Category: Pac-12 Football

Pac-12 Needs To Have First Winning Bowl Season Since 2015

It is vitally important for the Pac-12 to put together a good bowl season. The conference has not had a winning bowl season since 2015 and has not sent a team to the College Football Playoff since 2016. The Pac-12 went 3-3 in 2016, 1-8 in 2017, and 3-4 in 2018. Having a good bowl season will help elevate the league’s perception to start the 2020 season.

The Pac-12 is sending seven teams to bowl games in College Football 2019. These teams are USC, Arizona State, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, and California.

Preseason Rankings and Not Winning Big Games Have Hurt the Pac-12

Utah vs USC on a Friday Night is Another Pac-12 Conference Bad Idea

Preseason rankings play a role in how the final standings play out. The Pac-12 has only been represented in the College Football Playoff twice in the six years of the tournament. Going into the 2019 season, the Pac-12 did not have a single team in the top 10 in either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches Poll. Oregon was the highest-ranked Pac-12 team in both preseason polls (No. 11 in AP Poll). However, they lost their first game to Auburn in College Football Week 1. This loss put the Pac-12 behind the 8-ball right away as far as their hopes to make the College Football Playoff.

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In the last three seasons, the Pac-12 champion has lost their bowl game (Washington twice and USC once). The last time the Pac-12 champion won their bowl game was when Stanford beat Iowa 45-16 in the Rose Bowl to end the 2015 season. Washington lost in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl to Alabama 24-7 in 2016. USC only scored once and got beat around by the Ohio State Buckeyes 24-7 in the Cotton Bowl to end the 2017 season. In the 2018 Rose Bowl, the Washington Huskies’ rally from down 28-3 against the Buckeyes and fell short, losing 28-23.

Pac-12 Can Gain a Lot If Oregon Beats Wisconsin

Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 13: Time to Win the Beauty Pageant

If Oregon, the newly minted Pac-12 champion, can beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2020, it would help Oregon’s and the Pac-12’s standing heading into 2020. Their champion would win a game on the national stage on New Year’s Day, and the conference could feed off showing that their champion could have been competitive in the College Football Playoff. As a conference, the Pac-12 needs to get a team into the playoff. The conference is not spoken of in the same breath as the SEC or Big Ten. Winning the Rose Bowl would help the Pac-12’s cause.

Pac-12 Could Take Image Hit If Utah Loses to Texas

The Utah Utes are better than the Oregon Ducks

However, the Pac-12 has a lot to lose from bowl season also. The Utah Utes are currently ranked 11^th in the country. They are playing the Texas Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl. If the Pac-12 runner-up loses to the team that finished tied for third in the Big 12 conference it would be devastating. Utah has been the better team all year, but some may give the Longhorns a slight edge because they simply have better recruits.

If Utah loses this game, an outsider who may not follow the Pac-12 conference may think, “Wow, one of the best two Pac-12 teams is not as good as a team that finished 7-5 in the Big 12”. People will tune into this game nationally because of Texas’ brand. Utah needs to show the nation that they are deserving of their ranking. They need to take care of business against an unranked Longhorns team.

USC Needs Bowl Win to Help Embattled Head Coach Clay Helton

Raise the sword if you’re going bowling. ⚔️

Catch @USC_FB go head-to-head against Iowa at the @HolidayBowl on Dec. 27th at 5 PT / 6 MT. pic.twitter.com/sUgadivQfA
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) December 15, 2019

Another bowl game that will generate interest within the Pac-12 and nationally because of “the brand” is the Holiday Bowl, which features the USC Trojans against the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten. USC hired new athletic director Mike Bohn in early November, and he has endorsed head coach Clay Helton. Many believed Helton was coaching for his job at numerous points throughout the season.

Beating Iowa in the Holiday Bowl would cool all the seats Clay Helton will be sitting in during the offseason, whether that is on an airplane during the recruiting cycle or in his office after spring practice. There is still the pipeline dream that Urban Meyer may eventually take over at USC, but for now, it is Helton’s team. USC simply gets better recruits than Iowa. On paper, USC should beat Iowa. It would help with recruiting because it would show the nation that Clay Helton can beat an equal opponent. After a 5-7 season in 2018, many thought Clay Helton could have been gone. With the new athletic director, Clay Helton could have been gone. He needs this game so there is more certainty around the program entering 2020.

