Jon Joseph

CFB is looking at you, Kiff, and other CBS Week 12 takes. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-week-12-storylines-battle-3-loss-sec-teams-in-cfp-lane-kiffin-ole-miss-florida/

I've got to hawk in SC's eyes. Close win by Iowa, and it moves up, wins out, and is in the top 25 at season's end. A needed top 25 wn for what we hope will be an 11-1 Ducks team. Again, with a close loss, I think a 7-3 SC will still be a Week 13 top 25 opponent; I don't want SC traveling to Autzen with any PO hopes left. But, I certainly understand the other POV. Gash the Gophers!

And with a really good QB named Jonathan Smith? I hope I'm not making a MIstate, but I hear he went Michigan? I prefer today's Dammed Up Beavis. 😁

Week 12? Already? Down the stretch they come. According to ESPN's Austin Mock's Playoff Predictor, and without stretching the envelope to the point of crossing the heliopause and joining Voyager I and II in interstellar space, 18 teams remain with a 20% or better chance of making the 2025-26 playoff, two more than at the same time last season. Enjoy watching OBD on Friday night, 6 PM on Fox, and watch the rest of this weekend's games without any pucker factor. (Unless you wagered too much. 🤬) Also on Friday, you can catch one game short of bowl eligibility, Clemson, at No. 20 Louisville at 4:30 PM on ESPN. In the preseason, no one expected it would be Clemson playing for pride and bowl eligibility while trying to knock 7-2 Louisville out of the playoff, or that the Tigers would be one game behind Cal in the ACC standings. 😁 Saturday Games - 9 AM Big Ten Network (BTN) - Wisconsin at 2nd-ranked Indiana - Badgers coach Luke Fickell dodged a pink slip and celebrated by holding a Fisch fry in Madison, Wisconsin. Upon further review: B1G HQ is continuing to watch game video to determine whether Danno or Cig deserves the Week 11 Harry Houdini Award. 🤪 ESPN - No. 3 - 9-0 - Texas A&M vs. South Carolina - Another middleweight, if that, SEC team for Mike Elko to knock off. To date, A&M's eight SEC opponents are combined 13-34. (What's that Pawwwaaaaaall, nothing to see here, move right along.) Fox - No. 18 - 7-2 - Michigan at Northwestern - This game will be played in The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. A win this Saturday and next Saturday at Maryland will keep the 7-2 Wolverines' playoff hope alive before hosting an almost certain to be 11-0 Ohio State in Ann Arbor the last week of the regular season. Five in a row will have Buckeyes fans crying all Day for Ryan's head. ABC - No. 9 - 7-2 - Notre Dame at No. 22 - 7-2 - Pitt - The Pitt Panthers are a 12.5 undercat at home. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi would love to tarnish the Golden Domers' playoff hopes and send Notre Dame home in the playoff pits. We'll SEC, but it could be B1G if the Panthers beat ND and open up an at-large playoff spot. Saturday Games - 12:30 PM BTN - No. 21 - 6-3 - Iowa at No. 17 - 7-2 - USC - This is the only Week 12 Big Ten game with two ranked opponents playing one another. (And SC is probably the only B1G team rooting for Notre Dame.) USC -6.5 is favored in this game and is still alive for a playoff bid. Since 2003, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and his Hawkeyes have won twenty road games over favored opponents. (If you stick around long enough ...) It's concerning that OBD has to return from a Saturday road game to play a team that was off last week on Friday night. But it's also a B1G ask for Iowa to travel to LA and be ready to play after pulling off a defeat from the jaws of victory with three seconds remaining in last Saturday's game in Iowa City. Atticus Sappington's walk-off field goal kicked 70,000 Hawkeyes fans' playoff hopes squarely in the crotch. Other than for a few delighted Duck quacks, Kinnick Stadium was a Sound of Silence. I'm cheering for Iowa on Saturday. A close game likely means both teams remained ranked, with Iowa having a good chance of finishing in the top 25 should it win out. Selfishly, but without apology, I do not want USC to have a playoff possibility incentive when Troy travels to Eugene. ABC - No. 11 - 7-2 - Oklahoma at No. 4 - 8-1 - Alabama - The SEC starts to winnow itself, if losses by one SEC team to another register with the PO committee. 🤔 The Crimson Tide is favored at -6. With the Crimson Tide, Kalen DeBoer is 11-0 when favored at home. (Don't ask how the war against the Seminoles turned out. 🤣) FS1 - Maryland at Illinois - Illinois is 6-3. A 9-3 Illinois will likely finish in the top 25. This game is close to a Lock(sley) to deliver more post-September misery for Maryland and its crabby fans. CBS - Penn State at Michigan State - Will Penn State win its first conference game and also score its first win over a Power 4 opponent? 😧 Saturday - 4 PM FS1 - Poor Doo at 6-3 UW - In Seattle, the Husky bark is usually accompanied with a bite. OBD would like to see UW at 8-3 in Week 14. ESPN - Florida at No. 7 - 9-1 - Ole Miss - An up-front and close personal audition for Coach Lane Kiffin. Will the Florida AD be allowed to attend the game? Last Saturday, UF no showed at Kentucky. This week will a Gator come to Ade Florida with its punch? Saturday - 4:30 PM ABC - No. 10 Texas - 7-2 at No. 5 Georgia - 8-1 - Route 66? Like Bama, UGA is a -6 favorite. I don't think it was a very good look for Sark to start Longhorn Lobbying for a 3-loss SEC team to make the PO before he boarded the plane to Athens. Georgia QB Gunner Stockton, not some guy named Archie, in conference contests leads the SEC in passing. NBC - UCLA at No. 1- 9-0 - Ohio State Did you ever guilty pleasure wish that you were in the Colosseum in Rome, watching Gladiators battle condemned prisoners? (I hope not! 😇) If so, make sure to tune into this ... whatever? My guess is that TOSU fans wouldn't have cared about this game kicking off at Noon. 🙃 SATURDAY - 7:15 PM No. 12 BYU vs. TCU - In the preseason, B12 Commissioner Brett Yormark assured the college football world that his conference would have multiple participants in the playoff. If he was referring to this season, the 3-letter school beginning with 'B' best win this game. BEAT THE FLECK OUT OF THE GOPHERS!

