Tag: john canzano

Oregon Ducks stand as Ohio State’s biggest test, says Buckeyes writer

Oregon vs. Ohio State in October? That’s a massive game for both teams.

When you stand as one of the top teams in the nation, largely regarded as the No. 1 or No. 2 team in a majority of preseason polls, there aren’t many games on your schedule that should scare you.

However, when you’ve got a road game against a team that is ranked right behind you on the calender, then some heads might start to turn.

That’s the current situation for Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are viewed as the second-best team in the nation going into the 2024 season, according to ESPN’s way-too-early ranking. There aren’t many games on their schedule — outside of Michigan — each year that give them trouble, but with an influx of teams from the West Coast joining the Big Ten this year, that could change.

Now they have to deal with the Oregon Ducks.

Dan Lanning’s team is ranked No. 3 in the preseason polls, per ESPN, and the meeting between the two will take place in Eugene at Autzen Stadium in early October.

Bill Rabinowitz, who covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch, recently went on with 750 The Game’s John Canzano, where he identified the Ducks as Ohio State’s toughest test this year.

“I happen to think it’s the most difficult game of the season for Ohio State. It’s on the road at Oregon. They’ve never played there. It’s still going to be early in the season. It’s a tough game. Michigan is the one game they absolutely can’t lose because you figure Michigan is going to be a little down this year… but in terms of difficulty, if you asked ‘What game is Ohio State most likely to lose?’ I’d say Oregon.”

While the Ducks have done a great job of reloading through the transfer portal this offseason, the Buckeyes are in a similar position, landing guys like QB Will Howard, RB Quinshon Judkins, and S Caleb Down. An early betting line has been released for the matchup, with Ohio State favored by 1.5 points on the road, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

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WATCH: Scott Van Pelt reacts to report that Civil War will continue between Ducks and Beavers

ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt reacted to the report that the Civil War between the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers will continue in 2024.

On Wednesday morning, John Canzano reported that the Civil War rivalry series between the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers will continue in 2024, even with the two teams no longer in the same conference.

While some Oregon fans are frustrated at the prospect of giving up a 2024 home game against Texas Tech for a road game against the Beavers instead, many across the great state are just relieved that this storied rivalry that dates back to 1894 will continue, keeping alive the lifeblood of college football in the area.

On Wednesday night, ESPN’s leading anchor Scott Van Pelt reacted to the report from Canzano in his “One Big Thing” segment on ESPN, applauding the efforts made by both Oregon and Oregon State in preserving this rivalry game that represents so much of what makes college football great.

“The Civil War, like the Apple Cup, is a game that college football simply has to have,” Van Pelt said. “For all that is abandoned in the name of progress and profit, rivalries — true generations-old battles — must be maintained, or the lifeblood of what makes this sport spectacular evaporates.”

The game between the two will occur in Week 3 of the 2024 season, on September 14th. On that date, Oregon was originally scheduled to play Boise State at home, which was preluded by a home game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on September 7th.

Thanks to some scheduling help from those two teams, Texas Tech will now play Washington State on September 7th, while the Ducks move their game vs. Boise State to that week.

“As Canzano wrote, ‘It took work.’ And to that, I would say that the things in life worth having and keeping mostly do,” Van Pelt continued. “So the Civil War continues, and those who did the work behind the scenes to ensure it will, I salute you. From all the way on the other side of the country, a guy who has never seen that game in person and almost certainly never will, it makes me smile to know that the people to whom this game matters more than it should will get to continue to enjoy it. It’s worth the work required to preserve it for generations to come.”

As someone who grew up an Oregon Ducks fan and someone who has experienced the ups and downs of the Civil War since I was a child, I am thrilled that the game is continuing into the future. While the scheduling may be tough, and fans upset about losing a home game are justified, the end result of continuing one of the most historic rivalries in the nation makes it all worth it.

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Source tells Pac-12 columnist the league will get more money than Big 12

A well-placed source told @JohnCanzanoBFT that the #Pac12 will get more $ than the #Big12. Hello, Amazon.

Big news broke on Sunday morning when the Big 12 Conference finalized its media rights package with ESPN and Fox Sports. The Big 12 earned more money per school than in its previous deal, fetching roughly $31.7 million per school for 12 member institutions once Oklahoma and Texas leave for the SEC.

