Jon Joseph

Thanks, Charles, great stuff! A few more stats and the weather report for Seattle on Saturday. Weather - High 60 degrees. Cloudy. 24% chance of rain. Weather Channel. Defense Stop Rate Rankings to date in 2023 (success in getting the opposing O off the field.) 1. Michigan - a team that has played hot garbage. 2. Penn State - close to a ditto of Michigan but a good win over a W. VA. that lost to Houston last night on a walk-off Hail Mary pass. 3. UCLA OREGON -15 - Washington - 27. SP+ - OREGON - 22.2 - UW - 21.9 OREGON - #1 in both Rushing Success Rate and Rushing Marginal Explosiveness (rushing per play adjusted for down, distance, and field position.) UW - #50 in rushing. UW gives up at least 4 yards 51% of the time. 107th in FBS. As Charles so accurately notes, OL play will be a key factor. Cannot have the false starts that Oregon had in Lubbock in front of a hostile crowd. OREGON - 74th in completion rate but 8th in points allowed per drive. UW's star receiving trio averages 13.3 yards per target, this is a huge number. SP+ - UW by 2.2. FPI - OREGON by 1.8. I hope FPI wins the battle of the ESPN algorithms. Get your popcorn ready! I already have my Mylanta ready.

I am confused (nothing new.) It troubled me that the Go Ducks site shows 4 games vs. Michigan State from 2024 through 2028. As far as I know from BTNetwork's coverage of the schedules, which was detailed, except for a permanent opponent(s) no B1G team is to play another B1G team more than 4 times from 2024 to 2028. I went to the Michigan site. This site shows Oregon in 2027 playing Michigan in Ann Arbor. On Go Ducks, Michigan is not on the schedule in 2027. I then went to a Future Football Schedules site. The site confirmed that Oregon is at Michigan in 2027 and does not play Michigan State. A search of Michigan State's future schedules confirms that Michigan State does not play Oregon in 2027. So, adjusting for this - Michigan - 3 - 1/2 Michigan State - 3 - 2/1. BTW, how is this for difficult OOC scheduling? Michigan - Texas 2024/ at Texas 2027. At Oklahoma 2025/ Oklahoma 2026. That's some tough games vs. SEC teams that were likely B12 teams when the schedule was made. In 2024 add Ohio State, OREGON, USC, and UW.

Turn those machines back on!

Darren, thanks again. A deeper future scheduling B1G dive. Through 2028. Oregon - H/A. 'Pac-12' B1G opponents. UW - 5 - 3/2 USC - 3 - 2/1 UCLA - 3 - 1/2 The B1G 3 - Ohio State - 3 - 2/1 Penn State - 3 - 1/2 - 2 White Outs? Michigan - 2 - 1/1 Other B1G notables. Michigan State - 4 - 2/2 including consecutive games in E. Lansing in 2026 and 2027. More games than versus the LA schools. Wisconsin - 3 - 1/2 Iowa - 2 - 1/1 Nebraska - 2 - 1/1. (I thought that Nebraska and not Michigan State would, because of geography, be a 4 game opponent.) I am (FWIW) down with playing a G5 game at Hawaii for Pacific Islander recruiting, and playing 13 games with an extra home game as is the case in 2024. I'm fine with playing Boise and Utah State but not with playing these teams on the road. P5/4 opponents - 2024 -Texas Tech, 2025/26 - Oklahoma State, 2027/28 - Baylor. Really? Why drop sugar in the pockets of B12 teams instead of playing old foes Cal and Stanford?

The young man's name is right up there with Sonny Sixkiller.

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/oregon-ducks-vs-washington-huskies-prediction-picks-2023

With that helmet, the young man looks a bit like Alien, no? I don't care so long as Oregon plays like a predator in Seattle.

