Jon Joseph

Thanks Steven. I saw this. How is the Oregon Athletic Department funded? BTW: If you have Netflix, the Coen Brothers remake of True Grit is worth watching.

Good points but there is going to have to be some give and take. First, the Cali schools are going to have to give up their preferred scheduling deal where the 4 CA schools play every season. With 7 games plus the Civil War game a CA school will be on the schedule every season but not necessarily UCLA or USC. I'll take this instead of half the conference having to play 5 conference road games every other year. Going to 8 means a balanced conference schedule, home and away and 6 fewer Ls for the conference compared to the ACC and the SEC. No school that played 9 regularly scheduled conference games has won the CFB Playoff.

The only concrete move the Alliance has made to date is the ACC vetoing playoff expansion and the needed money that will follow expansion. The ACC came up with all kind of reasons why it is blocking expansion. The usual malarkey. The real reason, the ACC is saddled with a bad media deal through 2036. The only way the media deal can be renegotiated with ESPN is if Notre Dame joins the ACC as a football member. ND is an ACC member in all other sports except for ice hockey where it plays in the B1G. The proposed 12 team playoff gave ND a clear path to the 12 team field and no need to join the ACC. This is more of the kind of parochial stuff that will lead to a Super League.

Here are The Athletic's, Andy Staple's, thoughts regarding permanent opponents. IMO, these appear to be very reasonable. Of course if the Pac-12 goes to an 8 game regular season schedule as I believe it should, 1 permanent opponent may make more sense for a 12 team conference? The permanent opponent would be today's 'rivalry opponent.' ARIZONA - ASU, CU ASU - AZ, Utah CU - Utah, AZ OREGON - OR ST, UW OR ST - OREGON, WA ST Stanford - CAL, USC UCLA - USC, CAL Utah - ASU, CU USC - UCLA, Stanford UW - OREGON, WA ST WA ST - OR ST, UW The B1G looks like it will drop divisions and I think most or all P5 conferences will follow suit? I believe the 12th game of the season and the Pac 12's 8th regular season game, should be played as the last game of the regular season - Pac-12 -1 vs 2 in Las Vegas; 11 at 3, 4 at 10, etc. All teams off traditional playoff weekend with the exception on USC and Stanford that could respectively play the home game with Notre Dame on what is now the date of the conference champ game.

Who just hired Brian Billick as an advisor (HC in waiting?)

Thank you Sir!

Great post. As I noted earlier under the Transfer Rankings take, Michigan DC Mike McDonald after 1 season is returning to Baltimore to be the DC of the Ravens. Slick, Mario, Lincoln Riley, Brian Kelly, Billy Napier, DeBoer, etc. and the assistants they brought with them, left with little notice to their former employer. Try to regulate the transfer portal? I'm all for recruits having a limited time period in which to transfer. I'm not in favor of the NCAA or any other association spending multi-millions of dollars in court to 'protect' an old system when said association is likely to have its butt handed to it in a court(s) of law. Clearly, limiting a roster to one third transfers could, coupled with NIL, be seen as a restraint on trade and violating anti-trust laws. Because the NCAA did not make reasonable adjustments regarding transfers (how do you justify controlling transfers in 5 and not all sports) and NIL, the cat is out of the bag [hoping for a Mr. FD cat response?] and I see no way to bring the cat 'back home.' Neither does the NCAA which is punting regulatory duties to its member divisions. Transfers in CBB, baseball, softball, men's hockey that used to be controlled are also frequently happening. 'Like the pros?' OK ,then allow a formation of a players union, pay-for-play, contracts that restrict free agency, hold a high school draft in inverse order of finish, end academic progress requirements, be allowed to trade players, have a sixty man roster with a practice squad, institute a salary cap, and have a 16 team playoff. THIS is why a Super League is coming. You cannot significantly damage the foundation and expect the house to stand.

It's not just the players it's the coaches too. Mike McDonald who did such a great job turning Michigan's D around this season after 1 year of being the DC at Michigan is retuning to Baltimore to be the DC of the Ravens. Perhaps he knows something regarding Harbaugh to the Raiders? Perhaps he found out he hates recruiting? He is getting more $ but not all that much. Hard to beef about kids transferring when coaches move around all the time. SEE: Slick, Mario, Riley, Brian Kelly and the assistants they brought with.

Think it's great that the Pirate is sailing west this season to play Arizona and has other H+H series set up with Pac-12 teams.

I think The U will rue the day it so unceremoniously dumped Manny Diaz. Manny's teams played hard every game and the QB of the future emerged. Mario: Recruiting Champ and Coaching Chump. Under Diaz, the team had a nice mix of running and passing the ball. Now? I think expectations at The U vastly exceed what a small private school with its stadium 30 miles away is going to be able to achieve. As I've asked before, did the boosters who pushed for Mario watch anything but the recruiting rankings and the Ohio State game? Have they not seen Herbert in the NFL vs Herbert under Mario?

