Jon Joseph

Spot on! That's why we need a "PLAYOFF" and not an invitational. Instead of witching about the current system, The Alliance should be pushing for a 12 team PO field. Especially, 'partner' Big 10. Instead of witching about OK/TX heading to the SEC, go for the gold. Lot's of leverage on ESPN and its exclusive broadcast rights. You come to the table ESPN like you should come to the table before 2026; or, you face the loss that will come from a whole lot of media competition down the road. I don't care if the SEC gets multiple teams in an expanded PO. The SEC has 3 or 4 teams in the existing NY6 now. $6M for every team in the PO and $4M for every team in an NY6 game? This amount will double plus with a 12 team field. And the Pac-12 will be in and score the consequent money. What would be the difference be regarding the SEC and a 12 team PO? The SEC will still be paid but the Pac-12 will make more money and along with NIL perhaps keep some of the studs migrating east at home? The SEC would still rake in the $ with the B1G equal or a close 2nd. But the Pac-12 will at least get 1 team into the PO and get paid. And who knows? Go to an 8 game regular season schedule with the Ducks playing Portland State at home in late November instead of going on the road vs Utah? Maybe multiple Pac-12 teams could be PO bound? This conference has to stop beating itself up. 1 Alliance OOC game will not come close to what the Ducks + the Pac-12 could make from a 12 team PO. Sorry, but from Commish GK I am seeing the same short-sighted leadership we saw out of Larry? Rejecting market expansion in favor of another P5 OOC game makes no sense. Keeping the PO as is makes no sense. Unless your conference champion is a steady contender in the PO, why schedule another P5 game? The additional one more P5 OOC game 'solution' to SEC expansion is financially counter-intuitive. Why does GK or anyone else in charge of the Pac-12 think that with the current set-up the Pac-12 is going to score big bucks? And consistently have 2 to 3 teams challenging for a PO spot? Either go big Alliance or go small? Either a 12 nationwide PO; or, the Alliance hosts its own Run For The Roses Tournament without the SEC and newly restructured B12. The conference is tripping over dollars to save pennies. Business-wise, this is completely absurd. You expand markets as a successful business entity. You do not stay 'as is' member-wise and/or Playoff-wise. One way or the other you expand. Being ticked off because OK/TX is joining the SEC drops no $ to the bottom line. I realize my friends that I harp on THIS. But this is a big business. You have to manage the conference regarding money ball football as a big business. Who suffers if you don't act as responsible business people? Football itself and many the non-revenue sport.

Based on analytics? You definitely KO. Especially, against this UW O.

My college hockey coach, Sid Watson, was kept by the Steelers. Last man in while JU was the first man out. Brilliant! Sid, as a coach, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame,. Sid was a great coach but as he oft acknowledged, Pitt made a bad, bad NFL roster decision. 2 years in the NFL + Sid was gone. JU played longer and more successfully , by far, in NFL. DUH! I can still remember Sid saying: 'Joseph, I could have had a smoke and a coke before you got that shot off!' He wasn't wrong.

I say, Right On! UW is O-challenged. I'm not sure about OR putting up 34 vs a very good D? But the Oregon D based on stats, should hold UW to 17 or less.

Great comment but A/K/A, History? Based on rosters only, the Ducks stroll through the next 5 games? I see 5 tests coming? If past champs automatically get a Mulligan that only confirms that this is an invitational and not a Playoff? If the quality of your roster counts more than on field results. something is wrong, no? Tiger Woods did not win every tourney when he tee'd it up.

30, I was so tempted to put the Bama/LSU game on the it matters PO list? LSU is #3 in sacks in the SEC. LSU has a number of ruinous injuries but I don't think the LSU guys are ready to quit on Coach O? Especially against Bama.

Spot on Annie. Bama gets a Mulligan every season. Why don't I get one in the Super Senior Club Championship? Possibly because Bama has won a few titles and I have not done so? And Bama on the football field draws far more eyeballs than do I on the 1st tee. You have so correctly pointed out the problem with this entire so-called Playoff 'system.' The Committee simply makes it up as it goes along and history and $ count. If ESPN did not own this product there would be no reason for 'interim reports?' Reveal , like the basketball committee does with its 64 or so, with your Final 4 after champ games are played and stop increasing the carbon load flying everyone into Grapevine. Grapevine, TX? With all do respect, I for one can think of better spots to fly into once a week?

