Jon Joseph

Great take. I think Greg Sankey will get what he wants and come 2024 we will see 5 conference champions as automatic qualifiers and 7 AL teams. Along with its champion, I see the SEC and the B1G having their respective champion plus two other teams, at least, in the 12-team field. Come 2026 in the Power 2 world in which we reside, all playoff bets are off. There is no way in my opinion that the ACC will hold together through 2035/36 with its existing media deal. I think the ACC demise is coming sooner rather than later. If Clemson, FSU, UNC, and NC State were not anxious to leave, they would not have blocked the addition of Cal, SMU, and Stanford. Which conference (network) wins the race for the state of North Carolina? If AAU membership continues to matter for the B1G presidents and Notre Dame has no scheduling agreement with the ACC, I see the B1G adding Notre Dame, UNC, Duke, Georgia Tech, UVA and Kansas. With the SEC adding Clemson, FSU, NC State, Louisville, VA Tech and West Virginia. The SEC could also look west and add Texas Tech and Oklahoma State instead of Va Tech and W VA. The SEC and B1G today meet in numerous post-season bowl games. Why a playoff in 2026, other than to keep the politicians off the back, when you have a 24-team AFC and a 24-team NFL? Play a post-season challenge with a field of the top 4 B1G and the top 4 SEC teams. Of course, I could be way off base but I don't see the contraction and elimination of conferences happening or any team outside of the Power 2 winning a title. And let's not forget about the $, of course. Why would the Power 2 conferences have any desire to split post-season revenues with the B12 and the G5? If anti-trust issues force a 12-team playoff to continue. Give the 4 top-seeded teams a 1st round bye and have a G5 team in the 1st round mix along with the B12 champ. Both the G5 team and the B12 team would of course be seeded in the top 4 if on-field play resulted in such a ranking. But compared to a 24-team SEC and a 24-team B1G with both conferences playing 10 conference games, the Power 2 SOS will dwarf that of any team outside of the Power 2. I may well be erring across the board here including a 24-team conference. The B1G/Fox could be happy to add only UNC and Notre Dame. The SEC/ESPN could be happy adding only Clemson, FSU, NC State and say, Georgia Tech. 20 teams each. Fewer teams to share revenue with and fewer teams that ESPN/Fox have to 'pay.' Keep your seat belts fastened. This wild ride is far from over. And best of luck to the Dawgs in 2023. WOOF!

As you can discern from my reference to 'album' and not disc above, I too am an old timer. But I go back to the Paleozoic era and thus consider you to be a pup! (Kidding, of course!)

Could this news help Duck's recruiting and the Ducks, perhaps, on the field in 2024? Harbaugh's 4-game suspension in 2023 is off the table to be revisited before the 2024 season. Harbaugh in 2023 was to miss 3 OOC cupcakes and Rutgers with all of the games being played in Ann Arbor. The 2024 OOC slate includes a good G5 Fresno State team and the first of a home-and-home series with the opener to be played in Ann Arbor, versus Texas. Michigan tried to reduce the improper contact with recruits in violation of COVID restrictions as being only about Harbaugh buying a hamburger or two for recruits. As the NCAA noted when canceling the 2023 'plea deal' with Harbaugh, this is about more than a cheeseburger! Harbaugh has flirted with a return to the NFL before and this situation could be the proverbial straw that has him moving back to the NFL. (And, this turn of events is likely not good news for ASU.) Michigan football rumors: Jim Harbaugh has more reason than ever to leave for NFL FANSIDED.COM Jim Harbaugh won't have to deal with a suspension in 2023 but the developments with the NCAA Committee on Infractions may just drive him to the NFL. M...

Over the line!

On one of The Greatest albums of all time.

I think he is on the list but has not won a big-time OOC game including the last 2 Rose Bowls.

The good news? Come 2024 Puddles will rest in an East Coast Bias nest and come 2031, Puddles will be munching on an entire share of the B1G seeds.

Considering that ESPN is only paying half of the B12 new media deal that was a very fair offer. And no way that Fox was coming to the rescue of any other Pac-12 team with a full cut before 2031.