Thanks, Darren. The SEC seriously considered going to 9 games in 2024 but it wanted more money from ESPN to do so. Mickey Mouse said, "NO!" The SEC has always had the advantage of fans showing up by the thousands (100,000) to watch Bama for example, beat down E, W, N, S - Somewhere State. And had the guts to try and justify this charade by arguing that 'the little guy' needs the money. Meet Nick Saban - Plilantrophist. The SEC, although by far the winner on the field of play, has gamed the system since BCS days. Easy to do when a Playoff Committee considers wins and losses and nothing else and 'Every SEC Game is a Battle of Titans' like no other. With NIL and the portal, the SEC hegemony IMO is drawing to a close. Other than NW, Rutgers, and Indiana, B1G fans pack B1G stadiums through thick and thin. They even show up to watch Iowa play old-school, like back in the day when Harvard, Princeton, and Yale dominated CFB, offense. Or, what passes (pun intended) for offense? B1G, help is on the way. 4-ranked Pac-12 teams will be entering the fray come 2024. Oregon, SC, and UW (not so much UCLA) will be playing heavyweight B1G games. With the financial power and influence of the B1G, the PO Committee will no longer be able to sweep SOS under the rug. I believe the B1G will get the same treatment as it does in CBB; namely, perhaps too much respect? I also believe that ESecPN is not going to sit by and pay huge money for Texas to play Texas State. Texas A+M joined the SEC in 2012. Georgia has yet to play a game in College Station. 3:30 PM Eastern, are you going to watch Oregon at Michigan or Bama vs. LA Monroe? Future Oregon scheduling has to be made with an eye on limiting travel. ACC teams Cal and Stanford would be perfect P5 opponents. Can't schedule FCS teams (although NW just played Howard)? Play UMass like Penn State is doing this Saturday. In 2023, PSU played Deleware and W. Virginia, and as noted, the Minute Men are coming to Happy Valley to be stomped, likely in the first minute of the game. With a B1G schedule, there is no reason for heroic OOC scheduling as we will see in 2024 when Michigan finally steps up and plays Texas OOC. In a 12-team playoff which I think will go to 16 in 2026 with no first-round byes, and no seeding preference for conference champs (at least one G5 team for political purposes will get a bid) play the SEC big boys in the playoff. If SC and UCLA had a do-over I very much doubt that both schools would be playing LSU in 2024. And I reiterate, please Rob, do not schedule road games against G5 opponents. Thanks, Darren. 2024 will bring a new scheduling paradigm to the 4 Pac teams going, thankfully, to the B1G, and the coverage on the BTN will be far superior and far more watched to the coverage the Ducks have received on the Pac-12 network. Puddles will not be flying under the radar and recruits nationwide will pay attention to Oregon whether or not a game is played in Texas or SoCal.

Fox has already shown its hand. In the 5 seasons beginning in 2024, SC will play Ohio State or Michigan every season. Oregon will play Ohio State and Michigan twice as well as play Penn State. Fox wants B1G big games and it wants 9 games and as Darren suggests, possibly 10 conference games to differentiate the B1G from the SEC and to differentiate Fox from ESPN. Fox Big Noon pregame show has made significant in-roads on Game Day.

NIL has made a difference in the need to play where recruits are located as has social media. And. one way or another, every P5/4 and G5 football game can be viewed in some fashion. I think the idea that you have to play in state X because it produces so many recruits is antiquated.

Thank you, PA. And thank you, Richard Johnson. Great article. Victoriam in Aquilone! Victory in the North!

