Jon Joseph

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! 👍👌😍

Will the Grapevine Gurus keep Iowa in the top 25? Will one-loss Texas Tech, with a loss to ASU, stay ahead of one-loss OBD? Tune in tonight, and may I suggest you do so with the sound off, at least when Joey Galloway opens his trap. 🤪 Oregon Ducks On SICollege Football Playoff Rankings Shake Up After Week 11With week 11 in the rearview mirror, another top-25 ranking from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee is set to be released on Tuesday. No. 8 Texas

I could not find an answer to your question, but I did find the following: https://sports.yahoo.com/article/gophers-football-two-big-ten-162300679.html I think Fox decides when games will be played on Friday nights. I don't know whether Fox has input on the teams playing Friday night. I do know that many programs, including Ohio State, are not happy with Noon kickoffs. Petitti cannot have been happy with Texas at Ohio State kicking off at noon. In prime time, this game probably draws two million + more viewers. No B1G team played more than seven conference games in a row this season. 8 games in a row was a hose job. Does Rob Mullens beef about these scheduling quirks? I don't know? He seems to be a Go Along to Get Along kind of guy.

OD, your SC comment was humorous. However, in compliance with the Forum operating procedures and a few complaints, I deleted the post. Please, keep up your great posts, use XXXX as needed. All the best, Brother.

DM, you told Noah about The Flood, and he listened! 😁 Another great and spot-on take, thank you. I do note that Oregon, with its flash and dash Nike marketing and complementary playing style, was respected but certainly not liked in the Real Pac-12 and across the nation. Uncle Phil was the only 'booster' supporting a team. 🤑 Want proof? Ask Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss, er, Auburn, er, in the Unemployment Line. Don't ask $cam, he didn't know he was out for bid, right? If they can't take a joke and a pounding ... 🤬 I did find Kirk Ferentz's post-game comments to be gracious. If anyone knew how good a win this was, it was Kirk.

Dan Lanning - "Men, we're Licensed to kill Gophers by the government of the United Nations. Men, we're free to kill gophers at (the direction of) Will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case, the enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit (except perhaps, against a Hawkeye.😁) They're like the Viet Hoosiers, Varmint-Cigs. So, to knock the Fleck out of them, you have to fall back on superior intelligence and firepower. And that's all she wrote." I could be confusing Carl Spackler with Danno? 🤪

OK, I had a cocktail (or two?). So, lighten up, JJ! It's only a movie. 😁And we have yet to cut to the chase. Oregon Ducks On SIKirk Herbstreit Jokes About Retirement After Oregon vs. I...Before the No. 9 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes, ESPN's College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit predicted Iowa to pull off the upset over Oregon

Does CBS "journalist" Back-Assward Will Backus get that CBS is no longer the SEC's butt boy? He's a Tennessee grad? I'm shocked! Come On Man! https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-week-11-overreactions-national-title-game-oregon-championship-caliber/ Why this jihad against OBD? Iowa under Ferentz was 5-1 in November vs. top 10-ranked opponents. The game was played in a monsoon. Oregon's win means it isn't on the same level as a 3-loss Tennessee team or an Ole Miss team that defeated The Citadel on Saturday? Someone out there with (un)Social Media skills I don't have, please send this guy a B1G love letter. Do what you can to make certain this is posted on the OBD bulletin board if you can, and please prepare a nice B1G welcome for Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson next time they're in town. And pump the brakes on Fernando Mendoza? I expect this spit from Saturday Down South, but CBS?

If you want to see better OOC games, support Petitti's AQ PO format.

Good call, he will be in demand. It will take a big (perhaps B1G) check to get Dilly to leave his hometown and alma mater. He knows he can take ASU to the PO without the SEC grind and B1G competition. He's in a conference with zero Blue Chip rosters.

3-5 Penn State has to win out to go bowling. Bring the effort PSU showed against Indiana, and the Nits should win at Michigan State, home vs Nebraska in a battle of talented backup QBs, and on the road at Rutgers. How much do future PSU draft picks care about going bowling? And if PSU qualifies for a bowl, how many players, including those not eligible for the draft who are considering the portal, will suit up? Agents for Penn State players who have been in CFB for fewer than three seasons are receiving offers. 5-5 Rutgers after a Bye in Week 12, plays at Ohio State, and finishes at home vs. Penn State. If the PSU players give a spit, it's likely Good Night for the Knights' bowl hopes. More teams than OBD have backloaded B1G schedules. Iowa has lost three games by a total of ten points and is out of the PO. SC needs to drop Notre Dame and play an OOC game vs a G6 opponent at home every season. Compared to ND, SC gets nothing out of this game and does not need an extra trip East every other season. I'm OK with the return game at OK State. But considering the teams Indiana played OOC and its ranking, as well as a brutal schedule for OBD in 2027, drop the game at Baylor in 2027, and in Autzen in 2028, and play San Jose State both years instead. Oregon has nothing to gain with a win against a B12 football team and a lot to lose. Texas HS players will not choose OBD because of one game in Waco. The B1G may not have a 4th team in the PO field this season, which means millions of PO dollars less than last season.

