Jon Joseph

I agree but it won't happen because of course, MONEY. Many athletic departments are leveraged to the hilt and need the SEC involved in whatever the PO structure might be. Dissing the Pac-12? What's new? USC was BCS one and done while others like Oklahoma and SEC teams were not.

Great take, thank you. The ESPN models also have the Ducks ranked far lower than does the PO Committee. But all of these machines depend upon, so far at least, human programming. The Ducks will take heat for being ranked 4 but what justification is there to have Bama at 2? Bama's at 2 because 4L Mississippi State is 25? Prior to the BCS and the monetizing of CFB, games did not kick off when many on the east coast are asleep or as you so noted, inebriated. Of course many games simply were not televised and coaches were making less, usually far less, than $1M a year. Frankly, I enjoyed the game far more when what mattered was the Run For The Roses and playing the Big 10 champ in the Rose Bowl. When no one bowed down to the SEC. When ESPN was not a CFB media cartel. The field will be going to 12 as early as 2023. 5 P5 champs in, a G5 team in and 6 at large. Then other than for seeding purposes, much of this 'stuff' will not matter.

Stats? CFB stats? I do not recall Utah playing against the awesome Ohio State passing game? Instead Utah faced Weber State. I do recall the Utes O sputtering at BYU and SDS and Utes D being ground down in the loss to the Beavers. But Utah has covered in 6 of its last 7 home games and the Ducks is 1-6 Against The Spread in its last 7 games as a road underdog. Which version of Puddles shows up in SLC? If we see the same thing we saw at ASU in 2019 it will be very disappointing. This is a coaching crucible game for Mario. Of course, Oregon instead could be playing NM State at home as did Bama last week, or Charles South at home as UGA will be doing on Saturday. At Utah is a PO senseless 4th cross over game for the Ducks. The Pac-12 excels at shooting itself in the head.

Yogi is very good and is watched by dozens of folks. The OR ST run game wore out the Utes D. The Ducks run game is #10 in the nation. Surprisingly, the Ducks have the better kicking game. Don't turn the ball over and the Ducks, to the chagrin of the ESPN machines and experts, win.

Deseret News. Picking the Utes to win? I'm shocked.

Arizona?

7 MICHIGAN STATE (+18.5) at 4 OHIO STATE - Noon ABC Sparty comes into Columbus with the worst ranked D in the B1G. The Sparty DBs are a perfect fly zone for Bucks QB Stroud, throwing to the best corps of WRs in the country. But Sparty is gritty and Sparty can run the football behind Heisman candidate, Kenneth Walker. Sparty will run the ball and drain clock. Buckeyes win but I do not think tOSU will cover? 21 ARKANSAS (+20.5) at 2 ALABAMA - 3:30 CBS Arkansas has won 3 games in a row and is back in the top 25. To date Bama is 2-1 vs the top 25 with the wins coming against the 2 Mississippi schools. Bama has not been able to run the ball effectively all season long. This will be a test for the Tide playing the week before the Iron Bowl will be played at Auburn. This is another game where I think the home favorite wins but struggles to cover? NR SMU (+11.5) at 5 CINCINNATI - 3:30 ESPN Since the TCU job opened up with SMU HC Sonny Dykes projected to be the Horned Frogs next HC, SMU as not played as well as it did earlier in the season. This SMU O is very good at throwing the football. But the SMU D is not nearly as good as is the O. I think Cincy wins going away, defeats E CAR next week and takes a 12-0 record into the AAC champ game vs an 11-1 Houston? Somewhat ironic that the AAC champ game will almost certainly feature 2 teams that are headed for the B12. Shut your pie-hole Mike Aresco. 3 OREGON (+3) at 23 UTAH - 7:30 ABC Oregon is the highest ranked team to play as an underdog on the road in 2021. Many the 'expert' believes the Ducks PO hopes will go to die in Salt Lake City? Since Utah joined the conference Oregon has dominated the Utes. The Ducks travel to SLC with the 10th ranked run game in the country and with a D far more athletic than the players the Utes will put on the field. The issue? Will "The Ducks" and not "Those Ducks" show up? Mario at Oregon has lost 1 game in Autzen. The Ducks is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 road games as a dog. I think just like the Oregon State run game was too much for the Utes to handle the superior Ducks run game will win the day. CLOSER TO HOME - NR 7-3 ASU -3 at NR 6-4 OREGON STATE 10:30 ESPN This week's ESPN Right Coast Insomniac Game will likely impact the Ducks? Oregon will not play ASU unless the Sun Devils go 2-0 and Utah goes 0-2 in the next 2 games. But an 8-3 ASU would likely find its way into the PO top 25 and help the Pac-12's national image? On the other hand, a 7-4 Oregon State team with a W over Utah might sneak in? Regardless, a 7-4 Beavs team coming into Autzen will come with a better SOS than will a 6-5 Oregon State team. I think the Beavs grind out a win at home playing an ASU team that is on the road in the NW in back to back games. NR UCLA (-3) at NR, Irrelevant, Terrible and Adrift, USC - 4 PM FOX If UCLA does not toy with Troy will Kelly keep his job? There's a new AD in Westwood. One who did not hire The Chipper. I have made UCLA -3 my 5th wager of the weekend. The Bruins should blow out SC? If this does not happen, with Chip unable and unwilling to recruit, and with his buyout at $0 come mid January, will Chip return as UCLA's HC? In hind sight, new UCONN coach Jim Mora did a decent job at UCLA. At least he brought in ranked recruiting classes. This Bruins team is a senior laden squad that Kelly has done OK but not great with. If Kelly is retained it will likely be due to the paucity of quality CFB coaches to fill some big time jobs GO DUCKS! Put 2019 behind in 2021!

