Jon Joseph

Great post, thank you. And in the B1G, Michigan has rescinded its new contract offer to Jim Harbaugh. How will this affect Wolverines recruiting? It can't help.

Charles, you may be a bad boy but this, Sir, is a great article. Thank you.

East Bay, I had the same concern. I think B1G vs, B12 made a difference here and will continue to make a difference.

Here's another futuristic playoff take. Because of the MONEY, in 2026, ESPN loses its exclusive broadcast rights and the Playoff expands to 16 teams, with a spot guaranteed for one G5 team (in the field below this would be presumptive Mountain West member Oregon State) but no seeding preferences for conference champions and no 1st round byes. This could work if all teams play the 1st game on what is now Week 0 and money, via NIL or otherwise, is paid to participating players. 1st round playoff opponents could be juggled to avoid 1st round rematches and conference members playing 1st round games against one another but with so many B1G and SEC teams in the mix there will be rematches as the playoff progresses, 16. Oregon State At 1. Georgia 9. Penn State At 8. Alabama 13. LSU At 4. FSU 12. Notre Dame At 5. UW 15. Louisville At 2. Michigan 10. Oklahoma At 7. Texas 14. Mizzou At 3. Ohio State 11. Ole Miss At 6. OREGON 4 B1G home games, UW, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State playing at Alabama. Show Puddles the $!

Candy, good call on viewership but this season to date, Oregon has had more collective eyes on its games than has Bama and Texas. Some of this is due to Prime at CU. But mostly due to Oregon being a national brand, a brand that is getting very favorable kickoff times on Fox and ESPN, and not on FS1, E2, or EU, and Larry's Lost Network. On Saturday, Oregon vs. Cal will be on the Pac-12 network but with a 5:30 Eastern kickoff which is far better than a 7:30 and of course, a 10:30 PM kickoff. This should be Oregon's last game on P-12N. I do think there is a good chance that Oregon at ASU will be a Pac-12 After Dark kickoff on ESPN, kicking off at 10:30 Eastern. But you are spot on cautioning Ducks fans to be wary of the Bama and UT brands. How about a great Ducks Playoff Trifecta on Saturday? Beat Cal while LSU takes down Bama and #25 defeats Texas with UT playing its backup QB.

FWIW, I see neither an 11-1 Ohio State nor an 11-1Michigan beating out a 12-1 Pac-12 champ for a playoff spot. (A 13-0 UW is in.) On Tuesday we will find out which 1 loss team the playoff committee likes the best among Oregon and Texas. The committee could slot both 1 loss UT, and Alabama above Oregon but will not rank Bama above a one-loss Texas team that defeated Bama in Tuscaloosa. I think that the AP voters have it right with 6. Oregon, 7. Texas, and 8. Alabama. But I am not objective. (DUH!) Down the road, the Oklahoma loss at Kansas could help Oregon. But the best help for Oregon will be for both UW and the Ducks to run the table with the Ducks winning the Pac-12 champ game. As other commenters have noted on OBD, if the ACC, B1G, and SEC have undefeated champions, it could come down to 12-1 Oregon vs. 12-1 Texas. We'll have a good idea of how the Committee values a neutral site 3-point loss to Oklahoma, now a 1-loss team, and win at Alabama, to Oregon's 3-point loss at UW and win at Utah. Puddles needs UW to muddle through to 12-0 and for the 11-1 Ducks to win in Las Vegas. It would also help Oregon's cause for LSU to win in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. And for an improved OK St team to win what will likely be the last Bedlam Game against Oklahoma in Stillwater. Oklahoma's best LB and leading tackler hurt his knee against KU and will not be able to play on Saturday. UW is -3 headed to LA. The over/under is a robust 75.5 points. In its last 6 games, USC is 0-6 ATS (against the spread.) In its last 11 games vs. USC, UW is 8-3 ATS. The College Football Power Index simulated the game 20,000 times. SC won 53.9% of the time. Which of the Jekyll and Hyde SC and UW teams will show up? Will Penix be on track? If so, I don't think the SC D is good enough to win a shootout on Saturday. But if UW plays like it did against ASU and Stanford, SC will win the game. I wouldn't bet on this game if I had Elon Musk's money.

