Jon Joseph

Charles, thanks for the thanks and the showing of the Bowdoin College mascot, the Polar Bear! Tigers, Lions, Wildcats, get lost! The Polar Bear's effort at ball balancing resembles how Bowdoin plays football. Thank goodness for ice hockey.

Thanks, Mike. Always appreciate your takes and thoughts. In 2023, both attendance and viewership were up for CFB. NIL and the portal gave the playoff committee a 5 for 4 spots nightmare that had FSU waking up screaming. A perfect send-off for the BCS x 2 that masqueraded as a 'Playoff.' With the demise of the Pac-12, the format for the 2024 and 2025 playoffs is screwed up. Higher-ranked teams will be seeded lower than lesser-ranked teams. You do not see this in the CBB tourney which is one reason the format for the next two seasons will not be the playoff format come 2026 and thereafter. Why are things moving so fast? Because things are out of the control of the NCAA and the conference commissioners. Court and regulatory decisions are forcing change to occur at Mercury-like speed. This plus the creation of a Power 2 that needs other conferences only to avoid litigation. 2031 for the ACC? I give the ACC as-is three more years if that. Clemson, FSU, UNC, and a 4th join the SEC. Notre Dame and another team deemed worthy by the B1G powers-that-be (this includes Fox) join the B1G. The B12 does not have a team with a Blue Chip Roster. One B12 team finished in the 2024 recruiting rankings, Texas Tech at No. 24. Again, other than to avoid litigation, why would the B1G and SEC need the ACC, B12, and G5? Why 2 spots for the ACC and the B12 in the playoff format the B1G/SEC have proposed come 2026? Will the ACC and the B12 have more than one team in the field come the 2024 playoff? With the G5 having a spot and Notre Dame on the scene, probably not. College football in 2024 is a capitalistic enterprise. In the Darwinian world of capitalism, the big fish swallow the little fish. Do I personally like this? No. I'd rather go back to the pre-BCS days, with a 10-team Pac-10, having to be more than mediocre to play in a bowl game, intense regional rivalries, and collegiality among competitors. Not happening. On the other hand, do I want to go back to only one college football game being broadcast on Saturday? Heck No! Thanks again, Mike. Direct pay-for-play, negotiations with a players' union, and an 'official' Super League with anti-trust and other protection against liability afforded by Congress are coming and will, like it or not, be here sooner than we can expect. No matter where CFB 'ends up', Puddles will have a nesting place, a fine-feathered one.

Here is typical irrelevant Congressional outrage. A body that could have offered the NCAA a shield from antitrust and other litigation and failed to do so. Players profiting off their own NIL, not only in football but across the board in both men's and women's sports have ruined college athletics. Come On Man! US Rep blames greed of several CFB programs for 'ruining the sport' with NIL FLYWAREAGLE.COM US Rep Brendan Boyle, a democrat from Pennsylvania, accused a few college football programs for ruining the sport -- this in response to the subcommittee of the

Mike, totally agree with Ducksters's kudos. I always appreciate your posts. Spot on regarding Ohio State having a far easier schedule than Oregon in 2024. Oregon's 2024 opponents finished 101-57 in 2023. Ohio State's finished 83-71. Ohio State plays 8 games in Columbus, and Oregon plays 7 (thanks, Rob.) In 2024, Oregon has 8 weeks with no off week. Ohio State's longest stretch is 6 games at the end of the season. In this stretch, 2 of the Duck's last 4 games will be played in Ann Arbor and Madison in November. In its stretch, Ohio State plays 2 away games, at NW, where it will have more fans than the Wildcats, and at Penn State. The Nittany Lions have not defeated the Buckeyes since 2016. Taking down Ohio State in Eugene could be a necessity if Oregon wants to play in the B1G champ game in Indianapolis in December.

