Who deserves to be on the Pac-12 All-Decade Team 2010-19? George and Ralph draft their best offense, defense, special teams, and coach to play a game. Starts at 43:00
Officiating calls continue to cause debate and controversy in college football and NFL games. We have a solution for the targeting call and catch/no-catch rules.
Did we leave anyone off the Pac-12 All-Decade Team 2010-19 or were we perfect? Leave a comment or send us an email to immad@unafraidshow.com to tell us who built the best team.
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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 Wyoming-born sportswriter and podcaster who spends his days tweeting through the misadventures that come with shuttling four kids around the Arizona desert. Ralph is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, the founder of ArizonaSportsCast.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. He is also a professional hater of all things pineapple. Whether you’re talking food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, Ralph has questions for you. He might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
The NCAA Basketball season came to an unexpected end on the morning of Thursday, March 12. Pac-12 officials decided to cancel the conference tournament. The conference was gearing up for an NCAA Tournament that could have seen seven of its teams in it. However, safety is paramount for everyone in society in response to COVID-19.
Pac-12 statement on men's basketball tournament, Pac-12 sport competitions & Pac-12 championship events: pic.twitter.com/HjJvki3LOT
The Pac-12 made the right call in calling off the conference tournament. There was a domino effect from Wednesday night on in the sports world, as Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The Pac-12 concluded their Wednesday night games, but canceled the tournament early Thursday morning.
This moment in history has stripped athletes of the glory that they could have felt in the NCAA Tournament. Stories could have been written and legacies could have been made. Payton Pritchard could have led Oregon on a deep tournament run in his senior year. One of the Pac-12’s bubble teams could have made the Sweet 16 and validated the conference possibly getting more than half its teams in the tournament. We will never know.
Memories Were Still Made In First Round of Pac-12 Tournament
However, there were great moments from the 2019-20 Pac-12 basketball season. There were even some in the one day of Pac-12 Tournament play. Oregon State and Utah fought hard in the 8-versus-9 game. Utah junior Alfonso Plummer broke the record for most 3-pointers in a Pac-12 Tournament game with 11 made. He broke Klay Thompson’s record. However, Oregon State freshman Jarod Lucas stole the spotlight from Plummer. He hit a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining in the game as the Beavers stole a 71-69 victory.
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California
validated their improvement throughout the season as they easily dispatched
tournament hopeful Stanford 63-51. First-year Mark Fox and his team were
thought of as an afterthought in the conference, but they were able to win
three out of their last five games.
Washington
State got their first Pac-12 Tournament win since 2009 as they beat Colorado
82-68. The Cougars finished 16-16, clinching their first non-losing season
since 2012. Washington State also had a first-year coach in Kyle Smith, and
they also showed steady improvement throughout the season.
Teams like Oregon State, California, and Washington State were able to make memories this season. Just because March Madness is not happening does not mean this season was a lost season. Oregon was the best team in the Pac-12, but there was parity across the entire league every weekend. Even though there will not be March Madness, there was plenty of madness in the Pac-12.
Payton Pritchard Had Senior Moments for Oregon Ducks
2020 AP All-Pac-12 Teams
—First Team— Payton, Pritchard, Oregon Remy Martin, ASU Onyeka, Okongwu, USC Zeke Nnaji, Arizona Tres Tinkle, OSU
—Second Team— Isaiah Stewart, Washington CJ Ellerby, WSU Tyler Bey, Colorado McKinley Wright IV, Colorado Timmy Allen, Utah
Oregon was able to win games on the biggest stages in both non-conference and conference games. Payton Pritchard racked up many awards, as he was named Pac-12 Player of the Year. He was able to have some senior moments in his last year of college basketball. In a hostile environment in Ann Arbor, Pritchard was the main catalyst in Oregon pulling off a 71-70 overtime victory against Michigan. He scored 19 out of his 23 points after halftime.
I had Washington ML 🥺 RT @ActionNetworkHQ: Payton Pritchard. DAGGER 🗡
Oregon climbs all the way back from down 16 to win in overtime…
Pritchard’s game winning three against Washington was one of the top moments in Pac-12 conference play this season. After hitting the shot, Pritchard yelled “This is my city”. He was able to leave his mark in the Oregon-Washington rivalry.
Colorado, UCLA Among Teams In Pac-12 With Noteworthy Seasons
Colorado had arguably their best season under Tad Boyle minus the last five games the Buffaloes played. There was enthusiasm and excitement in Boulder for this team. They delivered some great moments, as they beat Oregon in Boulder when the Ducks were ranked fourth in the country. The Buffaloes were also the last team to beat Dayton, with D’Shawn Schwartz hitting the game-winning three in overtime. Colorado was becoming a basketball school, and the team could continue riding this momentum into next season.
UCLA had the most remarkable turnaround in the conference this season. The Bruins were a team that lost to Cal State Fullerton in December. In March, they had wins against Arizona (twice), Arizona State, and Colorado on their resume. UCLA was playing arguably the best basketball out of anyone in the Pac-12, and showed great growth throughout the entire season.
