Jon Joseph

After easy win at ASU, it's reasonable to ask: Is anyone playing better than Bo Nix and Oregon? THEATHLETIC.COM "If that team runs the table, they deserve that opportunity because that's one of the best football teams I've played in my entire career."

Morales: Caleb Williams' USC career may be done, and road ahead for Trojans looks daunting THEATHLETIC.COM What the program and Lincoln Riley didn’t accomplish while Williams was at quarterback will likely be what his time is most remembered for.

Great win by UGA. Bama had a nice nap. How about Auburn? If you are going to go to the bakery in the penultimate regular season game buy a cupcake and not road Kill. CUSA likely champ NM State has one hell of a football coach.

Tuesday, Week 4 CT. rankings. 1. UGA 2. Ohio State 3. Michigan 4. Washington 5. FSU 6. Oregon 7. Texas 8. Bama 9. Louisville And BTW, Bama's next opponent, Auburn, was throttled today by New Mexico State. Jerry Kill is one heck of a football coach.

With 3 cupcakes to start the season and no OREGON and UW. And a home loss to ASU. This is close to the worst Chip could do.

As it should be. Take no prisoners! Leave no crumbs!

And gives a whole lot of creit to your recent take on Will being the best! The offensive interferance call was OFFENSIVE!

Thank goodness UW held on! And should at least move up to #4 in the CT rankings. Now, with the UW win, Oregon has a better shot of holding its destiny. At least in the Pac-12. With Utah getting destroyed at AZ, there goes Oregon's 1 top-26 win, UCLA beating down the Trojans, once-ranked CU losing badly at WSU, and FSU, with its QB down and Texas winning, Oregon needed an eyeball test win. And hats off to Texas Tech for coming back against and defeating UCF and now being bowl-eligible. It also helped Oregon for OK St to get the win on the road at Houston and to have the B12 playoff advantage over an Oklahoma team that won in Logan over BYU with its starting QB on the bench in the 2nd half. TX vs. OK St will be far better than a rematch of TX vs. Oklahoma. FSU? It stinks that starting QB Travis went down and is out for the season but a 12-1 Louisville with the loss at Pitt will not jump Oregon even if it wins the ACC champ game. Iowa struggled for a win over Illinois and is now cannon fodder for the winner of Ohio State at Michigan. But Texas won a tough game on the road. And should Bama defeat UGA in the SEC champ game Texas will have the best loss. Go Ducks! Dam the Beavers! But it's coming down to the wire as of now, even if the Ducks win the next 2 games. Bodacious should stay at the head of the Heisman Trophy class. Penix made great plays tonight with his legs willing UW to victory but his stats were not all that and LSU and Daniels swallowed a cupcake.

How about NOOOOOO! ASU was out of its element. But AZ with a beatdown of Utah, did ding Oregon's PO chances. The Ducks 1 top-25 win will go bye-bye on Tuesday. WSU buried CU. TX Tech is in a fistfight with UCF. OK held on without Dillon Gabriel on the field in the 2dn half at BYU. Puddles needs OK ST to close out the win at Houston. And hopefully, Iowa State will upset Texas tonight in chilly conditions. Both UGA and Ohio State won easily. Michigan, not so much, but this was a sandwich game at Maryland with the HC having a sandwich in the team hotel. Please UW, do not take the L in Corvallis. Oregon, is in danger of losing the 6 spot, notwithstanding the beatdown of ASU. UW loses and with the AZ win I have doubts that Oregon will stay ahead of Bama and Texas if the Horns win tonight. The Ducks need to play a #5 or higher-ranked UW in LV, Louisville today with its 38-31 win at Miami is in the ACC champ game versus FSU and if Louisville holds serve at home vs. Kentucky will be ranked in the top 10. UGA was impressive today against a way overrated Tennessee. 12-1 UGA and 12-1 conference champ Bama will likely be in the PO unless Bama blows out UGA. So, Go Dawgs, Right, and Left Coast species both. With UCLA's impressive win over USC, Oregon's already weak SOS has taken a lot of hits. At my age, I am in no hurry to see time go by but PO-wise, I wish it was 2024.

