Jon Joseph

Tough day for the Commodores. Men lose to the Gaels and the Women to OBD! 4-seed Maryland looked solid today. The Terps play 12-seed Colorado State tomorrow after the Rams upset 5-seed Clemson. B1G is 5-0 to date in the Men's tourney. OBD, Illinois, and Michigan State play tonight. Sparty has a 10 PM start in Cleveland. But it's all about the 'student-athlete,' right?

Gals hold on and defeat Vandy in OT! 🍻

"And don't be afraid to cheat in the process!" 😁

Someone in Bozeman, buy this guy a double cheeseburger, an order of fries, and a chocolate shake at least twice a day.

Shout Out, again, to my sterling editor. No opponent should be taken lightly but the 2025 schedule, on paper, sets up nicely for The Ducks to get organized before the Week 5 game at Penn State. Duck's B1G friend Smokey the Bear says 'Douse That Fire, Extinguish the Flames!'

Bleacher Report with a solid Day 1 recap. Looking B1G so far. Men's NCAA Tournament 2025: Thursday's First Round Winners and Losers BLEACHERREPORT.COM

The B12, anticipating having two teams guaranteed to be in the 2026-27 PO field, is considering a four-team 'Champ Week,' 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3, to determine its two PO representatives. The conference is also considering a return to Divisions. Big 12 considers going back to divisions: How would they be sorted? SATURDAYBLITZ.COM With the College Football Playoff set for a shakeup in 2026, the Big 12 is weighing its options for ensuring a strong position in the expanded format. As discu The B1G's decision to go to a flex-scheduled Champion Weekend instead of a conference champ game met with mixed results. Many OBDers were concerned about the negative effect this could have on the regular season; why should the No. 1 team in the standings have to play the No. 8 team? (This begs the question: Why should a 12-0/9-0 B1G football team have to play another game to be the champion if it is the only team to go 9-0 in the conference? Why was the Michigan State basketball team with a three game lead at the end of the regulat season required to win two postseason games to be crowned conference champ?) If the B1G is assured of Four PO spots in 2026-27 and thereafter, do any of my fellow and sister OBDers think that the B1G should return to Dvisions? WEST - Oregon, UCLA, USC, UW, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. Two out-of-conference games, eight Division games, and two cross-Division games. One trip to the Eastern time zone and one trip to the Pacific time zone for an East Division team. Yes, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State would again be in the same Division. But Northwestern, Purdue, Maryland, and Rutgers would also be in the East Division. And at some point, USC should awaken and UW, along with Nebraska, will bounce back, right? Before last season, Wisconsin played in a bowl game for 20+ years. Iowa is never an easy out and Illinois looks to be ascending. I do not believe a West Division, formatted as above, would be a year-after-year patsy vs. the best team(s) from the East Division. The top 8 teams regardless of Division standing could play one another in Champ Week with the West Division teams first and second in the standings assured of competing for a spot in the PO. Of course, returning to Divisions could not happen without the approval of FOX and friends. (Does anyone else find it curious that after FOX poached SC to start the Pac-12's downfall, the two teams do not meet until 2026? And I doubt that Ohio State at SC game in 2026 will be The B1G Noon game kicking off at 9 AM.) In 2025, OBD travels to the Eastern Time Zone to play Penn State and Rutgers. A Division structure would mean only one Three-Time Zone trip a year, possibly two if the conference champ game remains in Indianapolis. [Another topic for another day - Rotate the Champ Game between Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas?] Go Ducks! Put Out That Fire! Make Liberty Flame Out! Yesterday saw a B1G 4-0. 🤑😎

Thank you, 30! How could I forget a wealthy, elderly gent who refuses to allow young waifs to be left out on the street? But to leave the poor urchin girl in rags in flu season? Shameful!

13 Points in the 1st half! Did no bed check lead to a lot of Mint Juleps being imbibed late into Wednesday night in Lexington, Kentucky? Did someone screw up the wake-up call; or, whatever these Tigers ate for breakfast, I don't want any of it! I believe the only squad left from Tobacco Road is Duke University. 😁

Louisville, playing in Lexington, KY, and after beefing about the No. 8 seed looked lost vs. Creighton. How bad was the ACC this season and how good is Duke?

A Mahki Hughes Break Out in 2025? I hope so. 😎 Breakout player for every top 25 college football team - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM A look at the players who can might make a critical difference for their teams in 2025.

OT - But in Other Basketball News. NBA champion Boston Celtics to be sold for a record $6.1 billion to group led by Bill Chisholm APNEWS.COM The Boston Celtics are being sold for what would be a record-setting initial valuation of $6.1 billion to a group led by Symphony Technology Group managing partner William Chisholm. $6.1 BILLION (!) for the The Olde Towne Team? How do you calculate a decent, if any, ROI from this? Chisholm and friends are blazing a new trail. 🤑 Hopefully, they'll give Jody Allen a call.

It took Day six seasons and three consecutive losses to Michigan plus an expansion of the PO field, which may have saved his job, for TOSU to win a title under Day. THIS, is the football gods at their fickle (not Luke) best. A loss to Wisconsin would have produced the same conference champ game of 1-loss OBD vs. 1-loss PSU. A champ game win, with Georgia with 2-losses and Clemson with 3-losses would have OBD as the same No. 1 PO seed. The fickle finger of fate was kind to the Buckeyes but not kind to the Ducks. In any rationale postseason format, Oregon would have played the winner of Boise State at Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Instead, a PO format designed for five Power 5 champs with four champs competing, handed OBD the smelly end of the stick. Very rarely is a No. 8 seed in a PO field going to capture a title. This is not a defense of the staff being unprepared to play a rematch against a revitalized team with the best roster in CFB in 2024-25, but a tip of the cap to Kismet, Destiny, Fate, what-have-you. Oh, and if Howard slides earlier, and Dan didn't conjure up a Houdini out of the rule book, we may have had a conference champ game rematch with Ohio State. "Bowls, Polls, and Tattered Souls." And PO Formats! 😧

