Jon Joseph

With the release of the NFL 2024-25 schedules, this formation of Venue by Warner and what were once fierce competitors ESPN and Fox is not the only broadcast news that will affect college football (CFB.) (With a new Venu on the way, is it any surprise that Fox did not bid to broadcast CFB playoff games? Any surprise that the B1G/Fox and the SEC/ESPN have formed a 'partnership' that instead of the NCAA, will lead the way in big-time CFB?) The NFL asked the CFB playoff committee not to schedule a playoff triple-header on Saturday, December 21, 2024. The playoff committee scheduled the triple header. In response, the NFL scheduled a double-header on the same Saturday, Mahomes vs Stroud, KC vs Houston, and Pitt vs Baltimore. CFB games draw very good viewer numbers, but not close to what the NFL Goliath draws. The Saturday, December NFL broadcasts were once the purview of the NFL Network. The two games scheduled by the NFL on the 21st will be broadcast by NBC and Fox. Two B1G broadcast partners. Is this any way to treat your 'minor league?' If you believe CFB will continue to consolidate until there is an AFL Division, the Big Ten, and an NFL Division, the SEC, and that an NFL-Lite is inevitable, why concern yourself with protecting what could be the biggest Saturday in the history of CFB? You, I, and the average CFB fan could see this coming from a mile away. Just like we foresaw the disaster that was playing the 4-team semifinal games on New Year's Eve. Yet, no one led the way for the CFB season to uniformly begin on Week Zero. Today to play on Week Zero requires a waiver from the NCAA. No one led the way to have one and not two idle weeks in 2024, with half of the FBS teams idle on Week 6 and the other half idle on Week 7. Make the above suggested entirely logical changes and not only is there Peace by and between CFB and the NFL, but the 2024-25 CFB Playoff Champion game could be played a week earlier on January 14, 2025, if not sooner. David Marsh posted a great comment on this article. Follow the money or the lack thereof. The broadcast powers-that-be will figure out a way to outfox (Fox?) antitrust laws and make a profit. Ergo, a new Venu.

I do not think that the team ranked No. 12 by the committee will accept being replaced by a G5 team. I don't think teams ranked 3 and 4 will be happy about being bumped out of the top 4 by lower-ranked ACC and B12 teams and having to win 3 and not 2 games to make it to the champ game. And teams ranked 7+8 knocked out of a home game by the ACC and B12 champs, if the champs are ranked lower, will not be happy about playing the first-round game on the road instead of at home. Your macro view is spot on. But the format for the playoffs in 2024 and 2025 is such that there will be several unhappy campers. How about a 10-2 Notre Dame knocking out a 10-3 team that lost in its conference champ game? This happens to Oregon and I will be a very ticked-off Ducks fan. That the playoff format will change in 2026 is a safe bet.

Get your popcorn and Guinness, ready! When does the 2024 college football season start? WWW.NCAA.COM Here's everything you need to know for the start of the 2024 college football season. The first games are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24.

The Ducks, not the Buckeyes, picked to win the B1G! Predicting the Winner of Each College Football Conference in 2024 BLEACHERREPORT.COM Conference championships are always a marquee goal, but these titles take on extra meaning in 2024 and beyond. As the College Football Playoff expands to 12…

I agree with this take. There will be more furor over who's in and out with a 12-team PO field than a 4-team field. https://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-insiders-new-challenges-committee-12-team-playoff

Athlon - 6 most improved CFB teams in 2024. Miami? I'll believe it only when I see it. The 8/31 opener at Florida is a 'prove it' game for UF's Billy Napier and Mari(o.) The UF QB transfer from Wisconsin, Grahm Mertz, played well for the Gators last season and is back in 2024. Will Cam Ward play up to expectations for Miami? https://athlonsports.com/college-football/college-footballs-most-improved-teams-for-2024#gid=ci02dd8324300026ce&pid=college-footballs-most-improved-tea VA Tech is my dark, dark horse to win the ACC.

The Ducks are getting a lot of bang from the Athletic Department bucks. Takeaways from 2023 athletic department budgets: Who does the most with the least in the SEC? WWW.SATURDAYDOWNSOUTH.COM Athletic department budgets for fiscal year 2023 have been released at programs from across the country. This article looks at B1G athletic department budgets along with the SEC. Is something missing from the calculation of the Oregon budget? The budget is that far behind SC's budget? No comprende.

And get ready for a Vandals invasion on 8/31. 100 days to college football - Top games, players, contenders - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM With 100 days until Florida State and Georgia Tech kickoff in Ireland it's time to get excited about what's ahead: From new conference games to a new playoff.

Kick 'em when they're up, Kick 'em when they're down, Kick 'em all around. They're nothing but dirty laundry. I'd give them credit for hosing over the Pac-10 but sucking off of long-time suckers is not worthy of Kudos. Now, about that game in Corvallis? Some of the kicks should be directed at the posteriors of the Pac-10's Fearless, Clueless, "leaders." Rob, are you there?

SC misses Oregon and Ohio State in 2024 and the Trojans play Penn State, Wisconsin, and Nebraska in LA. Michigan on the road will be tough but the rest of the conference road games are not daunting. SC brings a Blue Chip roster into the B1G where only it, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan have Blue Chip rosters. And the speed that baffled Louisville in the bowl game will be superior to that of the majority of B1G teams. The D improves and even if SC is blown out by LSU and Notre Dame, which I do not think will happen, SC could be a serious contender to play for a B1G title in Indianapolis. Yes SC is arrogant but I would not count SC out of contending for the conference title. On 10/13/24, one of Oregon or Ohio State will have a conference loss.

