Pac-12 Notes

July 24th

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Just for Laughs: Coloradoan speculates on CSU joining the Big 12

From The Coloradoan … In 2016, the Big 12 went through a lengthy expansion recruitment process, talking to many different schools and creating a shortlist.

CSU was one of the trendy picks to join the league until the conference ultimately decided to remain put at 10 teams.

The Rams made the cut to the final group. As did Cincinnati before the conference decided against expanding. CSU was above Nevada, Boise State, UNLV and New Mexico, who all got cut out early.

At the time CSU, was on an upward trajectory. A beautiful new stadium was set to open soon, and the football program looked to be in a solid position.

Now? The Rams are off the national radar. USA Today lists Houston, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Memphis, SMU, Boise State, San Diego State, BYU and even Nebraska as options.

Yahoo suggests an attempt to lure Colorado back and bring Utah and/or the Arizona flagship schools. It then lists Cincinnati, UCF, South Florida, BYU and Boise State as top potential G5 teams. Sports Illustrated and ESPN have similar lists.

You get the idea. None even mention CSU as a longshot candidate.

Now, that doesn’t mean CSU couldn’t end up in a better spot than they are now. Conference realignment is a wild world.

Many of the things that attracted the Big 12 in 2016 are still true. CSU is a strong academic university with a big alumni footprint in the Big 12 area. The Rams may not own the Denver TV market, but they’re in it and would grow into a bigger influence as a member of a power conference.

Of course, that leaves football.

Since the 2016 effort, the Rams have careened into national irrelevance. CSU hasn’t made a bowl since 2017 and is 8-20 over the last three seasons. CSU was picked this week to finish fourth out of six in 2021 within its own Mountain West division.

That beautiful new stadium that helped the 2016 pitch? Well, it is beautiful, but CSU badly needs 2021 to be a bounce-back season on the field and in the stands.

Continue reading story here

Leftover Big 12 members “shell-shocked” – would consider “Big 20″merger with Pac-12

From The Athletic … Texas and Oklahoma will send letters to the Big 12 on Monday informing the league that they do not intend to renew its grant-of-rights agreement upon expiration in 2025, multiple sources told The Athletic.

Such a move is the next necessary step in clearing a path for the two schools to leave the conference and join the SEC, starting a massive ripple effect throughout college athletics. 247Sports first reported the news Friday.

Meanwhile, the remaining eight members of the Big 12 are making contingency plans and assessing what their value would be to other conferences, sources said. Those schools pledged during a call Thursday evening that they would try to stay together, but they are planning for an alternate future in the meantime.

“I’m shellshocked,” a Big 12 athletic director told The Athletic on Friday morning, relaying what has been a mind-blowing 48 hours chock full of confusion, angst and a chilling feeling of betrayal.

Reaching out to the Pac-12 about a potential 20-school merger was discussed during Thursday’s Big 12 leadership call. Such a move seems to be a more favorable alternative for the Big 12 than bringing in new members, which might involve raiding the American Athletic Conference, to lift its membership back into double digits.

“Bringing in a Cincinnati and UCF doesn’t bring any eyeballs,” the AD said.

A second league AD said, “There is no combination of Group of 5 members we can add that will garner our same TV deal, but it’s all on the table right now,” then added, “I don’t think (Texas) A&M has been very successful in blocking this.”

Texas and Oklahoma’s flirtation with the SEC appears to have been months in the making. Though the story leaked Wednesday, just before Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher took the microphone at SEC media days, sources indicated that the process began long before that.

Continue reading story here

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USA Today: Winners and Losers from potential move by Texas and Oklahoma

From USA Today … A lightning bolt struck Wednesday in the middle of SEC media days with the report that Oklahoma and Texas have expressed interest in joining college football’s most successful conference.

It’s been almost 10 years since the SEC expanded to 14 teams with the additions of Texas A&M and Missouri — both castoffs from the Big 12. Grabbing the Sooners and Longhorns would be its last salvo against the league. Both schools are traditional powers that have shaped the history of the sport, and their move would dramatically alter the landscape of college athletics.

The fallout to the leagues and schools would be immense if the change happens. And there would be impact across the country.

A look at the potential winners and losers of the possible move.

Winners

The SEC

You’re the biggest conference in college football. You make the most money. You’ve won 11 of the past 15 national championships. So why would you add two teams to your league and split that revenue an additional two ways?

The answer is easy: Because they are Oklahoma and Texas. Simply put, they’re effectively the two biggest free agents when the next wave of conference realignment comes. You either bring them in or watch as they join a rival league, possibly the Big Ten.

There’s also plenty of value in both schools that can further add revenue when television contract negotiations come up again. The Sooners have a history as impressive as any school in the country. They’ve won seven national championships, produced seven Heisman Trophy winners and made the College Football Playoff four of the past six seasons. Texas hasn’t been as successful on the field as its rival, but it would bring the flagship school from one of the best recruiting areas. What was previously opened up by the addition of Texas A&M would become SEC-exclusive territory.

College football fans

It just means more, meaning more games between elite college football programs. The SEC expansion to 16 teams would almost certainly lead to an expansion from the current slate of eight league games. Whether nine or 10, there would be better offerings each week.

One of those contests would see the return of the annual showdown between Texas and Texas A&M that was a staple of Thanksgiving weekend before it ended in 2011. There’s also the possibility of yearly games for the Longhorns and Oklahoma against LSU, Alabama or Auburn and cross-division games with Florida and Georgia.

Losers 

The Big 12

There’s really no way to sugarcoat what the loss of Oklahoma and Texas would mean to the conference. It would lose its two biggest brands and revenue generators and there’s no replacements to fill the void. Instead of arguably being the third-best conference behind the SEC and Big Ten, the league would become clearly the worst of the Power Five, regardless of how it sorts out the replacements.

Among the conference schools, the biggest impact would be felt by Oklahoma State. Continuing the Bedlam Series against the Sooners seems remote, meaning the Cowboys would lose the rivalry game that is a focal point of their season. TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech would have a similar diminished outlook with the Longhorns no longer an opponent.

Texas

Why are the Longhorns on this list if they’re making this move? Yes, going to the SEC is a no-brainer but the costs for Texas would be significant.

The Longhorns operate as the big dog in the Big 12 and try to use their financial might and prestige to push around the rest of the league. That’s given them outsized influence over the league office and members. That would go away with the move. Texas would be just another big school in the SEC and it would have to operate with great political adeptness to influence league matters. That would start with the issue of the Longhorn Network deal which gives the school approximately $15 million per year. How that would fit into a league that has its own network — unlike the Big 12 — and splits revenues would surely be a debate.

There’s also the question about how well the football program is prepared for the major step up in competition. Texas hasn’t won the Big 12 since 2009. It hasn’t come close to making the playoff while playing in a league with significantly less talent. It’s on its third coach since Mack Brown left and recruiting has suffered with Texas A&M’s ascension. This is not a program that has been patient or operates with a modest view of its place in the college football hierarchy. What happens when the losses pile up and they’re behind the other programs in the league with little chance of catching up?

American Athletic Conference

The league has been at the front of the playoff expansion debate with Central Florida and Cincinnati missing out even after having unbeaten seasons. But after that success and the expectation of the field being expanded soon, the American could see its top schools picked off and headed for greener pastures.

There are not many places for the conference to turn if that comes to pass. Possibly adding schools from Conference USA or the MAC seems unlikely to change its fortunes.

Read full story here

CU and Nebraska: Part of the “National Athletic Conference, West Division”?

From MSN.com … With Texas and Oklahoma looking to shake up the college football world we take a look at what Notre Dame’s role should be …

Texas and Oklahoma shook up the college football world this week when it was leaked they were looking to get out of the Big 12 and join the SEC. Even if the Longhorns and Sooners don’t get into the SEC it’s clear they are set on leaving the Big 12.

This is yet another swing at putting together a super conference, something presidents looking for bigger pay days have wanted for some time. The reality is money and greed will always eventually win the day in college athletics, and super conferences are likely going to happen, whether it be now or down the road.

In our latest show we discuss the Texas/Oklahoma/SEC situation and what this would mean for Notre Dame and the rest of the college football world.

The podcast above is our discussion on those topics, and below is the Q&A session that followed. Much of the Q&A was also about this very topic, so we are including it here.

In the show we talked about whether or not Notre Dame should respond to this move by staying independent, joining the ACC or taking more of a leadership role and forming their own conference. It made for a very interesting and fun conversation.

National Athletic Conference … West Division … 

Texas … Oklahoma … Nebraska … Colorado … USC … UCLA … Kansas … Utah …

Continue reading story here

Washington State and Cal lose starters for the season

… Washington State loses leading receiver to torn ACL … 

From CougFan.com … Washington State starting slot receiver and fan favorite Renard Bell has torn his ACL and is out for the season. Bell, a 5-8, 162-pound graduate student from Los Angeles, made the announcement on Twitter Friday afternoon.

Bell, who manned the Y receiver position for WSU, was named Pac-12 honorable mention last season. He led the Cougars with 33 catches, producing 337 hashes and two TDs.  His 84.2 receiving yards per game was fourth in the Pac-12.

The Cougs will also miss his wide smile and presence on the practice field of someone who constantly radiates energy and positivity.

Bell has started 29 games over his WSU career, playing in 43.  After a redshirt season in 2016, he has amassed 147 receptions for 1,656 yards with 16 TDs.

… Cal’s starting center medically retires …

From CalBears.comMichael Saffell announced Friday that he has medically retired from football due to injury via a letter and video addressed to the Cal football family.

“Being a football student-athlete at Cal has been more than I could have dreamed of,” Saffell said. “I’ve had so many opportunities to excel on the field, as well as in the classroom and the community. There are many people to thank including my Cal football teammates, coaches and staff, as well as the University’s professors, our fans and so many more. This was a difficult decision but the right one for me. Although I will miss competing and the camaraderie with my teammates, I will always be a part of the Cal family and knowing that helps ease the disappointment that my football playing career has come to an end. I’m excited for my next challenge.”

– Played in 28 games with 23 starts over four seasons from 2017-20 including 15 of 17 Cal contests at center over the past two campaigns as a 2019 junior and 2020 senior following his first eight starts at right guard including the first six as a 2018 sophomore before suffering a season-ending lower-body injury and two as a 2017 freshman
– Selected as the Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior, while he was also named second-team (Pro Football Focus), third-team (SportsPac-12) and honorable mention (Pac-12 Coaches) All-Pac-12 after starting all four games and serving as a team season captain.

Texas 247 site: Longhorns and Sooners to inform Big 12 on Monday that they are leaving the conference

From Chip Brown (remember him from the last realignment merry-go-round?) at Horns247.comTexas and Oklahoma, the founding members of the Big 12, are leaving the league – and barring any unforeseen developments, will join the Southeastern Conference, a high-level source close to the situation told Horns247.

Texas and OU officials plan to inform the Big 12 on Monday that they won’t renew when the league’s grant of rights expire in 2025, a step that clears the path for the SEC to formally consider adding Texas and OU.

Again, barring unforeseen circumstances, an SEC vote on adding Texas and Oklahoma “could move quickly,” the source told Horns247.

“In this changing landscape of college athletics, this is what’s best (for Texas and Oklahoma),” the source said.

Horns247 reported previously that Texas and Oklahoma are prepared to wait until the current grant of rights agreement expires in 2025 before moving on from the Big 12.

To leave earlier, Texas and OU would be contractually bound to pay the Big 12 two years’ worth of revenue distribution (roughly $80 million each based on 2019’s $37.7 million payout per school) as a “buyout fee” and face millions more in penalties – although such situations in the past have been settled in court to allow both sides to move on.

Even the anticipation of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC has set off a seismic reaction that will reshape college athletics for years to come. Whether it results in more schools jumping conferences or Power Five members finally breaking away from the NCAA in football to form their own governing body remains to be seen.

Texas and Oklahoma were the founding members of the Big 12 back in the mid-1990s, when the Big Eight (OU, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State) and four schools from the Southwest Conference (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor) came together under the leadership of then-Texas and OU athletic directors DeLoss Dodds and Donnie Duncan.

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff: “We’d be foolish not to listen if schools call us”

From ESPN … As the rest of the power brokers in college athletics monitor the unfolding story of Oklahoma and Texas inching closer to possible membership in the SEC, new Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff told ESPN on Friday that his conference isn’t actively seeking new members but is open to discussions with potential candidates.

“I consider the Pac-12 an exclusive club with a high barrier to entry,” Kliavkoff said. “We love the schools and teams we have today. We’re not actively seeking to poach any teams from any conference, but we’d be foolish not to listen if schools call us.”

A Big 12 source told ESPN on Friday that Texas and Oklahoma have not yet officially informed their conference of any intent to leave, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. For the SEC to formally extend an invitation, the Longhorns and Sooners must first tell the Big 12 they want to leave.

