Jon Joseph

AMEN friend, Notalot, AMEN. If wishes were horses ..... Larry and the enablers he reported to sucked the life out of The Conference of Champions. How does stuff like this happen? How is the ACC mired in a terrible media deal through 2036? How did the B12 jump ahead of the Pac-12 when the Pac-12 could have put the B12 to bed? Academics and the leaders they hired are how this happened. I'm mad as hell that the Ducks are caught in this swamp.

The apple of my eye is a poor substitute for Amazon But it is all about the Benjis and perhaps this is what GK is left with. Especially, with big-tech Amazon and other big-tech businesses laying off thousands of employees. It's all just complete conjecture in regards to the Pac-10 but look across the board. After Notre Dame, Oregon, and UW are the best choices on the block. I am staying with and following the mighty Oregon CFB brand and believing that the Ducks will land in a perfect Puddles puddle. But it may not be in the 'we are all together' Pac-10 or whatever. Oregon will find a good home but the longer the media deal negotiations and rumors of expansion I am not sure that home will be with the Pac-10. If this is a 'negative' POV so be it. Oregon has invested far more in its brand and facilities than any other school in the Pac-10. The Ducks have to find a place where every school is all in and ready to compete for CFB/CBB titles. Where the Ducks 'partners' are willing to invest in order to realize national championships.

Somewhat OT but with SMU on the conference radar I thought this would be of interest. SMU HC Rhett Ashley a former OC at Miami is bringing in 6 transfers who were on Mario's roster at the close of last season. Mario signed a very good class in 2023 but many Miami players and coaches are bailing out.

Just finished an article by the Athletic's Andy Staples regarding clock change rules in college football. One suggestion he had that I agree with is to mic the QB's helmet and the player who calls D signals helmet so plays can come in electronically as is the case in the NFL. Get rid of the bed sheets, etc. on the sideline. 1 problem with this is that it could impair warranties by helmet makers but as Andy says this could be easily overcome if enough CFB teams put pressure on the helmet companies.

I could see a 'merger' with the ACC working for CFB and CBB and keeping all other sports as-is. But the ACC media deal is lousy and runs through 2036. So unless ESPN was willing to rewrite its deal with the ACC this great thought of yours would not work. And the travel for basketball would be a witch. Love the idea and all other thoughts regarding realignment including simply staying at 10 teams for 5 years.

Thank you, Alex. Great thoughts on how the Ducks can improve in 2023. Analytics? I completely understand the concept but as a greybeard, I often cringe when a team within FG distance goes for it on 4th down. Especially when a team is playing on the road. Oregon State went for it 4 times when within FG range in Seattle and lost to UW by 3 points. As you so noted, 2023 will be a fine line between keeping Nix healthy and running an effective RPO game. If Nix is not a legit run threat we are watching an O with a hand tied behind its back. BTW, Go Ducks predicts that Oregon will make the Final 4 and play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. I love the optimism and hope that it will come to fruition. Meanwhile, beat Portland State! Thanks again for the well-written and well-thought-out take.

LOL at UCLA CBB coach Mike Cronin's response to the CBB Committee's initial release of the tournament field. He thinks UCLA is being screwed over because of the Bruins' move to the B1G. A love a good conspiracy theory BUT COME ON MAN! If the Pac-12 had any influence with the Committee I think it would be used to have more conference teams in the field and not to hose over UCLA. The farther UCLA goes in the tournament more the money for the conference. These 'boys' refuse to gently go away. How huge will the SC at Oregon football game be? Bring your ear muffs.

Charles, I know your plate is loaded. But it was worth mentioning your name to get another great cat gif.

Spot on. Challenge is upheld and the challenging team does not lose a TO.

Thanks, PD. Something like this must happen especially with an expanded playoff field on the horizon. NFL games fit into the allotted broadcast time slots while CFB games consistently run well beyond the allotted time. I would like the stopping of the clock after a 1st don to go away. CFB was played for decades without this timing rule in place. I'd also like to see the NFL challenge rules put in place. In the last 2 minutes of both halves, every play is reviewed. And every scoring play is reviewed. But if a head coach throws a flag to challenge a play on the field and the play stands, your team loses a time-out. Also, something has to be done to bring uniformity to targeting calls. Both the timing of reviews and unless it is intentional I do not believe a player should be thrown out of the game without a 2nd targeting offense. Finally, what was wrong with a game ending in a tie in the regular season? OT in 'playoff' games I understand, but for decades CFB got along just fine with regular season games ending in a tie.

