Jon Joseph

My guess, for what little it is worth: 1. Georgia - 13-0 2. Ohio State - 12-1 3. Cincinnati - 13-0 4, Oregon 12-1. Best win among the competitors and also the worst loss. OH ST's ending SOS will be far better than Oregon's. IMO in the final rankings 13-0 Cincy also jumps the Ducks. It works politically for the CT and ESPN to keep the Ducks in but show respect for the G5. It also sets up a Cotton Bowl money-ball, civil war matchup between little guy Cincy and big, bad Ohio State. A big game on New Year's Eve to keep folks home and watching CFB. Can David beat Goliath? Oregon vs Georgia in the Orange Bowl will bring in many the viewer from coast to coast. CINCY will have 2 top 25 wins including the season's 2nd best win over a ND team ranked as high as 5 or 6? The Stanford loss, especially after ND demolishes Stanford, will look worse and worse. Oregon will have one top 25 win, the best win in the country. But in the final rankings, Oregon will be the only Pac-12 team, with the possible exception of an ASU team that could finish 9-3, that will be ranked ranked in the top 25. And if ASU is ranked, Oregon will still be 0-0 versus ASU. I would be very happy if my guess happens.

Already survived a '9AM KO' and won for the first time ever vs Ohio State and handed Ryan Day his 1st home loss. Piece of cake!

- WHERE THINGS STAND TODAY AND WHERE TEAMS MAY BE GOING? NOTRE DAME - #8 finishes with Georgia Tech at home and plays its 12th and last game at Stanford. Figure the Domers to finish 11-1, be in the PO hunt and will definitely play in a NY6 Bowl. Probably, the Peach Bowl? CHAMP GAMES AS OF !1/17/21 ACC - WAKE v PITT - Winner to the Peach Bowl. B1G - OHIO STATE VS WISCONSIN - Cotton Bowl for tOSU. I think that if tOSU defeats Michigan and Michigan finishes 10-2, Michigan will go to the Rose Bowl instead of IMO, a WI team with at least 4Ls. B12 - OKLAHOMA v OKLAHOMA STATE - This would be a week-later-rematch of the end of the regular season Bedlam game in Stillwater. Both win this week and Champ game winner will go to the Fiesta Bowl. Both teams still have an outside shot at the PO. PAC-12 - OREGON v UTAH - This would be a two-week-later-rematch. If Oregon goes 12-1 it is more than likely in the PO, probably ranked 4, and playing 1 Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Utah will likely play in the Rose Bowl. But if ASU wins in Corvallis and wins vz AZ, at 9-3 ASU could be in Rose Bowl contention? SEC - GEORGIA v ALABAMA - If UGA beats Charlie South and Georgia Tech and Bama defeats Arkansas and wins at Auburn and then wins the champ game? Two 1L SEC teams will be in the Final 4. THIS puts a 12-1 Ducks at risk of being only the 2nd 12-1 P5 champ (OH ST was the other) that would be left out of the PO. What I think happens? UGA wins the title and goes to the Orange Bowl to play Oregon. Bama plays in the Sugar Bowl. NOTE - Auburn is NR but opponent #21, 7-3 Arkansas is ranked. The Bama L at #16 A+M is simply a case of Bama using its annual PO mulligan. QB Bo Nix and the Tigers #1 FG kicker, were both hurt versus Mississippi State. Both will be out for the Bama game. TJ Finley who came via portal from LSU, will start at QB Saturday at South Carolina. (Reveal: I'm down on South Carolina winning SU at +240) AAC -CINCINNATI v HOUSTON. - MAKE NO MISTAKE - This game will play a part in the teams that will be picked to advance to the final 4. Houston, currently 9-1 and ranked #24, has already won its division and has qualified for the champ game. If Cincy beats SMU at home this week it will finish 12-0. Houston will likely finish 11-1 and ranked by the Committee. Ducks v Utah - Utah will not be ranked after the Utes suffer a loss vs Oregon on Saturday. (A Hobson's Choice for the Ducks.) The AAC Champ Game will be a battle of top 25 teams. A top 25 matchup and a chance for Cincy to cement its Final 4 case. Cincy would finish with an excellent win on the road in South Bend vs top 7 or so, Notre Dame and a top 25 win in its champ game. Oregon? Will have a big win at Ohio State. A bad, bad loss at Stanford, and no other top 25 victories. To date among the competitors, the Ducks has the best win and also has the worst loss. I shutter to think what a Notre Dame team out to impress the Committee and get a Peach or Fiesta invite, or maybe even a PO invite, will do to hapless, helpless, Stanford? A comparative score of this game and the Ducks/Cardinal game will be frequently discussed during this game and afterward by the Committee? I think both 12-1 Ohio State and a 13-0 Cincinnati jump the Ducks. Ohio State's SOS will dwarf that of Oregon. And the L on The Farm will come back to bite the Ducks in its posterior when compared to an undefeated Cincy with 2 top 25 wins. The W at Notre Dame will probably finish as 2nd best win in 2021? The Committee would love to prove it is not all about the P5 and can do so by dropping a 12-1 Oregon to 4 ,but and still keep the Ducks in the Playoff? Georgia will draw a huge number of eyeballs. Oregon media wise travels very well; especially, in big. intersectional games. This would also set up a great money-ball game between 2 teams from Ohio;:Big Bro Brutis vs poor, in-state little bro. Move over Rocky! Does Cincy belong here? Will Ohio State blow Cincy out? This matchup would keep more people at home on New Year's Eve watching CFB. MY GUESSS AT THE FINAL 4? - 1. Georgia - 13-0 2. Ohio State -12-1 3. Cincinnati - 13-0 4. Oregon - 12-1.

