Jon Joseph

See you in December, see you when it's Signing Day. Before Signing Day, a 'Commitment' is Nihil, Latin for 'Nothing.' And unless the Portal is reined in, many of the players you don't sign today will be there on the rebound. This kid could have stayed with his original 'commitment' and saved the Dawgs and the Ducks time and money. Like Ty Thompson, he plays in a lower-level high school football conference. Leading recruiting rankings today is as meaningless as a lead at halftime. 😁

Notre Dame is a conference unto itself? When it comes to the CFB PO, this is true. The Notre Dame Conference: Unique agreement with Clemson only strengthens Irish's bid to remain independent - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM More special treatment for Notre Dame shows why there's no reason for the Fighting Irish to join a conference

More on the Tigers vs. the Domers. Clemson, Notre Dame to announce 12-year scheduling agreement - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM Clemson and Notre Dame are set to announce a 12-year scheduling agreement that will pit the two college football powers against each other annually through 2038.

The Eyes On the Prize revenue split in the ACC is one reason Clemson and Notre Dame recently agreed to play every year through 2038. This will also help Notre Dame with its standalone broadcast deal with NBC. I think a Super Conference is coming before 2038. I see Notre Dame, Clemson, FSU, and UNC making the Super Conference cut. Maybe UVA? Miami is a smaller private school without an on-campus stadium, and the Super Conference does not need three teams in Florida. When it comes to the CFB PO, there simply is no salient argument that supports the Little Guy, including Smaller Guys teams from the ACC and the B12, having the same access to the PO as the Power 2. No 'mid-major' has won or will win a CFB PO. There was a chance with a one-game BCS, but not now with having to win three or four games vs. top competition.

More details on why Jim Knowles left TOSU for PSU, with many the OBD mentions. Ohio State to Penn State: Jim Knowles opens up about move - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM Jim Knowles moved from Ohio State's defensive coordinator to Penn State's DC this offseason. Week 5 at Penn State will be B1G in so many ways.

Predicted Field of Baseball PO 64 Teams continues to have the No. 2 seed in the Irvine Regional. Field of 64 Projections: Chaotic week shifts NCAA Tournament picture, strengthens bubble - On3 WWW.ON3.COM Two weeks remain in the regular season, and the past week of college baseball has dramatically shifted our Field of 64 projections.

"No soup for you!" LOL! And thanks again, Charles, for the terrific editing job. College Football News (CFN) re-ranked CFB teams 1-136 post-spring based upon strength-of-schedule (SOS). The ranking considers roster changes after the second portal opening, including the Tennessee/UCLA 'QB trade.' I added the ranking for each conference member team (I know, get a life, right 🤓) and divided by the number of conference teams to arrive at a back-of-the-envelope average SOS calculation for each conference. Using all the games to be played in 2025 when determining conference SOS, the B1G is much closer to the SEC than when using only out-of-conference (OOC) games. Makes sense as the B1G plays nine regular season games, one more than the SEC. While each SEC team, with the exception of Ole Miss, plays a P4 opponent OOC, for many teams in Dixie, the other three OOC games are against Hot Garbage; against teams ranked in the bottom third in the preseason rankings. Below are the results for the 'Power 4' conferences. Showing the conference team with the most difficult SOS compared to the bottom ranked team illustrates the difference in degree of difficulty found in these mega-conference in-conference schedules. SEC - 25.00 - Top team No. 1 Florida. Bottom team No. 63, Missouri. Nine SEC teams in the Top 25. B1G - 26.38 - Top team No. 2 Wisconsin. Bottom team No. 62 Penn State. (Another reason why pollsters are high on the Nits in 2025-26.) FYI - Ohio State No. 14, OBD No. 19, USC No. 15, UW No. 18, Michigan No. 21, Illinois No. 44, and Indiana No. 53. Ten B1G teams in the Top 25. ACC - 43.52 - Top team No. 8 Stanford. Bottom Team No. 68 Wake Forest. Three ACC teams in the Top 25. B12 - 45.93 - Top team No. 17 TCU. Bottom team No. 69 Texas Tech. Two B12 teams in the Top 25. (No. 6 Notre Dame does not play four G6 teams this season as it did in 2024. Games at Miami and Arkansas replace two G6 opponents.) SOS rankings will differ from site to site, but all of the top sites' rankings will show a clear separation between the Power 2 B1G and SEC and the Lesser 2 ACC and B12. Why would or should the Power 2 allow a committee that does its business in the dark to ignore the obvious; teams in the B1G and the SEC have much harder rows to hoe. Charles, thanks again.