Pac-12 Has Bright Future, Even With Imperfect End to Season
The 2019-20 NCAA basketball season will always have an asterisk next to it. However, the teams in the Pac-12 and all across the United States were able to create lifelong memories. The Pac-12 brought us entertaining basketball, and the conference’s future is bright in the sport. First-year coaches were able to put their mark on a program, and other coaches were able to show what their program can be. Hopefully, fans of all teams in the Pac-12 can appreciate the entertainment that the 2019-20 season brought, even though the ending will always be imperfect.
Pac-12 basketball has put itself in position to get five teams into the 2020 NCAA Tournament. Each team can improve their potential seed in the NCAA Tournament if they perform well. However, with the volatility of play in the 2020 Pac-12 Basketball season, multiple scenarios are in play as teams approach the home stretch of the regular season.
Colorado Buffaloes Leading the 2020 Pac-12 Basketball Standings
Record: 19-5 (8-3 Pac-12)
Key wins: VS Dayton (in Chicago), VS Oregon
Bad losses: VS Oregon State, at UCLA
The Buffaloes are in line for a six seed in the 2020 NCAA Tournament as of right now. They have been able to pull off huge resume-building wins against Oregon and Dayton, who both got places in the Selection Committee’s Top 16 seeds as of right now. Even though they are first in the Pac-12 standings, the Buffaloes have not been respected nationally as much as a conference leader should be.
Colorado has a huge opportunity to make an impression on the committee when they head to Eugene to play Oregon on Thursday. The Buffaloes also have the opportunity to avenge both of their bad losses at Oregon State (Feb. 15) and at home against UCLA (Feb. 22). If the Buffaloes can win out after the Oregon game and beat opponents not named Arizona and Oregon in the Pac-12 tournament, they will probably stay on the six-line as far as the NCAA Tournament is concerned. However, if the Buffaloes can pull off the upset in Eugene, win out, and be impressive in the Pac-12 Tournament, a top-four seed could be in the cards for them.
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Oregon Ducks Still Regarded as Best Team in 2020 Pac-12 Basketball, but Bad Losses Mounting
Record: 18-6 (7-4 Pac-12)
Key wins: VS Arizona, VS Seton Hall (Battle 4
Atlantis)
Bad losses: VS North Carolina (Battle 4 Atlantis), at Washington State, at Oregon State
The Ducks were the preseason pick to win the Pac-12. They were also the only team in the Pac-12 who was in the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee’s Top 16 seeds as of right now. Oregon was listed as a 4-seed.
However, the Ducks received that seeding before
losing to Oregon State in Corvallis on Saturday night. This loss is the second
bad conference road loss the Ducks have had. They have to show consistency on
the road and defend home court to stay in position to obtain a top-four seed.
Their first test defending home court will be Thursday against the
conference-leading Colorado Buffaloes.
Arizona Wildcats: Inconsistency Caught Up to Them on Home Floor
Record: 16-7 (6-4 Pac-12)
Key wins: VS Colorado, VS Illinois
Bad losses: VS St. John’s (Al Attles Classic), at
Oregon State, VS UCLA
Arizona had only lost to Gonzaga on their home
court before UCLA beat them by 13 points Saturday night. This loss is brutal
for Arizona’s prospects of landing a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament. Arizona
needs to prove they can beat teams that they should beat, and their first test
will be this Thursday when they are on the road to face California.
The Wildcats will have another opportunity to
beat Oregon at home on February 22 after losing to them by one point in an
overtime thriller in Eugene. If Arizona can win this game and perform well in
the conference tournament, there could be an argument for them to be a top-four
seed. Right now it looks like they are in line for a spot on the five or six
line.
Stanford Cardinal Have to Possibly Navigate Next Few Games Without Oscar da Silva
Record: 16-7 (5-5 Pac-12)
Key wins: VS Oregon
Bad losses: at California, VS Oregon State, at
Utah
The Cardinal are 1-4 in their last five games.
They have losses to California, Oregon State, Utah, and Colorado. However, they
have a huge win against Oregon sandwiched in between two two-game losing
streaks.
Stanford may be without big man Oscar da Silva
for the foreseeable future after he suffered a head laceration. Oscar da Silva collided
with Colorado forward Evan Battey in Saturday’s game, and had to get stitches
because he was bleeding. The injury could have been worse, but luckily da Silva
is “going to be okay,” according to Stanford spokesperson Zack Reynolds.
Stanford plays Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado
each one more time before the conference tournament. They will probably have to
win at least one of these three games to be ensured of a tournament selection,
and they cannot have any more bad losses.
USC Trojans Need to Right Ship After Three-Game Losing Streak
Record: 17-7 (6-5 Pac-12)
Key Wins: VS LSU (Basketball Hall of Fame
Classic), VS Stanford
Bad Losses: at Washington
USC is currently on a three-game losing streak.
