Jon Joseph

'Tough Love' is the answer? After being called 'soft' by head coach, UCLA has responded WWW.YARDBARKER.COM UCLA has found itself, and its coach's words seem to have worked. After losing 4-straight, why not?

By Gosh! How About Josh! Oregon Ducks' Josh Conerly Jr. Senior Bowl Performance: NFL Draft, Combine Projection WWW.YARDBARKER.COM MOBILE - There’s a saying coined by the Reese’s Senior Bowl staff: “The Draft Starts In Mobile.” The annual all-star game has been a breeding ground for the next crop of future NFL stars.

Thanks, Pitt. Bassa and Conerly are lauded by their peers. Oregon's Bassa and Conerly honored by opposing players in Senior Bowl DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Oregon's Jeffrey Bassa and Josh Conerly honored by opposing players in Senior Bowl

With private equity, the B1G gets to capitalize on its equity built up for over 100 years; Once. Why not do what makes long-term sense? Form the Football Super Conference. Stop selling inventory to media companies who flip the inventory to advertisers. Sell the inventory directly. If money is needed short term to cover a shortfall, leverage future Super Conference advertising receivables. Form a Super Conference Network, akin to the NFL Network. Sell broadcast time directly to advertisers and stream the product on Venu. Bargain with a players union. Obtain Congressional relief from antitrust litigation so Venu, in effect a combined B1G and SEC Network, can go to the marketplace. Do Not enter into the House settlement which settles nothing. If Congressional relief is not available (the author of the memo approving unions for college athletes and the memo stating that Title IX applies to revenue sharing, are no longer employed) use power of the Power 2 to convince NCAA members to have the NCAA file BK. File a Plan of Arrangement that settles House and all other litigation, filed now or in the future. Even though it is a non-profit organization the NCAA can file for bankruptcy relief. The Plan will likely be appealed to a Supreme Court that can by-pass Congress if needed by confirming the plan. Keeping the same system in place and selling equity to a private equity concern is not a panacea. It does not bar litigation, resolve Title IX issues, resolve employer-employee issues, resolve player union issues, resolve transfer issues, etc. It does provide another monied interest, Equity Firm X, for litigants to shoot at. Of course, I respect Tony Petitti's resume and understand that he has to keep all oars in the water.

Different sport but ... The B1G has not won an NCAA Basketball Championship since 2000. (Maryland won in 2002 when it was a member of the ACC.) So, is the B1G better now when it is so hard to win a conference game on the road? Or was it better when Indiana and Bob Knight were kicking booty? When Bob Knight was on an Ohio State team full of future NBA All-Stars and won titles? When Michigan won the title in 1989 and competed for a title with the Fab 4? I'll take a top-heavy basketball conference all day long and Charles is spot on when it comes to football. Half or more of the SEC conference football teams were ranked in 2024. To what avail?

Teams that signed Top 2026 Recruits. OBD is on the list. Top 2026 CFB Prospects Who Are Already Committed BLEACHERREPORT.COM It's early—way early. And with the way kids these days have no idea what the word "commitment" means, you've got to take pledges who can't sign until December…

Thank you, Charles, terrific issue to ponder as the Power 2 leaves all other conferences in the dust and the dough. Here's a preseason ranking of the SEC from Saturday Blitz. My first look at schedules will be B1G with the SEC schedules to follow, if OK with Charles. The SEC for some reason is repeating the 2024 in-conference schedules with only a change in venue. And expecting a different result? 😜 Wasn't Greg Sankey once considered to be the brightest bulb in the circuit? Way too early SEC football power rankings for the 2025 season SATURDAYBLITZ.COM The 2024 college football season is in the books, but in the SEC, there’s never really an offseason. Between coaching changes, the transfer portal, and highly

2025 is a critical year for Riley and USC. DUH! College football analyst identifies USC as a team with a lot to prove in 2025 TROJANSWIRE.USATODAY.COM USC football and Lincoln Riley do not have the benefit of the doubt heading into the 2025 season, nor do they deserve it. As I discussed with Charles the other day, now that SC's academics have greatly improved, does the administration, alumni, alumna, and students still put an emphasis on sports success? Yes, SC paid huge for Riley and Musselman but where is the fan enthusiasm? CBB attendance is bad. Of course, as a guy who had season tickets for Runnin' Rebels games when Tark had it going on, what has happened to CBB? UNLV routinely went for 90 points plus every game. The team often scored over 100 points when it played in the Convention Center before the 3-point line was in play. Today's CBB play is a rock fight. (Beware of waving cane. 🤬)

And Notre Dame will play more games vs. Clemson, FSU, and Miami, making it more difficult for brand ACC teams to reach the PO. Brilliant! 2024-25 was a postseason disaster for the ACC where the conference went 2-11. Play eight games and stiffs OOC and a lot of mediocre teams will go bowling and be bashed. And guess what Clemson and FSU, the Power 2 does not want you. Keep paying those legal fees so you can join the B12. Brilliant!