COL in South Carolina is great. You cannot smoke weed but you can marry your 1st cousin. 🤣

Athlon ranks the difficulty of 2024 B1G OOC schedules. I have no idea why Ohio State is not in last place, 18th, or 17th on this list. I think Oregon at No. 6 may be too high. I agree that the scene in Corvallis will be rowdy. https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-ranking-2024-nonconference-schedules

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/fans-fueding-joel-klatt-top-college-football-atmosphere-lsu-oregon-penn-state-clemson-alabama You cannot please all of the people all of the time.

Top Coaches under pressure in 2024. Dabo Swinney, Lincoln Riley, Ryan Day among top-25 college football coaches facing pressure in 2024 season - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Despite a lofty ranking, 2024 could be crunch-time for these top coaches

Where's Baghdad Bob when you need him? ACC commissioner Jim Phillips bullish on league even with futures of Florida State, Clemson up in air - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM The conference is currently embroiled in multiple lawsuits with Florida State and Clemson as the two schools legally challenge the ACC's grant of rights It's All Good!

QB or not QB? (Sorry, Will.) Quarterback uncertainty for rivals Michigan, Ohio State - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM The conference race as well as the College Football Playoff could be determined by the signal-caller success at these two rivals in 2024.

NJ, would that be a hotel in Philly or Pittsburgh? I imagine it is extremely difficult to find lodging near the stadium and if found, I imagine it would not be cheap. With the game likely to be played after dark, maybe we should all meet in NJ and drive up the day of the game? Whiteouts work for almost every team not named Michigan or Ohio State. Penn State misses its nemesis Michigan in 2024 and 2025. The Nittany Lions play at W VA OOC in 2024. In 2025 the OOC opponents are the Nevada Wold Pack, FIU Panthers, and the Villanova Wildcats. This cupcake smorgasbord continues in the regular season with Michigan off the schedule in 2024 and 2025. Extrapolating preseason ranked teams in 2024 into 2025, Penn State in 2025 has two top 25 games, at Ohio State and versus Oregon. The rest of the conference schedule is filled out with games vs. Iowa in Iowa City, not an easy out, at Michigan State, Rutgers, UCLA, with Indiana, Nebraska, and Northwestern at home. So indeed, in 2025, Oregon will be a Whiteout game. It looks like the conference is trying to make up for the season PSU defeated Ohio State and won the conference but Ohio State went to the BCS, and all of those other 10-2 seasons, that PSU was not 4-team playoff-worthy. Ohio State in 2024 and Penn State, kind of in 2024 and definitely in 2025, have 'playoff here we come' designed schedules. In 2025 the Ducks miss both Ohio State and Michigan but do play unless Rob switches the game to playing Wazzu in Pullman, possibly defending B12 champ Oklahoma State at home. Super-sized conference schedules will vary widely in difficulty from one season to the next. The game at Penn State will be awesome and it will also be nice in 2025 to welcome SC to Autzen.

Performance in high school is no guarantee of performance at the next level. Ditto superior performance in college leading to success in the NFL. One reason why CFB coaches today have to recruit both high schools and the portal with success. Dan and his friends check both boxes.

This is one of the reasons the B1G and the SEC formed a 'whatever you want to call it but not an Alliance.' Now there is leadership leading the way out of this morass. The NCAA has proven incapable of resolving any litigation, except the McNair case and a few other suits involving individual and not class action claims, with multi-millions of dollars paid in legal fees to defend the indefensible. The Power 2 conferences are aware that the settlement of this matter will likely lead to a schism between the athletic department haves and the have-nots. Settlement of this matter is critical to CFB and Men's CBB in particular getting anti-trust and other relief from Congress. Without Congressional protection 'House-like' claims will continue to be filed. The Pac-12 is the gift that keeps on giving. Glenn House was a swimmer at ASU.

And going head-to-head at least twice a season. Now, which guy am I going to root for? Probably Bo, JH already broke the bank with his second contract.

You never know the hour or the day. Rest-In-Peace. Thanks for all of the terrific articles.

Michigan's Maize + Brew website has a take on Oregon CBB joining the B1G. Big Ten hoops additions: What to expect from Oregon WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM The Ducks face a rebuilding year, or do they?

The Pac-12? Riiiiiiiiiiight. Are conference games conference games when you cannot compete for a conference title? The PIG 2 is paying millions of dollars to the MW for this inventory. If a deal with CW for under $10M is a 'good deal' you are sucking a dirigible's worth of gas. What a joke, the 2 are hanging on and outside the G5 to reap all of the money they 'stole' from the Pac-10.

We're No. 1! Hammerin’ the B1G: 5 matchups in the new Big Ten I’m most excited to see SATURDAYTRADITION.COM The Big Ten schedule looks a lot different this fall, and there are some first-time B1G matchups that deserve extra attention in 2024.

College Football News takes on B1G conference football in 2024. https://collegefootballnews.com/news/big-ten-2024-college-football-primer-top-players-games-transfers-storylines- predictions And here's CFN's look at the other P2 conference. https://collegefootballnews.com/news/sec-2024-college-football-primer-top-players-games-transfers-storylines-predictions