Jon Joseph

What makes you think Mario wants to throw the deep ball as a consistent part of the O. If we do not already have a QB on the roster who can throw the ball a long way, the recruiting rankings are more than suspect.

TRUTH from Matt Zemeck who is a savvy guy when it comes to CFB.

Washington HC? After Auburn's L at South Carolina yesterday ( I had SC SU +240!) lots of chatter about Harsin leaving Auburn and the SEC W grind, for UW? Harsin was on UW's radar before Lake was hired. Coach Pete, advising AD Jen Cohen, has a lot of belief in the former Boise St coach. Other names that keep popping up: Aranda, Campbell (why leave a B12 that with its new members could score a better TV deal than the Pac-12?) and Justin Wilcox.

I never bet against the Ducks. But I'd take WSU +3 and possibly playing for a Pac-12 N title and OR ST +13 possibly playing for a North title? The Beavs completely shut down the ASU O last night. And the Beavs have a solid run game and more than decent passing game. The Ducks could end up in one of the Rose, Alamo or Holiday bowls.

A McSorley + Barkley help the cause. Those guys were not with JM at MISS ST. The Pirate is doing far better at MISS ST than did JM.

Riley played both QBs last night in the Sooners 1 TD win over Iowa State.

Agreed. But I'd take Kiffin in a heart beat. But why would he come?

Progressing? What difference did you see in last night's No Show vs the 2019 No Show at ASU? In 2019 and last night, I saw 2 Ducks teams totally unprepared to compete and defeat inferior foes. What have you seen in 2021 that convinces you that under Mario the team will not play down to the level of the competition? Mario is not the CEO to have in charge of a long term project. Mario is the same head coach he was at FIU. He will win a conference title in a bad conference but that is the man's ceiling. The faith I had in Mario as a Playoff coach diminished with an L to a Stanford team that OR's 2nd team should beat. Last night, the light went out. He is a terrific recruiter who cannot translate the roster talent to the field. He is a totally risk-adverse coach who is happy to plod to 1 score wins versus lesser opponents. He was a perfect fit as the OL coach and nation's best recruiter as an assistant coach at Bama. He is in over his head as a head coach. Under a very good person, Mario, the results on the field will be SSDD.

Great post. Brown is a career mediocre QB. His 1 win vs a top 25 team came in Columbus. He starts not because of talent but because of Mario Cristobal's comfort level. Look how Stroud has improved this season at QB for Ohio State after opening with a shaky win at Minnesota and a loss vs Oregon. But based on what happened with last season's young QB, Shough, who retrogressed as the season went on, would Mario and this staff have gotten 9 wins out of Thompson or one of the younger players? Mario wants his QB to be part of a grind-it-out- punch-you-in-the-mouth system. That 's it, period. Mario hid the NFL rookie of the year under a bushel. Post season, you will see at least 1 if not 2 Oregon QBs in the portal along with a number of WRs. In 2022, you will see a guy getting his first start in Atlanta vs Georgia. A guy who will not be prepared for the magnitude of the game. For me, after the Stanford debacle, last night was a coaching crucible for Mario. He failed. He had the team no where close to playing like the #3 team in the country. The Pac-12 is once again out of the playoff and limited to the $4m which comes from its guaranteed P5 PO spot. The B1G and the SEC will be pulling down $14M a piece in PO money. There will be no PO appearance to sell to recruits. Frankly, I have no interest in psychoanalyzing Mario's decision making. I don't care who he plays as long as the Ducks play up to the roster ranking and dominate a bad, bad conference. As long as the Ducks consistently perform to a level worthy of the roster, Mario can 'think' whatever he likes. The way he is thinking now will NEVER result in a PO title for the Ducks. Going to the Rose Bowl, if Oregon can defeat the Beavers, is not all that in 2021. The Rose Bowl in 2021 is an exhibition game between 2 multi-loss Pac-12 and B1G teams. It comes the day after the meaningful games, the playoff semi-finals are played. One day after the games that matter are played. This Oregon team never should NEVER have lost to Stanford and to Utah. Never should have let a crummy team like Arizona and others, stay in the game. Mario as a person? Yes. Mario as a recruiter? Yes. Mario as a Playoff winning coach? No.

No, but it is $4M and not $10M for the Pac-12. The Rose Bowl this year is an exhibition game against a B1G team not good enough to win its conference. Recruits want to play in the Rose Bowl only when the RB is a semi-final site. Mario's road record in a far from difficult conference is not good. In its last 8 games as a road dog the Ducks have failed to cover 7 times. Ohio State of all teams, is the outlier. Tonight? The entire team from the coaches on down no showed.

The W in Columbus was by far the best W ever for Brown. That was the first and only time Brown has started a game against a top 25 opponent and won. The young QBs in the clubhouse must have been terribly overrated, are being negligently under-coached, or both? And why recruit all of the WRs? ASU 2019 redeux. But without the furious comeback attempt. Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water with Mario, THIS happens? Hopefully, the Ducks will sit Brown and still have a chance to play for the Rose Bowl?

Goals are still all in front of us? The Playoff is not THE goal?

