Jon Joseph

If a Pac-12 team regularly made the final 4 and routinely sent a bevy of guys on to the pros the recruits would stick around the fans would fill the stadium. When Carroll was at SC, Trojans football was the hottest ticket in town. Win and fans will follow. Not every B1G and SEC game is a sell out. Not every B1G stadium rivals the Shoe in intensity. Having said this CJ, I'm looking forward to you going 0-2 vs the Pac-12 this season.

I think Justin Hopkins needs to check into Johns Hopkins?

The best thing I saw was the team play hard to the end of the game. The young team did not give up at all in terms of effort.

My friend, praise you . You are the ultimate Duck fan. IMO after the first series when Brown threw a pick it should have been next young guy up? Brown played like Brown. A predictable O accompanied by a beat up D. Being coached by guys that soon are going to leave. Of course OK deserved to win the game. The Sooners was the far better team on the field. Especially at QB. Nice rally, but too late to matter. The war had been won.

My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Mario post Ohio State yoked us into a season that was frankly baffling. As Charles has so often pointed out, Mario came in with a base canard; the Oregon O would continue to play aggressive football on O. One of my best Christmas presents, 62-60 Mario going MIA. No one should apologize for, in accordance with the Forum site rules, noting that Oregon consistently under performing on the field. Failed to show up against many the lesser opponent. Mario came 'this close' to destroying a brand that took time and money to develop. The excuses after every close W against bad opponents and after the loss at Stanford and the two blow out losses vs Utah never changed. A guy who walked the walk in recruiting but failed to walk the walk on game day. Mario will not learn from more experience. Under Mario in 2022, we would have seen the same stuff different day. There is a wholly legitimate reason why fans in Autzen booed. Being a fan does not mean you forgive all; especially, when a team is continually unprepared to show up and play ball. The number one job for a coach is to have his team prepared to play. Oregon, if correctly coached up, was a final 4 team in 2019 and based on roster strength, also in 2021.

And oft a web of fanaticism for CFB fans?

1st Round: 16 OK at 1 Alabama; 14 Oregon at 3 Georgia. This would be the norm and the not the exception if bowl games had not co-opted the NCAA managing the 'big boy' post season. Of course, the NCAA does conduct lower division playoffs with 16+ member schools participating. A 16 team CFB playoff would rain money down on the P5 and mean more money for the G5. And the games other than just the 3 meaningful Playoff games, would 'just mean more' for the teams and the players. There would be upsets all the way through the semi-finals.

If Williams plays the whole game and I believe Big Game Bob is enough of a pxxxk to play him for 60 minutes: OK 55 - Oregon - 24 1/1/175 Stay healthy Noah! And everyone else. Do not want to see any Duck dinged to the point where he is not healthy for spring ball. Nationally, this game will have no meaning come Friday. How many recruits today are on the OK/OR fence? I doubt that there are very many. I wonder how many recruits, especially in the east, will tune in to watch this game that will end on Thursday eastern time. IMO, this game is not worth the candle. How many players in this game see playing in it as a reward? It exposes the 'Student (?) - Athletes' to a risk of injury not equal to the reward. If we had a 16 game playoff on the other hand, this would be a first round playoff game for both schools with 16 Oklahoma at 1 Alabama and 14 Oregon at 3 Georgia, with very few if any drop outs and with millions of more eyeballs on the 2 games than will be watching the Alamo Bowl tonight.

Former attorney? 'You just made the list buddy!'

Great take. John also recruited some pretty good players, no?

Oklahoma? Don't forget that SEC recruits will also be watching.

It's slotted after this grey beard's bed time! I plan on taking a nap to make it through a game that will KO close to 9:30 eastern and finish on Thursday.

Always a treat to read one of your articles Joshua, thank you. I do think the OK players will stand up and put out for the legendary Bob Stoops. Bob is an interim coach but one with far more 'presence' than the part-timer coaching Oregon. So, will the OR players have the competitive juice to show up and play hard in this game? I am uncertain because in 2 or Oregon's last 3 games I saw little to no leadership on the sidelines or on the field. I am concerned about the guys who are practice no shows and why we have received no explanation regarding their absence; I hope this is not affecting the team's will to win? The best player on the field will be Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams. Mainly due to opt outs OK is missing lots of starters. But looking ahead to 2022, OK's QB will be one of the top 3 in the country coming into next season. It is hard to win any football game. Harder when the opponent has a material advantage at the all important QB position. Oregon has by far a better OOC win in 2021 than does OK. But OK played in a top to bottom conference far more difficult than the Pac-12. There is no reason to believe Oregon can win this game, which is why the Ducks, if the team truly feels disrespected, could win this game. Win the game? Great. But please at least show up, ball out for 60 minutes and do not quit.