Thanks, Charles, lots to ponder here. Query: When looking at average points per game, I wonder if Chip, Helfrich, and Frost, had a Corpulent Cupcake Portland State on the schedule? It's not like 38 points in Lubbock, 35 points at Utah, 36 points in Seattle, and 36 at home vs. SC are bad numbers, they're not. But overwhelmingly good? Especially the number vs. USC at home? I think it is a tough standard but also fair to say that many Ducks fans were not pleased with the points put up on defenseless Troy. Especially after the 1st period 2 long TD passes start. It almost seemed as if DL and Stein were willing to play for a 14-17 point lead throughout the game, dink and dunk and run the clock. Although, if this is correct, and it appears to be so after re-watching the game, why go for 2 points after the 1st 2 scores if you don't believe that you will be in a game-long shoot-out? I don't believe the 2 point calls were on Stein but IMO not taking the points early is a continuance of some of this season's baffling O coaching decisions. This is a fun team to watch but is it as good as the efficient, entertaining blur teams that Kelly put on the field? It is not, IMO, as entertaining. Many of the big pass plays this season are dependent on RAC. Bo has a 55% completion percentage on throws of 20+ yards. I see this season's O as an efficient, short-yardage pass, game-control O. When it truly mattered, in Seattle, the O on 2 consecutive plays could not gain short yardage to ice the game. And this was against a UW D that is bad against the run. Will, who is doing a terrific job to date, has the luxury of working with a coach on the field in Bo Nix. I think it will be very interesting next season to see how the O goes without Bo. Meanwhile, Ducks win the next 5 in a row and there will be no debate about the OREGON HOF status of Will or any of the other coaches. First, Go Ducks! Fork the Devils! Thanks again for the thought provoking take.

He is awaiting the trifecta, being fired from his third HC job. Not only is UCLA Jardin not happy with the record considering the 3-0 OOC layup, but he is reportedly ticked off in regards to Chip's refusal to rub elbows with the boosters and Chip's lackluster recruiting. It's always been Chip's 'My Way or the Highway.' Looks like he's headed toward the 101, but he will be driving (if not chauffeured) in a Maybach.

Ducks -23.5 - SP+ OREGON by 29. FPI - OREGON by 28.9. The computers have the Ducks and are laying the points in anticipation of Puddles not laying an egg.

Assistant coaches frequently leave great programs. Great coaches like Saban and Smart coach through the loss of valuable assistants. Next Man Up! Next Coach Up! Dilly left for his dream P5/P4 job. Not so certain that Stein has a desire to go to the G5 when he has a chance to showcase what he can do in the B1G and show what he can do with a QB without Bo's experience. Stein is making $800K plus bonuses per annum. How much money is any G5 program willing and able to come up with?

Friend Gat, played today WSU would not defeat OSU But Arizona controlled the game in Tucson. IMO, OSU should not have won that game.

With Herm and Ray gone, no problema. Just don't don't get scattershot by Skattebo or let the swinging gate hit you in the tail feathers. Margaritas all around!

$$$ Bodacious! I heard he was going to sign with Apple but his agent, George K messed up and Apple lowballed him.

