Jon Joseph

Adam Bradford's B1G games predictions for Week 9. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2025/10/24/adam-bradford-picks-big-ten-football-games-week-9/86861610007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=email& 5-2 Minnesota is +8.5 at 5-2 Iowa. The Gophers travel to Iowa City having won both LOS against Nebraska, and with the better QB and run game. I do not 'get' this line. As far as I can determine, Minnesota will have all Gophers on deck for this game. Yes, our betting consortium has a Bob and a Quid down on Minnesota +8.5. CBS - 12:30 Pacific

Oxymoron Alert! Will Stein made On3's list of coaching candidates who are 'not sexy but hot.' Like the pultritude meter skyrocketing when you hear 'last call' at the watering hole? 😁 I can remember those days. Sort of. 😜 On3Forget the sexy names, these coaches need to be on your h...Lane Kiffin is the ultimate sexy coaching candidate, but who are the under-the-radar guys who could be the next Curt Cignetti or Mike Elko?

Thank you, Charles. I'm fired up and ready to watch OBD Give Us Fans Five! And while the loss to the Hoosiers hurts, it could work out perfectly for the Ducks. As we are painfully aware, last season playoff teams with lengthy byes went 0-4. The ultimate champ got off the mat after what would have been, in prior seasons, an end-of-the-season devastating loss, and won the whole enchilada. Looking down the road, all three of Oregon, Indiana, and Ohio State will be favored to win their last five games in the 2025 regular season. This happens, and OBD gets to take a nap on December 6th instead of playing a 13th game in Indianapolis. Let the Hoosiers and Buckeyes club one another in the mouth until they're both Rocky (sorry) while OBD, like Notre Dame, plays one fewer game against a Power 2 team before hosting a 1st round playoff game. At 11-1, OBD should host either the 12 or the 11 seed. Win this game and move on, with winning momentum, to play the third or fourth seed in the 2nd round. Recent bye-byes have not been good for OBD. Let's play ball at home in Round 1. Thanks also for highlighting the contributions of the newbies. It is so good to see highly rated recruits come in ready to ball out. And notwithstanding the indecisive play versus Indiana, hats off to the coaching staff for blending in portal players who are making an impact. Today's CFB is all about successful roster management. GO DUCKS - Wax Wisconsin! PS - Might I humbly inquire, what in Hades does a 'full spectrum live resin dab' look like, and do I need one in my aquarium? 😁

FWIW - A Week 9 Resume Ranking from writer Derek Peterson, who claims there is no subjectivity in these rankings, only the results from games played to date. Indiana is No. 1 - OBD No. 6 Saturday Down SouthCollege football's Top 25 résumé ranking entering Week 9Ranking the top 25 teams in college football based on the résumés they have compiled throughout the 2025 season.

OBD is on the list of Yahoo's contenders for this season's Natty. https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/era-of-chaos-who-are-college-footballs-national-championship-contenders-133900093.html

Mike, good post. It was the 8th game of eight in a row without a break, but Wisconsin gave OBD all it could handle last season. The score was 35-0, but Purdue did put up a fight on its home field. Last season, the B1G finished with the best postseason record among the Power 4. This season, 5-2 Northwestern was a better test than Oklahoma State. 5-2 NW at 5-2 Nebraska, 9 AM FSI, is, at least in theory, a PO elimination game. It's unfortunate NW didn't open with a home game versus a Little MAC instead of playing Tulane in New Orleans. It's easy to forget that a 3-4 B1G team took OBD into double OT. 😁 I think the game at Iowa in Week 11 and the following Week 12 Friday night game against Minnesota will both be testy. Iowa did not have to work overtime to defeat that 3-4 team. And the Hoosiers had a close call in Iowa City. I know that Super Glue is more mobile than Dylan Raiola, and Swiss cheese has fewer holes than the Cornhuskers o-line, but the Gophers did post nine sacks, a team record, against Nebraska. 😁 5-2 Minnesota at 5-2 Iowa, 12:30 CBS, is a PO elimination game. By the time the Pac-12 cratered, ASU, Cal, CU, Oregon State, Washington State, UCLA, Utah, even in Salt Lake, and a 5-loss USC team, were pretty much walkovers for OBD. Arizona was solid the season the conference died, DeBoer left for Bama, and Fisch dropped his line in Seattle. With the 5th-best roster in CFB, OBD should handle the majority of the B1G and out-of-conference teams it plays. For the most part, Oregon has done so under Dan.