Check out the improvement in the Michigan D since Harbaugh canned Brown.

Excellent take, Thank you David. Ducks have the #10 rushing attack in the nation and are converting 52% of 3rd downs. Good stuff. 1 disagreement. In this so-called Playoff Era, style points do count. A blowout win is better than a 1 point win. I value wins by whether the winning team covered the spread. Oregon has done so in its last 2 games.

Every year, 1 of the top 4 teams in contention for the PO is dissed. Oregon playing in the Pac-12 is this season's whipping boy. If OH ST goes 12-1, 12-1 Oregon is in; no doubt! I think this year's game in Ann Arbor will not be a blowout of the Wolverines by the Bucks? Michigan can run the ball and Michigan plays good D.

The W and the cover. I like it. However, Oregon is 1-6 vs the spread in its last 7 games as a road dog.

A great take! The Pac-12 across the board in 2021, had the most returning players on its respective rosters. NAILED IT! The BCS and the BCS x 2 took the game from regional to national and further monetized CFB. Before the BCS the SEC was not 'all that.' HS studs stayed and played n the west. Routinely the Pac8/10/12 and the Big 10 put the most guys into the pros. Heisman Trophies awarded to Pac guys was the norm and not the exception. But who wouldn't swap the Rose Bowl for the Peach Bowl even-steven? Right? Jimmies and Joes. The recruiting rankings tell a sad story. Guys to the pros? Compared to the SEC? Trips to the PO? Compared to the SEC? Coaching? 3 coaches fired in-season. The AZ and CU HC hires? Look back a decade, to a decade and a half ago, and compare the coaches then with what the conference has now? Leach: #25 at Mississippi State. Tucker: #7 at Michigan State. You cannot have Mountain West budgets for football and compete in the big time. You cannot have administrators and fans who do not care about CFB and compete in the big time. You cannot play after dark on a pretend network and compete in the big time. Recruits know that they will be seem on ACC, B1G and SEC networks. The Pac-12 Network? I am BULLISH on Oregon and BEARISH on the Pac-12 conference.

I believe Gerry has moved on to coaching in That Big House In The Sky? That place where student-athletes get free tuition, room and board but no, at least over the table, more. And they are thankful for simply 'this.' Hard to believe? Where the players are teammates who put team above self. Portal? "If I can't beat 'you' out why should I start? No one forced me to come here and compete against you. I chose to come and compete against the best, including you. Why shouldn't I stay, support my team and teammates and keep on competing?" A place where you can still grab a player by the face mask. But no cuss words. Please remember where you are now coaching? 'What's that Coach? You want inside info on the point spread? Get over here Peter! " I'm sorry, but your soft spot for former football coaches is trying my patience!' "Sorry myself, Boss. Now, why don't you drop and give me 20!'

Love it. But more like Oregon plus none. Until SC comes back to life? I think the last of the conference realignment dominoes have yet to fall? This has been a chaotic season, I don't see the chaos stopping?

But he is not leaving Ole Miss for Miami. Why would he do so. He is likely to finish 2nd in the SEC W this season and play in the Sugar, Fiesta or Peach Bowl? Miami would be a big step down. But twits must tweet, right?

Thanks. And Always Say Dye! If Dye is the tOSU HC it's a new Day in Columbus. Kidding. Really appreciate the comment.

Your cats are killing me!

Friday's work except for Friday, December 3rd? Although with an early enough tee time you will still be able to watch the Ducks at night in the Pac-12 Champ Game. Bandon is a golf paradise. I think the dude in the photo caddied for me last time I was there?

