GatOrlando

Can both teams lose? The only reason I would have any interest in seeing a winner, is if Michigan could keep Miami out of the playoff. But I think Super Mario will take care of that on their own. Pittsburgh is disciplined enough to beat the sloppy Hurricanes. It's also going to be pretty cold.

Kind of like Day, Freeman,Lanning, Riley, Smart, Sark, or Venables. I would be curious to see if any true tier one jobs will give an assistant the reins in this day and age. By tier, or even resource rich , I mean an upper level B1G, SEC program, or Notre Dame. You could probably include Texas Tech, BYU, or Miami in there as well. They seem to have money to buy transfers.

Silly season is almost upon us. Duck fans don't have to worry about it, worrying about a potential home playoff game vs Alabama or Notre Dame is much more fun. But, I did hear from an Arkansas individual, that Will Stein had crept up to the top four in their job search. To me, that doesn't make much sense. Arkansas has all of the madness of a Florida or LSU, without the resources. They can't even fill up their basketball gym for coach Cal. Their top booster, Tyson Foods CEO, is starting to impose his will. He won't sacrifice anymore chicken wings , until he gets more say. I don't believe Mr. Stein will leave for Arkansas, and there is now one job he can't leave for, even if he wanted to. That job is with hand chop U "Free Shoes University". Florida State is retaining Mike Norvell for the 2026 season, because three ACC wins in two years is good enough evidently🤣.

I think the game has passed him by. Was he really that instrumental at Ohio State last year? It took him till the playoffs to figure out that he had three NFL receivers, and two NFL running backs that could also be used in the passing game. How well is that Jim Knowles fellow doing btw? I'm not saying Chip is a bad coordinator, or that he didn't help Ohio State win. What I'm saying is that when a program has itself running at optimum level, you can have multiple coordinators flow in and out. Just as long as you have the right structure and alignment. Nick Saban at Alabama, Ryan Day at Ohio State, Dan Lanning at Oregon, Kirby Smart at Georgia. Even championship coaches like Dabo or Jimbo won with one set of coordinators. Clemson hasn't been the same without Venables, and Jimbo Fisher couldn't duplicate what he did with Jameis at Texas A&M. Both those guys had/have every resource Dan, Ryan, or Kirby have. They just couldn't adapt to losing assistants, and NIL management/transfer portal rules. Chip would do well to find a place with the structure he had under Ryan Day, and stay there if he wants to continue coaching.

That B1G Title game will be pointless if it's Indiana vs Ohio State imo. Both will get byes if they make it there. Let's go to the play in model Petitti proposed. Personally I'd rather see Michigan vs Oregon, USC vs Washington in two weeks. In the SEC we could get Ole Miss vs Vanderbilt, and Georgia vs Oklahoma. That would incentivize being in the top 2 of both big boy conferences. If Ohio State loses vs Michigan, they could drop to a play in, which would guarantee Oregon a playoff spot. We could even get a rematch between Ohio State and Michigan the next week to see who gets in the playoff. Give the top four seeds a home playoff, that would further make being in the top two a reward.

More central, but close Jon. I don't claim Miami or Tallahassee ( even if I did attend college at the latter). John Candy is a very underrated comedic genius imo. I enjoyed his subtle facial expressions over Sam Kinnison, or Chris Farley. Like John, I think a more subtle personality like DeBoer would thrive at Penn State. They have high expectations, but it's not at the fevered pitch of an SEC madhouse like Tuscaloosa. Seriously, people want him on the hot seat after losing to Oklahoma. They think it's a given that whoever is the coach at Alabama, should win a title every other year. They tend to forget what life was like before Saban. Just like LSU folks tend to forget that before Saban won a title in '03(split with USC) that they hadn't ever won a legitimate National Title. The SEC tends to live in a tiny bubble. They refuse to see that the perceived superiority is nothing but an ESPN illusion. There's a reason why Lane Kiffin isn't signing an extension like Cignetti or Elko. Ole Miss is running at it's optimum. It's not sustainable. They don't have the real money, or resources to maintain the level they are at. Eventually the transfer cushion will deflate, and Ole Miss will fall back on their thirty first rated classes. At LSU, you have a situation involving all matters of madness. At Florida, there isn't a school president currently, and many top boosters want Stricklin gone. I personally would sign a LeBron James deal if I were Lane. But he's likely looking at this as his moment to be the top name. Next year his team could lose five games and he's an afterthought.

It might be a better cultural fit tbh. I've heard that the focus was on Chesney from James Madison, but then I've also heard they were interested in Brian Hartline. Honestly, I'm ready for this silly season to come to an end. It's gotten to the point where it feels like stalking, with family members being tracked visiting their kids on campus. Potential houses going on, or off the market. Tracking planes, trains, or automobiles like some weirdos.

