Jon Joseph

Thanks, DM. It isn't easy having to perform an autopsy. 😧 The two starting OTs were exposed. Still, the defense after Finney's pick-6 could have preserved a victory. In the 4th quarter, the defense has been bad vs. B1G opponents. 2nd stringers on the field against Northwestern, but it's NW, man. The offense has not been impressive in three games vs. B1G opponents, including at 4-2 (!) Northwestern and at 3-3 Penn State. Both the offense and defense failed against quality 6-0 Indiana. As he admitted, Dan and his assistants were schooled by a guy with far more coaching experience. I liked your noting Sappinton's misses on important FG tries. Will OBD ever find a clutch you don't have to pucker up when he walks on the field, FG kicker? Two very disappointing efforts coming off the last two byes. Something needs to change in the off weeks. A sense of urgency in the Rose Bowl and on Saturday was lacking. Badly outcoached off the last two byes. Time to get right at Rutgers, a team with a good offense and a crummy defense. If OBD cannot cover -14.5 at Rutgers, then DUCK! I'm looking at the game vs. Indiana as an anomaly and hoping I am correct in doing so. Wins at Rutgers and against Wisconsin should be no problem. (Knock Wood.) But at Iowa, the following Friday night against a Gophers team coming off a bye, and USC, and at UW will not be easy wins. Indiana has handled its trips to the Pacific time zone perfectly. Without a word of whining. OBD has no chance to hand the Hoosiers a regular-season payback before 2028 in Bloomington. 🤬

We're halfway through the 2025 season. With the home loss to Indiana, Oregon does not have an easy path to repeat as the B1G champion and return to the College Football Playoff. Autzen ZooDucks on a collision course along a very tough road in B1...Dan Lanning and his players performed so well to start this season that Oregon fans forgot this was a young team in a rebuilding/reloading year. Two B1G teams are undefeated - 6-0 No. 1 Ohio State, and 6-0 No. 3 Indiana. Four teams have one loss at the halfway mark - Oregon, Nebraska, USC, and Washington. No. 25 Nebraska is ranked behind No. 24 Cincinnati, a team the Cornhuskers defeated in its opening game in Kansas City, and behind several 2-loss teams. S(ec)MH! Two-loss teams, Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Maryland, are still in the B1G title and playoff hunt. But none of these teams are odds-on to play for a conference title or be included in the playoff field. Except for USC and 5-2 Illinois, all Big Ten teams have six conference games remaining. This Saturday, before finishing with five conference games, USC plays Notre Dame in South Bend. No. 26 Illinois is 5-2. A back-of-the-envelope strength of schedule using future opponents' records to date has USC tied with OBD with games against the most difficult remaining B1G opponents. USC, with the game at Notre Dame, does have the overall most difficult remaining slate of games. All of the below schedule-ranked teams have three home and three road games left. Two of USC's five remaining B1G games are on the road. 1. No. 20 USC opponent records, including No. 13 Notre Dame - 24-12/ +12 USC B1G opponent records - 20-10/ +10 - including road games at No. 25 Nebraska and No. 8 Oregon. 2. No. 8 OREGON - 23-13/ +10 - including No. 20 USC and at No. 28 UW. 3. No. 25 NEBRASKA - 22-14/ +8 - including No. 20 USC. 4. No. 28 WASHINGTON - 20-17/ +3 - including at No. 27 Michigan and No. 8 OBD. 5. No. 3 INDIANA - 17-18/ -1 / No ranked opponents remaining. The most difficult remaining game is on the road at 4-2 Maryland. Once ranked, Penn State is also a road game. Indiana hosts an improving UCLA. 6. No. 1 OHIO STATE - 15-21/ -6 / This is the B1G murderers' row remaining for the Buckeyes: At Wisconsin, Bye, Penn State, at Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, at No. 27 Michigan. If Ryan Day doesn't get the Wolverine off of his back this season, then when? Easy to project from the above - December 6, 2025 - Ohio State vs. Indiana in Indianapolis. Considering 2-loss Notre Dame is ranked No. 13, and 2-loss Texas is ranked No. 21, and with G6 USF ranked No. 19, Washington at No. 28, with its only loss to No. 1 Ohio State, is inexplicable. Both No. 26 Illinois and No. 27 Michigan could be ranked. Tony Pettiti, do not back away from your AQ playoff model, please! It's prove-it time for Lincoln Riley at Notre Dame, but based on results to date, including SC's beat down of Michigan, USC at No. 20 is absurd. GO DUCKS!

As they used to ask in Bloomington, Indiana, "Is it basketball season yet?" Hoo knew? 🤪 Preseason AP Men's basketball Top 25. OBD is ranked No. 27, while Purdue is ranked No. 1. On3College Basketball Rankings: Preseason AP Poll Top 25 rev....