Perhaps Dana should throw the team under the bus? Worked for Cronin.

Terrific article. Terrific comments. Re-reading my too-lengthy comment and with no offense meant to the terrific TOSU folks on the board, I hope I am not becoming that nitpicking, absurd, obnoxious, unrealistic fan, and part of a like-type fan base. Dan has lost six games; 35-6. Two of the losses came against national championship teams, including a team that played for the 2023-24 championship. With the roster he inherited, would Mike Bellotti, Chip, Helf, Slick, or Cristobal have done as well or better? That's a rhetorical question. Grading, I give Dan an 'A' including the critical elements of recruiting and portal picking, in the regular season and a 'C' in the postseason. Wins vs. UNC and Liberty are to be expected. But going 1-1 vs. PO Teams in the postseason with an embarrassing, let the air out of the balloon, Rose Bowl loss was not good. Like Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, and other championship coaches, he is paying his dues. Three active CFB coaches have won a National Championship, Ryan Day, Dabo Swinney, and Kirby Smart. That's all folks 😁. I'm with Charles. It's Dan's team, and it's a building process that Dan appropriately will do his way. PS - Terrific 'Stop Rate' post. And I do not quibble with OBD's ranking. However, in this mega-conference era, I want to know the quality of the teams that were played. After all, James Franklin has won a lot of football games.

This should make TOSU fans happy, right? https://athlonsports.com/college/ohio-state-buckeyes/ohio-state-buckeyes-jim-knowles-penn-state-nittany-lions-savage-message Ohio State Sucks? Hey Jimmy, don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out. 😘

Love for OBD, Makhi Hughes, and Other RBs Going B1G. Top transfer running backs reside in Big Ten and Big 12 WWW.YARDBARKER.COM Here are the top three transfer running backs as the sport moves forward toward the spring.

Let's Win Again Like We Did Last Year! And Step it Up in January! Oregon Ducks projected win total in 2025 highest in the nation DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM The Oregon Ducks win total for the 2025 college football season is the highest in the nation, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Thank you, DM. I look to you, Charles, Mike West, and others on the Forum for advice on Xs and Os. However, it's easy to see that OBD's D has yet to realize Aristotle's famous observation, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts ..." Is this scheme or simply not being ready to show up? In the first quarter of the 2023 Pac-12 champ game versus UW, the O came out flat as the proverbial pancake. The D spent the entire first quarter on the field and was spent by the fourth quarter when UW came back for the win. In the Big Ten champ game, Penn State's 37 points were not that far off its season average of 33.1 points. Roster-wise, PSU's roster was not inferior to OBD's roster. OBD showed up ready to play from the start. You are not (except in the 2025 Rose Bowl 😧) going to routinely dominate teams with like-type rosters. The Rose Bowl? When one team comes out as flat as OBD and the other team as fired up as TOSU, does the scheme matter all that much? Without Evan Stewart, Caleb Downs moved up and played a 'Rover Position." The O couldn't stay on the field and the D couldn't get off the field. Still, Gabe threw for 299 yards. Georgia? Did you watch the game vs. Ole Miss when the Georgia O was schooled? This was Kirby's D being played by Kirby's recruits. The UGA O was impotent in Oxford, the D couldn't get off of the field and Georgia was overwhelmed by the same team that lost to Kentucky, LSU, and Florida. Texas. The Ohio State D got after Quinn Ewers. IMO, Ewers played the gutty game of his life to keep Texas in the game. Unlike the Rose Bowl, in the Cotton Bowl, the Ohio State offense kept shooting itself in the foot. Against Notre Dame, the Ohio State D gave up plays to athletes no better than OBD's athletes allowing the Domers to stay in the game. The letdowns in 'Do They Really Matter Games' are frustrating but do not trouble me; not when a team will have to play 16 or 17 games to win a title. OBD was never in danger of losing to Purdue. The effort on D at Wisconsin was excellent. And the game in Madison was OBD's 8th in a row without a siesta. Stuff happens. Portal picking will persist in Eugene. Ohio State's D had home-grown talent across the board, but would TOSU have won the title without Alabama transfer Caleb Downs? (And on the O-side without Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, and Seth McLaughlin?) Will the big-game preparation and in-game coaching improve? I don't believe the scheme is the root of the problem. The Ohio State D improved significantly when Jim Knowles arrived with the skill to implement a winning scheme and implement it. In today's CFB world, Dan Lanning has to be a CEO. Are the right assistants on board? Is a dink and dunk O the way OBD should play on O? Is the scheme on D too difficult to comprehend? And one question you asked David that I'm waiting to see answered hopefully in the positive, are the 4* and 5* recruits ready to make an impact? Where are the 'if you're good enough you're old enough' recruits? The Ohio State roster did not improve by leaps and bounds from October 12th to the Rose Bowl. However, TOSU's game preparation improved. OBD's? Sorry for the too-long comment but if NIL and unfettered free agency are bringing parity to CFB, OBD was the only FBS team with one loss last season, then losses will happen. See: The NFL. Thanks again for the terrific take.