If and when it becomes official, it’s unclear if any of the remaining schools would be attractive options to the Pac-12. The university presidents and chancellors have the ultimate authority regarding conference membership, and they would give strong consideration to another program’s academic standards and reputation. That could limit the league’s ability to expand, if that’s the direction it decides to go.

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July 23rd

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Pac-12 commissioner: Conference to consider reinstating forfeit rules if teams can’t compete

From ESPN … The Pac-12 will consider having its teams forfeit games if they can’t play this fall because of COVID-19, new Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff told ESPN on Thursday, but the conference won’t make an official decision until August.

“I will tell you that I’m leaning towards going back to the pre-COVID rules that had a team that was not able to field enough players to forfeit the game,” Kliavkoff said. “Part of that is around the financial implications and who bears that. We read with interest the notes from Commissioner [Roger] Goodell to the NFL teams that they’re going to treat it as a forfeit and financially penalize the team that is unable to play. I don’t know if we end up there or not, but that’s where we’re leaning. We’re not going to make any decisions without input from the ADs and football coaches.”

Goodell sent a memo to the league this week threatening forfeits and the loss of game checks if an outbreak among unvaccinated players causes a disruption in the regular-season schedule. Earlier this week, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said his conference is considering forfeits as part of an effort to encourage vaccinations.

Kliavkoff said he’ll meet with Pac-12 athletic directors on Monday at the conference media days, and he also wants to speak with the medical directors on each campus before they make a decision together.

Continue reading story here

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July 22nd 

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If Texas and Oklahoma bolt, will the Big 12 try to “lure Colorado back”?

From Yahoo Sports … What’s next for the Big 12?

The league is beginning to discuss contingencies Thursday, as it’s obvious that this would be a devastating blow.

Expect the Big 12 to be aggressive in adding schools. It’ll knock on doors at Arizona and Arizona State. Perhaps it’ll try and lure Colorado back and pry Utah. The Pac-12 is weak now, but the core of USC, Oregon, UCLA and Washington are all more attractive to be aligned with than any of the Big 12 schools.

From there, the Big 12 will decide how big it wants to get. It has to decide whether to add two, four or six schools. Four seems like the most reasonable number, with Cincinnati, UCF, USF, BYU and Boise State the most likely candidates from outside the state of Texas. The potential addition of Houston and SMU becomes complicated, as Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech wouldn’t have much interest in more in-state competition.

Remember, it’s streaming subscriptions, not cable boxes, that matter most. BYU would appear to have the best option for that, with its national following. But BYU is always complicated, which prevented the Big 12 from adding it in 2016 when the Cougars’ complicated LGBTQ history became a factor.

UCF and USF have great markets, but would the Big 12 want two Florida footholds? Cincinnati is a preseason Top 10 team that has been working hard behind the scenes to build for this moment. It also brings a big market and fertile recruiting area.

This is all sub-optimal for the American Athletic Conference, as it’ll be a familiar trickle-down. In a similar food chain fallout that followed the ACC cannibalizing the Big East a decade ago, the Big 12 will go after the most attractive AAC candidates. The AAC will do its best to hold on to its top programs but a reconstructed Big 12 without Texas and Oklahoma should offer a more attractive financial landing spot than the current AAC.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is one of the most respected leaders in the space. But it’d be a surprise if Bowlsby, 69, is around for more than a few years. One thing that could help the Big 12 recalibrate is that the Pac-12, ACC and Big Ten wouldn’t have much interest in any of the remaining schools. Oklahoma State isn’t a cultural fit anywhere, Kansas football is an abomination thanks to Les Miles and Jeff Long, and TCU is in an attractive market but lacks national cache. Baylor is hurt by its market.

Continue reading story here

Washington State coach Nick Rolovich unvaccinated; will do Pac-12 Media Day remotely

From ESPN … Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich said Wednesday that he has chosen not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and that he will join Pac-12 media day in Los Angeles remotely Tuesday.

“As the Pac-12 Conference has required that all in-person participants at next week’s Pac-12 Football Media Day be fully vaccinated, I will participate remotely and look forward to talking about our football team and the incredible young men in our program,” Rolovich said in a statement.

“I have elected not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine for reasons which will remain private. While I have made my own decision, I respect that every individual — including our coaches, staff and student-athletes — can make his or her own decision regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. I will not comment further on my decision.”

Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said in a statement that he and Rolovich “have had multiple conversations regarding his decision not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.”

“While WSU has a vaccination mandate, there are policies and procedures for employees to follow who are not vaccinated. As a department, we will continue to educate our student-athletes, staff and coaches on the benefits of vaccinations and do all that we can to protect the health and safety of those in our charge,” Chun said.

University president Kirk Schulz said in a subsequent statement that the school “expects all students, faculty, staff and volunteers to be fully vaccinated before the start of the fall semester.” He also said the school “respects the right of individuals to decide whether to get vaccinated.”

Continue reading story here

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July 21st

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Ready for this? Texas and Oklahoma reportedly have reached out to SEC about forming a 16-team super-conference

From CBS Sports … With College Football Playoff expansion on the horizon and the sport as a whole undergoing radical change, another round of conference realignment may be on the horizon. Texas and Oklahoma have reportedly “reached out” to the SEC about joining the league should the two Big 12 powerhouses choose to leave their home conference, according to Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle.

Citing “a high-ranking college official with knowledge of the situation,” the Chronicle reports that the SEC could announce the additions of the Longhorns and Sooners “within a couple of weeks.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey would not address the report while in attendance at 2021 SEC Media Days on Wednesday.

“No comment on that speculation,” he told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. Sankey later added: “We are only worried about the 2021 season. Somebody dropped a report from unnamed people.”

Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork made it clear to gathered media Wednesday that he wants the Aggies to be the only team from the Lone Star State in the conference. Texas A&M and Missouri were the two teams that left the Big 12 for the SEC in the last round of conference realignment nearly a decade ago.

“I haven’t read the article, but if you’re asking me to kind of comment on college athletics, it’s changing,” Bjork told Dodd. “So what does that look like? I don’t know. … We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas. There’s a reason Texas A&M left the Big 12: to stand alone to have our own identity.”

There was talk at that time about Texas and Oklahoma potentially leaving the Big 12 for either the Pac-12 or SEC but nothing came of those discussions as both ultimately remained with the league they have been members of since 1996. Oklahoma was already part of the Big Eight when it transitioned into the Big 12 in 1996 by adding Texas as one of four programs from the defunct Southwest Conference.

Continue reading story here

Jarek Broussard and Alex Fontenot both named to Doak Walker Award Watch List

Press release from cubuffs.com … Sophomore Jarek Broussard and junior Alex Fontenot were two of 80 players named to the watch list for the 2021 Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation’s top running back, the PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced Wednesday.

Broussard had an outstanding season last year that saw him named the Mayo Clinic National Comeback Player of the Year, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, unanimous first-team All-Pac-12 while also picking up various mentions on some All-America teams.  He led the Pac-12 and was third nationally in rushing at 149.2 yards per game, rushing for 895 yards in the Buffs six games counting the Alamo Bowl.  Through the regular season, he was averaging 162.6 yards per game, second most in the nation and the top mark in the Power 5.

Fontenot injured himself prior to the start of the 2020 season after leading the Buffs in rushing in 2019 with 185 rushes for 874 yards and five touchdowns.  He was named the team’s Most Improved Offensive Player and likely would’ve had a 1,000-yard season if not for an injury that forced him to miss one game and parts of a couple others.  Fontenot was also on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award prior to the COVID-shortened 2020 season before his injury.

The two are close to each other on CU’s career rushing list.  Fontenot is 60th with 917 career yards and Broussard 63rd with 813 yards, as CU doesn’t count bowl games in its record book.

The award began in 1990 and Rashaan Salaam was the winner in 1994.  Chris Brown (semifinalist in 2002) and Phillip Lindsay (semifinalist in 2017) also made it beyond the watch list phase.

 

The Doak Walker Award dates back to 1900 and is presented annually to the nation’s best college running back.

Jarek BroussardRunning BackSOColorado
Alex FontenotRunning BackJRColorado
Keaontay IngramRunning BackSRUSC
Austin JonesRunning BackJRStanford
Vavae MalepeaiRunning BackSRUSC
Sean McGewRunning BackSRWashington
DeaMonte “Chip” TrayanumRunning BackSOArizona State

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July 20th

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Still think NIL won’t kill parity? Alabama QB (who hasn’t had a start yet) approaching $1 million in NIL deals

… Great for swimmers and gymnasts … Death to any chance the have-nots (and CU is one) of competing on a level playing field …

From FootballScoop.com .. Name, image and likeness has been dominating talk around college football for the past year, and deservedly so as it has completely changed the landscape of college football and tipped the scales of power to the players who are now able to make money by harnessing the power of their personal brand.

Today, while talking with thousands of Texas high school coaches in attendance at the Texas High School Coaches Association convention, Nick Saban delivered a dominant nugget of a recruiting pitch to coaches in attendance with elite quarterback prospects.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who is just a sophomore, spent last season as backup to Mac Jones and watched as the Alabama vaulted itself into the conversation as one of the best offenses in college football history. He went 13-22 for 156 yards and a touchdown in the limited action he saw as a freshman.

However that hasn’t stopped the former five-star prospect and the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school from being on the verge of becoming one of the NIL-era’s first millionaire’s.

Take it from Saban.

“Our QB has already approached ungodly numbers…and he hasn’t even played yet. If I told you what it is … it’s almost 7-figures,” Saban shared.

Alabama didn’t need any help with strong recruiting pitches, but man, if that’s not the strongest recruiting pitch to a room full of high school coaches, I don’t know what is.

Something tells me that was exactly Saban’s plan.

Continue reading story here

SEC Commissioner pushing vaccines: If teams can’t compete, games will be forfeited instead of rescheduled

From FootballScoop.com … Flanked by a bandage-logo that read “THE SEC BACKS THE VAX,” Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey on Monday drove home the likelihood that teams unable to compete in games this fall season – specifically football – face forfeits rather than rescheduling opportunities.

“You hope not to have disruption but hope is not a plan is the great cliché,” Sankey told reporters inside the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. “We still have roster minimums that exist just like last year. What I’ve identified for consideration among our membership is that we remove those roster minimums and you’re expected to play as scheduled. That means your team needs to be healthy to compete, and if not, that game won’t be rescheduled.”

Sankey then dropped the F-bomb – forfeiture – if a team presumably is ruled unable to compete because of COVID-19 issues.

“To dispose of the game, the ‘forfeit’ word comes up at this point,” Sankey said. “That’s not a policy, and what you see are the bookends now for decision-making. We’ve not built the kind of time we did last year, particularly at the end of the season, to accommodate disruption. And unless we’re going to do that, our teams are going to have to be fully prepared to play their season as scheduled, which is why embedded in my remarks is the vaccination motivation.”

Continue reading story here

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July 19th

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College Football News predicts the AP Top 25 – Four Pac-12 teams make the list

From College Football News … Before getting started, note that below is NOT the actual 2021 Preseason AP Poll – it’s our prediction and projection of what it might be.

The AP college football rankings are still a very big deal, even in the College Football Playoff era.

Throughout the year the AP rankings are a great indication of how the rest of college football – at least the media types – views what’s happening. They’re a terrific measuring stick, especially before the College Football Playoff rankings come out.

The AP Poll and Coaches Pool both had the same preseason top four rankings last year – Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia – and they both had Notre Dame No. 10 and Texas A&M 13. The only difference in the top 14 was 5/6 with the AP putting Oklahoma 5 and LSU 6, and the Coaches going the other way around.

In other words, the AP and Coaches are both about the same. This year, though, after a crazy 2020 with a whole lot of new teams in the mix, expect more changes and differences than ever.

Again, this is just a prediction and not the real preseason AP top 25 poll, so don’t get mad or too happy – we’re making the best educational guess possible on a projection. Once the 2021 preseason AP top 25 poll is released, we’ll break it all down and do a deep dive analysis.

25. Miami Hurricanes (22)

24. Oklahoma State Cowboys (20)

23. Liberty Flames (17)

22. Michigan Wolverines (NR)

21. Arizona State Sun Devils (NR)

20. Iowa Hawkeyes (16)

19. Washington Huskies (NR)

18. Indiana Hoosiers (12)

17. Penn State Nittany Lions (NR)

16. Texas Longhorns (19)

15. USC Trojans (21)

14. Wisconsin Badgers (NR)

13. LSU Tigers (NR)

12. Florida Gators (13)

11. Oregon Ducks (NR)

10. North Carolina Tar Heels (18)

9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5)

8. Cincinnati Bearcats (8)

7. Iowa State Cyclones (9)

6. Texas A&M Aggies (4)

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (2)

4. Georgia Bulldogs (7)

3. Clemson Tigers (3)

2. Oklahoma Sooners (6)

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (1)

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July 18th

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Two Texas A&M players to earn $10K each – for an interview

From TexAgs.com … TexAgs is hosting an NIL event sponsored by GreenPrint Real Estate Group and featuring Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller and safety Demani Richardson.

