“There was a saying that a man's true character was revealed in defeat.” ― Alison Goodman, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
OK: let’s see….
“The officiating was really poor tonight, but we still should have won the game.” ― Lincoln Riley
"You're going to have some nights where the calls don't go your way, and they certainly did not tonight. That's not an excuse; it was just another thing we had to overcome." ― Lincoln Riley
"It came down to they made one more play, or we made one more mistake. We were one inch away on several occasions and, honestly, several times very close to running away with it." ― Lincoln Riley
How can you not experience a smidgen of schadenfreude at seeing this arrogant man taken down a peg or two? It has to be especially galling for Riley to know that his team led for the majority of the game and didn’t go down until 48 seconds remained. This gutting, one-point loss has to sting all the more knowing that his prized, dearly-bought receiver (Jordan Addison) shredded his left ankle/leg and is most-likely lost for the remainder of the season. Gentry too.
I see this year’s Trojans as a beautiful, shiny toy: quickly-constructed for Spoiled Children, out of parts pilfered from other children’s toys (many taken out of the same conference sandbox). The toy’s cracks appeared in the OSU game, but the shine remained by Chance. I think the shine wears off in the UCLA game and the toy’s flaws are more-fully exposed.
Unfortunately, the only way to get a Ducks-Utes conference final is for the Ducks to beat UCLA & the Utes (a doubly-tall task made easier at Autzen) & winning out; UCLA beats USC in the Rose Bowl (very possible), and then UCLA loses to Stanford or ASU or Arizona or Cal (which unfortunately, I can’t see happening).
I just hope that USC tastes no conference championship in the next two years. Let them run off to the Big 10 in 2024 with a destiny of finishing in 3rd or worst position most years in that conference. Sorry: a smidgen more schadenfreude...
Unlikely... but this is the Pac-12... I don't think UCLA and USC are going to be one-loss teams. Oregon over UCLA. Then, UCLA and USC play. All you need is one more loss. Neither of the LA teams are great IMHO. They're both just pretty good+.
Love it John. Bruin dude below, this is what John has studied his entire career! But your drunken Saturday's and homerism are absolutely metrics of a football genius. Get out of here with that! UCLA has not played a team like the Ducks, and it is at Autzen. Be real, you are pissed because he pointed out the obvious fact that Oregon beats UCLA at home and I'll add, in convincing fashion!
Your jealously of UCLA moving to a significantly bigger, better conference is showing. Go back to your pond little duckie..............leave big time football to the L.A. schools. Gonna be so much fun to watch Chip win in Autzen with a better team. I know you wish you still had Chip at Oregon (more jealousy) but he realized Eugene, Oregon is a dead end and moved on to bigger, better, greener pastures. Mighty Bruins 45--Dead Ducks 38
You really don't seem to know very much about football do you Canzano? I keep warning you to pick against UCLA at your own peril and they keep winning. So of course predictably you're picking Oregon......................your Pacific Northwest bias comes through again. But I thought "journalists" were supposed to be unbiased..............guess not.
So much lip flappin ’ … let’s leave to the pads clackin ’ fellas. It’s good to pick a side for us fans. John needs to hold his water and report the facts…
I like what John has to say most of the time… I just feel he has a bigger responsibility in his position to keep to the center. If this space becomes a place to bash teams for being out of line to his thinking, then it’s time to stop reading.
Nice write up John. It’s rare that I watch any other college football regular season game other than the Oregon Ducks. However, last night I got locked in the game rooting for Utah. Gutsy win by Utah who cared nothing about the Goliath like Trojans. Now Oregon needs to handle their business next week against the Bruins and send them both packing with no Pac-12 title this year!
Oct 16, 2022·edited Oct 16, 2022Liked by John Canzano
The PAC 12 is still a great conference without the L.A. schools. Last night fans poured onto the fields in Boulder and Salt Lake City. Oregon State played a great game in Corvallis before a rabid crowd.