However, they are still being projected as a nine or ten seed in most brackets.
The Trojans could add to their resume, as they still have a trip to Boulder to
play Colorado and a home date with Arizona on their schedule. They are in the
same boat as Stanford. If the Trojans can win one of these two games and have
an admirable showing in the Pac-12 Tournament, they will probably make the tournament.
USC beat an LSU team that was undefeated in SEC
play before losing two straight this past week. However, they have a stinker on
their resume, as they lost by 32 points to the last-place team in the
conference in Washington. It will be interesting to see how the committee
judges this loss by the Trojans, because Washington was still with point guard
Quade Green in this game. Green was ruled academically ineligible for the rest
of the regular season after this game.
Team That Still Has Opportunities in 2020: Arizona State
15-8 (6-4 Pac-12)
Key Wins: VS Arizona, VS USC
Bad Losses: @ Washington State
Arizona State will probably be living life on
the bubble until Selection Sunday on March 15. They are 5-1 in their last six
games, with wins against Arizona and USC. If the Sun Devils can beat Stanford
and USC and have a decent showing in the conference tournament, they can make
an argument for being included in the field in March.
However, Arizona is the best win of the season
for the Sun Devils. Washington State is their only truly bad loss, but beating
Oregon will be more important for Arizona State than it will be for any other
team playing them the rest of the way. Coupling an Oregon win with a run in the
Pac-12 Tournament will make a decision on whether the Sun Devils should be in
the tournament a tough one for the committee.
Rest of Teams in Pac-12 Need to Win 2020 Conference Tournament to Make the Field
Washington, Washington State, Oregon State,
California, UCLA, and Utah all have to hope they can have a magical weekend in
Las Vegas from March 11-14. All of these teams have beat at least one of the
teams that are projected to be in the tournament. However, winning the
conference tournament ensures an automatic berth into the tournament. With how
the Pac-12 has been playing out, anything is possible in the tournament.
As of right now Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, Stanford, and USC look like the five teams that will be representing Pac-12 Basketball in the 2020 NCAA Tournament. With how college basketball has been this season, there will probably be madness that occurs before March. It will be interesting to see if there is a team that can achieve consistency in a Pac-12 conference where consistency seems impossible. If the beginning of February college basketball has been any indication, the rest of the month will be crazy.
First off, before any other news is commented on, first look at Eric Bean’s 2020 Senior Bowl Review. In it, he goes into great detail on each Pac-12 football player and how they performed. Spoiler alert: they shined!
Multiple Pac-12 Football Programs Vie for Clay Millen
Wanted to thank Oregon State for coming out to watch me throw today, and after a great conversation with @Coach_Lindgren I’m extremely honored to have received an offer from Oregon State University!! #GoBeavspic.twitter.com/JxiVRFJfy0
Because of this promising junior season, the 6-foot-3 quarterback out of Snoqualmie earned 4-star ranks in recruiting.
To Pac-12 football fans, the name Millen might sound familiar. That’s because his older brother Cale Millen plays as a backup quarterback for the Oregon Ducks. Additionally, his father Hugh Millen played for the Washington Huskies and in the NFL for eight years. Because of his size, family ties and breakout junior season, Clay Millen got noticed.
With another year to strut his stuff for Mount Si, Millen is certain to earn more than just Pac-12 football interest. However, we desperately want him to stay in the Pac-12.
Gerald Alexander Leaves Cal, Golden Bears Sign Marcel Yates
#Cal Defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander is the new Defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins.
He’s instrumental in making the Cal secondary one of the best in college football. Excellent hire. Young, up and coming coach regarded as a “great defensive mind”.
Losing Gerald Alexander is a huge loss for the Cal Golden Bears. In three seasons as Cal’s defensive backs coach, he was pivotal in their defensive success. Alexander’s defensive backs rose to elite with his excellent coaching and leadership. Per calbears.com, Cal’s 2018 defense was top-ten in the nation in:
Interceptions
Defensive touchdowns
Turnovers gained
Passing yards allowed.
Among those stats, Alexander’s defensive backs accounted for:
17 of 21 interceptions
3 of 5 defensive touchdowns
3 of 7 fumbles recovered
Thankfully, Cal hired Marcel Yates (recently fired Arizona Wildcats defensive coordinator) as defensive backs coach. Somehow, they talked Marcel Yates to be okay with a defensive assistance coach position. Now, the Bears have four coaches with defensive coordinator experience. Justin Wilcox, Tim DeRuyter, Peter Sirmon and Marcel Yates have a combined 41 years of D.C. experience. Well done Cal.
Recall that last week we mentioned that USC eyed Todd Orlando as their 2020 defensive coordinator. Well, now they made it official. However, Trojans need to temper expectations. Orlando is still a very speculative add. His 2019 Longhorns ranked 54th in Football Outsider’s DFEI rankings, almost matching USC’s 57th ranking. His middling 2019 defense got him fired from Texas, but his experience still got him hired for USC.