Spiller and Richardson will earn $10,000 each as part of the deal sponsored by GreenPrint for exclusive feature interviews on TexAgs.com ahead of next week’s SEC Media Days. The agreement is contracted under the new NIL regulations allowing college athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness.

“Our goal is and always has been to bring Aggies the very best in coverage of Texas A&M athletics,” said TexAgs Co-owner and Executive Editor Billy Liucci. “For us, that means continuing to find innovative new ways to cover Aggie sports. We’re excited about the ways the NIL changes will allow us to feature Texas A&M athletes, continue to push into new areas of content creation for our subscribers, and expand our work with sponsors.”

GreenPrint owners Geoff Myers and Randy Hightower explained their interest in the event: “As Aggie business owners, we embrace any opportunity to support local student athletes and the Aggie community as a whole. With the collegiate athletic landscape rapidly changing, GreenPrint is thrilled to partner with TexAgs and these two young men in this exciting new endeavor.”

GreenPrint Real Estate Group specializes in buyer and seller representation, listing, and marketing of residential and investment properties in the Brazos Valley. As a boutique firm, GreenPrint tailors each buying or selling process individually to meet the unique objectives of each client.

TexAgs is an independent media company covering Texas A&M and college athletics, reaching more than 650,000 monthly viewers. TexAgs is not affiliated with Texas A&M University.

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July 17th

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2nd-Year Coaches Facing “Defining Seasons” (Tucker included; Dorrell not on the list)

From CBS Sports … The second year of a head coaching stint in college football can be one of the most interesting points in a program’s trajectory. Every offseason we take stock of coaches in this position because historically it has proven to be a pivot point. Some coaches, like Urban Meyer at Florida or Nick Saban at both LSU and Alabama, were in championship contention in Year Two.

Other coaches have struggled in ways that, depending on how things went in Year One, foreshadow a coaching change in the near future. Year Two got particularly interesting in 2019 when multiple Power Five coaches were fired after just their second season, including dismissals for Willie Taggart at Florida State and Chad Morris at Arkansas before the season had even concluded.

But while patience seems to be getting shorter than ever, the 2020 coaching class entering its second year bring an adjusted set of expectations due to the pandemic’s impact on college football. Some coaches arrive to a program that is a rebuilding effort and we hear the phrase “Year Zero” as a signal to fans that it will take longer than usual to reach the expected levels of success. Well pretty much every coach hired in the 2019-20 cycle started at Year Zero with no (or limited) spring practice and strict protocols through the summer and fall that required much of the coaching to be done virtually.

Considering these obstacles it’s hard to imagine putting any Year Two coach on the hot seat, but the success or lack thereof in 2021 will remain impactful in how these coaches are judged in the eyes of fans, and more importantly their bosses. The evaluation process was likely kinder at the end of 2020 but won’t be in 2021, so considering what happened last year and the outlook for the fall we’ve broken down the profiles of eight coaches with the most on the line in Year Two during the 2021 season.

Jimmy Lake, Washington

2021 CBS Sports Coach Ranking: No. 51 (+5)

It’s really an issue of scarcity with Washington. Everything seems pivotal because we have so much less evidence to work with when comparing this very good program against other very good programs in preseason predictions and rankings. The Huskies only played four games, but won the Pac-12 North Division, then had to back out of the conference title game because of COVID-19 protocols. That put Oregon, a team that Washington didn’t face, into the conference title game and the Ducks went on to hand USC its first and only loss of the season. So while we carry over some of the expectations that come with Lake’s involvement with Washington football, it’s still very early in the “Jimmy Lake era.” Leading this team into The Big House for a date with Michigan in Week 2 will be about as revealing as anything we saw from the team on the field in 2020.

Nick Rolovich, Washington State

2021 CBS Sports Coach Ranking: No. 58 (-8)

Like Apple Cup rival Washington, the Cougars only played four games in 2020 leaving us with very little to take away when judging Rolovich’s first year. You look across the Pac-12 North Division and the conversation cuts two ways in terms of what we want to see from Washington State in 2021. There is an understanding, or at least an assumption, that Oregon and Washington are on a different tier, so no one’s looking for Rolovich to have this group contending for titles in the fall. On the other hand, the Cougars are not definitively ahead of Stanford, Cal or even Oregon State. This is a big season for Rolovich because there are going to be three or four toss-up games that will determine whether the Cougars are in a bowl game or finish near the bottom of the conference standings.

Mel Tucker, Michigan State

2021 CBS Sports Coach Ranking: No. 57 (-2)

Hired in mid-February just weeks before the world came to a halt because of a global pandemic, Tucker, more than anyone on this list, enters his second season with expectations that treat 2020 like a true Year Zero. The program wasn’t in terrible shape like other Year Zero situations, but the timing — not only losing spring practice and the summer but the cancellation and sudden restart for Big Ten football — left the Spartans way behind its peers in terms of building to a final product. Beating Michigan and handing Northwestern its only regular-season loss brought enough positivity to avoid any panic following Year One, as Tucker looks to take the next step and improve from a last-place finish in the division standings.

Oddsmakers say this isn’t a bowl team with its 4.5 win total, but there are enough toss-ups on the schedule for the Spartans to reach 6-6. Exceeding those win total-based expectations would be a sign that Tucker has settled in and has Michigan State on a path back to where it wants to be near the top, not the bottom, of the Big Ten East.

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NIL and boosters: “There is a lot of gray area with all of this”

From mlive.com … Yoke Gaming, a company that allows fans to pay to play video games, remotely, against athletes, touted that it had more than 10,000 college athletes sign up on the first day NIL doors opened, July 1.

Among them were several Michigan football players. The fine print on all those deals wasn’t exactly athlete-friendly, with multiple industry experts noting Yoke’s “worldwide, perpetual, transferable, sublicenseable, royalty-free and irrevocable right” to use pretty much anything an athlete did while gaming through Yoke.

“These are real contracts,” Gersten said. “They should have a lawyer look at them.”

She noted that if one of the brands she represents wants to work with, say, actor Matthew McConaughey, she has to go through his agent, his manager, his lawyer, and his publicist. A college athlete may not have the means or the need for such a large team. “But they should all have some representation, whether it’s a parent or a friend acting as a manager.”

Jake Teplitzky is the founder of a management group that is providing such services to college athletes. As an undergrad at the University of Miami, he befriended many athletes and saw how they were taken advantage of. His goal is to do right by his clients, which includes not risking their NCAA eligibility.

“There is a lot of gray area with all of this,” he said, echoing the thoughts of several others interviewed for this story.

Teplitzky recently heard about a lawyer who wanted a University of Miami football player to wear a t-shirt bearing his law firm’s name twice a month. The lawyer was a devoted Miami football fan. Teplitzky said he advised the player to stay away.

“Players aren’t worried about boosters right now,” Teplitzky said. “They’re just looking for money. The floodgates have opened and they want to get paid. They don’t think about where the payment is coming from. But that’s what determines eligibility.”

He cited Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler signing with Steinberg Sports as a potential issue given that Steinberg also represents NFL players.

Teplitzky said he’s not trying to be a whistleblower but rather pointing out the landmines in this new arena.

Continue reading story here

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July 16th

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CU’s relationship with NIKE enters 27th year

From CUBuffs.com … In terms of significant events in University of Colorado Athletics history, next Oct. 9 will mark the 26th anniversary of one of the more consequential moments in Buffaloes annals.

But no Buff scored a touchdown, made a basket or won a race that day. As a matter of fact, not a single CU team was in competition on Oct. 9, 1995.

It is, however, the day that then-CU Athletic Director Bill Marolt announced the first Colorado-NIKE contract, a deal that at the time put CU in elite national company and has since proven to be a steady, beneficial relationship for all parties involved.

The original agreement was the third-largest in the country for any program with NIKE. It provided equipment and apparel for 15 of 17 CU’s varsity sports (all but skiing), along with an annual cash corporate sponsorship.

Now, CU is in its fourth contract with NIKE, with the last deal a 10-year agreement that runs through the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year. Along with apparel, equipment and cash sponsorship, the contract also provides performance bonuses for CU coaches, royalties for merchandise sold nationwide, and a summer internship every year for a CU undergrad.

But while the official apparel and sponsorship agreement is now entering its 27th year, the relationship between Colorado and the sportswear giant stretches back nearly four decades. Colorado’s football team began sporting NIKE gear in 1983, men’s basketball joined the swoosh fold in 1990 and the volleyball program followed suit two years later.

Continue reading story here

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July 15th

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NCAA President: Time is now to consider de-regulating collegiate sports

From ESPN … NCAA President Mark Emmert said Thursday the time is right to consider a decentralized and deregulated version of college sports, shifting power to conferences and campuses and reconsidering how schools are aligned.

Emmert said the recent Supreme Court ruling against the NCAA along with the lifting of restrictions on athletes monetizing their fame should be a catalyst to “rethink” what college sports has been about.

In a 30-minute interview with a small group of reporters, Emmert stressed he was not putting forth a mandate or even a recommendation. But he laid out a vision for the future of college sports that puts fewer limitations on athletes and de-emphasizes the role of a national governing body like the NCAA, which was founded 115 years ago and oversees more than 450,000 athletes.

“When you have an environment like that it just forces us to think more about what constraints should be put in place ever on college athletes. And it should be the bare minimum,” Emmert said.

Emmert said the NCAA’s more than 1,100 member schools should consider a less homogenous approach to the way sports are governed and rethink the current three division structure, which includes 355 Division I colleges. The NCAA’s rules and regulations have long been criticized and court challenges have been mounting in recent years.

“We need to be ready to say, ‘Yeah, you know, for field hockey, field hockey is different than football. Wrestling is different than lacrosse,’ and not get so hung up on having everything be the same,” said Emmert, who was president of the University of Washington before taking the NCAA job in 2010.

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Big 12 media days: Coaches come out in favor of 12-team playoff

From KSL Sports …  The Big 12 Conference would certainly benefit from an expanded College Football Playoff and likely never be left out again.

Under the proposed 12-team format that would still be at least a couple of seasons away, six-time defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma would have been in the playoff again last season. Iowa State, which had a league-best 8-1 record in the regular season before losing its first championship game in any conference, would have become the first Big 12 team other than the Sooners to make it.

Neither the Sooners or Cyclones — picked to finish 1-2 again this season — made it under the current four-team playoff that began seven seasons ago, when Big 12 co-champions TCU and Baylor were left out after the final CFP rankings.

“I think the expansion that’s been proposed is a great start. I commend the committee that put it together because you’ve got to put yourself out there. You’ve got to start somewhere,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days.

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said he hadn’t really reflected on the possibilities, or what could have been, but expressed the desire for a balanced approach.

“I’m a guy that played Division III football, and there is a playoff, and I think that part of it you certainly love. Obviously you love the bowl games and what that stands for. So that balance, I think, is what we’re trying to find,” Campbell said. “And I certainly think the more teams that are competing for that playoff come November and December, the more universities and student bodies are engaged in the entirety of the finish of the season.

Continue reading story here

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July 14th

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Will any Pac-12 team hit the Top 25 in recruiting other than Oregon and USC?

From the San Jose Mercury News … We’re approximately five months from the start of the 2021-22 early signing window, and midsummer trends could very well vanish by late fall.

But the Hotline couldn’t help noticing the Pac-12’s position nationally in the 247Sports recruiting rankings, where Oregon has moved to No. 8, thanks to a load of four-star prospects, and USC is slotted No. 23, thanks to two five-star recruits.

No other Pac-12 team is in the top 30 nationally, and only one other team, UCLA, is in the top 40.

All the way down in the mid-40s, we find Cal and Arizona.

In the 50th slot, there’s Washington — one recruiting cycle after the Huskies finished No. 36. (CU is at No. 53 at 247 Sports; No. 49 at Rivals).

There’s a good reason for the generally low rankings: Because of COVID restrictions imposed by state and local health authorities, Pac-12 programs are behind their Power Five peers in foundational matter like official visits, scholarship offers and verbal commitments.

But even if we assume the pace of commitments increases, with an accompanying rise in the 247Sports rankings, a central question will remain unresolved:

Is any other Pac-12 program capable of compiling a top-25 class?

It’s a legitimate issue, and potential cause for concern. Oregon and USC were the conference’s only representatives in the top 25 during the 2021 recruiting cycle.

The Pac-12 needs elite teams, obviously, to have a presence in the playoff chase. But it also needs quality depth, and the transfer portal alone won’t suffice.

Yes, sure. We’re curious where the Ducks and Trojans land in the final recruiting rankings (in February). But we’re much more interested in whether a third or fourth team breaks into the top tier nationally.

