Jon Joseph

NJ, You Are the Man! Zach Neel's QB rankings once again expose his ability to consistently err and get his facts wrong. (I know I am breaking protocol with this comment but Neel's constant muffs tick me off.) Let's start by correctly identifying the projected starters for three teams that Neel whiffed on. Purdue - Malachi Singleton is expected to start. Malachi transferred in from Arkansas where he put up 385 passing yards and rushed for 72 yards in the Hogs upset of Tennessee. Sorry, Zach, Hudson Card is out of eligibility and has left the building. Northwestern - NW brought in Preston Stone from SMU for a reason. The reason, QB Jack Lausch was terrible in 2024 and in 2023, Stone led SMU to the AAC title. Minnesota - Drake Lindsey and not Zach Pyron is expected to start for the Gophers. The above information is readily available on something called The World Wide Web. Other than that? Ranking Underwood No. 8 when Mikey Keene, who transferred in from Fresno State, is expected to start for Michigan. Hmmm. Ranking Ohio State's Julian Sayin ahead of guys with starting experience including UW's Williams, Illinois' Luke Altmyer, Wisconsin's Billy Edwards, Maiva who took Penn State to OT and with a win over Texas A+M, Iowa's Gronowski who won titles at South Dakota, Mendoza, a player Cal hated to lose, UCLA's Aguilar who balled out at APP State, and even Kaliakmanis at Rutgers, is idle speculation. I have no beef with Allar at No.1 but if Dylan Riola turns out to be the 2nd best QB in the conference; well, I will humbly apologize. This is a criticism of the author, Mr. Neel, and not OBD's top messenger, Mister NJ Duck.

Charles, I, of course, respect your opinion, I'm LOL at the good doctor and not you, but especially if the B1G and SEC agree to games between the two conferences as a matter of course, and the SEC moves to nine conference games, I believe auto bids for the Power 2 are warranted. I also think the 14-team NFL playoff structure will work better than a 16-team field and not exclude any team with a real shot at the title. Preference for B1G and SEC teams is warranted based on the history of the BCS and the 4-team playoff. Warranted by the number of people who turn in to watch the SEC and B1G play football. Warranted by roster strength; there is not a B12 team with a Blue Chip Roster, and only Clemson and Miami in the ACC are Blue Chip, although FSU is close. Nine conference games in the B12 and eight conference games in the ACC will not equate to nine in the SEC and in most cases, nine in the B1G. G5 schedules are not close in strength of schedule. And from what we saw from the Committee in the first 12-team PO, for example seeding G5 Boise ahead of B12 champ ASU, does not IMO warrant trust in a Committee that does its business in the dark. Did an SMU team that played a soft schedule and lost to BYU at home deserve to be in over three-loss SEC teams and three-loss Illinois? Illinois had one bad loss, at home vs Minnesota. Its other losses were on the road at Penn State and OBD. For that matter, should SMU have been in over a two-loss BYU team? Sixteen teams, no byes has a definite appeal. But unless the calendar is addressed and fixed by starting the season on week zero and flex scheduling in conference champ games, the season is too long. Of course, if these changes are not made with 12 teams the season is too long. 34M people watched OBD play TOSU in the first 4-team playoff title. That far, far fewer people watched two iconic programs play for the first 12-team championship should be clear as a bell. The NFL is more popular than CFB. Going head-to-head against the NFL in the postseason is not savvy. The B1G and the SEC have the power to find a solution once and if they insist on holding a playoff. A playoff like every other division in college football and the NFL that does not worry about using bowls as playoff game sites. This of course will depend on the upper echelon of CFB and not media companies, managing the postseason. With disparate strength of schedule in college football, more wins do not ipso facto mean a team is superior to a team with an extra loss or two. I think 14 teams with a 4-4-2-2-1-1 format makes sense and makes more sense if Notre Dame has to play in a conference. Four B1G and Four SEC teams in the field do not mean the eight teams are the top eight seeds. It does not mean that the eight would be rewarded with a playoff home game(s.) ESPN's Bill Connolly ($ wall) went back to the beginning of the BCS era, 1998, and ran the above format for every season. Based on the final pre-BCS and pre-playoff rankings, four B1G and four SEC teams in a 14-team field were what would have happened in almost every season. Like it or not, this year and every year more people will tune in to watch Alabama at Penn State than SMU at Penn State. And more than ever, the money matters. Fun to ponder. Not easy to get 'right?'

Thoughts on OBD at Penn State Game. Oregon Ducks Schedule Preview: 'Marquee' Big Ten Showdown vs. Penn State Looms WWW.SI.COM The Oregon Ducks will travel to Beaver Stadium to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, Sept. 27. The kickoff time is to be determined. It will be r

Hats Off to Team USA and the NHL. Last night was far from a typical All-Star game. Five takeaways from USA-Canada at 4 Nations Face-Off WWW.YARDBARKER.COM A raucous, bombastic atmosphere highlighted a 3-1 win for Team USA over Team Canada in Saturday night's heavyweight showdown in Montreal.

