Jon Joseph

Fansided with a defense of James Franklin? Who are you going to hire that will win more than James? FanSidedPenn State's James Franklin problem is only getting harde...The Nittany Lions are in a very particular (and very privileged) kind of hell right now.

OBD opens -10.5 versus the Hoosiers. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2025/09/28/oregon-ducks-betting-line-preview-indiana-hoosiers/86409525007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm

OBD Snap Count. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2025/09/28/oregon-ducks-snap-count-takeaways-week-5-penn-state/86409408007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_medium=email&

James Franklin's PSU teams usually do not get blown out by highly ranked opponents. His losses against top teams are close and often agonizing. As is often the case in football, especially college football, close games come down to which QB played the better game. This was the case Saturday night in Beaver Stadium and also in Athens, Georgia, and Oxford, Mississippi. The Ducks' D was amazing for three quarters. But before the fourth quarter, where were the PSU Jet Sweep plays? Where were the plays designed to stress the edge of OBD's defense? When Franklin and his OC became aggressive with their play calling, PSU looked like a far different team. Drew Allar lost another headliner game with a late interception, just as he did vs. OBD in the B1G champ game, Notre Dame in the playoff, and again on Saturday night. The three WRs who Penn State paid a lot of money to put up 10 receiving yards through the third period. IMO, PSU's timid game plan showed a lack of faith in Allar. You couldn't have a better environment for a home team, and PSU sat on the ball? The disconnect in the passing game vs. three donut hole OOC opponents carried into Saturday's game. The stubborn effort to run up the middle of OBD's solid defense reminded me of Chip Kelly's sorry, conservative play calling vs. Michigan last season. Ditto Chip's play calling versus a Nebraska team that was wiped out at Indiana the week before, with Ohio State coming off a bye week. This approach, unfortunately, changed after the post-Michigan meltdown in a players-only meeting with HC Ryan Day, where the players urged Day to open it up on O. Many players on the PSU team we saw Saturday night will play in the NFL. PSU's timid approach to this game did take the game into OT, but what would the outcome have been if PSU trusted Allar and the O and played not to lose before the 4th quarter? This kind of game planning, IMO, is where Franklin deserves to be criticized.

I'm sensing some flippin' opportunities coming out of South Central. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2025/09/28/lincoln-riley-usc-football-refuse-fix-problems-improve-details/86405247007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=

Some Moore Good Stuff! 😍 AP NewsNo. 2 Oregon rolling behind latest transfer QB in Dante M...Oregon coach Dan Lanning believes Dante Moore is the best quarterback in college football. Moore led the No. 6 Ducks to a gritty win against Penn State on Saturday night.

AP Extra Points. Keep on Spankin' Jimmy Franklin. AP NewsAP Top 25 Extra Points: Elliott would go from hot seat to...No. 24 Virginia football is experiencing a high point under coach Tony Elliott. The Cavaliers are 4-1 and tied for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference after a double-overtime win against Florida St

The AP's take on its eponymous 🤪poll. OBD closes the gap on TOSU. 😁 AP NewsOregon moves to No. 2 behind Buckeyes in AP poll; Rebels,...Oregon has moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll, while Mississippi has its highest ranking since 2015.

Thank you, DM! The next regularly scheduled game vs. Penn State is in 2027, when both Penn State and Ohio State visit Autzen. WOW! One, Not So Fast! I'm not certain Penn State finishing 10-2 with no P4 opponent OOC is a lock for the PO. And PSU could lose more than two games. The SEC is deep, and as The Athletic asked yesterday, 'Is there a great team amidst all of the very good teams in the SEC?' Except for Arkansas and Kentucky, no game, even vs. Florida with the Gators' excellent D, is a sure win. How many SEC teams with better OOC opponents than PSU, which is close to, if not all 16 SEC teams, will finish 10-2? And if the committee's metrics truly address SOS, 3-loss SEC teams could be in the mix. At least in the mind of Sankey. In addition to the game in Columbus against the Ohio State ferocious defense that shut down UW on Saturday, Penn State plays at Iowa and hosts Indiana, with the game against the Hoosiers coming the week after the road game at Ohio State. The Nits' home game against Nebraska could also present a challenge. The game at Kinnock Stadium sees Joe Moore winner, Iowa DC Phil Parker vs. Knowles. On Saturday, future OBD opponent Iowa kept the Indiana O under the Mendoza Line (😁). I think Indiana's pass game is superior to Penn State's, especially if Penn State cannot run the ball. Thanks again, David, for another spot-on take. Hoist the Hoosiers!

