Jon Joseph

Are you tellin' me JC can't hit a curve ball?

The Big 12 needs cash, and fast. So should it take private equity money? WWW.NYTIMES.COM Private equity? A sponsor-titled conference? It may be squeamish to purists, but that doesn't mean the Big 12 shouldn't do it.

You never know. Coming into the final round of the US Open, Rory McElroy was 496 for 496 on the season for putts 3 feet or less. McElroy birdied 4 of 5 holes to take a two-shot lead before bogeying 3 of the last 4 holes in a crushing defeat. The only 'good news?' Rory earned $2.3M for his second-place finish.

Bowls, Polls, and Tattered (old) souls.

Every Game Matters? Don't ask an FSU fan. Spot on, no 13-0 P4 conference champion will be left behind. But will a 4-loss conference champion be in and seeded in the top 4? The Ducks are -1, vs. Ohio State. Would Oregon be better off going 10-2 and playing in the conference champ game with the Committee possibly looking at a 10-3 finish, or finishing 10-2 with an excellent SOS without traveling to Indianapolis to play for the B1G title? With the new Playoff format, playing in the conference champ game could be a curse as much as a blessing. Will the Committee decide that 10-3 Texas lost twice to Georgia so there is no reason to allow a 3-loss SEC conference runner-up to be in the field? The final Committee vote and the seeding with the ACC and B12 champs in the top 4 and earning a 1st-round bye will cause a run on Pepto Bismal.

The books like Oregon to finish 11-1. The Ducks are the dogs only vs Ohio State with the Buckeyes currently -1. With the 3-point home bump for the home team, and Autzen is likely worth more than 3 points, Ohio State is closer to -4. Oregon Football Opening Lines for Four "Games of the Year" WWW.YARDBARKER.COM Sports wagering has taken over much of the American landscape over the past few years, and college football is no different. Circa Sports has released their College Football Games of the Year... Which B12 QB will have the better season? Dillon Gabriel or Will Howard? What will the game weather conditions be in Ann Arbor and Madison in November? Will the football gods be kind when it comes to injuries? Will the Ohio State D be as dominant as it looks on paper? Will Michigan's D be able to carry the Wolverines? No matter how good a team looks on paper in the preseason, over 12 games how will the ball bounce? FanDuel has the Oregon Over/Under at 10.5. The Ducks have to go 11-1 to collect. As much as I love OBD, this is a B1G preseason ask.

Maize and Blue's take on six games that will impact the 2024 season. One-third of the listed games involve the Ducks. Undefeated? With the 11th most difficult SOS in the nation and 8 games in a row without a break including playing in the Big House and Madison, Wisconsin in November. That's a B1G ask. Six games on the Big Ten schedule that could shape the conference and playoff races WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM There will be major implications all year long in the Big Ten.

The 2 Os showed Portal Picking Prowess. Evaluating each Big Ten program’s transfer portal additions and subtractions: Part 1 WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM There has been a lot of movement in the Big Ten this offseason, and we’re here to recap it all!

How about Grand Dad and my Son who thanks to my Son's lady delivered a new Grand Daughter on a special Father's Day for this Olde Man! HUZZAH!

Not only the seeding but also the locations of the games. 4 game sites are in Dixie. The title game is in Atlanta and many of the Playoff predictions would have SEC teams hosting 3 of the 4 1st-round games. Other than assuring that an undefeated P4 champ will not be left out, the Playoff format for 2024-25 and 2025-26 will foment many unhappy campers.

