Jon Joseph

Thank you, Tee. But don't forget the Ohio State defense, which is playing at a historic level, after having to replace eight starters from the crew that won the Natty. Matt Patricia, with no college coaching experience for the last twenty seasons, was a terrible hire, to replace the all-knowing Knowles, right?🤪 Two old-time SEC games broke out yesterday - MO. 23 - Auburn 17 in 3 OTs, and Texas 16 - Kentucky 13 in OT. Thank you, Texas, for showing up at the State Fair before returning to mediocrity, right, Archie? After surviving a track meet against Tennessee, Georgia won a defense-optional marathon over Mississippi. A&M defeated Arkansas 45-42 in another shootout. Bama was solid again on both sides of the ball. LSU? Looks like Kelly blew $1 million of his own money. Florida refuses to make it easy to fire Billy Napier. I think we will see a rematch of Alabama against a gutsy, gritty Georgia team in the SEC Champ game. As you so noted, ASU won, but Dilly dallied until 32 seconds were left to score the winning points. And BYU defeated Utah 24-21 to stay unbeaten. How did Nebraska beat a Cincinnati team that is undefeated since and tied at the top in the B12? ACC - Aren't you glad you adopted SMU, Cal, and Stanford? SMU made Dabo and Clemson's season more cataclysmic. SMU's HC Rhett Lashley will be coaching where it Just Means More in 2026. proved Billy Bob and UNC can lose on both coasts. The once-upon-a-time Stanford Indians were unkind to the Seminoles. 1st impressions in CFB are often wrong - ask Mike Norvell and Kalen DeBoer 😁 Two cathartic games this week: OBD mugging a guy on horseback in Jersey (prepare yourself, Traveler!) and Mario doing Mario things to lead the nation's No. 2 team to its first loss versus not-ranked Louisville. (SC - Stop enabling Notre Dame!) Stanford plays at Miami next Saturday. This will be Miami's sixth game of the season and the 5th at its home away from home. The other game was played in Tallahassee, Florida. Rob, please take note of this. USC, please stop enabling Notre Dame's recruiting in California and its Independent status. In the B1G, you have enough trips to the Eastern time zone. OBD would like to thank you and UW for doing all you could yesterday to be unranked when playing the Ducks. UCLA? Make Skipper the permanent Captain. Hats off to Nico for coming back into the game after being dinged and leading the Bruins to the winning score. Penn State gave a good effort for the interim coach before losing 25-24 in Iowa City. And did anyone think that heading into Week 9 of the 2025 season, OBD's best B1G win would be the victory over 5-2 Northwestern? This week's I'd like to be his agent. Minnesota QB, RS Freshman Drake Lindsey, and not Nebraska's Dylan Riola, looked like the 5* recruit Friday night. Eight sacks of Dylan Raiola also helped the Gophers' cause in winning their 7th straight game versus Nebraska. Drake led his Fayetteville high school to an Arkansas state title. A 3* recruit, he received no offer from Arkansas, where his grandfather, father, and an uncle played ball, or from any other team in the SEC, and ended up playing for Coach Fleck in Minneapolis. At 6'5" and 230 pounds, he has an NFL player's body type. He is also a threat to run the ball. Someone please start the bidding at two million? Blast Bucky. Add a 4th Coach to The Pink Slip List?

Yahoo! OBD is a Winner! https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/college-football-winners-and-losers-ranking-the-6-remaining-unbeaten-teams-after-a-wild-week-8-034924992.html