Ask our friend Dilly. Targeting is called as it should have been against Texas late in the Peach Bowl PO game, and it's ASU and not Texas that plays Ohio State (SIGH) in the Cotton Bowl. "Laws" that are badly written have too much grey area, and this leads to inconsistent enforcement. Different people in the review booths will interpret the 'law' differently. David Marsh is spot on. If there is no intent behind the contact, it's still the yardage and a 1st down, but the player should not be kicked out of the game and not lose more playing time in the next game.

Thanks, great topic and contents. I don't know if anyone else watched SC at Illinois yesterday. USC scored in the last eight minutes or so to close within eight points of Illinois. SC needed to kick the extra point, score another TD, and kick the extra point to send the game into OT. Instead, SC went for two. Joel Klatt explained that this is what the analytics say you should do on the road in this situation. Secure the 2-point conversion when still seven points down. If you don't make it, you can tie the game with a two-point conversion. The analytics favor a team making one of the two attempts. SC made the two-pointer. Scored again with less than two minutes left, kicked the extra point, and went up 32-31. SC was only in the game because twice in the 4th quarter, Illinois RBs fumbled going into the end zone for a TD. The SC D that played lousy all day allowed the Illini to move into FG range. convert a walkoff FG to win 34-32. This was the sixth time in two seasons SC had a 4th quarter lead against a B1G opponent and lost. 😁 It's not always easy to watch, but I trust Dan and his 'gut' decisions. As Charles noted after OBD lost at UW in the regular season in 2023, the plays were there but the O didn't execute.

Before last night's loss in the 2nd OT, PSU had won the last six White Out games. The media often frustrates PSU's choice of its WO opponent. Last season, Penn State wanted to play Ohio State at night in a WO. Instead, Ohio State was the B1G Noon game, and UW was the WO opponent.

It's a long way to the finish line, but if the PO committee's final ranking on 12/7/25 mirrored the AP Poll, OBD's reward for finishing 2nd would be a 2nd round matchup vs. the winner of No. 11 Texas Tech at No. 6 Texas A&M in the COTTON BOWL in Dallas, Texas 🙃. Compare this with Miami playing the winner of No. 10 Alabama at No. 7 Penn State in the Orange Bowl in Miami. 🤬 For as long as this so-called 'Playoff' incorporates the 'NY6 Bowls,' a lower seeded team(s) will have more favorable 2nd round sites than one or more top-seeded opponents.

On3's take on the latest AP and Coaches Polls On3AP Poll Top 25: College Football Rankings see shake up af....

I'm picking Nits 😁when I ask the voters to explain how TOSU's seven-point win in Columbus versus the not-so Golden Arches is better than flying through a White Out and emerging with the W? 🤪!

OBD up to 2nd from No. 6! AP NewsNCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football PollThe official page for the AP Top 25 college football poll, a tradition since 1936. Keep up to date and view the latest ranking updates each week.

AP Poll - OBD is moving on up! AP NewsNCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football PollThe official page for the AP Top 25 college football poll, a tradition since 1936. Keep up to date and view the latest ranking updates each week.

OBD could be living the dream this season in Eugene. Looks like the same nightmare in South Central, with Freddy Krueger disguised as Lincoln Riley. 😁 https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2025/09/28/usc-football-loss-illinois-achingly-familiar-story/86403446007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_c

ESPN playoff prediction post Week 5 has OBD as the No. 3 seed. After a bye (🤔), OBD would play the winner of No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Would OBD be better off with the 5-seed and a first-round game against the G6 representative? On3College Football Playoff Prediction: ESPN projects CFP To....

