We have to deal with reality.

The possibility is still out there.

I can no longer ignore it.

The Trail Blazers are 3-0. They have spent the first week of the NBA season looking like the 1927 Yankees. Ja Morant has been wonderful. Damian Lillard is back. Everything the new head coach, Micah Nori, draws up looks like a winner.

Tom Dundon?

Genius owner?

It’s very early. We’ll see. What’s not up for debate is that the Blazers are off to a perfect start this season, and there’s no telling where this ride will lead.

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Mark Helfrich was in a tailspin. This was late in his tenure at the University of Oregon. In a desperation move, the struggling head coach ordered defensive back coach John Neal up to the fifth-floor coaching box at Autzen Stadium for a mid-November home game against Stanford.

Helf wanted Neal’s eyes up high, to help defensive coordinator Don Pellum.

What Neal noticed when he got to the box had nothing to do with the game.

It had to do with Phil Knight.

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Dante Moore was basically decapitated by a USC defender four weeks ago. I suppose it’s not shocking that he hasn’t been cleared to play. Or that he isn’t going to come back this season. Lots of people were whispering about Moore’s uncertain status over the weekend, and his coach, Dan Lanning, put an end to the questions on Monday night.

Moore is out for the season.

He’s not likely coming back.

“This isn’t a selfish decision on Dante’s part, saying, ‘I don’t want to come back; the season doesn’t look the way I want it to look,” Lanning said. “That’s not at all what this is.”

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Will Dante Moore play another snap for the Oregon Ducks?

A Civil War bowl game? When is the Pac-12’s “flex week” set? What does Jesse Legree’s commitment to OSU mean? Tacos? Pizza? Costco return policy? Football regrets? Chip Kelly? What else?

Thanks to all who submitted questions for the Monday Mailbag.

If you’d like to “gift” a friend or family member (or even Jesse Legree) a paid subscription, use the ‘gift’ link. If you’d like to donate a subscription for a senior on a fixed budget, please use the ‘donate’ link.

Onto the mailbag questions…

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Dan Lanning fired his offensive coordinator, Drew Mehringer, on Sunday.

It was necessary.

The University of Oregon confirmed the move in a statement that included a written quote from Lanning.

“This was a decision I felt was in the best interest of our football program, as I believe a new direction is necessary to move our offense forward,” he wrote.

Mehringer shouldn’t have been promoted in the first place. He was unqualified and a lazy, convenient pick for a head coach who needed to make a bolder offseason move.

What will Oregon do? Will it hire a coordinator and bring in a transfer quarterback in one big offseason grab? Will it consider an older, more experienced replacement? Or go youngish?

Here’s what I’m thinking happens:

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There’s a lot to unpack.

Oregon is in a tailspin, and better leadership is demanded. I dive into what Dan Lanning must do. I also took a look at a historic football winning streak, Boise State’s “secret sauce” (Read: culture), Washington State’s sobering wake-up call, Oregon State’s marketing victory provided by Jesse Legree, and a fun bottleneck forming in the Big 12 standings.

Also, good-hearted readers win again.

Sifting through the wreckage…

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The Oregon Ducks looked woeful and ordinary again on Saturday, losing 21-10 on the road to a humdrum Illinois team that started a freshman backup quarterback.

I should probably rephrase that.

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I’ve got more thoughts on Oregon State’s Jesse Legree.

Also, some ideas about Oregon’s game at Illinois and the UO struggles on offense this season. I’ve got my eyes on the run game this week. And I’m very interested in the Boise State game in Pullman.

The Saturday Special aims to enhance your college football weekend with facts, opinions, musings, and thoughts.

A few things before kickoff…

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Oregon State has won five straight football games, but the victory the program posted on its bye week made some loud and unprecedented national noise.

Jesse Legree says he’s staying in Corvallis.

The guy is a tidal wave of fresh air.

Legree says he isn’t leaving after this season. He’s not ditching out. He’s not quitting on the college program that bet on him as a high school prospect when so many others turned their backs.

Stop it.

I know what you’re thinking.

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Will starting quarterback Owen Eschelman and Washington State find a way to put Boise State in an uncomfortable position? Do you believe Oregon’s offense will ‘get right’ on the road at Illinois? Who wins USC-Wisconsin?

How about Indiana-Michigan?

San Diego State at Colorado State?

Houston at Utah?

What’s your prediction?

