The Trojans, the Ducks, the Bruins, and all those guys: The PAC-12 rivals thread

[LA Ute]

I think we should have a thread about what we see going on with the other programs in our conference. I will start: Tony Dungy was on the Dan Patrick show this morning. Dan's final question, almost a throwaway, was "Have you been approached by USC?" Tony answered that yes, he had been approached, through his pastor. He said he was not interested but that he's glad to help with names of candidates. I think that's interesting.

[concerned]

I am not surprised that USC is looking to the NFL, but it's the wrong approach. Almost every one of those NFL names you hear - Del Rio, Fischer, Dungy - is a risk (Gruden is not). They didn't seem to learn anything from the Monte Kiffin experience. That guy is tearing it up as a defensive coordinator in the NFL but was completely out of his depth in the college game. Those NFL guys are 10 years behind the curve in offensive strategy. Plus, who knows about recruiting with those guys?

There are some sure things in the college ranks - Shaw, Briles, Strong, etc. Even Sark. Why not go for the sure thing first?


tony Dungy said this very thing this morning on Dan Patrick. Said he had been contacted by USC, told them he wasn't interested. Said college game is completely different than the NFL game, and they should look at college coaches--Sumlin, Peterson, Franklin. Also said the offensive coordinator at the Colts would be a great hire, because he used to be an offensive coordinator at Stanford, and knows recruiting in the Pac 12 and the college game.

Also implied that Sumlin might not take it b/c the A&M job is a better job than USC at this point, or at least equal.

Sorry--I just read Sancho's post before I wrote this, and now went back and saw that LA Ute said the same thing.

[LA Ute]

I am not surprised that USC is looking to the NFL, but it's the wrong approach. Almost every one of those NFL names you hear - Del Rio, Fischer, Dungy - is a risk (Gruden is not). They didn't seem to learn anything from the Monte Kiffin experience. That guy is tearing it up as a defensive coordinator in the NFL but was completely out of his depth in the college game. Those NFL guys are 10 years behind the curve in offensive strategy. Plus, who knows about recruiting with those guys?

There are some sure things in the college ranks - Shaw, Briles, Strong, etc. Even Sark. Why not go for the sure thing first?

I thought it was interesting that they approached Dungy through his pastor. That could be innocent, it could be manipulative. It does show some real effort by USC. Also, that they want to talk with a Super Bowl winner NFL coach tells me they are going for glitz more than for real college football coaching talent, as you note.

[concerned]

tony Dungy said this very thing this morning on Dan Patrick. Said he had been contacted by USC, told them he wasn't interested. Said college game is completely different than the NFL game, and they should look at college coaches--Sumlin, Peterson, Franklin. Also said the offensive coordinator at the Colts would be a great hire, because he used to be an offensive coordinator at Stanford, and knows recruiting in the Pac 12 and the college game.

Also implied that Sumlin might not take it b/c the A&M job is a better job than USC at this point, or at least equal.

Sorry--I just read Sancho's post before I wrote this, and now went back and saw that LA Ute said the same thing.

Although it must be said that Pete Carll was twice a failed NFL coach and that worked out well (except for Reggie Bush and the agents). They have to hav glitz to market in LA.

[sancho]

Although it must be said that Pete Carll was twice a failed NFL coach and that worked out well (except for Reggie Bush and the agents). They have to hav glitz to market in LA.

Mora Jr seems to be another example. It can clearly happe. All I'm saying is - why take the risk when there are some sure things out there?

Dungy and Gruden bring the "glitz," but Del Rio and Fischer?

[Applejack]

I thought it was interesting that they approached Dungy through his pastor. That could be innocent, it could be manipulative. It does show some real effort by USC. Also, that they want to talk with a Super Bowl winner NFL coach tells me they are going for glitz more than for real college football coaching talent, as you note.

Why go thru his pastor? Wouldn't the agent be the more logical choice? Maybe Kyle gets inquiries for other jobs thru his bishop.

[LA Ute]

Why go thru his pastor? Wouldn't the agent be the more logical choice? Maybe Kyle gets inquiries for other jobs thru his bishop.

I thought it was odd, and perhaps an effort to use Dungy's well-known Evangelical Christian faith in a manipulative manner. It certainly smacks of that.

[Diehard Ute]

I thought it was odd, and perhaps an effort to use Dungy's well-known Evangelical Christian faith in a manipulative manner. It certainly smacks of that.

It wasn't USC

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/college-football/story/_/id/9788839/usc-trojans-say-impersonators-making-calls-coaching-job

[LA Ute]

It wasn't USC

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/college-football/story/_/id/9788839/usc-trojans-say-impersonators-making-calls-coaching-job

Good. Both Dan Patrick and Tony Dungy were fooled and will probably be much more skeptical in the future.

[SoCalPat]

Good. Both Dan Patrick and Tony Dungy were fooled and will probably be much more skeptical in the future.

Somehow, I doubt it. I bet this guy could fool them twice. He's bleeping that good.

http://deadspin.com/meet-the-prankster-who-offered-dungy-the-usc-job-hes-1443167771

[Hot Lunch]

I am not surprised that USC is looking to the NFL, but it's the wrong approach. Almost every one of those NFL names you hear - Del Rio, Fischer, Dungy - is a risk (Gruden is not). They didn't seem to learn anything from the Monte Kiffin experience. That guy is tearing it up as a defensive coordinator in the NFL but was completely out of his depth in the college game. Those NFL guys are 10 years behind the curve in offensive strategy. Plus, who knows about recruiting with those guys?

There are some sure things in the college ranks - Shaw, Briles, Strong, etc. Even Sark. Why not go for the sure thing first?


Ha. Just saw this. I think Cam Cameron who was fired from the Ravins last year as the OC and has done wonders for LSU's offense would disagree with this statement.

[LA Ute]

Somehow, I doubt it. I bet this guy could fool them twice. He's bleeping that good.

http://deadspin.com/meet-the-prankster-who-offered-dungy-the-usc-job-hes-1443167771

I think that guy needs psychiatric help.

[SoCalPat]

I think that guy needs psychiatric help.

He's good at what he does and he's getting compensated for it (albeit rather modestly), all while making a rather strong statement against the media on a wide range of topics. I think the guy is a genius.

(EDIT: One would also have to read the Village Voice article that's linked in the Deadspin article to understand the compensatory and media angles. That's where Tarr's greatest work has come.)

[U-Ute]

(EDIT: One would also have to read the Village Voice article that's linked in the Deadspin article to understand the compensatory and media angles. That's where Tarr's greatest work has come.)

OMG... that stuff is hilarious.

[hostile]

Defensive battle in Palo Alto. Stanford up 3-0 at halftime.

[DrumNFeather]

17-3 Stanford now.

Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2

[hostile]

17-3 Stanford now.

Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Nice. Let's see if their D can keep it up.

[hostile]

Stanford scores w/ 1:30 to play and goes up 24-10. Looks like they have recovered from midterms.

[OrangeUte]

Stanford scores w/ 1:30 to play and goes up 24-10. Looks like they have recovered from midterms.

Hahaha!

[Applejack]

Hahaha!

USC starts with a score against Notre Dame. I wish we had caught Notre Dame early this year.

Anyone else get the feeling that this is ASU's year in the South? They catch USC at full implosion, they beat Wisconsin on some shady biznass, and they don't have to play Oregon.

[U-Ute]

Looking at Oregon's schedule, they certainly haven't been tested yet. They have some interesting games coming up that will finally show us who they are.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I was amazed that WSU put up almost 600 yards against Oregon. There certainly are vulnerabilities in the Duck D.

[SeattleUte]

Has there ever been a bigger coaching hire than the one the Huskies just pulled off?

[LA Ute]

Has there ever been a bigger coaching hire than the one the Huskies just pulled off?

If I were a Huskies fan I'd be thrilled. The PAC-12 continues to upgrade across the board. It's good for Utah. We have to stretch.

[chrisrenrut]

Has there ever been a bigger coaching hire than the one the Huskies just pulled off?

Time will tell. Other Boise coaches that parlayed their success to jobs at current PAC 12 schools didn't turn out so well (Koetter at ASU, Hawkins at Colorado).

I think he will do well, but I'm not sure he can lead them to national prominence. But it's all a guess at this point.

[sancho]

NIU lost last night.

Fitting that in the last year of the BCS, after Utah and TCU are gone and Petersen has left, there is no BCS buster.

This means Oregon has a shot at a BCS bowl. They say if Texas beats Baylor, the Sugar could pick Oregon to play Auburn.

It also means that the Pac-12 will probably get all 9 teams to a bowl game, instead of Oregon State missing out as was previously predicted.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Has there ever been a bigger coaching hire than the one the Huskies just pulled off?

Don James.

I will say that I am happy for the Huskies and look forward to watching CP in this league. I like Sark a lot, but I think UW got the better end of the transaction...

[SeattleUte]

Don James.

I will say that I am happy for the Huskies and look forward to watching CP in this league. I like Sark a lot, but I think UW got the better end of the transaction...

I'm talking about the bigness of the hire, not actual coaching success.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I'm talking about the bigness of the hire, not actual coaching success.