Great post, Hayward. I'll take Bama over the Horns every day of the week and every week in a given year. Texas except on a few occasions under Mack Brown has been all hat and no cattle. Hats off to Sark for getting UT to the playoff but except for UW's last possession Texas was outcoached. Texas was running the ball down UW's throat, like Michigan did in the champ game, and did not run enough plays on the ground. I think that Texas going into 2024, although like Ohio State the Horns have a relatively easy conference schedule, and Michigan is the only one of 4 OOC teams with a heartbeat, is overrated. Texas won a weak B12 last season. Texas lost to Oklahoma last season and was fortunate not to rematch with OK in the B12 champ game. (Would Dillon have stayed for this game?) And playing the PO semifinal in Dixie benefitted the Horns. Alabama under Saban was dominant. Especially in the 4-team playoff decade. Saban set a standard that will be difficult for any other program to match. Especially today with NIL, no restraint on transfers, and a more difficult road to a conference championship in the SEC and the B1G. Texas lost all of its top WRs. Lost its two best RBs. Lost the core of its DL. And is Sark ready to outcoach Kirby, Kiffin, Kelly, and DeBoer? Is Texas a lock to defeat Oklahoma in 2024? No. The first one is the hardest. But as of today, one Oregon championship would be great to see; especially at my age.

UW and Michigan are on this list; a list you do not want to be on. At the same time. Oregon is a 'lock' to make the 2024 playoff. 5 college football teams that will be worse than you think in 2024 FANSIDED.COM Not every college football blue-blood is going to have a spectacular 2024 season. Here are five teams who could be markedly worse than before.

Duckster, as we said in Boston for eight decades: Wait Until Next Year!

Fan Nation, a member of the SI family has this prediction of the 2024 playoff field. https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/ncaa-football-rankings/college-football-predictions-2024-playoff-teams-rankings#gid=ci02d7a15f4000265e&pid=3-clemson Fan Nation is in error as to the location of 2nd round games that will be played in NY6 bowls and not on the campus of the top 4 ranked teams.

First and foremost, thanks to my Editor, who is well aware that I need all of the help I can get. Correction. Although Mark Schlabach on occasion appears on the Big Ten Network (BTN) it is Sport's Illustrated Pat Forde who makes the weekly appearance on BTN during the football season. Forde's Delightful Dozen Playoff teams based on his adjusted top 25 ranking on 1/29/24 - 1. Georgia - SEC vs. 9. Missouri - SEC at 8. Notre Dame - Independent 4. Arizona - B12 vs. 12. Boise State - G5 at 5. Texas - SEC 2. Ohio State - B1G vs. 10. Alabama - SEC at 7. Ole Miss - SEC 3. FSU - ACC - vs. 11. Penn State - B1G at 6. OREGON - B1G Arizona is ranked by Forde at No. 12. FSU is ranked by Forde at No. 10. These two should be seeded in the top 4 with a 1st round bye. Heck No! The 2024 and 2025 playoff format and not the 3-3-2-2-1- 3 AL model with the B1G and the SEC champs having a 1st round bye in a 14-team playoff. makes sense. It is the next two seasons' format that is 'preposterous.' Notre Dame? Fairly easy schedule but with Wake transfer Sam Hartman at QB in 2023, the Irish barely cracked the top 50 in passing. Duke's Riley Leonard is going to make a significant difference, I doubt it. Especially with Notre Dame's top 3 receivers transferring out. I think that LSU and not one of the 5 SEC teams Forde predicts, will be in the playoff. Missouri's strength of schedule is the weakest in the SEC but Mizzou lost its DC to LSU and its top players on defense to the draft. SC does not play Oregon and Ohio State in 2024. The Trojans play Penn State in LA. I think that SC could along with Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State, make the 12-team field. It will be very interesting to see how far Michigan retrogresses with a weak QB room, a new OL, 4 starters back on D, and Texas, USC, Oregon, UW, and Ohio State on the schedule.

John, great thought. I know it's (ridiculously) complicated but finishing ranked fifth in the committee's final ranking will most likely bring with it a 7 or lower playoff seed. In 2024 and 2025, the 8 seed is the cutoff to host a 1st round game. The top 4 seeds will in all likelihood be the champions of the B1G, SEC, ACC, and B12. This at best would push the No. 5 ranked team to the 7th seed; lower if the B1G/SEC champ and another B1G/SEC team were ranked in the top 4. For example, taking the 2023 final ranking, both Bama and Texas would have been ranked in the top 4, with one of the 2 being seeded 5th. On two occasions, in the 4-team playoff, both Michigan and Ohio State were ranked in the top 4. THIS is one of the key reasons why the format in 2026 will be changed from 2024/25.