Nebraska alumni news: Trev Alberts hired as AD; Frank Solich retires

From CBS Sports … Nebraska is turning to Trev Alberts, a former Cornhuskers football star, to be the university’s next athletic director after he served in the same position at Nebraska-Omaha for the past 12 years. Alberts will succeed the retired Bill Moos, who served in the position for nearly four years.

Alberts played as a linebacker at Nebraska in the early 1990s, winning the Butkus Award as a senior in 1993 during a golden age of Cornhuskers football under former coach Tom Osborne. In total, Alberts finished his college career with 248 tackles, including 29.5 sacks and the program compiled a 38-9 record during his career.

He was selected fifth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts but played just three seasons in the NFL before retiring after dealing with injuries. Alberts entered sports broadcasting and worked as an analyst for various networks before accepting the AD job at Omaha in 2009. Omaha is part of the University of Nebraska system, and Alberts shepherded the school to a spot in the Division I ranks, although that process included the disbanding of Omaha’s football program in 2011.

Alberts’ top task at his alma mater will be navigating a downturn in the football program’s fortune. Former Nebraska star quarterback and ex-UCF coach Scott Frost is just 12-20 as he enters his fourth season leading the program and the Cornhuskers have not reached 10 wins since the 2012 season. Moos hired by Frost and men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg, who has also struggled for traction in two seasons on the job.

From CBS Sports … Longtime Ohio coach Frank Solich is stepping down after 16 seasons with the Bobcats program to focus on his health, the university announced on Wednesday. Solich, 76, the oldest active FBS coach, will move into an athletic department advisor role under athletic director Julie Cromer.

The Bobcats won’t be looking far for his replacement as associate head coach and offensive coordinator Tim Albin has been elevated to the top job after agreeing to a four-year contract with Ohio.

“After fifty-five years in coaching, including 16 at Ohio University, it is time for me to step away to focus on a cardiovascular health issue,” said Solich. “I’ve appreciated the support of Bobcat fans over the years, and I know they will continue to support Coach Albin. After working directly with Tim for 21 consecutive years, including six at the University of Nebraska, it’s clear to me he is prepared to continue our work and move the program forward. I am happy for Tim and his family.”

A former player at Nebraska from 1963-65, Solich became the coach of the Cornhuskers from 1998-2003 as the successor to the legendary Tom Osborne. Solich went 58-19 in six seasons with three 10-win campaigns and a Big 12 championship in 1999. However, he was under immense pressure to repeat the success the Huskers experienced under Osborne and was fired before the conclusion of the 2003 season.

Solich became the coach at Ohio in 2005 and won the first of his four MAC East titles in 2006. Ohio enjoyed 12-straight non-losing seasons beginning in 2009, including 11 winning seasons and a 10-win campaign in 2011. The Bobcats appeared in 10 bowl games over the past 12 years under Solich, who was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2016.

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July 13th

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CBS Coaches’ Hot Seat Ranking: Three Pac-12 South coaches on the warmest seats

From CBS Sports … It was yet another offseason of significant turnover in college football, this one despite some expectation that the COVID-19 pandemic would lead programs to clutch their purses. Seventeen programs — 13% of the FBS — changed coaches, which means there’s a large swath entering honeymoon year with their new schools. Couple that with a number of programs who saw limited action last season, and there will be plenty of fresh faces giving it a full go for the first time.

As such, the 2021 Hot Seat Rankings should be noted for their coolness with 74 coaches — nearly 57% of the FBS — rated 0 or 1, meaning they are either “virtually untouchable” or “safe and secure”.

The Hot Seat has long been an accurate predictor in terms of job security. Over the last six years, 20 of the 38 coaches rated 4 or worse (53%) eventually lost their jobs with a number of repeat candidates atop this season’s list.

Entering the 2021 season, there are only nine coaches on the proverbial hot seat (rating of 4 or higher). However, you can be sure there will be far more than nine coaching changes as that damn coaching carousel is always spinning.

In addition to the full set of rankings below, we have detailed the nine coaches sitting on the hottest seats ahead of the 2021 campaign, though there is also a group “Notable 3s” to keep an eye on throughout the season.

Leading that short list is UCLA’s Chip Kelly, who jumped off the hot seat entering Year Four but only holds a 10-21 record through three seasons while costing the Bruins a pretty penny contractually. Dana Holgorsen was seen a coup for Houston, but he enters Year Three with a 7-13 record. David Cutcliffe is a made man at Duke, but would a third straight season under .500 for the first time in a decade be too much to excuse? Purdue was pleased to see Jeff Brohm go .500 through his first two seasons, but a 6-12 record since is concerning. Then there’s Dino Babers, who shocked the world with a 10-3 campaign for Syracuse in 2018 and surprised just as many with a 1-10 effort in 2020.

Below you can see where all 130 FBS coaches stand before the season begins. Check out the ratings key first and see where every coach in college football ranks with kickoff scheduled in less than two months.

… Scott Frost, Nebraska … 5 … We never thought it would come to this. Entering his fourth season, the native son/champion/Husker is 12-20. There’s disarray in a program that once bled consistency. Its best player, Wan’Dale Robinson, transferred. Nebraska under Frost has one top-20 recruiting class. Is the average recruit aware of the once-glorious brand? Then there’s the embarrassing Oklahoma fiasco where Frost attempted to back out of the game months before kickoff. So much was expected, which makes this rating difficult. Frost has the makings of a solid coach. We saw it at UCF. Something isn’t clicking. In three seasons, Nebraska has seen Northwestern, Indiana and Minnesota (arguably) pass it by. There is inconsistency at QB. Worst of all, Bill Moos, the AD who hired Frost, is gone. That’s never good for a losing coach. It’s bowl game or bust … to start. 2020 rating: 5

… Herm Edwards, Arizona State … 4 … An NCAA investigation changed everything. There’s a damning dossier detailing an alleged improper recruiting scheme during COVID-19. Prospects were allegedly brought in during the COVID-19 dead period despite massive health risks. Even if Edwards had no idea, the NCAA could penalize ASU via the coaches’ responsibility bylaw. All of it will hang over this season even as ASU is favored by some to win the Pac-12 South. Edwards has proved himself as a college coach, but the investigation adds a stain. He’s innocent until proven guilty, but for now, this scandal reaches beyond the coach’s office. Bring a big shovel. It’s going to be hard digging out of this one. 2020 rating: 1

… Clay Helton, USC … 4 … USC’s coach should pay rent here. He’s continually on the hot seat yet continually employed. The long-persecuted Helton has a better career winning percentage than Harbaugh, Luke Fickell, Steve Sarkisian, Bret Bielema and Kirk Ferentz. But for some USC fans, Helton just seems to win enough to save his job with 2020 no exception. The Trojans started a truncated season 5-0 with three tight wins. The Pac-12 title game was Helton’s third in six seasons despite it being a narrow loss to Oregon. Helton rebounded with a top-10 recruiting class in 2021, landing the No. 1 player in DE Korey Foreman. If anything, Helton is more secure. Still, the critics won’t stop screaming until the penalty issue is solved (no better than 113th) and USC competes for the College Football Playoff. This may be a Pac-12 problem, not a USC problem. 2020 rating: 5

From the Pac-12 … 

  • 4—Herm Edwards … Arizona State
  • 4—Clay Helton … USC
  • 3—Chip Kelly … UCLA
  • 2—Jedd Fisch … Arizona
  • 2—Justin Wilcox … California
  • 1—Nick Rolovich … Washington State
  • 1—Jimmy Lake … Washington
  • 1—Jonathan Smith … Oregon State
  • 1—Karl Dorrell … Colorado
  • 0—Mario Cristobal … Oregon
  • 0—David Shaw … Stanford
  • 0—Kyle Whittingham … Utah

  • 4 = Improve now
  • 3 = Pressure is on
  • 2 = Good for now
  • 1 = Safe
  • 0 = Untouchable

Athlon Pac-12 Bowl Projections: CU doesn’t make the cut

From Athlon Sports … The 2021-22 bowl schedule features 43 overall games, and Athlon Sports is here with complete projections and predictions for all of the matchups. While the season doesn’t get underway until late August, it’s never too early to take a peek at what the bowl games could look at the conclusion of the year.

The postseason officially begins on Dec. 17 with two matchups and continues until Jan. 10 with the national championship in Indianapolis. Semifinals for the College Football Playoff take place on Dec. 31 this year, with the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl hosting matchups.

A few dates and tie-ins are unsettled for bowl games as of mid-July. However, nearly all of the information regarding the 2021-22 bowl schedule has been released. Projections will be updated as needed this offseason. How will the postseason matchups look by December? Below are Athlon Sports’ predictions for every bowl and playoff game in 2021-22:

From the Pac-12 … (bowls listed chronologically; it’s also worth noting that there is some question as to whether the RedBox Bowl will take place this year) …

LA Bowl (Dec. 18)

Tie-In: Mountain West vs. Pac-12

Projection: Boise State vs. UCLA

Holiday Bowl (Dec. 28)

Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12

Projection: Florida State vs. Washington

Alamo Bowl (Dec. 29)

Tie-In: Big 12 vs. Pac-12

Projection: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona State*

* Arizona State projection pending NCAA investigation.

Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 30)

Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Indiana vs. USC

Sun Bowl (Dec. 31)

Tie-In: ACC vs. Pac-12

Projection: Virginia Tech vs. Utah

Redbox Bowl (TBD)

Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Northwestern vs. California

Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)

Tie-In: Big Ten vs. Pac-12

Projection: Wisconsin vs. Oregon

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July 12th

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Pro Football Focus: Only one Pac-12 quarterback in the Top 25 nationally

From Pro Football Focus … As is also the case for the NFL, the quarterback is far and away the most important player on the field in college football. If a team lacks a viable signal-caller, a spot in the College Football Playoff or a shot at a conference championship is out of the question. And a team certainly needs a top-tier passer to take home the ultimate honor of being named national champions.

This, of course, begs the question: Which programs are in the best and worst shape at the quarterback position as we look forward to the 2021 college football season?

With the help of PFF College’s advanced database, we can proceed to answer that question. Taking into account each projected starter’s play-by-play grading profile and several other data points, in addition to film and scheme review, here are PFF’s annual college quarterback rankings for all 130 FBS programs. And along with ranking each situation from one to 130, the quarterbacks are grouped into tiers to provide further context on where each school stands entering the fall.

Note that not every team has a starter named at this point in time. For those programs, the situation as a whole was taken into account. These rankings do not account for NFL potential.

… Tier Two – High Ceiling Quarterbacks … 

  • No. 10 – Kedon Slovis … USC … Slovis is skating on thin ice here but just holds on to the No. 10 spot. He shattered expectations as a true freshman in 2019, earning an 80.8 passing grade and displaying precise accuracy. Still, Slovis often looked like a first-year player and made one or two head-scratching forced throws per game. He also struggled to hold onto the ball in collapsing pockets.Instead of taking that next step forward, he was the same player in 2020. He earned an 80.1 passing grade across six starts, which featured 13 turnover-worthy plays but top-notch accuracy underneath.Slovis isn’t in the elite tier yet, but he has the skill set to make the jump in 2021.

… Tier Three – The Good, Not Great … 

  • No. 28 – Dylan Morris … Washington … Morris is a pretty limited passer and won’t provide much in the deep passing game, but he takes exceptional care of the ball elsewhere and doesn’t make many mistakes.In four starts in 2020, he earned an 81.9 passing grade, posted a minimal 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate and led the Huskies to the fourth-most efficient passing offense in the Pac-12. He was automatic from a clean pocket and when not trying to do anything special downfield. Most teams would love to have such a safe passer.
  • No. 31 – Jayden De Laura … Washington State … Jayden de Laura may not even end up the starter for the Cougars, but he’s undoubtedly the best passer on the roster despite playing in only four games during his coronavirus-shortened freshman season last year. He produced a 78.4 passing grade and was sharp when letting the ball go in a timely fashion. On passes thrown 2.5 seconds or less from the snap, de Laura ranked fourth in the FBS in passing grade (91.0). His performance dipped when he held onto the ball inside the pocket, so that’s something to monitor moving forward. Still, de Laura is a promising quarterback talent.

… Tier Four – The Average … 

  • No. 59 – Chase Garbers … Cal
  • No. 71 – Charlie Brewer … Utah
  • No. 72 – Jayden Daniels … Arizona State
  • No. 74 – Tristan Gebbia/Sam Noryer … Oregon State

… Tier Five – Needs to Improve/More Reps … The quarterbacks in this group likely aren’t leading explosive offenses in 2021. There is some long-term hope for teams with fresh new starters — such as Arkansas, Texas A&M, Stanford and maybe Oregon — but short-term confidence remains low for these quarterback situations. Similar to the tier above, they aren’t going to be responsible for their teams having immense success without help from elite supporting casts on both sides of the ball.

