USC was clearly outplayed and outcoached by a better coaching staff and better players. They have been lucky to win a few times this season and only did so with the help of some terrible PAC 12 officiating. They are over rated and overhyped by the media and showed their true colors and and lack of character last night. Glad they are going to the Big 10!
The PAC without USC (and UCLA) will look like the Mountain West. They got hosed at Utah during the 1st game by the pathetic officials. They almost lost to Arizona due to more pathetic home town calls. USC is the big brand in the PAC. Notice the Vegas game was a sellout & when they play on the road stadiums are full. They lost a Heisman quality QB who has thrown 40 touchdown passes and 4000 yards. Caleb's loss doomed their chances just like Nix's injury hurt Oregon and helped OSU win. 0SU. I am happy they are moving on from the PAC and making the big bucks along with UCLA. Better exposure. Better recruiting.
Other PAC teams would jump at such an opportunity.
Great observation. But scheduling matters. SC came into the game after playing UCLA and Notre Dame. Utah came into the game off a quasi bye week playing CU; a CU team not yet in Prime Time.
The scheduling favored both USC and CU in 2022. Will adjustments be made in 2023 or will we have to wait until SC/UCLA head off to the B1G.
Utah winning will cost the Pac somewhere between $2 and $6M.
Idk about totally out coached, I think they got ahead and full of themselves and the players just failed to execute. Most of the time, it looked like the play call on d was ok, but they just refused to tackle or hold gaps. Utah o line certainly owned USC d.
Even though my Trojans lost to the better team that was a fantastic environment for a championship game. Both fan bases very energized, loud and respectful. Still no idea why all the Pac-12 mascots were there but give the Duck credit as he was hanging with SC Song Girls...
The idea of giving a bye to the top four will only help continue the dominance of a handful of programs. And that’s likely the purpose. Evidence: This 12-team idea was cooked up by the SEC, the conference that plays just eight league games and has its teams play a patsy in November. They cook their schedules for advantage. Only makes sense they want to cook the playoffs too.
They did improve. They were not as good as their record. They were handed wins by bad PAC 12 officiating. They are also a bunch of spoiled kids that think they are better than they are, and think they are entitled to win without hard work.
And exactly how is it that you seem to know the work habits, goals, aspirations, desires and key personality traits of these spoiled kids? Pray tell do reveal.
Thanks as always, John. That is Great News, that Coach Smith might be offered a lifetime contract. Hey, they tenure professors on the same campus. It makes a lot more sense to me to tenure a head football coach. They will bring in a lot more revenue through their career than any lit teacher, or even engineering dept head. Coaches don't get injured to downgrade their value. Instead, they gain experience. And personalities don't really change, so I don't think Smith will lose his fire. Give him $10M with an inflation escalator clause, along with a staff pool that is league competitive and also has an escalator. Bring stability to OSU because, as we have discussed, OSU will always need to outperform its talent. It will never be Ohio State or Alabama in recruiting (ie, Top 5). So lock down the coaching talent, at the least. Joe Paterno is the model. His years of consistent leadership is how they won in State College, a Corvallis-like town if ever there was one.
Prime in the Pac12, Wow. Hard to imagine but lots of interest from the I-95 press. Shout out to the Kansas State Wildcats, Big 12 Champions. Very proud, Charlie (Architectural Engineering, '57)
John, How do you explain the no targetting call when the USC defender hit Rising with the crown of his helmet right in the facemask and knocked his helmet off? It was not on the side of the helmet as the stupid announcer said, as if that makes a difference according to the targetting rule.
Imo rewatching the replays, he lead with his shoulder and the helmet contact was incidental and rising also dipped his head as well. Remember the rules changed this year a bit. The guy didn't launch, rising wasn't defenseless, guy didn't lower his head on the hit, he DID turn and his shoulder hit first. It was VERY close, but the hit didn't LEAD with the helmet. 5050 it gets called either way.
That isn't what I saw. Rising was running with his head down and the defender hit him right in the face guard with his helmet. That seems to me to be targetting, regardless of intent.