Where would you rank this 1 loss team? Given up the 8th most sacks in its conference. QB is being pressured on one out of every 3 throws. 11 in the conference. 21.5% of rushing attempts are stopped at or behind the LOS. Lost on the road to a team not in the Committee's top 10. Has 2 top 25 wins: vs 2L #16 and 3L #17. This team's 'quality' P5 OOC win came against an opponent that is 4-4 and NR. As you more than likely figured out, the team is #2 Alabama. The inconsistency from the Committee continues. Apply stats when you so desire and the eye test and past performance when you so desire?

Great observations; no surprise. But with the 'quality' of Pac-12 quarter-backing this season, possibly the worst ever in the modern era, AB may be the best in the conference? Especially with Slovis no longer having London at WR and DTR laid up?

Not bad, there are tons of CFB games to track. But you did have me hustling to find that -28!

Agreed David. Mark was Peter-Principled. He is a terrific OC. And man with more and more jobs opening up if JM is OK health-wise will anyone be surprised if he gets a HC offer? Now that his salary is $1M post SEC, I expect WAZZU to take a long look at JM? And if the Penn State job opens up? Both MC and JM are going to be in demand. Will the Ducks be able to come with the money to keep 1, MC is a critical keep, let alone both? Jobs galore - LSU, TCU, Texas Tech, USC, WAZZU and more to follow. (VA TECH, UCLA, FLORIDA, SMU?) And with an earlier signing day more + more ADs are willing to cut the cord early and in season.

AMEN! I don't think Chip who has to have plenty of dinero would be willing to be #2 guy and Mario doesn't need the hassle of having Chip around. Plus, no way would Chip be willing to recruit to Mario's standards.

BTW, the LA Times UCLA beat writer has called for Chip to be fired. Buy out goes to ZIP in January.

ASU is NOT headed in the right direction. With the NCAA knocking on the door Herm's seat is heating up.

Marcus' record so far at UNLV? 0-14. Even by Runnin' Rebels standards THIS is BAD!

+28 if you can find it? Go Nebraska. Nebraska lost by a combined 13 points tp OK, MI + MI ST.

Draft kings shows -14.5; O/U 66. Where did you see -28? I would be all over NEB with that #. I rarely watch anything on ESPN any longer except for game broadcasts.

CFB stats not adjusted for the opponents are rather meaningless. For example, Cincy is undefeated. But I think the teams ranked by the CT from 1-8 would like Cincy be undefeated playing Cincy's 100 ranked SOS? Cincy is getting a lot of credit for beating an ND team no where near as good as last season's ND team. UW played Michigan OOC and not Ohio State. Michigan's O is based on the run game and MI hardly threw the ball vs UW. And in the Pac-12 this season? It's not like you are facing a whole bunch of NFL bound QBs. Those guys left CA and are playing back east. UW DB McDuffie is as solid as it gets but this is the best balanced attack, with the Ducks throwing more and with success in the last couple of weeks, that UW will have faced to date. Has UW faced a top 25 FCS passing attack to date?

Sorry for the misread on my part. I agree with you 100% regarding OK. A 13-0 Sooners team is in.

Sorry for the double post; posted 1st addition before correction made.