Not yet officially approved by the MW. The Sun Belt already turned down OSU and WSU's offer of an alliance. I'm not sure why the MW would approve this knowing down the road that the Pac-2 would likely try and poach MW teams. If this alliance is approved, OSU and WSU could not compete for the MW title which would leave OR ST, in today's 2024 playoff if it was a member of the MW, out in the dam playoff cold. And the state court ruling is not over and done with. The decision is on appeal and if sustained by the Washington Supreme Court will be challenged in other venues including federal court. OSU and WSU now owe a fiduciary duty to the Pac-10. Hold a board meeting and decide to split conference revenues down the middle. Good luck with that. One other curve ball that could be thrown by the Pac-2. Wazzu president Shultz represents the Pac-12 on the playoff committee board. Members of the committee have recommended that with the demise of the Pac-12 for all intents and purposes, the playoff go from a 6-6 model to a 5 champion 7 at large model in 2024/25. The vote to change has to be unanimous. Shultz on his own could crater the recommendation. Shultz has said that he is 'willing to negotiate.' Shultz holds this up and WSU and OSU will suffer the consequences come 2026. As alliance-only members of the MW, neither OSU nor WSU will be in contention for a playoff spot. I hope UW and OREGON blow up the Beavers dam and that Puddles post 11/24 never plays OSU again in any sport.

Great take. But a win over ASU does not guarantee a playoff spot if the Beavers defeat UW and OREGON. UW with a win over WSU would play the Beavers in Las Vegas.

Thanks, Ryan. This is an excellent summary of the current situation in a unique season with so many undefeated and 1-loss teams heading into Week 13. Florida is 5-5. UF is a decided underdog at Mizzou this Saturday. But the Gators have a chance to be one of the Ducks best friends on 11/25 if UF can find a way to take down rival FSU in Gainesville. Texas is down its top RB and plays 6-4 Iowa State on Saturday in Ames where the high is expected to be 30 degrees. UT has done its best to lose its last 2 games and Iowa State could really help Puddles cause. If UT wins on Saturday and defeats Texas Tech at home on the 25th, the best scenario would be for OK St, blown out at UCF last Saturday, to win on the road at Houston and defeat BYU at home on the 25th. Oklahoma State holds the B12 champ game tiebreaker over Oklahoma and a Texas over OK St champ game win would have much less impact than a redemptive win over Oklahoma. A 12-1 Lousiville with a loss at Pittsburgh would not overcome the Ducks even with an ACC champ game win vs. FSU. Louisville has a tough game at Miami on Saturday. Louisville goes on the road for only the third time this season before playing Kentucky at home. 9 home games! As you noted Ryan, OREGON needs UW to win in Corvallis and defeat WSU in the Apple Cup. With FSU playing NO. Alabama on Saturday a win vs. the Beavers will finally jump UW, unless the Committee is completely corrupt and dominated by NC State AD, Boo Corrigan, with what would be 4 top 25 wins, over an FSU team with 1 top 25 win over 3-loss LSU. But a 13-0 FSU even with a putrid schedule (no UNC and no Louisville in the regular season) and playing in a conference with 3 ranked teams will be in over the 12-1 Ducks and if this happens, the Seminoles will be blown out in the semi-final game. A 1-loss Michigan with its schedule is not a player. A 1-loss Ohio State could be a player but will not beat out a 12-1 conference champ OREGON. As you noted Ryan, a 12-1 Bama, with what would be the best win of the season, and a 12-1 UGA trying for a 3-Pete, unless blown out by Bama, would most likely lead to the SEC with 2 teams in. But other than for the B12 tri-champion mess in 2014, the Committee has usually had no-brainer Final 4 decisions to make. Upsets happen and late losses doom a team's chances at the playoff. There is one thing that is not hypothetical and 1 thing in OREGON's control, win on Saturday in Tempe, defeat the Beavers win the conference champ game, and let the chips fall as they may.

And if Bama defeats Georgia in the SEC champ game both would most likely finish 12-1 and Bama would be the SEC champ and have the season's best win. The B12 has 4 teams ranked this week. 21. K State plays at 25. Kansas on Saturday so one of the Longhorns top 25 wins should go away. Oklahoma, at BYU Saturday and then versus TCU, should finish 10-2 and be a big brand opponent for an 11-1 Texas with Texas having the chance to redeem its sole loss. So it will be best for the Ducks if OK St., blown out by UCF last Saturday, but with the conference champ tiebreaker over UT, can win at Houston on Saturday and defeat BYU and take the shine off of the B12 champ game. This season like the first playoff in 2014 could stress the Committee but things usually work out in the Committee's favor.