In that case how about one of Don James' former players. Nick Saban played Defensive Back at Kent State under Don James.

Saban was OK at Michigan State, then absolutely tore it up at LSU, then bombed in the NFL for a few years. His success at Bama is impressive, but he was a BCS Championship winner at rival LSU a few years before.

So Nick Saban was definitely a higher profile hire than CP. That said, the list of coaching hires that are higher profile than CP to UW is pretty short.

[concerned]

In that case how about one of Don James' former players. Nick Saban played Defensive Back at Kent State under Don James.

Saban was OK at Michigan State, then absolutely tore it up at LSU, then bombed in the NFL for a few years. His success at Bama is impressive, but he was a BCS Championship winner at rival LSU a few years before.

So Nick Saban was definitely a higher profile hire than CP. That said, the list of coaching hires that are higher profile than CP to UW is pretty short.


UM to OSU? Sumlin to A&M? Brett Beilema to Arkansas? Bobby Petrino to Arkansas? Whoever gets hired at Texas next?

[NorthwestUteFan]

UM to OSU? Sumlin to A&M? Brett Beilema to Arkansas? Bobby Petrino to Arkansas? Whoever gets hired at Texas next?

Yes. That is most of the short list.

Also add Steve Spurrier to South Carolina.

[Homer Crimson]

Back to rivalry talk- what PAC12 message boards do you like? I've struggled to find any that I like checking out. Cal has an absolutely putrid one, and I don't like the generic Rivals type boards. CU has one with a lot of soul and fan identity, but those guys are so bad that they don't have much to talk about.

[U-Ute]

Tosh Lupoi being investigated (http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/usc/la-sp-1219-usc-washington-recruit-20131219,0,2217807.story#axzz2nswPuMM0) for allegedly paying for private tutoring for a recruit.

[Utah]

Tosh Lupoi being investigated (http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/usc/la-sp-1219-usc-washington-recruit-20131219,0,2217807.story#axzz2nswPuMM0) for allegedly paying for private tutoring for a recruit.

Does this surprise anyone? When everyone talked about how he was the best recruiter in the PAC-12, did anyone really believe it was because he knew better jokes, or had that special gleam in his eye? Why do you think SEC teams have better "recruiters" than other conferences? Is their charming southern drawl?

Nope.

It's the cash that gets left in the seat cushions when they leave. To believe otherwise is just naive.

[U-Ute]

Brett Hundley's offseason workout video.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jFnOm7q4Uo

[LA Ute]

It's nice to be able to tease my UCLA fan friends that they are playing catch-up with us:

UCLA Athletics announces plans for new basketball practice facility (http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ucla-athletics-announces-plans-for-new-basketball-practice-facility)

[Diehard Ute]

It's nice to be able to tease my UCLA fan friends that they are playing catch-up with us:

UCLA Athletics announces plans for new basketball practice facility (http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ucla-athletics-announces-plans-for-new-basketball-practice-facility)

They should also be teased about that announcement. Talk about no details

[SoCalPat]

I didn't even read the story, but I thought of Sancho when I saw the headline:

http://valleywag.gawker.com/fuck-stanford-1606053638/+rohan954

[sancho]

I didn't even read the story, but I thought of Sancho when I saw the headline:

http://valleywag.gawker.com/fuck-stanford-1606053638/+rohan954

Good stuff. Thanks. I recommend the idea to all, though there's no need for the language.

[U-Ute]

Good stuff. Thanks. I recommend the idea to all, though there's no need for the language.

That's the language that comes to mind when I think of Sancho.

But I also agree with the overall tone of the article..

[LA Ute]

Some drama from USC's Josh Shaw. Looks like he didn't sprain his ankles while heroically saving his nephew.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/27/uscs-josh-shaw-hero-story-is-a-lie-sorry/ (http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/27/uscs-josh-shaw-hero-story-is-a-lie-sorry/)

[DrumNFeather]

Some drama from USC's Josh Shaw. Looks like he didn't sprain his ankles while heroically saving his nephew.

http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/27/uscs-josh-shaw-hero-story-is-a-lie-sorry/ (http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/27/uscs-josh-shaw-hero-story-is-a-lie-sorry/)

Coming off of this, another player quits the team and calls Sark a racist. Sark definitely has some cleaning up to do with that program. It might be a great year to have them at home...let's hope for our sake it is!

[sancho]

Great to see WSU fumble the game away to Rutgers last night.

Halliday looked great, though. The offense was crisp, and his passes were right on the money. I'm happy to see Wilson back, and I think Thompson looks alright as a backup, but what I wouldn't give for someone with that kind of accuracy.

[DrumNFeather]

Great to see WSU fumble the game away to Rutgers last night.

Halliday looked great, though. The offense was crisp, and his passes were right on the money. I'm happy to see Wilson back, and I think Thompson looks alright as a backup, but what I wouldn't give for someone with that kind of accuracy.

Cox was 3-3...

[sancho]

Cox was 3-3...

And, if I remember right, one of those was rolling right (and he's left handed).

[Applejack]

Great to see WSU fumble the game away to Rutgers last night.

Halliday looked great, though. The offense was crisp, and his passes were right on the money. I'm happy to see Wilson back, and I think Thompson looks alright as a backup, but what I wouldn't give for someone with that kind of accuracy.

40-56 passing? Gulp.

[Jarid in Cedar]

40-56 = 71%

13-18 = 72%

[sancho]

40-56 = 71%

13-18 = 72%

BOO-YA!

Hopefully Travis' scales up and translates to the FBS.

Really, though, Halliday looked good to me. I didn't see his early pick - just his 2nd half domination.

[Jarid in Cedar]

BOO-YA!

Hopefully Travis' scales up and translates to the FBS.

Really, though, Halliday looked really good to me. I didn't see his early pick - just his 2nd half domination.

I also like that TW had over 250 yards in just 18 attempts, versus 500+ in 60 attempts.

I am not knocking Halliday, I think he is a good qb, but i think his offense males him look better than he is. When you talk qb accuracy, ability, pro potential, etc. Manning is significantly better than Halliday.

[sancho]

I also like that TW had over 250 yards in just 18 attempts, versus 500+ in 60 attempts.

I am not knocking Halliday, I think he is a good qb, but i think his offense males him look better than he is. When you talk qb accuracy, ability, pro potential, etc. Manning is significantly better than Halliday.

Are you talking about Peyton, Eli, or Connor? If Connor, I hope when he transfers that he doesn't choose a Pac-12 school.

It's apples and oranges to compare Wilson vs ISU to Halliday vs Rutgers. I'm just saying his 2nd half performance was good, and I think WSU is a team for us to worry about.

[Applejack]

Are you talking about Peyton, Eli, or Connor? If Connor, I hope when he transfers that he doesn't choose a Pac-12 school.

It's apples and oranges to compare Wilson vs ISU to Halliday vs Rutgers. I'm just saying his 2nd half performance was good, and I think WSU is a team for us to worry about.

Right now, any team that knows how to throw the ball is a team to worry about :(

[LA Ute]

Right now, any team that knows how to throw the ball is a team to worry about :(

Colin Cowherd, to whom I never listen unless I happen to turn on the car radio when he's on, made an interesting point today. It was something like "The game has changed," he says, because teams know they need a good QB who can throw to a field full of receivers and who can run 85 plays a game in a no-huddle. "The 250-lb linebacker is a thing of the past; he'd better be 230-35 and be fast." I can see that we are trying to do something like that on offense. I too wonder how we'll do against Hundley, Mariota, Halliday and Mannion. Those games may not be a lot of fun.

[sancho]

"The 250-lb linebacker is a thing of the past; he'd better be 230-35 and be fast."

And this is why Stanford, Wisconsin, and Michigan State are winning games now. Using a power run offense to take advantage of the spread defenses.

[LA Ute]

And this is why Stanford, Wisconsin, and Michigan State are winning games now. Using a power run offense to take advantage of the spread defenses.

Good point. Makes me wonder: How does a team position itself to defend both the Oregon-style and Stanford-style offense?

[sancho]

Good point. Makes me wonder: How does a team position itself to defend both the Oregon-style and Stanford-style offense?

Alabama does it really well. All you need is 30-40 five-star athletes on your defense.

[LA Ute]

Alabama does it really well. All you need is 30-40 five-star athletes on your defense.

The answer was staring me in the face. I'm so embarrassed.

[DrumNFeather]

UCLA's D looks good, their offense a little sluggish to start.

Mora was yelling at the UVA ball boy, who just laughed at him and walked away.

[Hot Lunch]

UCLA's D looks good, their offense a little sluggish to start.

Mora was yelling at the UVA ball boy, who just laughed at him and walked away.

Ucla's D now has 3 first half touchdowns. Their offense, zero.

[DrumNFeather]

Ucla's D now has 3 first half touchdowns. Their offense, zero.
They certainly look beatable...maybe not by us, but that ASU game before they get us could be interesting and impact our game against them.

[UBlender]

So far Arizona looks very good (okay, I didn't watch their game but they manhandled an FBS opponent that played in a bowl last year with a new QB), Cal is looking good while the arrow seems to be pointing down for Wazzu, CU and UCLA. Stanford, Utah and ASU have all just done what they were supposed to against FCS teams so you can't really pass judgment on any of them. I am looking forward to USC-Fresno St later.