Thanks so much for all of the great replies and suggestions. Unfortunately, I have no connection with GK or the Pac-10 presidents. In the SEC all presidents including the president of academically elite Vanderbilt, are on the same page when it comes to athletics and understanding that success in athletics, especially in the Moneyball sports lifts all boats. I wonder if someone (Charles?) could create an online petition whereby those concerned about the conference's future could make our concerns known. I reiterate when I say I expect the conference to hold together and for Oregon to be just fine. I just hope the leaders of the conference act like intelligent business people. Block the B12 from the Pacific time zone and make the move into the central time zone significant by adding more than 1 school, SMU.

Great update, Jordan. Thank you. You Go, Girls!

First, allow me to specifically state that I expect the Pac-10 to stay together; all ten teams will sign on to the new media deal. Second, Oregon with its sterling brand will be fine one way or another. However, the Pac-10 conference must increase its inventory of college football and college basketball games; have more inventory for sale in the so-called Moneyball sports. I suggest the following not only to provide more Moneyball game inventory for the Pac-10 but also to keep the B12 away from the west coast. PODS North - Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State West - CAL, Fresno State, San Diego State, Stanford. Central - Arizona, ASU, UNLV, Utah East - Colorado, SMU, Tulane, UTSA The above includes the defending Pac-12 champ, Utah. The defending Mountain West champion, Fresno State. The defending AAC champion, Tulane. The defending CUSA champion (currently headed to the AAC) UTSA. Ranked in the final playoff committee poll: 8 Utah: 12 Washington, 14 Oregon State, 15 Oregon, 16 Tulane, and 25 UTSA. Ranked in the post-bowl game AP final poll: 8. Washington, 9 Tulane, 10 Utah, 15 Oregon, 17 Oregon State, and 21 Fresno State. This would not be a cupcake conference. The above additional teams would bring in the California Central Valley market, the San Diego market, and the large and growing Las Vegas market already home to the Pacific conference football championship game and basketball tournament, the Dallas/Fort Worth market, the untapped and large San Antonio market and a good sized New Orleans market that lies in SEC territory. (Coach Prime would love having a team in Louisiana and recruiting 'down south.') Is UTSA the academic equivalent of Rice? Heck no. But Rice is an after-thought in the Houston market and has done nothing in decades to excel in football or basketball. IMHO the conference does need another great academic school that could give a whip about athletics. The Mountain West schools and the AAC schools SMU, Tulane, and UTSA (that is moving up to the AAC) would welcome less than a full share of the Pac revenue pie. Mountain West schools today receive $4M (slightly more for Boise State) annually from its media deal. AAC schools receive slightly more but nowhere in range of what the new Pacific Conference media deal will bring to the table. In my humble opinion it's time for the Pac to go big, not B1G, and create a conference with the same number of teams as the B1G and the SEC. Would the Pac-16 bring in the same money as the B1G, SEC? No. But it would establish a conference that covers the Pacific, Mountain, and Central time zones and would keep the B12 out of the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Apologies to Pennsylvania Duck and his excellent 'realignment post.' I hope the above gives more food for realignment thoughts The Pac-10 cannot yet again screw up on expansion opportunities. It's about Benji's today and not the grade point average.

The CAT is back! EXCELLENT!

We're all waiting for the media deal music to be over so we can turn out the light on the conference not holding together. Pac-10 schools will not be running out of Doors.

Dennis Dodd is working hard to destroy the Pac-10 while lauding the B12. This is just more male bovine excrement before GK closes the new media deal.

Charles, a great reminder of the excellent class Lanning et al pulled in and it is looking really good recruiting-wise for 2004. With a 12-team playoff field coming in 2024 and perhaps going to a 16-team field in 2026 when playoff broadcast rights go out to bid and with SC/UCLA going away the Ducks should be in a position to make the field year after year. Then it will be up to Oregon to see how far it can go playoff-wise. Clemson won titles with great QB play coming out of a weak conference. Clemson did have a blue-chip roster (more than 50% 4* and 5* players) when it won its titles but Oregon's recruiting has been on par with Clemson's. I think the rivalry with UW will become even more heated and Utah will be in the mix as long as Whitingham is there. CU? That's a total rebuild and who knows how long Coach Prime will stay out west. ASU? Will the 'sleeping giant' ever wake up? Championship opportunities will be there without having to play Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, an always dangerous Iowa team, improved Wisconsin under Coach Fickell, and possibly a resurgent Nebraska under Coach Ruhle. And not having to travel to the east coast to play a decent Maryland and the chance to be upset at Rutgers. I believe the Pac-10 will hold together and Oregon will find the same kind of success that Dabo has brought to Clemson.