I feel like the seeding and format still need to be tweaked. Oregon should've gotten a home game in round two. They also should've gotten the lowest rated opponent, I realize Ohio State was the lowest seed. But we all knew they were rated ahead of Boise and ASU. The CFP needs to give the highest rated team in round two, the lowest remaining seed. The NFL does this, so if the 12 seed, 11 seed, 10 seed, or 9 seed beats their opponent, they need to be sent to the appropriate opponent. If Oregon wins as the sixth seed, and North Texas beats Texas Tech. North Texas needs to be sent to a higher rated opponent.

There's talk in Georgia and Ole Miss, that they don't want to make it to Atlanta. Both would prefer to have a home playoff game to replace playing a CCG. Is this the same in Eugene? I admit it would be fun to see Alabama or Notre Dame up in Autzen.

A Gopher, Badger, and Beaver walk into a Duck pond. Does any walk out on their own power? Quack the rodents.

Washington is down by three. Wisconsin has almost tripled their B1G average of 5.5 ppg with 13 points. Indiana was a missed toe drag away from losing to a Penn State squad that has a backup QB, interim coach, and zero P4 wins. November is where the contenders win, and with the playoff system in place, you will still be in contention. Anybody who misses the old system where a writer could determine the champion, a computer would pick the two best participants, or a group of people would pick four teams based off some unknown list of qualities, has to see some positives in at least getting a shot right? If Oregon wins out, they become legendary in Eugene lore. Last year Ohio State fans went from thinking that was the worst season ever, to saying it was a legendary run. It's snowing in Madison now btw. Washington is driving down by three. Their playoff hopes are on the line. It's an important game because it has playoff implications. If Washington loses, the game against Oregon becomes just a spoiler. But if they win? That's a playoff game for both teams imo.

With all the talk of who deserves a ranking, or which conference deserves more at large berths. I have an outside the box idea, let me know if it's idiotic, or unfeasible. Picture this. The first two weeks of the season we could have a P4 OOC challenge, and a G6 one as well. The champions of each league could match up with the champions of the other, and you could do that down the line. This year you'd have Oregon face Georgia and Clemson. Penn State could face Texas and Iowa State. Arizona State could face Georgia and Clemson. Third, Fourth, and Fifth could matchup, and down the line. We could truly find out the quality of each conference as a whole. The overall winners of these mini two week challenges could get two points for each win, which could help determine byes and home field advantage. The G6 winners could square up to help determine which could get the at large. Now if those teams fell out and had five losses, you could go to best record and rank. But if you were to get Memphis or Boise State tied, you could use the two week challenge. I think it would help make the first two weeks mean something. It would eliminate all those terrible games we see like Penn State vs Villanova, USC vs Missouri State, Florida vs Long Island, Oregon vs Portland State, etc.... I know it's never going to happen, but it'd be fun. Would you like to see Oregon play Clemson at home, and then play Arizona State on the road to open the season? I know ASU is a familiar opponent, but it wouldn't be like that every year. You could get Oregon vs Ole Miss, and we'd stop having this silly what if. It could help to dispell the perception that one conference is head and shoulders above another. Imagine just finding out in September, and it wouldn't be hypothetical. Believe me when I tell you ESPN needs an earlier lesson. Paul Finebaum would be shut up earlier. We'll probably not. He'd find some excuse.

Reminds me of a certain year, seemed like everyone wanted that matchup.....

Great article. I think you are experiencing what I felt when Florida had to travel to Missouri and Texas A&M for the first time a decade ago, as conference opponents. Except on a far larger scale. You jumped into a one hundred plus year old conference that was largely associated with midwestern universities. Yes getting to host Ohio State and Michigan are great. You grew up knowing those are programs you'd love to see Oregon play. Rutgers and Maryland aren't even traditional B1G programs. They joined the league along with Nebraska in 2011 from the Big 12, ACC, and Big East (remember them?). Oregon at Rutgers is a game you would get if you and and buddy were playing on NCAA Football on whatever console you own, it would be one of those randomizer games you'd just let the CPU pick for you. I think as the years go on, you will build up some feeling for going to Iowa or Minnesota, especially if they upset you. You already have a history with Wisconsin. From experience, I can tell you that I'm starting to really dislike Missouri and Texas A&M in the same way I do South Carolina, and Ole Miss. It's taken a decade, but there's genuine feelings that weren't there before. Give it some time. It won't ever be like the old PAC Twelve, but that's because you grew up with that conference. Kids growing up today will grow up with new rivalries.

I know what that guy and bunch are. They will dominate teams they can just out talent like USF, or against in game "generals" like Billy Napier. But Lashlee and Brohm will out coach him everyday that ends with a y. They have just enough talent to keep up until Mario does something silly.