[LA Ute]

Interesting piece in the L.A. Times. Bill Paschke is a fine sportswriter and Jim Mora is a fine coach.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/la-sp-ucla-mora-plaschke-20140829-column.html

[sancho]

So, I often see Mike Riley on "best coaches" lists. Why is this? I don't doubt that's he's a fine coach, but OSU never finishes very high and sometimes finishes rather low. Why is Riley the only coach in the country who can still get credit with a less than stellar record?

[SoCalPat]

So, I often see Mike Riley on "best coaches" lists. Why is this? I don't doubt that's he's a fine coach, but OSU never finishes very high and sometimes finishes rather low. Why is Riley the only coach in the country who can still get credit with a less than stellar record?

Disagree strongly. Riley had a six-year stretch from 2004-09 where OSU finished lower than third all of once. Sure, they've never been to Pasadena, but they've been close.

In the pre-expansion era, his average league finish was 4th. In the expansion era, his average finish is 4th, and that's facing two Top 10 teams every year.

Riley has three wins vs. Top 5 teams, and is 5-2 in bowl games. All this despite an athletic budget that ranked 9th in a 10-team league (I suspect OSU is now 10th out of 12) and having Oregon within your state's borders.

[sancho]

Riley has three wins vs. Top 5 teams, and is 5-2 in bowl games. All this despite an athletic budget that ranked 9th in a 10-team league (I suspect OSU is now 10th out of 12) and having Oregon within your state's borders.

Oh, I believe he's a good coach. I'm just surprised that the media always recognizes it as well. He's definitely the odd man out in the types of lists I'm referring to. I mean, you have Nick Saban, David Shaw, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher, and then Mike Riley. I'm not sure consistently finishing 3-4 in conference would get anyone else onto "top coaches" lists, but Riley really does have a lot of respect. It's almost like he's the token "good coach in a so-so program" that they feel has to be put somewhere.

[LA Ute]

Oh, I believe he's a good coach. I'm just surprised that the media always recognizes it as well. He's definitely the odd man out in the types of lists I'm referring to. I mean, you have Nick Saban, David Shaw, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher, and then Mike Riley. I'm not sure consistently finishing 3-4 in conference would get anyone else onto "top coaches" lists, but Riley really does have a lot of respect. It's almost like he's the token "good coach in a so-so program" that they feel has to be put somewhere.

He's also a really good guy.

[Utah]

Riley did wonders, left, then came back. I think that elevates him a lot as well.

[Mormon Red Death]

Good Grantland Article (http://grantland.com/the-triangle/pac-12-college-football-new-age-oregon-stanford-usc-ucla-washington/) on the games this week and financial success of the conference.


Now, just five years after bringing up the rear financially, the Pac-12 hassurpassed the SEC and Big Ten (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2014/05/23/pac-12-conference-tax-return-revenue-record/9497233/) as the richest conference in the land. Earlier this year, the conference reported just shy of $334 million in total revenue for the 2012-13 fiscal year, a 345 percent increase over 2008-09. In television revenue alone, the Pac-12 reported $252.7 million in 2012-13, nearly a threefold increase over the $85.6 million it reported the previous year. The current payout averages $20.8 million per school (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24504372/pac-12s-scott-reacts-to-projection-of-new-money-in-conference-tv-deal) under the new TV deal, compared with $6 million per school under the old deal, and it will only keep rising.

[DrumNFeather]

Arizona struggling a bit on the road vs UTSA

[NorthwestUteFan]

Arizona struggling a bit on the road vs UTSA

UTSA is looking very tough. Horrible playcalling in the red zone unfortunately.

[DrumNFeather]

UTSA is looking very tough. Horrible playcalling in the red zone unfortunately.
And a missed chip shot.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Only to March back and punch RichRod right in the coinpurse. That 25 yard seam route to the TE on 4th and 10 was awesome.

[SigmaUte]

Only to March back and punch RichRod right in the coinpurse. That 25 yard seam route to the TE on 4th and 10 was awesome.

Looked like something Jake Murphy would have done for us.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Looked like something Westlee Tonga will do for us.

HFIFY




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LA Ute]

HFIFY




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

:clap:

[SigmaUte]

HFIFY

Oh, thank you. Silly auto-correct. :highfive:

[sancho]

Oh, Stanford lost today. Woo-hoo!

[LA Ute]

UCLA is looking good against Memphis but less than godlike.

[LA Ute]

Anyone else wonder why Memphis didn't spike the ball on its last possession?

[LA Ute]

And by the way, it was weird for Pat Haden to be down on the sideline at all, let alone arguing with the refs.

[LA Ute]

This morning on Dan Patrick's show Sarkisian said he called Haden down to the sideline. Really? Or is Steve simply throwing himself under the bus?

[LA Ute]

USC AD and Football Coach Reprimanded, Haden Levied with $25,000 fine (http://pac-12.com/article/2014/09/08/usc-ad-and-football-coach-reprimanded-haden-levied-25000-fine)

[Diehard Ute]

USC AD and Football Coach Reprimanded, Haden Levied with $25,000 fine (http://pac-12.com/article/2014/09/08/usc-ad-and-football-coach-reprimanded-haden-levied-25000-fine)

Fines are so silly as punishment for people who have money coming out their ears

[LA Ute]

Fines are so silly as punishment for people who have money coming out their ears

I guess it's more of a public shaming effort. Even worse, since U$C has shown itself to be shameless!

[NorthwestUteFan]

This morning on Dan Patrick's show Sarkisian said he called Haden down to the sideline. Really? Or is Steve simply throwing himself under the bus?

That is what he said in the post-game interview I saw on the news.

What was the original infraction? Was he far out of the coach's box or was he just a step or two beyond the line?

[NorthwestUteFan]

I have to say the sense of entitlement shown by sark and haden over this episode is very distasteful.

[Utah]

Who here expects Washington to look a lot better this week? I do. Petersen is a good coach. He isn't used to playing good teams every week. I'd put money down, that he spent the last month prepping for Illinois 1/3rd of the time and Stanford for 2/3rd of the time. It wouldn't even surprise me if he didn't even look at the last two teams more than a passing glance. I think Washington comes out and looks great this week, wins next week, and gives Stanford all they can handle.

I said before the year began, that it wouldn't shock me to see Stanford sitting at 2-2 after the Washington game. That game will be for second place in the North.

[Utah]

OK, maybe not for second place. Washington does luck out in that they don't play us, so maybe it's not for second place. :D

[hostile]

USC in trouble against BC, down by 10 in the third.

[Applejack]

USC in trouble against BC, down by 10 in the third.

Ucla/Texas is a game featuring zero offenses. Ucla's qb is currently Rick neuheisals kid.

[LA Ute]

Ucla/Texas is a game featuring zero offenses. Ucla's qb is currently Rick neuheisals kid.

What happened to Hundley? I feel like I missed something....(in a meeting right now).

[Applejack]

What happened to Hundley? I feel like I missed something....(in a meeting right now).

He landed weird on his nonthrowing elbow in the first quarter and hasn't been back.

[Applejack]

I was just watching Utep v New Mexico State (don't judge) and I saw former Ute Damian Payne get an interception. I thought he went to Houston.

[hostile]

Ucla/Texas is a game featuring zero offenses. Ucla's qb is currently Rick neuheisals kid.
Neuheisel trying to drive the Bruins for a go ahead score. USC goes down by 2 scores with 3:30 to go.

EDIT: UCLA fumbles, Texas recovers.

[Mormon Red Death]

Ucla completes bomb to take lead

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[Applejack]

Ucla completes bomb to take lead

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

LOL. We just had a Rudyesque-carried -off-the-field moment for Jerry Neuheisal. Act like you've been 3-0 before, ucla.

[SigmaUte]

LOL. We just had a Rudyesque-carried -off-the-field moment for Jerry Neuheisal. Act like you've been 3-0 before, ucla.

I think it was more about Neuheisal stepping into a difficult position and coming out onto rather than about UCLA beating Texas. I don't see anything wrong with that.

[LA Ute]

Which Texas team did UCLA play - the one with all the suspensions, or the full team?

[Applejack]

Which Texas team did UCLA play - the one with all the suspensions, or the full team?

I think the Offensive tackles were back.

The game was basically two good defenses and two bad offenses. UCLA's D is scary fast, but I was not impressed with their offense. I don't care how athletic Myles Jack is, when you are bringing him in on key 3rd and 3s, it tells me that you don't have faith in your full-time running backs.

Of all the longshot games we have this year (Oregon, USC, UCLA, Stanford), I definitely think our odds are best against UCLA.

[OrangeUte]

Some great football yesterday. The Neuheisel story out of Texas was exciting, and that may be what UCLA needs to punch juice back into their season. The Boston College upset of USC was great because Boston College was playing for the red bandanna man. Well I don't like seeing our conference teams lose, I'm also an ex Big East guy, I like Boston College football, and I'm a sucker for a great human interest story anytime.

[Utah]

I'm not sure why everyone is so down on UCLA. They have played two P5 teams on the road. No one wins pretty on the road. They haven't fallen in my mind at all, but I had them second in the south anyways.