USC's defense really hasn't played that well this year. The offense fell apart in the second half vs. Utah, which is why they lost. The Trojans just need more defensive talent and I expect that to happen. The secondary can't tackle and lots of plays were breaking free in the second half. SC was just awful on both sides last year.
Scott Frost also puked all over the Nebraska program. Not a good HC. Mike Riley could not work with the Huskers either. It used to be the gem of midwest football. I will never forget the beating they gave Univ of Minnesota in 1984, 84-13. It was merciless (when U of MN was comparable to the same era Beavers teams)
Even though they lost today, the loss won't affect TCU's playoffs. It was quite a year for Sonny Dykes, who's a very solid coach. TCU should be called ECI -- Everything Cal Isn't. Also, No. 7, the safety, showed how bad USC's defense is and why they shouldn't be in the playoffs. He was a swinging gate on multiple touchdown runs. Riley clearly deserves a year to get that side of the ball up to stuff. I see the Trojans in the playoffs next year with help from the portal. No. 7 gets cut.
USC was clearly outplayed and outcoached by a better coaching staff and better players. They have been lucky to win a few times this season and only did so with the help of some terrible PAC 12 officiating. They are over rated and overhyped by the media and showed their true colors and and lack of character last night. Glad they are going to the Big 10!
The improvement SC showed from last year is amazing. Utah stayed the same, although they are good.
Good enough to blow out USC.
“Although they are good” ? What kind of destruction of USC would make them great?
They did lose three games. Oregon, UCLA, Florida. That's good, not great.
Fair assessment.
The PAC without USC (and UCLA) will look like the Mountain West. They got hosed at Utah during the 1st game by the pathetic officials. They almost lost to Arizona due to more pathetic home town calls. USC is the big brand in the PAC. Notice the Vegas game was a sellout & when they play on the road stadiums are full. They lost a Heisman quality QB who has thrown 40 touchdown passes and 4000 yards. Caleb's loss doomed their chances just like Nix's injury hurt Oregon and helped OSU win. 0SU. I am happy they are moving on from the PAC and making the big bucks along with UCLA. Better exposure. Better recruiting.
Other PAC teams would jump at such an opportunity.
Great observation. But scheduling matters. SC came into the game after playing UCLA and Notre Dame. Utah came into the game off a quasi bye week playing CU; a CU team not yet in Prime Time.
The scheduling favored both USC and CU in 2022. Will adjustments be made in 2023 or will we have to wait until SC/UCLA head off to the B1G.
Utah winning will cost the Pac somewhere between $2 and $6M.
Idk about totally out coached, I think they got ahead and full of themselves and the players just failed to execute. Most of the time, it looked like the play call on d was ok, but they just refused to tackle or hold gaps. Utah o line certainly owned USC d.
If the players fail. The coaches get the blame
For the Cocaine Bear question I’d have said Cam Rising, but Coach Whitt works, too.
Amended
Even though my Trojans lost to the better team that was a fantastic environment for a championship game. Both fan bases very energized, loud and respectful. Still no idea why all the Pac-12 mascots were there but give the Duck credit as he was hanging with SC Song Girls...
Agree. I was not at that game. I was at the UTAH/USC game in SLC.
Fans on both sides were classy and cool.
I think SC lost to a more rested team. Look at SC's last 2 opponents compared to the last 2 conference opponents Utah played.
Bravo on 16 team playoff. Thank you.
The idea of giving a bye to the top four will only help continue the dominance of a handful of programs. And that’s likely the purpose. Evidence: This 12-team idea was cooked up by the SEC, the conference that plays just eight league games and has its teams play a patsy in November. They cook their schedules for advantage. Only makes sense they want to cook the playoffs too.
And if you have a PO then forget the bowls and play every game at the higher ranked team's home stadium before the 'CFB Super Bowl.'
Too much snow on the ground up north? If need be move the game to Detroit, Indy, or Minneapolis.
They did improve. They were not as good as their record. They were handed wins by bad PAC 12 officiating. They are also a bunch of spoiled kids that think they are better than they are, and think they are entitled to win without hard work.
And exactly how is it that you seem to know the work habits, goals, aspirations, desires and key personality traits of these spoiled kids? Pray tell do reveal.