Pac-12 Needs Winning Bowl Season

The Pac-12 needs to go a minimum of 4-3 in their bowl games this bowl season. As a conference, they are suffering in terms of national image because of their inability to get their champion to the College Football Playoff. The conference can show that their teams are able to compete with the best programs. Going 4-3 would be decent, but the conference should be hoping for at least a 5-2 mark this bowl season. Also, Utah needs to absolutely win for the Pac-12 to look positively on this bowl season.

Oregon had Auburn on the ropes in College Football Week 1, and it hurt the conference that the Ducks were unable to finish the job. However, Oregon’s loss to Arizona State and Utah’s loss to Oregon were the main reasons the Pac-12 did not get a team into the College Football Playoff. The Ducks have a huge non-conference game against Ohio State next season.

Other schools have also scheduled tough non-conference games in 2020, such as the Colorado Buffaloes scheduling the Texas A&M Aggies. Many will choose Oregon and CU to lose these games. However, maybe a few pundits will have more confidence if the conference can have a positive end to a decade where more was expected for the conference.

Chris Petersen lifted the Huskies and now passes on a far better program

Now that the dust has settled with Chris Petersen’s surprise step-down

It’s been almost two weeks since Chris Petersen announced his intention to step down. Washington Huskies football fans are still spinning in confusion and remorse. But, after reflecting, Petersen’s impact on UW football is massive and it will still reign purple and gold.

Chris Petersen’s brought championships to UW

From 2004 to 2008, the Huskies were in awful form. Their season records were as follows:

2004: 1 and 10
2005: 2 and 9
2006: 5 and 7
2007: 4 and 9
2008: 0 and 12

After that, the Dawgs got Steve Sarkisian as a head coach and he led them back to being a good, not great team. Sarkisian ended the seven-year bowl-drought for UW and that was a huge accomplishment. While his 34 and 29 record wasn’t amazing, it was a step in the right direction.

Then, in 2014, the UW football program lucked out and stole Chris Petersen away from Boise State. He kept what Sarkisian started and added to it.

Chris Petersen has amassed 100 wins in 117 games, tying him for 5th-fastest coach all-time to 100 wins. #UWDataPoints pic.twitter.com/9odj7ihfZT
— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) November 30, 2014

From 2016 to 2018, the Huskies were on another level.

Three straight seasons with at least ten wins
Two Pac-12 Championships
Three straight NY6 Bowls
One College Football Playoff berth

Additionally, he set a record for the most games won by UW football in a four-year stretch. From 2015-2018, they totaled 39 wins. However, if Chris Petersen’s Huskies get a Las Vegas Bowl victory, he will set the record again with 40 wins from 2016-2019.

With Petersen at the helm, the Huskies were Pac-12 Champions, routinely top-25 ranked and demanded respect. He rejuvenated the UW program and brought success. His leadership and coaching were instrumental to the purple and gold.

Perfect in Apple Cups

For true Dawgs, the Apple Cup is a huge priority. Friends, colleagues and even family are torn apart each year because of the UW-WSU rivalry. It’s serious business.

Lawrence (WSU) & Olivia (UW) love each other, but hate their partner’s school. Both have been talking trash to each other all week… and it ain’t stopping anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/Tay2nDREgy
— Kevin Ko (@NewsWithKevin) November 29, 2019

Conquering Washington State is always both a delight and a must. But, Chris Petersen did it with perfection. In his six Apple Cups, UW:

Won six out of six times
Scored 221 points (36.83-per-game)
Held WSU to 82 points (13.67-per-game)

Although Washington State might be glad that he’s stepping down, they unfortunately still have to face Jimmy Lake.