[chrisrenrut]

Colorado beats Hawaii 21-12. At home, on the mainland, at elevation.

Washington is down 14-0 in the 3rd quarter. To Georgia St. At home. Did Sark leave the cupboard bare for Peterson? Or is Peterson struggling to coach a team with mid-level PAC 12 talent?

[Utah]

Colorado beats Hawaii 21-12. At home, on the mainland, at elevation.

Washington is down 14-0 in the 3rd quarter. To Georgia St. At home. Did Sark leave the cupboard bare for Peterson? Or is Peterson struggling to coach a team with mid-level PAC 12 talent?

I posted on UFN earlier in the summer how Peterson was over-rated as a coach and would struggle in the PAC-12.

I was mocked incessantly.

Boise played one game a year, and it was their first game of the year. Petersen had months to prepare for that one game. The week to week grind is real and it is a big transition. Petersen will have to relearn how to prepare for teams.

[chrisrenrut]

Miss St. Up at LSU 17-3 almost at the half. I heard earlier that Miss St. hasn't won at Death Valley since 1993.

I'd love to see them hold on in the 2nd half. Partly for Dan Mullen and Brian Johnson, and partly because LSU is a team I always root against. LSU is a traditionally stronger team in the 2nd half.

[sancho]

I posted on UFN earlier in the summer how Peterson was over-rated as a coach and would struggle in the PAC-12.


You might be premature with this. So far, he's 3-0 (headed for 4-0), and he's 0-0 in the Pac-12. Let's see what happens next week vs Stanford.

[chrisrenrut]

You might be premature with this. So far, he's 3-0 (headed for 4-0), and he's 0-0 in the Pac-12. Let's see what happens next week vs Stanford.

I was wondering about the logic. Maybe that Peterson spent the summer focusing on beating Stanford, and overlooked the non-con schedule?

[sancho]

Maybe that Peterson spent the summer focusing on beating Stanford

Nothing like that. I just meant that we've all seen teams look bad against bad competition only to look good when it mattered. I don't think UW is good, but they have to lose some for me to know for sure.

[OrangeUte]

Wazzou is not going to be as easy as some may think. Their defense really got after Marriota and that offense is potent. Next week should be another great game!

[Jarid in Cedar]

Wazzou is not going to be as easy as some may think. Their defense really got after Marriota and that offense is potent. Next week should be another great game!

We are going to drop 50 on Wazzu. The question is whether it will be enough. That said Wazzu at home is much different than Wazzu on the road. My early prediction is 52-31

[Diehard Ute]

Wazzou is not going to be as easy as some may think. Their defense really got after Marriota and that offense is potent. Next week should be another great game!

Oregon has also lost all their tackles. Their OLine is a mess

[OrangeUte]

Arizona wins on a Hail Mary. Great pac 12 games last night.

[Utah]

Wazzou is not going to be as easy as some may think. Their defense really got after Marriota and that offense is potent. Next week should be another great game!

Wazzu was desperate and at home. Their season is over now.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Wazzu was desperate and at home. Their season is over now.

I expect Utah will find a way to win next week, but anybody who thinks WSU is a pushover and a guaranteed win is a f***ing idiot not being objective.


If WSU moving the ball at will on Offense and absolutely flying to the ball on Defense is merely a matter of proper motivation (playing at home, and being desperate), then there will be games this year where the Constipated Pirate gets his team properly motivated and surprises the hell out of other teams. I hope that Utah is not one of those games.

[USS Utah]

Wazzu was desperate and at home. Their season is over now.

This from the poster who downplayed Michigan's defense.

[OrangeUte]

I'm sorry but I'm not going to dismiss wazzou so easily. What I saw was an aggressive defense and a pretty dangerous offense that went toe to toe with oregon. Even with Oregon having OLine issues, leach was able to keep things tight. This game will be enough of a challenge that I am expecting a competitive game. Our defense will definitely be tested and our offense better not be asleep. I'm glad this game is at home.

[justaute]

Hear Hear...I had hoped that he would leave his "prediction" and "calls" at ufn. Oh well.


This from the poster who downplayed Michigan's defense.

[Utah]

Hear Hear...I had hoped that he would leave his "prediction" and "calls" at ufn. Oh well.

Huh. I was right, you were wrong. I can see why you want me to stay on UFN.

Is it because you mocked me, then I was right, then you stopped posting over there? Is this the site all you guys come and hide out at until everyone has forgotten your posts?

I'd appreciate it if when I posted something that turned out to be correct, people would own up and give me my due.

Or at least not be a jerk and still act like they know what they are doing.

[Utah]

This from the poster who downplayed Michigan's defense.

Yeah. I was ssoooo wrong. I said Michigan doesn't force TO's. They did get one on our backup QB. Kudos to them.

I said they give up 8 yards per pass attempt and we could exploit them through the air. Guess what Wilson's yards per attempt were? What?!? 8 yards per attempt?!? Shocking.

I said we could put up 31 points on them. We put up 26. We also missed a FG, dropped a TD pass (Poole), and didn't follow blockers (Poole). So, yeah, we fell a little short of what I said, but we could have easily put up 37 points on them. Maybe more if Wilson doesn't get hurt.

Forgive me for not shaking in my boots over a defense that didn't do much. Are you afraid of WSU's defense as well?

[U-Ute]

Wazzu was desperate and at home. Their season is over now.

They pinned their entire season on beating Oregon? This makes no sense.

[justaute]

I wasn't wrong about anything as I didn't predict any scores. And, it's not about whether you are right or wrong.

I left UFN because of immature behaviors by people like you. I'm a Utah fan, not a fanatic. I played and coached at Utah, so I certainly want my Utes to do well. I have neither the time nor the patience to engage with people like you. Working in the private investment world keeps away from home, so time is important to me. I want to be able to enjoy my exchange with good, reasonable Utah fans. Thus far, you are not one of them.

if I wanted to be a dick, I can be one of the best. But why? Earnest and spirited exchanges? I'm cool with that. Telling people how wrong they are and being a jerk to them just because they don't share your view, that's just immature and being disrespectful to others. Critical-thinking skills...I won't even go there.

Now that I've shared my view, I'm finished with your twaddle. If you want to behave differently, then I'm cool with that. If not, I won't engage with you anymore. It's not a threat. You do as you please. I'll do the same without wasting my time and being a dick.
There really is no reason to be bogged down with something so de minimis.

oh....GO UTES!


Huh. I was right, you were wrong. I can see why you want me to stay on UFN.

Is it because you mocked me, then I was right, then you stopped posting over there? Is this the site all you guys come and hide out at until everyone has forgotten your posts?

I'd appreciate it if when I posted something that turned out to be correct, people would own up and give me my due.

Or at least not be a jerk and still act like they know what they are doing.

[sancho]

They pinned their entire season on beating Oregon? This makes no sense.

Going to a bowl game is surely a team goal, and they must be getting desperate on that front. This is a must win game for Wazzu.

[USS Utah]

Yeah. I was ssoooo wrong. I said Michigan doesn't force TO's. They did get one on our backup QB. Kudos to them.

I said they give up 8 yards per pass attempt and we could exploit them through the air. Guess what Wilson's yards per attempt were? What?!? 8 yards per attempt?!? Shocking.

I said we could put up 31 points on them. We put up 26. We also missed a FG, dropped a TD pass (Poole), and didn't follow blockers (Poole). So, yeah, we fell a little short of what I said, but we could have easily put up 37 points on them. Maybe more if Wilson doesn't get hurt.

Forgive me for not shaking in my boots over a defense that didn't do much. Are you afraid of WSU's defense as well?

You forgot this gem:


Michigan only let ND average 2.6 yards per carry in the first half and first two drives of the second half. Impressive, right? The only problem was Michigan was losing 28-0.

Utah ran 37 times for 81 yards -- a 2.2 yard per carry average.

Michigan, OTOH, ran 36 times for 118 yards -- a 3.3 yards per carry average.

[Applejack]

At this point in the season, the Pac is a real mystery to me. The elites (Oregon, Stanford, USC, UCLA) have all looked beatable - especially when they get beat. There is a really murky middle (ASU, UW, Cal, Arizona, Utah, Oregon State) of teams that have really nice records but don't have a lot of signature wins (other than @MICHIGAN). Washington State seems to have fire in its belly, but at 1-3 is basically bowl ineligible.

The only thing I know is that Colorado sucks.

[sancho]

Hundley looked sharp last night. Accurate and efficient, and he consistently made the right decision on when to run. UCLA has scored a ton of points this season on defense and special teams.

ASU racked up 600+ yards. I think they have a good offense, and I think UCLA's defense is suspect. The Bruins defense was getting attention after the UVa and Texas wins, but it turns out that UVa and Texas don't have potent offenses. UCLA did give up points to Memphis. I think they are vulnerable.

[concerned]

Hundley looked sharp last night. Accurate and efficient, and he consistently made the right decision on when to run. UCLA has scored a ton of points this season on defense and special teams.

