Jon Joseph

Houston 38 - LSU 35 😍

Houston 38 - LSU 28 with 2 minutes left in the 4th Q and LSU deep in its own territory.

The B12 showed up today. BYU won a physical game. Houston leads LSU by 3 points with 6 or so minutes left. The conference may be better than given credit for and perhaps, Texas Tech didn't defeat a bunch of bad B12 teams. The ACC's UVA stifled the MIzzou O and won 13-7. Watching this game was almost as bad as watching Sex in the City reruns. The ACC, B1G, B12, and the SEC all had six teams that did not win six or more games. It's going to be interesting to see how the remaining bowls and PO quarter finals play out.

B1G is 5-0 for the postseason. This was the first game against and a win over a P4 opponent. Today's weather in Clemson, SC - 75%, sunny, modest humidity. For going 7-5, Clemson was rewarded with a trip to NYC, where the temperature felt like 18 degrees at kickoff. Matt Campbell couldn't make the game; his flight was cancelled. 😍 Next B1G Games - 12/30/26 Illinois +5.5 vs Tennessee (in Nashville 😧) 2:30 ESPN No. 16 USC -6.5 vs TCU (in San Antonio 😧) 6 PM ESPN - Nature abhors a vacuum, and there will be no TCU QB Hoover to help vacuum up SC. This is the last season the B1G, Pac-12 Legacy 4 are tied into the old Pac-12 bowl games. 😉 No. 16 USC should be playing No. 13 Texas or No. 14 Vanderbilt. On 12/31, 12:30 ESPN, Coach Whit will not be on the sideline when Nebraska plays No. 15 Utah in Las Vegas. Matt is hoping the 'What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas' Ruhle will still apply. 🤪

I enjoyed your take, 123, thanks. And you could be spot on. My response, FWIW.😁 Whit's Utah 'culture' is the culture in Ann Arbor. Rich Rod tried to change things up with the offense in Ann Arbor, and he crashed and burned. Whit is going to run the ball and punch you in the mouth on both sides of the ball. Utah rushed for an average of 270 yards a game in 2025, behind one of the best OLs in CFB. The passing game chipped in with 208 yards a game. These are Michigan football-like numbers. A three-point loss at BYU is flipped, and 11-1 Utah has a good shot at the PO. Jason Beck is a creative OC and is likely to follow Whit to Michigan. Beck is a young coach who will connect with recruits. Beck's offense will have more appeal for skill players than Moore's offense. Miami has a terrific recruiter in Cristobal, but the Canes also have boosters who write big checks. Michigan grad and Oracle CEO, Larry Ellison, has surpassed Elon Musk as the world's richest man, and Ellison was behind the money raised to take QB Bryce Underwood away from LSU. If Michigan wants a player, money will not be an issue. In 2025, Michigan was a young football team. To date, no highly ranked recruit has decommitted, as they have the right to do so with a coaching change, and the roster has not been significantly impacted by players heading to the transfer portal. Whit is savvy enough to know that the roster is job No. 1. Michigan has all the resources of Miami, superior facilities, a better game day stadium and attendance situation, and far more tradition. Plus, Michigan is a member of a much stronger conference. No program has won more football games than Michigan. Now, Michigan has a coach with a spotless reputation; a coach Michigan boosters will align with. No recruit and the recruit's agent will dismiss a Michigan offer out of hand. Under Whit, Michigan will continue to field Blue Chip Roster teams, including the roster he will bring to Autzen next season. Considering the timing of the hire, I don't think Michigan could have hired a better coach. Whit has a proven track record in Power Conference football. Sumerall from Tulane to Florida, Golesh from USF to Auburn, Silverfield from Memphis to Arkansas, and Chesney from JMU to UCLA, are all P4 prove it hires. Whit, on the other hand ... Considering the ever-changing landscape of college football, a five-year deal could be perfect timing for Michigan. The B1G has the advantage of being the first conference with a new media deal, with the new deal beginning in 2030. I think Whit will right the ship and have Michigan positioned to hire a younger coach with a proven record come 2030. Considering the timing of the two hires, could Michigan or Penn State have done any better? I don't think so. Add in Pat Fitzgerald at Michigan State, and IMO, the B1G emerged from hiring season in much better shape than the SEC, especially considering the chaos surrounding LSU's poaching of Kiffin. However, all of your concerns about the hire are legitimate and could play out. HAIL TO THE VICTORS! Perhaps? FanSidedFinal coaching carousel winners and losers: Michigan is t...Michigan and Penn State were losing the coaching carousel badly until they woke up and landed two of the best hires in the cycle. WRECK TECH!