Michigan has suspended Moore from coaching in Game 3 vs Central Michigan and Game 4 at Nebraska. The NCAA Infractions Committee meets on June 6th to review the Michigan cases, scouting and Jim Harbaugh's issues, and could impose additional penalties against Moore and the program.

A B1G Heisman in 2025? Big Ten Football: 5 stars capable of snapping Heisman Trophy drought SATURDAYTRADITION.COM There are a lot of Heisman hopefuls from the Big Ten in 2025, but 5 stick out and have a chance to be the league's first winner since 2006. Smith and Allar are reasonable considerations. But Nico, Raiola, and Downs without reps on O or with stellar KO and or punt returns, No Way. PSU RB's Singleton and Allen, both went 100+ yards vs OBD in the B1G champ game, are better candidates. Dante Moore has a better shot than Nico playing for UCLA and Riola playing for Nebraska. Other than that ...

Cleveland Blowing Its Horn on Gabe Before Shedeur = Mel Kiper 🤬 Why did Browns take Dillon Gabriel before Shedeur Sanders in draft and how could it affect their QB competition? WWW.YARDBARKER.COM The Cleveland Browns selecting Dillon Gabriel before fellow quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft seemed shocking, but a new report has clarified why the team made that...

This Transfer Follows Many Other Michiganders Transferring to Florida. 🤪 University of Michigan President Santa Ono leaving for same job in SEC WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM University of Michigan President Santa Ono is expected to leave Ann Arbor to take the same position at an SEC school: Santa did not like the Claus that had him deferring to the Wolverines football program. So, he's sledding to the SEC? 🤓 Brilliant!

Charles, it's MICHIGAN! Wrist meet Slap. 🦨 (That's not a Wolverine. 😧)

Thank you, Mike, and Funduck, for the great comments. I think that one of the four Week 5 B1G games will be moved to Friday night. It cannot be the Indiana at Iowa game. Due to the proximity of Childrens Hospital to Kinnick Field, Iowa City does not allow Iowa to play Friday night games at home. The Iowa game is out for Friday night. Illinois will not be happy if one of its two premier home games, USC (the other B1G home game is vs. Ohio State), is played on Friday night, especially after going on the road against Indiana in Week 4. USC plays Michigan State in LA the week prior, and Troy will push back on having to travel to the Central time zone, and playing on Friday night. However, Oregon had to do this last season, playing at Purdue on Friday night after playing a huge game versus Ohio State. So, and unfortunately for OBDers traveling to Beaver Stadium, I think we could very well see OBD at the Nits on Fox at Noon; Indiana at Iowa on CBS at 3:30; USC at Illinois 7:30 (6:30 local) on NBC. Ohio State at UW is a fit for Friday night. Ohio State is off the week before tripping to Seattle, and UW travels only as far as Pullman to play Wazzu in Week 4. I do not think Ohio State would be against a Friday night game, as it would have the Buckeyes returning a day earlier before its Week 6 game vs. Minnesota. UW plays at Maryland in Week 6, so before traveling to the Eastern time zone, the Huskies should be OK with a Friday night game against Ohio State. A game that would sell out on Saturday, Friday, or Tuesday night. However, other than the city-mandated impediment to the Hoosiers at the Hawkeyes game being played on Friday night, I'm probably giving too much weight to what the teams think about the timing of the games. In 2024, Ohio State was saddled with SEVEN Big Noon kick-off games. Michigan, which refuses to play on Friday nights simply because it doesn't want to, seems to be the one B1G team that influences when its games will kick off. Alabama at Georgia is ripe for the 7:30 Eastern kickoff on ABC with the Full ESPN Monty beginning with GameDay in Athens. The only B1G contest that could challenge this game for viewer numbers is Ohio State vs. Michigan. The other Penn State home game besides Nebraska that could be White Out material is the Week 11 game vs. Indiana. However, Fox had no problem in 2024 having Ohio State and Penn State start at Noon, with the PSU game vs. UW being the White Out game. I'm certain that Tony Petitti has had his ears filled by B1G programs complaining about the game times and viewership compared to ESPN/ABC's far better kick-off times strategy. Whether he can do anything about starting times before 2031 is doubtful. Let's Play Ball!