ASU racked up 600+ yards. I think they have a good offense, and I think UCLA's defense is suspect. The Bruins defense was getting attention after the UVa and Texas wins, but it turns out that UVa and Texas don't have potent offenses. UCLA did give up points to Memphis. I think they are vulnerable.

We could be a trap game for them, although they are at home with a couple of extra days rest.

[Applejack]

Colorado cal in OT. cal throws a touchdown on 3 AND 10 from the 25. C'mon buffs!

[Applejack]

Colorado cal in OT. cal throws a touchdown on 3 AND 10 from the 25. C'mon buffs!

Buffs score on their first play! I would have gone for two there.

[Applejack]

Buffs score on their first play! I would have gone for two there.

Buffs needing two fourth down conversions to score. They don't get the second. Cal just needs a fg

[NorthwestUteFan]

I expect Utah will find a way to win next week, but anybody who thinks WSU is a pushover and a guaranteed win is a f***ing idiot not being objective.



Doggone it I hate to be right in this case. When Leach called that timeout in the first half to rally his dejected troops, he did exactly what had to be done and his team reacted positively. That was the point at which WSU quit on him last time they were in SLC, but this time he has them believing in his system and they came back fighting.

Leach figured out ways to beat our defensive schemes and then he took advantage of it.

In this league we cannot afford to take a game off, ever. Now I fear that WSU has exposed our defensive weaknesses and UCLA, ASU, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado will all put up video game numbers against us.

[Homer Crimson]

Now I fear that WSU has exposed our defensive weaknesses and UCLA, ASU, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado will all put up video game numbers against us.

Defensive weaknesses?! What does that matter if our Offense only scores one TD?!

[OrangeUte]

A buddy of mine hooked my kids and I up with great midfield seats for the Oregon Arizona game this Thursday night. My middle son loves the ducks. While that kills me, we live about four hours from Eugene, and he has been able to see his ducks quite a bit.

I have to admit, though, that I hate going to that stadium. It's too loud. And not loud in a good way, when the yell Ooooo, it is ear piercing and annoying.

[hostile]

Uh oh shaggy. Scooby doin work, creating and recovering a fumble to potentially seal a win over Oregon.

[sancho]

Uh oh shaggy. Scooby doin work, creating and recovering a fumble to potentially seal a win over Oregon.

You just know that Oregon O-line that has been so bad the past two weeks will be all healed up and ready to go when Oregon comes to SLC.

Why do we never get to go against the second string? Is it too much to ask that we should see some games like this against a completely decimated power?

[justaute]

Healed or not, Utah is just going to rush 3 and drop 8. :)


You just know that Oregon O-line that has been so bad the past two weeks will be all healed up and ready to go when Oregon comes to SLC.

Why do we never get to go against the second string? Is it too much to ask that we should see some games like this against a completely decimated power?

[Applejack]

The Pac is so confusing this year. Is Arizona legit? A road win against Oregon screams YES, but tight home wins against UTSanAntonio, Cal, and Nevada scream PROBABLY NOT.

[sancho]

The Pac is so confusing this year. Is Arizona legit? A road win against Oregon screams YES, but tight home wins against UTSanAntonio, Cal, and Nevada scream PROBABLY NOT.

To early to know for sure, but I think it means there are no elite teams, a bunch of good teams, and no horrible teams. I would rather there be 1-2 elite teams that beat everyone, 4-5 horrible teams (not us), and some middle teams that rack up wins against the horrible teams.

[sancho]

The top teams are little lower than usual, and among the bottom teams (Utah, WSU, Cal, OSU, CU, UW) there is not an easy out. This is not a sustainable power structure for a conference. There are always powers and cellar dwellars. So we are in a transitional period where the powers and cellars are being re-determined. CU, Cal, and WSU are making a strong effort to leave the basement. If they are successful, someone necessarily fills their spot down there - Utah and OSU.

[Applejack]

The top teams are little lower than usual, and among the bottom teams (Utah, WSU, Cal, OSU, CU, UW) there is not an easy out. This is not a sustainable power structure for a conference. There are always powers and cellar dwellars. So we are in a transitional period where the powers and cellars are being re-determined. CU, Cal, and WSU are making a strong effort to leave the basement. If they are successful, someone necessarily fills their spot down there - Utah and OSU.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Colorado is far and away the worst team in the Pac this year: they lost (at home) to Colorado St and won by three against UMASS. UMASS!!!!

[SeattleUte]

So between West Virginia and Arizona Rich Rodriguez forgot to coach, and got it back again at Arizona? Strange. I wonder if he had a stroke at Michigan.

[Two Utes]

So between West Virginia and Arizona Rich Rodriguez forgot to coach, and got it back again at Arizona? Strange. I wonder if he had a stroke at Michigan.

This is just more evidence that something is severely wrong in Ann Arbor. Hubris.

[Mormon Red Death]

So between West Virginia and Arizona Rich Rodriguez forgot to coach, and got it back again at Arizona? Strange. I wonder if he had a stroke at Michigan.

One game does not a coach make. If so Whit would have been great last year after the stanford game. Remember, This AZ team needed a hail mary to beat Cal at home.

[sancho]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Colorado is far and away the worst team in the Pac this year: they lost (at home) to Colorado St and won by three against UMASS. UMASS!!!!

Sure, but they are trending up while we are trending down. The natural equilibrium state for a conference is to have 3-4 tiers. Occasionally, someone shakes the snow globe, and teams can reposition themselves. We are in the midst of a swirling, chaotic period, and we need to make sure CU et al are still filling that bottom tier when a new equilibrium is reached.

[sancho]

So between West Virginia and Arizona Rich Rodriguez forgot to coach, and got it back again at Arizona? Strange. I wonder if he had a stroke at Michigan.

I'm always in the minority on this, but I think luck plays as large a role in coaching destinies as anything else.

[concerned]

Here is a preety good graphic on the status of the big 5 conferences

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/sports/ncaafootball/Big-10-realignment.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&modref=HPGraphicRefer&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

It is a companion to an article on how far the Big 10 has fallen

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/sports/ncaafootball/as-big-ten-declines-homegrown-talent-fades-and-flees.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSumSmallMediaHigh&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

[justaute]

I'm over our win. Watching WSU vs Cal, 52-54. Terrific game.

[justaute]

Cal 60 - WSU 59. 3:18 left in the game. Wow.

Receivers from both teams are catching everything.

[justaute]

Holy Cow! WSU missed a 19-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. Cal wins.

[OrangeUte]

The ending to this game was absolutely crazy. Connor Halliday sets the fbs alltime pass yard per game record.

[chrisrenrut]

Arizona is the first team since 1989 go from unranked to #10 in one week in the AP poll.


http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/78103/arizona-makes-historic-jump-in-ap-poll

[LA Ute]

Arizona is the first team since 1989 go from unranked to #10 in one week in the AP poll.


http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/78103/arizona-makes-historic-jump-in-ap-poll

Wow. Am I the only one here who thinks that's a bit premature?

[Solon]

Wow. Am I the only one here who thinks that's a bit premature?

As MRD & I learned long ago in Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona was the only Pac-10 team never to have gone to the Rose Bowl.

[chrisrenrut]

Wow. Am I the only one here who thinks that's a bit premature?

Probably, but you have an undefeated team who just beat #2 on the road, and you have half of the top 25 that also lost. I think it is also premature for Utah to be at 24. Just a weird, weird week.

[Scratch]

Probably, but you have an undefeated team who just beat #2 on the road, and you have half of the top 25 that also lost. I think it is also premature for Utah to be at 24. Just a weird, weird week.

I was thinking that, too, but then looking at the rankings there are a lot of very flawed teams in the 10-25 range.

[Mormon Red Death]

As MRD & I learned long ago in Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona was the only Pac-10 team never to have gone to the Rose Bowl.

They Still are....

[Applejack]

I was thinking that, too, but then looking at the rankings there are a lot of very flawed teams in the 10-25 range.

I think Arizona deserves Top 10. I don't think they'll stay there, but they are one of seven undefeated teams and just beat the Ducks in Eugene - and they didn't even need a fluke hail mary to do it. I think rankings before week 5 are stupid anyway - at this point, teams at least have some resume.

[justaute]

It seems as though Utah's offense is the only one that can't score against WSU.

[LA Ute]

Stanford wearing black tonight. Misery loves company.

[LA Ute]

Watching UCLA vs. Oregon. Both teams playing well but neither one looking awesome.

[LA Ute]

UCLA's kicker is awful.

[DrumNFeather]

Watching UCLA vs. Oregon. Both teams playing well but neither one looking awesome.
How about Mora and his DC getting after each other on the sideline. I gotta say though, I really like Mora.

[LA Ute]

How about Mora and his DC getting after each other on the sideline. I gotta say though, I really like Mora.

I do too. He's an opposing coach who's hard to dislike. Kinda like Dave Rose.

[LA Ute]

Oregon starting to dominate UCLA. Maybe not looking awesome, but looking pretty good. They are making UCLA pay for every mistake.

[DrumNFeather]

Oregon starting to dominate UCLA. Maybe not looking awesome, but looking pretty good. They are making UCLA pay for every mistake.
Hopefully UCLA will bounce back and help us out in the South.

