Jon Joseph

Friday - ASU is Pac-12 legit. Stanford now has 2 conference Ls. Hats off to Andy Avalos for taking down BYU. Saturday - Saint Nick in his 101st game vs a NR opponent opponent takes a loss. His 1st loss to a guy who was once an assistant coach, Jimbo Fisher. UGA is now #1. With a bullet. Lot's of guys from this UGA team will be on the field in Oregon's 2022 opener. OR ST now has a conference loss. Bit of a Ducks SOS bummer, Texas vs Oklahoma - Heartbreaker for the Horns. The Ducks WR recruits cannot be that slow compared to the TX/OK receivers, right? True frosh WRs for both teams balled out in this game. Good for the Ducks? Ohio State blew out Maryland. Penn State has a loss. Michigan and Michigan State won but have to play one another plus Penn State and Ohio State. Bad for the Ducks? Cincy kicked booty. And OK could well win out? Take note? Lincoln Riley benched a QB who was the preseason Heisman favorite, came from behind and won a great game. When it comes to O and play calling, don't diss Sark and Kiffin. TX and Ole Miss got their athletes in space. One lost a close game. One won a close game. Mario slow-mo is a no go. It is absolutely contrary to the way CFB is being played today. It is contrary to the way Joe Moorhead called plays at PSU. Love you David Marsh. Do not disagree with getting younger guys on the field. But as noted above, Oregon's path to the Pac-12 N and the PO is now squarely in the Oregon's hands. And maybe younger guys on the field will help? Last thought. Noah Sewell reminds me of the great LBs who played for Saint Nick back in the day. Smash you in the mouth, but cover guys in crossing patterns? With Verdell out should Noah get reps at RB?

But the Chipper was 'this close.' And without a Blue Chip roster. If he had only called a better game vs Auburn? Nick A's D showed up big time. Worst game CAM played the entire season. But like last week vs Stanford the Ducks got zero zebra support in that BCS champ game. Harris did intercept that pass and if Dyer's knee wasn't down his forward motion was stopped. Before Mario has a shot at a Natty he has to get there. You cannot be in the running and take a loss against a .500 ASU team.

Great take and observation. I am usually Debby Downer. But Stanford was but 1 conference loss. Stanford already has 1 conference loss. I have many the doubt about this Ducks team from here on out. But, and I hope it happens, if Oregon can re-group it could and on paper should run the rest of the Pac-12 table? That was the Stanford Voodoo happening in Palo Alto. How many pratfalls and extenuating circumstances had to happen for Stanford to win this game? The late game calls were called out not only by Ducks fans by but by many the CFB 'expert' across the nation. As I noted above. I am far from opposed to getting younger guys on the field. I was opposed to starting a guy at QB in his last season of eligibility. But I am trying to stay positive. I have watched every Pac-12 team play this season. If Oregon can show up with its B game it has a chance to win out. It defeated Arizona with its D game. Will it happen? I doubt it but at this point in time I am hopeful of seeing what many believe to be an improbable or even an impossible run. The idle week could not have come at a better point in the season. And getting CAL at home before tripping to UCLA is very favorable. 1 more L suffered by the 2021 Ducks, David, then I am completely down with everything you advocated in your excellent article. I shall return to the Dark Side. To date, the Ducks have the best OOC win in the country. And it came on the road. THIS will count when the Committee meets. And it will count even more if OH ST as I believe it will do wins the B1G title? The ship is listing but it has yet to capsize.

I am now 7-4 on the season after going a sorry 1-3 last weekend. I did not know that the Ducks starting center and OC would be on the PUP list? But I should never have overlooked the Stanford Nemesis Factor. I did not know Ole Miss best WR, Mingo, would not be able to play vs Bama? But, Come On Man, you never under-cook popcorn and you never bet against a Bama team playing in Tuscaloosa, never. As for Maryland hanging with and covering vs Iowa? No excuse Sir! However, I certainly did not see Tua's kid bro throwing 6 picks in front of a sold out Terps crowd? I did expect the Penn St to cover at home vs Indiana. Although, I did not expect the Hoosiers O to play like a bunch of Hosers? 24-0 PSU and my only Week 5 win. One problem with betting CFB vs the NFL? The NFL requires up to date data on player injuries and in regards to extenuating circumstances, such as an OC being out. This info leaks out in CFB, pre-game if it leaks out at all. But, and like I hope Oregon will do post-Stanford, I am ready to bounce back! No idle week for me. I'm still the QB in my 74th season with no young pups prepared to sit me down on the bench. The spouse however? FLORIDA -38.5 vs Vandy. The Gators significantly out-gained Kentucky in Lexington last weekend and lost. I look for the Gators to take it out big time on SEC punching bag Vandy. VA TECH - straight up +110 vs -1.5 Notre Dame. Blacksburg is a tough place to play; especially, when you have no idea about which QB to start against the Hokies? The ND OL has not come close to replacing the 3 Domer OL guys taken in the 2021 draft. And the ND run game is suffering as a result. TEXAS vs OKLAHOMA - I doubt we will see 4 OTs this season like we saw in the 2020 UT/OK game? But I still like the Over 63.5. OK's O awakened at least somewhat, at K ST and I think the UT O is good for at least 30 points against an OK but a not great, OK D. Never bet more than your wallet can absorb.