In Addition to 'Culture,' You Know What Goes a Long Way? 🤑 https://footballscoop.com/2025/05/02/ohio-state-salaries-ryan-day-briant-hartline-matt-patricia-12-million

It's Tourney Time! 2025 Big Ten Softball Tournament Bracket Released BIGTEN.ORG 2025 Big Ten Softball Tournament Bracket Released

I too like the idea, but ... The other day with a come hither look, my spouse asked if I'd like to walk upstairs and make a little love? I replied: 'I think I can do one, but not the other.' 😁

It's Week 5, when the rubber starts to meet the B1G conference road. Before Week Five, we have these out-of-conference (OOC) games versus our Advisory Committee 'buddies' to look forward to. (The Sporting News Preseason Top 25 Rankings are used below.) Week 1 - August 30, 2025 - No. 1 Texas at No. 2 Ohio State. If this rematch of the 2025 Cotton Bowl Playoff game was not already B1G enough, Columbus, Ohio, where Lee Corso made his first headgear pick, Brutus to win, is the likely spot for the venerable Corso to make his last pick before retirement. It's No. 2 Ohio State that is favored by -4.5 to win this game. 20 to 22 million CFB fans are expected to tune into this matchup. 🤑 Week 2 - September 6, 2025, No. 19 Michigan -2.5 at NR Oklahoma. January 1, 1976 - Orange Bowl - Oklahoma 14, Michigan 6. That's all, folks, for games played between Michigan, the college program with the most wins, 1,012, and Oklahoma, the program with the longest win streak, 47 games from 1953 through 1957, before being upset in Norman by Notre Dame. The Oklahoma coach during 'The Streak' was Bud Wilkinson, who played on Minnesota's three championships in a row teams. Week 3 - September 13, 2025 - NR Wisconsin +16.5 (Gulp!) at No. 9 Alabama Hide the Badgers Women and Children! In addition to the most difficult conference schedule in 2025, the Fickle Finger of Fate, and a sadistic AD, add this game to the Badgers' coach Luke Fickle's already hot seat. 🥵 On to the B1G Week 5, where it would have been serendipitous to have five big B1G games, but the four games below should give OBD fans a B1G Time Show. September 27, 2025 - No. 21 Indiana at NR Iowa - The second difficult game in a row for a Hoosiers team that plays Illinois the week prior in Bloomington. Indiana and Iowa should be no worse than 3-1 coming into this game. And if Indiana defeats No. 14 Illinois the week prior, and Iowa can win on the road at No. 24 Iowa State in Week 2, both teams could be 4-0 with both ranked in the Top 25. September 27, 2025 - No. 2 Ohio State at NR Washington - If the Buckeyes get past the Longhorns in Week 1, they will come into Seattle 3-0, a Buckeyes Bye before this game, and the likely No. 1 ranked team in the nation. UW was undefeated last season in Husky Stadium, and if UW does not drop two in a row to the Pac-7 + Gonzo Wazzu Cougars, this will be a matchup of undefeated teams. September 27, 2025 - NR USC at No. 14 Illinois. Coming off its game at Indiana the week before, this will be another Prove-It Game for the Illini, a team that returns 18 starters from last season. USC went 1-5 last season in one-score games. SC took Penn State into overtime and had Notre Dame on the ropes before throwing two costly interceptions at the goal line, both returned by the Irish for 90+ yard TDs. With games versus 'old friend' Clay Helton's Georgia Southern, at Purdue, Michigan State, and the home opener against MO. State (No Larry or Curly? 🧐), 4-0 USC will come into Champaign, ready to drink post-game champagne and move into the Top 25. September 27, 2025 - No. 6 Oregon at No. 3 Penn State - Week 5's Main Event! 😍 At least SC plays the Domers OOC, Penn State plays Nevada, FIU, and Villanova in Happy Valley, and takes an undeserved 3-0 nap before the 4-0 (knock on a decoy) Mighty Oregon Ducks, accompanied by Sir Charles and other OBDers, come to town. Vegas has OBD -3.5. 10,000 games were simulated on ESPN, with Oregon winning 53.7% of the games. (Don't ask me what happened in the .03% game PSU won 🤪.) A White Out game would be a boon. Unfortunately, I think the kickoff will happen at B1G Noon 😒. OBD, TCB in Weeks 1-4, please, beginning with a Beat Down of the Bobs! Let's have more B1G Fun 🤩 13-0, anyone?