I disagree with this Fansided author who criticizes SC for wanting to cancel the Notre Dame rivalry without all of the facts. Fact - USC plays nine conference games, a potential conference champ game, and a potential 17 games if it makes the PO champ game. Fact - USC is competing with ACC and SEC teams that play 8 conference games and not all but many ACC and SEC teams play four lightweights out of conference. Fact - Whether or not SC wanted to bail out of the Pac-12 for the B1G does not alter the fact that SC football has farther to travel every year than before and does not need another trip to the Eastern time zone every other season. Fact - There is no reason for SC to help out with Notre Dame's recruiting in California by playing a game in SoCal every other season. Fact - USC dropped long-standing rivalries with Cal and Stanford that could be renewed if the ND game was canceled and a game vs Cal/Stanford would be a far easier trip than going to South Bend. Fact - The last two PO champions played three G5 teams OOC and suffered not for doing so. Fact - A+M moved to the SEC and dumped Texas. Nebraska moved to the B1G and the annual game vs. Oklahoma was canceled. When the Big East conference broke up the Backyard Brawl game between Pitt and West Virginia ended. The loss of rivalry games is part and parcel of conference realignment. This should include ending the Civil War. Having defended USC I am now off to take a scalding hot shower. 😉 USC's excuses for threatening future of Notre Dame rivalry just don't add up FANSIDED.COM The Trojans are noncommittal about a future for their classic rivalry with Notre Dame, and there's not a great reason for that.

McCord at Syracuse did not have the quality of WR he had at Ohio State but he threw for more yards at Cuse than he did in Columbus. Ross had something to do with this and in Danno I trust. Question on the 5 Things to Know article from Ducks Wire, is a move from RB coach to WR coach an upgrade or a lateral move? Fran Brown who had never been an HC did a great job, as noted, at Syracuse in 2024. Ross was a big part. Thank you Syracuse for erasing a 21-point deficit and coming back to defeat Mari-Oh-Ho-Ho's Canes team and sending the Canes to play for The Mayo and not the PO Gold.

Draymond's a guy who should have played hockey. 😁 Back in the day, I watched UNLV routinely put up 90 and often 100 points with no 3-point line. The line did in part what it was intended to do, unclog the lane. But at what cost? The NBA games look like a game of H-O-R-S-E. Players can hit 3s but not mid-range jump shots?

No way. See: 30 Duck's photo post above. And do watch the movie Slapshot. Paul Newman said he had more fun making Slapshot than any other flick. The Hanson's could not carry a tune but they could definitely carry brass knuckles onto the ice. 😜

Kind of screwed? Y'all were screwed blue and tattoed, back-to-back. Greg Sankey deserves a 10-minute major penalty, at least. Texas with back-to-back First Class seats. Oklahoma? Take the last row in Coach, next to the lavatories. Why not screw over Natty winners Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in favor of Texas, Mizzou, and Ole Miss? Sense, meet Less. 'We only put three teams into the Playoff; let's play the same schedule and expect a different result!' Meanwhile, USA! USA! USA! Thanks for the boos, eh?

I'm not sure where the Hanson Bros played college hockey but here's where other 4 Nations players 'played ball.' College Hockey Inc » Former College Hockey Stars Set for 4 Nations Face-Off WWW.COLLEGEHOCKEYINC.COM College Hockey Inc. - Your NCAA Hockey Resource

He played his college hockey at U Mass-Lowell. Was not offered by BU, BC, or any other brand name teams. He's as good as it gets in today's game. Larkin's goal was a sweet breakout. Changing lines requires choreography that is hard to put together in an all-star game. Come on USA! Win in regulation and the USA is in the champ game to be played in BOSTON Thursday night.

Slapshot! Where are the Hanson Brothers? Three fights in 9 seconds qualify for beloved Cement-Head Hockey! Ned Dowd was a teammate of mine in college. Ned telling his sister that he did not know who owned the minor league pro hockey team he played on was the inspiration for her to write Slapshot. Let's Get Ready to Rumble! No kidding! 🍻

Holy Corporal Klinger! 😁 Way to go Diamond Ducks!

30, I agree one, two, three. As of this date, Oregon, Ohio State, and Ohio State are favored in these games. Ohio State, -6, is also favored vs. Texas and has the best odds to win back-to-back Nattys in 2025-26. OBD shares the 2nd best odds with Texas.

In 2025, the B1G 4 (yes, OBD has a seat at the B1G Boy table) only plays three games: OBD at Penn State; Penn State at Ohio State; and Ohio State at Michigan. 247 Sports Brad Crawford has Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State finishing 11-1. Oregon takes the L at Penn State, Penn State at Ohio State, and Ohio State at Michigan. 🥵 The heat is back on Ryan Day. I believe this would lead to a rematch of Oregon vs. Penn State in the B1G title game. TOSU would have Champ Game weekend off and another chance to redeem itself from a loss to Michigan; 5th in a row. Big Ten football 2025 game-by-game predictions: Ohio State, Penn State once again loaded

Wouldn't this be nice? Hughes, please come through.👌👍😉 https://athlonsports.com/college/oregon-ducks/pff-predicts-huge-year-for-hughes

Illinois with 16 starters back from a 10-3 team that defeated 9-4 South Carolina in its bowl game and with the 3rd easiest ranked 2025 B1G schedule, is the B1G champ sleeper pick in 2025. Illinois football looking to shock the world by landing a top quarterback recruit WRITINGILLINI.COM Illinois football has had an impressive run when it comes to recruiting, and some of the targets aren’t in the immediate future. With the class of 2025 buttoned Rivals has Illinois's 2026 recruiting class ranked 9th in the nation.

