Jon Joseph

Spot ON Joshua! Not only did Mario win nothing his way, I'm sorry but a 1 point win over a 3L Wisconsin in a Rose Bowl exhibition game is not a big deal, he put a choke collar on the NFL rookie of the year and had an Epic Fail at ASU. Just like the Epic Fail this season at Stanford and the 2 no shows against a Utah team that lost at Oregon State. Nick Saban brought in Lane Kiffin and reinvented the Bama O. He also went for quicker, faster players on the D side of the ball. Mario played an average QB throughout the 2021 season, content to grind out 1 score wins. As a teammate of Mario's once said, 'He'd rather hit you in the mouth and gain 5 yards then run around you for a TD.' Mario came as close as possible to destroying the Oregon Brand that took years to build. No one covers the SEC like the folks at Saturday Down South. They all predicted that if Smart started Stetson and not Daniels against Bama, UGA would take the L. Like Mario with Moorhead, Smart did move to update the UGA O with the hire of Todd Monken. UGA was one of the top 10 scoring teams in the P5 in 2021. But when the chips were down against Bama, Smart left Daniels on the bench. If Smart starts Daniels versus Michigan and in a likely rematch against Bama, UGA will be a national champion. If he plays Stetson, a journeyman game manager, he could lose the semi-final game. Like Dabo at Clemson in the ACC, Oregon with its roster should roll through a conference that produced but 6 bowl eligible teams. But Dabo didn't win titles without Watson and Lawrence at QB. I think it is wrong that Lanning as of now, is trying to serve 2 masters. A recruiting class has to be saved and the portal has to be picked. Joshua is so correct that without an NFL quality QB, no team will win a Natty. Mac Jones is not the most mobile guy at QB. But he won a title and is playing great ball for the Patriots. If Herbert had been free to play at his level, the Ducks would at least have been in the Final 4 in 2019. And who knows what would have happened in 2021 if Thompson had played QB and Mario's head was in the game and not in Miami.

It's a loss only if you cannot find a better guy in the portal. The problem is that the OR HC is trying to serve 2 masters.

What's left to destroy?

After the the Supreme Court decision in the Altman case, there is no NCAA smell test. There is basically no NCAA for P5 CFB.

I'm shocked! Seriously, THIS is exactly what I expected. And with wide open 'free agency' in CFB, you can bet that players are being 'recruited' off rosters with promises of money, before they enter the portal. This is a logical step on the road to a Super League and college football ending the hypocrisy and openly becoming semi-pro football.

There are 3 1L teams in the playoff and 1 undefeated team. Unlike Georgia, Alabama and Michigan, Oregon is not going to get a mulligan. Why? Because the conference is held is such low esteem; justified by the on-field failures. 6 bowl teams? Are you kidding me? No team since the Pac-12 has expanded has gone 13-0. So yes, if Oregon had gone 13 and 0 it would have been in the final 4. It is a huge ask for any team in a P5 conference, even as one as down as the Pac-12, to finish undefeated. Even more so when you play Georgia and BYU OOC in the same season! And you cannot defeat Ohio State and stumble against a 3W Stanford team. You can't lose to an average at best, ASU team. You cannot get blown out twice by a team that lost to BYU, San Diego State and Oregon State. A better, rising conference would lift all conference boats. If this doesn't happen, Oregon will not be in the playoff unless it goes 13-0. Also, if it doesn't happen Oregon, as part of the conference will fall financially farther and farther behind the B1G and the SEC. And likely behind the ACC and the new B12.

Rumors have been flying around that Whit plans to retire. If the Utes defeat Ohio State, I see this happening?

Good take. I more or less agree. Less? If SC is cooking it means more money for the conference and if it is not shut down more subscribers for the Pac-12 network. Equals more money for the Ducks.

Dabo makes $9M plus a year coaching in the ACC. Would he want the pressure of following Nick Saban and coaching in the SEC W? I don't see it.

Recruiting champ and coaching chump!

As usual, the Pac-12 is not taking it easy with its 2022 out of conference (OOC) games. And of course, 6 Pac-12 teams, including the Ducks, will play 5 conference road games. The conference is considering going to 8 conference games but this will not happen before 2023 at the earliest. These are the OOC games I think conference teams will lose (L) or have a chance to lose (C) in 2022. SOUTH - ARIZONA - L- at San Diego State, Mississippi State/ C - North Dakota State ASU - L - at Oklahoma State CU - L - TCU, at Air Force Academy, at Minnesota UCLA - 3 cupcakes for the Chipper, unless he decides to go on a diet, to consume in 2022. Return game at LSU is not until 2024. USC - C - Fresno State / L - Notre Dame - In his 1st season I do not think Riley will have the Trojans ready to defeat the Irish? UTAH - C - at Florida, San Diego State NORTH - CAL - L - at Notre Dame - this is a one off (why is it being played game?) for the Bears. OREGON - L - versus Georgia in Atlanta/ C - BYU OREGON STATE - C - Boise State, at Fresno State STANFORD - L - at Notre Dame, BYU WASHINGTON - L - Michigan State WASHINGTON ST - L - at Wisconsin/ C Colorado State 9/3/22 is a big time game day for the conference with the Ducks playing the Dawgs in Atlanta and the Utes playing Florida in The Swamp. This is a H+H for Utah with Florida scheduled to play a return game in SLC. Including Mississippi State at Arizona, the conference could go 0-3 vs the SEC? I expect the conference will go 0-3 vs the B1G? CU at Minnesota, UW vs Michigan State and WAZZU at Wisconsin. I also see 0-3 vs Notre Dame. Hopefully, the conference will win some of the big games I think will or could be, Ls and not lay down vs the Mountain West?