Thanks. This is a prospective look at the 2024 season 12-team playoff field. The top 4 highest ranked conference champs will have a bye. Hypothetical MW champ Oregon State ranked 16 in the AP, today would get the 4th seed and the bye over B12 champ Utah which is ranked 18. Because of the seeding preference for the top 4 ranked conference champs, playoff rankings do not wholly sync with Week 10 AP rankings. This is next season's ceiling walking and is not applicable to this season's final Final 4. I agree with your points that the Pac-12 could cannibalize itself out of the playoff. 2L Utah, USC, and OR ST are not out of the conference race but are out of the playoff race. UW if it finished 13-0, it is obviously in the Final 4. It hypothetically would be 1 of 4 undefeated conference champs along with Georgia, OH ST/MI, and FSU. A 12-1 UW, if not blown out in its 1 conference loss and with a Pac-12 title would be in. UW has 3 games remaining vs. currently ranked teams plus a 4th in the champ game. With 2 currently ranked teams left on the schedule, 3 wins against teams .500 or better, and a playoff statement win at Utah, Oregon as a 12-1 champ with a champ game win over a ranked team would be in. I do not see a situation where the 2 teams in the 2023 Pac-12 playoff game will not be ranked. But I can see UW suffering perhaps 2-losses and also Oregon losing another game which means no playoff for the Pac this season. But I do not see Oregon losing a home game. And I do not see Oregon losing at ASU. I do see Oregon winning the Pac-12 champ game and in the field with a 12-1 record. Nationwide, it will be interesting. I see UGA and FSU going 13-0 and the winner of Ohio State/Michigan could do so. I do not see an 11-1 B1G runner-up knocking out a 12-1 Pac-12 champion. Without a win over Michigan Ohio State's SOS will be good but not far above 1L Oregon/UW. Michigan's SOS is terrible, 110 currently, and an 11-1 Michigan with not trump a 12-1 Pac-12 champ. Fasten your seat belt.

Great observation, Mike. Fortunately, the Ducks trip to Tempe and not Tucson. I want no part of the Wildcats in Tucson. ASU is playing better but not at the level of AZ.

Pac-12 continues to have 6 AP-ranked teams (I pay no attention to the Sports Information Directors poll) along with the SEC. UGA's schedule predicted to be a nothing-burger in the preseason is ramping up. 20. Mizzou, 11 Ole Miss, At 19 Tennessee, At a Georgia Tech team that kneeled on Miami, and beat a nose-diving UNC on Saturday. We'll see what the Committee does on Tuesday. It's great to see Oregon as the highest-ranked 1-loss team in the Week 10 AP Poll but will the committee prefer Texas's win over Bama? 2024 Playoff using AP, 5 champs, and 7 at large, accounting for realignment. 1. Georgia - SEC 2. Michigan - B1G 3. FSU - ACC 4. Oregon State - Mountain West 5. Ohio State vs. 12. Utah - B12 6. Washington vs. 11. Oklahoma 7. OREGON vs. 10. Penn State 8. Texas vs. 9. Alabama 5 B1G/ 4 SEC/ 1 ACC, B12, Mountain West .......................................................................................................................................... Is Time a flat circle? FSU? The Seminoles best win is a neutral site victory over 2-loss LSU, a team that plays suspect defense. Clemson? LOL! But the ACC is crummy (see the beat down of Louisville at Pitt) and Florida, FSU's final regular season opponent before the ACC champ game, looked bad against Georgia yesterday. It will not be surprising to see FSU finish 13-0. One loss OREGON undressed the ACC's undefeated FSU, Jameis, and Jimbo in the first playoff game in the Rose Bowl. Might we see the same two teams playing in the Rose Bowl this season? Bring it on! With Oklahoma's loss at Kansas yesterday, a 1-loss Pac-12 champion is a playoff lock. A 1-loss Pac champ will have a very good strength of schedule. But could be a 4-seed if UGA, Michigan/Ohio State, and FSU win out.

The Ducks lost in Seattle. But the physical beating OR put on UW lingers. Struggle to beat ASU and Stanford. That is one heck of a hangover. Meanwhile, The Grinch Who Stole D made another unknown QB (a goat farmer?) look like a Heisman contender. A baffling UW heads to LA and I have no idea how this game will go. I do know that at a neutral site today Oregon would be favored over UW. Post-game it was revealed that Penix was sick. The entire UW enterprise appears to be sick. That's what getting punched in the mouth by Puddles will do. To wit: After 6 Ducks sacks, Cam Ward and WSU could not pull out a win in Tempe. How bad is Wisconsin and how good is Ohio State? No Easy Day in the Pac this year but I am happy that Oregon drew ASU and not Arizona.

D Marsh, I believe the Ducks will have another chance to show up against UW. Hats off to SC for a comeback after being down 29 43 in the 4th Q. At home and you don't go into OT? Then again, Cal had scored 49 points and given up 50. UW did not have an easy day down on The Farm. Oregon today looked like the best team in the conference by a mile. The OL Prime has put up in front of his kid. Suspect! Can children divorce their parents? The targeting foul on the second son was male bovine excrement.

