Jon Joseph

Great take. I hope Flowe is not on the same 'career path' as Cam?

Thanks Joshua. Always enjoy reading your articles. Between Stroud, Young and Williams, Stroud has by far the best and deepest group of returning WRs. 10 WRs on the Buckeyes spring roster. All were top 150 recruits. There is a reason Bama went after one of UGA's best receivers. After Metchie and Williamson went down, none of the young WR's on the Bama roster came through; especially, in the champ game and as so noted by Coach Saban. WR recruiting at Bama has missed the mark the last couple of seasons. I agree that LB Anderson was perhaps the best player in CFB in 2021, and he is going to wreck havoc this season. But I sense that the gap is closing between Bama and the rest of the SEC W? If the Tigers do not go on probation, watch out for LSU. No matter what one may think of Brian Kelly, he is a heck of a coach. Williams? London is gone. Who will step up at wideout for SC? The 'other' Williams coming in from OK to play WR is the obvious choice to emerge as Caleb's go-to guy. With Jones coming in from Stanford and Dye (sigh) from the Ducks, SC looks to be in great shape at the RB position. Thompson? It would be great if Ty can win the starting job. He could not beat out journeyman AB last season, but was he given a true shot at the job? If Nix' ankle is healed it will be a tough ask to beat out a guy with Nix' game experience and his experience playing in Dillingham's system. If Ty or Butterfield cannot beat out Nix, who has 2 years of eligibility left, I hope one or both do not portal out. The portal is one reason I expect the starting QB not to be named before fall practice. Flowe? As you so noted if he can stay healthy he has AA potential. But from what we have seen it's a big ask for Flowe to make it through the season without being injured.? Definitely need one of the RBs to break out in 2022. Definitely need the OL to help the run game and to start consistently playing up to their respective recruiting rankings.

The Zeros, those there were left, were also good at crashing into enemy vessels in a useless attempt to defeat the American Navy in the Pacific. Apt comparison to where UW football is today? Notwithstanding the terrible 'leadership' from the AD and the Jimmy Lake Experience, the UW football program is still in the Go Banking Rate list of the 25 most financially successful CFB teams over the last 3 seasons; the rankings exclude the 2020 COVID season. The other Pac-12 members in the financial top 25, the Ducks and USC. SC's move to grab Riley is being noted nationally. SC's spring game will be broadcast by ESPN; the other games will be broadcast on Larry's Network. Thanks Axel for another great take.

Sure hope you're right on Zona and UCLA. We need the dues!

Terrific comment. However, can you force schools to give athletic scholarships? If no males are on athletic scholarship where is the standing for females to bring suit? This is why I believe CFB/CBB will be outsourced? At my D3 college there are no athletic scholarships. As a matter of principle, many women's sports are played. Many the male sport was eliminated by Title IX and no suit against the same happening was sustained. If CFB/CBB scholarships go away but baseball, T+F, swimming, etc. do not, T9 will still apply. But there will be fewer number of scholarship sports. Many sports will return to being club sports. Colleges and universities have been in existence far longer than athletes have received scholarships based upon their athletic ability. As to the future, your thoughts are at least the equal of mine. I just do not see many the school wanting to become the employer of money-ball athletes to save a number of sports, male and female, from being cut? Once upon a time all of the sports played today were 'after-school,' voluntary activities for members of the student body who so wanted to participate. And today, the majority of NCAA member institutions do not grant athletic scholarships.

Great question. One of many that have and will be raised regarding CFB/CBB being unionized. Of course, unions do exist in right to work states. Whether an individual player joins the union or not, the agreement made with the union would still be binding on 'management.' Defining who or what 'management' will, of course, be a big part of this rub. Like in the NFL, I do not see any agreement restricting an individual's right to earn additional money from his NIL. But a 'salary cap' will likely be negotiated. And restrictions of free agency will likely be negotiated. But without a high school draft, how do you limit boosters via NIL from influencing recruiting? If the NLRB allows a players union to be formed, this will the ipso facto mean that the players are employees of the given school 'paying' the player via free tuition, room and board, and all other benefits. (A double edged sword for players who will be taxed on this income.) I do not see uniformity necessarily following players being union members. For example, the SEC is likely to have a far larger salary cap than will the Mountain West. Will WAZZU agree to the same salary cap as USC? Players unions for CFB/CBB come about and a number of institutions offering athletic scholarships today are likely to opt out of 'big time' sports and go the D3/Ivy League route. The Ivy League allows all sports except CFB to participate in NCAA post season tournaments. The NCAA of course runs a D3 CFB tournament. But tens of thousands of fans do not show up to watch Ivy League and D3 ball. And media doesn't shell out big broadcast money to the Ivy League and the D3. Many folks including yours truly, can project where they think P5/G5 is going. But no one from conference commissioners on down have concrete answers as to the ultimate impact NIL and CFB/CBB free agency will have on 'big time' college sports? My best guess? A Super League in Men's CFB and CBB is coming. And I will not be surprised if the money-ball sports are not outsourced by universities to a 3rd party(ies) that will be the employer of the athletes? I also think that where CFB/CBB are headed will be decided before the 2030's. You want to expand the CFB playoff to 12 teams? Fine. But it best include a plan to pay the players for their post-season participation. The decision to expand the playoff has to occur in the next 30 or so months in order for the playoff committee to bring a product to the media marketplace.(Will the current 11 'playoff stakeholders' be able to reach a post-2025 playoff consensus? I have my doubts.) Sorry to bloviate. My simple answer is that I am going to follow Charles' sage advice, I am going to follow Ducks sports wherever 'This Stuff' may lead.