Heck of a Team! This might be Team USA's best hockey roster yet WWW.YARDBARKER.COM This team is loaded with All-Star-level talent. USA! USA! USA!

Let's Get Ready to Rumble, Eh? 14 of the NHL's top scorers on the ice when Canada plays the USA - at 5 PM Pacific on ABC. Why USA vs. Canada could be best hockey game of year WWW.YARDBARKER.COM It might not have the same importance or overall appeal as the Stanley Cup Playoffs, or even the upcoming Olympic games in 2026, but when the United States and Canada meet in the 4...

Thank you, Charles, great take. Rivals ranking of 2026 classes to date has four B1G teams in the top 10. No. 1 OBD. No. 3 USC. No. 5 Penn State. No. 9 Illinois. To date, Ohio State is ranked 19th. USC is not going quietly into the night. SC stole a 'GM' from Notre Dame, has reportedly increased its NIL chest, and is finally reaching out to California high schools. 2025 was not a great recruiting year for SC but Troy did flip a 5* QB from A+M, Husan Longstreet. One UW, Washington, I agree is a threat with Fisch at the helm. Wisconsin? Luke Fickell is on thin ice and the Badgers 2025 schedule across the board is ranked the most difficult in the B1G. Week 3 sees Wisconsin playing at Alabama. Preseason rankings have the Badgers playing four ranked teams, including Bama and OBD on the road and ranked Ohio State and Illinois at home. Wisconsin also plays bowl teams Iowa, Minnesota, and UW. When Wisconsin was winning the B1G West and sending teams to the Rose Bowl it never recruited in the top echelon but won with homegrown big-boy OL guys, terrific under-the-radar RBs, and solid D. With a new OC at Wisconsin, it will be interesting to see if the Badgers stop toying with the 'Dairy Raid' in 2025 and return to its smash-mouth roots. If the House settlement is approved and with the Department of Education backing off on direct payments having to be the same for male and female athletes, it will be interesting to see how a $20.5M direct payment cap to athletes will affect recruiting. (It will also be interesting to see how long, without Congressional help, any cap on direct payments will be upheld.) I expect that no matter the model, year after year B1G recruiting primacy will be a battle of the Os. Thanks again.

CBS Sports List of 2025 Games that will Impact the PO. Week 5: OBD at PSU 😍 In 2025, the B1G 4 teams play only 3 games between one another. OBD at PSU, PSU at TOSU, and TOSU at Michigan. In 2027, OBD plays at Michigan and plays PSU and TOSU in Autzen. 🤬 2025 College Football Playoff picture: Each week's most important game in shaping 12-team race - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Picking one game for each week of the 2025 college football schedule with CFP implications

Those were the days my friends ... Oregon Ducks Expected To Play In NIL Players Era Festival: $24 Million In NIL Payments WWW.YARDBARKER.COM In the first annual Players Era Festival in 2024, $9 million dollars in Name, Image, Likeness or NIL payments was split up between all the tournament participants, including the Oregon Ducks. So let's get back, get together, and do it again, right?

The Sporting New Composite 2025 Preseason Top 25. Composite college football top 25 rankings for 2025: Texas, Ohio State lead Way-Too-Early lists WWW.SPORTINGNEWS.COM The Arch Manning effect is real. Texas has 14 players from its 2024-25 team headed to the NFL combine including all of its top WRs and a very good TE. Who is Archie going to throw the ball to? In the opening game at Ohio State, Archie will be looking at AA Caleb Downs among other quality DBs. TOSU is -6.

Autzen Zoo with another take (thank you, NJ) on We're Number One! Oregon Ducks finally chosen to win the National Championship in Playoff projection AUTZENZOO.COM The Oregon Ducks are the defending No. 1 team in the nation and the defending Big Ten Champions yet they have hardly been projected to win the next Playoffs. Will OBD close the deal in 2025-26? Hope So! 😍 "Widely Underrated?" That's putting the Home in Homer! OBD, with 12 players off to the NFL Combine and a new starting QB, is ranked No. 6 in The Sporting News Preseason Composite (12 sites) rankings. I don't believe any scribe ranking OBD lower than No. 1 in the preseason, are underrating OBD. The top ranking in the composite for OBD is No. 3 from Yahoo. The lowest, No. 8, comes from Stewart Mandel of The Athletic.

A Rundown of the Five (or is it 10?) Schools with the Most Invites. OBD still has a way to go to catch UGA. 2025 NFL Combine: The 5 schools dominating this year's invite list SATURDAYBLITZ.COM The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is set to take place in Indianapolis from February 24 through March 3, giving top college football prospects the opportunity to sh