Jon Joseph

Mike, yet again, your in-depth analysis is spot on! You, Charles, and others bring an in-depth evaluation to this great Forum that I cannot. So thank you, my friend, and all of the other Forum Fanatics 😁who have the X+O knowledge and the talent to go deeper into this great game. PS - Looking at the UGA D in 2025, should Kirby think about closing The Mint? 🙃

The man has won everywhere he has coached. In 14 years of being a head coach, he has never had a losing season. His father, Frank Cignetti, Sr., coached at Indiana University, Pennsylvania (IUP), and West Virginia, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Curt was a valued assistant for Nick Saban at Bama. He took a huge pay cut when he left Bama to coach IUP. As he has said, he made a bet on himself, which turned into an $8 million a year deal at Indiana. He took the 'losingest program' in CFB to the PO in 2024, and has the Hoosiers in the PO hunt in 2025. Many experts predicted his team would regress this season. I believed and so opined that this Indiana team could be this season's Indiana. It looks like this team is better than last season's PO team. It is better on both LOS. As a P4 head coach, Cignetti has two losses. On the road against Natty champ Ohio State, and on the road at Natty runner-up Notre Dame; 0-2 against two top 10 opponents. Only two B1G coaches have winning records against top 25 opponents: Danno and Ryan Day. Many of Dan Lanning's and Ryan Day's B1G wins have come against teams that finished .500 or lower. A program like James Madison, now a Sun Belt member, will have many losses against P4 teams out of conference (OOC), as will the other conference members. When Cignetti coached JMU before it moved up to the FBS, he defeated many FCS top 25 opponents. His teams with similar financial resources defeat the majority of teams with similar resources. Cignetti was drilled last season and this season for playing a featherweight OOC schedule. In Michigan's 2023 champ season, it played junk OOC, ditto Ohio State last season, and Penn State this season. After the loss at Ohio State, Texas posted home wins over San Jose State, UTEP, and FCS opponent Sam Houston State. Ole Miss has defeated Georgia State and Tulane OOC, plays Wazzu this Saturday, and plays The Citadel in the penultimate week of the regular season. As Cig said, he's only following the SEC OOC model. Comparative scores are deceptive. Nevertheless, last season, Indiana defeated a team that beat Alabama and blew out a Nebraska team that Ohio State struggled to defeat in Columbus. Do I think Indiana will defeat Oregon in Autzen? No. But OBD could struggle to cover the -10.5 spread. I think Indiana will hang with OBD into the 2nd half. I do not doubt that Dan Lanning is taking next Saturday's game seriously. This could be the only other ranked opponent OBD plays the rest of the regular season. Indiana will show up with something to prove from Cig on down. Fired up to hand OBD its first regular-season Big Ten loss. On 10/11/25, there will be more than a couple of future NFL players across the LOS, possibly QB'd by a 1st round draft pick. However 😁, Hose Down the Hoosiers! Put Out That Cig!

Back to School - 'You call this a report card!' 🤬 https://nittanylionswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/nittany-lions/football/2025/09/28/grading-penn-states-performance-against-no-5-oregon-in-week-5/86398264007/

As Jake Butt noted on B1G Today, Poncho keeping the O line in synch in front of that crowd was amazing. OBD's 1 returning starter on O came through! And how good is it to see 4* and 5* recruits showing up and balling out? As good as the pass D was, it will be going against a better QB and receivers than this Saturday. Man Handle Mendoza! Put that Cig Out! Dead Out!

'If you're good enough, you're old enough.' 😁 https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/football/2025/09/30/oregon-ducks-rb-dierre-hill-jr-recognized-standout-week-5-effort/86427328007/?utm_source=smg-duckswire-strada&utm_medium=ema YardbarkerHow Oregon Ducks' True Freshmen Are Making Historic ImpactThe No. 2 Oregon Ducks stayed undefeated in 2025 and in Big Ten action following a week 5 double overtime win over No. 7 Penn State. The Ducks continue to see both individual and team success in the D

He'll be tied into the rookie salary scale in the NFL but that's still a whole lot of bread if he plays like this for the balance of the season and is a top 10 draft pick. And going pro gets the three year clock running on the next show me the huge money deal. He walks off after winning a Natty and it's all good. 😎

The idea is to eliminate antitrust concerns for the schools and the media. It's another attempt, along with the House settlement, to preserve college sports as they were before the introduction of NIL. I believe the state of Washington has a law on the books allowing NIL. Right, Senator?

It doesn't help the Power 2. It could help the ACC and the B12, in theory, if they went to the marketplace together. But why would ESPN and Fox pay more for inventory they already own? Texas Tech multi-billion-dollar oilman, Cody Campbell, who bought a talented roster for his Red Raiders football team, came up with this idea to save 'college sports.' A/K/A save Texas Tech football. Texas and Texas A&M are in the Super Conference, no doubt. Texas Tech?

Geo, likely a good call. But GameDay was in Norman for the Sooners vs. Wolverines game, and I think they could be planning to be on site for a Longhorns visit to Athens.

Thank you, Charles. Great stuff! A tip of the hat to Penn State grad Todd Blackledge. He was informative and at no time showed bias except for acknowledging before kickoff that he was excited to be back for a White Out. Some really nuanced and in-depth comments, including picking up the OBD OL communication as shown above. Todd was generous at the conclusion of the 2nd OT with his praise for Dante Moore and Dan Lanning. I think he did a much better job with this game than he did in Autzen last season, covering the Ohio State game. The odds shown above now favor Indiana ahead of Penn State. 🤪 Amazing. Indiana will be well prepared for the game in Autzen on 10/11. Cig acknowledged that his team was humbled on both LOS in last season's road losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame. He picked the portal perfectly to improve both LOS. And Mendoza is an improvement at QB over the very good Kurtis Rourke. The man has lost two football games at Indiana. One against the 2024-25 National Champion and the other against the 2024-25 runner-up, Notre Dame. Humble the Hoosiers! Put Out That Cig!

OBD now has the most consecutive home wins at 18 games, and counting.😎 EssentiallySportsDan Lanning Dethrones Mentor Kirby Smart to Hold College...Dan Lanning's Ducks' beat his former colleague and mentor Kirby Smart on Saturday, topping the charts in yet another category. Hats off to Danny and the Ducks, but I believe it was Alabama that defeated UGA on Saturday and Ohio State that defeated UW. The next home game is a B1Ggie!

3:30 on the Right Coast. I may not have to take a nap? 👍👌😎

ESPN's Week 5 thoughts on the top 25. ESPN.comPower Rankings: LSU drops 13 spots; BYU, Memphis and Loui...What early surprises have we seen from each Top 25 team through Week 5?

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.