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Passes the Huskies torch to highly sought-after Jimmy Lake

After the Huskies lost the Rose Bowl last year to the Ohio State Buckeyes, it was a shock that Washington retained Jimmy Lake. Lake was a sought-after defensive coordinator for a head-coaching job. He certainly garnered attention.

However, with the news of Chris Petersen stepping down, it makes more sense. This step-down was a surprise to everyone outside of the UW program. But, it remains a mystery whether Peterson, Lake or other staff knew. Nonetheless, this is excellent news for Washington football. Lake’s defensive coaching is a large part of UW’s success in recent years. Though he’ll create his own culture at UW with the absence of Petersen, promoting Lake was a calculated move. It keeps the successful environment intact.

Washington Huskies Top Recruiter

As of today, Washington’s 2020’s recruiting class ranks 1st in the Pac-12 and 15th nationally.

With the staff and culture Chris Petersen built, it set them up for top-recruiting. From 2018 to 2020, Washington’s ranked 16th, 15th and 15th nationally.

It’s no surprise either. Remember that the University of Washington is a historic program. Since 1889, they’ve won seventeen conference championships, seven Rose Bowls and two NCCA recognized national championships. Combining that history with Chris Petersen’s leadership and success is the perfect base for recruiting.

Additionally, Chris Petersen’s athletes are doing well in the NFL. Over the last five years, NFL teams drafted 24 Washington athletes and there are currently 33 Dawgs on NFL rosters. Petersen created a winning environment in Washington that also led to the NFL draft. What’s not to love?

But, with Petersen stepping down, there’s a large fear that his recruiting success leaves with him. However, recent signs show otherwise. As of this Wednesday, zero of their 21 commits de-committed. Additionally, it’s been Jimmy Lake’s already been involved in the recruiting process with Petersen. As a proper head coach does, they delegate. So, positional coaches and Jimmy Lake already have practice in the recruiting process.

Great Home Visit Today! Don’t Play-ALL DAWG BABY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/93eb76gv9M
— Joseph Butler (@jbtha1andonly) December 7, 2019

Can’t wait to be playing with my DAWG family 💜🐺 #GoDawgs #CaliReign pic.twitter.com/EyS8s3kWFW
— J MAC (@jalenmcmillan20) December 13, 2019

Moreover, Jimmy Lake’s defensive brilliance will aid his recruiting of defensive talent. The “Jimmy Lake Defense” is a known quantity in Montlake and well-respected. Currently, there are eight defensive backs in the NFL that had Jimmy Lake as a coach. Also, the Huskies defense, in an off-year, still rank 24th-best in scoring. If Washington hires a promising offensive coordinator, their recruiting will continue their reign.

Wishing you the best of luck and healing Chris Petersen

A leader. A mentor. A man of excellence.

From Huskies everywhere, #ThankYouCP. pic.twitter.com/Omz9QxcRic
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) December 2, 2019

Say what you want about stepping down during your prime, but Chris Petersen made a choice for his quality of life. His decision was praised by Seahawks coach, Pete Carroll. Carroll, who can empathize with coaching an elite, college program.

“The college thing is really, really demanding in terms of the constant recruiting pressure and strain,’’ Carroll said. “It’s really the strain of it. It just doesn’t go away. You’re on the next year always anyway. It’s just an ongoing process. That’s one part of it.”
Pete Carroll

With the way college football programs are set up now, it’s easy to see burnout in coaches. Petersen said it himself that he didn’t enjoy the Rose Bowl like he should have.

“You work your whole life to get to (the Rose Bowl),” he said, “and I didn’t really appreciate the week. I didn’t appreciate the game like I need to, you know, as a kid growing up looking at that game. I think that was one of the things that really hit me loud and clear. So, you know, you start to pay attention to that. Then you go and you put your heart and soul into what you’re doing.”
Chris Petersen Quote

So, with all that Chris Petersen has given the Huskies, let’s wish him the best. Football was his life. But, football also was the cause of constant stress, anxiety, missed expectations, demands, pressure, and exhaustion. It’s time for Petersen to take a break and recovery. Whether or not he ever coaches a football team again, he’s done enough with UW football to earn his status as a lifetime Husky.