Coaching carousel and B1G moves that could help the depth of the conference. I think? Maryland - Mike Locksley does not win games from October on. Replace him with Jim Mora, who has done more with less at UConn, and come up with the money to keep true frosh QB Washington on board. Mora never should have been fired by UCLA. UCLA - Make sure that booster Casey Wasserman signs off on the hire and comes up as promised, with the money to give the new hire a chance to compete. Hire Dan Mullen from UNLV, a team that defeated UCLA this season, and keep Bruin forever, Jerry Neuheisel on the staff, along with QB Nico I on the team. Mullen never should have been fired by Florida. Wisconsin - With many young studs on defense, and this season's brutal schedule, I like Fickell getting another season. Michigan State - The boosters disappeared when Mel Tucker flamed out, and the trade in mortgages was hit by an increase in interest rates. But folks still eat Domino's Pizza (for some reason I don't understand), and there are other Sparty grads with money. Keep J. Smith and invest the buyout money into the program. It's hard to have success with development players today when players can earn more money to be developed, or not, elsewhere. Purdue -I believe the Boilermakers made the right hire in Barry Odom. Purdue is playing more respectable football, but with a thin roster is wearing down at season's end. To win B1G on the football field as well as on the basketball court, show Barry the money. Penn State - He certainly isn't lovable, but Brian Kelly wins football games. He was 34-14 at LSU and defeated ranked football opponents. He's won everywhere he's coached, including 113 wins in twelve seasons at Notre Dame. North of the Mason-Dixon, Kelly is a fit. USC - With recruiting finally aligned and an impressive incoming class, the Trojans should finish no worse than 8-4 this season. Riley is starting to get it as a play caller in the B1G. SC is averaging 7.1 yards a rushing attempt (2nd in CFB 😁) this season. Even with losses vs. Iowa, Oregon, and UCLA, he'll get at least one more season. Here's hoping the Trojans' run D doesn't improve before next season. UW - Fisch is fried East of the Rockies. He is not at risk of being fired, but with all of the coaching openings, will he hang in at UW long enough to build a deeper roster? I'd just as soon see him off the UW hook. Minnesota - I have no intention of letting a Gopher out of its hole come Friday night, but as long as Fleck wins seven to eight games every season, I don't see him getting a better offer to leave Minnesota, or him being fired. Rutgers - At 5-5, Rutgers is on the cusp of going bowling again. Win the 6th game, and Greg Schiano has met the standard of success. The take from Down South - Iowa never should have been ranked. Oregon lucked out Saturday night and should be ranked below every two-loss SEC team. 🤪 I am looking forward to eight SEC teams having one more loss next season and Ole Miss not playing The Citadel in November. Ground and Pound the Gophers! Light rain is predicted for Friday evening, wouldn't that be a nice change?

Forum friends, we're a member of a nationwide Mega-Conference, and we're reaping the good and the bad. Compare Oregon's conference schedule with Wisconsin's; the Badgers have a far more difficult schedule in 2025 than OBD, even without adding on a trip to Alabama. In 2027, OBD plays at Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, and UW. Plus plays a game on the road at Baylor. The home slate: Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, and Purdue. Brutal. The conference schedules do, for the most part, balance out over five seasons. Rutgers schedule this season compared to last season is far more difficult. Indiana will have its turn in the box. However, having Michigan and Ohio State as permanent opponents is more difficult than new power Indiana drawing Purdue. When the computers went to work in 2023, preparing schedules for an 18-team conference, did the machines know that Indiana in 2024 and 2025 would qualify for the playoffs? Compare Oklahoma's SEC schedule this season and last to Texas. The Longhorns have far easier conference schedules. Ditto Mizzou and Ole Miss compared to Florida. As to the conference intentionally trying to screw over OBD with a Friday night game after a Saturday game in the Central time zone, check out UCLA's closing schedule. Week 9, at Indiana, Bye, Week 11, Nebraska, Week 12, at Ohio State, Week 13, UW, Week 14, at USC. The conference took the money and gave up total scheduling freedom to the media entities writing the checks. These unbalanced mega-conference schedules are the primary reason I back Tony Petitti's AQ PO model, with the last week of the regular season as PO play-in week. The team that is in 2nd place in the standings plays at 1st place. The winner is the conference champ, and both are in the PO field. Third place hosts Sixth place, Fourth place hosts Fifth place. The winners are in the field; the losers are still eligible for one of two at-large spots in the 16-team field. (The third AL team will be Notre Dame.) The season ends, and the POs start a week sooner than today. As to this season, it is neither Indiana's nor OBD's fault that Penn State has not won a conference game this season. Frustrating? Heck yes. But I sure prefer this to playing Beavis and Wazzu twice in the regular season. GUM UP THE GOPHERS!

CBS's Tom Fornelli's Week 11-12 PO Take - https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-rankings-projections-fornelli-acc-champion-sec-big-ten-big-12/

Week 11 - SP+ 1. Ohio State/ 2. Indiana/ 3. Oregon/ 12. USC/ 15. Iowa/ 18. Michigan/ 20. Penn State/ 21 UW/ 23 Illinois/ 25 Nebraska

Fisch didn't do himself any favors with Florida with yesterday's loss to Wisconsin. Two guys who won't be headline hires but could be in the mix for 'lesser' openings are Jim Mora, who never should have been fired by UCLA AD train wreck Dan Guerro, and Jack Dickert, who caught a plane out from Wazzu to Wake Forest. In the 2024 and 2025 seasons to date, Mora at Independent in football, UConn has two more ACC wins than Mike Norvell at Florida State. More conference wins in 2025 than Dabo Swinney. Dickert, with the lowest budget in the conference, has Wake at 6-3 with upset wins over SMU and UVA. Jason Eck, who led Idaho to many FCS wins, has New Mexico at 6-3, and the Lobos put up a fight against Michigan in Ann Arbor. Ken Niumatalolo has done a good job at San Jose State without running a triple option offense. I'm not sure that guys with no head coaching experience will be a sure thing hire.