Oregon
Oregon rises to No. 1 seed, pair of SEC teams join College Football Playoff bracket projection
US LBM Coaches Poll: Oregon steady at No. 1, Ohio State shaky in victory
The latest US LBM Coaches Poll is here is here and while there isn’t much in the way of changes, Ohio State’s shaky win against Nebraska raises questions moving forward.
Sports Pulse
As expected, the Big Ten and SEC are in position to dominate the 12-team College Football Playoff.
The big question in this week’s bracket projection is how many teams the two power conferences will place in the field. The combined total currently stands at seven: four from the SEC and three from the Big Ten.
The predicted conference champions are now Georgia and Oregon, with the Ducks moving into the Big Ten driver’s seat thanks to the win against Ohio State and the Buckeyes’ struggles this past weekend against Nebraska. The expectation of Oregon running the table through the conference championship game pushes the Ducks into the No. 1 overall seed in the bracket and slides Georgia down to No. 2.
The scenario might change this weekend based on what happens when the Ohio State travels to Penn State in one of the defining games of the regular season. A loss wouldn’t eliminate the Buckeyes from at-large contention, though that would result in the Nittany Lions and Oregon being on track to decide the Big Ten.
Over in the SEC, the debate is less over which team is favored to win the league — that has to be Georgia based on how the Bulldogs beat Texas — and more about the crowded crop of contenders with one or two losses. This group includes Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU and Alabama. Another team that can vault back into the picture is Mississippi, should the Rebels score a mammoth upset against Georgia on Nov. 9.
But it is the Aggies and Volunteers that have worked their way into the playoff this week at the expense of the Tigers and Iowa State in the Big 12.
CFP BUBBLE: Texas A&M finds safety, LSU and Alabama in trouble
CALM DOWN: Playoff chaos possibilities lead Week 9 overreactions
College Football Playoff bracket projection
Notre Dame continues to move past September’s loss to Northern Illinois. After trouncing Navy on Saturday, the Fighting Irish are beginning to look like one of the safest picks to earn at-large playoff bid.
One huge positive has been the rapid evolution of Texas A&M from SEC punchline to the only team still perfect in conference play. Notre Dame topped the Aggies in the season opener, something the playoff selection committee will definitely highlight when the debut rankings are released next Tuesday.
The Irish are also benefitting from the historic starts for Navy and Army. With Air Force and North Texas up next, the Black Knights could still be unbeaten when they face Notre Dame in Yankee Stadium on Nov. 23.
Otherwise, the Irish take on Florida State, Virginia and Southern California, with only the Trojans coming on the road. Should they take care of business, one-loss Notre Dame is a lock to earn an at-large spot and could potentially host that opening-round game.
Four teams to watch
Army, Navy and Tulane
Here’s three for the price of one to reflect the teams still unbeaten in American Athletic play. Navy’s loss to Notre Dame isn’t fatal. Army is the only perfect team left in the Group of Five. And after competitive losses to Kansas State and Oklahoma in non-conference play, Tulane has won four in a row capped by Saturday’s shootout against North Texas. The Midshipmen and Black Knights meat on Dec. 14 — after the final playoff rankings, which could get interesting — while the Green Wave close the regular season with Navy and Memphis.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s credibility was boosted by Friday’s 41-13 against Syracuse. While there’s no single marquee win, the Panthers do have five wins against Power Four teams with a non-losing record. In terms of making a national statement, this Saturday’s game at SMU and a matchup at home against Clemson on Nov. 16 will determine whether this team remains in the playoff picture.
Colorado
An at-large bid seems very unrealistic, if for no other reason than the Buffaloes won’t beat a ranked team during the regular season; they came close against Kansas State but came up a field goal short. But given how Colorado has played in recent weeks, this team is in the mix to reach the Big 12 championship game and play for an automatic playoff berth.