Steven Montez: Record-Setting Quarterback for Colorado Buffaloes With Zero Bowl Game Starts

Quarterback Steven Montez was an important figure in Colorado Buffaloes football from 2016-2019, setting numerous records during his time in Boulder. He began his career as a redshirt freshman in 2016 and started every game for the Buffaloes from 2017-2019. Montez accrued an overall record of 17-22 (9-21 in Pac-12 play).

Montez has set over 40 school records. He is the all-time leader in passing yards with 9,649 passing yards and has 63 passing touchdowns.

QB1. pic.twitter.com/U4bz0tvKKx
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 1, 2019

How representative of Steven Montez is His 17-22 Record?

Montez had some great moments in a Buffaloes uniform but also had some not so great moments. Accountant Brandon Westbrook, a Buffaloes fan for over 20 years, believes that the record is representative of the type of quarterback Montez was at CU.

“(Montez) does have some stats that make him look a lot better, but I think ultimately his (17-22 record as the Buffaloes’ starter) speaks to the caliber of quarterback he was,” Westbrook said.

A fan may look at a 17-22 record and think Montez was mediocre. Some fans, including Westbrook, believe this to be the case. However, Neill Woelk, the contributing editor at CUBuffs.com, points out an important statistic that he believes sets Montez apart: touchdown to interception ratio. Montez ranks No. 1 in that category with 63 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.

Despite Records, Fans Left Frustrated With No Bowl Game Appearances Last Three Seasons

Image result for steven montez utah 2019

Many fans will give reasons why Steven Montez was great for the Buffaloes, while other fans may give reasons as to why it may have been frustrating for fans to watch his career unfold. Despite fans being awed by his arm strength and physical capabilities, Montez never led the Buffaloes to a bowl game in his three full seasons as the starting quarterback (2017-2019).

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“At the end of the day though, we never really got to the promised land,” CU Student Drew Sharek said. “(Montez was a) heck of a talent, great arm, great personality, but just never was able to get the ultimate job done (of making a bowl game).”

The Colorado Buffaloes football team finished 5-7 each of the last three seasons with Montez as the starter. Fans of any team lay a good chunk of the responsibility for the team’s record on the quarterback. Montez was never able to get the team to the promised land, and that is why he will not be looked in the same light as other CU quarterbacks, such as Kordell Stewart and even Sefo Liufau.

However, there are plenty of people within the Buffaloes’ faithful who supported Montez, including Keith McCormick, a Buffaloes fan for 60 years who lives in Westminster, Colorado.

“I’m a fan of Steven Montez,” McCormick said. “I’ve always believed that he plays better under pressure and under a faster-paced game.”

Montez’s Biggest Home Win: September 7, 2019 Versus Nebraska

One example of Montez playing well under pressure was on September 7, 2019, when the Buffaloes welcomed the rival Nebraska Cornhuskers to Folsom Field.

They trailed Nebraska 17-0 at halftime and looked out of sorts under new head coach Mel Tucker. Then, the Buffaloes offense and Montez alike got going in the second half.

McCormick remembers the play that ended with 14:06 remaining in the fourth quarter that cut Nebraska’s lead to 17-14. It was the flea flicker to wide receiver K.D. Nixon that silenced the Nebraska invaders at Folsom Field. Montez took the pitch back from running back Alex Fontenot and threw the ball deep down the middle of the field to Nixon, who dashed into the end zone.

“That one play completely turned the game around, and the momentum and the emotion and gave (the Buffaloes) the opportunity to come back,” McCormick said.

Steven Montez to Tony Brown! #Colorado ties it up with Nebraska! pic.twitter.com/nYv03QjIDS
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) September 7, 2019

It was time for Montez to come up strong in the clutch. The offense got to the Nebraska 26-yard line with 46 seconds left to play, and Montez threw a perfectly placed pass to wide receiver Tony Brown in the right corner of the end zone to tie the game at 31. The Buffaloes would go on to win the game in overtime, 34-31, with Montez recording 375 yards passing with two touchdowns and one interception to go along with it. Both McCormick and Neill Woelk believe that this game was his legacy game.