Wisconsin, DUCK! Could a weather day fit for Ducks help the Badgers find cover? Sorry Bob D, but I do need a weatherman to know which way the score blows. 😁 https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/wisconsin-vs-oregon-prediction-preview-2025

The games we remember are played in November. SP+ Combined Strength of Record and Resume Rankings have Indiana 1st, Ohio State 2nd, and OBD 4th. If the Committee's metrics produce the same or close to the same results, why schedule Texas, Ohio State, when you can play three donut holes OOC, like Indiana? The SEC is deeper through the middle of the conference, but the B1G Three (move over Penn State) are deemed stronger at the top by SP+ than the top SEC teams. ESPN.comRanking the most interesting College Football Playoff and...We have just over a month until Selection Day and these battles for CFP slots and major awards should be fun.

Thanks, HDuck. Conference schedules in today's mega-conferences vary widely. Compare Wisconsin's 2025 B1G schedule with Indiana, Ohio State, and OBD. Much more difficult journey for Wisconsin, especially with Penn State's meltdown. This is one reason why I favor Tony Petitti's Automatic Qualifiers PO proposal. If adopted, the last week of the regular season would see PO play-in games, with B1G No. 6 at No. 3, No. 5 at No. 4, and No. 1 versus No. 2 with both teams in the PO. In 2027, OBD plays road games versus Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, and UW, plus a road game in Waco, Texas, against Baylor. Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State, and Purdue visit Autzen. I can't imagine a more difficult conference schedule in 2027 than this. With this schedule, a 3rd through 6th place OBD deserves a shot at the PO.

Which team wins it all this season? I don't know. But I do know that Buckeyes fans can hold a grudge. 😁😁😁 Scarlet and GameReferee who screwed Ohio State vs Clemson permanently sus...The ref was so bad that he will no longer officiate in the SEC, even if it is six years too late.

Go far in the PO? With or without a long winter's nap? OBD is in contention for the coveted 5th seed and a home game versus the 12th seed, the G6 representative. Win the opening game as it should, and OBD's 2nd round game in the Cotton or Orange Bowl would be against the lowest-ranked Power 4 champion. The 6th seed this season would also see OBD favored against the 11th seed in Autzen and a bowl matchup against the 3rd seed. Let Indiana and Ohio State beat one another up on December 6th in a 13th game in Indianapolis, with the winner having to go bye-bye for three plus weeks. Make it as the 5th or 6th seed, and I see Oregon playing in a semifinal game in the Fiesta (ideal) or the Peach Bowl. TCB versus the Baggers, er, Badgers 😁, and we'll find out on November 4th how the PO Committee views OBD and its Strength Of Schedule and Strength Of Record to date. (Thank you very little Penn State.) SC is off this week. A 5-2 UW defeat of 5-2 No. 23 Illinois in Seattle would help the Ducks' SOS down the road. The Floyd of Rosedale game from OBD's POV is a push; Iowa and Minnesota are back-to-back on Oregon's schedule. The B1G has some interesting trophy games. Last week, Indiana defeated Michigan State and won a ... Spittoon. Gag! The Floyd of Rosedale trophy carries an impressive name, but it's lipstick on a pig. 🤪 Here's a B1G prediction that is a lock - Rutgers vs. Purdue will draw fewer than four million viewers. 🙃 This Saturday Only, it's OK to Waste Wisky!

Thank you, Doctor. There is no ACC or B12 school on the list. Notre Dame may as well be in the Power 2 and would be if the Domers asked the B1G or the SEC for an invitation. No Miami, FSU, Clemson, or UNC. (And BTW, what in Hades happened to roundball on Tobacco Road?) Week after week, the SEC, B1G, and Notre Dame dominate the TV-viewer ratings. To the list of teams that have the resources and the will to win from the top down, I'd add Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and perhaps, Florida. Michigan also has the resources, as do Penn State and USC. The B12 is No. 4 in the Power 4 and fading. The games in the conference are exciting, but the close to entire top-to-bottom parity does not equal multiple teams in the CFB playoffs. However, it only takes one guy to buy a competitive roster, like Cody Campbell at Texas Tech. The restructuring of the ACC, in particular, is simply a matter of time, and teams will be left behind, ala Oregon State and Wazzu. This is why I think Jeff Brohm could leave his Mother Ship for a job in the SEC, or if promised the resources, a return to the B1G. Jeff Brohm at Penn State would be scary. Great post, thank you.

CFB is in new territory; for better or worse? 32 billionaires in the NFL cooperate to give every team a chance. College football, on the other hand 🤑 On3All coaches want is a little patience, but more firings a...Coaches want time to build their programs, like in the past, but this new era of college football does not have much patience.