As you know, Big 12 and Pac-12 fans and journalists have had plenty of vigorous debates over the past few months since USC and UCLA announced their Big Ten move on June 30. The Big 12 definitely exceeded industry expectations with this deal. Commissioner Brett Yormark clearly did well. Notions of a revenue decrease with OU and Texas gone did not materialize. Yormark refuted his critics, some of them in the Pac-12.

Now the Pac-12 and George Kliavkoff are under huge pressure to deliver a competitive package which stands up to the Big 12 and ensures that the Arizona schools, Utah, and Colorado have no temptation to leave the Pac for the Big 12.

One Pac-12 columnist thinks the conference will not only achieve that goal, but will actually fetch more money per school than the Big 12 will.

Let’s go through John Canzano’s argument and lay it out in full:

REPORT: Pac-12 and ACC in talks for ‘loose partnership’ with a championship game

Some more big news from power five conferences, as the Pac-12 and ACC are reportedly in talks for a partnership:

As first reported by writer John Canzano and confirmed by CBS Sports, the Pac-12 and ACC are in talks to create a loose partnership between the conferences to earn increased media market value with ESPN.

Related: Wisconsin OLB Nick Herbig makes PFF’s Top 10 LBs for 2023 NFL draft

This move is a way for the conferences to battle the expansion of the SEC and Big Ten conferences in the coming years which will include the move of at least USC and UCLA to the Big Ten as well as Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC. The reports have also mentioned that the proposed partnership between the Pac-12 and ACC will likely include a championship game between them in Las Vegas.

The college football landscape has changed a lot over the last few weeks, and it looks like there could be even more moves coming soon as the conferences continue to shake out.

Seahawks and Blazers franchises both likely to be sold within a year

Regardless of how involved Allen is, it seems she might not be in charge of these organizations for much longer.

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For decades, the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers enjoyed a high level of stable ownership from philanthropist Paul Allen. The Microsoft co-founder was a rare breed of owner, one who was deeply invested in both franchises’ success yet managed to not needlessly meddle.

After his passing in 2018, the Seahawks and the Trail Blazers’ ownership became the responsibility of the Paul G. Allen Trust. This is managed by Paul’s sister, Jody Allen.

Over the years there have been conflicting an unclear reports about Jody Allen’s interest in the organizations. Some suggest she was hands off, but during the 2022 NFL draft she was seen in the War Room alongside head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider.

Regardless of how involved Allen is, it seems she might not be in charge of these organizations for much longer.

According to John Canzano – current Portland Sports Radio host and formerly with Oregon Live – the Seahawks and the Trail Blazers are to be sold.

The Trust declares the late Paul Allen’s assets are to be sold to fund his “passion projects.” This of course includes the two professional sports teams under his control.

Canzano recently said on an appearance on 93.3 KJR Seattle Radio the Trail Blazers will likely be sold using the same auction house facilitating the sale of the Denver Broncos within a year. Canzano also believes that Jody Allen is saving the Seahawks for last, as she is trying to maintain a way to keep a piece of the ownership.

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Oregon asks to interview former Ducks head coach Chip Kelly

Oregon is willing to kick the tires of a possible Chip Kelly reunion in Eugene.

Many thought a reunion with Chip Kelly would be a pipe dream. But it seems like Oregon is willing to kick the tires to that possibility.

According to The Oregonian columnist John Canzano, Oregon has asked UCLA’s permission to talk with Kelly to see if the interest is mutual.

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As soon as Mario Cristobal announced he was leaving Eugene for the sunny beaches of Miami, Kelly’s name was one of the first names to be thrown out there.

Going after Kelly would be a definite risk for the Ducks as he has already left Oregon once for greener pastures. But he is in a different chapter in his life and his dream of being a coach in the NFL has already been fulfilled. The odds of Kelly bolting for the pros would be significantly smaller than last time.

However, Kelly hasn’t seen the same success in the NFL or even at UCLA as he did at Oregon. In four seasons at Oregon, he was 46-7 with a Rose Bowl win and a national championship appearance. At UCLA, the Bruins are just 18-25 in four seasons, but they did go 8-4 this season and are currently preparing to play in the Holiday Bowl against North Carolina State.

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