I handicapped 14 college football games this week. Last week, I went 9-4 picking games, straight up. I posted a 7-6 record picking winners against the spread.

My 2026 record picking college football games, straight up: 81-27 (75 percent).

2026 record vs. the spread: 57-48-3 (54.3 percent).

My predictions, opinions, thoughts, and winners:

North Carolina State at Stanford (Friday • 7:30p • ESPN)

NC State is coming off a bye week. It’s well-rested and making a long road trip. Does that neutralize the travel? We’ll find out.

Stanford is at home, where it played well and beat Georgia Tech under similar circumstances earlier this season. ACC teams playing late kicks on the road in the Bay Area have underperformed. The Wolfpack win, but they won’t cover the spread.

The point spread: NC State is favored by 7 points.

The pick: NC State 24, Stanford 20

(✅Final score: Stanford 31, NC State 28)

Indiana at Michigan (Saturday • 9a • FOX)

The Hoosiers suffered an emotionally draining loss against Ohio State last week. The Wolverines are at home and have a respectable defense. Michigan will start Tommy Carr at quarterback against a sensational IU front. This game is a race to 21 points. The Hoosiers get it done in a tight one at the Big House.

The point spread: Indiana is favored by 7.5 points.

The pick: Indiana 21, Michigan 17

(✅Final: Indiana 13, Michigan 6)

Cal at SMU (Saturday • 9a • The CW)

The wheels are threatening to come off in Berkeley. First-year coach Tosh Lupoi has mishandled his quarterback room, and the fan base is restless. The Bears have repeatedly burned me. They’re not to be trusted. SMU rolls.

The point spread: SMU is favored by 18.5 points.

The pick: SMU 35, Cal 13

(✅Final: SMU 59, Cal 20)

Oregon at Illinois (Saturday • Noon • Big Ten Network)

Dante Moore (concussion) will miss a third straight game. The Ducks will start Dylan Raiola. This is Oregon’s easiest opponent since it faced Portland State. For that reason, I expect things to click on offense. The Ducks win and cover the point spread.

The point spread: Oregon is favored by 8.5 points.

The pick: Oregon 30, Illinois 17

(Final:Illinois 21, Oregon 10 )

Michigan State at UCLA (Saturday • 12:30p • CBS)

The Bruins are on a magic carpet ride. It continues this week with a resounding victory over the Spartans, who are winless in Big Ten play. I don’t see Michigan State scoring more than 10 points this week.

The point spread: UCLA is favored by 14.5 points.

The pick: UCLA 27, Michigan State 10

(✅Final: UCLA 28, Michigan State 10)

Kansas State at ASU (Saturday • 12:45p • ESPN2)

These teams are very even on paper. Arizona State is at home, and I suspect they were sufficiently embarrassed by being run off the field last week at Texas Tech. I’ll take the Sun Devils to bounce back and win this game outright.

The point spread: Kansas State is favored by 2.5 points.

The pick: Arizona State 23, Kansas State 21

(✅Final: Arizona State 28, Kansas State 17 )

San Jose State at Nevada (Saturday • 2p • MW+)

The Wolfpack are a touch better, more consistent, and playing at home. That’s enough for me. I’ll take Nevada to win by 10.

The point spread: Nevada is favored by 6 points.

The pick: Nevada 27, San Jose State 17

(✅Final: Nevada 28, San Jose State 13)

Boise State at Washington State (Saturday • 3p • USA Sports)

WSU found its quarterback last week against Oregon State. The Cougars will win some games down the stretch with Owen Eshelman at QB. (I’m predicting a three-game winning streak at some point.) But Boise State is simply too physical this week. The Broncos win and outpace the point spread.

The point spread: Boise State is favored by 13 points.

The pick: Boise State 38, Washington State 17

(✅Final: Boise State 31, Washington State 10)

San Diego State at Colorado State (Saturday • 3:30p • The CW)

Colorado State’s defense is terrible. The Aztecs are about to feast. I like San Diego State to win a high-scoring game rather comfortably.

The point spread: San Diego State is favored by 1 point.

The pick: San Diego State 42, Colorado State 31

(Final: Colorado State 56, San Diego State 49 )

Colorado at Oklahoma State (Saturday • 4p • FS1)

Colorado is winless in the Big 12. The Buffaloes are facing a steep climb against a good team at Boone Pickens Stadium. Just ask Oregon.

The point spread: Oklahoma State is favored by 13.

