Jon Joseph

My friend, Chip has 2 NFL strikes against him and no NFL owner will give Chip a 3rd trip to the NFL plate to complete a strike-out. He is one game over .500 in 6 seasons in Westwood. His 2024 recruiting class is a joke. Why would any Billionaire + want to hire this guy and try to sell him to the fan base? IMO. looking at the record and the recruiting numbers, UCLA never should have fired Jim Mora. And perhaps, even Neu? When you coach a P4 team in LA and cannot recruit, why would any AD, except an athletic department that is broke keep a guy on board who cannot recruit in LA? Dorrel did better recruiting than Chip. He is picking up a check, pontificating regarding the PO format, and finishing, based on the 2023 record that was a piece of cake, 8-5, including a bowl win against a Boise team with its starting QB who had bailed for the Hogs. Without the support group of assistant coaches he had in Eugene, what has Chip done but score millions+ in an incredibly flawed system where $ repeatedly trumps common sense?

2024 says 'So Long' to a 4-team post-season Invitational and welcomes in a 12-team Playoff (PO.) Naysayers believe this will water down the regular season. Rubbish! Far more fan bases will follow their team right up until the PO field is selected by the PO Committee (CT) in December of 2024. Yes, the 13 enlightened Gurus of Grapevine will still be naming the PO Delightful Dozen but no Power 4 (P4) champ that goes undefeated will be left out even if the entire team comes down with the Creeping Crude before its conference champ game. And no P4 champ notwithstanding its record will be left out. The 2024/25 PO brings us the four top-seeded conference champions being seeded in the top four with a 1st round bye. The PO format currently has the six highest-ranked conference champs in the field. But as recommended by the PO overseers, I expect the format will be revised to have five conference champs with se as automatic qualifiers with seven at-large teams chosen by the CT. This change to the format will happen unless the Pac-2, represented by the Washington State president, Kirk Schulz, votes no, which would be the PO kiss of death for the Pac-2 down the road. For this exercise, I am using Athlon's Way-Too-Early 2024 preseason ranking. The ranking in order of ranked teams - Alabama/ Texas/ Georgia/ Michigan/ OREGON/ Ohio State/ Utah/ Ole Miss/ FSU/ Penn State/ Missouri/ Clemson. G5 - CUSA Liberty is the highest-ranked G5 team at No. 23. Using this ranking, a 5/7 format, and the top four ranked conference champions receiving the top four seeds and a 1st-round bye, the following would be the Delighted Dozen field playing for a real PO title next season. 1. Alabama - SEC vs. 9. Mississippi - SEC at 8. Ohio State - B1G - Kiff, bring your popcorn and long johns. 4. Florida State - ACC vs. 12. Liberty - G5/CUSA at 5. Texas - SEC - In 2024, Liberty again plays no P4 teams. 2. Michigan - B1G vs. 10. Penn State - B1G at 7. OREGON - B1G - Ducks would play PSU in 2024. In Autzen! 3. Utah - B12 vs. 11. Missouri - SEC at 6. Georgia - SEC - No 1st round rematches in the 1st round. Mizzou and UGA are not scheduled to play in 2024. First out would be No. 12 Clemson. Dabo and Tyler from Spartanburg would not be happy. 5, SEC/ 4. B1G/ 1. ACC, B12, and CUSA. Show the P2 the $! Paul Finebaum would be happy. Ditto Joel Klatt. This format would deliver No. 7 Utah and No. 9 FSU drawing 1st round byes. When CFB had a Power 5 and not the current Power 4 (P4) this format made some sense as does rewarding conference champions but it is not logical in the CFB world of P4 and most likely will not be the PO format come 2026. It's a B1G improvement compared to the Invitational but still has flaws. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays, and may 2023's Final 2 have B1G Michigan playing B1G UW for the title. Extinguish the Flames!

Terrific take but IMO, Harsh. What teams today do you view as 'Elite?' Clemson with 2 PO titles but that finished No. 22 in 2023. Ohio State has lost its last 3 games vs. Michigan and has 1 PO title in 2014 but overall is 3-4 in PO games. Michigan is 0-2 in the PO and I think the only position where Michigan will maybe be superior to Bama in the Rose Bowl is at RB. Alabama based on BCS and Playoff titles is Elite. Georgia has closed the gap but is still far behind Bama in titles. IMO, your criteria for Elite is too stringent. OREGON is one of the few teams that competed for a BCS title and a Playoff title. Today, Oregon is consistently in the recruiting Top 10. Oregon is again playing in an NY6 Bowl. UW defeated Oregon twice by a total of 6 points. UW has had an Elite season but it certainly is not an Elite program. In early 2024 projected top 25's, I haven't seen a single ranking that has UW finishing in the Top 10. UW like Oregeron did at LSU with Burrow, caught lightning in a bottle with Penix, a Joe Moore-winning OL, a great group of WRs, and an adequate defense. With DeBoer's recruiting or lack thereof, UW's PO-like play is not sustainable. Elite Programs today with Blue Blood status and Blue Chip Rosters and playing and recruiting up to said status are IMO: Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Clemson, FSU, LSU, Ole Miss, Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon. I view UW as a very talented team but without the recruiting chops to stay in the top tier. No team without a Blue Chip Roster won a BCS title or has won a CFB PO. Oregon with a BCR that continues to improve is by this standard already Elite and based on DL and friends recruiting will continue to improve its BCR roster and be in the expanded PO season after season. Thanks again for your in-depth thoughts.