"Oregon has been blessed by having experienced QBs at the sport's most important position." https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/is-it-time-to-reset-season-expectations-after-the-blindsiding-loss-to-indiana-256504445/?source=column&lctg=26140&eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a14 I'm still bullish on OBD's PO chances. Bullish on Dante Moore improving. Bullish on players playing up to their ability. OBD needs to bounce back in New Jersey and start putting up points early and often against a B1G opponent. The O sputtered at Northwestern, at Penn State, which was far more excusable at the time than it is today, and put up 64 net yards against Indiana in the 2nd half. Equally concerning is the inability of the defense to hold onto leads in the 4th quarter. OBD is -14.5 at Rutgers. We'll see how USC performs at Notre Dame, but last Saturday, SC outrushed Michigan 224 yards to 109, with most of the yards posted by a walk-on RB. SC has one B1G loss by three points on the road at Illinois and is the only B1G team with five, not six, conference games remaining. Washington at Michigan? UW definitely has a chance to win this game. Iowa destroyed Wisconsin in Madison, 35-0, and is favored, -3.5, at Penn State. Iowa shut down the Indiana offense in Iowa City. With the turmoil in not-so-Happy Valley, I'm surprised Iowa isn't a TD-plus favorite. The remainder of OBD's six opponents are better today than they looked in the preseason. The future B1G opponents are 23-13. The +10 win difference presents the most difficult remaining schedule among conference champ contenders in the B1G. We'll know far more after this weekend, but both SC, UW, and perhaps even Iowa could all be ranked for the game versus OBD.

Ooops, I missed Joey Aguilar at Tennessee, a revived Nico at UCLA, and Chandler Morris at UVA.

AP Poll Post Week 7 Playoff - AP will project the 2025-26 PO through 11/4/25 when the PO committee releases its first ranking. AP NewsIndiana, Texas A&M would be top-four CFP seeds based on A...Indiana and Texas A&M would be top-four seeds in the College Football Playoff based on latest The Associated Press Top 25.

Does having tablets on the sideline change your opinion at all? It's all right there to show and share with the QB one-on-one when he comes off the field. That was a Rose Bowl-like pasting. Yet, the Ducks had the lead late, and the defense allowed Mendoza, following what could have been a devastating pick 6, to drive his team 75 yards to the winning score. The same late letdown on D that allowed PSU to tie the game. Is the defense in 'game shape '? Is the problem with where the coach is positioned or with not making adjustments to a plan of attack that was failing? I'm reasonably certain that Stein on the sidelines could see on the tablet and on the field of play that his offense was flailing and failing. From the sideline, the box, and the bleacher seats, why all of the substitutions at running back? Why not a change in the plan of attack? Lanning was spot on postgame. Lanning and crew were outcoached before the game and in-game. As Cignetti noted postgame, this was not the first time his teams have won big games on the road. But it was the first time Cig posted a big win in a B1G game that the nation noticed. Cig and friends won the bye week. Last season, Indiana was outclassed physically at Ohio State and Notre Dame. Indiana's composite roster is ranked in the 70s; Oregon's is ranked No. 5. But the LOS failures against last season's national champion and runner-up were masterfully addressed and corrected via the portal. Cignetti and his associates have been together for a long time. They have far more game planning and in-game experience than Dan and his assistants. Intriguing question, friend Solar, but I don't think it would have made a difference where Stein was located on Saturday. After all, he was on the sideline with the same QB and information at hand when the offense rolled Montana State, Oklahoma State, and Oregon State. To date, we haven't seen the same performance out of this offense against three B1G opponents.

Agents vs ADs is a one-way negotiation. Why don't the contracts have a Right of First Refusal instead of these absurd buyouts? If a coach wants out, wants to go to another program, do you want him hanging around? On occasion, like when Cristobal went MIA, the left behind team will bag some bucks. But for the most part, it's the school firing the coach that is on the hook.

Good. One fewer game and a likely PO first-round home game, today AP-projected to be vs. Georgia. Indiana vs Ohio State in Indianapolis? Bring it on! Let two other B1G boys take a long nap.

Franklin Fallout. ESPN.comPenn State fires James Franklin: Top candidates, transfer...After two shocking losses, Penn State is looking for a new coach. The job quickly becomes the best in this cycle.

An obscure insight into the obvious - Losses by one SEC team to the other do not matter. One loss UW, with its sole loss against No. 1 Ohio State, is not in the top 25? Why is No. 25 Nebraska, with its one loss being at home to Michigan, ranked above UW? Ditto all of the one-loss teams with losses to the team not ranked No. 1? 1 loss USC at No. 20? With the loss on the road by three points at No. 26 Illinois. SC is ranked behind a one-loss OK team; SC just blew out a Michigan team that was in the game at one-loss OK into the 4th quarter. The Trojans are behind one-loss Missouri, Vandy, UVA, and USF! USF defeated Boise and Florida. This equals a ranking above SC. Why? Tony Petitti - Do not back off the PO AQ format.

Spot On, Charles. Then and now. Today's CFB is all about roster management. Scoring with unproven high school talent still matters. But if you can find a quality, experienced QB in the portal, like Fernando Mendoza, John Mateer, or Carson Beck, sign them up! In regard to yesterday, I watched 'Titanic' once, OK twice, which is enough. Should OBD refuse to schedule Bye Weeks? 🤬

OBD behind the 8 Ball. Indiana's highest ranking in its football history. AP NewsNCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football PollThe official page for the AP Top 25 college football poll, a tradition since 1936. Keep up to date and view the latest ranking updates each week.