Thank you, Mr. Smith. It's an intriguing idea but the NCAA is in the way. Ask the NCAA for permission and you may hear back by 2040. I'd be concerned about the contact and possible injuries in such a game. Would QBs be fair game? Would players from another team be more prone to blowing one another up? Would CU pay the cost of bringing its squad to Eugene or vice versa? CU has made good money off of its last two spring games in Boulder, would the Buffs want to give up the spring revenue? Syracuse volunteered to trip to Boulder for three days of practice and a game but it's all fun and games before the NCAA says 'OK.' This is more of Prime Time at his 'counter-culture' best.😁 What might make sense? Play your one and only FCS opponent in a regulation game to conclude spring practice and play 11 games beginning in Week 0. Lose the champ game in favor of a flex-scheduled 11th week game where at least the leader in the standings would play the 2nd place team, and play the PO title game or the semifinals on New Year's Day. But, with the portal in place and the need to integrate your recruits with players from the portal; well, I'm not sure I would have wanted to see OBD play Idaho in the 2024 spring game. 🤔 Go Ducks! Extinguish the Flames!

Mike, please keep on hacking! Kind of like my golf game, but your hacks score. 👌👍😍

Spring Question for Twelve PO Contenders Including OBD, TOSU, PSU + Illinois (!) Obstacles for 12 College Football Playoff contenders in 2025 - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM Some of the biggest brands in college football have major hurdles ahead of the 2025 season.

A B1G Spring Preview from Athlon. Big Ten Football Spring 2025 Preview: Storylines, Players, Position Battles to Watch https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-spring-2025-preview-storylines-players-position-battles-to-watch

A Long and Winding Road to San Antonio + Some Roads Have More Pot Holes Than Others. March Madness bracket 2025: Contenders with easiest, most difficult paths in NCAA Tournament - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Not all paths to advancing to the Final Four are the same for title contenders

A Ducks Wire Dive Into the East Region. March Madness predictions: Who wins the East Region? DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Who will win the East Region of the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket? Our best men’s March Madness predictions are in.

Great GIF! And thoughts I share. However, how would you feel if there was a tie for 4th place as would have been the case in the SEC last season? What's the better manner in which to determine the team that advances to the PO? Play a 12th game you will be playing one way or another, flip a coin, cut a deck of cards? How would you feel if, at the close of the regular season's penultimate games, you were a 5th place Georgia team having played a brutal schedule, sitting behind a 4th place Missouri team that had the easiest schedule in the SEC in 2024? Would the SEC be better off in this scenario sending Mizzou and not the winner of UGA vs. Mizzou to the playoff? The variance in in-conference schedule strength in these mega-conferences is a reason why a PO play-in weekend makes sense. Indiana played Michigan. Ohio State played Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan. Indiana had one blow out loss to Ohio State. Ohio State had two losses. Was Indiana the better team? A 2-loss Georgia team last season was better than a 1-loss Texas team. Fortunately, Georgia was given a second chance to prove this. Your work during the season will be reflected in where you stand after the 11th game and you will be seeded accordingly. In 2024, Oregon was not the beneficiary of its 12-0/ 9-0 record. OBD had to travel three time zones to play and defeat Penn State to win the title. All contenders going into the regular season knew a conference champ game would be played. I don't like it but it is where we are today. Where's the beef if heading into the season all member teams know that four PO play-in games will be played the last week of the regular season? In 2024, OBD would have finished with a 12th home game in Autzen vs. Minnesota. This seems to be more of a reward than having to play a 13th game against Penn State in Indianapolis. At heart, my friend, I am with you. A 9-0 Oregon deserved the B1G football title at the close of the regular season. A Michigan State team that finished three games ahead of the field deserved the Men's 2024-25 B1G basketball title without having to win it twice. And should a USC team that defeated UCLA twice, once at the Bruins place, not deserve to be the 2024-25 Women's B1G basketbal champion? Personally, I wish these post-season do-overs had never come about. But as we know, today, sadly IMO, it's all about the money. Thanks for another great GIF and a comment that I share in sentiment.

Hey Coach, how are fixed for blades? 😁😁😁And about that suit versus the NCAA? Indiana announces Darian DeVries as next men’s basketball coach SATURDAYTRADITION.COM Indiana has officially announced the hiring of Darian DeVries as its next men's basketball coach, replacing Mike Woodson.

CBS Sports Names the B1G 2025 Football Playoff Contenders - Who are the Big Ten's College Football Playoff contenders in 2025? Surprise team joins list of usual suspects - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Ohio State and Penn State will always be in good position, but another team has the juice to make a run

An 'Expert's' Bracket that has OBD Defeating the Blue Devils. 😍 How I filled out my 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket - Saturday Down South WWW.SATURDAYDOWNSOUTH.COM Which team will pull off upsets in the NCAA Tournament? And who'll cut down the nets? Connor O'Gara goes through his bracket.

$$$. Instead of a stand-alone 13th game, the B1G and the SEC would each have four significant games to offer the media during the last week of the regular season, with games spread out and played on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I'm sorry I did not make this point clearer. These games would be in addition to rivalry games played the week before. Adopt Championship Week and have everyone play in what is now Week 0 and the PO semifinals could be played on New Year's Day with the championship game played in early and not late, January.

As always, thanks to my much-needed editor. Correction, Championship Week would be the last week of the regular season, the 12th regular season game will most often be played on Week 14 of the season. One change we will see for certain in 2026-27, teams will be seeded as ranked.