After a February hiatus, the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast is back! George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden discuss what the recruiting trail has been like for George’s son, and how the comments Deion Sanders made about wanting a certain type of quarterback hits close to home for the Wrighsters. Will the Pac-12 ever find a media partner, or should we be making funeral plans for the conference? The guys get into some of the staff changes at Cal, UCLA and Oregon as well as Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams being 2023 Heisman favorites, before talking about Jaden Rashada’s path to Arizona State.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, Content Director for UnafraidShow.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. . Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden recap Utah’s dominant victory over USC, and discuss whether USC deserved to be knocked out of the college football playoff in favor of Ohio State. Deion Sanders made a giant splash in his first speech to the Colorado players, and the guys discuss what they like and don’t like about Prime’s first few days on the job. The transfer portal is running at capacity, and George likes it, while Ralph defends all the fans that say they hate the new direction of college football. Finally, the guys get into the conference awards and who they felt got snubbed.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, Content Director for UnafraidShow.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. . Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
We need to talk about these restless college football youths.The transfer portal is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
I love players being able to transfer, and have the same freedoms as the coaches and administrators that make a living off of their blood sweat and tears.
But just like how not every coaching move is the right one, there’s often a price to pay for movement for the sake of comfort or short term gains.
Have you ever been driving the speed limit, and someone comes along whipping in and out of traffic like they’re in a Fast and Furious reboot, only to end up sitting at the same exact red light.
Now they won’t look you in the eye because you know and they know they didn’t have to do all that movement for the sake of movement?
Some of these players are hitting the portal two or three times only to end up in the exact same place as they would have had they just stayed the course.
Fans used to be able to invest their interest in 90% of any given roster to stick around for anywhere from 3-5 years. While most people are fans of the laundry above all else, many did invest deeply in the personalities and talents of the young men that elected to represent the university they love.
Now you have NFL-level roster turnover in the NCAA.
Whether or not it’s a fallacy that fans were able to separate the NFL being a business from the so-called purity of the NCAA’s “amateurism cartel,” the fact that players stuck around and earned their place both on the field and in the hearts of the fans is a very real reason why people love the sport.
I don’t fault people for hating that the transfer portal takes them out of the fantasy that college football isn’t a business.
But it is a business. And if we’re being honest, some of these players and their families are out here making Sam Bankman-Fried style short term business decisions.
Your business might be booming today, but if you’re not smart, it could be belly up tomorrow.
Look, there are a lot of lies told on the recruiting trail, but the whole thing about how your college choice is a 40 year decision isn’t one of them.
I cannot tell you how blessed I’ve been to be part of the Oregon Duck community as I’ve gotten older. Do you think I’d have the same networking and relationship benefits if instead of jumping to the NFL after three years in Eugene, I’d treated my lack of playing time as a freshman like it was everyone else’s fault but mine? Or what if I’d decided to take this smile to Seattle for the million dollars my mother says it’s worth?
You’d be surprised how fast a million dollars gets spent. Even a million after tax. And now I’m old and wise enough to know there’s no amount of money I’d take to be a Husky.
I’m just playing, Washington fans.
My point is this. If you’re out here selling yourself to the highest bidder, don’t sell yourself short.
Yes, having a bank balance is better than being broke. Yes it feels better to be built up by recruiters than broken down by coaches, and yes it’s sometimes hard to reconcile when the recruiter and the coach are the same person.
But nothing feels better than proving yourself where you planted yourself, and discovering that your worth goes beyond your net worth.
Maybe the best spot for you is somewhere else. And every case is different. Especially for quarterbacks, or other positions where only one person can play. But wherever the best spot for you is, it will only be because you brought the best version of yourself to that spot.
And if you haven’t brought the best version of yourself to the spot you’re already in, you might want to try that before jumping ship.
I think you might find that it’s good for business.
On this week’s episode of the Pac-12 Apostles, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden break down an insane final week of conference play, and preview the Pac-12 championship game between Utah and USC. The transfer portal floodgates have opened, and the guys discuss who could benefit the most. Plus, Arizona State makes its head coaching hire, while Stanford and Colorado look to the future with David Shaw “resigning” and Deion Sanders considering a move to Boulder.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, Content Director for UnafraidShow.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. . Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
Coach Prime has been at Jackson State for three seasons, and has won 11 games each of the last two years. Jackson State is on the verge of repeating as Southwestern Athletic Conference champions. Their last championship before the Deion Sanders era came in 2007.
Under normal circumstances, a coach that won back to back conference championships at an HBCU, and somehow managed to convince the consensus #1 recruit in the country in Travis Hunter to come and play for him, would be a hot name for any potential Group of 5 suitors.