With 15 years as defensive coordinator, Orlando is known as an aggressive coach with positive influences. Hopefully, 2019 was just a blip on his career and due to the Longhorns defensive injuries. If that’s the case, USC did exceptionally well.
Keep in mind, the Trojans somehow kept Graham Harrell at Offensive Coordinator. With Kedon Slovis and Graham Harrell at the offensive helm, USC football will certainly put up points. Because of this, Orlando’s defense can afford to be risky and aggressive. It could be the perfect fit for a USC team on the rise. Be ready for a surge up the ranks as USC. Pac-12 football’s 2020 champion could very well be USC.
UCLA Athletics Rack up an 18.9-Million Dollar Deficit
#UCLA had been on solid financial footing for decades. No longer. The Bruins are bleeding cash and in need of a massive campus bailout:https://t.co/dN5JN6zCH3
As if UCLA wasn’t already at a low point in Pac-12 football, now they’re running a nearly 20-million dollar deficit. Yikes. Although they generated 108.4-million dollars in revenue, the UCLA Athletics Department ran up 127.3-million dollars in expenses. Because of this, the deficit was covered by an interest-bearing loan from central campus.
For the budget nerds out there, we’d highly recommend you read this work by Jon Wilner of Mercury News. In it, he breaks down the Bruins debt in detail, along with any solutions. The biggest solution seems to be clear for most. UCLA needs to win games.
Against a very beatable Oregon State defense, the Washington Huskies barely scraped together 19 points. In their previous five games, OSU’s defense allowed an average of 33.8 points-per-game to opponents. However, against the odds, they rattled Jacob Eason.
Jacob Eason’s Poor Play
On the day, Washington Huskies’ Jacob Eason completed 16 of 32 passes. Aside from his abysmal 50-percent completion percentage, Eason’s 5.5 yards-per-attempt show how much he struggled. Usually content with letting it fly, Eason wasn’t confident, or accurate, enough to make big plays. At game’s end, Eason amassed just 175 yards and two interceptions.
Thank goodness someone showed up for the Washington Huskies offense. Otherwise, they would have dropped to a .500 record on the season. In their win, Hunter Bryant was his usual self. With five catches and 90 yards, he displayed why he is the top tight end in the nation. Even on the worst day for Eason, Bryant can ball out.
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Additionally, Salvon Ahmed was the Washington Huskies source of strength. He ran the ball 25 times for 174 yards and two scores. More importantly, in the fourth quarter, Ahmed clinched the victory. His 60-yard touchdown was a sigh of relief for every UW fan.
Even though their offense struggled to hold a drive, UW’s defense showed up! They held Oregon State’s offense to 119 yards. Not 119 passing yards or rushing yards. 119 total offensive yards. They suffocated the Beavers.
Impressively, the Washington Huskies forced OSU to punt 10 times, while only allowing six first downs. It was a lights out performance. Additionally, they didn’t give up a single point. If not for Eason’s abhorrent play, UW would have gotten the shut-out.
Before playing the Huskies, Jake Lutton’s 19-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio was second-best in the nation. However, UW’s defense held him to just 88 yards, one interception, zero touchdowns, and an awful 8.5 QBR.
We haven’t seen UW’s defense play like this in some time. It was reminiscent of the 2016 Washington Huskies. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for the Dawgs.
Joe Tryon’s Performance of a Lifetime
Oregon State couldn’t contain Joe Tryon. He was an absolute wrecking ball on defense.
7 tackles
4.5 tackles for a loss
2 sacks
Forced a turnover on downs with a fantastic open-field tackle
This was his game. Yes, the rest of the Washington Huskies defense played well. Levi Onwuzurike created disruption after disruption. Additionally, the secondary held up and stifled the pass game. But, if there’s one defensive MVP of the game, it is certainly Joe Tryon.
While not the type of win UW fans want to see, it was still a win. And, with their sixth win of the season, the Washington Huskies are officially bowl-eligible. If they finish out the season strong, Husky fans can at least root for a bowl victory. Granted, this season was a huge letdown. This isn’t the playoff team fans hoped for. But still, it was a good day to be a Husky.
The PAC-12 may run the risk of beating each other up this season, but there’s no doubt the conference has a ton of talented players on both sides of the ball.
The quarterback play in the PAC-12 has been arguably as good as ever this season, and a QB is likely to win the coveted 2019 PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year.
Here are five candidates – not all quarterbacks – who could win that award by the end of the 2019 season.
Herbert has completed a whopping 74.4% of his passes for 1,127 yards and 14 touchdowns through four games this season. He has yet to throw an interception, and his passing efficiency rating is a staggering 183.1.
Herbert is on pace to shatter most of his accomplishments from the last few seasons, and not only has a great chance to be the offensive player of the year in the conference, but he could become the next Oregon quarterback to win the Heisman.