AutzenZoo (where hamsters turn on frequently?) on Whit's hire - Autzen ZooWhat Kyle Whittingham's hire at Michigan means for Oregon...Kyle Whittingham was a great hire for Michigan on the heels of a scandal and a clumsy coaching search.

Three To-Dos for Whit - https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/michigan-hires-kyle-whittingham-utah-next-steps-underwood-poggi

Northwestern 34 - Central Michigan 7 Minnesota 20 - New Mexico 17 With OBD's defeat of JMU and UW's defeat of Boise State, the B1G, to date, is 4-0 in the postseason. Tomorrow, Penn State vs Clemson - 9 AM ABC. https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/jalen-smiths-second-diving-td-grab-wins-rate-bowl-as-minnesota-denies-new-mexico-first-10-win-season-since-1982-015648588.html Northwestern recap - https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/preston-stone-throws-3-tds-northwestern-has-4-takeaways-in-347-victory-over-central-michigan

CBS Sports - This was a 'perfect hire' for Michigan https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/michigan-hires-kyle-whittingham-coach/

Let's see, shall we? Matt Campbell is 46 years old, with his own bona fides as an HC working with fewer resources than he will have at Michigan. After being hired, Campbell made a very smart move by keeping interim coach Terry Smith, who played ball for Joe Petino and has been one of PSU's top recruiters since 2014. Like Nick Saban, Campbell's first HC job was with Toledo, and he recruited from Gateway High School in Monroeville, PA, where Smith built a high school powerhouse. Smith should be instrumental in keeping current players with the team. A fun and interesting game tomorrow, 9 AM on ESPN, sees PSU vs. Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. Campbell will be there (DUH!), but Smith is the HC for this game. There are a lot of coaches PSU and Michigan could have hired who would have given me less concern for OBD down the road. Both of these coaches are prototypical Big Ten coaches. Oregon hosts Michigan next season and is at Michigan in 2027. Penn State visits OBD in 2027.

2008, when Utah went 13-0 and defeated Saint Nick and Bama in the Sugar Bowl, is arguably Utah's finest season with Whit with the program? Here's the counterargument: Ooops, I hear Crickets 😁.

It's Boxing Day, not Christmas Day, but here are some PO naughty and nice PO takes. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-teams-naughty-nice-bracket/?eid=c7d8647c6247db8d08c59fe44bc30380a147aa90b9e33099045cd46ddc6a485b&ftag=SNL-04-10aaa0b&ET_CID=512084&ET_RID=5248271

She's a Michigan grad who covered Michigan sports when in school and has deep ties to the school.

Thanks, Jabba. 66 and not 63, thanks for the correction. Whit's as fit as the proverbial fiddle and a perfect 'bridge coach' for Michigan, and a hire by AD Warde Manuel's who is trying to save his job. Four years from now, in 2030, CFB and the Big Ten, with a new media deal kicking in, could be structured very differently from what we see today. Michigan was instrumental in sinking the B1G's private capital deal, not wanting to be tied to anything through 2046. Not having Michigan, and to a lesser extent, SC, on board with the capital infusion is Tony Petitti's biggest muff to date. As you so note, Whittingham is squeaky clean. Took Utah to the Rose Bowl, and defeated Bama and Saint Nick in the Sugar Bowl.

If Whit is Michigan's Man, it took Penn State and Michigan time to find their guys, but both are odds-on to be excellent hires and a pain in OBD's tail feathers. 🤬 Whit is 4-8 vs. Oregon. Not bad considering the disparity in resources. Matt Campbell is 1-0 with a 34-17 Fiesta Bowl win over Mario.

Looks like an 'old friend' is in line to be Michigan's next coach. Whit is 63 going on 40, if that, and his style of play on both sides of the ball fits Michigan. And is a pain to compete against. My apologies to Gat and others for questioning Whit's desire to continue coaching. Not a lot of ski slopes near Ann Arbor, but he won't be the only guy with a motorcycle. There could be a Whit sighting in Autzen in 2026 when Whit brings the Wolverines for a visit. ESPN.comSources: U-M targeting Utes legend WhittinghamUtah coach Kyle Whittingham has emerged as the focus of Michigan's coaching search, sources told ESPN.

Lot you know, DeNunzio, er, JJ. On3 reports that Michigan is on the cusp of hiring Kyle Whittingham! My goodness, GAT, win the prediction contest and now this? WOW! 😍 On3 is a $ site, I can't post the article but I believe there will be more to follow that can be posted.

