Jon Joseph

3 OU starters in addition to Rattler have entered the portal with the 3 expected to transfer to SC. Rumor is that more are coming?

There was discussion earlier on the board whether Bohn and Cohen had the sack to make good CFB replacement hire? On paper I think both did just fine? Lincoln Riley to USC is a home run for Trojans and the conference. He will be a thorn in Oregon's side but he will significantly upgrade the recruiting at SC and a national contender SC lifts all conference boats; especially, the media money boat. Riley is bringing all of his key assistants with him including DC Alex Grinch. After his time at WAZZU, Grinch is very familiar with SC's opponents. A number of OK starters have entered the portal and are expected to follow Riley to SC. A 5* QB commit has decommitted from OK and committed to SC. This is a Blue Blood acting like a Blue Blood for the first time in over a decade. I think Cohen's hire of Fresno's DeBoer is a very good one. Fresno QB Jake Haener who took the Ducks to the wire and defeated UCLA on one leg, is projected to follow DeBoer to Seattle, returning to the place where he began his CFB career. DeBoer brings an instant turn around to the Husky moribund offense. 5* QB Huard may bolt but 5* Huard threw 4 picks in the Apple Bowl. Jonathon Smith is staying at Oregon State as is Chip Kelly at UCLA and Herm Edwards at ASU; 3 of the 6 conference coaches who have their team bowl eligible in 2021. I also think staying with Dickert at WAZZU was a good move. The kids rallied around him after Rolo was let go and he also has the Cougars bowl eligible.

No. 4 - CINCY - 12-0 - 1 top 25 win at No. 6 Notre Dame - 6 wins over bowl eligible teams - Next vs No. 21 Houston at home No. 2 - Michigan - 11-1 - 1 top 25 W vs 7 Ohio State. 1 top 25 L at 11 MI ST - 6 wins over bowl eligible teams - Next vs No. 13 Iowa in Indianapolis. Both win and I see no way that Cincy jumps B1G champ Michigan? No. 5. 12-1 OK ST with a win over No. 9 Baylor could jump Cincinnati? OK ST would finish with 3 top 25 wins, a P5 title and a far better SOS than Cincinnati.

5* 2023 QB Malachi Nelson has decommitted from OK and committed to USC. Fresno St QB Jake Haener, 2nd team all MW QB, has entered the portal and is expected to return to UW and play for his former Fresno HC, Kalen DeBoer.

If this UGA team does not beat this Bama team by at least a TD something is wrong and smelly!

IMO - in the Free Market, Kelly is free to do what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. By taking the job now, he has a chance to recruit at LSU before early signing day. I don't think he will have any worries regarding admissions at LSU?

CORRECTION: After Oregon wins the Pac-12 Championship Game!

CUSA - Western Kentucky -1 at UTSA - Friday 7 CBSSN - UTSA is no longer ranked but its coach got a nice pay raise. PACIFIC 12 CONFERENCE - THE CONFERENCE OF CHAMPIONS! - No. 10 OREGON +3 vs No.17. UTAH - Friday 8 ABC - No place like Vegas for a big time rematch! Let's Get Ready To Rebound! BIG 12- No.9 Baylor +5.5 vs No. 5 Oklahoma State - Noon ABC - Someone please explain to me why Cincinnati with its terrible SOS is ranked ahead of Oklahoma State? MAC - Kent State -3 vs. Northern Illinois - Noon ESPN - Liberty, Equality, Fraternity? When it comes to the Playoff the MAC's vote counts the same as the SEC's. Heck of a way to run a business. MOUNTAIN WEST - No. 19 San Diego State -5.5 vs, Utah State - 3 FOX - SDS has a victory over the Pac-12 S champ. Utah State won at WAZZU. And the Pac-12 gets no respect? SUN BELT - No. 24 Louisiana +3 vs App State - 3:30 ESPN - Before tripping to Gainesville, Billy Napier will coach LA-LA in this game. Napier has never won a SB title. SEC - No.1 Georgia -6.5 vs No. 3 Alabama - 4 CBS - The Playoff fix is in? Alabama wins and there will be a foul and noxious odor emanating from the Mercedes Benz Stadium. AAC - N0. 4 Cincinnati -10.5 vs No. 21 Houston 4 ABC Does a 13-0 G5 Cincy with wins over No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 21 Houston trump B12 Conference Champ 12-1 OK ST with 2Ws over ranked Baylor and 1W vs OK? ACC - No.15 Pitt -3 vs #16 Wake Forest 8 ABC - Welcome ACC to the No Playoff Club; the Pac-12 has a seat reserved for you. Big 10 - 2. Michigan -10.5 vs No. 13 Iowa 8 FOX - Jim Harbaugh is 'this close' to making a pay cut pay off. Notre Dame - 11-1 and coach-less. Cincy and OK ST both lose and ND could be in the Final 4? Bob Stoops is the interim coach at OK. Bring back Ara? BYU - 11-1 - 5-0 vs the Pac-12. Next year in the B12 the Cougars will have a Playoff shot.