“That’s going to go down as his highlight as a CU Buff,” McCormick said.

“That’s the kind of game that I’m going to remember from Steven because it demanded a big play at a big moment,” Woelk said.

Montez Also Beat Nebraska On the Road in 2018

Steven Montez’s 40-yard TD with 1:06 left secured @RunRalphieRun’s 33-28 win over Nebraska

(via @Pac12Network)pic.twitter.com/UkxPSe1ikZ
— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) September 8, 2018

Along with the heroics of 2019, Montez led the Buffaloes to victory against the Cornhuskers in Lincoln on September 8, 2018. He was able to accomplish this in what was Nebraska head coach Scott Frost’s first game in charge. Frost, who was Nebraska’s quarterback on their national championship-winning team in 1997 and is revered by the Cornhusker faithful. The Buffaloes played spoiler, as the offense got the ball back with 2:23 left to play in the game. Montez delivered, as he hit wide receiver Laviska Shenault for a 40-yard touchdown with 1:06 left to play, giving the Buffaloes a 33-28 lead. The defense would hold on for the victory.

When Buffaloes fans think Steven Montez, the two wins against Nebraska will stand out as some of the best memories of the team while he was quarterback. Even though Nebraska football may be looked at by some as worse than Colorado, the win was vitally important to Buffaloes fans.

Beating Oregon in 2016 Another One of Montez’s Great Moments

Another standout game in the minds of many fans was Montez’s first start of his career his redshirt freshman year in 2016. The Buffaloes had never beat Oregon since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, and Montez had to come in relief for injured starting quarterback Sefo Liufau. Montez introduced himself to the fans and left a great first impression, leading the Buffaloes to a 41-38 victory in Eugene. Drew Sharek was particularly impressed with many throws by Montez in this game, including his pass to wide receiver Bryce Bobo to give the Buffaloes the lead in the fourth quarter.

“It was incredible to see him scramble around (the pocket), stay calm, and make some absolutely perfect throws,” Sharek said.

Beating Oregon was thought to be a stepping stone for greater achievements to be had in Montez’s career, but Brandon Westbrook believes these achievements never came.

“I would have thought he would have gotten better over the years but I actually think he regressed each year,” Westbrook said.

Frustrating Losses Also a Part of Montez’s Legacy

A frustrating loss that sticks out in Westbrook’s mind is when the Buffaloes played USC on October 25, 2019 in Montez’s senior season. The Buffaloes were coming into the game off of two embarrassing road losses to Oregon and Washington State, 45-3 and 41-10, respectively. The Buffaloes built up a 31-21 lead going into the fourth quarter but would ultimately lose the game 35-31.

Montez left the game momentarily late in the third quarter after he took a hit while rolling out to his left. He came back, and Westbrook thought he did not look the same. Even though it was the defense that gave up the 10-point lead, Montez and the offense had one last chance. On a 4^th and 4 in the Buffaloes’ own territory, Montez threw a swing route to running back Alex Fontenot that was behind the line of scrimmage. Westbrook believes this was a bad decision by Montez and a product of not being able to improve each year.

“When the offense is looking out of sync, that comes back on the quarterback,” Westbrook said.

Inconsistencies Go Back to Constant Coaching Carousel

Montez may have been wildly inconsistent at many points throughout his career, but he also had to deal with coaching changes throughout his career. He had three quarterback coaches, three offensive coordinators, and two different head coaches in his career. Neill Woelk attributes this as one of the main reasons Montez was inconsistent.

“It’s been hard for Steven to develop any kind of continuity because every year there’s a new quarterback coach saying, okay, this is the way we do things,” Woelk said.

Fans have expected the Buffaloes to have more success with Montez at quarterback, but it never yielded the results of a bowl game. However, Keith McCormick felt empathetic towards Montez with having to go through coaching changes.

“I just felt for the kid,” McCormick said. “(Montez) had a lot on his plate during mid-season last year. I know he was close to coach (Mike) MacIntyre.”