Louisville QB Miller Moss is done after this season. Same for Brohm's first season QB Jake Plummer, and last season's QB Tyler Shough. Brohm can coach! He took Purdue from a doormat to a team that contended every week. I think Charles' call is spot on. If Brohm can be lured away from his alma mater, Will will be heading back home.

Thanks, Darren. With so few P4 games out of conference, it's difficult to get a top-to-bottom read of any conference. The SEC's mid to lower-level teams will be ranked notwithstanding losses to SEC opponents. Two-loss Texas, LSU, and Tennessee are ranked. Two-loss Minnesota, Iowa, Washington, Northwestern, Nebraska, and USC are not ranked. SEC folks will defend the rankings, and not without justification, all day long. However, AP voters will give the nod to brand names, like the ranked two-loss SEC teams. FWIW - Minnesota has a W over ranked Nebraska, Nebraska has a W over 21 Cincinnati, two weeks ago, SC blew out No. 25 Michigan. UW's two losses came against No. 1 Ohio State and a ranked Michigan team on the road. 2-loss Iowa suffered a 3-point loss on the road at Iowa State, and shut down the Indiana offense. Northwestern? With the first game loss at Tulane, I got nothin'. 😁 Man versus Machine - After Week 8, Massey Rankings include No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 5 OBD, No. 14 Michigan, No. 17 USC, No. 20 Iowa, No. 22 Washington, No. 26 Illinois, and No. 30 Nebraska. Half of the conference is ranked in the top 30. The B1G is behind only the other Power 2 conference, the SEC. In 2025, the SEC went 2-1 versus the B1G. Ohio State defeated Texas in Columbus, Oklahoma defeated Michigan in Norman, and Wisconsin no-showed against Bama in Tuscaloosa, as is the case versus every Baggers' B1G opponent in 2025. In 2024-25, Tennessee and Texas lost to Ohio State. No.1 Michigan defeated No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl on 1/1/2024. In the 2024 postseason, 5-loss Michigan defeated Alabama, and 3-loss Illinois defeated South Carolina. The B1G was 11-6 in the postseason. The SEC went 6-10. In today's CFB, a program's past does not define its current ability. Ohio State is the favorite to win the Natty, no surprise. But Indiana also has favorable odds. I very much enjoyed the read, but I don't believe the B1G is any lower than the 2nd-best conference in CFB. With 18 teams in the conference, a few are going to stink. PS - I believe Purdue has its guy in Barry Odom. Wisconsin is a Jeff Bromh or equivalent hire, away from success. Paul Chyrst should not have been fired.

Great post and ponder point. The first Playoff Committee Poll will be released on November 4th. Last night on ESPN's Playoff Committee Championship Poll preview program, the participants agreed that we can all blame Curt Cignetti, with a helping of Clark Lea on the side. This, and while there is still uncertainty and more change to come to CFB, after the House settlement, people are more assured of what the near-term structure will be. It was one thing for Ole Miss to pay big bucks for a coach and assemble a quality roster out of the portal; the Rebels have won six SEC titles. It was understandable that Oregon, with Uncle Phil's money, would come 'this close' a couple of times. But Indiana back-to-back in the College Football Playoff, joined by a Vanderbilt team with zero SEC titles? As Nick Saban noted on GameDay last Saturday when he picked LSU to defeat the Dores, 'I can't wrap my mind around Vandy not being an easy out.' With the money we're paying Coach X and the cash us boosters have thrown at Good Old State, and with Indiana and Vandy in the top 10, what is wrong with our program? The coach, and maybe the AD also. Clean House! CFB also has a playoff where you can lose two games, including one as late as possible in the regular season, and win a championship. This raises expectations for programs that had no shot at a BCS or a 4-team title. It's hard for everyone, even the so-called 'Experts', to 'make sense' of today's CFB. See Clemson, Penn State, and Texas. Indiana couldn't be good back-to-back because the schedule is more difficult, and after all, it's Indiana. Coaches used to have at least three recruiting cycles to get their kind of players on board. Today? No way. 'Buy me to the Moon and let my team play among the Stars. Let me know what life is like with a Natty and Cigars.' If you have BILLIONS of dollars, why not go back to school? Buy your school out of being a long-time joke? The only difference between Men and Boys? The price of their toys. In addition to the money, you do have to make smart decisions. Especially in the midst of egregious expectations. Fire Dan Mullen and hire Billy Napier, a guy with no experience coaching at CFB's top level? Hmmm. Hire a 62-year-old with no experience coaching at football's upper level. $$$$$. If Indiana and Vandy can do it, why not us at Texas Tech? Dan gets it. It's all about using the portal wisely to build a championship-quality roster year after year. Oregon has 14 new starters this season and one loss, to the No. 2 team in the nation in a winnable game. The Champ game? How about Alabama vs. Ohio State? But Vandy vs. Indiana would be delicious. Waste Wisconsin!