We don't need USC and UCLA. They are mercenary schools going to the highest bidder and I feel very bad for their athletes, coaches, and fans who will have to endure it while the rest of the PAC 12 continues to party like we did in Corvallis, Boulder, and Salt Lake City last night.
I forgot to mention Stanford got their first FBS win of the season against Notre Dame! Go PAC!!
The B1G 20 would have been far better and deeper in both CFB and CBB. The person most against taking in 'left over' B12 teams? SC Prez Carol Folt. If SC was playing footsie with the B1G at that time SC, Kevin Warren and the B1G should have their butts sued off.
The Pac-10 will go away as a Power conference on or before the end of the next media deal.
Next week at Autzen will be huge for the Ducks and the Bruins. Victory by the Ducks would give them the lead in the Pac. The last three weeks of November is going to be a tough slog for the Ducks though. USC and UCLA will have already faced their toughest opposition. Go Ducks!
Yup--I know some guys who played for USC, and I am still smiling at the result. Your article made that smile even wider. Also seems to back up the notion that Utah is the better of the two teams--that's what OSU's performances against each of them seemed to indicate... even if the home/away location of said contests had a marked influence.
I didn't see the first half, riveted as I was to all 18 agonizing innings of the Sea-Hou playoff game. Just as I tuned in to the Utah/SC game I heard Brock Huard say the game was getting violent. Yes, very happy to see the Utes take SC down. And Coach Whit, he got some stones!
Riley bought a offense when he came to USC but 1 tight end from U Utah showed him he nexts has to buy a defense, along with a couch that can make adjustments during a game: Great win for the PAC 12
I’m really disappointed with this sour grapes piece, John… the truth is, UCLA and $c are still part of the PAC-12 and this reality is now. Indeed, an Duck/Utes finale would be amazing, but no more fitting than a Bruin/Duck or Bruin/Ute rematch… the scheduled exodus is based on real world economics, not motivated by ego. I understand your inclination to be a PAC-12 homer… I get it. But cattiness is uncalled for, you are better than that.
the sooner the L.A. schools leave for their new Midwest Conference the better. USC and UCLA are are nothing more than mercenaries selling their athletes to the highest bidders. They really should be ashamed of themselves for having put themselves in the position where they felt they had to ditch over 100 years of tradition and place an unhealthy burden on their athletes and coaches.
Can you HONESTLY say you’d turn down a BIG10 offer and over 10X the annual revenue the PAC-12 can deliver? This is 2022! I agree that leaving the tradition is a bummer but that’s the world we live in. Both Oregon AND Washington would kill to join $c and UCLA… and they likely will if Phil and Nike have their way.
That feels a little strong, especially given the fact that Oregon & UW have reached out as well .... and would leave tomorrow for the BIG if it were an option.
Cattiness? This is football. This is not Interpersonal Communications 101.
It is obvious that USC fans have always thought they themselves and their football team was elite only to get beat year after year after year. Cattiness is blaming the refs Conrad.
Riley sincerely believed he could run the table in the PAC this year and make it to the CFP. Seeing his reaction shows his true character. Guess what? They will be LUCKY to play for the PAC championship.
Their defense sucks. They should have lost to the Beavers and they will lose to UCLA.
I'm no USC fan (at all), but were we watching the same game?
I'd argue that Kyle went for that 2 pt conversion specifically because he didn't think they could keep scoring with USC if the game continued.
Yes, their defense isn't as good as their offense, but their offense is spectacular. In fairness... defenses often have a hard time being good when opposite a quick strike lethal offense on the other side.
USC doesn't play UW or Oregon (the latter is obviously a bigger deal). I won't be surprised at all if USC wins out, knocking UCLA off along the way, and is in Vegas -- perhaps playing Oregon -- or Utah again!
The officials should have received the game ball helping the Utes on 4 critical bogus penalties that turned the game. Can't wait for USC to leave these pathetic homer out of state officials behind & move to the Big 10. Hope USC or UCLA takeSthe PAC this year.