CFB will officially be a professional enterprise in a decade or so. A Super League with 16 to 32 teams is coming. It is inevitable.

Fun read. Thanks Darren. But with the comeback Rocky won the World Heavyweight Championship Title. In other words, The Natty.

But I was surprised Mario was not on Florida's radar? Billy Napier has been great in the G5; has not been a HC in the P5. This to me is telling when it comes to teams looking at Mario and whether Mario deserves a raise because of these other hires? With Mario not in the mix for the big time jobs why move him into the $9M club when his big W to date is a Rose Bowl win against a 3L team?

CHA-CHING! Don't know if the coach deserves a raise but a guy who just made bank? The agent who represents both Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly. BTW - Kelly who will be paid @$9M a year, took the Irish to a BCS Champ game and 2 CFP appearances. Lincoln Riley? 4 trips to the CFP. Mario? 1 Rose Bowl W over a 3L team. 1 Fiesta Bowl and a not in the game loss to Iowa State.

30, I don't know? But I am 100% certain that our new commish was doing back flips. I do know that the hire says at least 1 school besides the Ducks is all in from the president on down on CFB.

If we don't see a different Ducks team something is very, very wrong. With all the big jobs open did Mario get an offer? No and he won't get an offer from ND and I very much doubt he is going to get an offer from OK?

I agree, terrific post. But 2022? The season starts 'at' UGA with the Ducks QB starting his 1st game. 3rd game on the schedule? BYU.

If Fickell doesn't take the ND job will he ever leave Cincy?

Good point. I don't see 2020, which I will discount due to COVID, as having been a moving forward season? As to this season? The Final 4 was Right There. Then came a road game face plant. We will know Saturday if the team has stayed the course this season? Will it or will it not qualify for a NY6 Bowl? If not, that is not moving forward. I don't see the Alamo Bowl as going forward. 2nd best in this conference? Not a significant accomplishment.

B1G teams received $20M+ more than Pac-12 teams last season. B1G schools other than NW have many more alumni than does Oregon. B1G stadiums sell out? Pac-12 stadiums? The B1G has a network with 3x+ the # of subscribers that has the Pac-12 network and the B1G network is owned and operated by FOX. B1G schools have much larger budgets for football than does the Pac-12 schools. B1G administrations are solidly behind the B1G being excellent in athletics; especially, CFB and CBB.

Thanks Charles, great post. 'THIS" is why CFB is headed to a Super League, with players paid, players likely being players and not student-athletes, a high school draft, players members of the NFL Union and CFB coaching salaries dropping to the level seen in the NFL. It's also the reason the majority of the Pac-12 teams will be playing 'JV' football.

Just for the record and I can understand why you believe Mario deserves a raise. But Jim Harbuagh is being paid $4M base salary this season. Mario makes less than Shaw but Shaw beat Mario. Stanford is not bowl eligible. Whittingham makes more than Mario. Utah is 9-3 with an L against Oregon State and a decisive beat down of Oregon. 6 Pac-12 teams are bowl eligible. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. The roster is young? Yes. Injuries happened? Yes. But Oregon still has a Blue Chip roster. The only other school with a Blue Chip roster, USC, fired its coach in-season. Considering how weak the Pac-12 is in 2021, a conference championship is the floor for this Oregon team. Does any coach who lost to Stanford deserve a $4M+ bump in pay?

Great take? Too harsh? Maybe, somewhat? But is there any excuse at all for the team no showing at Stanford and Utah? I'll take Ws over excuses. As to Brown, I get it. But Brown starting means the QB recruiting was muffed; or, the QB coaching is being muffed? 10-2 is based on the roster and based on how bad the conference is (6 teams going bowling? 1 out of 4 CA teams going bowling?) is between the 9 to 12 wins many of us predicted in the preseason. As bad as the conference is, I think a legit case can be made for the team to be 12-0 or at least 11-1, and on the doorstep of the Playoff?

How about get to the final 4 first? Tucker has not been there granted, but Kelly and Riley have often played for a title. IMO, Tucker will turn out to be way overpaid. $9M is a lot of dough? Are you sure Oregon can come with this amount? Are you certain based on his record to date that Mario is ELITE? This is elite-kind of money.

4 of the above drop sugar on the Pac-12; the others don't. A Natty and final 4 appearances gives Commish GK a lot more to bargain with. GK had to be jumping for joy with the Riley hire news. A national contender in LA helps close the financial gap between the Pac-12 and the B1G/SEC.

I respect your point. But have you seen the Ducks under Mario out-scheme another team? The W at Ohio State was the base O being run to perfection against an OK, not great, OH ST D. I just do not see Mario being willing to give his OC control of the O? If I am correct, then other than for recruiting props does it matter to that great of an extent? I love Coach Boles article. But there is no way Mario is going to run the Coastal O or anything like it. No way he is going to go hurry up. He is an old school guy running an old school O. I would really appreciate it if you would expand on why you think the new OC will matter a great deal? Thanks.

He is seriously considering retirement after this season. Hw is not going to leave SLC for any other job.