Montez could have foregone his senior season to test the NFL waters but decided to stay. He had some good moments as the quarterback on first-year head coach Mel Tucker’s team. He led the Buffaloes to surprise victories in conference against Stanford and Washington. Although the season did produce its struggles, Tucker stood by Montez the whole season.

“Hats off to Mel Tucker for hanging in with him and letting him finish out his senior year,” McCormick said.

Montez Will Be Remembered As Decent, Not Great Quarterback

Some of Montez’s struggles can be attributed to the coaching changes, but he kept showing the same inconsistencies throughout his time at CU. He was never able to elevate his play enough against good teams, and that will be the knock against him. Steven Montez was a great statistical quarterback at CU, but in reality, he was a decent to average quarterback for the Buffaloes.

McCormick goes up to Boulder for the parade before the first game each year and met Steven Montez at this parade.

“I was taking some video and he walked right past me,” McCormick said. “I took a couple snapshots and a selfie, and he was very professional about it, very friendly and talked with me.”

colorado buffaloes Colorado Buffaloes Football Pac-12 Pac-12 Conference Pac-12 football

The Best Pac-12 NFL Players: Week 14’s Performers from Each School

Zach Ertz and Marcus Peters show how clutch Pac-12 NFL athletes are

Unfortunately, Week 14 was not like last week’s edition of the Best Pac-12 NFL Players. We didn’t see the special teams and defensive touchdowns like we were afforded. Nonetheless, there was still great representation from our conference in Week 14.

The Big List of Pac-12 NFL Performers, College by College

Arizona

Will Parks – Denver Broncos

Down 38-24, with 23 seconds left, Will Parks picked off Deshaun Watson to seal the game. Granted, this was garbage time, but it was still a nice moment for Broncos fans.

Against the Texans, Parks and the Broncos defense played an exceptional game. They racked up three turnovers and helped get the Broncos a 38-3 lead. During this win, Parks totaled five tackles, one pass break-up and one interception.

Arizona State

Damarious Randall – Cleveland Browns

https://twitter.com/RandallTime/status/1204432918531248133

Thankfully, Damarious Randall and Freddie Kitchens are back on good terms. After staying home while the rest of the team went to Pittsburgh, Randall once again got the start.

In this game, his 100-percent snap-share displays that Kitchens and the team worked things out with Randall. On the season, Randall has 40 tackles, 4 pass break-ups, 2 sacks and owns a 70.0 PFF Grade. He’s a great defensive asset.

With his five tackles and coverage play, Randall helped the Browns stay in the playoff hunt.

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Cal

Jared Goff – Los Angeles Rams

Jared Goff has been masterful outside the pocket tonight. #nextgenstats

Next Gen Stats, powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/4HGtiYwDon
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 9, 2019

In the lights of Sunday Night, Jared Goff played well. Though he wasn’t perfect, throwing two interceptions (and one pick-six) to Quandre Diggs, Goff got that W.

Russell Wilson and the Seahawks were the favorite and led the division. However, Goff threw for 293 yards, while leading the Rams to four touchdowns. They protected Goff and he paid off with a modest, nonetheless critical, 95.2 Passer Rating.

Colorado

David Bakhtiari – Green Bay Packers

#Packers @DavidBakhtiari & @PrestonSmith94 continue to lead NFC Pro Bowl fan voting!

📰: https://t.co/nPzeG2hjMn #ProBowlVote | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/hlJ8zDZ3fd
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 10, 2019

Yes, the Packers gave up four sacks against Washington and Rodgers only mustered 195 passing yards. However, David Bakhtiari and the Packers offensive line also blocked for 174 rushing yards.

Aaron Jones took 16 carries for a season-high 134 yards, while Jamaal Williams added 24 and Rodgers 16. Bakhtiari is a fan-favorite and he’s a staple of the Packers offense.

Oregon

Troy Hill – Los Angeles Rams

Keep dominating.