Alabama
A shutout of Missouri keeps Alabama in the at-large mix heading into the off week. Come Nov. 9, the Crimson Tide will go to LSU in a true elimination game for both teams. But even with a win there, Alabama could get nudged out of the bracket. For one, the Tide would lose the comparison against Tennessee should both teams finish with identical records. That Texas A&M has built a playoff case is also bad news for Alabama.
BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.
With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.
Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools
One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.
Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.
More About Darius Johnson
Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.
The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.
What If He Committed to Oregon Today?
If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.
Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.
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Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson, after an impressive 2025 season with the Ducks, now becomes the leader at his position following the departure of star Kenyon Sadiq to the NFL.
With an Oregon offense set to return several top stars and bring in two talents at the tight end position, Johnson looks to not only improve as a leader but build off his impressive 2025 season, in which he recorded 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns.
Here’s everything Johnson had to say during his media appearance following Oregon’s scrimmage on Saturday, with the spring game on the horizon.
Everything Tight End Jamari Johnson Said After Spring Scrimmage
What He Learned From Playing With Tight End Kenyon Sadiq:
“So many, but one is training. Everybody in this facility harps on it, and it’s just a standard here. It’s like him from last year, that man strained his guts out almost every play. I just feel like I got to do the exact same thing or even more to uphold the standard.”
Stepping Up At Tight End:
“It just changed because obviously Kenyon leaving somebody has to step up and be a leader in the room, and me being one of the older guys, it just happens to be me. I just accepted that role, and I actually kind of like it, getting these young guys going, getting them in the playbook and getting them used to college football.”
Participating Again In Spring Practice:
“It feels good coming back. Feels like I have something to prove for me personally, I feel like I haven’t really done anything in college football. I feel like this year is that year for me to show everybody what I’m about.”
On Tight Ends Kendre Harrison and Andrew Olesh:
“Both good dudes, they both got that dog in them. Andrew, he came from Penn State. He’s been coming along well, getting in the playbook. Kendre, he’s a big, tall guy, getting in the playbook too. They’ve been getting after it, man. It’s been good taking them under my wing. Hopefully, we just get going this year.”
Goals and Expectations Ahead of Spring Game:
“I’ll say one expectation that we really try to harp on in the room is just going 100 percent. That’s with your effort, that’s with knowing the plays and just giving it your all. A goal is just to get in that endzone. That’s one of the goals for the tight end room right there.”
Why He Returned to Oregon:
“Like I said earlier, to me, I felt like I haven’t really done anything in college football. That was one of the reasons, and another is I wouldn’t say I’m not ready for the NFL, but like that’s pretty much what I’m getting at, is just like I have a lot of stuff to work on that’s within footwork and hand placement, block in the run game, and route details. Getting to the right depth and just touching up everything I can so when I get to the NFL, there’s none of those problems, it’s just the big problems I have to fix.”
How Reps Helped Him Improve:
“It really helped me. Last year, we ran a lot of twelve personnel at the end of the season because we had a couple of injuries, but that really helped me. This year, I feel like I’m coming in rolling off the ground. It’s just so much more fluent, and those reps really helped me with the playbook. Playbook is way easier now, and I’m getting a good feel for it.”
His Leadership Traits:
“I like to get the guys going. I have a real voice on the field, and if y’all hear me on the field, I get the guys going. I wouldn’t say I’m a vocal leader, but I lead by example. Vocal leader, probably something I need to work on.”
On New Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer:
“It’s been different. They’re two different people, coach (Will) Stein and coach Drew. My guy’s getting us going. I’m excited for this season.”
Supporting Dakorien Moore At Track Meet:
“Yesterday, that touched my heart, man. Just all of us going out there, and it wasn’t even just for Dakorien. It was really for Oregon. It was just more for Dakorien because we see him every day. That really touched my heart, and the connection is just unbelievable. I don’t think many people are doing that for their teammates.”
Quarterback Dante Moore’s Growth:
“That guy has his head on his shoulders at all times. He’s been growing consistently, but it’s a couple of different things. I probably can’t name them right now, but he’s been having his head on his shoulders. He’s just been on the climb.”
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