In Your Face Wazzu! Paul Finebaum rightly blasts ‘fake outrage’ to proposed CFP format SATURDAYTRADITION.COM Paul Finebaum went off when it comes to the outrage to a proposed CFP model that would award the SEC and Big Ten more automatic bids. IMO, a justified duplicate post.

Pawalllll! Paul Finebaum rightly blasts ‘fake outrage’ to proposed CFP format SATURDAYTRADITION.COM Paul Finebaum went off when it comes to the outrage to a proposed CFP model that would award the SEC and Big Ten more automatic bids. In this instance, I think Finebaum is Spot On!

We're Avis! We try harder! And will Howard at QB for the Bucks be all that? https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-spring-2024-power-rankings

Move up to June? College football adding a 3rd signing period would be a sensible fix to a problem with no clear solution WWW.SATURDAYDOWNSOUTH.COM NCAA leaders are expected to discuss adding a 3rd signing period for high school recruits this week, according to a report.

A good explanation of the new rules here. IMO, I see no reason for a 2 Minute Warning. Just an excuse for more advertisements. What the new college football rules allow and do not allow BAMAHAMMER.COM It took the Michigan sign-stealing scandal to do it, but college football is finally embracing the use of modern technology during games. A soon-to-be-passed ne

Thanks, Duckster. Great post. Here's some ammo to support Oregon being an 'Elite Program.' And also in support of the B1G and the SEC having 3 automatic qualifiers in the proposed 14-team playoff field in 2026. ESPN+ (paywall) Bill Connolly in an article posted today, ranked the top 86 programs that appeared in one or more Playoff Committee (PO Ct) Top 25 ranking during the 4-team decade-long playoff 'era.' Connolly also posted the average SP+ ranking for each team ranked. 1. Alabama - 127-14 - SP+ 1st/ 2. Clemson - 119-20 - SP+ 3rd/ 3. Ohio State - 115-15 - SP+ 2nd - Only program other than Bama ranked in all of the PO Ct's 60 Top 25 rankings/ 4. Georgia 119-22 - SP+ 3rd, tied with Clemson at 3rd/ 5. Michigan - 94-32 - SP+ 5th/ 6. Oklahoma - 102-29 - SP+ 6th/ 7. LSU - 90-38 - SP+ 7th - 8. OREGON - 90-38 - SP+ 17th (Puddles punches way above the SP+ ranking) - Bill Connolly: "Top 15 each of the last 5 years. 5 NY6 and 1 Title appearance. 9 weeks in PO Ct top 4. Tied with Oklahoma for 9th most ranked in final AP Polls. As many wins as LSU, and as many NY 6/Playoff games as Michigan. More conference titles than Georgia. But Oregon does not have a national title." 9. Notre Dame and 10. Washington. Eight B1G teams are in the Top 25 of the rankings; SC just misses the cut at No. 26. 7 SEC teams are in the Top 25. 15 B1G and SEC teams ranked in the Top 25 = 60% of the ranked teams. 6 automatic qualifiers from the B1G and the SEC (3 apiece) = 42.85% of a 14-team playoff field. Are the Power 2 asking for enough? Oregon is in the top 10 in the 4-team playoff decade and arguably 'Elite.' However, as Connolly notes, no title for OBD as of yet. Maybe in 2024? BTW, our 'buddies at Oregon State are ranked No. 72. 46-72 with an SP grade of - (minus!) 3.1 - 74th.

247 Sports ranking of 2024's 15 most difficult schedules. 9 SEC teams. 5 B1G teams. 1 ACC team. ZERO B12 teams. And TCU's Sonny Dykes thinks that the B1G/SEC playoff proposal is "preposterous?" What is perhaps "preposterous" is guaranteeing 2 ACC teams and 2 B12 teams spots in the 14-team field. Leave out the entire B12 and how much less media money would the B1G and the SEC receive? Not much. And how much of a hit would the Power 2 take if Clemson, FSU, and UNC were not in the ACC but in the SEC and Notre Dame was a B1G member? Not much. College football's 15 toughest schedules in 2024, ranked 247SPORTS.COM Several national championship contenders have a gauntlet to prepare for in 2024.