Not a chance. It's Clemson or the SEC for the next sterling QB named Manning.

Great comments. Yes, Diaz was run off and if the two MI ST boosters paying Mel Tucker $9M a year aren't happy, Mel is gone. I question the above comments in regards to lack of ROI on a given player dampening the zeal of the 'fanatics' making these deals. These people have more money than sense and a few NIL misses isn't going to damper their zeal or reduce their pocketbook to cents. NIL cannot be regulated without a collective bargaining agreement; the kind of agreement we see between players and 'management' in every pro sport. I think it is odds-on that the NLRB will allow players on scholarship to form a union. Congress could act to 'standardize' state NIL legislation but Congress based on the Supreme Court's decision in Alston, cannot make NIL go away. Caleb Williams and his Dad before signing with the Trojans said that it is about the NFL $ and not NIL $. Other players will make the same kind of decision which is why it is imperative for the Ducks to routinely advance players in significant numbers to the NFL. Of course, Caleb Williams does not come from a horrific financial background; although, I imagine he is being paid quite nicely to play at SC? Many the recruiting decision of young men from less advantageous financial backgrounds will be driven solely by the NIL money. (What's new? CAM went to Auburn even though he could have made more money playing elsewhere?) Other than for a few teams, recruiting in the Pac-12 stinks. It was believed that NIL might bring more parity to CFB but I don't see it happening. Financially, college sports is clearly headed to a Power 2. Teams in the B1G and the SEC will have even greater market power over the other conferences. Whether NIL is ruining or will ruin CFB is a matter of personal perspective. If A+M wins the SEC and a Natty in a year or two I very much doubt that Aggies fans will be concerned that NIL bought the highest ranked recruiting class of all time. Enjoy 'the game' for as long as we can. The game, in a very short period of time, has already been materially altered from the manner in which it has been played for over 100 years.

I see last season as an 'off year' for Dana and his approach to CFB. Transfer players will not meld together every year. Still, the team finished with far more wins than losses and came through vs the Mountain West in the NIT. A+M was a team that was oh-so-close to being invited to the Tourney and deserved the NIT No. 1 seed line. I had zero confidence that Mario would ever take the Ducks to the CFB Final 4. I have every confidence that Altman has the coaching chops to get back to the CBB Final 4. If only the games didn't start so darn late on the Right Coast!

I AM PUMPED! Living in Aiken, SC, the Falcons and Charlotte are the 'home team' games. Charlotte I watched before McCaffery went down. Now if Marcus can win the starting nod I will have a reason to watch the Flameouts, er, the Falcons. 2 games a season vs Jameis would be nice.

I finished well above the Mendoza Line in last season's CFB bets. These I am not so sure of but my Las Vegas betting bro and I have the following Sweet 16 bets: Providence +7.5 vs Kansas UNC +2 vs UCLA Arkansas +8.5 vs Gonzaga Purdue -2.5 vs St. Pete Iowa State PK vs Miami Houston +2 vs Arizona Have fun. Bets are lost, and on occasion won.

I am looking forward to your take.

Phil has gone gaga with facilities. God bless him. Unlike what we have seen for a decade on sports blogs, Phil Knight is not buying individual players to lead to titles.

It's fairly and with no disrespect, obvious. Guys in the money ball sports will be paid and wither women and Olympic sports? NIL will render Olympic sports, including women's sports obsolete. It will lead to players in the money ball sports being 'employees' and being paid. It will also lead to a number of universities dropping athletic schollies and going D3. It will lead to a small group of schools playing 'big time' CFB and CBB.