Pathetic was used to describe officiating. Not teams. They stormed the field because they knew they beat one heck of a program and team. In a sence it was the ultimate compliment to USC. USC would not storm a field after beating UTAH as it would be expected.
No other school in the PAC comes close ro USC's accomplishments over the years. From Rose Bowl wins, all Americans, national championships and even TV ratings they are on top. I see a very bright future with the new coaching staff.
“There was a saying that a man's true character was revealed in defeat.” ― Alison Goodman, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
OK: let’s see….
“The officiating was really poor tonight, but we still should have won the game.” ― Lincoln Riley
"You're going to have some nights where the calls don't go your way, and they certainly did not tonight. That's not an excuse; it was just another thing we had to overcome." ― Lincoln Riley
"It came down to they made one more play, or we made one more mistake. We were one inch away on several occasions and, honestly, several times very close to running away with it." ― Lincoln Riley
How can you not experience a smidgen of schadenfreude at seeing this arrogant man taken down a peg or two? It has to be especially galling for Riley to know that his team led for the majority of the game and didn’t go down until 48 seconds remained. This gutting, one-point loss has to sting all the more knowing that his prized, dearly-bought receiver (Jordan Addison) shredded his left ankle/leg and is most-likely lost for the remainder of the season. Gentry too.
I see this year’s Trojans as a beautiful, shiny toy: quickly-constructed for Spoiled Children, out of parts pilfered from other children’s toys (many taken out of the same conference sandbox). The toy’s cracks appeared in the OSU game, but the shine remained by Chance. I think the shine wears off in the UCLA game and the toy’s flaws are more-fully exposed.
Unfortunately, the only way to get a Ducks-Utes conference final is for the Ducks to beat UCLA & the Utes (a doubly-tall task made easier at Autzen) & winning out; UCLA beats USC in the Rose Bowl (very possible), and then UCLA loses to Stanford or ASU or Arizona or Cal (which unfortunately, I can’t see happening).
I just hope that USC tastes no conference championship in the next two years. Let them run off to the Big 10 in 2024 with a destiny of finishing in 3rd or worst position most years in that conference. Sorry: a smidgen more schadenfreude...
USC's chatrooms and friendly sports writers are whining about the refs, too.
Well stated. Very thoughtful and measured. Perfect. Thank you.
Glad Utes won but the 2 roughing the passer calls on SC were a joke.
Remember that the UTES scored on 4th down and and THEN went for two and scored. USC has their chance and they could not RISE like Rising
AMEN. Rising came through in this game like I thought he would at Florida.
2 excellent QBs balling out.
This is the part John left out: it is going to take an unlikely chain of events for Oregon and Utah to meet for the championship.
Unlikely... but this is the Pac-12... I don't think UCLA and USC are going to be one-loss teams. Oregon over UCLA. Then, UCLA and USC play. All you need is one more loss. Neither of the LA teams are great IMHO. They're both just pretty good+.
Love it John. Bruin dude below, this is what John has studied his entire career! But your drunken Saturday's and homerism are absolutely metrics of a football genius. Get out of here with that! UCLA has not played a team like the Ducks, and it is at Autzen. Be real, you are pissed because he pointed out the obvious fact that Oregon beats UCLA at home and I'll add, in convincing fashion!
Your jealously of UCLA moving to a significantly bigger, better conference is showing. Go back to your pond little duckie..............leave big time football to the L.A. schools. Gonna be so much fun to watch Chip win in Autzen with a better team. I know you wish you still had Chip at Oregon (more jealousy) but he realized Eugene, Oregon is a dead end and moved on to bigger, better, greener pastures. Mighty Bruins 45--Dead Ducks 38
You really don't seem to know very much about football do you Canzano? I keep warning you to pick against UCLA at your own peril and they keep winning. So of course predictably you're picking Oregon......................your Pacific Northwest bias comes through again. But I thought "journalists" were supposed to be unbiased..............guess not.