Ready against Oregon? Yes. Ready against K State in the opener? No. And UCLA's OL mauled the Cardinal DL. Stanford was only in the game vs the Bruins because of terrible Bruins DB play. Vandy, among others this season, ran the ball well against Stanford. I agree that we see great effort most game days out of Stanford. But the Cardinal today does not have the DL guys it once brought in. Does luck against Oregon, but no Luck at QB and no RBs like Gerhart and McCaffery.

As of today do you see the Beavs defeating ASU on 11/20 in Corvallis?

And AB may play OK in the Canadian Football League? Great analogy. Lots of guys can bomb it but have no on-course strategy and have not mastered the short game nuances. The little things that distinguish the bombers from the guys and ladies on the pro tours. However, there are lots of CC pros who can teach. Can communicate how to 'spin the wheel' and make hackers better players. And Mario is not coaching guys with hand-eye coordination issues. He is coaching guys with great potential.

This rating almost perfectly reflects Brown's time at BC playing for 'grind it out' HC Steve Addazio. After being canned at BC, CO ST for some reason hired Addazio. The O has been missing from Colrado St ever since. Brown had no one pushing him at BC. He never won a big game at BC. He was under a 60% completion guy there and we have seen the same at Oregon. He did not turn the ball over at Ohio State and JM used him to attack the edge in Columbus in the same manner in which OH ST attacked the edge against the Ducks in the Playoff champ game. And in the Ohio State game we also saw well called throws to TEs underneath and in drag routes. JM and the guys were in the game in Columbus from the get-go. In the other 4 games? Since the L in Columbus, Ryan D has demoted the Buckeyes DC and abandoned a steady diet of playing a safety very deep to prevent the big play. And the back up Buckeyes QB played well when Stroud was injured. In other words, Day made the necessary changes on D with the coach and system. He also benched experience guys on D in favor of younger guys with more upside and the back up QB was prepared when he came into the game. I truly admire AB's guts but I hate to think that he has the most upside of all of the QBs in Oregon's QB room? If he does, the recruiting rankings were seriously off, the design on O has major flaws and/or under Mario, QBs will not be coached up or be given the opportunity to shine? Interceptions are killers. But a QB who throws 3 TDs and has 1 pick has a far better statistical chance of winning than the guy who completes 0 to 1 TD passes with no interceptions. As we witnessed when Justin Herbert was the QB, Cristobal prefers the no risk QB playing in a no risk O. Ty and Butterfield are better passers. Ashford is better running the ball and I do not see Robby having a worse % when throwing the ball than AB? Mario often reminds me of Vince Lombardi. But Vince had better Ds. A smash mouth OL and guys who could get open when required. And in Vince's day you almost always saw close, low scoring games and not shoot outs. No guts, no glory?

6 seasons of CFB. AB is an under 60% passer. Grayson McCall at Coastal Carolina? Completing 82% of his passes.

Stanford? No. The smug David Shaw, YES!

Sun Devils, Trojans, Beavs, in a tight one, and the Chippers, win.

Great question Charles. I very much doubt that what Mario described was the system when JM was the OC at Penn State? BTW, the system Mario described is certain to eliminate a hurry-up pace of play. Most committees I served on did nothing until an individual led the way for the rest of the committee. GA great leader let's the committee believe the ultimate decision was made by consensus. A committee to design a game plan during the week? OK. But no committee will properly execute the plan on game day.

True, but 1 more conference L by Stanford and there will be at least 1 more L for this Cardinal team, and the Ducks conference-wise, is totally back in control. Run the table and OR has the tie breaker against a 1L OR ST. Even if ASU only has the L to BYU, Ducks play ASU in the champ game and win, Oregon is potentially a 12-1 conference champ. I do not think that a 12-1 Pac-12 champ with a big and possibly bigger OOC win, if Ohio State runs the table and wins the B1G, will be left out. The win at Columbus is still the biggest OOC win to date. UGA's W over Clemson? Iowa over Iowa ST? Not close to the win in Columbus. Swing for the fences? Heck yes! But don't panic with so much left to play for.