My favorite post-game moment was watching Dante and Dan embrace in an emotional celebration. In-game? How about Thieneman sending Allar and Franklin to Dante's 7th circle? 🤬Deja Vu? Instead of jumping somewhere for playing time and starting QB money, Dante made the choice to improve his skills. Last night, Dante got Moore than a decent ROI on his investement, he broke the bank in front of 30 NFL scouts and 100,000 plus screaming Nit Wits.

I'm a Red Sox fan. This has to be the year, right? 🤪 I loved the schedule coming into the season. It's playing out like I hoped. Dante Moore made a mature decision, rare for today's game and players, to improve his game, and he has done so. I loved the post-game moments with Dante and Dan on the field; both men were emotional. Game at a time. Run the gauntlet to a title in Miami, and that's 11 more wins needed to win it all. OBD definitely earned a PO mulligan last night. 10-2 and Oregon is in the field, even if SC and UW aren't, as someone predicted, ranked. Lincoln Riley scored too early, and UW couldn't score. Three Blue Chip Roster teams lost yesterday; Oregon did not. Yesterday was a banner day for PO selection and seeding. With the PO champ game in Miami, I want Mari-oh-oh! 😁 Dream On!

Never a Doubt! Right? Hats off to Tosh. It came down to the real nitty-gritty, but on the road in a Brutal Environment, the D held up. PSU came on late, but for the most part the Nits run game was shut down. OT = Overtime Thieneman! From Purdue, Who Knew 😍 Can't make this stuff up. Dan gets his Biggest Win to date. Dan and crew go 2-1 vs. (should have stayed at TOSU) Jimmy Knowles.😎 OBD take a nap + then put the Hoosiers to sleep. BTW - Little Saint Nick, you should know your pick sucked. 😁

Beavis, I know your kicker wiffed a couple, but kick the FG + do not go for it on 1st down! College GameDay - Good Humor Men or Mob Bosses? The top 7-ranked portal teams were undefeated before last night, before the Seminole (😁) loss at UVA. Rebound FSU, and take down Mari-oh-oh next Saturday! Dilly wins another close game, this time against No. 24-ranked TCU. I'll be back early AM, at the conclusion of my unfortunate for watching sports time of day. 🤬 Go Ducks! Spank Frank and his Nits-Wits!

Spoiler Alert - Don't look if you are taping FSU at UVA. 35 to 35 + headed to OT! Late 4th Q drive by FSU to tie it up. UVA lost a close game at NC State. A much-improved Cavaliers team. Disclosure - I'm rooting for UVA to upset FSU and for the Seminoles to defeat Miami next Saturday. This game is being played on the same field where UVA ended Bobby Bowden's years-long undefeated streak in the ACC. I'm also rooting for the ACC champ to finish 10-3, the champ being the only ACC team in the field, and Bill Belichick's girlfriend to leave him for lack of scoring. 😁 Virginia Wins!

ESPN's Bill Connelly looks at OBD at PSU, as well as other Week 5 Big Ten and Big Games. Is anyone else surprised that the SEC game of the week appears first in the article's lead-in? However, the White Out Game is the first game analyzed. SP+ has OBD winning by 0.4. FPI likes PSU by 0.3! Keep your seat belts fastened. OT - SP+ likes Bama in a close win 'Tween the Hedges. FPI likes UGA in a close game. Kirby Smart is 1-6 vs. The Tide. However, this is the first of eight matchups being played on Georgia's home field. That's how often these two have battled in neutral sites in the biggest of games. Georgia has won 33 straight games at home; the last loss was against South Carolina on October 14, 2019. ESPN.comBama-Georgia, Oregon-Penn State and 26 more to watch in c...This weekend features the deepest schedule of the season -- and Bill Connelly is here for it all.