Red Hill, Australia. It's closing in on winter Down Under. When do the ski lifts in Red Hill open? 😊 Interesting bit of horse racing history I ran across yesterday. 1923, a jockey riding his horse in a race with parimutuel betting, suffered a fatal heart attack halfway through the race. He stayed mounted and won the race! I'd say that was a heart-stopping win.😍

My friend, I get the angst, and absolutely no chiding intended, but CFB, especially at the P2 level is a B1G business. The only group I am worried about being priced out are the students. Today's students are tomorrow's boosters and super fans. Unlike the 'Good Olde Days,' media coverage of this game will be voluminous and available on TV worldwide, Today, you can watch the game on network TV without having to pay for this heavy-weight fight as a one-off sporting event. Not too long from now, the 'Good Olde Days' will be today. In 2031 Oregon is predicted to bring in $100M plus annual media revenue. The B1G will continue to be the conference leader in revenue. You can't make this money and expect Linfield College ticket prices. Again, I get your angst. On the Right Coast, the angst will be exacerbated by a 7:30 to 8 PM Eastern kick-off. On The Sunny Side, we're less than fifty days away from the start of a much-anticipated season; with even more eyeballs on the prize than the 4M+ plus who watched Oregon play in 2023. Vanquish the Vandals!

Both Os are expected to be 5-0 when the Buckeyes visit Autzen on 10/12/24. The after-market for tickets will be 3X the face value, at least. The Big Noon will be in town and if not entirely SED-centric, so will GameDay.

Jay Bilas: "When it comes to Dante the NCAA belongs in the 7th circle." Jay Bilas sounds off on NCAA after deplorable N’Faly Dante decision DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM ESPN’s Jay Bilas sounded off on the NCAA after their denial of Oregon Ducks center N’Faly Dante’s appeal this past week.

Inside Ohio State's pursuit of the No. 1 recruiting class amid a dream offseason WWW.NYTIMES.COM After stumbling on the field, Ohio State retained top talent and won in the transfer portal. Now, it's dominating in recruiting too. A battle of the Os.

Using the FPI to arrive at 2024 SOS is senseless. Ranking Oregon Football’s Strength Of Schedule for 2024 WWW.YARDBARKER.COM The Oregon Ducks Football team is ranked second, behind only Georgia, in the ESPN College Football Power Index (FPI). However, their strength of schedule (SOS) checks in at number... Sports Illustrated has the Ducks 2024 SOS ranked No. 12. Any SOS that does not consider Oregon playing 4 games in a row with Game 6 at Michigan in November and game 8 at Wisconsin in November is worthless. College Football Strength of Schedule Rankings for 2024 WWW.SI.COM Playing a high-quality schedule is more important now than ever before as the College Football Playoff puts more weight onto teams' opponents before deciding to

Another baffling decision. Another 'student-athlete' who has done 'everything' right and is arbitrarily benched. If I had a ticket to practice in Oregon I'd offer the young man my services pro bono. Sue the motherless SOBs including a claim that the NCAA is denying a college athlete the opportunity to market his NIL. I'm asking the judge for a TRO until the case is adjudicated. Cam Rising is in his sixth season at Utah. The NCAA has rolled over when it comes to any kind of transfer regulation. What do 'these fools' not 'get?'

UW every season. SC in 2025, 2026, and 2028. Ohio State 2024, 2026, and 2027

B12 Commissioner: "Please VCers, save my conference and my job." I don't see any private capital group buying 20% of the B12 without locking in all 16 teams for as close to perpetuity as possible. Arizona for one desperately needs the money. But does Arizona in the long term want to be left out of the coming Super Conference? Located near Denver and the Broncos, are the Buffs ready to surrender a Super Conference chance? Why would CU and Houston agree to take the same share as Baylor and Cincinnati? In the same situation would Ohio State sell its portion of the conference equity for the same consideration as Purdue? NFL owners share media revenue equally. This does not mean the Jagures have the same market value as the NY Giants. BTW, if 20% of the 16 teams B12 is worth $1B, what are the 16 teams SEC and the 18 teams B1G worth? This is an aggressive look for the B12 but any financial gap the B12 closes with the B1G and the SEC will not be closed for long.