OK, raise your hand if you were alive in 1962? Unfortunately, my hand is up. 1962 - Wisconsin vs Minnesota Before tomorrow's Penn State at Iowa game, that 1962 game was the last time 2 top 10 ranked B1G teams squared off in a game that not involve Michigan or Ohio State! BTW, James Franklin is 0-9 in road games vs top 10 teams.

"The calm voice comes over the headset right as things are getting a little tense in Corvallis. Oregon State is trailing Washington by 7 with 10 minutes to go and Beavers OC, Brian Lindgren, is feeling some pressure. Then, Lindgren hears the casual reassuring words of the man in charge, Jonathon Smith, 'We're doing all right. I love your plan. You're great coaches. Let's relax and put together a great drive. Don't panic.' From an article by The Athletic's (TA) Brody Miller, who is the TA beat writer for LSU, up today and describing how Smith in his 4th season has patiently stayed the course in a monumental rebuild that currently has the Beavers in 1st place in the Pac-12 N. Made me wonder? Is the same demeanor in play on the Oregon sideline in close games? Did 6th year QB, AB, HC Mario, OL coach Mirabal, gather the OL around before the late 4th Q drive that could have put the game away at Stanford, and say something like: "Our back up center is doing a great job. No false starts here guys. Move on the snap of the ball and not before. Let's ice this game?'

LOL!

I think the following is most likely to determine Mario's future? When will a pedestrian O and 1 score struggles against overmatched opponents stop fans from paying to watch live in Autzen? Mullens cannot ignore this question. Winning on signing days when you don't win or win with style on game days, is a curse as well as a blessing.

As was often heard in the 60s: HEY BUDDY, GET A HAIRCUT! Man, the injury bug in 2021 has replaced the 2020 COVID bug. BUMMER!

Spot on Charles. I think one of Urban's motivations in taking the Jax job was to prove that he could succeed where Saban failed? In today's PC world, Urban would be a toxic college hire.

What! Are you of the Philly folks who booed Santa Claus?

Stanford will take a loss Friday night. Stanford's good fortune against better Oregon squads does not translate across the conference. Stanford was man handled by UCLA. Last Saturday Stanford needed every break and every call and non-call, to do the Cardinal's way to beat the Ducks in OT. A Ducks team without its OC and starting center. Saturday was a Stanford mirage.

Another great read David, thank you. But I have to demur regarding Oregon's PO hopes in 2021? The ACC is out of it. TX beats OK on Saturday or the B12 champ otherwise finishes 12-1 and with the W at Ohio State, a 12-1 OR will have a better resume than any B12 champ. One of Iowa/Penn State will come out of Saturday with an L. I do not see Michigan or Michigan State running the table in the B1G? I see the B1G champ with an L. If that is Ohio State, the Ducks win in Columbus is even better. I don't think Iowa's O is good enough to go undefeated. Same with Penn State. If Iowa wins the B1G, its big OOC win will be versus a disappointing Iowa State team. Yes, Bama could and likely will finish 13-0. And UGA could finish 12-1? But today, how impressive is the win against Clemson? A 12-1 conference champ Oregon will be in the discussion with a 12-1 conference runner-up Georgia. Especially, if tOSU runs the table and wins the B1G. Stanford? I see the Cardinal taking an L Friday at ASU. And I do not see Stanford, with an L at UCLA, finishing with but 1 conference loss? Stanford is 112th in the country per play against the rush. Stanford, unlike against Oregon, does not get every break and every call going its way. ASU keeps winning and the Beavers keep winning and both will likely be in top 25 when OSU plays Oregon and should Oregon play ASU in the champ game? But make no mistake, I'm all in favor of getting the best guys, regardless of youth, on the field. No one has been more suspect of Mario's HC ability than I. But I simply cannot conceive any coaching staff playing guys who are not the best in practice? Do not give up the ship. This idle week comes at a perfect time for this Ducks team. As does CAL coming to Autzen next Saturday. Oregon has the talent to defeat every team on the remainder of the schedule, to win the Pac-12 title and finish 12-1.

Thanks Oregon 112, interesting thoughts and take. Stanford is 112th in the nation in yards given up per rush. Oregon outgained Stanford. IMO, far more RPOs and straight handoffs to the RBs should have been called in last Saturday's game?

Thanks Coach. So true that Barkley's are rare indeed. The shoot out with SC in the Rose Bowl was so much fun to watch. Unless you're a DC?

BUMMER!