Jon Joseph

What ten March Madness teams spent- https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-march-madness-top-spenders-144342842.html

FYI - The SOS Rankings for the 'Loyal Opposition' - https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/sec-football-strength-of-schedule-rankings-2026-spring

College Football News (CFN) ranks the Big Ten's 2026 Schedules - No. 1 being the most difficult and No. 18 the easiest. In this ranking, Ohio State's schedule is ranked as the 6th most difficult. Poor Doo comes in at No. 1. OBD's schedule is ranked the 2nd hardest in the Big Ten. IMO, OBD's schedule definitely belongs in the top 4. The Ducks Wire article that said the Oregon schedule in 2026 is easy? The author needs to go to his room without dinner. The game at Illinois is made more difficult by the Illini having a bye before playing Oregon, and Oregon playing Nebraska the week before traveling to Champaign. The November finish to the schedule is hard and made harder by having to make two trips to the Eastern time. 11/7 - At Ohio State / 11/14 - Michigan / 11/21 at Michigan State 11/28 UW - Prepare for snow in East Lansing on 11/21. And also prepare to play three teams that will likely be in the Playoff Committee's Top 25. The game against UW will be the eighth straight Big Ten Game without a break. https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/big-ten-football-strength-of-schedule-rankings-2026-spring

Sending Out a B1G SOS - CFN Nails It - OBD plays one of the B1G's Toughest Schedules in 2026 - 2nd Toughest in the B1G - Games are ranked by degree of difficulty. No. 1 for OBD is at Ohio State - https://collegefootballnews.com/college-football/big-ten-football-strength-of-schedule-rankings-2026-spring

Four on the Floor to Watch on Saturday - https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/04/02/final-four-x-factors-march-madness-arizona-michigan-uconn-illinois/89394087007/

Again, I caution: Not So Fast! There are darn good athletes in Dixie. Florida won the NCAA Tourney last season. Two or zero B1G teams could be playing for the title on Monday. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/04/01/sec-football-motto-big-ten-basketball-final-four-ncaa-tournament/89385477007/?utm_source=usatoday-sports-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=

USC's 2026 schedule hits the 2025 Playoff Trifecta - Home games vs. Oregon and Ohio State - On the road vs. Indiana - With Notre Dame off the schedule, and three out-of-conference cupcake chomps, SC will start 3-0 before the Oregon game. The road game against Penn State is likely to be a White Out. At Wisconsin is a tricky game, and UCLA is rarely an easy out. SC has the chance to finish the season with impressive wins and a place in the playoffs, or this could be Linc's last stand. In which case, cue the Portal. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2026/04/02/usc-football-big-ten-preseason-rankings-intriguing-question/89355427007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=e

Issac Trotter of CBS Sports sees an all-Big Ten final on Monday night, but Saturday's games will both be close. A terrific look at the four teams, position by position. Guard play still matters a lot, but CBB at the top is a game of Tall Ball and rebounding. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/final-four-2026-breakdown-illinois-uconn-michigan-arizona/

CBS Sports questions whether this will hold up when challenged in court. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ncaa-steep-penalties-ghost-transfers-but-coaches-doubt/

Best of luck, and cue the lawyers! Is this retroactive? I'd love to see Mario being spanked. I'm hoping this guy is on the Most Wanted poster. Duke choked against UConn and also choked when settling with Ole Miss. When LSU plays at Ole Miss this season, can both teams lose? YardbarkerOle Miss HC Pete Golding breaks silence on tampering accu...Ole Miss head football coach Pete Golding spoke publicly for the first time about tampering allegations involving transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli. In his Tuesday news conference, Golding chose not t

This guy would be a B1G get - But Dana would probably have to double the training-table budget. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/olivier-rioux-transfer-portal-florida-tallest-player/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-10aaa0b&ET_CID

With all B1G schools being AAU members other than Nebraska, I'd say the conference has quality academics in common. And Oregon, UCLA, USC, and UW all contribute to the tradition of the B1G Ten, and made the Big Ten the Conference of Champions. The leader in NCAA championships. LSU spent $250M in the last year or so on sports. Perhaps some of this money should have gone to academics, toward educating future citizens of the Pelican State, instead of paying for Lane's tanning booth and yoga sessions. Why not rehire a coach who was under a two-year Show Cause penalty and on the FBI's watch list? I also note that, unlike many programs in Dixie, B1G schools are not totally ignoring the terms of the House settlement and are not interfering with contracts that players have signed. The B1G is not squeaky clean, of course. Any school hiring Jim Harbaugh would have to deal with Harbaugh's Show Cause for not being a good scout. You make some excellent points, no doubt, but the four schools not joining the Big Ten would have been a B1G mistake. An especially B1G bottom-line mistake. I think the Pac-12 was also in the pursuit of money, wins, and power; the leaders of the Pac failed miserably. I know I would not want Oregon in the New World Pac-12, or in a B12 that extends coast-to-coast, with less money to help defer travel expenses. A viable power-conference Pac-12 would also be my choice. But with limited options, I think Oregon made the only logical choice, and I don't find the new B1G buddies to be all that bad.