Agree. The kids work hard. The players are not spoiled. It’s a small part of the USC fan base
that spoils the image.
I love PAC 12 football - this season has been more fun top to bottom in a long time and it ain’t over yet!
Let the Bowl BS Begin 😎
GO DAWGS
To San Antonio to play Texas? Kind of like if TX had to play UW in Seahawks stadium.
Looks like the Alamo Bowl for the Dawgs instead of going to the Rose Bowl to play Penn State.
Why UW with 2Ls was not in Las Vegas when 3L Utah was is beyond me but it does make perfect Pac-12 sense. Of course Pac-12 sense is an oxymoron.
Thanks as always, John. That is Great News, that Coach Smith might be offered a lifetime contract. Hey, they tenure professors on the same campus. It makes a lot more sense to me to tenure a head football coach. They will bring in a lot more revenue through their career than any lit teacher, or even engineering dept head. Coaches don't get injured to downgrade their value. Instead, they gain experience. And personalities don't really change, so I don't think Smith will lose his fire. Give him $10M with an inflation escalator clause, along with a staff pool that is league competitive and also has an escalator. Bring stability to OSU because, as we have discussed, OSU will always need to outperform its talent. It will never be Ohio State or Alabama in recruiting (ie, Top 5). So lock down the coaching talent, at the least. Joe Paterno is the model. His years of consistent leadership is how they won in State College, a Corvallis-like town if ever there was one.
I think Colorado law limits the period of time that public contracts can run?
Prime in the Pac12, Wow. Hard to imagine but lots of interest from the I-95 press. Shout out to the Kansas State Wildcats, Big 12 Champions. Very proud, Charlie (Architectural Engineering, '57)
Best team by KSU in many years. I always enjoyed their fast pace, kind of the Boise State of the midwest
John, How do you explain the no targetting call when the USC defender hit Rising with the crown of his helmet right in the facemask and knocked his helmet off? It was not on the side of the helmet as the stupid announcer said, as if that makes a difference according to the targetting rule.
Imo rewatching the replays, he lead with his shoulder and the helmet contact was incidental and rising also dipped his head as well. Remember the rules changed this year a bit. The guy didn't launch, rising wasn't defenseless, guy didn't lower his head on the hit, he DID turn and his shoulder hit first. It was VERY close, but the hit didn't LEAD with the helmet. 5050 it gets called either way.
That isn't what I saw. Rising was running with his head down and the defender hit him right in the face guard with his helmet. That seems to me to be targetting, regardless of intent.
Attitude, demeanor, response to adversity, body language, etc.
USC's defense really hasn't played that well this year. The offense fell apart in the second half vs. Utah, which is why they lost. The Trojans just need more defensive talent and I expect that to happen. The secondary can't tackle and lots of plays were breaking free in the second half. SC was just awful on both sides last year.
A SWAC coach turning down Power 5 money and infrastructure would be almost as rare as a SWAC coach being offered Power 5 money and infrastructure.
Scott Frost also puked all over the Nebraska program. Not a good HC. Mike Riley could not work with the Huskers either. It used to be the gem of midwest football. I will never forget the beating they gave Univ of Minnesota in 1984, 84-13. It was merciless (when U of MN was comparable to the same era Beavers teams)
Even though they lost today, the loss won't affect TCU's playoffs. It was quite a year for Sonny Dykes, who's a very solid coach. TCU should be called ECI -- Everything Cal Isn't. Also, No. 7, the safety, showed how bad USC's defense is and why they shouldn't be in the playoffs. He was a swinging gate on multiple touchdown runs. Riley clearly deserves a year to get that side of the ball up to stuff. I see the Trojans in the playoffs next year with help from the portal. No. 7 gets cut.
Man! I hope you are right but I will be ticked off but not the least bit surprised in Bama moves into the top 4.
Do you think there will be a time when the NFL realizes Oregon isn't a suburb or Seattle and quit cramming the Seahawks down our throats.
The Mariners, not the Giants are the area baseball team, aren't they? That should give you your answer.
They either had poor talent or were outcoached. No visible adjustments made on defense and when Utah changed up their pass rush USC had no answers.