But this is Deion Sanders we’re talking about.
His name has been linked to every opening in the country, and even some jobs that aren’t open, like his alma mater Florida State. Charles Barkley said he wants Deion at Auburn. Fans at last weekend’s Nebraska game against Wisconsin were spotted holding up “Bring on Neon Deion” signs. Arizona State President Michael Crow said on a radio interview that the name people feed him most often about their opening is Deion Sanders.
This week a report from Carl Reed at 247 Sports came out that Deion is at the top of two school’s lists– University of Colorado, and University of South Florida. Before this season, Deion was actually in the mix for the jobs at Colorado State and Texas Christian.
But there’s one school nobody seems to be talking about that is a perfect fit for Coach Prime’s personality, coaching style, and personal value system, plus is comfortable with both his past history as co-founder of the ill-fated Prime Prep Academy, and his business relationship with the often controversial Barstool Sports.
Deion Sanders’ next employer should be none other than his current employer.
That’s right, I’m saying Coach Prime should ride things out at Jackson State.
Deion Sanders helped Jackson State navigate an ongoing clean water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi that kept the team from being able to stay on its own campus, while calling attention to the issue nationwide, and pressuring the state’s Governor into action.
At Jackson State, Deion Sanders has had the privilege of coaching his sophomore QB son Shedeur Sanders, who has thrown over 6,000 yards and 60+ touchdowns.
And most importantly to my point, when rival Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. called Sanders out by saying he “ain’t SWAC,” Deion responded by saying “If I ain’t SWAC, who is SWAC?“
The best way for Deion Sanders to prove that he’s SWACv is to stick around in the SWAC and not make a jump to a middling FBS school that we can all agree would only be a brief stopping point until he proves to the SEC or ACC powers that be that he’s ready for the big leagues.
Why jump from stepping stone to stepping stone when Jackson State provides you with the perfect platform to be who you are, and to do what you do?
Just like Deion made 22 NFL teams fly to Jackson, if his ultimate goal is to be at Auburn or Florida State, or even to succeed his Aflac commercial co-star Nick Saban at Alabama, I believe he should make them come to him.
On this Episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, Ralph Amsden consoles George Wrighster over the Oregon Ducks loss to the Washington Huskies, and the guys break down an insane week of Pac-12 football that included a UCLA home loss to Arizona. Topics this week include Jayden de Laura making things personal ahead of his match with his former Wazzu coach Jake Dickert, Arizona State hiring a very familiar search firm, and whether USC is the Pac-12’s only hope at a postseason payday. The guys preview week 12, and answer your questions.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, Content Director for UnafraidShow.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. . Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this week’s Episode of the Pac-12 Apostles, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden talk about Oregon’s chances to run the table and represent the Pac-12 in the College Football Playoff as the first ever member of the conference to go undefeated in league play. The guys also talk about whether Bo Nix will get invited to the Heisman Trophy presentation, and debate which player is more important to USC- Caleb Williams or Tuli Tuipolotu. After recapping all of last week’s games, George and Ralph preview the week ahead and discuss whether or not there will be any upsets.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, Content Director for UnafraidShow.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. . Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this week’s episode of the Pac-12 Apostles, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden discuss what the Big 12 TV Media Deal means for the Pac-12, and whether adding Gonzaga is something the Pac-12 should consider.
The guys recap last week’s games, discuss who’s at fault in the FS1 vs Utah debate over Cam Rising’s injury status, and talk about the emergence of some new Pac-12 talent in ASU QB Trenton Bourguet and Colorado WR Jordyn Tyson. Finally, a preview of this week’s games, including Utah hosting Arizona in Salt Lake.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, Content Director for UnafraidShow.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. . Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles with George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden, the guys break down Oregon’s dominant win over UCLA, and discuss whether Oregon has a shot at the College Football Playoff. The guys talk about who they’d crown as the Pac-12 offensive player of the year, and Ralph judges George for his Power Rankings. The guys break down the rest of last week’s results, and preview/predict the five games this weekend. Ralph finished with a depressive episode about the state of ASU football.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, Content Director for UnafraidShow.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. . Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
We need to talk about college football coaching salaries.
Look, I’m never going to get mad at someone for cashing a check. You shouldn’t either.
I’ve never been to a movie theater and seen empty concession lines.
If someone wants to pay movie theater prices for M&M’s and Skittles, when pants pockets and purses are perfect for candy smuggling, that’s on them. What I’m not gonna do is hate on the movie theater for taking their cash.
But just like people standing in line at the theater, volunteering to get ripped off, these colleges continue to pay out the nose for college football coaches, stacking years of guaranteed salary and escalating outlandish buyouts because they think it will correlate to Alabama-like results.