Great take. But I think there is a reason Benson came in as a 3 star recruit. As of now, there are better RBs in the portal than Oregon has on its roster, including a stud RB from Georgia Tech.

It's Kirby Smart that has to be told: Start JT Daniels! Like, Mario, Smart is a great recruiter and a risk adverse, other than for untimely fake punt calls, coach. Not benching Bennett was a big time upscrew for Kirby. I think UGA beats 1 dimensional Michigan? And if UGA starts Daniels, I believe UGA beats Bama; especially, without WR Metchie being available for the Tide. I also think the entire UGA team after watching Bama struggle against Auburn and basically struggle all season long, came in way over confidant against a Tide team the Dawgs believed it would roll. I think we will see the DC of Playoff Champion Georgia coming to Eugene?

It looked 'helpless' because Smart started the wrong guy at QB. Daniels should have been brought in after Bama took its first lead and Daniels should start against Michigan and against Bama after UGA defeats Michigan. However, it was a terrible effort by the UGA DL and LBs. Auburn sacked the Heisman winner 7 times; UGA, zip. I think UGA came into the game far too overconfident and Bama played, by far, its best game of the season.

Good take Darren, thanks. What will Bama do when Saban leaves, if he ever leaves. Hire Lane Kiffin, Jimbo Fisher, the top pro candidate available or anyone else Bama wants. BTW, Bama has a football budget far bigger than Oregon. Bama sells out a 100,000 seat stadium every Saturday. I like this hire. Oregon was COOL! under Kelly and Cristobal did all he could to wreck the brand. Yes, this is a risky hire. But it is a reasonable risk, hiring a young man with coaching experience at a Playoff quality school and also out west at ASU. And without calculated risk you will never have an excellent ROI.

This is why the man was hired. The 1st HC to leave OK since 1946. This hire took SC from the back page to the front page. Riley was an excellent recruiter at OK, without much of in-state talent base and and he signed a lot of kids out of CA when he was at OK. SC is "cool" again. With all dur respect, how many Playoffs have BYU, Utah State, Fresno State, etc. qualified for? BYU had a very good year but it lost at home to Boise St and on the road at Baylor. 5-0 vs a Pac-12 as down in CFB as it has ever been. All the schools mentioned above where guys are coached up have to coach guys up. These schools are not signing 4 and 5 star recruits. Not signing the better 3 star recruits. No school without a Blue Chip Ratio won a BCS title. No school without a Blue Chip Ratio has won a Playoff title. Recruiting, plus wisely picking from the portal, matters more than ever. Recruiting battles that Oregon won vs Helton will be far more difficult to win vs Riley and his staff. SC after being lost post Pete Carroll has stepped up and is spending money like a blue blood should be spending money. The kind of money Bama had to spend to bring Saban back to the SEC from the NFL. I certainly am not going to say that Riley will do anything like what Saban has done at Bama, but I think many the Ducks fan is selling this hire and this guy way, way short.

Why was this guy hired by ESPN? How does he stay employed at ESPN? In terms of players and when and where they will be taken, this guy and Kiper both, hit less than 10% of the time. Fantastic job. No reckoning for consistent failure. Whenever McShade says: 'I've been watching film of ... ' I say, 'So What?' McShade's credentials? He played QB for Swampscott HS in Massachusetts. Then he QB'd the Richmond Spiders.

This season you are allowed to go over the limit by 7 scholarship players. Should be plenty of openings to find gems from the portal.

As I noted earlier, one of Lanning's best DBs at UGA, No. 5, Ringo, is from Tacoma, WA. He has recruited out west.

Kiffin, with Saban's approval, reinvented the Bama O. He did a great job at FAU. In his 2nd season at Ole Miss he has the No. 8 ranked team in the country and playing No. 7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. His D at Ole Miss from year 1 to year 2 dramatically improved. I think his on field results trump his on occasion over the top quips and I love his enthusiasm on the sideline.

FSU? Hard to make chicken salad out of chicken slop. But once Gabriel enter the Notre Dame game at QB, the FSU O pushed the Domers D around. Dillingham had great success at Memphis and having worked together with Lanning is not a bad thing.

However, SA, no school without a Blue Chip ratio, 50% or more of the roster 4 and 5 stars, won a BCS or has won a Playoff title. Going to miss on certain 4 and 5s, but today's analysis of incoming recruits is pretty darn good.

Thanks. Slovis departure noted earlier along with the portal entrance of Auburn's Bo Nix and A+M QB Calzada. Lots of darn good players in the portal now and more will be coming. Need to recruit the portal today like you recruit HS kids.

THIS is asking for a miracle. It would be on the ACC, B1G and SEC Networks but the Pac-12 network?

Thank you for the post. IMO, UGA was not ready to play Bama in the SEC champ game. Over confidant. That and Daniels should be the starter and not Bennett. I think UGA defeats a 1 dimensional Michigan team and defeats Bama for the title? But only if Daniels starts at QB.