Gordon has thrown for 1,894 yards already this season, with a stellar 74.9% completion rate and 21 touchdowns – lead of course by his nine touchdown game against UCLA.
Gordon does have four interceptions, his biggest knock so far, but if he keeps playing like this it will be really hard to not give him the award
He is on pace for nearly 6,000 yards through the air, which would shatter the NCAA record of 5,833 set by B.J. Symons at Texas Tech back in 2003. If he even places in the top-five, the award is probably his.
Washington State Cougars wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. (8) scores on a 39-yard touchdown reception during an NCAA football game between the Houston Cougars and the Washington State Cougars at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on September 13, 2019.
Winston already has 348 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns on the season, putting him on pace for just over 1,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. While he probably won’t reach those lofty totals, if he continues to produce big time numbers he has a chance to be recognized at the end of the season.
Jacob Eason, Quarterback, Washington
The former Georgia quarterback is having a very solid start to his career as a Husky, and while he’s behind both Herbert and Gordon statistically, it’s not impossible to imagine him getting the nod if he continues to play well and the Huskies go undefeated from here on out.
Eason has recorded 1,063 yards and 10 touchdowns through four games this season, along with a nice 73.1% completion rate and just two interceptions.
He has some catching up to do if he wants this award, but stranger things have happened.
Isaiah Hodgins, Wide Receiver, Oregon State
A true dark horse for this award, Hodgins plays receiver for a bad PAC-12 team, but the numbers he has put up so far indicate he could be a wildcard candidate for offensive player of the year.
As Oregon State’s only real threat offensively, Hodgins has already hauled in 23 receptions for 347 yards and five touchdowns on the young season. While he has a long, long way to go to move past Herbert and Gordon to win the award, he does have a lot going for him in a relatively inept Oregon State offense.
It will be hard for anyone to top Herbert or Gordon for this award, but there’s no question that the PAC-12 has a lot of talented offensive players in the 2019 season. Still, with no true offensive standouts in the Pac-12 South, will the 2019 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year’s best candidates only come from the Pac-12 North?
The PAC-12 North had an up-and-down second week of the season, finishing with a 3-3 record.
No. 15 Oregon, No. 20 Washington State and Cal (surprisingly) took care of business this week. Stanford, Oregon State and No. 23 Washington all faltered.
Here is a quick look at the highs and lows from each team in their Week 2 games.
Oregon (1-1)
Last Week: (W) 77-6 Nevada
Oregon absolutely demolished the Wolfpack of Nevada in week 2, avenging their heartbreaking loss to Auburn with a 77-6 destruction. 11 different players scored a touchdown for the Ducks in what was a nearly perfect game of football.
Highs
Just about everything. Oregon got a chance to play their first, second and even third stringers in this contest, and virtually everyone found success.
Justin Herbert completed 19 passes for 310 yards and five touchdowns, while backup quarterback Tyler Shough went 8/9 with 92 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
The team ran the ball well, with six different players totaling 39 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
The receivers did even better, with 14(!) different players hauling in at least one reception, for a grand total of 410 yards in the air and seven receiving touchdowns. Wow.
The defense was excellent as well. Brady Breeze recovered a fumble for a touchdown, and the team had two interceptions, five sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Heck, even the kick and punt return games did well, and the kickers didn’t miss a single extra point. Hard to find anything wrong in this one.
Lows
Uh, I guess the fact that Nevada wasn’t a great opponent was a low? The starters didn’t play long enough to get experience playing a full 60-minute game? Haki Woods fumbled the football?
Really, I think my editor gave me this article assignment to see if I could find anything bad about the Oregon game, which I could not. It was an all-around demolition.
Washington State (2-0)
Last Week (W) 59-17 Northern Colorado
WSU’s 42 point margin of victory would normally be the talk of the town in the PAC-12 North, but Oregon takes that cake. Still, the Cougars really took care of business against Northern Colorado.
Highs
The air-raid offense marches on even without Gardner Minshew. New QB Anthony Gordon looked great, completing 31-of-39 passes for 464 yards and four touchdowns. His lone blemish was an interception, but it was an otherwise excellent performance.
The team had 481 total yards through the air, with both Brandon Arconado and Easop Winston, Jr. hauling in over 100 yards receiving.
Defensively the team recovered four fumbles, and on the special teams kicker, Blake Mazza made his one field goal and went a perfect 8/8 on extra points.
WSU is now 2-0 and could move into the top-15 this week.
Lows
WSU’s run defense was pretty suspect. They allowed Northern Colorado to rush for 216 yards and two touchdowns, and that would have been higher had they not brought down second-string quarterback Connor Regan twice for a total of negative 18 yards.
WSU will need to shore up the run defense if they want to make a push for a championship season.
The pass defense was a little better, although the lack of pressure is also a concern. They only had one sack on the evening, and only hurried quarterback Jacob Knipp twice. Another area the team will need to grow this season.