Well, two things about that-
1) You’re not Alabama, and…
2) Alabama is rewarding Nick Saban for years of results.
Imagine going to a car dealership in hopes of purchasing a Lamborghini, but all the lot has available is a variety of used Kia Sorrentos. What would a normal person do in that scenario? Maybe look at a different dealership? Maybe delay their plans? Maybe settle for a Sorrento? I don’t know, I guess it depends on the person.
What a normal person would NOT do is offer the dealership Lamborghini money for the Sorrento and just hope that a Kia magically gains the ability to hit 60 in less than four seconds.
Now, you might be listening to me right now and thinking, “Wow, George is really going in on Texas A&M for having Jimbo Fisher locked up through 2027, and then handing him four more years and a raise on top of that despite a body of work that doesn’t even measure up to what Kevin Sumlin accomplished.”
And you’re right, I am. But it’s not just a College Station problem.
A reminder that included with Jimbo Fisher's $80 million buyout, most coaches have a clause that the buyout is reduced by the salary amount of your next job.
Halfway through the season, four of the top 10 coaches in annual salary outside of Nick Saban have losing records. One of those coaches, Mel Tucker, has NINE years left on his contract after this one.
And you might be saying, “Sure, but Michigan State poached Mel Tucker from Colorado, so maybe they were just making sure they don’t get cheated on by the partner they cheated with.”
But Michigan State didn’t include a large buyout for Mel Tucker should he look to jump to the SEC. All they did was bid against themselves to ensure that if things in East Lansing went south, the boosters that volunteered to fund this contract were on the hook.
And that Mel Tucker contract, which should have been an anomaly because of the way it’s being funded, ended up setting the market. If you are a Perennial top 25 team in the Power 5, or even if you’re one of these “Stella” schools like Miami trying to get your groove back, these coaches’ agents are going to point to Jimbo Fisher and Mel Tucker and Brian Kelly and say “unless you’re willing to drop $80-100 million, you’re out of the game.”
Nothing about the way these colleges keep falling for the con makes any sense. Why does any college coach need a 10-year contract? Think about it, any time Jimbo Fisher loses a game, which he’s done more in the last 13 months than Nick Saban has in the last six years, he gets closer and closer to Aggie fans demanding that he be paid a near-$86 million dollar buyout.
Think about that ungodly amount of money while I read you a quote from former LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron in my best Coach O voice:
Scott Woodward is a friend of mine today, really. Lot of respect for the way that they handled me. He said ‘Coach, you got 17.1 million dollars on your contract; we’re going to give it to you.’
“I said, ‘What time you want me to leave and what door do you want me to leave out of brother?’”
Scott Woodward is a friend of mine today, really. Lot of respect for the way that they handled me. He said ‘Coach, you got 17.1 million dollars on your contract; we’re going to give it to you.’
“I said, ‘What time you want me to leave and what door do you want me to leave out of brother?’”
Ed Orgeron
If that’s the way that Ed Orgeron reacted to being handed a check for $17 million to walk out the door, how do you think Jimbo is going to react to getting five times that?
Jimbo Fisher might just crip-walk from end zone to end zone in Kyle Field.
I might be more upset at the lack of sense being displayed by college administrators if we didn’t currently live in a world where players could be compensated for their name, image and likeness. Seeing a coach get a 10-year fully guaranteed contract to be mediocre stings a lot less when you know Bojangles is writing checks to quarterbacks that are getting benched.
But I want to circle back to one of the reasons so many of these colleges pushed back on the idea of players getting compensated at all.
There is an entire economic network built on the idea that a group of athletes were giving their best effort because the only guarantee that their effort would be compensated is if they were good enough to make it to the NFL. Colleges worried that if the players were rewarded right now, their motivation to push themselves to higher heights would be diminished, and in turn, disturb the access to the pot of gold for everyone else.
College administrators and the NCAA have done and said a lot of evil things in the name of keeping all the rewards for themselves, but this particular train of thought isn’t necessarily evil, in fact, it’s perfectly logical. We see it in boxing all the time- an athlete goes 30-0 on his way to a title fight, wins a belt and a purse, then struggles to make weight in their next bout and spends the next 10 years losing half their fights.
While that train of thought isn’t evil, it is hypocritical, especially when schools have no problem handing out life-changing Saban-level money to coaches that aren’t Nick Saban.
For guys like Jimbo Fisher and Ed Orgeron, they might be wired to give everything they have to try and win, but the industry of college football has taken away the sting of losing.
For Jimbo Fisher, there is no such thing as a loss. There is only winning, and negative winning.