The 2025 coaching carousel may not have enough horses to sit all the riders? The Penn State AD wants his next coach to Natty Chops. Mr. AD, based on prior results, here is your list of candidates: Saint Nick Saban, Mack Brown (past his Use By date), Dabo Swinney (he may be past his Use By date), Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Ed Ogeron (The Beavers have Dibs), and Jim Show-Cause Harbaugh. The good news, Mr. AD, is that Jim Franklin can't wait to start coaching again. Jim's new coaching salary will save $10 million or so in termination fees. Maybe enough to hire a 62-year-old who has won at the D III, D II, and FCS levels, but nada in the B1G Leagues? Jimmy might have his choice of the following gigs: Arkansas, Florida (but Billy won today!), Auburn (will it mean MO if Hugh doesn't freeze and wins today?), LSU (Brian's $1 million contribution didn't help buy enough dudes), Virginia Tech, perhaps South Carolina if Baby Beamer takes the VA Tech job voluntarily before he's fired, Florida State (Mike, it's better to start slow and finish strong), UCLA (although I think Skipper should continue to Captain the Bruins), Wisconsin, and possibly, Michigan State, with the last three giving you a shot at payback. College Football needs its own game of Monopoly.

Never a ... OK, I had more than a few doubts coming into this game. And the start was - Oh No! 🤬 But after the 1st half of the first quarter, I simply relaxed and enjoyed.😍 OBD got right, left, north, south, east, west, 360 degrees RIGHT and then some! There is a B1G gap between the upper tier of this conference and the bottom third. That was a fun, fun, fun watch. Daddy, don't take the Offense away! As you so noted, Charles, it was so good to see the OL play Monster Mash. BLAST BUCKY!

Dazed and Confused 🤪

FRIDAY NIGHT in a NUTSHELL - Louisville 24 - No. 2 Mari-Oh-Oh 21 - Carson, that's $1 million per pick, right? 😁 Minnesota 24 - No. 25 Nebraska 6 - After getting Flecked in Minny, Matt no longer Ruhles in the race to replace Jimmy. 🙃 Cal 21 - UNC 18 - Billy proves that the 33rd NFL team can lose coast-to-coast. 🤬

We've seen this movie before, right? FanSidedMario Cristobal faces wrath of Miami fans for all-too fam...Not many things in life are certain, except death, taxes and Mario Cristobal being terrible at game management.

You're at home with a good FG kicker in chip shot range and a QB who has already thrown 3 picks. Run the ball. Tie the game up and go to OT. Amen on a bogus + roughing the passer call. However, Beck did a fine job of roughing himself up tonight. The QB who tied for the lead in INTs in the SEC last season showed up tonight. Jeff Brohm knows the Big Ten from his time at Purdue. Jeff has recruited in the Midwest and recruited well, with nowhere close to Penn State's resources. He's also an excellent portal picker. PSU hiring Brohm would not be a Headline Hire. But, with fewer resources than the opposition, like Cig, Jeff Brohm wins football games. Since his return to the ACC, Brohm has more conference wins than any other ACC coach, including Dabo and Mari-Oh-Oh. If Duke defeats Georgia Tech later today, the ACC could be 1 conference champ and PO done.

Louisville coach Jeff Brohm played his college ball at Louisville. At Purdue, Brohm made the Boilermakers a winning program and a very tough out. Give him the resources that Penn State could give him? IMO, Brohm should be on PSU AD Pat Kraft's list. This is Brohm's 3rd season at Louisville with a transfer at QB. All have been successful in his system.

Friend, Gotcha, please let me know when you find a Hurricanes fan with class. Waiting for your response is akin to Waiting for Godot. 😁

👍👍👍👌👌👌😍😍😍 At least one choke was inevitable. It was simply a matter of time. 🤪 Games at SMU on 11/1 and at Pitt late in November; beware Mari-Oh-Oh. The B12 has a better chance to get two teams in the PO than does the ACC. Especially if favored Duke defeats Georgia Tech tomorrow.

OT - Grandpa, thanks for calling out the B1G proposed private capital deal and especially pointing out that signing any agreement through 2046 when the structure of CFB is so volatile makes no business sense. Since the (why did it happen?) House settlement, 33 lawsuits have been filed against the NCAA. Why agree to anything long term when OBD will be included in any College Football Super Conference. and the athletic department is in the black? It's so good to be B1G, but it may be better to be Bigger.

