Jon Joseph

Mark Schlabach of ESPN, has updated his 2022 Preseason Top 25. OREGON comes it at No. 16, previously ranked (PR) No. 12. (?????) 2022 opponents - Georgia is No. 3, PR 3. Utah is No. 4, PR 7. BYU is No. 19, PR 18. Based on these rankings there is no doubt that in 2022 Oregon will have one of the most difficult out-of-conference schedules in the nation. Below are Schlabach's top 13, including No. 13 Houston, PR 13, that as the G5 participant would knock No. 12 USC, PR 22, out of a 12 team Playoff. A 12 team Playoff with all P5 champs and a G5 representative in the field and with the top 4 teams earning a 1st round bye. This would be the Schlabach-field for the 12 team, 2022 Playoff: 1. Alabama - SEC vs. 9. Michigan AL at 8. Michigan State AL 2. Ohio State - B1G vs. 10. Oklahoma State - B12 at 7. NC State - ACC 3. Georgia - AL vs. 11. Clemson AL at 6. Notre Dame AL 4. Utah - Pac-12 vs 12. Houston AAC/G5 at 5. Texas A+M AL As noted above, No. 13. Houston as the G5 representative would knock out No. 12 USC. Should the Playoff field expand come the 2026 season, Houston will be in the B12. Why Oregon drops 4 spots, Utah moves up 3 and USC moves up 10 (!) I have no idea; except, in the case of SC the earlier poll was released prior to signing QB Caleb Williams. Williams is good, but 10 spots up good? All of these preseason 'guesses' are long distant dart tosses; including, Schlabach's human guess and computer programmed guess work. Personally, with the Utah game being played in Eugene, I think the Ducks will finish better than 16. Utah will miss the 4 team playoff and USC will not finished higher ranked than Oregon. In 2022, Oregon can go 10-2 in the regular season and still win the Pac-12 with a win in the conference champ game. THIS is what I think is going to happen. But I am also throwing darts.

Jewell of a comment! Me doubts that Billy Jewell has the dinero to make such a change happen?

THANK YOU. I referenced this article in a recent post but I'm too darn tech challenged to do The Link.

Andy Staples of The Athletic (pay wall) has posted a list of what each of the 65 P5 teams paid per CFB win from 2010 through 2019. Number 1, where you do not want to be ranked, is Kansas at $8.96M a win. The Ducks come in at a very, very respectable Number 60 - $2.48M a win. By conference: SEC - $4.09M B1G - $3.87M ACC - $3.38M Pac-12 - $3.44M B12 - $3.42M CFB is a Big Business. Also, Dennis Dodd has a great article on Dan Lanning and his roots on CBS Sports NCAA Football site, no pay wall.

In what sport? KIDDING! Love the enthusiasm! There must be some special ingredient in the Kool Aide sold in Vegas? If legal, please overnight some of that KA to me in South Carolina.

HOLY TOLEDO! LOL!

What's the weather and the attendance looking like for the spring game?

If only the ball had been airborne more often in this game? SIGH.

The Schwartz. Straight out of Mel Brook's 'Spaceballs.' But where is Pizza the Hut? I played HS football with George Wyner, who had a big part in Spaceballs and was Fletch's lawyer in the Fletch movies. THIS is my 'biggest' claim to fame as a football player.

But not like the young Bama receivers who, as so noted by Saint Nick, failed to step up in the champ game. A sure TD pass dropped and 2 other passes that would have gone for 1st downs dropped. That was a great win by Georgia but it was aided by WR Metchie not being able to suit up and WR Williamson going down in game.

I hope the Ducks liability insurance payments are current? THIS is the kind of stuff juries buy into and award absurd damages. I agree with the above comment: This should have been settled. As I often heard when practicing law: A bad settlement is usually better than a bad jury award.

I always thought that baseball and golf would be better if they were contact sports?

And having Tom Brady at QB?

70? PUP!

More space to hide the money?

The DL? A big (players too small) problem at SC. But the OL in 2021 gave up only 18 sacks on the season, and that was playing in front of a QB far less mobile than is Caleb Williams. SC rushed at 4.4 yards per attempt last season which is not terrible. The OT SC is bringing in from the portal at tackle from UVA was 2nd team All-ACC and he joins 4 returning starters. Thin numbers wise but good quality with the starting 5. I expect SC will put up lots of points but will the D be able to stop anyone?

Charles, fully understand why you like Rivals. FYI and FWIW, 247 updated rankings has these Pac-12 teams in the top 40 - 13. Oregon - up 3 spots with the new commits 19. Stanford 22. Arizona 38. Utah USC comes in No. 10 in 247's combined recruiting and transfer rankings.

Great take. But when you are in the B12 and ranked No. 13 in the final college football PO Committee Poll you will be going to a much better bowl than playing UAB in an off the radar exhibition game. Probably would have played Clemson or Miss St in 2021?

I think KT is a 1st round pick by the Jets?

Great to see both Oregon schools + 2 Pac-12 schools in the top 10.

Definition of a second marriage: Hope over Experience.

Great take Joshua! But did you have to rub-it-in with: "before this writer was born?" (KIDDING!) Yes. you have to score points to win in CFB today. The final score for UGA in the Natty was an pick 6 but UGA played far better O vs Bama in the champ game than in the SEC title game. Smart, unlike Pruitt, is a heck of a recruiter without handing McDonalds bags full of money to recruits. (One wonders if Tennessee will be dinged for this and other illegal recruiting in today's environment? Can the Ducks get its schollies back for Chip using a 'runner?' Talk about selective enforcement!) Dan to date has made great hires among making all the right moves. I hope Ducks fans will evidence patience if necessary, with Dan. It took Kirby Smart 6 seasons to get over the Saban hump. Thanks for another great take.

And how about Hurts being benched in the 2nd half of the playoff champ game vs UGA and Tua bringing Bama back?

Thank you + spot on regarding a by the numbers better roster. Ranking-wise he indeed left a better roster. But getting these better guys ready to play? I have zero complaint with Mario's recruiting efforts. My beef is how he failed to coach guys up and also played small ball down to the level of the competition. He inherited a talent like Justin Herbert and buried him in an antiquated offense. He was the OL coach at ALABAMA. He won the award for being top assistant recruiting coach in CFB at Alabama. Yet, he came to Oregon as an assistant coach under Slick? I do not not know for certain but I would be surprised to learn that he received a significant salary bump when he left the SEC for the Pac-12? Apparently, Saint Nick was happy with the recruiting effort but not the coaching effort? If he had wanted Mario to stay at Bama he certainly could have afforded to pay Mario to stay at Bama. Nick knew he had to bring the Bama O forward to playing playing 'modern football.' In this regard, Mario was most likely not a good fit. Mario made less than a lateral move to Oregon and I cannot help but think that Nick knew that he was no longer a fit at Bama and perhaps, urged him to move on? And I very much doubt that Mario made this move in anticipation of Slick leaving after a single season? Can't criticize the players supporting Mario to be the new head coach. But as Charles courageously at the time pointed out, what he represented to Mullens and the public at large at the time of his upgrade to HC was far different from what we witnessed on the field of play. Most striking to me? The number of Ducks players today who now voice that football is fun again. As it should be. 62-60. As Bill Parcells' famously noted, your record is what you are.

Need this young man to stay healthy! I hope he does not have the injury jinx?