Oregon is -6 and will not take the L vs the Bruins in Autzen.
Bravo… Meow!
Ducks win out and so do the Utes...UCLA crumbles after getting dominated in Autzen, USC loses to Arizona at home. That should do it imo
So much lip flappin ’ … let’s leave to the pads clackin ’ fellas. It’s good to pick a side for us fans. John needs to hold his water and report the facts…
Conrad, that’s why it’s called “ commentary!” Ya know, you don’t have to read it….
Not much lip flapping here, I don't disagree with your point per say. I just have read John for 2 decades and feel like I get him
I like what John has to say most of the time… I just feel he has a bigger responsibility in his position to keep to the center. If this space becomes a place to bash teams for being out of line to his thinking, then it’s time to stop reading.
Good Lord Conrad. How old are you? Good Night and Goos Luck. Go watch re runs of Cronkite!
Regarding the lip flapping, I was referring to all the comments about how Oregon was going to blow out the Bruins. Let the game do the talking…
UCLA in a mail biter
42-36
Awesome article! It is often more than just a game!
Thanks
thanks Dave.
Nice write up John. It’s rare that I watch any other college football regular season game other than the Oregon Ducks. However, last night I got locked in the game rooting for Utah. Gutsy win by Utah who cared nothing about the Goliath like Trojans. Now Oregon needs to handle their business next week against the Bruins and send them both packing with no Pac-12 title this year!
JJ... thank you for being here. Appreciate that you dove into the comments. Wild game in SLC. Oregon has a job to do now vs. UCLA. Keep commenting.
This is the content I’m happy to pay for. Best of luck.
thank you. appreciate that you're here for it.
The PAC 12 is still a great conference without the L.A. schools. Last night fans poured onto the fields in Boulder and Salt Lake City. Oregon State played a great game in Corvallis before a rabid crowd.
We don't need USC and UCLA. They are mercenary schools going to the highest bidder and I feel very bad for their athletes, coaches, and fans who will have to endure it while the rest of the PAC 12 continues to party like we did in Corvallis, Boulder, and Salt Lake City last night.
I forgot to mention Stanford got their first FBS win of the season against Notre Dame! Go PAC!!
The B1G 20 would have been far better and deeper in both CFB and CBB. The person most against taking in 'left over' B12 teams? SC Prez Carol Folt. If SC was playing footsie with the B1G at that time SC, Kevin Warren and the B1G should have their butts sued off.
The Pac-10 will go away as a Power conference on or before the end of the next media deal.
Next week at Autzen will be huge for the Ducks and the Bruins. Victory by the Ducks would give them the lead in the Pac. The last three weeks of November is going to be a tough slog for the Ducks though. USC and UCLA will have already faced their toughest opposition. Go Ducks!
Yup--I know some guys who played for USC, and I am still smiling at the result. Your article made that smile even wider. Also seems to back up the notion that Utah is the better of the two teams--that's what OSU's performances against each of them seemed to indicate... even if the home/away location of said contests had a marked influence.
Great piece! You really captured the importance of this game for not only Utah, but the remaining Pac-10!
Thank you DM.
I didn't see the first half, riveted as I was to all 18 agonizing innings of the Sea-Hou playoff game. Just as I tuned in to the Utah/SC game I heard Brock Huard say the game was getting violent. Yes, very happy to see the Utes take SC down. And Coach Whit, he got some stones!
Huard was a s disgusted with the 2 phantom roughing the passer calls vs SC as was I and I was rooting for Utah.
Liar
Huard or I?
It's 4:14am and .......
yes?
In (very) slightly related news. Los Padres eliminated the ##%%ing Dodgers in one of the greatest days in San Diego history!!
go Pads.