One of the first things Tosh did after accepting the job was travel to Hawaii and re-recruit Sag. Under Tosh, I hope the Cal D won't have late-game, last-play meltdowns like it did on Christmas Eve, while blowing a 21-point lead vs. Hawaii, losing 35-31 on a blown coverage TD pass with ten seconds left, and Hawaii's starting QB out of the game.

Bachelors 3 😁! And a football famous guaranty!

Mike, thank you so much for a perfect take delivered on a perfect day. GO DUCKS!

As the 4-seed, I believe TT is the 'home team' for uniform, locker room, etc. purposes, and accordingly wears the darker colored uniforms. If the PO plays out as seeded, OBD (knock wood) will be the 'away team' for the Orange, Peach, and Champ games. WRECK TECH!

Through 12/20, JMU is No. 6 in rushing the ball. 19th in total offense. JMU looked to be the better team compared to Tulane. This was the second time this season that Ole Miss played and blew out the Green Wave. Did UCLA, with the hire of JMU's Bob Chesney, hire a better coach than Florida did with the hire of Tulane's Jon Sumrall? JMU showed up in Autzen with a purpose and never quit, even when down 34-6 at the half. OBD was never in danger of losing the game, but JMU looked like the best team in the G5. Travel-wise, Chesney had a greater burden to juggle than Sumrall, by far, and Chesney kept Nico, while for some reason, or no reason, Sumrall did nothing to keep QB Lagway in Gainesville. Sumrall starts with a Blue Chip roster advantage, but of these two, whose careers will be compared to one another, I wouldn't sell Chesny short. And Chesney begins with a much longer leash than Sumrall.

A blessed and Merry Christmas to all Forum Friends and your families. And to the Spirit of Abbie, and to all whom we have held dear in Christmas's past.

Anticipated viewership is the reason ESPN farmed out the G5 games to TNT. A real playoff game, in a PO managed by the NCAA and not Mickey Mouse, gave us a terrific PO game where the tickets to get in cost more than any ticket for an FBS 1st round game, a Brawl of the Wild rematch, Montana State 48 - Montana 23, in a game closer than the final score. All of Dan's beefs concerning this Bowl Extravaganza are spot on. Perhaps OBD will 'win' both the FBS and FCS POs? GO Montana State!

Thank you, Darren, for another article that most certainly peaks OBD fans' interest. Good take, Duckhart. Texas Tech is ranked 1st in QB hurries. OBD is ranked 116th. This is the biggest disparity in the 2025 rankings between the two teams. Other stats - In 2024 and 2025, OBD is 25-0 when rushing for 100 yards or more. 0-2 when rushing for fewer than 100. Rush D - Texas Tech No. 1 - OBD No. 24 Rush O - OBD No. 13 - 217.1 avg. per game - 5.9 yds per carry. (FYI, JMU's rush game is ranked No. 6.) Texas Tech No. 26 - 190.9 avg. per game - 4.8 yds per carry Pass D - OBD No. 6 - Texas Tech No. 21 Pass O - Texas Tech No. 11 - 289.4 Yds - OBD No. 44 - 251.8 yards Oregon's passing attack will be the best TT has faced this season. Total D - Texas Tech No. 2 - OBD No. 8 Scoring D - Texas Tech No. 3 - OBD No. 9 Defense Stop Rate - Texas Tech No. 1 - OBD No. 6 The Red Raiders appear to have a decided statistical advantage. But Waiiiiiittttt A Minute!😁😁😁 Even in the NFL with 32 teams all having Purple Chip Rosters, Strength of Schedule (SOS) remains a crucial factor. For the 1st time, ATB (After Tom Brady) under a new coach, Ohio State All-American, Mike Vrabel, the Patriots are playoff-bound. Great improvement in attitude and player performance under Vrabel, but the turnaround was helped by the Pats' opponents having a .374-win percentage. As fortuitous a scheduling break for the Pats as Texas A&M had in 2025, going 7-0 against SEC teams without winning records and 0-1 vs. 9-3 Texas. And O-1 against 11-2 Miami. FPI Strength of Schedule Rankings through 12/20/25 - OREGON - No. 14 - Texas Tech - No. 54. Will we see this SOS advantage show up in the Orange Bowl? Will OBD use its roster advantage and peak at the right time and wipe out the memory of last New Year's (Ryan 🤬) Day? This (knock wood) is the first of OBD's three remaining games. To win it all, three peaks have to be conquered. Get the first one done on 1/1, and hopefully the third on a return to Miami on 1/19. 😍 If OBD can conquer Texas Tech, we'll see an Orange in OBD's New Year's stocking, instead of a lump of fossilized oil. WRECK TECH!