Been there, done that a few times. Hurts like a witch.

Not road warriors, but undefeated at home and bowl eligible, well rested, not a chance at a PO spot, why not come West and let it all hang out? A team nowhere near the talent level of the Ducks, but loose as a goose. 😁 Torpedo the Row Boat!

Five Keys, If You Please - https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/five-keys-to-the-game-no-8-oregon-vs-minnesota-261278785/?source=column&lctg=26140&eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&utm_sour 😁I predict great green gobs of greasy, grimy Gopher guts all over the field.

OBD 38-10 1 2 215

Holy Hollies! An On a Carousel Update - Saturday BlitzPredicting the head coach hires for the 8 open Power 4 jobsFrom major openings to quiet searches, these are our predictions for who each Power 4 school will hire as the next wave of coaching changes hits.

Yes! This week's uniform choice will not have to include tie-dye Mae West life jackets. Sweet - 👍👌😁

PO Committee Chairman and Baylor AD Mack Rhodes is taking a personal leave of absence from his AD job and is stepping down as the Committee chair, leaving the Committee with 11 members. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/baylor-athletic-director-mack-rhoades-leave-of-absence-stepping-down-college-football-playoff-chair/

They're coming to take ME away? I picked a fine Saturday to stop sniffing glue. Looks like we're Ducked!

I couldn't have putt it any better! 😁

Sunny on Saturday, 59 degrees! What's that? The game's Friday night with rain expected? 😒😧🤬

The NCAA hands out penalties to the Michigan State football team. This does not help J. Smith, but it may give Sparty a reason to keep Smith on for another year. MSU is not a CFB top job, and these penalties make finding a new coach more difficult. And also, improving the lower third of the conference is now more difficult. Tuck, or something else Comin'? ESPN.comMSU hit with 3-year probation, 14 wins vacatedDue to NCAA violations, Michigan State football was placed on a three-year probation Wednesday, a school spokesperson confirmed.

11-1, YES! A 13th game in Indianapolis, NO!

I'd go for the champ game in Miami. Millions of PO dollars for the conference, the chance to help Pawallll pack his bags on his way out of the country, and to tone down, if not shut down, the 'experts' dumping on the Big Ten. How's this for a Dixie-damning fact? Including Texas, No. 3 Texas A&M's eight SEC opponents through Week 11 have a combined record of 13 wins and 34 losses. 🤪

The AP's take on the committee's 2nd ranking - AP NewsOhio State stays on top of playoff bracket, while Miami m...Ohio State stayed atop the College Football Playoff rankings for the second straight week, while Indiana remained at No. 2 despite barely squeaking out a victory last week while third-ranked Texas A&a