"By all means we must protect the referees!' COME ON MAN! What's next? Evict patrons who voice any displeasure with the Zebras.

The only way it could get done without having to go through a legislative process. I don't believe that it just means more in the SEC than it does in the B1G

Ladies and Gents, this payday came courtesy of the SEC; LSU to be exact. I think Fisher is serious about staying in College Station. Candidate 2 for the Tigers? Mel Tucker. MSU could see this coming from a mile away and no doubt also heard from Mel's agent. Mel is a B1G guy and he knew what people would think if he abandoned another school within 2 years of arriving for more money. It is insane, no doubt. But it is just further evidence that big time CFB is big time business. The Market for New Coaches is boiling, and without that many obvious replacement coaches in the pot. It is also further evidences that sooner rather than later, CFB in all respects will be morph closer and closer to the NFL. Expect the players to be allowed to form a union and to be paid to play and and not just by marketing their respective NIL. Having to 'play school' will go away or there will be Major in College Football that will be a walk through. Players will have access to the coaches 24/7, all year long. College stadiums and even the entirety of football operations will be leased by schools. Players who will be professionals will not be awarded scholarships and the football rosters will no longer count for T9 purposes. Liability in every respect will be assumed by the lessee. No more will a head football coach be the highest paid employee in a given state of our nation. Somewhere around 32 to 40 schools are likely to be involved. Most likely a HS draft will replace recruiting.

I feel really bad for Pittman and his loss of self-esteem. Quick, someone hand him a trophy! He can go hang out with Odell.

No One East of Washington for sure.

That says all you need to know regarding Joey Galloway. An 11-2 non-champ will get in with a loss at 3L, #16 A+M, and an L in its champ game? But 11-1 Michigan with a loss vs #4 or higher, , 13-0 Cincy, 1L OK, 1L OK ST, 1L Notre Dame, do not get in? Joey is an ESPN mouthpiece who does not follow CFB in depth. His Virtual Lock picks are flat out embarrassing.

But unlike the UW basketball coach Jen hired, this cat can stay above water.

OKGs do not = MVPs.

The Cardinal is Puddles nemesis, no doubt.

ACC? Out B12? 12-1 OR has a better win, at OH ST, than does a 12-1 OK, or a 12-1 OK ST. B1G? Would a 11-1 MI with the L coming at home vs Ohio State get in over a 12-1 conference champ OR that won at OH ST? NO. AAC? At he end of the day 13-0 Cincy's SOS will continue to stink. But if the CT is going to bench any 12-1 P5 champ in favor of a 13-0 Cincy, it is the Pac-12 that will be screwed. SEC? Unless the fix is in I have no idea why so many 'experts' believe that this Bama team will beat UGA? I think UGA wins by 10 or more points? Bama has not run the ball well all season long, except against the smurfs on the schedule, and the run game is not going to magically appear against this UGA D. I will not be surprised if Bama is pressed by Arkansas on Saturday and/or suffers an L at Auburn. Bama has lost its last 2 games at Auburn. Notre Dame? A whole lot of chaos would have to happen for an 11-1 ND team with a home L vs a G5 to get in. If Oregon wins out and I think it will and Ohio State wins out and I think it will, the Ducks are in the PO. If the Ducks cannot defeat Utah and OR ST Oregon does not deserve a spot in the PO. Beating Utah twice will not be easy but Oregon has a much better and deeper roster than the Utes and the Beavers.