Interesting that the Saturday after the 1st release of the Committee rankings CFB has but 1 game, 13 Auburn at 14 A+M, featuring top 25 vs top 25. Nevertheless, there are any number of games this weekend that could impact the "WHO IS IN" question. #3 MICHIGAN STATE -3 at NR PURDUE - 3:30 ABC - 9 times a NR Boilermakers team has defeated the #2 team in the country. Tied for second on this list with 4 such wins is Arizona. After a stirring comeback vs Michigan will Sparty have enough in the tank to win on the road against a feisty 5-3 Purdue? #5 OHIO STATE -14.5 at NR NEBRASKA - Noon FOX - Ohio State fans are not happy about being ranked behind a team the Buckeyes lost to? TOUGH! Ohio State struggled on the road to put away #20 Minnesota and at home last Saturday to defeat NR Penn State. But Ohio State has creamed the crummy teams it has played this season. Nebraska is a crummy team and the Buckeyes have good reason to want to blow away the Frosty's. But Lincoln is a tough place to play and this game is the Cornhuskers Super Bowl? #9 WAKE FOREST +2.5 at NR UNC - Noon ABC - Believe it or not sports fans this is the 1st game of a home and home "nonconference game" series? I think UNC wins in a big time shoot out which would mean the ACC's slim PO hopes will vaporize. But an L will not count against Wake's ACC record? THE SOONER SPECIALS - You can bet that #8 Oklahoma's (idle in Week 10) coaches, players and fans will be watching the following two games and cheering for the #11 Cowboys and the #12 Bears! Both still to play Oklahoma. BTW: When 'traitor' Oklahoma trips to Stillwater to play OK ST it will be BEDLAM! The governor of Oklahoma best be ready to call out the entire state police force and the OK national guard. #11 OKLAHOMA STATE -2.5 at NR WEST VIRGUNIA - 3:30 ESPN - West Virginia is 4-4 but has good home wins over VA Tech and last week versus Iowa State. And W VA was in the game at Oklahoma well into the 4th quarter. #12 BAYLOR -7 at NR TCU - 3:30 FOX - Rather ironic that this matchup, which has produced many great games, is the first game for the Horned Frogs post the departure of long time HC Gary Patterson. The Baylor Bears has been one of the great bounce back stories of 2021. HC Dave Aranda, former DC at LSU, has taken a 2W team in 2020 to #12 in the country. (Possible Further Irony? Sonny Dykes takes the TCU job and Patterson takes the SMU job?) #13 AUBURN +4.5 at #14 TEXAS A+M - 3:30 CBS - Auburn HC Bryan Harsin has seamlessly made the transition from Mountain West Boise to The Plains. (Sigh. Pac-12 teams, this guy was right next door and not making a huge amount of $.) Many Auburn fans thought that Harsin was a bad, bad hire. But Auburn has been in every game and up and down QB, Bo Nix, is playing by far, the most consistent and best ball of his career. A+M QB Calzada balled out versus Bama but has otherwise been average at best. A+M wins and Bama's L looks better? Auburn wins and it could set up a great matchup in the Iron Bowl. FWIW, I do not think that this is a vintage Bama team and is over ranked at #2? #4 OREGON -7 (up from the opening -6.5) at NR WASHINGTON - 7:30 ABC - Amazingly, UW has a chance at winning out, winning the Pac-12 N, winning the Pac-12 champ game and playing in the Rose Bowl. UW would love to cut Oregon off at the Playoff pass. Won't happen. But this is the first of 5 tough games in 5 weeks for the Ducks. Compare what the top 5 PO Committee ranked teams left compared to Cincinnati? Cincinnati did not 'get screwed.' 100 SOS. 5 wins against teams with losing records. Playing in a conference ranked #11. My advice? Watch the FOX pregame show on Saturday and not the sob fest that will be Gameday's visit to Cincinnati. Why wouldn't Rece and crew be there for the titanic battle between Cincy and Tulsa?

AMEN. CFB indifference is rampant throughout the Pac-12 conference. In the SEC Lake might have already been handed his walking papers? When UW fans stop caring that is just another bad sign for CFB in general and Oregon's place in the CFB world in particular. TX TECH and OK ST fans give a whip and show up?

"Commitment," as used in in CFB recruiting is a perfect example of the Latin: 'Non Sequitur.'

I agree. But the AAC according to any number of algorithms is not a stronger conference than the Pac-12. 5 of the 8 teams CIN has defeated to date have losing records.

Charles, perhaps I was wrong (no surprise there) yesterday when I said that the UW AD will give Lake a second year? UW will ball out on Saturday for so many reasons including redemption on network TV. UW is still in the hunt for the Pac-12N, a champ game win and a trip to the Rose Bowl. And UW would like nothing more than to cut Oregon off at the pass.