BUMMER! Michigan Misses Illinois in 2025. Bret Bielema’s comments about Jim Harbaugh and Michigan are absurd WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM Illinois head coach Bret Bielema attempted to troll Jim Harbaugh and Michigan on social media, saying Harbaugh ran to the NFL. @WoodsFootball breaks down why Bielema’s comments are...

Saturday Tradition Takes a Look at B1G QB Rooms. Evaluating Big Ten QB rooms entering 2025 SATURDAYTRADITION.COM The Big Ten quarterback landscape will be an interesting storyline to monitor as we gear up for the 2025 season. Someone please tell the author that OREGON is a member of the Big Ten. 😧

With the talent at the Senior Bowl, why wasn't OBD's O more potent? https://athlonsports.com/college/oregon-ducks/ducks-make-star-turn-at-the-senior-bowl-why-wasnt-the-oregon-offense-more-potent

WOW! OBD's recruiting class is All-Blue Chip! Ranking the schools with the most 5-star signees in final 247Sports class of 2025 recruiting rankings - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Who has the most incoming starpower in their 2025 recruiting class?

This, from the 'Loyal Opposition.' Report: Michigan fires back at NCAA in 137-page response to Notice of Allegations WWW.MAIZENBREW.COM The University of Michigan appears ready to fight back against the NCAA, as detailed in its 137-page response, according to Yahoo Sports. Here is the latest chapter in the Connor Stalions saga: Are the Wolverine attorneys being paid by the pound? 🤑

Excellent post and I agree but the $$$ is at an unprecedented level. And UCLA is a B1G Partner and not an Associate like OBD.😧 You take the money you're going to have to pay the price. But if Cronin is just 'getting this,' where has he been?

He dropped out of the Senior Bowl but if he's healthy, I think Jordan Burch could put on a show. *** The East-West Shrine Game is on the NFL Network tomorrow. Many mock drafts I have seen have Jeanty going to Denver and Michigan TE Loveland going to the Chargers. Loveland was the 2024 Michigan passing attack. Incredible that Michigan defeated an almost all-hands-on-deck Bama team with five first or second-round draft picks sitting out. Must have been the scouting, right? 😁

Can the NCAA vacate wins it had nothing to do with except for determining player eligibility? The College Football Playoff Committee puts on the FBS Playoff, not the NCAA. The coaches and players may have gained an advantage from the scouting but does this lead to vacated wins? The NCAA fined Tennessee $8M for its pay-for-play chicanery before NIL. Is a fine the most likely remedy here? I'm in the Prime Time camp here. As Deion said: 'I can get all of the knowledge I need from looking at film.' At the time the charge of scouting came down I was surprised to see that in-person scouting in DFB is prohibited. Then again, I'm a Patriots fan.😁 Congrats on the GREAT PO run. 4 top 10 teams, only one game at home. WOW!

"Poetic Justice?" The team with the platinum roster found the perfect season to screw up; the season when the PO expanded to reap more gold for CFB. Ohio State winning it all is the antithesis of Poetic Justice: 'The fact of experiencing a fitting or deserved retribution for one's actions.' But what do you want from a guy who played QB at Bama? 🤓

Why wait? Good question. Before 2026-27 any change to the PO format requires a unanimous vote of G5, P4 conferences, and Notre Dame. The format favors lower-ranked conference champions having a bye and teams like Ohio State and Notre Dame being seeded below their in-season performance. In 2026-27, the G5/6 will not have a veto, and the Power 2 will be large and in charge.