Thanks Joshua, great take. John Wilner, as noted above, also believes the Ducks has the superior run game and the superior run D. He also notes that surprisingly for Utah, the Utes special teams in 2021 are average at best. Have to give Whittingham props for using the portal to bring in a quality QB and RBs. Rumor has it that Whit will probably retire at the end of this season? If true, more HC chaos for the Pac-12. The HC confusion does not help with recruiting. Only 2 Pac-12 teams, Oregon and Stanford are ranked in the top 25. Terrible recruiting is one of if not the main reason for the conference being so bad OOC. Notre Dame trips to Stanford for the Irish 12th and final regular season game. ND a dark horse for the PO but definitely a contender for a NY6 bowl will likely blow out the Cardinal. This will not help Oregon's PO chances.

Thanks Charles. Small private university that is cash strapped. Home field miles away from the stadium + modest fan interest at best. Plays in a basketball conference. Does the administration truly give a whip about athletics?

Great thoughts. Michigan State plays at Ohio State Saturday with OH ST playing at Michigan the following Saturday. Michigan is at Maryland this week. ESPN wants a PO of Bama, UGA, OH ST and 'little guy' Cincy. ESPN broadcasts of Bearcats games are a 4 hour promotional video. Joey Galloway? Have seen this 'expert's' record on his Virtual Lock picks? It's joke. Herbie is all show and no go. Badly prepared for the telecasts with Fowler.

Thanks for the great post Charles. That was yesterday, and a great re-cap of yesterday. Now? Oregon needs 2 things. The Ducks and the Bucks need to win out. Oregon's playoff hopes rest on the Ducks and Ohio State going 3-0. The Ducks W in Columbus is the only thing moving the national meter. If OH ST does not win out the L at Stanford will be a PO killer.

30, the Invitational is owned and operated by Disney/ESPN. What Mickey wants Mickey gets? I fear the long term effect of the L on The Farm. I do think the Ducks go 3-0 to conclude the season. But we best hope for a 12-1 OH ST B1G champ to lift the listing Pac-12 boat? A 12-1 Ohio State gives the bona fides that the Ducks need. I expected Oregon to stay above OH ST this week. But next week? OH ST could have a W over #7 with OR having a win over #23? And then tOSU plays at 6 Michigan and a champ game vs ##15 Wisconsin. Ducks play OR ST and win Saturday, vs a NR Utah in the champ game. NO Ducks fan should want OH ST to do anything but run the table. The W over the Buckeyes is the only meaningful W that OR has and likely will have.

What I am saying my friend is that with the lose at Stanford the Oregon golden ticket is a 12-1 Ohio State. THIS is the only W Oregon has to hang its PO hat on. Oregon will win Saturday in SLC and that drops Utah from the top 25. The Ducks really need OR ST to truck ASU on Saturday and move into the top 25. Without OH ST going 12-1, Oregon is looking at a Baylor/TCU 2014 Committee face plant, Oregon has 2 CT members going for it. The CU AD and a female professor from ASU.

He made a great hire bringing in the OC from BYU and getting out of the way. He also brought 7 starters in from the portal.

He also grew up in Redlands, CA and has a brother coaching HS basketball in LA. Played at and graduated from CAL Lutheran,. As the DC at LSU Aranda kicked booty. If SC does not pursue him watch out for UW?

Houston #24.

Aye, Aye! We need the dues.

Sorry, but the Ducks REALLY NEED OH ST to win out and win the B!G. I do not see Bama losing vs ARK or at Auburn. A 12-1 Oregon needs the win over 12-1 Ohio State to trump a 2 L Bama and a 13-0 Cincy,. OH ST has 7 MI ST, at 6 MI and likely 15 Wisconsin on the schedule. If the Bucks win these 3 then Oregon's W in Columbus will be the final 4 golden ticket. The CT just gave Bama a lift having MS at 12 and MS ST at 24. Plus only dropping A+M to 15. And the upcoming game vs 7-3, # 21 Arkansas, also helps the Bana cause, Big boost for Cincy with the CT ranking Houston at 24. Cincy will play a top 25 team in the AAC champ game. Ducks have at #23 Utah. The Ducks win and the Ducks will win in SLC, means 2 games left vs NR OR ST and a NR Utah in the champ game. Oregon really needs OR ST to defeat ASU and hopefully move up into the Week 4 top 25 CT rankings. Cincy's current SOS, 101. But ESPN REALLY WANTS Cincy and not Oregon in the PO.

1, GEORGIA - SEC vs - 9 OK ST - B12 at 8 NOTRE DAME - AL 2. ALABAMA - AL vs -- 10 WAKE FOREST - ACC- at 7 MICHIGAN ST - AL 3. OREGON - PAC-12 vs - 11 BAYLOR - AL at 6. MICHIGAN - AL 4, OHIO STATE - B1G vs 12 MISSISSIPPI - AL at 5 CINCINNATI - G5 All in favor, say AYE!