  • No. 79 – Anthony Brown/Ty Thompson … Oregon
  • No. 87 – Dorian Thompson-Robinson – UCLA
  • No. 90 – Brendon Lewis/JT Shrout – Colorado
  • No. 99 – Tanner McKee/Jack West – Stanford

… Tier Six – Needs Significant Improvement … 

  • No. 111 – Jordan McCloud/Gunner Cruz/Will Plummer – Arizona

Read full story here

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July 11th

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Les Miles and Kansas accused of paying player to keep quiet about player disputes

… The same Les Miles which Buff fans were upset about losing out on when Mike MacIntyre was fired … 

From the CBS Sports … The family of former Kansas football player Caperton Humphrey is considering legal action against former Kansas football coach Les Miles, former athletic director Jeff Long and the KU athletic department following a 2019 dispute between Humphrey and a group of teammates that led to his separation from the program, according to the Kansas City Star.

Miles declined to meet with Humphrey, a junior fullback, and his father as they sought a resolution, according to the Star, and he suggested to the players involved that they settle their differences on the practice field. Long, meanwhile, is scarcely mentioned in the report other than to note that he was not represented in a signed agreement that led to Humphrey’s separation from the program. Miles, Long and that Reed and other representatives from Kansas declined to comment to the Star.

Humphrey suspected the group of KU teammates of loosening the lug nuts on one of his tires after they’d been in an argument, but there was no evidence and no arrest was made. The Humphreys also relayed information to KU’s compliance director David Reed that some of the players in question were selling marijuana.

Those instances, among other things such as altercations at practice, led to a confrontation involving several players in Humphrey’s apartment during which police were called. Although no police report was created, Reed, a family friend of the Humphreys, said the KU athletic department would help resolve the simmering tension, the Star reported.

Humphrey and his family agreed to an arrangement reportedly signed by Reed that called for Humphrey to leave campus and complete his studies online at his home in West Virginia. The arrangement, which the Humphreys signed, covered tuition, along with monthly stipend checks and moving expenses — around $50,000 in benefits. In exchange, the signed document stated the Humphrey family would not publicly disparage Kansas or its employees, the Star reported.

“Les Miles and Jeff Long swept this under the rug and tried to buy our silence,” Humphrey’s father, Jamie Humphrey, told the Star. “This is how they operated while representing Kansas.”

Continue reading story here

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137 Replies to “Pac-12 Notes”

  1. The PAC12 needs to improve it’s bargaining power for the next media deal. They need to add new valuable TV markets. Two of the top 10 TV markets are in Texas: Houston and Dallas. I wouldn’t take any of the remaining B12 Texas teams, since none of them are in either market. From Houston, I’d look at either Rice (good academics but crappy FB) or U of Houston (good football with decent academics). From Dallas, there really only is SMU.
    For the other 2 (to get to 16), look to Kansas (decent media market and basketball), and Cincinnati. Top 10 football team and decent market and opens up Ohio for recruiting. Another option would be either UCF or USF to open up Florida.

    1. If we have to go Texas Houston would be my choice. 4th largest city in the country. Good football and a huge recruiting area

  2. Personally I see 4 new members of the PAC-12, Oklahoma State (Football), Texas Tech(Football in Texas), Kansas (AARU member and Basketball), Iowa State (AARU member) or another Texas team.

  3. When the next TV contract talks start the first question to answer will be how many people watch your games? So, lets look at the PAC-12 TV markets by national rank.LA #2, Bay Area #6, Phoenix #11, Seattle #13, Denver #17, Portland #22, Salt Lake City #30.
    Lets improve the PAC-12 TV footprint in expansion: Dallas #5 (step up SMU), Houston #8 (Houston), San Diego #29 (San Diego State), Oklahoma City #43 (OSU). Getting 2 Texas schools helps everyone’s recruiting by being able to tell recruits “come to our school because PAC-12 games will be on Texas TV stations and all your family and friends will get to see you play”.

  4. I’m just concerned about my Buffs. With two winning seasons in the past 13 years, CU doesn’t have the same cache. I hope the Buffs aren’t left without a chair when the realignment music stops (54%, 53 Votes)

    That is so Buff Fan like……………………… Poor old Buff Fan
    Why can’t we have anything nice

    sheesh

    Bowl Bound Buffs

  5. I really didn’t know about the ACC being locked in to their television agreement, that changes everything in my mind if things get messy. What if the ACC dissolved, thus getting out of the contract? And, what if it became part of the SEC?… Or most of it?

    What if the Big10 and the PAC12 were to merged also? It seems far fetched, but after reading who, what & where, I am starting to wonder, especially with the NCAA losing so much power and NIL, both happening at the same time; related, but not entirely different.

    The new commissioner is saying he hasn’t had contact with other schools, yea right, someone is talking to someone… and this cat is from Las Vegas and MLB, he’s not stupid. Add in his entertainment background and he’s not a newbie to the game of TV rights.

    Really get the best to 16 as mentioned in other posts, or merge with the BIG10 are seeming like the best alternatives.

    BUT NO baylor… assholes! I’d rather see, CSU, Boise State or…
    No BYU if they won’t play on Sundays! Otherwise they would be a good geographical match… for Utah and probably a good market.

    OK, enough posts for Stuart to approve, time get off my horse.

  6. Well for the pac 12 Kansas and Iowa state would be shew ins. Because of the membership in the
    Association of American Universities. The Deans love that stuff………….. little midwest action.
    And the other two.
    Welp one has to be in texas even if the Deans puke all over it. Course they already have 3 schools that aren’t AAU, ….ASU,WSU, OSU…………. so what is one more …………..or 2 more…..
    Texas tech. Gotta have texas in the mix. No baylorbumbs.
    Okay add oklahoma state. All right down the missisip………i thnk

    4 pods
    Kansas
    Iowa
    Oklahoma state
    Texas Tech

    CU
    Utah
    ASU
    Zona

    Cal,
    UCLA
    Stanford
    USC

    Wash
    WSU
    Oregon
    OSU

    Works great.

    The Pac owns the west.

    Bowl Bound Buffs.

    W

    1. At this point that looks like the best option, if the PAC 12 can get those schools before the BIG10 takes two more. Very close to what I posted earlier, except I wasn’t sure if UT would get into the SEC.

    2. VK, I used your post above, but with a little less CU fandom for the masses on the yahoo story. Thank you/ your welcome… haha.

      “Everything you say about UT is 100% correct, but with that said, we don’t want Baylor or TCU, Baylor was too much of a problem during the last expansion and there are members that don’t want them, plus for the PAC12, Kansas and Iowa state would be a good fit because of their membership in the Association of American Universities. The Deans love that stuff, and the midwest television markets and time zones would be a benefit too.

      Of the other two spots left to get to 16, it would be best if at least one were in Texas so that one could be Texas Tech. Of course the PAC12 already have 3 schools that aren’t AAU, with ASU, WSU, Oregon State U. Texas tech. is well they gotta have Texas in the mix and OSU works well with ISU & Kansas geographically. But hey we’re just fans what do we know? It’ll happen one way or another, will it be 3, 4 or 5 power conferences?

      I understand there are other reasons (market wise) to look at those other schools you mentioned, but the PAC12 Presidents and Chancellors are really big on the whole AAU thing and they’re the ones that vote on it.”

      Reply

    3. Kansas?
      I know all the other teams in the conference would like to add a definite win every season but Kansas has been so far down for so long this may be an opportunity for the admin to commit football suicide without much backlash.
      They might bring some cache and revenue to the conference as a hoops team only member.

      1. The Hawks of the J have a pretty good bb team eh?
        And that AAU thing is a critical deal for the academics.

        And now being able to play in nice places, maybe Coaching hires improve.

        Bowl Bound Buffs

        Note: The big 10 is aau country with only 1 big ten team not a member. Any guesses which one?

  7. Not sure just how hard the PAC will stand on its academic standards statement when receiving new members but I did quick google on TT and OSU. I was shocked to see OSU ranked 20 spots higher at 187 than Tech. Of course 187 isn’t going to produced very many Nobel candidates either.
    Also shocked to see UT actually beg to get into the SEC. That’s not exactly conducive to improving their won loss record in the near future and it will be interesting to see how they are going convince the rest of the conference that “we are Texas dammit!”. ….but there are a lotta other screwy things going on in Texas right now too. Maybe Sarkesian has em BSed into believing he has the SEC’s # after being at AL.
    UT would definitely fit the PAC’s academic standards but I much prefer watching them get their fannies handed to them.
    With OU anyway the rich get richer and the Vandy’s of course get poorer. Maybe now there will be a little more cannibalization in the upper tier of the SEC bringing their overrated god like status down a notch. A small scrap of optimism which ESPN will do their best to prevent.
    I’m not feeling real optimistic about who the PAC will be able bring in if the Big baloney folds.

  8. A while back there was talk from USC folks that maybe USC walks away from the PAC-12 for greener pastures.
    It made me think that maybe the Buffs also walk away and explore a more lucrative destination.
    So, the Buffs go to the Big 10. The Big 10 gets the Denver TV market. The Buffs get the Nebraska game on the friday after Thanksgiving. The Buffs fans get to yell at Scott Frost, and -wait for it- Midnight Mel! Good times. If the Buffs beat MSU, the hand wringing in East Lansing over their $5M annual mistake would be satisfying to watch.

  9. UT & OU reached out to them, not the other way around, so we’ll see. The only good thing is that at 14 members the sec can’t add more than two schools, so no taking OSU and TT too. Those four schools together would make the sec loaded with big name schools. Add in NIL and they become their own league.

    OK with the PAC12 getting those OSU & TT, along with ISU, But no baylor or smu or tcu! PERIOD! I agree with ep.

    TA&M is going to try hard to block UT from getting into the sec, and if successful which conference would UT want next? What if because of that, the sec takes OU & OSU? Then what?

    If the big12 loses any of those 2 teams, then they will probably lose at least 6 teams to realignment, and the remaining 6 teams will need to grab 6 teams from lesser conferences. Don’t forget that the Big10 needs 4 teams (I think) to get to 16 too, so the big12 could lose up to 10 teams, 9 if no one wants baylor or smu or tcu; leaving those three to go back to G5… err maybe a new G6, I’d love to see that.

    1. If I am not mistaken, the Big 10 needs just two (Maryland, Rutgers, Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State).

      The ACC has fourteen and needs two (Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Louisville, Wake Forest, Duke, NC, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Boston College, and Syracuse).

      If Oklahoma and Texas go to the SEC, the Big 10 and ACC will need two each and the PAC-12 will need four (which leads once again to the repeated question, why is the PAC 12 the only conference to change the title to portray the actual/accurate number – from 8 to 10 to 12?). I cannot see how the Big 12 (actually 10 reduced to 8) could survive and thrive. The Big 12 Conference might try to raid teams from other conferences, but the Big 12 schools themselves would likely be looking for homes just like Oklahoma and Texas. With, in effect, eight spots in the remaining three conferences, the eight remaining Big 12 schools, Notre Dame(maybe), BYU and strong “hopefuls” like Houston, Boise State, (even) Colorado State will be looking/begging for the final spots. Not sure how it will play out, but, if Oklahoma and Texas do leave for the SEC, but West Virginia moving from the Big 12 to the ACC seems to be the only sure thing. We will see.

      1. Thanks for the info on the conference counts, I could have looked them up, but I barely got my post written before having to leave home. What you say makes sense, ND is the only one of the faith based schools that every conference and most of their fans would welcome into their fold.

        I would add byu with a pretty big national fan base and no real PR problems that I can recall, if they didn’t have their no Sundays rule, but the three from Texas would have more or less appeal depending on the conference and their fan base. But can smu and baylor say the same? TCU was doing really well when they were the big fish in a small pound and thrived as an underdog, but how are they doing in their current conference?

        I think your very correct that if the big12 loses 4 of their big dogs the conference will become a G6 conference having to pick up some of the hopefuls you mentioned, but there are not enough big dogs out there for them to remain a P5. Since I was off on the count in the BIG10, but didn’t include the ACC, were still at four conferences needing 10 teams to get to 16. If ND & West Virginia were go to the ACC and the UT, OU, OSU & TT were jump to other conferences there is room for 4 more schools, and ISU, KSU & KU would be scrambling for those spots.

        While CSU isn’t as big on the national stage as those three, in the same vain that Arizona, Oregon and Washington have both their primary university and their state school in the PAC12 I wouldn’t mind little brother getting in too.

        So, my wish list would be OU, OSU, TT & ISU to join the PAC12, but the Kansas schools or CSU could be the 3rd and fouth as long as the PAC12 adds two big dogs too. So, OSU & OU along with any of those other five schools could round out the count to 16.

        Of course if it wound up being OSU, OU, TT & UT that would bring in the most revenue and be good for the conference over all… even though most of us don’t like UT and the way they treated the original BIG12.