Presidents - We Are #1!

With Clemson and FSU and the 2 NC teams being among the 7 who have threatened to crater the ACC for a better media deal, why would they vote to add more members and make it more difficult to find the number of votes, now 8 I believe, to blow up the conference? Adding Cal, SMU and Stanford would do nothing to immediately improve the existing ACC teams' media revenues.

I'm going back to the decision to not allow B12 orphans into The Elite Club. Cannot overcome this kind of HUBRIS.

That would be a second flip. Right, Carol Folt?

Folks in Happy Valley, eat your hearts out!

I'm pretty sure the guy who designed the Maryland helmets was visiting Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.

[Quotes below and references, in general, come from a recent article posted by Adam Rittenberg on paywall, ESPN+ A few non-Pac-12 QBs are also discussed below.] BO NIX - (HUZZAH + QUACK!) OREGON 'Pac-12 coaches respect Nix's experience and knowledge of the game.' But will Bo dally without Dilly? Or, will he lift a Stein, not to Dear Olde Maine, but in celebration of a Pac-12 championship? "... some Pac-12 coaches say Nix is at his best when operating in a streamlined scheme. One noted Nix's early struggles against North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl before Oregon dropped most of the pre-snap motion and shifting and made it simple for Bo." KISS is not a bad principle to apply in any endeavor. Will OL coach A'Lique Terry be able to assemble a quality O line to take advantage of the deepest running back room in the Pac-12 featuring Bucky Irving, Noah Whittingham and Jordan James, and a terrific set of WRs new to the program and returning (Troy Franklin)? A solid O-line and a great room of running backs make it easier to keep things simple and the new speed in Eugene with players like Nix'z brother, Tez Johnson, should allow Oregon the stretch the field and pressure a defense. I like Bo and the Ducks to win the final, as we know it, Pac-12 title in 2023 and advance to the Cotton or Fiesta Bowl. In the final season of the Playoff Final 4, I think it will be extremely difficult for any Pac-12 team to finish with fewer than 2 losses. CALEB WILLIAMS - USC Will Caleb run it back and become only the second player to win back-to-back Heisman Trophies? (The 2nd of Archie Griffin's Heisman Awards should have gone to Cal running back Chuck Muncie. But character mattered back when as did and does, the Ohio State brand.) From a Pac-12 DC - "Everybody (?) said [USC] had a good O-line last year, but that's just because Caleb could run." And 'old friend' Troy Dye also helped the cause. This will be Caleb's 3rd season playing for Lincoln Riley and Kliff Kingsbury is on the scene to help with the offense. (Too many cooks?) And 100% recovered from a dinged-up knee, Caleb will continue to stress defenses with his arm and legs. Caleb benefits from playing Washington and Utah in LA. And also potentially benefits from having the week off before the Pac-12 Conference Champion game. (Thank you Pac-12 HQ.) The game in Autzen against once and future (Nuck, Nuck, Nuck) opponent USC, Bo versus Caleb on 9/11/23 should be epic. And should have a major effect on the two teams that will match up for the title in Las Vegas. MICHAEL PENIX, Jr. - WASHINGTON (BOO!) In 2022, Penix reunited with his former OC at Indiana, Kalen DeBoer, and finally stayed healthy for 12 games. In the regular season, Penix set UW records with 4,641 passing yards and 4,733 yards of total offense. Like Bo Nix, Penix was sacked only 5 times in 2022, in his case, on 573 dropbacks. In 2023, UW returns on the O-line its 2 starting tackles. And UW also returns its 3 top receivers from the 2022 team, falling only behind Ohio State in the quality of the wide receiver room but with the luxury of having Panix back while Ohio State will be playing a new QB. Getting Oregon and Utah in Seattle, at least on paper, helps UW's championship cause. Playing at USC and Oregon State will be tough. Like Oregon and USC, how much will a suspect UW D in 2022 improve in 2023? I think Penix, if healthy, will through for 5,000 plus yards in 2023 and will be in NYC for the Heisman Trophy presentation. What a swan song it would be to have 3 Pac-12 QBs, all playing for teams headed to the B1G in 2024, in NYC in 2023. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. A couple of overrated QBs heading into 2023? I think so. JORDAN TRAVIS - FSU Like the team he plays for, I and more importantly several ACC coaches believe that coming into 2023, Travis is overrated. Yes, FSU won 6 of its last seven outings in 2022 but 5 wins came against teams with losing records and the bowl game win came against a 6-6 Oklahoma team that the Seminoles defeated 35-32. I think FSU is 2023's 2022 version of Texas A+M. I think LSU and returning 2nd-year transfer QB JT Daniels, will expose FSU on 9/3/23 in Orlando. SAM HARTMAN - NOTRE DAME An excellent college football QB? Or, a 'system QB' if there ever was one? No one benefited more from playing in Wake Forest coach Dave Clawsen's Slo-Mesh RPO-oriented offense than did Hartman. Notre Dame has never run an RPO-oriented offense. Dropping back without RPO 'candy' will be a new experience for Hartman. And his group of wide receivers in South Bend are far from elite. Against Pitt last season Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi decided to go with an all-out blitzing D and attack Hartman. Hartman threw 6 interceptions in the game. Pitt is back on the schedule in 2023. I think Hartman and Notre Dame are overrated coming into 2023. BONUS! TYLER VAN DYKE - MIAMI (Cristobal fans, stop reading!) The 2021 ACC Rookie of the Year disappeared in 2022 even before he was banged up. "ACC coaches ... attribute his backslide more to coaching/schematic issues than anything to do with his game." "There was no system," one ACC coach said. (OUCH!) Tyker is now on his 3rd offensive coordinator in 3 seasons. Can't be Cristobal's fault, right? Thank you Canes for arranging for Mari[o] to go MIA. We are 'this close' to kicking 2023 off. After what may have been the worst off-season ever I am PUMPED UP for some football. GO DUCKS!