Wide open and fortunate to send a team other than the 2024 champ to the playoff.

Athlon Sports way too early 2024 top 25 has 6 B12 teams ranked which I think is 2 more than will be ranked when the Committee speaks in December of 2024: 7. Utah; 13. AZ; 19. K St; 20. W VA; 24. Kansas and 25. CU. I would replace CU with OK St. which is on the Oregon schedule in 2025/26.

1 of fewer than 8 HS signees. CU under Deion will flame out. Seaton will be there for portal picking next season.

Next year 11-2 in the regular season will have Oregon in the Playoff and perhaps in the B1G title game. There is not a whole lot to fix. 10-2 with 2-losses by 6 points. Keep improving on what the Ducks do well and playoff appearances and title opportunities will follow. But as Mike West notes it's going to take depth because the PO if you make it to the title game will be a long slog against a lot of good teams. It took Kirby a few years to win a title. Ryan Day has yet to win a title. Ditto Jim Harbaugh. It's not easy.

Earth. We have met the enemy and they are us. Keep this stuff up and they are going to blow through the purloined money in a hurry while making a bunch of lawyers happy.

Mark working for FOX as a game analyst. Heck of an OC and a heck of a Peter Principal example.

Puzzling. But where the rubber meets the road a lot of rubber hit the road in Eugene.

Very interesting discussion today on College Football Live regarding the FSU litigation including where FSU would go if it can free itself from the ACC Grant of Rights. Pete Thamel noted that FSU is not an AAU member which would hurt the Seminoles' chances of joining the B1G. He did note that the FSU President, a Harvard grad (like Larry, SIGH) is doing all he can to obtain AAU membership for FSU and believes that FSU is on the cusp of approval. Thamel also noted that Florida would not be thrilled about FSU joining the SEC but A+M wasn't thrilled about Texas joining the SEC. The Florida market is covered with UF but Thamel asked whether the SEC would want the B1G to plant a flag in SEC country. He also noted that other ACC disgruntled teams UNC and UVA would be better fits for the B1G and would bring in the North Carolina market. NC is the 7 most populous state in the country and its population is growing. Thamel said it would be a chess game between the B1G and the SEC. (Thus, also between FOX and ESPN which he didn't say.) Andrea Adelson noted that one thing FSU will not do is go independent and suggested that the B12 could be an interim fit. But the B12 does not bring in more money than FSU is bringing in today. The law firm of Greenburg, Traurig (GT) is representing FSU. I did a lot of work with GT over my career. An excellent law firm that bills large. One winner in this fight will be GT if there is no one else.

7 of 18 B1G in the top 25/ 2 Oregon and Ohio State in the top 10. 13 of 16 SEC in the top 25/ 6 in the top 10. GULP!

X-Cuse Me! USF 45 Syracuse 0 I'd want to leave too.

A bit OT. Where will Bo and Penix go? 2024 NFL Draft: Landing Spots for Top QBs After Caleb Williams and Drake Maye BLEACHERREPORT.COM North Carolina's Drake Maye and USC's Caleb Williams are the overwhelming favorites to be the first two quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL draft. They…

Mike, another POV that somewhat differs from your take and my agreement with your take. Did the 2023 College Football Playoff Committee Get it Right? BLEACHERREPORT.COM Pick four teams. How difficult could it be? That is the mission of the 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee. While it can be a thankless…

And also in the Power 2 and the ACC and B12 POV.

Good call. Another school that would be a geographic fit, AAU member fit, basketball fit, and improving in football would be Kansas. Unless Notre Dame comes up earlier, I do not see the B1G expanding until a year or less before the next media deal negotiation. Going to 20 teams would set up 4 5-team divisions. One division that would make sense is the 'Pac-4' plus Kansas.

Florida State suing ACC over grant of rights, withdrawal fee - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM Florida State is suing the ACC over the league's grant of rights and $130 million withdrawal fee, becoming the first school to challenge a grant of rights in court.