Thanks, NJ for the B1G posts. Post Spring Win Totals Big Ten football’s updated win total odds following spring ball CORNHUSKERSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Comparing every win total for the Big Ten for the 2024 season. Where does Nebraska rank among their peer 11 bowl-eligible teams? IMO, 14 teams will be bowl-eligible. Minnesota at 4.5 - Take the Over. Iowa 7.5? Phil Steele has OREGON, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Iowa in the 2024 Playoff. Looking at the schedule it's difficult to see more than 3 losses for the Hawkeyes. I also believe that 7.5 for USC with SC missing both OREGON and Ohio State, warrants an Over bet.

Fight On? USC didn’t move the Big Ten needle in 2024 transfer portal TROJANSWIRE.USATODAY.COM USC did not get great results in the Big Ten transfer portal.

The Oregon football team this season has two visits to the Eastern time zone, Purdue and Michigan, and one trip to the Central time zone, Wisconsin. Thank you HDuck for pointing out the obvious, The folks in charge of B1G scheduling for all sports will do everything they can to limit travel for every sport. For money-ball athletes hoping to go pro, I believe that this travel is not a B1G deal. As I have posted before, in the 1930s, Minnesota in its 3-peat NCAA football title run, traveled 8 days round trip to play UW in Seattle. No one was worried about 'Little Sven's' physical let alone mental health. The same kind of trip was 'endured' by SC and Notre Dame football players who suffered on a train ride from LA to South Bend and vice versa. Back in the day, Babe Ruth and his Yankees had to endure train rides as far west as St. Louis. The precursor of the NBA, The Basketball Association of America players traveled via bus. Thank you for separating fact from myriad whining regarding the health of athletes in their late teens and early 20s. Is any player representing America in the upcoming Paris Olympics traveling by boat?

The NCAA, B1G, and the SEC are already slammed by antitrust suits. And the House case settlement does nothing to stop future antitrust and other lawsuits. The answer is not to bend over for folks proposing an 80-team Super Conference, or a diminution of the Power 2, but to arrive at a 32, maybe more, Super Conference, comprised of programs with the money to play championship ball. With the panache to be watched by 4+ M viewers a game, and with the ability to negotiate with a players' consortium. To take a negotiated player consortium agreement to Congress, and conditioning said agreement on Congress providing the same protections against liabilty as afforded the NFL. There is no satisfactory 'middle ground.' There is no longer room for a CFB playoff tied into bowl games. There is every reason to negotiate restraints on transfers, a salary cap, to implement a high school player draft, and to reap the benefits from the consequent lowering of CFB coaches' salaries: (Dabo,10M a year? DeBoer, $10.5 M a year?) and the rewards from Ohio State playing Michigan and not Oregon playing Idaho. 19M viewers watched Ohio State play Michigan last season. And Northwestern received the same media revenue cut as the Buckeyes? There is every reason to follow the lead of the billionaires NFL owners who could kill one another off in a bidding war but instead agree to a structure that does not allow the richest owner to trample on a 'poorer' owner. The owners made peace with one another on the media front, and with their player-employees, thereby creating a structure protected from litigation by Congress. Do I like 'THIS?' Heck no. But this is the natural progression of any system that has turned itself over to capitalism. Size goes to size in business. Decades ago, college athletics sold itself to the media for millions of dollars. The workers in every capitalistic enterprise will find a way to be paid. The market has already parsed Oregon from Oregon State in a B1G way and will continue to do so. Geographically logical consortiums for nonrevenue sports, I get, But where will the money come from? Perhaps tennis and golf should return to being club sports.