  10. So what happens to Kansas if the Big whatever dissolves? They have to be soiling their pants right now.
    Knowing the folks at Baylor, they could be saying to themselves…”hey man, if we can hold this thing together we could be the ones calling the shots!” Maybe the same discussion over at Okie State cause I know Gundy would love to “call the conference shots.” I dont know what TCU has been doing lately, didnt even realize they were in the conference, but the Big mess would still have quite a few teams with winning records. They could invite the 2 Dakota states who have been doing real well at their level and no doubt could continue KU’s losing ways.
    Maybe even the pusskers will get tired of their heavily bruised buttcheeks and come crawling back.

  11. If Oklahoma and Texas leave the Big 12 for the SEC I think this could actually be exciting news for the Pac-12 and CU. It opens the door to become the super conference we were flirting with when we joined a decade ago. In this scenario I see Oklahoma State as the biggest fish out there. The Pac has to go get them at all costs. I see West Virginia going to the ACC after that. With CFP expansion looming and the top 4 seeds going to the conference champions i would see Notre Dame finally joining the ACC so they would then be at 16. Iowa State and Kansas State would join the Big 10 to get them to 16. I would then see the PAC 12 trying to get the remaining teams from texas. TCU, Baylor and Tech. Ultimately it would get you four mega conferences that are in each region of the country. A Eastern Conference (ACC), Northern/ Midwest Conference (Big Ten), Southern Conference (SEC), and Western Conference (Pac-16). Obviously there are other variables at play here, but the Pac has to be aggressive or we will be left behind. I also like have schools from our two biggest pipeline states in our conference (Texas and California). The new commissioner should be making phone calls right now, and OK State has to be at the top of that list.

    1. Okie State?…sure, Tech?….sure
      Baylor? Noooooo way
      Do your remember what happened the last time the PAC expanded? Do you remember when the school, supposedly Christian based, covered up player sexual assaults?
      I know it wont happen, thanks to merchants in the temple, but I would love to see BYU, Notre Dame, Baylor, TCU, Liberty etc form their own conference so at the end of the season we could see how many tell us God chose the conference champion.
      Could be a bad idea too. With all that denominational diversity we might risk sliding into a Shia/Sunni type confrontation right here in the USA.
      Naaah…..if you want two more besides OSU and Tech go with Boise, poach Iowa State, maybe San Diego State or…….I will bite my lip for BYU.

      1. Ok so let’s add Baylor and beat the hell out of them. I don’t like Baylor but I think they are a better option than say SMU or TCU. Nice new stadium, recent success.

  12. Time will tell… how many stars fall or fail because they get too much too fast?

    A 19 y.o. or 20 y.o. has a million dollars, for nothing yet, does he become too entitled and fail? Does he go out on the town with everyone telling him how great he is while giving him everything he wants, being the big spender and what kind of trouble will that lead to? It already happens with new pros that are out at strip clubs and the like, now add in the youth factor.

    Maybe at Alabama for example everyone gets paid, but a handful of players are driving expensive sports cars (no risk of accidents or injury there) or that awesome motorcycle, while the linemen that protect them or open holes for them are driving a much cheaper/less status cars, will there be any resentment?

    Will a player that got paid already work hard to come back from an injury during the season when there is always next season and why push it a get hurt again? “I got a million dollars in the bank and a free lease for the next year, I’ll take it easy until spring ball.

    They are not on contract, so have an argument over all of that, and the kid transfers.

    1. so maybe we are having lawsuits generated by the have nots claiming its a team game and one players success, hence his market value, is dependent, to a degree, on the performance of his supporting cast?
      How far would something like that get Stuart? provided, of course, the amount of monetary discrepancy is worth doing it…..but that million dollar payment right out of the gate for a guy hasnt got out of the gate could be just the beginning.

    2. But he has a million bucks before turning 20. Top baseball recruits get big contracts and have to play in the minors for a few years. If the kid’s character is such that the money will corrupt the work ethic they probably weren’t gonna make it anyway. The biggest beneficiary of the NIL is the NFL. College football is their minor league and they don’t pay a penny.

  13. The question you ask, Stu is, do I/we still think NIL won’t kill parity?

    My question back is, do you think there’l is/was was parity now?

    I am not convinced this new era creates a greater divide than already existed. It may even help to level the field. Time will tell.

    I may try to find time to submit an essay covering my thoughts. Perhaps the Berliner will take the opposing view.

    Go Buffs

    1. Go listen to my podcast with Rick George, or the podcast Brad and I did a few weeks ago.
      My hypotheticals were not about million-dollar players at Alabama, but about third string offensive linemen choosing Nebraska over Colorado because offensive linemen in Lincoln are getting paid to “endorse” a BBQ chain of restaurants.
      THAT is where CU will sink lower into the have-nots – losing out on recruits who are getting paid something at other schools, but being paid nothing at CU.
      Or, if you want to take it past recruiting, losing three-star players (like a Nate Landman) who turn into something special at CU, only to transfer out after a few years to a “better paying” school.

      1. Does anyone have any trouble answering earache’s question about present day parity? Having said that why would earache have any doubts about a natural financial progression? Ever since the NFL started paying multimillion dollar salaries for almost every player on the team, enabled by the popularity of the game, it hasn’t so much trickled down but flowed down to the college level.
        Its not just the best coaches going to schools willing and able to pay over 10 million a year but all of a sudden a fan base willing to pay a player, in Alabama of course, a million even before he gets started.
        Why would any 4 or 5 star player go to any school where football is already on top? This QB, with any financial planning moxie at all, could be set for life before he is even drafted or graduates. Saban is already using his example to recruit.
        Earache has this habit of closing his posts by saying things like “time will tell” or “we shall see” (which is a bit annoying) but if he is really in a financially oriented business this should be obvious.
        My pollyanish wish is that ten or 15 of the top football schools in the country go ahead and form their super conference. The rest of us go back reorganize under a plan through an administrative organization that is much better designed than the NCAA and imposes strict limits on the amount of money to be thrown at football….if that can somehow be even legal anymore.

        1. I definitely see a four conference model, with sixteen teams each, in the not too distant future. Driven by the playoff/TV revenue.

          Go Buffs

          1. too late earache. I know you saw the news of TX and OU reaching out to the SEC…..like I predicted.

          2. Actually, EP, I had not seen that. You’ll recall, or maybe you won’t, I made the same comment about the inevitable 16-team, four conference realignment, in one of our discussions a week or so ago. Exactly the same comment.

            Go Buffs

      2. Yeah, I know your hypotheticals. And, you’re not the only one who feels that way. I just disagree that it’s really going to change the landscape that much. I’m more interested to see:
        1) whether the money being doled out is, in most cases, just the bag money that used to be doled out in the shadows, now coming to light, or whether it’ll be big corporate dollars.
        2) whether it’s flowing from individual boosters/their companies just to prop up their favorite team (whether alma mater or not),
        3) if those doling out the cash are looking to see any financial return on their “advertising” or not
        4) along w/ how the kids handle their cash, how willing are they going to be to spend time at signings, meet and greets, social posts, etc. IF they’re actually asked to do something in exchange for their payments
        5) what happens when someone goes knucklehead college kid, and their “sponsors” are associated with that?

        That all notwithstanding, I’ve got to think that there are boosters at CU working with and without Rick George, to do what they can to prop up the program/s they love.

        I just think it’s an interesting experiment on the way to a minor league NFL system.

        Go Buffs

    2. It’s an irrelevant discussion and a waste of time.
      It just is what it is and will be what it will be.
      Nothing can be done about it.
      Kinda like shrooms.
      You either got em our you don’t

      Bowl Bound Buffs

  14. Brilliant
    “SEC backs the Vax”
    The exact opposite of brilliant are those hold outs in the deep South who are maintaining the pandemic. With the SEC and football leading the way with Nascar along and the Dixie Association of Noodlers it will be a slam dunk. With all the lies floating around the national issues these days maybe a lie would actually help here by telling all the fans Nick Saban invented the vaccine.

    1. How about a meet and greet with nick and some star players at the vaccine site, “GET YOUR SHOT FROM SABAN!” There would be so many there.

  15. WTF, (should have seen what I originally wrote) they cover midnight mel and not Dorrell who exceeded all expectations! And because of the way the hire went down really is a better story than Fnut!

    1. I wish nothing but the worst for Midnight Mel and Mich State. A truly corrupt and morally bankrupt university.

  16. So, some of you may have seen my post concerning the 2018 coaching staff for the Mighty Buffs and that a head coach was not listed.

    Welp, I was wrong, He is listed……………(but not in the usual place the HC is listed)

    as the last coach on the page………………..

    below even the student volunteers.

    Well dang nab it that is some real show of respect now ain’t it. After all he did for the Mighty Buffs.

    Bowl Bound Buffs.

    Note: No it is a nice write up……………….it’s where the-ache-of-the-ear gets his info for this love letters.

    1. Me too. Even while RG was looking I didnt want Miles. I put him in that class of older coaches who had some success, none recent and it seemed the game had passed by.
      Thanks again to RG

  17. Can anyone give me a realistic answer why TX and OU would actually consider the PAC 12? Isn’t that kinda like that line in Dumb and Dumber? So there is chance?
    First of all why would they leave when they are the big dogs in their own conference? Even though Baylor has shown some resurgence Texas is still the Baptist legislature’s fave.
    And if they were going to go anywhere I can see the Big 10 or the SEC kicking out a few of their stragglers(Cobbs and Misery? snicker) and taking them in.

    1. You make good points, maybe they would come because they feel that adding them two (OU & UT), along with the top of the PAC12 conference, the conference would be equal to the other conferences. But, they may feel like they would automatically be at the top, while feasting on the lower half of the conference.

      So I guess if the monies could be the same by adding them and they could be at the top, they may consider it. Just like the PAC12 needs a couple of big players to expand (with added value) and there are not any left on this side of the country I don’t think the big12 can grow either; they aren’t going to be stealing anyone from the BIG10 or SEC, so raiding the PAC12 or joining them may be their best choice. I don’t think those two conferences feel like they need them and there are already “top” of the food chain schools that are ok with things as they are.

      Really, if the conference did get them with 2 others (OSU & ?) the time zones would help the television rights better than anything the conference can do without them.

      Yes UT is a pain in the ass, but a Pac16 going over 3 time zones is better than a PAC16 with schools west of the Rockies, there just aren’t any big tv markets with any big players available.

  18. anything in the rules…such as they are…..preventing me from sending a check or debit card directly to a player?

    1. Personally? You’re not supposed to.
      If your “business” wanted to send a check to the player, in exchange for them mentioning your business on social media – all’s fair in love and war.

      1. I’m retired. I have no biz for you to promote. Besides you might spend it on golf or the wrong political donation.

  19. In the grand scheme of things, $540,000 isn’t that much for a major booster, especially if they are getting their company name out there and get other alumni involved. Between the business write off and name recognition, is that really a lot of money for a prominent booster?

    So, really the question is, how much of the money that boosters would have given to the school will now go directly to the players to get them to the school in the first place?

    It could become very common to see a group of business/boosters develop a fund of 2 or 3 million a year to pay players. That could be a combination of smaller ones businesses contributing less and larger one contributing more, but how many would it take to put together a well funded booster club?

    An alum or just a rabid fan from a state that doesn’t have anything else (no pro teams) who owns multiple large dealerships or chains or anything else could afford to give a pretty penny if it meant getting a few thousand fans to visit your businesses. AND your supporting YOUR team too, helping to buy championships, life is good when you can afford to change it to your liking.

    Reminds me of the boosters in the movie “Johnny be good”.

    Some of these schools have such a rabid fan base that a restaurant or dealership etc could get a boat load of fans for a meet & greet at the restaurant, store or the like, with autographs or a variety promotions; think having a radio station promo, but with players involved too.

    Then there is Nike and his willingness to buy a championship for his school, a school that was never very good before his money; and his shoe business is a perfect way to attract and pay players while getting a business write off too.

    Nike has given hundreds of millions to the school to attract players and coaches, a few million directly to players is a drop in the bucket compared to what he has already given.

    1. all makes sense which just increases my feel of gloom and doom for the Buffs. Do you really think the Nebraskans and the Texans that live here are going to boost the Buffs? We have plenty of Texans in my neighborhood already and now the Californicators are moving in. Likewise
      Denver also has plenty of Chicago transplants hence the popularity of the Cubs in Mile Hi even after the Rockies came. Go Northwestern. Not to mention the transplants from SEC country and the reverse snowbirds from AZ….right AZBuff?
      I sure miss the good ol days back in high school and college when you could drive for an hour from the front range into the mountains, with little traffic and enjoy world class fishing. Climb a 14eener without standing in line. Pay 6 bucks for a lift ticket at Vail (again with moderate lines) and Eddie Crowder had the Buffs kicking Butt with a lot more Colorado Boys.
      Stinkin immigrants

  20. An Alabama Homie tells us:
    So, get over it. This isn’t going to “ruin the game.”
    How cheesy is that?
    While sitting on top on the football world, knowing that the NIL is going to help them greatly to stay there they are telling all the po boys of football not to worry. Truth is they are already a part of ruining football. Usually these things like the dominance of teams you can count on one hand run in cycles and there will come a time hen they fade and other teams will rise to take their place. Now that the money s there good luck with that.