Cal (2-0)
Last Week (W) 20-19 Washington
Cal earned an absolutely huge victory over the No. 23 ranked Huskies of Washington last week, in their first conference matchup of the year. They now sit atop the Pac-12 North. So they got that going for them, which is nice.
Highs
It was an incredibly sloppy game. A 2.5 hour thunder and lightning delay really made it so neither team played well, but Cal was still able to find some advantages – namely in the running game.
Cal rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns, often finding ways to extend drives by driving through UW’s maligned defensive front.
Defensively, Cal generated four sacks and seven tackles for loss, often making QB Jacob Eason uncomfortable for the Huskies. Evan Weaver had a monster game for the Golden Bears, recording 18(!) combined tackles.
If you’d told me Cal would beat UW with their quarterback, Chase Garbers, posting a 29.8 QBR, I’d have told you you were crazy. But Garbers didn’t look great, completing 11 of 18 passes for just 111 yards and no touchdowns.
Again, the crazy weather and the lengthy delay made passing the ball a challenge for both sides, but for this team to have any level of success their QB play will need to improve.
It’s hard to find too many faults when you upset a ranked team, but Cal didn’t do a great job of stopping UW’s running attack, as they allowed the Huskies to rush for 186 yards on the ground. Now granted that was on 46 carries (4.0 ypc) and they did get stops when they needed to, so it’s not a great criticism, but the defense does need to tighten up.
Stanford (1-1)
Last Week (L) 45-20 USC
It was a tale of two halves for the Cardinal against USC last week. They went into the second half only down 24-20, but got outscored 21-0 in the final two quarters, leading to the lopsided final score. It was a tough loss for Stanford and the Pac-12 North.
Highs
Stanford had a respectable 237 yards through the air, although the efficiency wasn’t there for QB Davis Mills, as he only completed 22 of 36 passes.
Still, the short-yardage passing game had its benefits, and kept Stanford in the game for the first half.
Defensively Stanford was able to force a fumble, and on the special teams they did have a 60 yard kick return from Connor Weddington.
Lows
Stanford’s efficiency on offense was nearly non-existent, and they were unable to get anything going on the ground – which allowed USC to play the passing game well.
Stanford only rushed for 98 total yards, for an average of just 3.3 yards per carry.
Defensively, the team allowed USC QB Kedon Slovis to throw wherever he wanted, as he completed 28 of 33 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns. For them to have any success this year, the pass defense will need to tighten up – quite a bit.
Oregon State ran the ball really well. Star RB Jermar Jefferson had 31 carries for a whopping 183 yards on the ground, including a touchdown. They totaled 263 yards and three touchdowns in the running game, an excellent, well-rounded attack.
The passing game was less successful, but Isaiah Hodgins still had seven receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown – another solid outing.
The Beavers also had two takeaways, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Lows
Oh boy. We all knew Hawaii was going to throw the ball a lot, but Oregon State’s defense still seemed unprepared. Hawaii QB Cole McDonald completed 30 of 52 passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns in what was a blitz through the air all game long.
Oregon State did stop the run effectively, but they did not generate nearly enough pressure to prevent Hawaii from making a quick comeback through the air – an issue that will no doubt plague them all season long.
Washington (1-1)
Last Week (L) 20-19 Cal
The weather delay that took the stadium from a full 66,000 rapid fans to somewhere around 15,000 really sucked the air out of Husky Stadium, and the UW football team as a whole. That led to an embarrassing 20-19 loss at the hands of Cal, and likely cost them a shot at a playoff bid this season.
Highs
Salvon Ahmed had an excellent day running the football, rushing for 119 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, good for a 5.7 yards per carry average.
The rushing game overall was successful, with a total of 186 yards on the ground. In an environment that made passing the ball nearly impossible, it was good that UW was still able to attack on the ground despite Cal stacking the box.
Lows
More or less everything else. Eason was awful, only completing 18 of 30 passes for 162 yards and no touchdowns, along with an interception. He never got comfortable, and took a big step backward from his promising start.
Defensively, UW struggled to contain Cal’s running game, and the defense was not able to force Cal into many mistakes – allowing them to dictate the tempo and keep UW’s offense off the field.
The defense also only had four tackles for loss. In a sloppy game, that number needs to be higher.
College football is back, and with it comes the return of the best sports show in all of sports: ESPN College GameDay. Now in its 26th year of the live show format (the program technically began in 1987 as an in-studio show), College GameDay kicked-off the season in proper fashion at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, highlighting the huge Miami vs. Florida ‘Week 0‘ matchup. And while the atmosphere was outstanding, next week’s feature of Auburn and Oregon in the Advocare Classic is bound to be something special, and is just one of the many college football matchups that could feature the Pac-12 on College GameDay.
