Jon Joseph

This IMO is over the top but the author is not alone in questioning the long-term viability of College GameDay. He also points out how Reece Davis has been too critical of the Pac-12 and not other CFB conferences. FYI, Reece is an Alabama graduate. https://athlonsports.com/college-football/future-of-espns-college-gameday-feared-to-be-in-jeopardy

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/jonathan-smith-q-a-how-oregon-state-looks-to-build-off-best-season-in-over-a-decade

Do you agree that the Civil War game will be the most important and impactful game the Ducks will play in 2023? Lots of games to consider with Oregon playing USC, UW, Utah, and the Beavers, all in contention for a 2023 Pac-12 title. And trips to the desert have not been kind to Puddles. The last trip to Arizona took Oregon out of the running for a Final 4 berth. Pac-12 Football: Identifying every team’s most important game in 2023 DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM The most important game to win may not always be the biggest. We identify each Pac-12 team’s must-win game in 2023.

HDuck, You are so correct, since the Pac added CU and Utah no team has gone 10-0. I'm hoping that with the playoff field expanding that new history will be written. A 3L B1G is not a lock to get in over an 11-2 Pac conference runner-up or even a 10-3 Pac team IF the Pac team has scheduled up OOC, at least 1 P5 opponent. Unlike the SEC and Clemson, the B1G has not come through in the playoff with 1 title but an overall record of 3-7 including blowout losses by Michigan State and Ohio State. And come 2024 ESPN has no reason to push for the inclusion of B1G teams as it will no longer be broadcasting B1G games. Even with all things not being equal I don't see the SEC often placing 4 teams in the field. My biggest concern is Notre Dame stealing a playoff spot from a conference runner-up that played 13 games. Make no mistake, I lean in your direction when it comes to bias but I am holding out hope that a more objective day is coming with playoff expansion. The Pac-10 will have at least one representative on the playoff committee. But the Pac has to win or at least show up in non-conference games.

Correct but reporting not using unidentified 'sources.' Wilner is also in this camp.

David, look out for a decade and many SEC teams have home-and-home series scheduled with Pac-10 teams. This season Florida visits Utah, Auburn visits Cal and Arizona plays the back end of an H+H series against Mississippi State on the road. Teams are stepping up OOC across the country including Michigan which played no team with a heartbeat OOC in 2022 and will do the same in 2023, beginning a home-and-home series versus Texas in 2024. Bama trips to Wisconsin in 2024 and has a H+H scheduled with Arizona. It still is not the norm for SEC teams to head west but it is improving. Hopefully, SOS will finally matter when the field expands in 204 and OOC scheduling will continue to improve.

I think come 2024 the Pac will have a very good shot at sending its champ and one more team to the playoff. A 13-0/12-1 Pac champ is obviously in and I think a Pac 10 team with an 11-2 record will have a very good shot of making the field if it has a representative OOC schedule. Any team in the Pac with a 12-0 or 11-1 regular season record will be highly ranked going into the conference champ game. Ohio State and Michigan will not play Penn State every season but will play one another every season. Perhaps twice in a season if both make the champ game. And 9 conference games in the B1G will take its toll. It will not be easy for 3 B1G teams to finish 13-0/12-1, 11-1, and 11-1. I don't see a 10-2 B1G team ipso facto beating out an 11-1 Pac team. Same with the SEC. The scams that need to end, as should be voted on by 8 playoff representatives, are the ACC and the SEC playing 8 conference games and Notre Dame playing 12 games. It's outrageous in 2023 that only 2 SEC teams have 10 games versus P5 teams. If the 6 AL spots all go to B1G and SEC teams then come 2026 will we continue to have a playoff? Because of the money, I say yes but I also believe that come 2026 we will see a playoff with a 16-team field. And we will see less influence from ESPN which will no longer be the sole broadcaster of the playoff. I expect streaming entities to be in the mix when the 2026 media rights are put out to bid. Also, come 2026 I think the 6 highest ranked conference champs will be in but there will be no 1st round byes and seeding will not be based on winning a conference title.

I love that President Schulz attended the Duck spring game and was then off to watch other on-campus sporting events. I believe this man understands the value of college athletics and the donations that come with excellence on the field and on the court.

Match-ups, not match-up? I understand your well-made point but if you have a Blue Chip Roster and lose twice in the same season to a coach whose roster is not close in talent are you the better coach? In a current ranking, recent on-field results have to matter. Which is why I can't quibble all that much with DeBoer coming ahead of Lanning. I prefer the value of recent results and not results based on what a coach did in another conference. One of the reasons I believe that Chip, although he had great success in the conference at Oregon is based on current results, way overrated as the number 3 coach in the conference. Again, with all due respect, this is supposed to be a current ranking and not a Hall of Fame ballot.

Pretty simple economic equation. More money if you stay as is and split the money 10 ways or more money by adding the San Diego and DFW markets and splitting 12 ways? I fully expect this to be a media partner and not a Pac-10 presidential call.