    1. All it means is the sec booster bag men no longer have to hide in the shadows.

      What will be interesting to watch is where the real money goes. My guess is that after a year or three of experimenting, things will settle down. But who knows?

      Go Buffs

  21. I wonder how that $6k per player’s going to go. Will it draw talent that wouldn’t otherwise go to Miami? Maybe. Will it start an arms race (at least a more visible one vs. paying players more covertly)? Maybe. $540k/yr is a decent chunk for advertising that is unlikely to work in moving the sales needle, at all, and may well backfire. This thing’s likely to evolve in a bunch of different ways none of us can foresee, after some of the initial hemorrhaging of cash blows through.

    Go Buffs

    1. It has always been a policy of mine to not be overly critical of college players because after all they are or were kids doing their best and trying to get an education while playing a sport. Being paid mostly via a scholarship. But with NIL I think that needs to change. Criticism will come more often. Not that it matters what I think or say, but the media should become more critical of performance. And treat these athletes more like pros. Benefits of the doubt should be harder to come by.

      1. The scrutiny will undoubtedly be ramped up. Just wait until a gaggle of Miami football players get into an altercation at their local night club. Captured on social media. Representing that guy’s gyms. Maybe he’ll spin it as positive, since they are apparently MMA gyms? Gonna be interesting.

        I mean, that CU UM brawl was epic circa 1992. That’s a brilliant way to brand yourself, and your company affiliations.

        Go Buffs

        1. The brawl was in Boulder in 1993. Game story with epic photo can be found here.
          C’mon, Eric, the CU at the Game Archives are a click away!!

          1. Details, details, and foggy, foggy memory. I stand corrected (sort of, since I hedged with the good ol “circa”).

            Go Buffs

          2. Lack of details or modification of details have never stopped you before.

            You have to be sponsoring at least 3 or 4 players

            sheesh

  22. I gotta say I would be willing to pay 20 bucks each to a few players to get their autograph on a ball. I wonder if there is room for a name/image likeness store on your site Stu. We could create hook ups with the players, pay them $20 for a signature on a football or jersey, mark up the football or jersey by 5% to pay for the overhead on your site? Then do it all on demand. Order gets put in, they select the material they want signed (football, jersey, picture, fulsom brick?). then select who they want to sign at 20 a person. We contact the necessary players that week, get the material signed, and ship it out. Cu at the game saves Cu football!

  23. Notes on the other 2 articles
    Yesterday its….”why hasn’t Helton been fired?”….today its USC has outgrown the conference. Maybe they should leave before everyone else does like what happened in the big 12 thanks to Texas. I have never been a huge fan of anything SoCal. Freshman year spring break I was hitch hiking back from Mazatlan to San Jose when some frat boys gave me a ride from SD to LA. . These guys were clueless about anything outside SoCal. They kept asking questions about Colorado thinking t was somehow akin to Appalachia.

    And over to the recruiting story. I wonder how fast all that “honest” stuff goes out the window when someone from Ohio State or Alabama shows up. Not that AL and OSU are dishonest unless it comes to playing time.

      1. Not at all. My father’s family came from just west of there.. Appalachia does have some problems. In case your reading comprehension is lacking what I have a problem with are provincial smug Californians whose view of the outside world is constricted to the level with many Appalachians. Even the ones who have an overwhelming positive attitude on everything on the planet…… which is normally a good thing until they push it past reality and into the banal.

        1. My bad. You have so much animas – see what I did there? Great little run near you – towards so many things, I figured Appalachians were in your sights. Glad it is only the banal, sarcastic Californians who earn your ire. Whew!

          Go Buffs

          1. Try translating the Spanish word “animas” earache. You didnt figure anything. You just nit picked again

          2. Yeesh, nits? All I did was play with words. The Animas is a great whitewater run in your hood. It does not mean animosity. Nor anonymously. Nor amity. Nor calamity. Ok. Talk to you later.

            Go Buffs

  24. I am just gonna say USC is not Notre Dame and no way in hell would they be given a standalone seat at the table.

    And whose to say ND won’t be in the ACC anyway. And this 12 team playoff say ND can never be in the top 4.

    Go Buffs………………….Bowl Game

  25. If USC was kicking the crap out of everyone in money generating sports, perhaps it would be a good idea to go independent, but since they rate only top half in most of those, have they really outgrown the conference? It’s more like, let’s go independent so that we can find some schools we can beat on a consistent basis in money generating sports. On the other hand, perhaps based on their women’s sports, they have an argument.

  26. I wonder, how many of these “star” athletes will spend too much time on their media accounts making money to drive deep into their playbook AND studies?

    How many “star” players will get a big head from the monies and piss off teammates that aren’t making money?

    How many end up failing at school and football because they are too busy making money or thinking they have made it and don’t continue to work as hard, maybe costing themselves more money when their daft stock falls?

    I can already see by the difference of what they think or are being told, what they are worth compared to the rest of the team, how will that play out in the locker room?

    Will teams with one or two “star(s)” while the rest get nothing have dissent (jealousy) in the locker room?

    1. Bingo
      Who gets the lion’s share? The RB or the OL that is opening the holes? (rhetorical question) Its still a team game and money has a way of degrading relationships. The HC’s job of creating and maintaining team unity just go t harder,

  27. It’s the Wild West for NIL. Question: is the door now open for boosters and general citizens to donate to a new “fund” that can be used to support players/recruits? This is very loosely defined in my mind, but basically isn’t the door open for any fan to help financially support athletes if the universities set up such a mechanism? This would apply to all schools of course, not just CU.

    1. It has to be part of the conversation, right? And as Marcus pointed out, it’ll be interesting to see how the Olympic sport athletes fair, relative to the revenue sports. In most cases, for the top ones, aren’t they more marketable to the broader public than say Joe QB from Boise State who went to the Fiesta Bowl and beat OU or something?

      It’s going to wild to watch it all play out. It’ll be a big science experiment in marketability, money and media rights.

      Go Buffs

  28. I see half the P5 football programs becoming irrelevant in the next 5 years because of NIL, how about you?

    1. It’s going to be interesting. I can see it going lots of ways. In talking about it over the last year or so with friends in Pullman who think the national powers will benefit most, I used the example of the car dealership in Pullman. The owner is a huge Cougs fan. He alone could pay kids to be on billboards or give them leased cars, etc. whether they are “brands” or not. And not with the idea of selling more cars, but just trying to elevate their sports programs. And that could help get more talent there. Sort of the premise the guy from espn outlined about Nebraska.

      And to me? Athlete endorsements (or any other personality) don’t impact my buying stuff now, they won’t from some alleged five star recruit, either.

      And that is the point. If businesses don’t see the needle move with sales, all the eyeballs in the world don’t do crap. So then the other motivation, if not sales, is just to raise the level of talent for the school that businessman may support.

      It is going to be interesting.

      Go Buffs

    1. I’m sure he could go back to commentating, too. He’s probably actually a good guy. Just decided winning at all costs was maybe his better option. Or, looked around, and just tried to keep up w/ the Joneses. Who knows?

      And, I was curious so poked around a bit w/ the guys who were allegedly running that show. Actually, not much “there, there” in terms of their backgrounds. Couple guys who were at USC and UO in grad assistant type roles. Antonio Pierce was the head coach at Long Beach Poly, that had been a star recruit powerhouse (and he apparently under-achieved). But? I’m guessing he saw a lot about how the kids there were recruited, by the best programs in the country, and took some of that playbook with him. Good times.

      Go Buffs.

  29. “I step away completely content, knowing that our athletic program is reborn and rebuilt and that it has a solid, stable foundation,” Moos said in a statement.

    Fell outta my chair laughing

    1. I found that to be funny too.

      But what I find just plain incredible, is in hind sight, Moos really wasn’t a very good AD, he left WSU with finical problems that turned out to be worse than anyone knew until after he left. He thought he had a great hire in Frost, and with Frost’s record before NU, he seemed right, but that’s not working out to well; it happens.

      But saying he left them with a better foundation, haha, we’ll see;)

      But what really amazes me is just how much he made as AD, while doing a mediocre job and he’s not the only one. The fact that he can walk away from $1.25 million is a testament to just how much he’s earned over the years… or, it’s pointing out just how hard it’s going to be to do the job over the next few years.

      If Frost fails and has to be fired and replaced, that’s now on the new AD. Didn’t Frost get a premature extension too? That will be up to the new AD to deal with too.

  30. Off topic but since its the headliner right now maybe more people will see my reminder to tune into the Olympic Trials tomorrow night (6/24) for the Buff’s competition.

      1. in a remote way
        she reminds me a lot of my high school sweet heart. Tall lean and very persistent blonde.
        You are starting to remind me of my dad. When he was in his 80s he was calling people in their 60s old frts.

  31. My preference would be that the SEC, and really every conference, step up to 9-game in-conference matchups. I doubt that’ll happen though. So, then if the Pac goes to 8, adding one more non-con, as Wilner points out, how do they get quality non-conference teams to play? On the other hand, the SEC is famous for inserting directional state for the deaf and blind teams around week 9, so, maybe it doesn’t matter?

    Either way, it’s an interesting thing to watch unfold. And, as the NCAA bows further into irrelevance and obscurity, the whole 16-team super conference thing starts to reappear on the horizon, too, where the P5 just start to run their own football show, without the pretense and occasional unequal meddling of the NCAA’s pesky and often bogus rules. They’re almost there now.

    Go Buffs

  32. I was talking with a swim school owner and the I&L coming into play is going to be a positive in the Olympic sports, and schools that do well in those sports that attract endorsements for Olympic athletes; like skiing/snowboarding and track &field and swimming will now be able to keep athletes like Jeremy Bloom. Those athletes being associated with the schools will that will be a positive from “guilt by association”, so to speak perspective.

    Many “amateur” Olympians make money in endorsements and modeling, some millions, and when the Olympics changed the rules I never understood how that was amateurism, but it paid for training too, so there’s that.

    But due to the sheer size and scope AND monies involved, football (and mens basketball) will be bastardized and major changes will probably come down the road on who becomes the “amateur NFL conferences” and who becomes the rest of college football; and how that shakes out.

  33. Hey Guys, Am I off base but I think the ASU cheating scandal is a BIG BIG DEAL!! How can it not be??? They should get the DEATH PENALTY. All the other schools were abiding by the RULES and not hosting players in person and these clowns are thumbing their collective noses in the air and operating business as usual. Shame on Herm Edwards for not having a better moral compass and doing the right thing. I hope the NCAA comes down hard to set an example or this kind of activity will be embolden.
    Thank God we have a head coach that has some integrity!!

    Go BUFFS…….ASU SUCKS!!

    1. I agree it is ludicrous activity. Not sure about the death penalty though, as that punishes everyone around the program for the actions of a couple handfuls. And, I have to think there are probably ten or twenty other programs doing the same or worse.

      We know who they are.

      Go Buffs

      1. “the actions of a couple handfuls. ”

        A “couple of handfuls” is a lot of people, AND it looks like it includes the very top including the AD, Head coach and the top assistants, and now we are hearing of payments and etc. going back before the pandemic violations, so really what is the appropriate punishment?

        It seems as Herm’s miraculous climb, against many predictions when he took the job has been fueled by cheating and ASU’s rise in just a few years was due to that as much as it was his “CEO” style that he claimed.

        Since the AD was involved, the punishment should be harsh, talk about lack of institutional control when the AD is involved in the cheating you have nothing.

        1. Yes, a couple – or even a few handfuls – are a lot within a program. But, ASU has what, 50,000 students? Let alone staff, faculty, etc. The football program alone has what, 100 employees, when including support staff, etc.? So, it’s relative.

          I am not a fan of the death penalty, when we know full well ASU was not the only team in the country doing what they did. Let alone all the other crap that goes on with most of the winning programs in D1 football.

          That’s just my opinion though. And you’re equally entitled to yours. And, although we disagree on the death penalty piece, it’ll still be interesting to see how it shakes out.

          Go Buffs

          1. I ended that first statement with a question regarding what should the penalty be and then wrote there should be a harsh penalty, I didn’t write anything about the death penalty.

            A “harsh” action from the school, could be that the school cleans house including the AD, HC and top assistants that are involved, as soon as they confirm the actions. And with photos and multiple statements that can’t take a long time or it will look bad for the institution.

            A new coach and AD will clean house from there, but that would be a start. The school should be taking this seriously for their reputation, this happened during a pandemic, and the president of the school and it’s leaders should be outraged on how this makes their institution look.

            But, I guess after watching UofA handle Miller and wait so long to take control, we may see it play out differently.