Having national attention shift to the Pac-12 is critical, especially as the conference looks to bolster its reputation. There’s no better way of doing this than a featured matchup on College GameDay. Yes, the conference has to win on the field and yes, many of the games listed below could have their “watchability” change as the season progresses, but there’s no denying the influence ESPN College GameDay has in drawing national attention.
Here are the games that could get the Pac-12 on College GameDay throughout the course of the year.
Weeks Ruled Out
Before taking a dive into what weeks and games could see Pac-12 teams featured on College GameDay, there are a few weeks where the show is pretty much booked sans Pac-12.
Week 2: Texas A&M vs. Clemson
Week 4: Michigan vs. Wisconsin OR Notre Dame vs. Georgia
Week 9: Auburn vs. LSU OR Notre Dame vs. Michigan OR Penn State vs. Michigan State
Week 10: LSU vs. Alabama
Week 14: Ohio State vs. Michigan
With just five weeks out of contention to feature the Pac-12 on College GameDay, the conference could see itself attract a fair share of national attention, even if this means Rece Davis and the gang will have to wake up a bit earlier.
Stanford vs. UCF OR Oklahoma vs. UCLA (Week 3)
After College GameDay’s undoubted visit to Clemson for Texas A&M vs. Clemson, the Pac-12 has a legitimate shot at seeing one of its teams featured on the show in week three, with Stanford, Arizona State and UCLA all in play. Much of this will depend on the outcome of UCLA’s week one matchup against Cincinnati and Stanford’s brutal first two weeks (vs. Northwestern, at USC), but should both those teams head into week three undefeated, their matchups are attractive enough for a College GameDay appearance. Oklahoma vs. UCLA, in particular, could be an outstanding matchup. The backdrop of the Rose Bowl would be a welcomed bonus.
PASADENA, CA – SEPTEMBER 15: Head coach Chip Kelly of the UCLA Bruins talks with Dorian Thompson-Robinson #7 during the second quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl on September 15, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Biggest Competition: Iowa vs. Iowa State, Clemson vs. Syracuse
Washington State vs. Utah OR USC vs. Washington (Week 5)
The Washington schools have a great shot at seeing the Northwest’s best on College GameDay come week 5 of the season, especially if their opponents can play to some lofty expectations. Washington State vs. Utah is particularly intriguing and would be a great feature of the Pac-12 on College GameDay, giving Utah a shot to showcase its passionate fan base and WSU to continue its upward trajectory.
Biggest Competition: Ohio State vs. Nebraska
California vs. Oregon OR Washington vs. Stanford (Week 6)
Both of these games could be pivotal in the outcome of the Pac-12 North. With the California Golden Bears being a sleeper pick in the conference, should Cal surprise the Huskies in week two and hold steady at Ole Miss, their visit in Week 6 to Eugene could be a big matchup in the Pac-12 and in the College Football Playoff Picture.
Conversely, if the Huskies play to expectations and Stanford survives its brutal start to the season, their matchup in Palo Alto could see the Pac-12 on College Gameday. While The Farm isn’t the most raucous atmosphere for the show, the matchup between these two Pac-12 heavyweights does more than makeup for the fans (or lack thereof).
Biggest Competition: Iowa vs. Michigan OR Auburn vs. Florida OR Georgia vs. Tennessee OR Purdue vs. Penn State
USC vs. Notre Dame (Week 7)
One of the classic matchups in all of college football, USC vs. Notre Dame is an attractive week 7 matchup the producers of ESPN College GameDay will hope happens. With USC’s roster filled with talent that just needs to see its potential realized, this could be a statement game for USC, especially if they manage tough games against Stanford (Week 2), Utah (Week 4) and Washington (Week 5).
USC and Notre Dame have had some classic matchups throughout college football history.
Biggest Competition: Alabama vs. Texas A&M OR Florida vs. LSU
Oregon vs. Washington OR Arizona State vs. Utah (Week 8)
Don’t sleep on Herm Edward’s Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pac-12 South. They’re a talented squad and freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels is ready to turn some heads. A week 8 matchup with Utah is another opportunity for the Utes to be on college football’s national stage, but they’ll face stiff competition from Oregon vs. Washington in the Pac-12 North.
Likely the game of the year in the Pac-12 North, Oregon vs. Washington is the conference’s fiercest rivalry and the unique atmosphere of Husky Stadium is going to be an attractive option for College GameDay.
Biggest Competition: Michigan vs. Penn State
Oregon vs. USC OR Utah vs. Washington (Week 10)
For a few years, a game featuring Oregon vs. USC was an easy feature for the national stage. With both their 2009 and 2010 matchups on College GameDay, when Oregon and USC clash in week 10 of this year, the teams could once again see Los Angeles serve as the backdrop for College GameDay. Known to Oregon fans as the ‘Storm LA’ game, this could be an opportunity for each program to reclaim college football glory and capture national attention in a big way.