How does the committee's 2nd ranking compare with the well-respected Massey Computer Ratings? The top 12 is the same as the committee, with these differences. No. 6 Texas Tech is 4 spots higher than Massey's No. 10 ranking. Oregon at No. 8 is two spots lower than Massey's No. 6 ranking. Other B1G differences. Massey ranks USC 4 spots higher at No. 13. Michigan is four spots higher at No. 14. Iowa is two spots higher at No. 19. Unranked Washington is Massey No. 22, and unranked Illinois is Massey No. 24. The likely one PO spot ACC has five teams ranked in the committee's top 25. Why? No conference is being more disrespected by the committee than the Big Ten. 🤬 I know, you're shocked, right? I agree with others who have posted terrific comments, the 5 seed, even at 11-1, may not be there for OBD. A 12-1 Texas Tech could be the 4th seed with one of Ohio State or Indiana, and the loser of the SEC champ game, with the fifth and sixth seeds. Last season, the committee's rankings were not influenced by conference champ games except for 3-loss ACC champ Clemson making the field. I think the committee will have to use the Champ Game results this season to come up with a logical seeding of the field. Proletariat CFB fans are not allowed to peek behind the curtain to see the SOS and SOR rankings being used by the Wizards of Grapevine. We can only hear about it through the grapevine. 🤔 The SOS and SOR rankings the ESPN talking (dead) heads refer to are generated by ESPN's FPI and SP+. However, as of now, OBD is ranked No. 3 by FPI and SP+. 🤪 It's only a movie! --- Don't forget to cheer for No. 22 Pitt to put No. 9 Notre Dame in the playoff pits and open up an at-large spot in the PO field.😁 GameDay is in Pittsburgh this week. Broadcast of the game on ABC at Noon Eastern, 9 AM Pacific.

DM, why not No. 5 with a home game vs a G6 opponent and the next game vs the 4 seed? Or, is No. 5 at 11-1 out of the question? Thank goodness, Iowa, as it should have, remained ranked, falling only one spot to 21. This sets up a top 25 battle in LA Saturday against 17 USC. USC -6.5. Either the win over Iowa is better, or OBD will play a top 15 seed on 11/22. UW will defeat Purdue on Saturday, and with the UCLA game in LA, should be 8-3 when OBD visits. USC is odds-on to be 8-2 when it visits Autzen, giving OBD the opportunity to finish with two solid wins. Helping the B1G would be Illinois defeating Maryland, Wisconsin in Madison, and Northwestern at home to finish 9-3 and likely ranked. Many SEC schedules are back-loaded. I think Bama gives OK its third loss this week, and Georgia will do the same to a Texas team that still has to play A&M. No. 15. 2-loss and too highly ranked IMO, Vandy finishes against TN in Knoxville. Either Vandy takes its 3rd loss, I'm giving the Dores a win over Kentucky, or Tennessee its 4th loss. Ole Miss should handle Florida and Mississippi State, but the Egg Bowl is in Starkville this season and is usually a closely contested game. For some reason, perhaps because it was on the road, or for no reason, the Ole Miss loss at No. 5 Georgia is better than OBD's loss against 2nd-ranked Indiana. Georgia? Wins against Texas and Georgia Tech in Atlanta are not certainties. And if Texas plays at home like it did against Oklahoma in Dallas, A&M could have its first loss. A&M plays South Carolina in Columbia on Saturday; the Gamecocks should have beaten Bama at home. I'm reasonably certain that Tennessee will defeat New Mexico State on Saturday, and A&M will handle Samford, not Stanford, a week from Saturday. The calculus changes next year when eight SEC teams will have one more loss than this season. It's November, chaos will ensue. And the top 4 seeds will most likely be different than what we see in the second set of rankings.

It's all good for OBD. Up to No. 8 and hosting a 1st round game in Autzen against Notre Dame. Six B1G teams are ranked, including 3-loss Iowa, No. 21, down one spot after the loss to OBD, and No. 17 USC. And the committee gave respect to close wins by Indiana at Penn State and Oregon in Iowa City. No matter the outcome of Iowa at USC this Saturday, Oregon will go into Week 13 after taking care of Minnesota, knock wood, with a win against a ranked opponent or a game to be played against a ranked opponent. Gopher It on Friday night and then on Saturday, cheer for Pitt to remove the Gold from the Domers' playoff hopes. College Football Playoff rankings for Week 12 go live: Who's in? Who's out? Down the home stretch, many SEC teams will be handing one another a third and fourth loss.

No penalties? I was often a suspect, but never arrested. But, No Holds? Thanks for reminding me of my high school love life. 🤬

I will not dump on one SEC grad dissing on the Ducks without giving credit to Alabama grad Greg McElroy. Greg was effusive in his praise for both OBD and Iowa for the battle they engaged in in Iowa City. No SEC nonsense here. Greg's Always College Football podcast can be viewed on YouTube and is on several ESPN channels on Tuesday before the PO rankings show. GRIND the GOPHERS!

Great post and comments. On the other hand, the Back Judge in Indiana at Penn State was in the perfect position to make the TD call on the winning toe-tap catch. Great comment by DM. I prefer refs letting things go over watching a flag fest. B1G Policy - "Coach submission: Coaches can send plays with questionable calls to the Big Ten's coordinator of officials." Coaches can also stay up on Christmas Eve to see if Santa shows up. 😁

No Worries! 👍👌😍