CBS Sports Rates the Tourney's Top 20 Players - https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/march-madness-2026-ranking-final-four-starters/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-10aaa0b&ET_CID=

This is a repeat of a prior post by Forum friend, Smith72, a most renowned poster. I just wanted to note that the Combine's fastest TE of all time met with a guy trying to stay Swift. 😁 I know. Get a life, right? Oregon Ducks On SIKenyon Sadiq Meets Travis Kelce as NFL Visits Fuel Draft...The fastest tight end in NFL Combine history is gaining serious momentum at the right time. Former Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq has quietly become one of

Thank you, Darren. I'm cheering for the B1G and for B1G money. The B1G has not won it all since 2000. B12 commish Yormark already beats his breast enough; I don't want him to hurt himself. 😁 Michigan and Arizona have played the Tourney's best ball. Both teams swatted down worthy SEC opponents, Arizona over Arkansas, and Michigan's blowout of the Tennessee Vols. Purdue defeated Michigan to win the Big Ten tournament and had the halftime lead against Arizona before the Wildcats shut down the Boilermakers in the second half. Almost all of the 'experts' are calling for the winner of Saturday's nightcap to win it all. Michigan is a modest -1.5 favorite. But wait a minute! Hurley's UConn teams rarely lose tournament games. Illinois is the -2.5 favorite; however, on November 28th, UConn defeated Illinois 74-61 in a 'home game' played in Madison Square Garden, less than a three-hour drive from the UConn campus. The Illini's European players had yet to form a union (🙃) on defense, and frosh phenom Keaton Wagler was not yet starting at point guard. This team was excellent on offense the entire season, finishing No. 1 in KenPom's Adjusted Offense Efficiency. Overcoming numerous injuries, the Illinois defense improved over the season. In the Sweet 16 game in Houston, Illinois held a Houston team averaging 76.9 points a game to 55 points. In the Elite 8 game, Iowa shot 38% in the 2nd half. FWIW, Illinois is the tallest team in CBB, will have the size advantage over UConn, and the size to match up with Arizona or Michigan. Another advantage the Illini will have on Saturday, at least 50% of the crowd in Indianapolis on Saturday will be Michigan and Illinois fans. 60% plus of the crowd is likely to be Big Ten fans. I expect Michigan and all of the B1G fans in Lucas Oil Stadium in basketball-mad Indiana will be cheering loudly for Illinois. I don't think the Arizona fans will be all that invested in the winner of the first game. (Except for the family of 2025, Mr. Indiana Basketball Award winner, UConn hero Braylon Mullins, who played his high school basketball thirty minutes away from The Luke.) Also, no matter what B12 commissioner Brett Yormark has to say, the Big Ten was the deepest conference in college basketball in 2026. Both Illinois and Michigan played more difficult schedules than Arizona and UConn. One more thing that should favor Michigan, Arizona is a young team. Michigan has an impressive group of Seniors on the team. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigan-basketball-seniors-x-factor-100906720.html This has been the Big Ten's tournament to date. I hope it lasts with an All B1G title game.

Thanks for the post. Fun stuff to read, but ... Three years is a snapshot. Best to make sure you don't make a B1G mistake and overreact to close-run things in football and basketball. The B1G beat goes on, and Dixie is dumped on. And I say, 'Not So Fast' in two respects. A year ago, the SEC owned March Madness. The B1G went 5-0 vs the SEC in this year's tourney, but except for the Michigan blowout of Tennessee, the games were close. Last season in football, the B1G won it all, but the SEC had five teams in the field, and Ole Miss was this close to playing for a title. And Bama was not the only football team destroyed by Indiana in the playoffs. 🤬 A terrific B1G run in football the last three seasons, no doubt. But this comes after a couple of decades of SEC dominance. Win with dignity, lose with grace. Let the other guy beat their 'It Just Means More' breasts. Success on the field, court, etc., speaks for itself without rubbing it in. Speak softly and carry a B1G stick. In the last year, LSU committed $252 million to athletics. Many SEC teams are all in on sports. Will the B1G win the CBB title this year? Will the B1G dominate the moneyball sports through the end of the decade? Maybe. Perhaps it's because I am a greybeard and have walked this mortal coil for a while that I believe three years of anything represents a trend, and not lasting dominance. But while it lasts, it's nice for OBD to be a part of the B1G fun.👍👌😍