[LA Ute]

Tonight is the first time I've seen Solomon, Arizona's QB, play. He looks good.

[U-Ute]

How about Mora and his DC getting after each other on the sideline. I gotta say though, I really like Mora.

"Shhh... shhh... shhh... it's ok. It will be over soon..."

1273

[Applejack]

How about Mora and his DC getting after each other on the sideline. I gotta say though, I really like Mora.

I'm not a big fan of Mora. I get the feeling he's a player's coach, which is probably a good fit for UCLA, but I think will mean that team underachieves a lot more than it overachieves. I thought he was flat-out outcoached by Whit/Sitake last weekend - the defense never adjusted to Kendal and they never switched up the protection for Hundley on offense.

I like him sticking around in Westwood - I don't think they'll be dynastic.

[justaute]

Holy Trojans! Utah's offense cannot be MIA again next week.

[LA Ute]

I know Stanford's Hogan is often dismissed as just a game manager but I wish we had a game manager like him. He passes better than either KT or TW. All we really need is average production at QB. Not an "A" QB or even a "B." A "C" would do, maybe with an occasional C-plus performance. It's a low bar. I hope someone can meet it!

[sancho]

I know Stanford's Hogan is often dismissed as just a game manager but I wish we had a game manager like him. He passes better than either KT or TW. All we really need is average production at QB. Not an "A" QB or even a "B." A "C" would do, maybe with an occasional C-plus performance. It's a low bar. I hope someone can meet it!

I don't see anything special in Hogan and don't know that we would be better off with him. Maybe. It's hard to compare such different schemes.

[LA Ute]

I don't see anything special in Hogan and don't know that we would be better off with him. Maybe. It's hard to compare such different schemes.

There is nothing special. That's my point. He's an avarage QB, which is all we need. He can throw the ball to where it needs to be most of the time. I like the Bercovici kid at ASU too. I'm in QB envy mode.

[sancho]

There is nothing special. That's my point. He's an avarage QB, which is all we need. He can throw the ball to where it needs to be most of the time. I like the Bercovici kid at ASU too. I'm in QB envy mode.

Well, I'm with you on bercovicci. He looks great. I wonder what our guys would look like in Grahams system. Having the best receiver in college football can't hurt either.

[LA Ute]

I am trying to understand my vicsceral dislike of ASU.

[sancho]

I am trying to understand my vicsceral dislike of ASU.

Maybe it's the constant beatings we receive at their hands?

[LA Ute]

Maybe it's the constant beatings we receive at their hands?

Definitely a big part of it.

[Mormon Red Death]

I am trying to understand my vicsceral dislike of ASU.

Its their coach, his boy band head set and punchable face.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[LA Ute]

ESPN's helmet stickers for this week. Two Ute players are at the top of the list:

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/78857/pac-12-helmet-stickers-week-8-3

[Applejack]

I just took a look at the computer rankings for the Pac (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/). Basically, Oregon is head and shoulders above everyone, then you have a second-tier group of six teams (USC, Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Arizona, Arizona St) that are largely indistinguishable. In fact, Sagarin has spots 19-23 in his Top 25 filled with Pac-12 teams, and Arizona (yes, 5-1 Arizona with a win over the Ducks) at 28.

You then have a third-tier group of Washington (#41) and Oregon State (#46).

And a back-of-the-pack group of Cal (#63), WSU (#71), and Colorado (#91).

I sure would like a do-over on Wazzu.

[U-Ute]

Rosen Living A Dream

http://ucla.scout.com/story/1470971-rosen-living-a-dream


“The reason I love UCLA so much is because I want to win for a school that isn’t used to winning,” said Rosen.

Ouch.

:rofl:

[SigmaUte]

So who do we want to win this week in the PAC-12 (I would include other games in the Top 25 but I don't think it matters much, if we win we move up if we lose then we don't.)

Friday, October 24 2014

#6 Oregon @ California*
10:00 PM ET FOX SPORTS 1- Neutral site game at Levi Stadium. My guess is Oregon rolls. I want to see Oregon do well since it makes the Pac-12 look better. If anyone is going to upset Oregon it better be Utah
Saturday, October 25 2014


#25 UCLA @ Colorad 2:00 PM ET P12N - I would love to see Colorado beat UCLA because it would help us in the South standings. Some will say that it makes our win against UCLA look worse, but if we beat USC that won't matter. Not to mention we will have plenty of times to prove ourselves with our upcoming schedule.

Oregon State @ Stanford 3:30 ET ESPN2 - This is a toss-up I'm going to go with Oregon State here.

#15 Arizona @ WSU 6:00 ET P12N - Easy one here, need Arizona to lose to improve our South standings and a WSU win would help justify us losing to WSU a bit...kinda?

#14 ASU @ Wasington 10:45 ET ESPN - Would like to see Washington beat ASU. Helps with our pac 12 south standings. Also I hate the Desert Zoobs. Would be nice for them to be recovering from a loss when we play them next week. Strangely I picked them in the survivor pool though.

[sancho]

So who do we want to win this week in the PAC-12 (I would include other games in the Top 25 but I don't think it matters much, if we win we move up if we lose then we don't.)

#25 UCLA @ Colorad 2:00 PM ET P12N - I would love to see Colorado beat UCLA because it would help us in the South standings. Some will say that it makes our win against UCLA look worse, but if we beat USC that won't matter. Not to mention we will have plenty of times to prove ourselves with our upcoming schedule.


I like your reasoning, but I also don't mind at all if CU is 0-8 when we see them in Boulder.



Oregon State @ Stanford 3:30 ET ESPN2 - This is a toss-up I'm going to go with Oregon State here.


Are you serious? This is not a hard choice. We lose 1-2 guys every year to Stanford. We want them to return to the bottom of the conference where they belong.

[SigmaUte]

Are you serious? This is not a hard choice. We lose 1-2 guys every year to Stanford. We want them to return to the bottom of the conference where they belong.

Yeah, you're right, I wasn't really thinking about recruiting at the time. It would definitely be beneficial for Utah if Stanford to fall back into the cellar.


I like your reasoning, but I also don't mind at all if CU is 0-8 when we see them in Boulder.


I actually would prefer Colorado to have at least 1 win, preferably against a south opponent, that way they aren't righting tooth and nail to get a win at the end of the season against Utah.

[SoCalPat]

So who do we want to win this week in the PAC-12 (I would include other games in the Top 25 but I don't think it matters much, if we win we move up if we lose then we don't.)

Friday, October 24 2014

#6 Oregon @ California*
10:00 PM ET FOX SPORTS 1- Neutral site game at Levi Stadium. My guess is Oregon rolls. I want to see Oregon do well since it makes the Pac-12 look better. If anyone is going to upset Oregon it better be Utah
Saturday, October 25 2014


#25 UCLA @ Colorad 2:00 PM ET P12N - I would love to see Colorado beat UCLA because it would help us in the South standings. Some will say that it makes our win against UCLA look worse, but if we beat USC that won't matter. Not to mention we will have plenty of times to prove ourselves with our upcoming schedule.

Oregon State @ Stanford 3:30 ET ESPN2 - This is a toss-up I'm going to go with Oregon State here.

#15 Arizona @ WSU 6:00 ET P12N - Easy one here, need Arizona to lose to improve our South standings and a WSU win would help justify us losing to WSU a bit...kinda?

#14 ASU @ Wasington 10:45 ET ESPN - Would like to see Washington beat ASU. Helps with our pac 12 south standings. Also I hate the Desert Zoobs. Would be nice for them to be recovering from a loss when we play them next week. Strangely I picked them in the survivor pool though.

All of this is immaterial to Utah if we don't win Saturday. USC becomes a prohibitive favorite to win the South if it wins Saturday (With easily the league's toughest schedule remaining, I would also say we're a solid favorite to finish fifth; if we're lucky, tied for fourth or even third outright). Yes, it will still be tied in the loss column with Arizona, but it owns the head-to-head there. (EDIT: I keep forgetting that ASU didn't lose to USC, and only has one league loss as a result. It's remaining league slate, however, is considerably tougher than USC's.) USC also doesn't play Oregon and will have gone 4-1 vs. South Division foes. As things stand, only Utah is undefeated vs. the South right now, but only at 1-0, and if it loses Saturday, can finish no better than 4-1 in the division, where USC would again have the tiebreaker.

Show me otherwise, but the only way Utah can win the South with a loss Saturday would be for USC to lose out to get to 5-4, with Utah finishing 6-3 or 7-2. With a closing league slate of UCLA, Cal and Wazzu, that's not happening.

[sancho]

All of this is immaterial to Utah if we don't win Saturday. USC becomes a prohibitive favorite to win the South if it wins Saturday (With easily the league's toughest schedule remaining, I would also say we're a solid favorite to finish fifth; if we're lucky, tied for fourth or even third outright). Yes, it will still be tied in the loss column with Arizona, but it owns the head-to-head there. (EDIT: I keep forgetting that ASU didn't lose to USC, and only has one league loss as a result. It's remaining league slate, however, is considerably tougher than USC's.) USC also doesn't play Oregon and will have gone 4-1 vs. South Division foes. As things stand, only Utah is undefeated vs. the South right now, but only at 1-0, and if it loses Saturday, can finish no better than 4-1 in the division, where USC would again have the tiebreaker.