Great take Happy. UCLA is along for the ride only because FOX wanted to shut ESPN out of LA.

ESPN NFL draft gurus. Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have both released their respective prospective 1st Round of the NFL 2023 draft. I use the term 'guru' in the case of these too lightly; lightly as a pillow made out of Puddles feathers. Do not liquidate all of your possessions and join the Cult of Kiper or the Cult of McShay. Their predictions rarely follow the course of an actual NFL draft. But both are pretty good at predicting the conference from which given players will be drafted. Following are the combined conference rankings these two have come up with for the 2023 1st round of the draft. SEC - 21 (and this does not include 1 player drafted from Texas and 1 from Oklahoma that in 2024 would give the SEC 23 1st-round picks.) B1G - 16 (and this does not include 3 picks from the Pac-12 from USC that in 2014 would give the B1G 19 1st-round picks.) ACC - 8 B12 - 7 (including 1 player from Oklahoma and 1 from Texas.) Pac-12 - 7 (including 3 players from USC. Oregon's CB Gonzales is a 1st-round pick as is Utah's, TE Kincaid.) Notre Dame - 3 62 1st-round picks and not 64; Miami forfeited its 1st-round pick. This is hard to believe for a team in SEC territory where the 1st rule of recruiting is 'if you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin' and the 2nd rule is 'don't get caught y'all.' If you follow the money the SEC dominating the 1st-round with the B1G not far behind is completely logical. If you follow recruiting rankings the SEC dominating with the B1G not that far behind is also completely logical. The above numbers also help explain why the B12 was willing to sign an early media renewal agreement with ESPN and FOX with each B12 member receiving $31.7M per annum under the new agreement. This number many consider to be a low-ball number but one that locked in the 4 new B12 members (BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF) and the B12 members remaining after Oklahoma and Texas leave for the SEC in 2024. The vast majority of B12 games under the new media deal will be available on linear broadcasts. Former commissioner Bob Bowlsby 'signed up' the 4 new members and the new B12 commissioner, Yarmack, jumped ahead of the Pac-12/10 to complete the new media deal. I note that Bob Bowlsby, former athletic director at Stanford, called out ESPN for the 'theft' of Oklahoma and Texas. FOX did the same thing in arranging UCLA's and USC's move to the B1G but not surprisingly we have heard nothing derogatory coming from the Pac-12 powers that be aimed at FOX. The above numbers along with the western-most geography of the Pac-12 that is not producing 4* and 5* recruits like it used to and is losing many of its 4* and 5* recruits to the SEC, B1G, and even the B12, the failure to place a team in the college football playoff for many years, the failure to win a basketball championship for decades, the terrible leadership under Larry Scott and the people he reported to and the conference vacillating over expansion and slow walking a new media deal have led to the conference to floundering with finalizing a new media deal at a number per team that is equal to or exceeds the B12's new media deal. Nevertheless, I expect the Pac-10 possibly expanding by two to four new members will stay together and in 2024 compete for one or more college football playoff spots when the field expands to twelve teams. If for some reason the conference does not hold together I do not expect Oregon and its terrific national and international football brand to be at risk of not finding a home to compete for both football and basketball championships. But it is becoming clearer year after year that we are now living in a world with two power conferences and three trying to stay within hailing distance financially and recruiting the 'Jimmies and the Joe's' who go on to play ball in the NFL and the NBA.

Great take but I think the B1G will drop divisions when the 2 LA schools arrive and I expect the SEC will do the same when OK/TX arrive in 2024.

John, probably trying to be cute but when OK/TX join the SEC, I expect divisions to disappear in favor of a 3-6-6 model. There will be no SEC W just as there is no Pac north and south.

Sorry if this is a double post but OK/UT are both headed east and not west. SEC HQ is in Birmingham, Alabama. Every SEC school lies east of Norman, OK, and Austin, TX.

A few states today do allow HS athletes to profit off of their respective NIL.

Like the idea. But been there and passed on the opportunity.