ESPN's B1G take on B1G newcomers reduced to a Nutshell by an old CFB nut. Illinois - QB Katin Houser - Transfer from E. Carolina - The Fighting Illini are hoping that Houser is not a QB Hoser. Indiana - QB Josh Hoover - Transfer from TCU - Will Josh vacuum up as many wins as Fernando? Iowa - WR Tony Diaz - Transfer from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - If Tony can catch as many passes per game as there are letters in his former school, UOTRGV, he could be the Hawkeyes pass game whole enchilada. Maryland - CB Amari Jackson - Transfer from Boston College - Looks like Locks believes in BC. Michigan - Freshman RB Savion Hiter - Whit is hoping that Savion will be a savior for the Wolverines run game. Michigan State - RB Cam Edwards - Transfer from UConn - If you can't beat them in basketball ... Minnesota - Edge TJ Bush - Transfer from Cal - Can a Golden Bear morph into a Golden Gopher? Nebraska - QB Anthony Colander - Transfer from UNLV - With Dylan Ducking out, why not see if a guy from UNLV is aces on the Pass Line? Northwestern - QB Aiden Chiles - Transfer from Michigan State by way of Oregon State - Honey Chiles is hoping his OC will be a Chip off the Ohio State championship block and not the guy who rolled Craps in Las Vegas. Ohio State - DB Earl Little Junior - Transfer from FSU - He comes from Tallahassee; he's got a high flyin' chassis. OREGON - S Koi Perich - Who knew that a Gopher has to Duck? Penn State - QB Rocco Becht - Transfer from Iowa State - Rocco is one of 24 players from Iowa State that a Cyclone blew into State College, PA. Purdue - WR Bisi Owens - Transfer from Penn - Ross-Ade Stadium, like Wrigley Field, now has Ivy in the house. Rutgers - DE Malachi Davis - Transfer from Toledo - Holy Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger! The Scarlet Knights' D was Mashed last season. Bringing in Davis looks like Schiano gives a Swit. UCLA - Edge Sahir West - Transfer from James Madison - One of the many JMU players following Coach Chesney On His Way West. USC - WR Terrell Anderson - Transfer from NC State - Linc is hoping this guy turns into a Lemon. Washington - DT DeSean Watts - Transfer from Sacramento State - A Watts in Seattle and not South Central? Wisconsin - QB Colton Joseph - Transfer from Old Dominion - On occasion, a name speaks for itself. 😁 Notre Dame - Nothing to see here. Move right along. ESPN.comTop newcomers for Notre Dame and every Big Ten team, and...Which new faces in the league will make the biggest impact for each school?

Top B1G Newcomers - ESPN.comTop newcomers for Notre Dame and every Big Ten team, and...Which new faces in the league will make the biggest impact for each school?

You Can Bet Your Buckeyes on Ohio State Having a Historic Draft - YardbarkerOhio State positioned for NFL Draft feat not seen since 1967How many Ohio State Buckeyes will hear their name called during the 2026 NFL Draft (scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh)? Better yet, how many will go in the top 10?

Love for the Diamond Ducks! YardbarkerOregon Ducks Baseball Rolling Through Competition at Hist...The Oregon Ducks baseball team is playing some of the best ball in the country, having won eight straight series to open up the 2026 season. That includes

Wolverines women's basketball: An endangered species in Texas. Texas also handed UCLA its one loss of the season. YardbarkerMadison Booker nets 19 as Texas pounds Michigan to return...Madison Booker scored 19 points, Rori Harmon had 13 assists and flirted with a triple-double, and top-seeded Texas crushed Michigan 77-41 in an NCAA West Regional final in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday

More Fun with SP+ Numbers - Oregon's Week 10 opponent, Ohio State, is the 2026 SP+ No. 1-ranked team—also, the poster boys (see below) for the first SP+ release. In 2024, no ranking, including SP+, saw Indiana coming. Last season, Clemson and Penn State were in the SP+ preseason top 10. Unfortunately, the CFB Committee does not, at least publicly, use the CBB Committee's Quadrant System to assign win and loss values based on the opponent played and where the games were played. If CFB had a Quad system, I believe it is reasonable to suggest that a top-25 win at home and a top-30 win on the road would be Quad 1 wins. Top 50 at home and 55 on the road would be Quad 2 wins. With this hypothetical in mind, these are OBD's 2026 SP+ opponents' rankings. Boise State - 39 - Quad(Q) 2 At Oklahoma State - 38 - Q 2 Portland State - NR USC - 13 - Q1 UCLA - 46 - Q2 Nebraska - 37 - Q2 At Illinois - 33 - Q1 Northwestern - 49 - Q2 At Ohio State - 1 - Q1 with a Buckeyes bullet! Michigan 14 - Q1 At Michigan State - 67 UW - 21 - Q1 Using my hypothetical, half of OBD's games would be Q1 games. Five would be Quad 2 games. Portland State will be a walkover. November's weather for the November 11th game against Michigan State in East Lansing could be a game equalizer. USC's first 4 opponents in 2026: San Jose State 122, Fresno State 78, LA-LA 104, at Rutgers 62. No Quad 1 or Quad 2 games in the first third of the 2026 schedule. SC replaced Notre Dame in October with a Week 0 game vs. San Jose State. The Trojans, along with Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State, and Washington, play only nine P4 opponents this season. All 16 SEC teams play 10 P4 opponents this season. CBS Sports ranking of the Big Ten's six most difficult schedules: 1. Ohio State, 2. Northwestern, 3. Oregon, 4. Nebraska, 5. Indiana, 6. Michigan Let's Play (Spring) Ball! April 25, 2026. ESPN.com2026 college football SP+ rankings for all 138 FBS teamsThe first SP+ rankings, plus strength of schedule and résumé SP+, for the 2026 season.

11-1, perhaps. But playing 8 straight games against Big Ten opposition and a double west to east yo-yo in November gives me pause. On November 7th in Columbus, I expect a 9 AM body clock time kick off. And Ohio State has many talented players on the O-side of the ball back. The weather in East Lansing, Michigan, on November 21st could be a great equalizer. OBD returns from Michigan State to play a UW team coming off a game in Seattle vs. Indiana. UW could be coming to Autzen with a victory over Cig and the Hoosiers and a chance for a spot in the playoff field. Indiana will not be an easy out, but the game is being played in the Pacific time zone, not the Eastern time zone. A plus for UW. Will the SC D step up under Gary Patterson? The offense will score points behind the now-experienced QB Maiava. I think the Week 4 game at SC is a defining moment for SC football under Lincoln Riley, and the Trojans and their fans will be geeked for this game. If you asked Trojan fans if they'd rather beat Oregon in Week 4 or Ohio State in Week 9, I think the majority would take a win over the Ducks, not the Bucks. SC has the easier early schedule. Three G6 opponents at home without one of the G6 teams being as dangerous as Boise State. SC does have to travel to Rutgers the week before the Oregon game, but I'll take that game over having to play at Oklahoma State in Week 2 with the Cowboys bringing a new HC, a QB, Drew Mestemaker, who led the nation in passing last season, and an improved roster including the Mestermaker's top receivers and running backs, and three players who started in front of Mestemaker on the North Texas O-line. After last season's pounding, OK State fans will be out to pluck Duck feathers, in a stadium that is loud with the crowd right on top of the visiting team's bench. Oregon also gets another short end of the scheduling stick, having to play Nebraska in Eugene before traveling to play Illinois in Week 9, with the Illini off the week before Oregon's visit. The Oregon O-line had lapses last season, but it was a Joe Moore Award finalist. Will three new starters on the O-line come through? Will the new OC and DC pan out? Will Dante be better prepared to play under physical and mental pressure? In this NIL era, the roster depth, even on Blue Chip Roster teams like OBD, will be tested by the worst part of the game, injuries. Of course, I hope you are correct in your 11-1 or better call, but there are too many questions IMO to bet the Over 10.5. Many of the 2026-27 playoff contenders have easier schedules than Oregon, and the schedule is harder next season. Gulp. Thanks for the article, and Go Ducks!

He looks good, but I wish Kenyon would hit the weight room more often. He has to have at least half of one percent body fat, no? 🤪

Final 4 Broadcast Information - https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball/article/march-madness-final-four-schedule-how-to-watch-keep-up-with-uconn-illinois-michigan-arizona-in-indianapolis-002940311.html