From a mile away, eh? 😁But Frankly, this news is overwhelmed by the goings on in Unhappy Valley.

If it isn't April Fool's - WOW! On3Penn State fires head coach James Franklin.

A Book recommendation for Dan and friends: 'Don't Let Byes Give You the Blues. How excessive-compulsive workaholics can take time off and not suffer.' BY - Noah ZZZZZZ's Peaz. 😁 Deion was a Prime Time Ralphie will be in the spotlight hire. Cig? He wasn't wrong - Google him was the only way to learn about where he'd been and what he'd done. By comparison, the K State program was flush with victories before Bill Snyder arrived in the Little Apple. When it comes to CFB trivia, I like to think I know something. 🤪Before yesterday, I did not know that the Hoosiers mascot was a hairy-looking thing without a brush or a comb that I think is a Bison? Cig is the betting favorite for this season's Archimedes Award. Give me a lever long enough (transfer portal) and a fulcrum (NIL - thank you, Mark Cuban et al.), and I will move the college football world. Seven weeks in. The regular season is half over, and only half over. Next case - Beat the Schi out of Schiano!

Hmmm. It's a football GAME. Today, the better team, the team that played better, won. The bad O-line recruits? I believe Danno sent three O-line guys to the NFL last season. All five of the O-line guys who started today have a legit shot at the NFL. As does the starting TE who could be a 1st round pick. The QB who couldn't spot wide-open receivers? I saw one guy wide, wide open, and Dante hit him for a TD. How many other guys were wide open when Dante had the time to throw the ball and were missed? Today's game was a referendum on this game. The first loss to a B1G opponent that happened to be a top-10-ranked team, not UCLA and not Northwestern. Please, OBD fans, do not turn into TOSU fans. The worst coach in the history of the game last November happened to be some guy named Day, right? The coach Dan lost to today has far more wins as a head coach than Dan. This was game SIX in what could be a 16 or 17-game season. Perhaps this season's champ will go unblemished this season, but I very much doubt it. Iniana won this game far more than OBD lost this game. Next case. BEAT RUTGERS!

I recommend that you start drinking heavily!😁

The QB. Too much love for Ws. Too much bame for Ls. The young man was under siege.

Please, pass the sauerkraut and strudel.😁You said 'So Long' to Prubila? Not a good move, ah? That's Clemson and PSU PO over and out. Texas, still OK.

You cannot win a game when you lose both LOS. The Indiana pass rush and an undersized CB named Ponds showed up. Matayo et al? How was Cignetti in the CFB coaching weeds before he was in his 60s? His turnaround of the losingest team in CFB history puts Bill Snyder on the bench. Indy is now 1-46 on the road vs. top 5 teams. 2-74 all time. Last season's champ lost two regular-season games, and a Natty is still in sight. But, as the Good Doctor notes above, don't lose twice, don't screw up at Rutgers. How badly does Penn State SUCK? How can a team with that talent keep on choking? Jim Knowles? $3M a year? One B1G coach has hiring DCs down Pat(ricia.) And it's not Jimmy Franklin. It's the guy TOSU fans wanted to run out of Columbus last November. OBD's FG kicker missed what could have been a momentum-shifter FG at Penn State, and his chip shot miss today led to a 6-point end of the first half swing. In physical, smashmouth ball games, you can't miss these pressure kicks. As for the dings at Dante above. It's hard to complete passes when folks, smaller than your O-line guys, but quicker, are in your face. When your 'better athletes' cannot separate from lesser athletes downfield, including a 5'9" CB who left no Ponds for Ducks to land in. When the play calling is timid all day, along with puzzling player personnel decisions, well? But returning to sentence one above, you lose the LOS, you lose. OBD was outcoached. Lesser athletes won the day. Don't turn today into bad Knights.

Hats off to Pat for his Hoosiers pick. His wife's an Indiana graduate; make this pick or sleep in separate bedrooms?

Penn State? At least Texas won today. White Out Win? Doubly sullied by today's action. However, no team that wins the Natty in 2026 is going 16-0. BEAT RUTGERS!

When you get punched in the mouth, put your dentures back in and run the table. What Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana is close to unbelievable. The Hoosiers are now 1-46 on the road vs. top 5 opponents. And Penn State SUCKS!

You could not have a better start at home vs The Tide. Then, some idiot has to jaw-jack his way to an unsportsmanlike 15-yarder. Tide scores to tie the game. And, No Mo PO hopes for you? But, Wait a Minute ... If refs do not call obvious pass interference against the Buckeyes, what chance does Illinois or any team have against this defense? 🤬It's an ILL wind that blows the Buckeyes into town; there's no champagne in Champaign today. Smitty's team looked spitty. 9 AM body clock KO. No B1G deal for the revitalized Bruins. B1G coaches, please stop whining about travel and KO times. Skipper captains UCLA to Neu heights. Next up for the Bruins, the Terps in LA. Is the Sun Bowl in play for 2-4 UCLA? Purdue at Minnesota - If a tree falls in Minneapolis ...