Truthfully the SEC has been diluted to the point where it's a very even conference, but it's incredibly ovverrated. Alabama still lost to FSU, they've dominated SEC play. To me that loss still counts. You can't just pretend it didn't happen. My prediction is Alabama will end up being the best SEC team, even though A&M has the best win of any team this far(@Notre Dame). But Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma aren't beating Indiana, Oregon, or Ohio State.

USC is Jekyll/Hyde candidate of the year to me. They control the line of scrimmage against Michigan one week, then they let Notre Dame run all over them the next. Their defense can generate sacks and pressure against Michigan State, then they can't lay a finger on the Illinois QB the next week. I'm not sure if Lincoln Riley is the guy to get USC up to a playoff caliber squad. Nebraska was that fringe top 25 team before losing Raiola. They just can't seem to put it together under Rhule, better than anything they've had since Pelini though. I'd say they are in that Iowa, Minnesota range. I can't see them making that leap up to the Oregon, Indiana, and Ohio State tier though.

Two time defending PAC Who champions!!!! It's about to become the Boise State show next year, so enjoy this run Beavis fans. Serious question though. Washington State should've beaten Virginia, and they gave Ole Miss problems for four quarters. How do they not beat the bricks off this Beavis squad behind an interim coach?

Seems like the Huskers are snakebit. One week after learning Rhule will be staying long term, they lose their starting QB for the year. They are bowl eligible at the start of November for the first time since 2017.

He'd get a longer leash at Florida, it's been a minute since ten win seasons were the norm. The money also doesn't dictate to Scott Stricklin. I think if Lane or whomever gets hired, all we would want to see is progression. The one positive Napier left behind was a great collection of talent, and a more serious investment in football. He helped get the facilities up to snuff, created connections back to the high schools in State, and got Florida to pay for a large support staff. At LSU and Penn State they will expect playoffs by year two. There's also meddling up and down their leadership.

Norvell is a DMW, but this is a bad year to be in the coaching sweepstakes. There are clearly three better jobs open, and not enough sure fire dudes available. FSU isn't getting the sure fire guy, if there is even one of those. The buyout will decrease by ten million next year. The issue is recruits and assistants likely know Norvell is a DMW. They run the risk of stretching out their timeline for a rebuild, just like Florida did with Napier. If Florida had fired Napier last year, they'd be wrapping up year one with whoever the next guy would be. I would prefer Fisch, but most want Kiffin, and he would've taken the job with no hesitancy last year. Now Florida is going to have to pay him a considerably higher guaranteed contract to get him. Arkansas likely would've had Golesh finishing his first year, instead they are going to be competing with Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, UCLA, and Michigan State for whoever they want. FSU is likely going to be in that tier as well imo. But you don't have to get the biggest name, or the biggest list of accomplishments. It won't take long either, but you need the right guy. Vanderbilt, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, and Cincy have all proven that. Get some guy who brings a culture, and give him some resources. It doesn't even have to be top ten resources, just allocate your full allotment the revenue sharing model allows you.

Apparently Penn State is looking at a name nobody was talking about two weeks ago. That name? Brian Hartline. I guess the old saying "If you can't beat them, just take as much as possible from them". Well that isn't exactly the phrase, but you know what I mean. I would personally think Stein is the safer candidate, but the trend to hire young dudes in their thirties that recruit really well, is the new trend. Dillingham, Lanning, Freeman, Day, and Riley being the trailblazers. I will say Penn State will get awesome receivers for the first time in my lifetime, if they make that hire. This might be good for Oregon. They get to keep Stein, and he won't be an in conference for that could take any recruits with him. I don't think Stein leaves unless it's a job with resources close to what Oregon offers. Kind of like Kirby. Florida and LSU are looking elsewhere, and those are the only current options that fit that bill. Now if Michigan State , Auburn or Florida State came open, that might be a different story.

I would call this "Finebaum's Nightmare" " Imagine a world where Florida, Auburn, and LSU are in a landfill of mediocrity. When out of the sky a program with 700 losses is beating Alabama and Georgia to win a third straight championship for the B1G. Coming this Winter, Curt Cignetti presents Finebaum's New Nightmare!!!

Not sure Oregon needs the fuel to kick the bricks off Iowa, as a second loss would cost Oregon a home playoff game. It would also take them out of B1G Title contention. But if you want a reason to dislike Iowa, because what's there to really dislike about them otherwise. They play hard, and have been pretty clean off the field. Their DC Phil Parker was asked about the strengths of the Ducks offense, and he threw out the "Well Funded" line that Mike Gundy seemed fixated on. Why you gonna do that Phil? The Ducks were probably going to sleepwalk on Saturday. But now after that ugly Wisconsin game, and now this. They are about to put your feet to the fire.