The pick: Oklahoma State 35, Colorado 17

(✅Final: Oklahoma State 57, Colorado 24 )

Iowa State at Arizona (Saturday • 4:30p • ESPN2)

The Wildcats are ranked in the Top 25 and feeling good. The trend — as they say — is your friend. I’ll take Arizona to win and cover.

The point spread: Arizona is favored by 10 points.

The pick: Arizona 34, Iowa State 21

(✅Final: Arizona 39, Iowa State 3)

USC at Wisconsin (Saturday • 4:30p • NBC)

This is going to be a great game. The Badgers are at home, in the bowling alley known as Camp Randall Stadium. I still think USC is a bit of a pretender. Am I wrong? Discuss. Wisconsin is going to win this game outright.

The point spread: USC is favored by 3 points.

The pick: Wisconsin 24, USC 23

(✅Final: Wisconsin 24, USC 7)

Utah State at Texas State (Saturday • 4:30p • CBSSN)

I like the Bobcats to win this game. Texas State gets another Pac-12 win this week. But it’s closer than the double-digit point spread.

The point spread: Texas State is favored by 13.5 points.

The pick: Texas State 24, Utah State 17

(✅Final: Texas State 20, Utah State 17 )

Houston at Utah (Saturday • 7:15p • ESPN)

Utah is one of four remaining undefeated teams in college football. Rice-Eccles Stadium is a tough place to play. I’ll take the Utes to get to 7-0, but this “after dark” game is closer than expected in Salt Lake City.

The point spread: Utah is favored by 6.5 points.

The pick: Utah 28, Houston 24

(Final: Utah 21, Houston 13)

Record against the spread: 11-3

Record straight up: 11-3

2026 record picking college football games, straight up: 92-30 (75.4 percent).

2026 record vs. the spread: 68-51-3 (57.1 percent).

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A fun little bye-week mystery has momentarily hooked the attention of the college football fan base at Oregon State. I don’t know Jefferey Legree, but he’s trying to pull together some kind of pseudo-media event for Friday at 2 p.m.

He announced it on social media.

Legree has politely asked that nobody contact his 18-year-old son, Jesse, the all-world Oregon State freshman receiver, about the matter. No distractions, dad says. All inquiries, instead, should be directed through a third party.

The “Decision Day” branding has a fun and urgent feel to it. It suggests that there’s something to be decided, right here in the third week of October.

Is Jesse going to announce he’s committed to another season in Corvallis? Is he launching a side-hustle business? Is dad just siphoning off some of the attention for fun? Is Ocho Cinco making good on a rumored $2 million match?

I reached out to sources at Oregon State for answers.

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Why isn’t Oregon State ranked in the AP Top 25? Why did Oregon coach Dan Lanning wait to put Dylan Raiola into Saturday night’s game? What does an expanded College Football Playoff field mean?

Pac-12 power rankings?

Will an SEC team cancel on a return trip to Corvallis?

What took Washington State so long to find a QB?

The Monday Mailbag includes these questions and more. Thanks to all who took the time to submit questions.

If you’d like to “gift” a friend or family member (or even the Springfield Police Department) a paid subscription, use the ‘gift’ link. If you’d like to donate a subscription for a senior on a fixed budget, please use the ‘donate’ link.

Onto the Monday Mailbag…

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Twitter had the news first.

Or maybe it was TikTok?

Or Reddit?

Whatever the case, Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart was arrested early Sunday and booked on a charge of allegedly driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), according to Springfield Police.

Stewart was held at Springfield Municipal Jail and was released an hour later to a third party, believed to be teammate Dakorien Moore. The details of the arrest were first confirmed by KATU news.

Is there more to the story?

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No way around it.

Something’s ‘off’ in Eugene.

The University of Oregon football team scrambled around in the wee hours on Saturday night, tripping all over itself, looking woefully ordinary and poorly coached for a few hours. That is, until the final minutes, when understudy quarterback Dylan Raiola was finally and reluctantly summoned.

It was Oregon 17, Nebraska 14, on Saturday.

Jamari Johnson caught Raiola’s final pass of the night, tapping his toes down along the back of the end zone as if he were walking a tightrope stretched across the College Football Playoff canyon. The Autzen Stadium crowd and Ducks fans watching at home roared (and exhaled) off to bed. I doubt Huskers fans slept a wink.

So many questions for Oregon.

The marketing is there.

The payroll is there.

The talent is there.

But Dan Lanning’s team simply isn’t — there.