I'm not surprised. If the Beavs can come close to his salary at Michigan State, why not? MSU fans are not happy with him, seeing no year-to-year improvement in performance. The QB he brought with, Aiden Chiles, is in his 3rd season and making the same mistakes he did in his first two seasons. The defense is bad. If Indiana is fired up on Saturday at home, I think Sparty is in for a whipping. The other Beavers coaching candidate of note is Ed Ogeron. He gone?

Ohio State and Indiana are on a collision course, right? And more questions to be answered in the 2nd half of the season. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/seven-stretch-run-storylines-that-will-define-the-second-half-of-the-2025-college-football-season/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-

Cig is 64 years of age. His extended contract ends when he's 72. Where is he going to go to find a better gig? Ryan Day is not leaving Ohio State. Cig's been in the SEC. Why go back to the SEC pressure cooker when you have an easier shot at making the PO in the B1G? To wit - 6-0 - Indiana - Michigan State, UCLA, at Maryland, at Penn State, Wisconsin, at Purdue 5-1 - Oklahoma - at South Carolina, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri, LSU. Res Ipsa Loquitor. The thing speaks for itself. 😁 His loyal assistant coaches, who are still raising children and are happy in Bloomington. The loyalty goes both ways. It was Indiana AD Scott Dolson who took a chance on a 62-year-old coach who had never coached at the top level of college football. I don't believe Cig will forget the man and the school that elevated him to a big-time job and big-time money. His two losses at Indiana came last season on the road against the 2024-25 playoff champion and runner-up. He knew he needed to improve on both LOS and Mark Cuban, and other wealthy Hoosier boosters came up with the cash. Indiana has the largest living alumni base in the USA. A base that is fired up after only one glory year since 1884, 1967, when HC John Pont took Indiana to the Rose Bowl and a close loss to USC, OBD grad John McKay, and OJ. Today, a ticket to an Indiana home game is harder to score than a ticket to a Notre Dame home game. Cig hasn't revived or resurrected the program; there was nothing to revive or resurrect. He's turned the biggest nothing-burger in CFB and the Big Ten into filet mignon with endless pour Dom Perignon on the side. Unless something untoward happens, Indiana should go 12-0, play in the B1G title game in Indianapolis, and return to the playoff with a shot at winning a title this season. Amazing! Move over, Bill Snyder. 😁

Thank you, Jordan. A great read; Dan Jenkins-like word smithing. Three defense rankings this far into the season stand out to me: Sacks 96, Tackles for Loss 114, Red Zone Defense 133. The Total Defense ranking of 8th is impressive, but where is the killer instinct? CB Finney, who has been a revelation, brought the crowd back into the game with his late in the game pick-6. Then, as was the case at Northwestern and Penn State, the defense couldn't stop Indiana in the 4th quarter. With the crowd roaring, Mendoza marched Indiana 62 yards to a TD, going 5-7, and a TD pass for the winning points. This is not your typical Greg Schiano football team that usually plays great defense and has solid special teams play. The Rutgers offense is humming, the defense, especially in the 2nd half, has been porous. Special teams have been average at best, but this is also the case with OBD's not-so-special teams. In a game vs. a ranked opponent, you cannot miss a chippy FG. Rutgers has an excellent passing attack. QB Athan K., The Greek Rifle, is having an excellent season. Sheffield and Strong are among the best receivers in the B1G. The Oregon D needs to pressure the QB, something that has been lacking all season. The offense shone against Montana State (No. 4 in FCS rankings) and one-win OK State, and winless Oregon State. OK State in 2025 is a P4 team in name only. Against Big 10 competition, the offense has looked lackluster at best. OBD did not have a chance to rebound against a true P4 opponent after the 1/1/25 wipeout until the game at Northwestern. Yes, the loss to Indiana was the first regular-season B1G loss, but as far as I'm concerned, in 2025, Oregon is 2-2 vs. B1G opponents. Ohio State had the roster advantage over Oregon. OBD's 2025 team has a No. 5 cumulative roster ranking; Indiana's ranking is in the 70s. Rutgers' ranking is No. 30. OBD needs to show up in Jersey with a Bad Attitude. As the Penn State All-American and NFL All-Pro O-line player, Matt Millen, noted on B1G Today, in Pop Warner, junior high, high school, college, and the pros, he didn't need any help getting ready to play ball, ready to dominate the opponent. I don't overlook OBD having 18 new starters. Are there leaders on the field this season? Guys who don't need to be goosed by clever coaching props to want to punch someone in the mouth? Get Right at Rutgers! Thanks again, Jordan, for a terrific article.