Show me otherwise, but the only way Utah can win the South with a loss Saturday would be for USC to lose out to get to 5-4, with Utah finishing 6-3 or 7-2. With a closing league slate of UCLA, Cal and Wazzu, that's not happening.

Sure, we're just dreaming while we still can.

[DrumNFeather]

ASU and Washington tied at 10 in the 4th.

[Applejack]

ASU and Washington tied at 10 in the 4th.

Woof! Woof!

[DrumNFeather]

ASU holds off Washington. Gonna be a big fight in the desert next week. But that's for Monday. We can enjoy this one!

[LA Ute]

Wall Street Journal today:

The Ecstasy and Anxiety of Oregon Football

The Ducks Are College Football’s Coolest Program. So Why Are Their Fans So Nervous?
(http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-energy-and-anxiety-of-oregon-football-1414782913?mod=WSJ_hppMIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond)

[OrangeUte]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL (http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-energy-and-anxiety-of-oregon-football-1414782913?mod=WSJ_hppMIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond)
The Ecstasy and Anxiety of Oregon FootballThe Ducks Are College Football’s Coolest Program. So Why Are Their Fans So Nervous?
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-energy-and-anxiety-of-oregon-football-1414782913?mod=WSJ_hppMIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond

This didn't work for me.

[LA Ute]

This didn't work for me.

I redid the link. You might need to be a Wall Street Journal subscriber to open it.

[OrangeUte]

Make a note. Against Oregon you cannot settle for field goals. You just have to go for it sometimes.

[OrangeUte]

Connor Halliday goes down with a broken leg. That is one tough kid. Remember when we lacerated his liver a few years ago?

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=pac12&id=79661

[DrumNFeather]

Arizona held to 7 @ UCLA.

[U-Ute]

Connor Halliday goes down with a broken leg. That is one tough kid. Remember when we lacerated his liver a few years ago?

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=pac12&id=79661

I happened to see the play when it happened and, at the time, it didn't seem like any other play. It was obvious right after that he was in a lot of pain. Poor kid. Just some bad luck.

I hope he fully recovers.

[U-Ute]

Notre Dame making Utah look really good right now.

[OrangeUte]

Notre Dame making Utah look really good right now.

Ain't that the truth. Wow.

[OrangeUte]

Arizona state's defense is absolutely legit.

[LA Ute]

Notre Dame making Utah look really good right now.

Yep.

[LA Ute]

Arizona state's defense is absolutely legit.

Maybe we should feel a little better about how our offense did against them.

[LA Ute]

Oops, looks like ASU may be choking the game away. ND just made another TD and now it's 34-30. It was 34-3 last time I checked. 28 unanswered points -- reminds me of a game we lost earlier this year....

[LA Ute]

Notably, ND's last TD came against an ASU blitz. The Irish QB burned 'em.

Man, it feels weird to be cheering for ASU. But it looks like they're stepping up now and are now ahead 10.

[justaute]

Wow...talk about a fortuitous INT for ASU.

[LA Ute]

Wow...talk about a fortuitous INT for ASU.

Well, luck is part of football. We had rotten luck in 2013, much better this year.

Any idea why Graham was yelling at the guy who got the pick-6?

[justaute]

Don't get me wrong, I wish our DBs wouldn't drop those potential-INTs last week.

The DB made mistakes on previous plays.

btw...Graham went for the points. Went for TD on 4th & 1 with less than a minute left in the game.


Well, luck is part of football. We had rotten luck in 2013, much better this year.

Any idea why Graham was yelling at the guy who got the pick-6?

[DrumNFeather]

ASU with another assist from Jesus according to coach Graham...I just wish he'd help out other programs too.

[justaute]

He doesn't help TDS given all the "righteous" living of players, coaches, and fans?


ASU with another assist from Jesus according to coach Graham...I just wish he'd help out other programs too.

[sancho]

Man, it feels weird to be cheering for ASU. But it looks like they're stepping up now and are now ahead 10.

I don't see why you would cheer for ASU in this game. USC is a dominant football power in our division. The last thing we want is for ASU to step up to that level too. We compete with ASU for recruits (this year, for Masina). We want ASU to lose every game they play, especially the non conference games.

[justaute]

I'm sure his cheering for ASU will alter the course of Pac 12 landscape. :)


I don't see why you would cheer for ASU in this game. USC is a dominant football power in our division. The last thing we want is for ASU to step up to that level too. We compete with ASU for recruits (this year, for Masina). We want ASU to lose every game they play, especially the non conference games.

[LA Ute]

I don't see why you would cheer for ASU in this game. USC is a dominant football power in our division. The last thing we want is for ASU to step up to that level too. We compete with ASU for recruits (this year, for Masina). We want ASU to lose every game they play, especially the non conference games.

I see your point but we took ASU to overtime and lost on the final play of the game. We didn't drop at all in the polls as a result. Seems to me their win over Notre Dame glosses up our performance.

[justaute]

FWIW...just read that WSU's redshirt freshman QB passed for +470 yards against OSU in his first start.

[LA Ute]

FWIW...just read that WSU's redshirt freshman QB passed for +470 yards against OSU in his first start.

Quarterback envy. I am suffering from a bad case of it. Regardless of who is to blame for it, our results in that area have been subpar for several years now.

[sancho]

Quarterback envy. I am suffering from a bad case of it. Regardless of who is to blame for it, our results in that area have been subpar for several years now.

And he's from Logan, Utah.

[mpfunk]

FWIW...just read that WSU's redshirt freshman QB passed for +470 yards against OSU in his first start.

Wilson and Thompson might not be even top 20 in the conference at QB.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[DrumNFeather]

Was that Flavor Flave by Helfrich? :)

[sancho]

This article is a ton of fun:

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/stanford-cardinal-struggles-pac-12-david-shaw-kevin-hogan/

Shaw can probably still bolt for the NFL, but if he has another bad season, that window will close. I hope he goes.

[Scratch]

This article is a ton of fun:

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/stanford-cardinal-struggles-pac-12-david-shaw-kevin-hogan/

Shaw can probably still bolt for the NFL, but if he has another bad season, that window will close. I hope he goes.

One of the most interesting aspects of Stanford's (and Shaw's) struggles is that Shaw is an offensive guy; he was the OC under Harbaugh. The fact that they are struggling immensely on the offensive side of the ball is really interesting given Shaw's background, and I would imagine it isn't helping his personal "stock." Also, it will be interesting to see what happens with Lance Anderson given his success and the team's relative struggles.

[Diehard Ute]

One of the most interesting aspects of Stanford's (and Shaw's) struggles is that Shaw is an offensive guy; he was the OC under Harbaugh. The fact that they are struggling immensely on the offensive side of the ball is really interesting given Shaw's background, and I would imagine it isn't helping his personal "stock." Also, it will be interesting to see what happens with Lance Anderson given his success and the team's relative struggles.

I can't imagine having one of his players giving the team a profanity laced tirade while he was giving his presser after the game was any help.

I found Shaw's postgame comments to be odd. He basically said they do everything right but show up for games.

[concerned]

I can't imagine having one of his players giving the team a profanity laced tirade while he was giving his presser after the game was any help.

I found Shaw's postgame comments to be odd. He basically said they do everything right but show up for games.

The scheme is phenomenol, the execution isn't. Where have i heard that before? (TIC)

[Diehard Ute]

The scheme is phenomenol, the execution isn't. Where have i heard that before? (TIC)

Maybe Shaw needs to find a university with smarter student athletes to run his stuff ;)

[SoCalPat]

One of the most interesting aspects of Stanford's (and Shaw's) struggles is that Shaw is an offensive guy; he was the OC under Harbaugh. The fact that they are struggling immensely on the offensive side of the ball is really interesting given Shaw's background, and I would imagine it isn't helping his personal "stock." Also, it will be interesting to see what happens with Lance Anderson given his success and the team's relative struggles.

I think if you're Kyle, you should be putting in an annual offer to Lance to have him come "home" to SLC (he's actually from Burley, Idaho).

[SoCalPat]

I've made mention of it in other posts and want to clarify the rent structure within the Pac-12:

Upper class/Dirty Rotten Stinking Filthy Rich: USC, Oregon

Upper middle class: UCLA, Arizona State, Washington, Stanford (they're DRSFR in the Olympic sports, FWIW)

Middle class: Arizona, Cal, Oregon State, Utah

Poor: Washington State, Colorado

[SeattleUte]

I've made mention of it in other posts and want to clarify the rent structure within the Pac-12:

Upper class/Dirty Rotten Stinking Filthy Rich: USC, Oregon

Upper middle class: UCLA, Arizona State, Washington, Stanford (they're DRSFR in the Olympic sports, FWIW)

Middle class: Arizona, Cal, Oregon State, Utah

Poor: Washington State, Colorado

Stanford could buy and sell the rest of the league combined many times

[sancho]

I've made mention of it in other posts and want to clarify the rent structure within the Pac-12:

Upper class/Dirty Rotten Stinking Filthy Rich: USC, Oregon

Upper middle class: UCLA, Arizona State, Washington, Stanford (they're DRSFR in the Olympic sports, FWIW)

Middle class: Arizona, Cal, Oregon State, Utah

Poor: Washington State, Colorado

Looks good. Let's talk mobility.