For UW to go 13-0 it has to defeat OSU and WSU and win the Pac-12 champ game. As of today, it's odds on for 12-0 or 11-1 UW to play 11-1 Oregon in Las Vegas. Oregon State Saturday versus Oregon State and on Friday the 24th at OREGON has a chance to muck things up in the Pac-12. If OSU wins both games and UW beats WSU, 11-1 UW, would play the 10-2 Beavers in Las Vegas. #1 Georgia plays at #20 Tennessee on Saturday; the Vols ranked #20 for some reason have no top-25 wins and lost to 5-5 Florida. Texas plays at 6-4 Iowa State where the high is expected to be 30 degrees and Texas has lost its 1st string running back for the season. #5 UW plays at #11 Oregon State. #22 Utah plays at #17 Arizona. Alabama plays Chattanooga on Saturday, NL, and FSU plays NO. Alabama, NL. Other tough SEC games on Saturday: Ole Miss -37.5 vs. UL Monroe; MISS St - 14 vs. SO. Miss; Auburn -23.5 vs. NM St.; Arkansas -29.5 vs. FIU; LSU -31 vs. Georgia St. (will Daniels put up 500+ yards?); and A+M NL, versus Abilene Christian. Yes, OREGON played a bad Portland State this season but traveling to Tempe to play P5 ASU is far more difficult than playing Chattanooga or NO. Alabama in Autzen. Come 2026, all P4 conferences should play 9 conference games or be penalized for playing 8 and Notre Dame should be required to play 10 games vs. P4 opponents.

When it comes to assistant coaching hires I'm leaving it up to DL. He knows the type of coach he wants and every coach he recruits will be a recruiting zealot. The coaches on Chipper's staff have not been in the recruiting mix like the folks on DL's staff. I don't believe that Bruins boosters and the university itself have the money to kiss Chip so long. Who is the guy better to replace Chip for the money being paid to Chip? Compared to Mora, Chip's record is not better and Mora was a far better recruiter. I think UCLA made a mistake letting Jim Mora go. UConn is having a bad season but overall Mora has done a heck of a job at UConn. As posted before I am far more bullish on OREGON being ready to head into the B1G than UCLA, USC, and UW.

I have no problem with the football team traveling. Piece of cake. The players are young men. Think they would rather play Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State or ASU, Cal, and Stanford. Ann Arbor for what will be a must-watch CFB game is 922 miles farther than Eugene to Tempe. That's less than 90 minutes in the air. Dan and the training staff will have the Central and Eastern time zone travel figured out. And the players Oregon recruits all believe they will be in the NFL where this kind of travel is routine. Even trips to Maryland and Rutgers will be shown, at worst, on the Big 10 Network. The BTN is closing in on 70M subscribers. The money to travel will ease a bit in 6 years when Oregon becomes a full B1G member. The conference has done a great job of making certain that after coast-to-coast travel, a team will have a home game or a bye week after going not three but two time zones away. Being a member of the Power 2 even with being a junior partner for 6 years is far better than rolling the dice with Amazon. OREGON will be featured CFB TV and in sight of top-drawer recruits. And next season the stud QBs who have lifted the Pac-12 this season for the most part will be out of eligibility. Puddles is in the Power 2 money. Far better than what could have been a Pac-9 plus SDS, SMU, and a player to be named later. Far better than being in a conference with vapid leadership.

Great take! Now the rubber has to meet the road with more Ducks guys going NFL. It will happen and rightly or wrongly, is more likely to happen as a member of the B1G.

Friend David, the money and fan enthusiasm is there no doubt. However, this team except in the COVID Year of the Witch has done nothing. And now old nemesis's OK and TX are joining the fray. A+M had the SEC member recruiting advantage over UT and OK that is now gone. I see A+M as the Penn State of the B1G.