WOW! Mylanta was not needed. Two Words - SMASH MOUTH! The 2 Utes in My Cousin Vinny may have played better than these Utes today. But that's because Oregon came out on top like Vinny, and if, like Vinny, Oregon was in contempt, it was in contempt of Pat McAfee. Texas beat down BYU (a bad day for the state of Utah) and still has the best win, on paper, at Bama, but in the 1st Committee rankings, with OK losing after 18 wins in a row to Kansas, I love it when 18 streaks are erased, The Ducks should be ranked 6, at least. BEAT Cal!

Replay Sunday morning on FS1 at 4 AM on the Right Coast.

Speaking of 'pissed,' based on CGD signage, Utah fans are obsessed with the process of micturition. Toilet training had to be tough in many a Utah family.

Does Michigan have to cheat against this schedule? 11/11 at Penn State will be the Wolverines 1st game vs a ranked opponent. Come On Jim!

Was Stanford Steve a Math Major on The Farm? Steve has his prime numbers down - 12222 12-22-2 - I'd be embarrassed to show my face. No wonder he dresses straight out of Good Will.

Bill Connolly's SP+ and ESPN's FPI have weighed in. As Connelly notes, the Ducks have the most efficient run game in the country. Irving and James average 158.9 yards a game. Now up to a nation-leading 7.7 yards a carry. Bo Nix: Sacked only 4 times. 78% completion rate. 19-1 TD-to-Interception. #1 in pressure rate due to excellent OL pass blocking and a quick release. The Oregon D is SP+ ranked 31, up from 74 in 2022. Oregon has allowed only 18 passes of 20+ yards. The Utes are ranked 65 in rushing success but even with the improvement, the Oregon D is ranked 78 in rushing success allowed. With the advantage at QB, if Oregon can hold down the Utah run game it will not be beaten by the Utah passing attack. SP+ - OREGON by 6.3. FPI - OREGON by 7.1.

The Civil War is being played on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I expect CGD will cover one of the champ games being played on Saturday. With the B1G E Champ playing the B1G W Chump, I expect we'll see CGD in Atlanta for Georgia vs. Bama/LSU. Both the B1G and the SEC are dropping divisions next season following the ACC and soon-to-be RIP Pac-12. Thank goodness. I'd rather watch an Ohio State/Michigan rematch than either team playing Iowa. Iowa has put the 'tism' in nepotism.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Civil War will draw a ton of viewers. Will OSU send their lawyers out for the coin flip?

Lee, don't fowl up. Pick Puddles.

Turn Those Machines Back On!

Winner: THE OREGON DUCKS. Score: 38-24 TOs Forced - 2 Sacks - 4 Passing 350 - Utah has given up a lot of explosive plays. I expect Troy Franklin to do some downfield damage in SLC. Bonus Pick - Lee Corso goes with Puddles. Bonus Pick 2 - At the end of the game Uncle Phil yells: 'Hell Yes!'

I can recall first hearing about 'Watergate.' The Gate that led to all of the other Gate references over what is now decades. Like Watergate, 'Signal-Stealing Gate' (SSG) is just looking worse for Michigan as details emerge. Now on campus are the NCAA, FBI, and B1G representatives. Jim Harbaugh's denial of having no knowledge of SSG is starting to ring hollow. Much like his comments regarding COVID recruiting violations that are still pending before the NCAA. The school did not wait, suspending Harbaugh from the sidelines for the 1st 3 games of the season. The central figure in the investigation, Connor Stalion (is life a movie?) a 28-year-old Naval Academy graduate, whose parents both graduated from Michigan and a Captain in the Marine Corps, is alleged to have attended 35 games at 17 stadiums over the last few seasons. Stalion's has been suspended with pay. B1G Commissioner Tony Petitti has had an interesting first year on the job. He had to clean up the media negotiation mess that Kevin Warren left behind. He had to use his influence with Fox to bring Oregon and Washington on board, albeit at an initial discount. He faced a long-tenured B1G coach getting fired for hazing and another coach being terminated for sexual impropriety. Welcome aboard. We know that the NCAA has never concerned itself with justice delayed is justice denied. The College Football Playoff Committee is not authorized to take any unresolved investigation into consideration. This leaves any resolution this season up to the B1G Commissioner. Petitti has the exclusive authority to determine whether a sportsmanship violation has occurred and to impose discipline. Any discipline beyond a $10,000 fine and a 3-game suspension for involved parties, must be approved by the B1G's Executive Committee. As of today, the All-State Playoff Predictor has Ohio State with the best odds to make the playoff with Michigan having the 4th best odds. SP+ gives the B1G a 98% chance to make the playoff and a 38% chance that 2 B1G teams will be in the field. (By comparison, the Pac-12 has a 39% chance to send one team to the playoff.) What a mess! And here I thought that Puddles was joining the B1G and not the SEC?

Lee Corso, don't go fowl 2 games in a row. Show a little love for your favorite fowl, Puddles.

Beam Me Up!