the B1G this season. That's not fun, but it's probably spot on for the 2024 season. But, Dillion looks good in the three spot.

Come On Man! Better college football leadership would put USC in Big Ten title game TROJANSWIRE.USATODAY.COM USC should play in Indianapolis in December in a Big Ten football game with championship implications … but it probably won’t. But with no Oregon and Ohio State and the tougher road games sans Michigan in LA, SC could lose to both LSU and Notre Dame and still make the B1G champ game. Oregon vs. SC in Indy would make the B1G Old Guard happy, right? I do 'get' Matt Zemek's thought that if you are in the PO, why play in the champ game? But lose the champ game your team is almost certainly in the field and if you don't play you miss the chance at a 1st-round bye.

Anyone up for Trivial Pursuit? NCAA's punishment for Jim Harbaugh seems irrelevant WWW.YARDBARKER.COM There's closing the door after the horse has already fled and then there's closing the door after the horse has fled and taken a boat to a different state.

Where Puddles starts, eh? But if Oregon does not win the B1G I'm hoping to be ranked third and not fourth. This would have Oregon as the fifth seed with a home game against the 12th G5 seed instead of playing an SEC or B1G opponent.

Correcting an earlier take on the SEC champ and B1G champ 2nd round PO sites, it is 'likely' that the SEC champ will play in the Sugar Bowl and the B1G champ in the Rose Bowl. How the new 12-team College Football Playoff will work SPORTS.YAHOO.COM The top level of college football is adopting a 12-team postseason format this season for the first time. Here's how the field will be decided and when each game will be played. The majority of pundits believe that the B1G champ to the Rose and the SEC champ to the Sugar is a done deal with the ACC champ playing in the Peach Bowl and the B12 champ in the Fiesta Bowl unless UCF or West Virginia wins the B12 and Cal or Stanford wins the ACC.

I feel sorry for the young man. Not good for the Longhorns. Texas RB CJ Baxter Expected to Miss 2024 Season Due to Knee Injury WWW.SI.COM A big loss for Texas.

Does the House settlement make sense without a Congressional bar against future litigation? Why not take the hit, BK the NCAA, and cram down the amount of the judgment?

Good for recruiting but: 2025 at Penn State, Northwestern, Rutgers; 2026 at OK St, Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State; 2027 at Baylor, Nebraska, Maryland, Michigan; 2028 at Utah State (😒), Indiana, Minnesota, Penn State. Plus travel to Playoff sites. Whew!

Geo, no props for blasting the Beavers in El Paso? The Conference of Notre Dame needs to disappear or ND should be required to play 13 regular season games with at least 10 games vs P4 competition. The ACC goes down and ND will join its hockey team in the B1G. I think ND takes a loss in the opener at A+M, finishes with 3 losses, and misses the playoff. Then hires Urban Meyer? Longhorns No. 1. I think Texas with the players it lost to the draft and with Sark as HC is getting too much preseason love. Sark, you're not playing in Kansas anymore. Will the close calls in the B12 be wins in the SEC? The SEC handed TX 2 wins vs. Vandy and Miss St but at Michigan, Oklahoma, UGA, and at A+M could be Ls. And Arkansas will put up a fight when Texas pays a visit. I don't think that Bond, 44 yards receiving in the Rose Bowl with 44 receptions for 621 yards and 4 TDs in 2023-24 at Bama, or Bolden, 5'8" and 160 pounds, coming in from Oregon State are going to seamlessly replace the two TX WRs who went in the first two rounds of the draft. And the 2 Big Boys on the DL who were high draft picks will not be easily replaced. Texas finished 35th in total D last season with a porous pass defense with two studs on the D line rushing the passer. (Oregon finished 22nd in total D.) Will the Longhorns D improve in the SEC? Caveat: I'm the genius who predicted that FSU would be 2-2 after the first four games. 😒