Riley bought a offense when he came to USC but 1 tight end from U Utah showed him he nexts has to buy a defense, along with a couch that can make adjustments during a game: Great win for the PAC 12
I’m really disappointed with this sour grapes piece, John… the truth is, UCLA and $c are still part of the PAC-12 and this reality is now. Indeed, an Duck/Utes finale would be amazing, but no more fitting than a Bruin/Duck or Bruin/Ute rematch… the scheduled exodus is based on real world economics, not motivated by ego. I understand your inclination to be a PAC-12 homer… I get it. But cattiness is uncalled for, you are better than that.
the sooner the L.A. schools leave for their new Midwest Conference the better. USC and UCLA are are nothing more than mercenaries selling their athletes to the highest bidders. They really should be ashamed of themselves for having put themselves in the position where they felt they had to ditch over 100 years of tradition and place an unhealthy burden on their athletes and coaches.
Can you HONESTLY say you’d turn down a BIG10 offer and over 10X the annual revenue the PAC-12 can deliver? This is 2022! I agree that leaving the tradition is a bummer but that’s the world we live in. Both Oregon AND Washington would kill to join $c and UCLA… and they likely will if Phil and Nike have their way.
That feels a little strong, especially given the fact that Oregon & UW have reached out as well .... and would leave tomorrow for the BIG if it were an option.
Cattiness? This is football. This is not Interpersonal Communications 101.
It is obvious that USC fans have always thought they themselves and their football team was elite only to get beat year after year after year. Cattiness is blaming the refs Conrad.
I do agree Riley was whimpering… the Utes took him to the shed.
Meow
Haha! I hear ya Conrad!
Riley sincerely believed he could run the table in the PAC this year and make it to the CFP. Seeing his reaction shows his true character. Guess what? They will be LUCKY to play for the PAC championship.
Their defense sucks. They should have lost to the Beavers and they will lose to UCLA.
I'm no USC fan (at all), but were we watching the same game?
I'd argue that Kyle went for that 2 pt conversion specifically because he didn't think they could keep scoring with USC if the game continued.
Yes, their defense isn't as good as their offense, but their offense is spectacular. In fairness... defenses often have a hard time being good when opposite a quick strike lethal offense on the other side.
USC doesn't play UW or Oregon (the latter is obviously a bigger deal). I won't be surprised at all if USC wins out, knocking UCLA off along the way, and is in Vegas -- perhaps playing Oregon -- or Utah again!
USC very overrated. I think UCLA will be exposed in Eugene.
The officials should have received the game ball helping the Utes on 4 critical bogus penalties that turned the game. Can't wait for USC to leave these pathetic homer out of state officials behind & move to the Big 10. Hope USC or UCLA takeSthe PAC this year.
These “pathetic” teams have been exposing USC’s lack of culture and talent for years Eat it . Enjoy it You will lose again this year.
Hello Mr. Carter. What kind of cheese would you like with your pathetic little 'whine'?
Make it a fine Napa red thanks..
How about Thunderbird?
Pathetic was used to describe officiating. Not teams. They stormed the field because they knew they beat one heck of a program and team. In a sence it was the ultimate compliment to USC. USC would not storm a field after beating UTAH as it would be expected.
No other school in the PAC comes close ro USC's accomplishments over the years. From Rose Bowl wins, all Americans, national championships and even TV ratings they are on top. I see a very bright future with the new coaching staff.
You are hanging on to something that is in the past Bobby
Aw, the refs stole the win from your little Trojies. Yeah, that's right, they were picking on Lttle Lincoln. Poor little USC.
Pathetic referring is not confined to the Pac-12.
2 roughing the passer calls vs SC were a joke. And not calling targeting vs TN when Young was lit up was a joke.
I'll tell you who else enjoyed this win- Oklahoma fans.
Probably more than they are enjoying their own team/situation this year..
That Red River game was an epic spanking
no question about that.
Texas is a solid program, but not that kind of good. Oklahoma lost too many kids to transfer when Riley left.