If it could do so and stay in the Pac-12, I wonder if UCLA would drop football.? The financial woes of teams in the Pac-12 do most certainly effect Oregon. I truly hope that Schill and other Oregon leaders are pondering whether to pledge the media rights beyond 2026 without first considering a new home for the Ducks.? The 'new B12' would be happy to add SC and Oregon in a NY minute. Possibly with a bigger piece of the pie for both schools? It just frustrates me to no end that the conference did not expand when it could and should have. Look around the conference. How many teams have the want-to and can afford to spend the money needed to realistically compete on a national level? BCS? USC and Oregon made the grade. Playoff? Oregon and UW have made the final 4. It's time to fish or end up being the bait.

Is it Feld, or Johnson? Whatever, great 'get' from the SEC. A guy who helped Kiffin turn it around at Ole Miss.

What is the ROI for the folks paying the freight? How many more eyeballs tune into the Alamo Bowl because KT decides to play for pay? KT is about to make millions of dollars. I do not see the financial incentive for the highest quality players and for the investor. CFB desperately needs an expanded playoff with the bowls not necessarily relevant in the process. CFB is 'half-pregnant.' It is at the top levels, P5 at least, a professional sport continuing to pretend it is an amateur sport. And it also needs a demarcation, regardless of conference, between the schools willing and able to pay to compete at the highest level and those that will not or simply cannot compete at the highest levels. Why should the soon to be millionaires play in any bowl game that simply does not matter. Why play in an exhibition game. 5 years from now people will recall the Playoff Champion, but the winner of the Peach Bowl when it it is not a semi-final site? This patient needs surgery, not a crutch.

Chip is now in coaching limbo. 1 year left on his contract and his buyout disappears the middle of next month. Chip's agent is the hard-bargaining Jimmy Sexton. The UCLA athletic department has a $40M deficit. This will be a tough call for new AD. No one wants to play for a lame duck (forgive me Puddles) and with no contract extension and the portal, will UCLA have team left. What will UCLA be able to pay a new coach?

I was so disappointed when Oregon did not do what was the business-like obvious. Add OK, ST, Baylor, TX Tech, TCU, Houston, Iowa St, Kansas and K ST. Add CU and Utah to form the Pac-20 East division. Establish the P4 while eliminating a competitor. That ship has sailed. However, before Oregon commits its media rights beyond the current agreement I hope the Ducks will investigate other opportunities? Find partners that are willing and able to open up the wallet instead of carrying WA ST, etc.

Terrific comment. Hopefully we will turn from small ball to attack football? Lanning, I more than hope, saw how UGA improved when Todd Monken was hired as OC. The UGA D this season was fantastic but UGA also put up impressive numbers on O. The UGA O moved into the 21st century. Smart got smarter and followed his old boss Saint Nick and opened up the O. AB was/is right in Mario's play not to take the L wheelhouse. Don't push the envelop and win many the 1 score game because you punched the other guy in the mouth. Lanning watched Dillingham when both were coaching at Memphis. I'm hoping that Lanning will run an O that will not further tarnish the Oregon brand and make the opposition do more than load up to stop the run game. Shough retrogressed at Oregon. AB's high water mark came in the 2nd game of the season when he started against and defeated a top 25 opponent for the first and only time. I agree, if players want to follow 62-60 Mario to MIA; well, best of luck.

I was fortunate enough to belong to the same golf club Madden belonged to in California. Played with him 4 or 5 times and he could not have been a more down to earth, better guy. Like he said: "You never 'get' golf." A truly impactful yet very humble man. RIP.

I'm worried that a few of the guys MIA from practice might be joining Mario in MIA?

What side is Caleb Williams playing on? Seriously with 4 of the front 7 on D out for OK, I hope the Ducks can run the ball and drain the clock? And I hope Sewell can track down Mr. Williams. If it were I, I would definitely have a spy on this guy. How delicious would it be to send Bob Stoops out with an L.

I guess the coach didn't know what was Bruin?

Colonel Travis and Davey Crockett are not going to let the Alamo fall without a fight! Right?

Well Coach, I hope you the boys got some nice sea food and maybe were able to watch Shamoo surface? What else can one expect from a Darn Yankee from New Hampshire!