Florida State vs. the ACC: Understanding the Seminoles' conference unrest THEATHLETIC.COM Why are the Seminoles looking for an exit strategy, and what do their moves mean for the rest of the ACC?

OSU, WSU settle legal dispute with departing Pac-12 schools THEATHLETIC.COM OSU and WSU have spent the last several months figuring out their next move in the wake of the Pac-12’s collapse.

Kirby $10.7M a year. $1.3M in bonuses last season. It's open hunting season for recruits and not having to go through the draft process. No restrictions on transfers that Kirby can bring in. He's going to trade this for a total rebuild in Atlanta coaching professional athletes who may or may not buy into the message Kirby has delivered in Athens to take Georgia to the top levels of CFB. Kirby is an alum and a hero in Athens. When was the last time Kirby had to pick up a check? 2 losing seasons with the Falcons and he's probably out the door. Thanks for the take, Darren, but I don't see Kirby going pro. But if it happens DL will have to listen. Ditto when Saint Nick hangs it up. Ohio State, Michigan, and perhaps Penn State and Texas are the other jobs that could entice DL.

Athens is one of if not the best college towns in America. Most of the 5* who sign on with Kirby grew up playing in humidity. Believe me, it beats shoveling snow.

The earliest FSU could join the B1G would be 2025 but leaving the ACC will require a ton of capital and likely, large sums forked over to the lawyers. I do not believe that B1G administrators are working behind the scenes to break up the ACC so FSU can be brought in as a full share partner. FOX maybe but not the B1G presidents. I also believe that the B1G rightly or wrongly, will not go after a school that is not an AAU member. USF was just accepted as an AAU member but not FSU. ACC AAU member schools are UNC, Duke, UVA, Pitt, Georgia Tech, and Miami. FSU and Clemson fit the SEC and already have an annual game vs. an SEC opponent. The B1G eye on the prize is on Notre Dame. A team that draws far more eyeballs than does FSU.

Hats off to COY DeBoer and the UW OL which did a great job of protecting Penix and came on in the run game as the season progressed. It is nice for a Left Coast 'finesse team' to win this award. The Frosh who stepped in as the starting center for UW is undersized but made the Frosh AA team. That's some darn good coaching. Over on the Michigan board, folks are not happy about the Wolverines not winning the Moore back-to-back. Come on! In the B1G champ game, Michigan rushed for less than 3 yards an attempt. The UW OL dominated the Ducks at the LOS in the Pac-12 champ game. I think that the 'All World' behemoth Texas DL will be schooled in the Sugar Bowl. But looking down the road, ESPN has UW with the 43rd-best recruiting class in 2024. Oregon 3, Ohio State 4, PSU 10, Michigan 16, USC 18, Nebraska 20, and Wisconsin 25 all have a B1G recruiting leg up compared to the Huskies. (BTW, The Chipper brought in UCLA at No. 58. But it's tough to recruit in LA, right?) Oregon is about to once again dominate UW. In 2024, I see no worse for the 13-game schedule Ducks than an 11-2 finish and advancing to the 12-team PO field with a good chance at a first-round home game in Autzen.

Terrific take, Mike. SOS is not subjective at all come season's end. It's based on on-field results for the entirety of the season. The Committee would do itself a favor by using a standard SOS matrix instead of 13 folks having their own opinion concerning schedule strength. It would also help the Committee's credibility to release one and only one ranking after the conference championship games are played. The Committee's number one task is to determine the 4 best teams and not the 4 most deserving teams. Do FSU and UGA have a beef, yes. But the 4 team Invitational is not a Playoff. It is not a Playoff when there are 4 spots for 5 Power 5 champions. 12 teams will help. But projecting out using the ultimate Committee rankings in 2023, should No. 16 Arizona get the 4 seed and a bye as the B12 champion? And with the demise of the Pac-12, does make any sense to have the top 6 conference champions in the field? Liberty and AAC champ SMU would knock out two of Penn State, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma. And with Penn State, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma all 10-2, how do you separate these teams? PSU is No. 9 with its best win against Iowa. Oklahoma is No. 12 with a win over Texas. Right? I agree with friend Smith72, in 2026 the Playoff will go to 16 teams with one spot reserved for a team outside of the Power 4 that isn't otherwise ranked in the top 16. The season for all teams will start on what is now Week 0. And I expect that the players will share in the Playoff revenue which will be huge. And ESPN will not be calling the shots as the expanded PO will be out to bid for all media companies. This could lead to the elimination of interim rankings which would be fine. Folks will have the AP and other polls to beef about. And 'Dick Vitale' talking heads will go off about No. 17 being hosed over. Great articles, Mike. Thanks again.