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Oregon State beat Washington State, 48-30, on Saturday at Reser Stadium.

The Beavers are on a five-game win streak.

The Cougars are on a losing skid.

Was the game a prequel to the Pac-12’s late-November “flex” week matchup? Did the losing team figure some things out? Did the winning team leave with some fresh questions?

My takeaways for the Beavers — and Cougars — here:

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The Saturday Special is ready to digest Washington’s Friday night victory and a tricky quarterback conundrum in Seattle. It’s also sorting through ESPN’s decision — I mean, the College Football Playoff’s decision — to expand the bracket to 24 teams.

Oregon hosts Nebraska in a late-night kickoff. (Will the East Coast stay up to watch it?) Washington State is at Oregon State earlier in the day. (Will OSU’s stadium video crew unknowingly help WSU assistant Trent Bray?)

I have thoughts on some small-college games, the “luck” of the Irish, and more.

This weekly installment gives readers insights, takeaways, and opinions that add to the college football experience.

Here we go…

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SAN MARCOS, Texas — Kelly Damphousse arrived just before three o’clock on Thursday and grabbed a table near the rail of the second-floor open-air balcony at Ivar’s River Pub. It’s his favorite dining spot on the San Marcos River.

It was 88 degrees. People cooling themselves in the water below wore swim trunks and bikinis. Texas State University’s president sported a pair of slacks and a white button-up shirt under a maroon jacket. There was a small Bobcat pin affixed to his left lapel. His hair was combed neat and damp with perspiration.

Damphousse ordered a cup of black coffee and chased it with a tall glass of ice water. It was his second lunch meeting of the day. He’d previously dined with Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould, who was in town. Now, he picked at a plate of fries and settled in for a talk with me.

This is Part 5 of an ongoing series on the new-world Pac-12 Conference schools. When I launched this independent endeavor, I vowed to give you source, in-depth reporting and commentary you couldn’t get anywhere else. I also vowed to go where the best stories are, surprise you, and take you places you’ve never been.

I tweeted on Thursday that I was in San Marcos to watch Texas State play Colorado State. When my pal Petros Papadakis, the Fox football broadcast analyst, saw my post, he fired back with a single word.

“Why?”

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Who wins the Washington at Purdue football game? How about Washington State at Oregon State? And will the Oregon Ducks regroup at home against Nebraska in a late kickoff?

Ohio State-Indiana?

Notre Dame-BYU?

Wisconsin-UCLA?

I handicapped 13 games this week.

My 2026 record picking college football games, straight up: 72-23 (75.8 percent).

2026 record vs. the spread: 50-42-3 (54.3 percent).

My Week 7 winners, thoughts, and predictions…

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SAN MARCOS, Texas — I have not dipped a toe in the San Marcos River yet or walked around the college town that is the site of Texas State University.

I flew into Austin at night.

I made the 33-mile drive from the airport to San Marcos, and woke to the morning hum of Interstate-35 beyond my hotel window. I’m here to see Thursday night’s college football game between Texas State and Colorado State. It’s part of my new-world Pac-12 tour that aims to understand what this conference is about.

This is Part 5 of my ongoing series about the new members of the Pac-12. I’ve visited Gonzaga, Boise State, San Diego State, and Utah State. I’ll make trips to Fresno State and Colorado State next.

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Good for Marist Catholic High.

It sacked its varsity football head coach this week.

Zach Loboy was removed from his position after his team beat Cottage Grove, 63-0, in just two quarters of football on Friday. The teams agreed at halftime not to finish the game. I’m hearing that decision was “mutual,” but sometimes “mutual” means “Bye, we’re going home, play on if you’d like.”

Loboy’s team scored to go ahead 56-0 with 1:47 left in the first half. Then, it used the ensuing kickoff to attempt an onside kick. Does everyone know what an onside kick is? It’s normally reserved for when a team is scrambling around at the end of a game, trying to steal a quick possession and win a game. In this case, Loboy was utilizing the onside kick to get the ball back so he could further humiliate his opponent.

It was his team’s second onside kick of the game.

Thankfully, Cottage Grove recovered.

Still, what a classless crock of coaching that onside kick was. Marist Catholic Principal Bob Fraley must have been steamed about it, too, because he removed Loboy and sent an email to football parents on Monday that read, “Following Friday’s game against Cottage Grove, we determined that a change in leadership was necessary to reflect our school’s mission and values.”

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