          2. Yeah, Marcus, I can’t see how Herm and Co survive this either. Nor do I think they should, for the reasons you outlined. But, that should – and probably will – come from ASU, vs. the NCAA. The NCAA is a joke. Has been for a while. And were it not for March Madness, they’d be long gone. But that Billion Dollar Party pays a lot of bills. Just not those of the kids who make it so entertaining.

            Go Buffs

  34. I have to agree with Larry. Unless the conferences adopt the same number of conference games, 8 or 9, to consider ranking over conference champion is flawed. To me, all p5’s should play 9 conference games. Not sure the sec has any interest in that, though. And pretty sure their bag men don’t either.

    Go Buffs

    1. I 100% agree with your reason for supporting the outgoing PAC-12 Commissioner’s perspective. The different number of in-conference games, parity in the PAC-12, and perception bias toward the SEC and Big 10 could very easily see the twelve playoff teams come from four Power Five Conferences, one outsider and no PAC-12. He was accurate and correct to object.

  35. When I first read the headline, I thought it was just a tie in to his show, but seeing as how it’s based on his boys & girls club charities, I’m interested in seeing how it plays out.

    I have to say, it’s refreshing to see a charity based organization sponsor and use a bowl game for good and the community and not just another another corporation getting their name out there; yes I know his show will benefit too with his name on it.

    But for those who know, Jimmy gives a lot of both time and money to a couple of local boys & girls clubs and is proud of his community, so this could be a win-win; it will be fun to see how the pre-bowl events play out.

    I think it could be fun.

    I hope the Buffs make it to LA, I’ll spend my money to support the Buffs… and the charities.

      1. ep, I was stating it out loud.
        “If you want to voice your agreement with someone during a debate (especially if you’re a member of the UK Parliament), you will shout “hear, hear.” But as long as you’re shouting, no one will notice you’re wrong if you shout “here, here” because the words are pronounced the same.

  36. ASU gets a whole new staff with many NFL guys and they are the team that had probably the most Covid problems in the conference and it turns out they were cheating the whole time. That caused the Buffs to miss a game that could have really been good for the Buffs had they won that game too.

    So, ASU cheats during lock down costing other teams opportunities, while also paying players, what should their punishment be?

    This issue is only going to get more difficult to manage with the image licensing coming into play.

  37. This is awesome: “I’ve been in situations where we’ve had tremendous success in Year 2. We’ll see how it goes. But right now, our focus is just on getting better, gaining ground and just being relentless in everything that we do.”

    What was left out, apparently, is that “I’ve also been in situations where in year two, I saw it was still going to be really tough to run a program the way I wanted it to run, and so I just bailed.”

    Go Buffs

  38. It says it right in the article, ND doesn’t play a conference championship game, so that “extra” game isn’t an extra game, it’s just their Independent Championship game; their 13th game.

    If they come in ranked in the top 4 and get the 5th seed they would play the 12th seed for their 13th game. Meanwhile all conference Champs have to play a 13th game against (hopefully) a ranked team. For example, how is Oregon & the Buffs having to play a 13th game to decide a conference champion any different?

    See what I did there? 😉

    If ND’s TV contract makes it worth it, recruiting and money wise, the extra game is not really a risk. I guess if the ACC wants to let them keep extra monies from their contract then they will have to weight the potential out comes, and then decide; but they will be fine either way.

  39. Wish Sammy everything he wants. except that he and his (Macwac oc) get stuffed by the Buff D

    Go Buffs

  40. Wilner vomiting again. I see his provincial arrogance extends to the AZ teams too. AU could lick KSazz and ASU would be at least in the upper half of the middling 12 conference.
    No way I’m going to subscribe to read the rest of his garbage but I would be shocked if he wasn’t trying to get them to take the Buffs back too.
    Expanding the conference ain’t going to help the brand either. The new commish sounds like he will take care of the PR part. All the teams have to do now is win the non con and bowl games.

  41. CU’s offense should be better than cal’s. The weakness of our d has been the back end and the weakness of cal’s offense has been qb.

    Of course I pick CU to win every game, so there’s that.

    Ep, come on out. Couple great local breweries out in the sticks around our ‘hood.

    Pk, you can stay home.

    Go Buffs

    1. Didnt realize there were any “sticks” left in Cal. Do the locals refer to Napa as ” the sticks?” We are getting an increasing number of tourists from Cal out here and the few I have conversed with seem to think we are on a “sticks” par with Outer Mongolia.
      I think VK should go. In fact I will definitely go, caddy and tend the golf cart bar if you and VK play a round. It will all be recorded, of course, for the other visitors to this comment site….I’m sure there have to be a few that would be amused.
      We will need another cart driver…maybe someone who will play as well….AZ?
      I will also have to make a sartorial decision for this event. Do I get a 100 dollar haircut and start using hairspray? ……..buy a tasteless golf/polo shirt and a taylor made ball cap? or just go au natural with my unkept Steve Bannon like appearance.

      1. That would be awesome! Check out apple mountain golf course. Placerville, ca. I am a terribly mediocre golfer, but would be hilarious. And we’d finally know who that other guy really is.

        Go Buffs

        1. And to clarify “the sticks” are not placerville. Try Somerset or Fairplay. About 20-30 minutes from “the big city” of placerville. But? We are still only n hour from a couple million peeps. And two or three from like 10-15 million. But still lots o open space here in ca.

          Go Buffs

  42. On the schedule………………

    The “deeeeek” always has to throw a barb at cu.

    Buffs.

    Note: I’m gonna pay ep’s airfare and hotel to go out there and give him the whatfor.

    Note 2: Might as well do earache while yur out there

  43. and the Buffs ran to the PAC to get away from Texas? Out of the pan and into the fire.
    The arrogance is stifling. The logic is insane. So what is the rest of the conference supposed to do? just lay down for USC? Refer all the best recruits to USC? The Buffs and everyone else are supposed to keep losing to USC with a smile and a thank you?…..like its going to float the Buff’s boat any higher?
    There is no point to this garbage for anyone but USC.
    Eff USC and dont use a trojan. Pass that sentiment on to Ohio State, Clemson and Alabama too. Right now I will omit Oklahoma because their offense is so much fun to watch.

    Would it be so terrible if Washington, Utah…or even…gasp… Colorado made a regular appearance in the play offs…or even won?
    Its getting to the point where the same damn team wins the SEC, ACC and Big 10 every year and Oklahoma is close to making it the redundant foursome.
    BORING
    oh yeah….all the spoiled brats at USC are dying to join the club and make college football like elections in Russia.
    Why bother? I already wont watch an Alabama, Ohio State or Clemson game. If things keep going this way and USC manages to kill everyone n the PAC year in and year out I will quit watching college football altogether.
    The play offs have to be expanded to at least 12 teams.

    1. Dude. CU didn’t run from Texas. They ran to their alumni. Largely western. And the association with more academically focused research institutions than the big 12 had. And the money has followed. At least from alumni. And for a minute, the pac 12 distributions too. Just got lapped. I am sure you have seen the sec ads “it just means more”. Direct blast. Not entirely accurate, but ads rarely are.

      Captain obvious.

      Go Buffs

          1. you might try reading past the first sentence sometime…….and mulling it over for a couple of days before you decide on a comeback

          2. Ok ed, the story you nit picked (this time) was from trojanswire. Ahhhh. I see. They should be talking up other conference foes. Especially our beloved Buffs who’ve been irrelevant for basically 20yrs. My bad.

            Or maybe, just maybe, their veiled point was that winning cures all ills. So if the pac 12 wants to be relevant? Win games. And, in their Trojan covered eyes, their best opinion was, usc should lead that charge. But the reality is, as long as any pac 12 team can pick up that mantle, it will help. Even if it’s your favorite Nike u.

            Hopefully it is out Buffs, but they got a bill to climb. Although, I am always optimistic, especially if they have a qb. You get yer gamer shoes on yet?

            Go Buffs

          3. But Stu,
            being retired doesn’t mean I don’t golf, and then golf, and when I finish that golf.

            I’ll have one when I am ready.

            After the first one, Ill put a plan in place to do say one a week for your entertainment.

            And again, there are no restrictions on what I chose to bring to your readers attention. Not gonna deal with your cancel culture crap like you block half my posts cause you don’t like em. So that’s it. I write it you post it. No editing

            buffalo VK

          4. Funny guy. No chance that you get carte blanche on what is posted on this website.
            If you send me an essay, and it is relevant and pertinent, I will post it – no guarantees.

            Now, you can use this as an excuse not to produce an actual essay, which is fine – you’ve already proved my point.
            Your email on Friday morning was a call for more original content. I indicated that it wasn’t that easy, being as I have a job, and am not charging anyone for this site. Seeing as you are retired, and have plenty of opinions, it would have seemed easy for you to come up with an essay over the past four days … but still nothing.

            Thanks for reaffirming the Teddy Roosevelt quote …
            “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

          5. Yo Stu,

            My post didn’t criticize lack of critical content. I said I liked it and wish you would do.

            Yur sure a sensitive ol coot.

            Yur point is not relevant honey.

            Anyway I am ginning one one, call it an introductory presentation.

            As I thought about it, whether you run it or not is a net no nevermind to me. It will just prove my point about your propensity limit my posts.

            I been in the arena stu. You been in the stands.

            Buffs

          6. Still waiting … four days and counting …
            P.S. No one who knows me calls me “Stu” …

        1. What did they say that was not accurate, big boy in the kiddie pool? Who are you anyway? Whoever you are, I generally avoid your kiddie pool and the pee you leave in it.

          What are you afraid of off the high dive?

          Go Buffs

          1. High Dive. You mean a shroom jump? No problem.
            The kiddie pool is your referenced people who swim with the new dude. You don’t know anyone who swims in the pools he does Mr. ranthoneous.

            As far as your golf deal. Spending time with you would be like being stuck in a kornhusk that had been in the crib for too long.

            I’ll pass.

            See ya……………not

            Buffs

          1. I do two new essays per week during the off-season, post articles to the website a dozen times every day, and twice a month, I do a podcast.
            And then, when the season starts … I get busy.

            You’re retired – you should be able to crank out one essay a week easy.
            Your public is waiting …

  44. “Shut the front door, the usc pompous mother.. *&^%$# has spoken! But usc doesn’t need to be the only one at the top, with the same few schools behind them, while USC needs to win the title… some time(s), they really need to win more of their big non conference games and be highly ranked; so if or when they lose to another highly ranked PAC12 school with a better record, that school is talked about in the national picture.

    One with hopefully an expanded number of playoff games in the near future.

    It’s good for the conference to be known for multiple programs every year with a strong top to bottom conference that can rotate a few schools in or out of the top four as long as they can show up in a playoff game or two. And as long as the school that beats USC wins a National Title, a statistical amount of times compared to the other big players, and enough for the conference to be relevant does it matter which school wins? Isn’t it more exciting to see someone new in there every year with 2 or 3 contenders down to the wire than the same school from each conference?

    If the conference was represented every year AND competitive statistically in both wins to advance, and titles, then it wouldn’t matter if it was one of the other teams; as long as the conference gets their share of wins and advances towards the NC with their share of NCs.

    UW had it’s moment in the sun, it’s downfall, and a return to being at the top of the north, it had a good run and history for a period, along with CU in their own decade of winning, seeing them in the playoffs if competitive, would be fun. And we’d want to see more than one or two years even in the playoffs, not a bunch of one(s) and done(s). Then traction can be gained for the whole conference if consistently represented by someone to/towards the end.

    Everyone loves a comeback, with some staying power behind it. If there were more teams to talk about than just the same teams that are always being talked about, then the playoffs would be more interesting; hence the need for more teams in the conversation with more teams playing.

    That might even spread out some of the top recruits if they know 8 or 12 teams are going to be in the playoffs, now twice as many can be in the running; that could be the whole top 25… almost, for a 12 team playoff.

    Utah came off a great couple of years right before the switch to the conference, and has done well because of being able to build and recruit off of that, AND a big consistency in their HC who is a quality coach with great loyalties in that he doesn’t care about working elsewhere or higher up the food chain, he loves skiing and where he lives and has been a stable leader for something like 12 years, having a story like that in the NC picture can gain some interest in the conversation. Not, the (instert the same of 4 names) here…

    CU with the way KD was hired without prep before the pandemic, how great would that story be if they got into the playoff picture sometime soon? 3 or 4 years.

    So, really, while USC needs to win big non-conference games and be in the big conversation, so do other schools, and the trojanpress doesn’t dictate who gets to play along & who doesn’t. Such is the quote from the new commis about the PAC12’s success and deep run this year in the NCAA, we need multiple schools to advance… or at least have a chance to with a fair/share amount of titles.

    1. Are you telling us there is a chance? Mike Bohn is the trojan’s achilles heel?
      In a perfect world Sabin would run for governor, Dabo, with that name, would become a country singing star, Day would get some kind of night job and all their schools would hire the Brett Bilemas of the world.

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