But my friend, until the Transition Committee is finished and their recommendations are received in whole or in part, there is no collective ready to control NIL in whole or in part. You take a 9-0 whipping from the Supreme Court and any challenge to NIL without negotiation with the players is a waste of time. Spot on regarding 'corruption now being above board. But 'cheating' being authorized at least gets deals out in the open. Anyone remember 'Scam' Newton and his Dad shopping his services that he knew nothing about?

But No.1 is 'No Time.' (Sigh) I need to remember my age. No Time is my favorite tune by The Guess Who.

The Pac-12 deserved 4 invites. Higher ranked USC having to play Miami in the south and UCLA having to play in Philadelphia this weekend were both seeding hose jobs. This is the 2nd tourney in a row where the B1G has flamed out. And 1 of 6 SEC seeds advanced to the final 4. But until the Pac-12 wins a tourney this 'stuff' will not stop. It also doesn't help that the Pac-12 plays so many games on a joke of a network.

Thank you for this great detailed post. May Nico be all-DGU at Tennessee. The portal has reduced any concern I may have had in regards to recruiting the QB position. It would be nice to land Eli, no doubt. But a better than decent 4 or 5* QB with game experience will be available from the portal.

Please allow me to add: In peacetime, please give me the culture of Athens. In wartime, I'll go with the culture of Sparta.

Not just Brutus. The B1G received 9 invites to the tourney, 2 teams made it to the sweet 16. This represents back-to-back tourney flame outs for the B1G. The SEC received 6 invites, 1 team made it to the sweet 16. 2 out of 3 Pac-12 invitees made it to the sweet 16. The ACC with 3 in the sweet 16 has the most of any P5 conference.

Charles makes great points. Almost every NBA player makes more $ than the HC, but at least 1 team every season is coherent enough to win a championship. The same is true in the NFL, MLB and MLS. NIL is the world in which we live today. Coaches will adopt and adapt or they will be canned. Coaches are being paid millions and millions of dollars in 'market value.' IMO, the athletes these multi-millionaire's coach have every right to earn their individual market value. Pandora has left the box and is not going to return.

IMO 'culture' = W's compared to L's. Someone please direct me to a program that recruits well, graduates its players, has a losing record year after year; yet, the program and its coach are lauded for having a great culture? Maybe somewhere in D3? I agree that there may have been a better manner in which to raise this issue, but I also agree that 'culture' is entirely nebulous. You can define culture anyway you like, but if a team's 'culture' does not equate to far more wins than losses. the culture is bogus. P5 CFB coaches are being paid multi-millions of dollars not to teach table manners, but to win games. Mario's 'great team culture' led to no Final 4 appearances, a 1-1 record in NY 6 bowls; one being a one point Rose Bowl win and the other a Fiesta Bowl beat down. The rest of the bowl record: a bowl loss to a MW team, a 1 point win over a mediocre MI ST team and a blow out L vs Oklahoma. Heck of a culture. Two Pac-12 titles. Two titles in a conference that during 'Mario's tenure' had a terrible out-of-conference record and bowl record. You Are what your record says You Are.

The answer is: Pac-20 - 6 ACC - 3 B1G - 2 SEC - 1 This is Pac-20 CBB dominance in the No. 2 money-ball sport.

I'm sorry, how can any of the above be blamed on Phil Knight? PK has built exceptional facilities in a medium sized city in the NW. CFB this season and IMO, the prior 3 seasons +, can be blamed if blame is due, on the AD and not Phil Knight. CFB under Mario was a gut wrench experience. He brought in great players recruiting ranking wise and on very rare occasions had his team prepared to play to the standard of its talent. The basketball team under Dana Altman has for the most part come through, in conference and in NCAA Tournaments. Oregon is not a sure thing in any season in CFB or in CBB. Compared to back in the day Oregon is now a BRAND. Without Phil and Penny Knight, Oregon would still be a school that on very rare occasions played for a Rose Bowl and not a BCS/Playoff Champ game berth. A school that would be happy with an NIT bid and not sweet 16 plus opportunities. PK has not bought players. He has paid for facilities over and beyond most of those in the nation. If there is blame you know who I blame? Those who believed that Mario was a great coach with a great 'culture' when the high water mark was a 1 point win over a 3L B1G team in the Rose Bowl. This with the NFL Rookie of the Year and all pro playing QB. If I have a beef it is with Mullens who reached out for the Georgia and A+M AD jobs; most certainly not with Phil and Penny Knight. Without Phil Knight and the NIKE branding, Oregon would be an off-the-radar team in CFB and CBB.

If so, he ought to be resident in Las Vegas?