noDucknewby

I see two losses before the bye week, probably Georgia and BYU or Wazoo. I see one loss after the bye week, most likely Utah or UCLA. That's 9-3 with one or two conference losses. If it's one, we're in the conference championship, with two probably not. The key this year IMHO is a stout defense that gives the offense (especially at QB) time to develop. If our defense plays up to it's full potential (and we stay healthy), we could go 10-2. I don't see an 11-win regular season, we would have to run the table after a Georgia loss (still giving us a chance here, but being realistic).

I'm cautiously optimistic, as usual I guess. Not drinking the Kool-Aid just yet, but he probably gives us our best shot against Georgia in the opener. After that it's up to the coaches as much as Bo to put him in a position to succeed and if he's not working out then they need to have the courage to bench him for Ty or Butters. Often in football the key to QB success is a good defense and running game. We should have both regardless of who winds up getting the start.

CalBear I stand corrected on the CSU/UC distinction, and I'm not denying Cals academic credentials. I speculated on an earlier thread that Cal and Stanford would get invites, I'm just saying it's unlikely they get invited before UO/WU.

The only reason to bring Cal along would be to pacify the CSU board of regents and get UCLA off the hook. I could see Stanford going ahead of the Ducks, but Cal? Not likely IMHO.

Well clearly the gloves are off. Not sure I agree with him, but at least he's scrapping for the conference instead of sipping Dom Perignon on a chartered flight to his $7K night hotel suite. He's also hinting that UO may have trouble getting to the B1G without little brother. Pretty clever.

Of course we're a threat, but does that make us a favorite? Not in my book. I'm not seeing any advantage in offense, defense or special teams, plus they have for all practical purposes the home field. I love our coaching staff, but this is DL's first game as a head coach playing against a journeyman coming off a national title. There's familiarity on both sides so that's probably a push. Regardless of how many new starters they have on defense, it is unlikely we we put up big numbers against them. I think our best chance is for OUR defense to have a great game and keep it close going into the fourth quarter. I don't see the moment being too big for Bo Nix, he's been there before. That said, he makes a bone-headed pick or two and we're toast. I'm hoping we can loosen their D up with a couple of explosion plays early, keep it close and win the fourth quarter.

Oregon will absolutely be competitive in the B10. We've already held our own against their top tier: Michigan, Michigan St., Wisconsin and now tOSU. Sure it will take an exceptional season to win the conference. Granted everyone is still chasing Ohio State at this point, but Michigan broke through this year and there's absolutely no reason we can't too. Besides, we won't have to win the B1G to get into the playoff. Since Warren and Sankey have indicated they may not support AQs now in the expanded playoff, it's unlikely that a salvaged P10 will get an automatic bid with or without conference expansion. Since the B1G and SEC have all the power, they're going to get as many at-large "best teams" spots as possible. Assuming an expanded 12-16 team playoff, those two conferences will account for at least half the playoff spots. Consequently a third or fourth place finish in either of those conferences gets you in. We remain in the P12 and we will most likely have go undefeated to even get a look. A one-loss P12 champion probably doesn't even get a sniff. I don't really like it, but if we get invited we have to go. We gain top-tier financial stability, playoff access and will always be seated at the big table. Stay in the Pac and we're just going to get table scraps.

I guess we know where the University of Spoiled Children got their entitled attitude.

Interesting article, I'm just not sure I agree with the basic premise that ND is the next B10 expansion domino. As much as I've always despised the preferential treatment of ND (going all the way back to the "Notre Dame Clause" of the BCS), I still believe that remaining independent in football is an inherent part of their identity. I think there's a very good chance they cut a deal with NBC even though they may have to accept less money. This is a university with a billion-dollar endowment, so a few million a year probably doesn't mean that much compared to their cherished independence. The real issue is playoff access and with the CFP almost certainly expanding to 12-16 teams, probably without AQs, their access will most likely be as good as anyone's while remaining independent. That said, I agree that no B10 expansion happens without their decision. If it's no then I still see the B10 moving forward, just maybe not as laid out here.

My take as well. Bo-Going to be hard to beat out for the opener at least, lots of SEC big game experience, clearly our best shot a giving Georgia a run. Butters-Really liked what I saw in the spring game, seems football smart, good accuracy. Ty-Physically imposing, great runner but just hasn't seemed to progress much since last year. Last year's coaching staff didn't do Ty or Butters any favors. Nothing against AB, he had some really good games and was pretty solid in the 4th quarter. That said he really struggled at times, and why he didn't get benched in the two Utah blowouts is beyond me.

Hate to say I told you so: Big Ten evaluating Cal, Oregon, Stanford and Washington from Pac-12 as further expansion considered - CBSSports.com WWW.CBSSPORTS.COM Could the Big Ten balloon to a 20-team (or more) league?

No cure for this nonsense except live snaps. Come on game day!