247 Sports ranking of the 10 easiest schedules in 2024 supports the B1G/SEC 3-3-2-2-1-3 AL Playoff format. 5 ACC teams on the list. 4 B12 teams. 1 SEC team. Why would anyone trust a PO Committee that since 2014 has valued wins and losses and paid little or no attention to SOS? College football's easiest schedules for 2024 season, ranked 247SPORTS.COM Go ahead and pencil in a bowl berth for these teams based on scheduling.

More Dennis Dodd. 24 Things for Spring: College football teams, names, storylines you need to know entering the 2024 season - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM From expanded conferences to Ohio State going all in, there's plenty to watch and follow this spring

Danno on the Big Ten Network. Thursday, July 25th. One of the 18 B1G HCs to be interviewed in July. Oregon will have much better and more coverage on BTN than on Larry's Loser Network. Big Ten Media Days 2024 schedule, dates: Expanded list of coaches set for three-day event in Indianapolis - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Big Ten coaches will set a tone for the 2024 season as the league expands to 18 teams

I know the B1G is an 18-team conference and only plays 9 conference games, but looking at the schedules through 2028, a B1G team could finish 3rd at 7-2 in the conference but would play ranked B1G teams including a highly ranked team in the B1G champ game. As to out-of-conference games, the B1G schools are not ducking anyone. Oregon plays potential B12 champ OK St in 2025 and 2026. This season Michigan plays Texas. In 2025, Michigan plays at Oklahoma and Ohio State plays Texas. Ohio State also plays Texas in 2026 and Alabama in 2027 and 2028. This season both UCLA and USC play LSU. Purdue and USC play Notre Dame. Wisconsin plays Alabama. I'm not certain the B1G and the SEC champs should be the top 2 seeds every season but I am certain when looking back to the beginning of the BCS and accounting for the 2024 conference realignment that the B1G and the SEC would have had 3 teams in a 14 team playoff field every season. Accordingly, why should the Power 2 trust 13 people who 'operate in the dark' to determine the field? On several occasions from the start of the 4-team playoff in 2014, two SEC and 2 B1G teams made the field. The ACC and the B12 never came close to doing this. Again, accounting for conference realignment, in 2023, one ACC and one B12 team would have been in the field. And without the B1G and the SEC dominating the field, what would ESPN or any other media entity be willing to pay for broadcast right?

Thank you, NJ. This will be Dillon Gabriel's 6th and not 5th season of college football. Do you think The Portal matters? Offense - 6 transfers: Gabriel; Tez Johnson; Stewart (due to QB injuries among other issues, I think it is a stretch to call Stewart a 'star' at A+M but he has star potential; Holden: Cornelius; and Brewer from Indiana. Defense - 7 transfers: Caldwell; Burch; Jacobs; Muhammad; Alexander; Savage; and Johnson. That's some fine Portal Picking.