Thank you, Alex. As to the roster point: The Ducks have a Blue Chip roster, and the Huskies do not have a Blue Chip roster. As to Dennis Dodd's comments that I posted above, who are the OL Washington ready-made NFL guys Dodd is referring to? Oregon comes into this game with the superior units on both LOS. And with Lanning and friends having a good look at the U of A plan to slow down the UW passing game. The UW OL has surrendered, like the Ducks, only a handful of sacks this season. But this is the best DL Penix will have seen. Pressure Penix and he cannot scramble. The ability ala Caleb Williams to extend plays and make something out of nothing is not a part of Penix's game. To date, Penix has 9 net rush yards on the season. UW's leading rusher, Johnson, has rushed for only 240 yards to date. Oregon D against the run is ranked #20. UW against the run is ranked #44. Running the ball, Oregon is ranked #8, and UW is not ranked in the top 50. Penix did put up 323 yards of passing in Tucson but he did not throw for a TD. If the Ducks 'hold' Penix to this kind of yardage on Saturday, the Ducks win. UW's D has been fairly solid against the run but Oregon brings a run game to Seattle that UW has yet to face. The best way to hold down Penix and the prolific UW O is to keep them off of the field. It will be imperative in this game for the Oregon O to stay on schedule. To make decent yardage on 1st down. Run the ball and set up 'Bird Bombs' to Troy Franklin and other receivers. To me, the Ducks win in Lubbock was superior to any win UW has this season. That was a gut-check win on the road and the Husky crowd will be no less intense than the crowd in Lubbock, a place where the Ducks made a tremendous comeback. And Oregon will not be facing a QB who can run like a healthy Tyler Shough. Let's Get It On!

Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix add luster to Washington vs. Oregon with rivalry set for its greatest showcase yet - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM The two star quarterbacks -- and Heisman Trophy favorites -- will be front and center as an oft-overlooked rivalry gets its deserved spotlight

I don't know about vitriol, but I do know that I have Geritol hate! Mixed with Stoli, of course. What was the 2nd thing?

Husky downtown, a/k/a Mogadishu. Great beaches but watch out for the sharks and rabid Dawgs.

Thanks. I took a bite out of the wrong Apple.

Talented and Enlightened people who all happen to be oh-so-beautiful and Bolicious.

'Traveler, we aren't in Kansas anymore.' Pay no attention to the Coach behind the curtain. But we're playing D behind the Grinch Who Stole D just like we did back in Little Wagon That Could Days in Oklahoma. There is illusion. And then, there is delusion. And insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, right? Charles, please stop by and pick me up off of the floor. LOL and How!

Notre Dame's Paul Hornung played on a losing team. The last player to ever do so and win the award, Paul road the ND brand to the Heisman. Has not happened since. And will not happen again.

Thanks, David. Nix leading Oregon to wins over 7. UW, 10. USC, 15. Oregon State, 16. Utah, 19. Wazzu, and a ranked team in the Pac-12 champ game where he will have a Friday Night only P5 teams playing audience will be noticed and he will at least be making a trip to NYC.

Jon Wilner's recent autopsy of the Pac-12 demise called out Washington and not Oregon as being the NW school that first cratered the Amazon deal. And the Utah prez was the guy screaming the loadest fo $50M a year from ESPN.

Amidst the litigation (send in the overpaid lawyers) the parties have agreed to mediation. This is a matter that should be settled with neither party likely to be happy which = a good settlement. Civil War carries on in the courtroom. If it doesn't carry on on the field, fine with me. The 2 left-behind schools are looking for the money they did little, except for 1 run in the CBB tourney by OSU, to earn. If I am not mistaken, OSU and WSU had representatives on the Pac-12 'Board of Directors' who helped the conference to crater. GO BRUINS!

Tell him to cheer up. This Saturday Texas is a heavy favorite to defeat Bye-Bye U.

And Texas was Way Back vs. an OK team that it defeated by 40+ last season.

How much does your friend have down on the 'certain to win' Doggedey Dawgs? He does know that these Dawgs are not the Dawgs from Athens. GA., right? This is not Auburn. Bo will not tank. The UW run D has been shaky to date and will not improve against one of the nation's top run teams when Puddles comes to town. If the Ducks D can get pressure rushing 4 or 5, this is going to be a long day for Penix and for the UW hot shot WRs going up against a back 7 that can play pass defense better than Arizona plays pass defense.