Pro Football Focus Posts Great Week 8 Grades for Jordan Davison and Kenyon Sadiq - https://athlonsports.com/college-football/pff-highlights-oregon-offensive-duo-after-win-over-rutgers

They're Mad 🤬in Mad City 😁Everybody not named Fickell, into the lifeboats! https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/dan-big-cat-katz-reeling-wisconsin-badgers-it-titanic-going-down

Heading Into Week 9 - A CBS Look at the B1G - Don't Sleep on Minny - Minnesota self-destructed at Cal, or the Gophers would be ranked. 9 sacks of Nebraska's Dylan Raiola on Friday Night! OBD predicted to cover -34.5! WOW! Looks like the game will be played in the rain? Ohio State blasted Wisconsin in Madison last week, but QB Sayin was on fire, 80% + completions, and was helped out by some terrific catches by the nation's best group of receivers. Heading into its 2nd Off Week of the season, Brock Thomas needs more snaps, right?😁 https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/b1g-time-overlook-p-j-fleck-and-minnesota-at-your-own-peril-its-even-worse-than-it-looks-at-wisconsin/

Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde's Update on Conference Champ Games. No B1G Surprise - Indiana vs. Ohio State on 12/6/25 in Indianapolis. Good luck getting tickets. 😁 Error - OBD has two, not one, road games remaining. At Iowa and at UW. Good thing Pat Forde is an Expert, right? 🤪 SIForde-Yard Dash: Sorting Out the Chaos in College Footbal...Predicting the most likely and freshest conference championship games with five weeks left in the regular season.

The Good, The Rank, and the Ranker. Ranking OBD's next 5 B1G Opponents - https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/-ranking-oregons-remaining-big-ten-games-from-easiest-to-toughest--257853525/?source=column&lctg=26140&eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380 Every game matters, especially for a team's PO seeding. Notre Dame has Donut Holes left to play and will take one of the 7 at-large spots. Count on Navy being a Top 25 team before being sunk by the Irish. Notre Dame defeats No. 20 USC in a driving rainstorm on its home field and moves up into the top 12. Michigan, a team SC shut down in LA two weeks ago, defeats UW and moves up to No. 25 in the rankings. Two-loss USC falls out of the AP Poll, while G6 USF, with its best win over a Florida team that just fired its coach, is ranked 18th. 🤪 B1G PO eliminating games this weekend will impact OBD's season-ending SOS and Strength of Record. 5-2 Illinois at 5-2 Washington - 12:30 Big Ten Network 5-2 Minnesota at 5-2 Iowa - 12:30 CBS 5-2 Northwestern (!) at 5-2 Nebraska - 9 AM FS1 5-2 Michigan at 3-4 Michigan State - 4:30 Big Ten Network 5-2 USC - Off 😁WAX WISCONSIN! Make Fickell One of the (un) Grateful (Coaching) Dead.

$30 million a year? When $20 million a year is needed for revenue sharing payments. Many 10:30 Eastern time kickoffs + the Pac-12 After Dark punchline, no thanks. A clueless commissioner versus a guy with executive broadcast experience and the willingness to take unpopular stands in favor of his conference. The Pac-12 Notwork vs the Big Ten Network - JVs vs The Varsity. Three trips East with one to the Central time zone. No B1G deal when it comes to The Money Maker - Football. Football. 2 losses in the Pac-12 and maybe you're in the PO compared to 2 B1G losses and you're in. Yesterday's Gone - Don't you look back - Thank you, Fleetwood Mac. 😎

WARNING: This Coaching Carousel Update May Make You Dizzy. 🤪 Saturday BlitzRanking every College Football job opening: Florida and P...The College Football coaching carousel is spinning out of control, as every weekend it seems that several coaches are losing their jobs. After we saw three head

Give It Up for Bo, who didn't give up and set an NFL record! 👍👌😍 https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2025/10/19/oregon-ducks-bo-nix-nfl-history-denver-broncos/86794367007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_

Miami steers into CHAOS 🤪- Only Captain Mari-Oh-Oh could find an iceberg in Miami - 😁 Women and Children 1st! (OK, maybe Stanford?) https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-2025-traffic-report-miami-alabama-week-9/