I sure hope this young man Ducks. Chance for him to have an immediate impact in Eugene.

I think DGU may well be replaced as the Clemson starting QB? The Clemson D was great last season and should be again even with a new DC. That was close to an all new OL for Clemson last season and 4 of the 5 straters will be back.

NO. It is good for the Pac-12 to have the B1G on board but kind of senseless for the B1G. Our other 'partner', basketball conference ACC is vetoing the expanded playoff. The B1G and Pac-12 'objections' regarding expansion could be easily overcome but an outright 'no' to expansion by the ACC means nothing is likely to happen playoff format-wise before 2026. If you are standing still you are going backward. Mandel's comment hits the nail squarely on the head. If the Pac-12 and B1G do not drop to 8 regular season games what, if anything, will come from the Alliance 'scheduling agreement?' Sure looks like the B1G is going to drop divisions in favor of 3 permanent opponents and 5 other conference games. Pac-12 should do the same with 1 permanent opponent per school.

I think Dart will wait until Williams finally closes the bidding? If Williams goes elsewhere Dart's best move IMO and FWIW, would be to come back to SC. Unless a 'secret' deal has been agreed to between CW and USC, this has to be driving Riley nuts. Perhaps CW is waiting until the 2nd early signing day happens next week so when he announces it will a slow sports news day?

And make the 12th game Championship week with 1 vs 2, 11 at 3, 10 at 4, etc. The Pac-12 most certainly cannot afford a 4L champion from 1 division to defeat a 1L team from the other division. Go to 8 with 1 permanent 'partner' on the schedule to assure rivalry games are played every season. FOR GOODNESS SAKES DO SOMETHING! GK has talked the talk but come nowhere close to walking the walk. The network is still broke and by not expanding it will remain broke and an albatross as far as CFB/CBB are concerned.

I don't disagree that Wake with its QB returning should be good in 2022. But I expect Clemson to rebound. I can never remember the divisions in the ACC but Pitt and NC St should also have good teams. Perhaps ESPN is upset with the ACC for vetoing playoff expansion? CFB needs the expanded PO $. UCLA finished 2021 $62.5M in the red!

Killer Burger? OK, I guess. Is the food any good? I don't believe there any franchises in the east?

Under the radar? Are these folks completely clueless? Jeremy Stevens should be playing football in The Longest Yard.

It will be very interesting to compare this early ranking with ESPN's Bill Connally's SP+. I think there will be significant differences. For example in the SP+ 2021 final rankings, BYU finished at 47. IMO - Over Rated: 4. A+M, 5. Michigan, 6. Notre Dame, 8. NC ST, 10. Michigan State, 13 Houston, 14. Wake Forest. Under Rated - 9. OK ST, 11. Clemson, 16. Baylor, 17. Oklahoma [Is ESPN ticked off with the B12?] Astounding numbers regarding Utah's roster. If Utah can win its opening game in The Swamp, 7. may well be be too low for the Utes. I like that the Utah AD has Florida playing a return game in Salt Lake City in 2023. Also, in 2022 Mississippi State is playing the 1st in a H+H series at Arizona. SEC schools unwilling to trip west to play other than in LA is a tired and baseless argument. BTW: How did WAZZU pull off a home and home with Wisconsin?

But Flowe has to be ready to go? I hope he can stay healthy through 2022. Kid has a world of talent. (Still hard to fathom that the Ducks won at Ohio State last season without Flowe and without KT?)

Unless it's BC, Notre Dame or Immaculate Word?

She says she misses you.

I called the number and got a 'dating' service. In Romania.

Thanks friend. Kirby followed Nick in getting smart regarding today's O. Monken was a great hire. I think Bennett is way underrated. Or, was so? UGA is still a play awesome D run hard O, use the passing game when needed team. And how about Bowers from Pac-12 country? What do you think about your stud receiver, Burton's transfer. Is he going to Bama to get a bigger NFL upside with Saban still more passing oriented than Kirby? Bennett is the real deal but I think the young man would rather max out his skills being in the Bama O and playing with the Heisman trophy winning QB? I'll be in the ATL 9/3 hoping we can hang with you Dawgs. Nix? 0-3 vs UGA but he isn't a bad QB and has experience playing in front of crowds the Ducks will see on 9/3. Not that it matters for the next game but UGA is 1-4 in the last 5 games played in MB stadium. But the L's? 3 to Bama. 1 to Joe Burrow's LSU team and a good win against Cincinnati. I was so happy to see UGA break through this season. And Athens? What a fantastic college town. I wish we were playing UGA in Athens with a return game but it is what it is. Except for 9/3/22 GO DAWGS!

Great move. I can tell you from experience that it is easier to shovel rain than it is to shovel snow.