Could move up a tier with success: UCLA, UW, Arizona, Cal, Utah, CU
Could move down a tier: ASU, Stanford, OSU, Utah
Not going anywhere: USC, Oregon, Wazzu

[NorthwestUteFan]

Stanford's endowment is ~7 times that of USC. They are a close third behind Yale, and roughly equivalent to Texas. All trail Harvard by a good margin.

Oregon is a nice little community college who was given an NFL team.

[sancho]

Stanford's endowment is ~7 times that of USC. They are a close third behind Yale, and roughly equivalent to Texas. All trail Harvard by a good margin.

Oregon is a nice little community college who was given an NFL team.

Yeah, we all know about Stanford's greed. I'm pretty sure pat was referring to strength of athletics programs (ie strength of football programs).

[SoCalPat]

Yeah, we all know about Stanford's greed. I'm pretty sure pat was referring to strength of athletics programs (ie strength of football programs).

Yep. Academics keeps Stanford from the DRSFR category all around in athletics/football.

[NorthwestUteFan]

David Shaw is paid a whole lot of money to run the football program back into the dirt, so even Sancho could be pleased by that.

[Applejack]

Hundley declares for the draft. Sort of. (http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/college-football/story/_/id/11937110/brett-hundley-ucla-bruins-indicates-enter-2015-nfl-draft)

It's about damn time that these Pac-12 NFL QBs started leaving early. Marcus Mariotta, the bell tolls for thee.

[sancho]

Hundley declares for the draft. Sort of. (http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/college-football/story/_/id/11937110/brett-hundley-ucla-bruins-indicates-enter-2015-nfl-draft)


He already dropped out of the first round by sticking around an extra year. There sure are a lot of players who hurt their stock by staying too long.

[concerned]

He already dropped out of the first round by sticking around an extra year. There sure are a lot of players who hurt their stock by staying too long.

and most of them are usc qb's.

[NorthwestUteFan]

and most of them are usc qb's.

Or Sean Mannion.

[LA Ute]

USC's Cody Kessler looks like a 2015 Heisman Trophy candidate

http://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/la-sp-usc-notre-dame-plaschke-20141130-column.html?track=lat-email-latimessports

And we get to try stopping him at the Coliseum next season.

[Applejack]

So, Mike Leach sued Craig James, ESPN, and ESPN's production company for defamation, among other things, stemming from his firing at Texas Tech. The trial judge tossed his suit and it was recently affirmed on appeal. Here's the money quote from the opinion:


[Coach Mike] Leach “agreed with everything that was said and said that some of the language that was pretty rough, he said ‘that sounds like me, if I didn’t say it, I wish I had….’”

The "pretty rough" quote was (spoiler tag for language)

lock his f**king pu**y a** in a place so dark that the only way he knows he has a d**k is to reach down and touch it.”

Stay Classy, WAZZU!

[NorthwestUteFan]

When I get a migraine I need to be in a perfectly dark and quiet space. So that part makes sense.

Also you know Craig James' kid played the "Do you know who my daddy is?" card at least once a week.

[sancho]

Wilner's final Pac-12 coaching grades:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2014/12/04/pac-12-football-grading-the-coaches/


Utah’s Kyle Whittingham
Grade: B
Comment: Finally got it right with Dave Christensen running the offense and sculpted a stout defense. Now, if he could only find a quarterback.

[concerned]

Wilner's final Pac-12 coaching grades:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2014/12/04/pac-12-football-grading-the-coaches/

"Finally got it right with Dave Christensen . . . " Oh the irony. We will see.

[utefan]

Wilner's final Pac-12 coaching grades:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2014/12/04/pac-12-football-grading-the-coaches/
Finally got the offense right? Wow, he might as well just come out and admit that he didn't watch the Utes this season. Maybe he caught the Fresno State and Colorado games.

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

Oregon making up for two years of frustration against Arizona. Apparently Arizona only practices in the sprinklers when they play Utah.

[justaute]

Watching the UA/UO game and a thought surfaced....What is Utah's recruiting message to top-notch, prospective kickers and punters?

"Our offense sucks and you'll get to kick/punt a lot"?

[Dwight Schr-Ute]

This clip from the Arizona-Oregon game.

https://vine.co/v/Ovl7mQvrHgM

[Sullyute]

This clip from the Arizona-Oregon game.

https://vine.co/v/Ovl7mQvrHgM

Apparently that is not unusual as none of the players seemed to bat an eye.

[sancho]

Pac-12 bowl game rooting guide:

Utah vs CSU. Go Utes

ASU vs Duke. Which devil to follow? I don't see how any Ute fan could cheer for Graham and ASU in any game, let alone a game against a small time football program in the middle of a modest heyday.

USC vs Nebraska. Mike Riley was the guy everyone pointed to as a great coach content to work in a so-so program. His departure means everyone will now be pointing at Kyle Whittingham. As a thank you, Ute fans will pull for his Cornhuskers against ex-BYU QB Sark.

Stanford vs Maryland. Fear the turtle. Duh.

Arizona vs Boise State. Ute fans can relive the BCS busting glory days and root for Boise. Stupid Arizona. I'm tired of them already.

Oregon vs FSU. QUACK!

KState vs UCLA. Go fighting Snyders!

UW vs Okie State. I can't think of a reason why a Utah fan should root against these Huskies. Go Huskies.

[utefan]

I'm just going to root for all the Pac 12 teams. If they all win then next season the conference will have more credibility.

[sancho]

I'm just going to root for all the Pac 12 teams. If they all win then next season the conference will have more credibility.

Quick - what was the Big 10's bowl record last year? Bowl records have very little to do with conference credibility. It's all about winning the OOC games in September and the title in January. Plus, Utah credibility is more important than Pac-12 credibility. We are competing with these guys for recruits; it can only help our cause if they lose. Plus, they're just so hatable.

By the way, the Big 10 is an underdog in all 10 of its bowl games this year.

[utefan]

Quick - what was the Big 10's bowl record last year? Bowl records have very little to do with conference credibility. It's all about winning the OOC games in September and the title in January. Plus, Utah credibility is more important than Pac-12 credibility. We are competing with these guys for recruits; it can only help our cause if they lose. Plus, they're just so hatable.

By the way, the Big 10 is an underdog in all 10 of its bowl games this year.
I don't know what the Big 10's techie was in bowl games last year. But I don't want to give any fuel to the "SEC is the greatest ever" crowds that seem to get louder every year.

It'd be nice if the Pac 12 was considered the best conference for once.

[sancho]

It'd be nice if the Pac 12 was considered the best conference for once.

Only Oregon can help with that. The Pac-12 going 2-7 with those two wins coming from Oregon would do more for the conference reputation than going 7-1 with the one loss coming to FSU. And even then it would take years. Remember, the SEC won 7 in a row.

[LA Ute]

I've decided that my pulling for any PAC-12 team in the bowl games will not affect the outcome of the game, so I'm going to go ahead and do it.

[chrisrenrut]

Quick - what was the Big 10's bowl record last year? Bowl records have very little to do with conference credibility. It's all about winning the OOC games in September and the title in January. Plus, Utah credibility is more important than Pac-12 credibility. We are competing with these guys for recruits; it can only help our cause if they lose. Plus, they're just so hatable.

By the way, the Big 10 is an underdog in all 10 of its bowl games this year.


My immediate thoughts on thinking of recent Big 10 bowl results is that Wisconsin and Ohio St, two of their strongest teams the past couple of years, have to wilted in their bowl games. My impression is that the other Big 10 teams won less than half their bowl games. That all goes towards the perception that the Big 10 is one of the weaker P5 conferences.

Some quick research shows the Big 10 went 2-5 the last 2 years. That includes losses by Wiscy both years, and tOSU last year (they weren't bowl eligible in 2012).

This year I tend to agree that the biggest impression of PAC 12 strength will be if if Oregon does well in the playoffs. I wish Arizona had gotten a stronger opponent, they could have made an impression as well, but are in a no-win situation with Boise St.

[sancho]

I've decided that my pulling for any PAC-12 team in the bowl games will not affect the outcome of the game, so I'm going to go ahead and do it.

I've never seen any evidence of that, but either way I don't see why you want to root for the teams that beat us.

[LA Ute]

I've never seen any evidence of that, but either way I don't see why you want to root for the teams that beat us.

It's gut feeling thing, wrapped up in homerism.

[utefan]

Only Oregon can help with that. The Pac-12 going 2-7 with those two wins coming from Oregon would do more for the conference reputation than going 7-1 with the one loss coming to FSU. And even then it would take years. Remember, the SEC won 7 in a row.
Oregon can certainly help with that, sure. I do think all the teams have their role though.

The SEC won 7 in a row because they had an automatic bid to the title game, based on the perception that it was the best conference. A clean sweep in the postseason will help the Pac 12 get that kind of respect.

[Diehard Ute]

This fits here too

Twitter (and the Portland Tribune) reporting Gary Andersen to Oregon State