You've got to admit it, the guy's on a roll. He's pretty much calling his own shots and going forward he is in a better position for expansion than the SEC. Of course he covets ND, but it's my guess they reach a mega-deal with NBC and stay independent. Other than them, he pretty much has his pick of P12/B12 teams to choose from if he wants expansion and from what I'm seeing, he wants to be THE Alpha Dog conference, overtaking the SEC in that regard. The SEC is somewhat limited in expansion candidates, primarily because of the ACC TV deal locks in their most desirable programs long-term. Yeah maybe that gets challenged in court, or an outright buyout is negotiated, but that's expensive and complicated. All Warren has to do is invite UO/Fuskies and P12 becomes the new Mountain West (if it even survives at all). Nothing at that point would save them as a power conference. If I'm in his Machiavellian shoes I wait for ND, but once they are out I invite UO/Fuskies and Cal/Stanford and kill the P12. That would provide a 6-team pod (maybe throw in Nebraska) that could play each other every year and that takes care of 5 conference games on the West Coast. The other 3 or 4 could be home/away so each team in that pod would only play in traditional B10 territory 2-3 times a year. That also eases the travel burden on the other sports. Logistically it works better than just USC/UCLA and financially he could probably name his own price.

Yeah maybe, but BYU already has B12 invite and we already have the SLC market. That said BYU does have a national following and it would be great to see the Utah-BYU rivalry in the P12. Utah-Colorado is a bit of yawner.

The P12 has two choices: 1. Get off their academic high-horse and survive. 2. Stay the course and be a wannabe West Coast Ivy League with no access to the CFP. SDSU and UNLV should be given invites at 50% of the first TV contract, that fills out the south and adds TV value. Should also consider FSU and Boise State with the same percentage (or lower) as a longer-term investment.

Well this would doom two programs instead of (maybe) one. Wouldn't surprise me though, unfortunately.

P12 stuck between a rock and hard place. I can't imagine the conference surviving long-term with only 10 members. B12 merger out for now, ACC partnership is very complicated at best. So where do expansion candidates come from? The B12 is in the same boat although they have more of a cushion with 14 members and have no qualms about academic "prowess", so that gives them the advantage. Either way I just don't see both conferences surviving and if they can poach a couple of P12 schools then our conference is dead. In that scenario, I'd rather have SDSU and FSU and still be a conference. GK knows this. If he can't figure out how to get the P12 to 12-16 members, we're toast.

Sources: ACC, Pac-12 Discussing ESPN TV Partnership WWW.SI.COM The proposal between the leagues comes after the Big Ten’s addition of USC and UCLA. Interesting read, explains "loose partnership".

Of course ESPN doesn't have to let them out of their current GOR, that's why the ACC is trying to entice them with more programming. Any renegotiated ACC deal in conjunction with the P12 would have to be on ESPN's terms, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. I just don't see how we can trust ESPN not to just herd Clemson, Miami, FSU and UNC into the SEC. I'm not a lawyer, but I believe if the P12 and ACC voluntarily dissolve to form another conference, the GOR becomes moot. I can't imagine the feeding frenzy if that were to happen, though.

Absolutely. We get the ACC out of their horrid TV deal and the SEC and B1G come in and cherry-pick the top names. Maybe this is just a scheduling agreement? I just don't see how any of this pencils out. George better know what he's doing. For us, the B1G still the best option IMHO.

I guess that's the point I'm making, as a member of a lesser conference we would have to go undefeated and have a lot of other variables fall into place as happened with Cincinnati. Not a good position to be in. And that's assuming that the Power 2 even allow other conferences to participate in the new CFP. An NFL-style breakaway league is probably the end game IMHO.

Couldn't agree more. There are lots of factors contributing to the demise of college football, going all the way back to the BCS which began the process of diminishing "The Granddaddy of them All". Blame it on ESPN, blame it on SEC dominance, blame it on corporate/university greed, blame it on whatever you want but the bottom line is the game as we know it is not coming back. Yep life goes on and the law of the jungle is adapt or die, we just need to find our niche and move on.

Not seeing this as a bad thing, it seems that we may have options. That is of course, accepting the fact that college football as we know it is dead and we need to move on Since this whole thing broke, I've been thinking Stanford would be attractive to the Big10 to help lure in ND, plus of course their academic prowess and Bay Area media market. Unfortunately I just don't see the P12 surviving as a power conference. Our road to the playoffs will be harder if we join the Big10, but if we don't we'll have no clout at all, just hoping that the new CFP in whatever form it emerges throws us a bone like they did to Cincinnati.

REPORT: Big Ten’s ‘wish list’ for conference expansion includes ND, Oregon, Stanford, UNC SPORTS.YAHOO.COM The Big Ten reportedly has its eyes set on four additional teams for expansion Sorry Fuskies.

Yeah fun's over now.