This week's WAG. Oregon 38-24 2 TOs 1 Sack 170

Loyalty pays off for Cig's assistant coaches. FootballScoopBoth of Indiana's coordinators under Curt Cignetti starte...There's an old saying about job searches that goes something along the lines that you shouldn't choose a position based on title or pay, but instead based on the person you

SI with a deep look into why Franklin was fired. Some realize Potential and Expectations. Others? SINew Report Reveals Key Factors That Led to Penn State's D...Penn State unraveled under the lofty expectations for the program this season.

3rd highest paid coach in CFB. That's a very nice return on a bet Cig placed on himself. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/curt-cignetti-indiana-agree-new-deal-makes-him-one-highest-paid-cfb-coaches

But you only have to wait one week instead of months to start getting that Hoosier taste out of your mouth. Hopefully, OBD will brush away Rutgers all Knights long. Get Right at Rutgers! 😁

Doctor, Doctor, Mr. MD. Great question. My answer: How about NO! But with a game at Ohio State followed by a home game versus Indiana, the Nits will have a chance to do so. PSU could also derail Nebraska's PO hopes when it plays the Cornhuskers in Lincoln.

Place Your Bets? OBD wins and covers, and predictions for other B1G games and big games. How can it already be Week 8? College football picks, predictions against the spread fo...Week 8 is loaded with rivalries and other games that will shape conference races down the stretch.

Columbia, in the middle of the Show Me State, is not Saint Louis. The population is 130,000 or so, slightly over 250,000 if you include the capital, Jefferson City. There is crime there, of course, but nowhere close to the rate in St. Louis. Coach Eli Drinkwitz's job at Mizzou is secure. FWIW, he has said he is not a candidate for the Penn State job. He would not even be a lateral hire for Penn State. The only firing I can think of, akin to Franklin's firing, was Georgia firing Mark Richt. A guy who won a lot of games but could not score a championship for the Dawgs. It was risky hiring alum Kirby Smart, a guy without head coaching experience, but the risk certainly paid off in Athens. Nevertheless, the Tomfoolery on social media is always worthy of a good laugh. Every child growing up in Eugene will become an addict. Thank goodness Justin Herbert and Bryce Boettcher managed to stay straight, right? 🤪 BTW, Curt Cignetti just signed an eighth-year extension of his contract with Indiana. Curt and his agent want to thank Penn State AD Pat Kraft for the assist. 🤑

The Big Ten Network's B1G Today show is repeated during the day. Today's show is well worth watching. 'You're Going to Make Your Bunk the Marine Way!' After a Corporal calls you to attention, these are the first words out of the Drill Instructor's mouth. The first words, interim HC Tim Skipper to the UCLA team: 'Clean Up the Locker Room by Midnight Tomorrow! Here's a photograph of what our Locker Room will look like from here on out.' Ashley Adamson's interview with Coach Skipper is fantastic, as is the coverage of Saturday's B1G games, including PO must-win games for Washington and Michigan, USC and Notre Dame, and for Nebraska at Minnesota. Also, good coverage of the Ducks at Rutgers and the other B1G games. The Cornhuskers play the Gophers on Friday at 5 PM on Fox. Also worth watching while cheering for the Cardinals on Friday is Louisville at Miami. 4 PM ESPN. This will be Miami's 6th game of the season. The 5th home game with the one away game played in Tallahassee, Florida. If Miami wins the ACC title, its first PO game will be a 2nd round game played in Miami's home stadium. This season's PO Championship game will also be played in Miami's home stadium. 🤪 Get Right at Rutgers!