Hats On! If you don't think that it's a long offseason? There's this. Ranking Oregon Football helmet among Big Ten's best in 2025 DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM The Oregon Ducks have long been known as the school with flashy helmets and uniforms, so where do they rank amongst the best in the Big Ten? It's Better in Bloomington! The Hoosiers Strength and Conditioning Coach has turned down an offer to relocate to South Central😁.

But, when CC gets her shot in the Olympics, will she come through like Sabrina?

Yes. $10M a year man, Lincoln Riley, cannot recruit, so SC hired a football GM, Chad Bowden from Notre Dame, at a cost of $1M a year. So far, Troy has seen an excellent return on the Bowden investment. Bowden's system has invigorated recruiting. With the help of AD Jen Cohen, Bowden has aligned SC's NIL collective. Since Bowden's arrival, recruiting is looking more like the Pete Carroll days than the Clay Helton days. It's early yet, but USC's 2026 class is ranked No. 1 in the country, including a QB flipped from OBD and a CB signed Friday who was down to SC and OBD. I don't believe the improvement in recruiting is a mirage, a flash in the pan. An SC with its Sierra together will be in play for the athletes Oregon has brought in from California and elsewhere. SC has been a CFB power whenever it put the right people in the right spots. I'm not impressed by Riley as an HC, but given the talent to work with, the SC coaching staff is solid, including the new S&C coach SC just hired. SC was 1-5 in one-possession games in 2024, including games vs. Penn State and Notre Dame, where self-inflicted wounds led to the Ls. And Troy's scheduling savvy has improved. It still has the Domers OOC, but Ole Miss and SC canceled their H+H series that would have seen the Trojans opening against the Rebels in LA on 8/30/25. Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and USC are the five B1G teams that have and will continue to have Blue Chip Rosters. "Sleeping Giant' is overused in CFB, but not in the case of Southern Cal. SC will be 4-0 when it plays at Illinois in Week 5 and has the next Saturday off before Michigan comes to LA in Week 7. OK, JJ, are you happy now? No. 😒

But that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone! (We hope!) I know there was something in the water in Flint, but not East Lansing?

Concerning? MEH! Who follows Bo and Gabe has been on the table for many a moon. Big Ten Football: Biggest post-spring concerns for every team SATURDAYTRADITION.COM Big Ten football teams have gotten through the spring, and each one has a big issue to solve as the calendar heads toward summer. I think Dante Will be just Stein. 🍻

Feelin' Lucky, Punk? In 2024-25, without much turnover luck, 108th in the P4/G6, OBD went 13-1. Will the ball bounce better for the Ducks in 2025-26? College football Luck Index 2025: Who needs luck on their side next season? - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM Turnover luck, coordinator upgrade, transfer portal haul? They all could lead to some upswings for a select few teams.

Want a good laugh? Clemson is the 1 seed, Texas 2, Ohio State 3, and Florida 4! This Just In! If you use the same format from 2024 in 2025, as is so stated by the author, ASU, shown as the 8-seed, as the B12 champ would be no lower than the 4th-seeded team and have a 1st-round bye. Florida 🤪, a team with a BRUTAL schedule, would be the 5th seed, with OBD seeded 6th and Penn State 7th. 9th-seeded Georgia (the Dawgs would be the 10th seed) is going to lose to Texas in Athens and to Florida in Jacksonville. Where can I wager against good old Zach? I love it when CFB 'experts' offer their learned advice. 🙃 Predicting where Oregon Football lands in post-spring College Football Playoff field DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM A look at where the Oregon Ducks stack up in our post-spring College Football Playoff prediction for the 2025 season.

OBD, Ohio State, and Penn State are three of the top eight teams with returning NFL-draft quality players. Texas, Clemson among eight college football teams entering upcoming season boasting most 2026 NFL Draft talent - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM What the early 2026 NFL Draft mock drafts can tell us about top college football teams for 2025