Gentlemen, should we take this show on the road? HOW ABOUT NO!

Ducks - 41 -21, 2 TO, 2 sacks, 210 passing.

It is a crock. But it is The Crock on the table and lots of bread comes out of this crock. Great take. But if the question. But if the question is only directed at Oregon, why shouldn't Oregon be looking to protect its own interests and not the interests of 'partners' who invest no where close to Oregon when it comes to athletics? The PO will go to 12 with all P5 and G5 champs in. Using the PO CT's week 3 rankings to establish the field, the B1G, 'New B12' and the SEC would all have 3 teams in the field. The Pac-12 1.

Very good take. What we have on the field today is an Invitational and not a Playoff. If you want to watch a CFB playoff watch the football playoffs managed by the NCAA. The BCS and this BCS x 2 serves 2 masters: The bowl games and Disney/ESPN; a corporation that owns the "Playoff" lock, stock and barrel. The corporation also just happens to own the SEC and ACC Networks and will be taking over as the lead broadcaster for the SEC. From a mile away the 'leaders' of the Pac-12 should have seen 'this' coming. Hansen threw the Rose Bowl into the BCS for trinkets. Scott, after seeing Oregon screwed over once by the BCS and SC numerous times, if he was paying attention, doubled down. Put the Rose Bowl in the BCS x 2 with no assurance that a Pac-12 team would compete in the Rose Bowl when it served as a playoff semi-final site. I know it is difficult for younger readers to believe but before the BCS the SEC was just another conference. The Rose Bowl was THE BOWL GAME! Scott also piled on by signing a media deal that meant Pac-12 teams would be playing at night on the east coast, forming a media organization without an equity involved media partner. After failing to pick off the big B12 teams he desired, he signed on CU and Utah. What have these 2 schools done for the conference? Scott following the SEC-leader, broke the conference into unnecessary divisions, gave the CA schools a preferred schedule and stayed at 9 regularly scheduled conference games. The Ducks should be playing Portland State today at home and not be playing in Salt Lake City. CFB is a big business. No big business escapes the hits that follow from bad management. This conference as is? How can it possibly close the gap with the B1G and the SEC? 1 extra P5 OOC game a year against an ACC or B!G team? This will not drop a significant amount of money to the bottom line and is senseless if the PO field remains at 4 teams. And why would the Pac-12 not be in favor of a 12 team PO with multiple media bidders in the mix? However, if Ohio State finishes 12-1 and Oregon finishes 12-1, Oregon is in the final 4. Maybe ranked 4 not 3, but in.

OH ST covered vs Purdue.

Pac-12 led the way here. 12 is OK so long as all P5 champs are in along with 1 G5. The SEC and Big will likely get 3 teams in every season. Follow the $. Expansion could be approved as early as next month? Powers that be meet on 12/1/21. Could go to 12 as soon as 2023. We Need The Dues!

'Marlon Brando? He ballooned up nicely.' Rodney from Back to School.

Auburn? Had a shot before the Tigers starting QB and FG kicker went down for the season. Now?

I'll take ATTITUDE over Altitude.

I agree but it won't happen because of course, MONEY. Many athletic departments are leveraged to the hilt and need the SEC involved in whatever the PO structure might be. Dissing the Pac-12? What's new? USC was BCS one and done while others like Oklahoma and SEC teams were not.

Great take, thank you. The ESPN models also have the Ducks ranked far lower than does the PO Committee. But all of these machines depend upon, so far at least, human programming. The Ducks will take heat for being ranked 4 but what justification is there to have Bama at 2? Bama's at 2 because 4L Mississippi State is 25? Prior to the BCS and the monetizing of CFB, games did not kick off when many on the east coast are asleep or as you so noted, inebriated. Of course many games simply were not televised and coaches were making less, usually far less, than $1M a year. Frankly, I enjoyed the game far more when what mattered was the Run For The Roses and playing the Big 10 champ in the Rose Bowl. When no one bowed down to the SEC. When ESPN was not a CFB media cartel. The field will be going to 12 as early as 2023. 5 P5 champs in, a G5 team in and 6 at large. Then other than for seeding purposes, much of this 'stuff' will not matter.

Stats? CFB stats? I do not recall Utah playing against the awesome Ohio State passing game? Instead Utah faced Weber State. I do recall the Utes O sputtering at BYU and SDS and Utes D being ground down in the loss to the Beavers. But Utah has covered in 6 of its last 7 home games and the Ducks is 1-6 Against The Spread in its last 7 games as a road underdog. Which version of Puddles shows up in SLC? If we see the same thing we saw at ASU in 2019 it will be very disappointing. This is a coaching crucible game for Mario. Of course, Oregon instead could be playing NM State at home as did Bama last week, or Charles South at home as UGA will be doing on Saturday. At Utah is a PO senseless 4th cross over game for the Ducks. The Pac-12 excels at shooting itself in the head.

Yogi is very good and is watched by dozens of folks. The OR ST run game wore out the Utes D. The Ducks run game is #10 in the nation. Surprisingly, the Ducks have the better kicking game. Don't turn the ball over and the Ducks, to the chagrin of the ESPN machines and experts, win.