The format for 2024 is indeed the 6 highest ranked conference champs today, with the 4 highest conference champs receiving a 1st round bye. but with the demise of the Pac-12 Greg Sankey wants 5 conference champs and an additional at-large pick. Come 2026 if the playoff stays at 12 teams I think we'll see the top 4 ranked teams with byes regardless of conference championships. Last season Utah would have had a bye but not Ohio State. The B1G bye would have gone to Michigan; Michigan could have used it.

No charter? Show me the frequent flyer miles, Rob!

Missing?

Grate poost.

2024 as of now has 6 highest ranked conference champions, regardless of record, in the field. I expect this will drop from 6 to 5 conference champions and 7 and not 6 at large bids by 2024, Why, because that's what the Power 2 want.

And the Pac-12 is also eating a big dose of Michael M. Crow.

Go away? Likely, but Texas hasn't played A+M since 2012.

A couple of other reasons why going B1G was the correct move. Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner and likely the most powerful man in CFB after the ESPN and Fox powers-that-be, has already called for a change in the 2024 playoff format. With the Pac-12 (RIP) demise, Sankey wants 5 and not 6 conference champs to receive automatic bids. And he also wants seeding to be changed to reflect the playoff committee rankings. Using Athlon's 2023 Preseason Top 25, the field in 2024 be the following. (All teams at-large except for the 5 conference champions.) 1. Georgia - SEC 2. Michigan - B1G 3. Ohio State 4. Alabama 5. USC 6. LSU 7. FSU - ACC 8. Penn State 9. UW 10. Utah - B12 11. Texas 12. Tulane - AAC 5 B1G teams - 2. Michigan, 3. Ohio State, 5. USC, 8. Penn State, 9. UW 4 SEC teams - 1. Georgia, 4. Alabama, 6. LSU, 11. Texas 1 ACC team - 7. FSU 1 B12 team - 10. Utah 1 AAC team - 12. Tulane Obviously, this ranking will not be used in 2023 let alone 2024/25 but I think the B1G will have 4 or 5 teams in the field every season and that Oregon will more often than not be one of the teams. Another reason to go B1G. Canzano reports that part of the deal with Oregon and UW joining the B1G is that come 2031, Oregon and UW will be full-share revenue members of the B1G.