Now, let's cement the new media deal with teams making the CFB and CBB playoffs receiving a bigger share of the post-season money. Teams that invest more in CFB and CBB and make the money-ball playoffs deserve a better ROI than teams that do not. If the Pac finds it financially viable to stay with 10 teams that's fine with me as would be a round-robin schedule in football with the top 2 meeting in the conference champ game. What will be more accretive? Adding the San Diego and DFW markets or splitting media revenue and playoff revenue 10 and not 12 ways. With Larry's Comcast debacle, we need the dues! But it is the media partners that will dictate any decision regarding expansion. (BTW, please, please cross-claim against Larry in the wrongful termination suit brought by the 2 fired Pac-12 Network media executives who claim that Larry was well aware of the Comcast situation.)

67? PUP! Belated happy, happy, and thanks for this great site.

Nevada Dawg and AMC Dawg, so great to have you 2 Dawgs on the board, and thanks for all of your comments. Be careful what you wish for, right? But the next time Puddles goes up against UGA, I hope it is in a neutral neutral site like the Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl in a playoff game. Best of luck in 2023 going for the 3-peat. I see LSU giving Georgia a more difficult game in the SEC champ game in the ATL.

Action Network is the home of Brett McMurphy which speaks for itself. No legit gaming site has UW winning 12 games or Utah 11 games or I'd already be down with Under future bets. And USC not up at least 10 wins is senseless; especially, with SC getting Utah, UW, and UCLA at home. ........................................................................................................................................................................ Thanks, Charles for the Chesty Puller GIF. One of the Corps all-time greats. If you haven't seen it 'The Pacific' on HBO is a great series that follows the Marines in WW2 battling island by island in the South Pacific. My Dad spent two years in the Pacific on a destroyer and very late in life he told me: 'Compared to the Marines, I was on a pleasure cruise.'

Shouldn't he have to defeat Whit to be ranked above Whit? And Whit has a far less talented, on paper, roster.

DeBoer at 2? Where is Lanning on your list? Riley needs to cross the threshold + get back to the playoff and win his first playoff game. He had great success in the B12 with a roster matched only by dysfunctional Texas. In the B1G, he will not have a roster leg up on Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State. And games versus Iowa and Wisconsin and even on the road at Maryland will not be lay-ups. IMO, bringing back Grinch was a B1G mistake. 2023 would have been a year to get a new D staff integrated before changing conferences. Williams being hurt was not good but Williams does not play defense. And I think a loss to a G5 team in the Cotton Bowl is not a good showing for a guy who is supposed to be all that. In 2024 Williams will not be along for the B1G ride.

Paul is safe and if not, he can double for Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

'Committed' is a college recruiting oxymoron. A lot of these guys are as committed as the folks in a Hollywood marriage However, great post, and let's hope the young man gives Oregon his verbal commitment and then signs on the dotted line.

Duck, I agree. But with the loss to Tulane and the 4 playoff losses I think his bowl record is 1-5. Thanks for the post.

The trip to Lubbock will be a major test for Coach Lanning and the staff. The Red Raiders and the team's fans will be mega-fired up as will be QB Tyler Shough trying to defeat his once-upon-a-time team. Will Oregon be able to match an up-and-coming Tech program in this tough road test? https://athlonsports.com/college-football/why-texas-tech-is-the-big-12s-top-sleeper-title-contender-2023

Lanning at 6 seems to me to be a rank ranking. Riley at 1? OK but at OK he went playoff 0-4. And in last season's NY6 bowl, Riley lost to a G5 team. Shouldn't you have to coach a little bit of defense to be ranked #1? And the Chipper at 3? This just in, Chip is no longer coaching in Eugene. Chip ahead of J Smith when considering the locale, and facilities is senseless. Has any recent head coach hire received more pub than CU hiring Prime Time? Shouldn't DeBoer have to do 2022 at least once more? DeBoer appears to be getting a lot of Sioux Falls love while Prime's efforts at J State appear to have gone under the CBS radar. Nice work by the author noting that Oregon has to play at UW and USC in 2023! Sir, I think the other game you intended to mention is at Utah. Oh well, it's just the Pac-12, right? Pac-12 coach rankings 2023: Colorado's Deion Sanders debuts as USC's Lincoln Riley holds top spot - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Where does Sanders rank among his Pac-12 counterparts ahead of his first season as a Power Five coach? Note, the top 3 ranked coaches went 0-3 in last season's bowl games. UCLA under Chip has never played for a conference title and blew a late lead against Pitt in the Sun Bowl. Dan with a hobbled QB took down UNC and touted QB Drake Maye in the Holiday Bowl. J Smith and the Beavers stomped and chomped the Gators in Las Vegas. FWIW - IMO - 1. Coach Whit 2. J. Smith 3. Riley 4. T - DL and DeBoer. - So great that in 2023 we'll see Coach Lanning against Whit, J. Smith, Riley, and DeBoer.

I think he ha$ a million or so rea$ons to be bia$ed.

Please, do not confuse the hype with FACTS!

H - USC, no. UCLA - depends on the Calimony payment? 26,000 miles of travel in 2024 and that's just for the football team.

"The pressure is off!" Muhammed Saeed al-Sharif - Saddam Hussein's PR guy. Nothing to see here, move right along.