Utah vs. Washington is another outstanding option, with Husky Stadium once again proving an attractive option to see the Pac-12 on College GameDay. Both these games could easily be previews of the Pac-12 Conference Championship.
Biggest Competition: Georgia vs. Florida
Week 11 – UCLA vs. Utah
UCLA is another one of the Pac-12 South teams a little under-the-radar this year. With Utah not having any defined competition in the division, this week 11 matchup between UCLA and Utah could be a game that determines the Pac-12 South crown.
Biggest Competition: Georgia vs. Auburn, Michigan State vs. Michigan
Week 12 – Oregon vs. Arizona State
Another potential preview of the Pac-12 Conference Championship, Oregon vs. Arizona State in Tempe could provide an outstanding stage for the Pac-12 on College Gameday. By this time in the year, we’ll know where each team stands and freshman QB Jayden Daniels will have had plenty of time to establish himself. Oregon, meanwhile, will be hoping senior quarterback Justin Herbert is forwarding a Heisman Campaign by leading the Ducks through a difficult road schedule. Their final road test? This big matchup against the Sun Devils.
Biggest Competition: Penn State vs. Ohio State, TCU vs. Oklahoma, Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Breaking News: It is being reported that Oregon State head football coach Jonathan Smith will only be able to dress twenty players for the Oregon game. The rest of the players will have to get dressed by themselves!!
Eugene and Corvallis are separated by one highway, but the separation between the Green/Gold and the Black/Pumpkin Orange is much greater. In Eugene we have a saying, if you see a Beaver with a Championship ring, call the Police, He’s a thief!!
The Rivalry
2019 marks the 123rd meeting between the two schools. The Ducks lead the series 65-47-10.
The Civil War, Ducks vs. Beavers, is not so civil!!! There couldn’t be bigger differences between the two schools that are only about 47 miles apart. The rivalry is like Big Brother vs. Little Brother, the Haves vs. the Have-Nots, or the popular vs. the unpopular kids. The Beavers look at themselves like blue-collar, hard workers who are the meat and potatoes of this country. They feel they earn everything they get, but we get everything handed to us on a silver platter. So when the Beavers play the Ducks, they have a big chip on their shoulder, because they live in the humongous shadow of the “O.”
If the Beavs feel the Ducks look down on the kids that play for Corvallis, they should. We do! OSU is a team to be respected and never taken lightly, but Duck players and fans feel we should never lose to “little brother.” The guys from Corvallis take our hand-me-downs and left-overs. We didn’t want Orange, so they took it. We get the newest uniforms; they get what is left. We get nationally televised games; they get the occasional regional broadcast plus radio. The Ducks are striving higher for National Championships while the Beavers are trying to climb from the Pac-12 cellar.
Why is my disdain for the Beavers so great? Simple. I’m a Duck. During my four years at Oregon, the Beavers beat us twice!!! That includes a 45-24 Shellacking in Corvallis my last year at Oregon. Until 3 days ago I had blocked that memory out of my mind. Honestly, until I was reminded I really thought we won (I’m blocking, I know lol). It still haunts me. So yes, we should run up the score like the 69-10 beat down last year if given the opportunity. I assure you the Beavers would if they could.
Classic Civil War Story
One time during the week of the civil war Samie Parker, Onterrio Smith and I were in Red Robin, and I saw TJ Housh “Your daddy” Houshmandzadeh (OSU wide receiver) sitting there with his wife and daughter. I had our waitress deliver him a note that said we were gonna beat the breaks off of him. TJ is a friend of mine now and a great guy. I was talking to him about that before the season started and he said, “man, I thought I was gonna have to fight ya’ll with the family there.” LOL, it was all done in good fun. TJ got the last laugh tho, Oregon State won the game.
What makes the “Un”-Civil War so great? You never know who is gonna win. What’s on the line in this game? BRAGGING RIGHTS! Two great programs are competing with their whole heart and soul to represent the state of Oregon. If you win, no one can say a word to you, but if you lose, you have a year of heckling to deal with. Both schools alumni have so much pride and love for our perspective schools that a loss is devastating. In recent years, this game had gotten coaches fired (Helfrich), and determined which team would go to the Rose Bowl.
2018 may not be the Biggest game in UO/OSU history, but it is important for both schools. Oregon’s head coach Mario Cristobal cannot afford a loss to the 2-9 Beavers. And the Beavers would love nothing better than to make Ducks fans question their future. The Ducks have been to multiple Rose Bowls and National Championships in the last 10 years. The Beavers haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since 1965… but that only makes the game that much more important for both schools. The Ducks want to keep their little brother in his place, and Oregon State wants to knock some of their big brother’s shine off. The intensity in Reser Stadium will be nothing less then ELECTRIFYING!!!!
Fun Fact:
The 1983 Civil War game is commonly referred to as the ‘Toilet Bowl’ because of the poor quality of play in the game. There were eleven fumbles, five interceptions, and four missed field goals. It was the last Division I football game to end in a scoreless tie.