Dennis Dodd has revised his 2024 Top 25 in light of Nick Saban, hanging it up, Jim Harbaugh returning to the NFL, Kalen DeBoer taking Saban's place at Alabama, Jedd Fisch moving to UW, with Brent Brennan the new HC at AZ, Cam Ward committing to Miami, and other "minor" differences in CFB since Michigan took down UW for the 2023/24 title. College football rankings: Georgia, Ohio State, Texas lead top 25 entering spring practices for 2024 season - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM The Bulldogs remain in the top spot, but the Buckeyes are lurking after making a splash this offseason A few thoughts on Dodd's recent Top 25. Is Dodd unaware that CBS is no longer the SEC's broadcast partner? Dodd has eight SEC teams in his Top 25, six B12 teams, five B1G and ACC teams, and one Independent, Notre Dame. Georgia is ranked No. 1, no surprise, with Tennessee being the lowest ranked of the eight SEC teams at No. 15. The SEC only plays eight conference games, However, No. 5 Alabama plays No. 1 Georgia, No. 8 Missouri, No. 10. LSU, No. 13. Oklahoma, and No. 15. Tennessee. Will Alabama and its 2024 SEC opponents all finish with fewer than two losses? In 2023 Oklahoma with two defeats was the playoff committee's No. 12 ranked team and would have missed a 12-team playoff field in favor of No. 23 Liberty. The eight-ranked SEC teams will be competitive but they will defeat one another. The SEC could have eight teams ranked in the AP Poll preseason 2024 Top 25, but in the committee's final poll, I do not see six SEC teams being ranked in the Top 10. Dodd has No. 16 Clemson as his highest-ranked ACC team and, Utah at No. 12 as his highest-ranked B12 team. Clemson would be seeded No. 3 in the 2023/25 12-team playoff format with Utah seeded No. 4, but no other ACC and B12 teams would be in the 12-team field. The ACC and the B12 both would be better off with 2 guaranteed spots in the proposed 14-team playoff. the possible format come 2026. TCU coach Sonny Dykes calls the B1G and SEC 3-3-2-2-1 and three at-large teams proposal with the B1G and SEC champs receiving the top 2 seeds and 1st round byes, "Preposterous." I'm not certain that B12 Commissioner Brent Yormack will agree with Sonny. Two birds in the hand ... Dood's biggest movers: No. 9. Penn State is up seven spots; No. 11. Michigan is down eight spots; and No. 22. Miami and No. 25 Virginia Tech were not ranked in Dodd's first release. OBD remains at No. 4. Extrapolating from this ranking, Dodd's 12-team playoff would have one G5, ACC, B12, and Independent in the field. Two B1G teams and six SEC teams with three SEC teams hosting three of the four 1st-round playoff games. Oregon hosting Missouri would be the only B1G team hosting a 1st-round game. If this were to happen, you can bet that B1G Commissioner Tony Petitti would be 'encouraging' the SEC to play nine conference games. However, it won't happen. The B1G and SEC will both have at least three teams in the playoff field in 2024, lending weight to the proposed 3-3-2-2-1 and three-at-large teams model. Query. Is the B1G/SEC 14-team playoff proposal designed to produce Sonny Dykes-like responses, dissenting votes from the ACC, B12, and perhaps a number of the G5 conferences, and give the Power 2 a reason to hold a Power 2 post-season tournament? This would force Notre Dame to join the B1G or less likely, the SEC and accelerate the breakup of the ACC. ESPN has offered $1.3B for exclusive playoff broadcast rights through the 2031 season. Less than what was expected. How much less postseason revenue would the B1G and the SEC receive if the Power 2 held its own 'playoff?'

Four position battles that will define Michigan football’s 2024 title chances WWW.YARDBARKER.COM The Michigan football team is coming off of a 15-0 season and national championship, but is heading into an uncertain spring.

Good call. And in recruiting,1 from the B12, No.24 Texas Tech. I think the money men in the ACC and the B12 will be making the decision and not the coaches. Grab onto 2 and if 3 stellar teams somehow show up, look for an AL spot. Based on College Football News' predicted 2024 regular season win totals, the following are in contention for a PO spot in the 12-team field and would be contending for automatic seeds in a 14-team PO. B1G - Ohio State - 12-0 - 1st round bye in both 12 and 14 teams/ proposed that SEC/B1G champs be seeded 1 + 2 with a 1st round bye. 11-1 - Oregon/ USC and Penn St 10-2/ Michigan 9-3 - CFB has USC, 8-1 in the conference without a game vs Ohio State, making the champ game in favor of 8-1 in the conference Oregon with a loss to Ohio State. Regardless, at 11-1, Oregon would be in the 12-team field. SEC - Georgia 12-0 - same as Ohio State Texas and LSU 10-2, 9-3 Ole Miss, Bama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee - Tie breaker in play here to determine the team that plays UGA in the SEC champ game. 5 B1G, 7 SEC contenders. SEC has a leg up playing only 8 conference games.