12-1. Orange Bowl vs Georgia. An additional $6M in the conference bank. If Oregon is a PO team it should defeat a team, twice, that lost to OR ST, and BYU, and San Diego State. This is not like having to beat Carroll's SC teams 2 times in 3 weeks. With the possible exception of LB, the Ducks are superior at every position group. Ducks special teams is better than Utah's. And I trust veteran AB to manage the game properly.

About last week? Nothing to see here, move right along. I went 0-4. Alabama scored too many points, Tennessee, Kentucky and UGA not enough. Now at 14-13 I am closing in on Joey Galloway territory. (30 Duck among others warned me.) Referencing Galloway brings me to Joey's alma mammy, Ohio State. I'm double dipping here, taking Michigan State +19 and the Over 66.5. The MI ST 'come fly in our zone' DBs will give up a lot of passing yards to the Buckeyes. But the OH ST D is not all world and OH ST blow out wins have not come against the better teams on the schedule. I see a Buckeyes win but not by more than 19 points. I see the Sparty run game scoring against OH ST. Frank Beamer's son, Shane, has done an under the radar terrific job in his first season at South Carolina. SO CAR is 5-5 and on the cusp of bowl eligibility. A wounded Auburn team comes into Columbia this Saturday. Auburn surrendered a 28-3 lead vs MS ST last Saturday. QB Bo Nix and the Tigers FG kicker are both out for the rest of the season. USC (e) is +5.5, but I'm taking the Gamecocks Straight Up with a potential +240 payout. And I'm down with the better team getting +3 at Utah. Oregon wins and covers. If you want to win more, than these recommendations you may want to ignore?

Thanks Charles. Isn't 'this' what the UCLA OL that mauled LSU tried to do to Oregon? This Utah OL was not able to bully BYU, a team with a loss to Boise and a loss at Baylor. It didn't bully San Diego State. It certainly did not road grade the AZ D last week. It played well in Corvallis but not well enough to beat the Beavs. Many the 'expert' does not wat to see a team that lost at Stanford in the PO. They want lovable little Cincy instead. Utah is getting goosed up by folks who want the Ducks to suffer the 2nd L and be out of the PO. Ducks win in SLC by 1 score? These 'folks' will call it an unimpressive win even though the Ducks come in +3. Oregon has covered the last 2 games and both wins have not been 'impressive' in the eyes of folks back east, folks who don't keep their eyes open to watch Oregon play. Utah has not seen a D as good as the Ducks this season. Have not seen a KT or a Sewell. The Ducks have 1 bad loss. Utah has 3 bad losses.

Flaky Performance Index. ESPN wants its self fulfilling prophecy of UGA, Bama, OH ST and teeny-weenie Cincy.

Loved the article. But if recruiting rankings define a conference, other than for Oregon, the Pac-12 is reshaping itself in the image of the Mountain West. The 2021 champion of the Pac-12 S should rightfully be BYU. If not BYU, it should be San Diego State. Or possibly, Fresno? And this was the season when the S was going to be deeper and better than the Pac-12 N. Utah lost at BYU and SDS. ASU also lost to BYU and is an undisciplined mess. UCLA beats LSU at home but takes the L vs Fresno? SC is at an all time low. WA ST loses at home to BYU and Utah State. UW? 3 Pac-12 HCs have been dismissed in-season. Has this ever happened before in a P5 conference? Oregon with a game manager QB and a very young roster has overachieved to date. But without the W in Columbus, where would a 2L Oregon be ranked? The other team ranked in the Pac-12, Utah, loses Saturday and is out of the top 25. If Utah wins the Utes stay in the top 25 but the Pac-12 is out of the PO and out $6M. Looking at the recruiting rankings for 2022, what team(s) in the conference other than Oregon, are poised to make a move and be a national contender? What returning QB will put up Heisman-like numbers? Will the conference finish better than .500 OOC? GO DUCKS. But the Ducks need better partners, period.

However, it is $6M gone. Money the conference needs today. And this team is not one that should play in the Alamo Bowl. Too talented not to win this conference.

I think the CT does take obstacles such as the above into consideration? If not, Oregon would not be ranked #3. Arguably, 1 loss MI, MI ST, Notre Dame, Ok ST and Wake Forest all have a 'better' L than the Ducks. The W in Columbus is the Ducks golden PO ticket. What to date is the Ducks 2nd best win? Fresno? At the end of the day, if there is not another huge upset waiting to happen, the Stanford L will not be ignored or excused. If OR had more top 25 wins the game might be excused? But I expect the Ducks only top 25 win will be the W in Columbus in week 2?