Thank you Mr. Fishduck for the well-deserved grimace to scenario one. But there are more friendly Playoff projections. But still with many questions and quandaries. How about a B1G Bonanza Playoff, courtesy of Phil Steele? Sugar Bowl - 1. Georgia vs. 9 Alabama at 8. Notre Dame Peach Bowl - 4. Miami (!) vs. 12. G5 at 5.OREGON. How delicious this could be for the Ducks. Rose Bowl - 2. Ohio State vs. 10. Michigan at 7. Penn State Fiesta Bowl - 3 Utah vs. 11 Iowa at 6 Texas SEC Snivels - 5 B1G teams and 3 SEC teams. Notre Dame! Only 1 1st round game in Dixie? If Stelle sharpens Stelle how can Stelle not know that it just means more? A B1G hamburger and not a Big Beef. What's with the all-Rose Bowl B1G seeding? The Committee tells us that seeding will not be influenced by 1st round conference rematches but Come ON! Disney and ESPN want an all-B1G Rose Bowl? Ohio State vs. one of two B1G teams the Buckeyes already played and defeated? With the House settlement pending, We Need the Dues! I don't think so. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A 'Just Right' Playoff Courtesy of ESPN's Bill Connelly's SP+. Sugar Bowl - 1. Georgia vs. 9. Penn State at 8. Alabama Fiesta Bowl - 4. Utah vs. 12. Memphis at 5. Oregon Rose Bowl - 2. Ohio State vs. 10 Ole Miss at 7. Michigan Peach Bowl - 3. Florida State vs. 11.Notre Dame at 6. Texas Two 1st-round games hosted by B1G teams and two by SEC teams. Four SEC teams. Four B1G teams. Notre Dame? OK, how about we Playoff exclude the 'Conference of Notre Dame' come 2026. In 2026 if the B1G and the SEC do not want an independent Notre Dame in the Playoff mix? Domers gone. On December 8, 2024, going from a four-team playoff to twelve-team playoff will increase and not diminish the criticism of the Playoff Committe. Come 2026, go to the 16 top ranked teams being seeded, regardless of conference affiliation with no byes. And the first two rounds, at least, should be played on campus. But its easier, easier said than done.

With a 12-team college football Playoff on hand, we have as many preseason Playoff predictions as we have Top 25 projections. 2024 will not give us, thank goodness the Florida State predicament that the Playoff Committee handed us in 2023. For the next two seasons, the four Power-4 conference champions are in the field along with a representative from the G5. If Utah wins the B12 with a record of 10-3, even if ranked outside of the top 12 by the Committee, Utah is not only in the Playoff but seeded in the top four and accordingly, receiving a 1st-round bye. The Top 25 rankings may satisfy the majority of fans However, the Committee's choice of the seven at-large participants and the seeding of the field is certain to have fans burning Committee members in effigy, at least. Having the Committee release four Top 25 rankings before the final ranking on December 8, 2024, is cruel and unusual punishment for the Grapevine gurus. The Committee should go public on December 8, 2024, and reveal its Delightful Dozen as seeded. Then, run for cover. However, ESPN, the entity writing the checks, says otherwise. Thus, it will be otherwise. The following are three Playoff predictions out of dozens upon dozens of Playoff predictions. One B1G, one SEC, and one that could be 'Just Right?' All predictions below were released after Spring Practices and after the 2nd wave of portal picking. The SEC smiles and Greg Sankey jumps for joy, courtesy of USA Today. Sugar Bowl - 1. Georgia vs. 9. Notre Dame at 8. Ole Miss Fiesta Bowl - Utah vs. 12. G5 at 5. Texas Rose Bowl - 2. Ohio State vs. 10. Oklahoma at 7. Alabama Peach Bowl - 3. Clemson vs. 11. Missouri at 6. OREGON B1G Beefs: No. 11 Michigan is the first team out. Notre Dame played a 12-game easy-peasy schedule and would knock out a B1G team. Utah ranked 12th by USA Today is the fourth seed with a first-round bye and No. 4-ranked Oregon has to play Missouri in the first-round. Texas, ranked No. 3, hosts the G5 representative. Three of the four first-round games will be played on SEC campuses. Defeat Missouri and Oregon's 'reward' is to travel to Atlanta to play 10th-ranked Clemson an hour a one and a half hour drive from the Clemson campus. It Just Means! But this much more? Six SEC teams that played eight conference games are in the Playoff; two B1G teams that played nine conference games. Hey, Y'All, we're having a party in Birmingham!