Break it down, @AaronDonald97! 😂 pic.twitter.com/ky4XsqBTQw
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 9, 2019

Currently, Troy Hill is in great form. His 77.9 PFF Grade displays his upside and why he was a smart extension by the Rams. He’s made big plays and helped the Rams win three of their last four games.

In their Sunday night win against the Seahawks, Troy Hill stepped up bigtime as a Pac-12 NFL athlete. He broke up two passes, totaled three tackles and came down with an interception. It was a great day to be a Rams fan.

Oregon State

Jordan Poyer

Since starting with the Bills in 2017- through – Week 14 2019 season, Jordan Poyer is the only safety to be NFL top ten tackler going on 3 seasons in a row!
PRO BOWL – 2020 Vote pic.twitter.com/f50Sqaa8kL
— PapaSmurf (@Lou46157325) December 10, 2019

If there’s one thing Jordan Poyer is, it’s a sure-tackler. Poyer takes players down. Even though the Bills lost to the Ravens, it was still a close game.

Poyer and the Bills defense held Lamar Jackson’s offense to just 24 points. Somehow, against the number one team in the league, the Bills lost by just one touchdown. It’s a statement to Buffalo’s defense right now.

Stanford

Zach Ertz – Philadelphia Eagles

Yes, it was against the 11 and 2 Giants. But still, Zach Ertz came up big. It’s why he earned a top-spot on Unafraidshow’s Pac-12 NFL list.

Carson caps the comeback.

Down 17-3 at half, Wentz hits Zach Ertz for the game-winning TD in overtime.

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/iQvOqgK9ac
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) December 10, 2019

On a night where the Eagles were completely depleted at wide receiver, Ertz stepped up. He caught 9 of 13 targets for 91 yards and two critical touchdowns.

However, we still can’t ignore this laughable moment from Zach Ertz.

Love Zach Ertz opting not to run forward for another wide open 15 yards and deciding to fall down without being touched instead. pic.twitter.com/mu2CbfQ9Xd
— CogginToboggan (@CogginToboggan) December 10, 2019

UCLA

Kenny Clark – Green Bay Packers

Kenny Clark with a really nice rep. Slight shade against the center. Attack and rip through.
I love Kenny Clark. pic.twitter.com/ri1OfMIGAV
— Dusty (@DustyEvely) December 10, 2019

Geez. Kenny Clark is an animal. So strong, powerful. An absolute force to be reckoned with.

At 6-foot-3, 314lbs, it’s impressive how much he can move. He threw Washington lineman aside like dolls and earned 1.5 sacks.

USC

Robert Woods – Los Angeles Rams

Our guy @robertwoods lighting up the Coli on a Sunday night. Give him a #ProBowlVote! #USCtotheNFL pic.twitter.com/yz4xoQUKgw
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) December 9, 2019

Back-to-back-to-back-to-back big weeks for Robert Woods. In his last four games, Woods has at least 6 receptions and 95 receiving yards. His four-week streak includes:

33 Receptions
462 Receiving Yards
29 Rushing Yards
23 First Downs
One well-deserved touchdown

Thank goodness Woods finally found the paydirt. And at the Coliseum, too! What better way to please the Pac-12 NFL fanatics than a USC-alumni touchdown at the Coliseum?

Robert Woods continues to stay hot as the Rams fight their way back to relevance.

Utah

Sam Tevi – Los Angeles Chargers

Meeting Sam Tevi in Jacksonville. #DHBC #BoltFam ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/QweqZ1GPP7
— #DHBC (@diehardboltclub) December 9, 2019

45 to 10. Dominant.

At Jacksonville, the Chargers completely controlled the game. During their big win, Sam Tevi played 90-percent of snaps. He was a big contributor to their 195 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns. Additionally, they only let Jacksonville sack Rivers once. Tevi had himself a great game.

Washington

Marcus Peters – Baltimore Ravens

THE DEFENSE GETS THE FOURTH-DOWN STOP!!!!@marcuspeters MAKES THE PLAY!!! pic.twitter.com/S0MET4q1qG
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 8, 2019

Big-time players make plays in clutch moments. That’s exactly who and what Marcus Peters is… Clutch.

Even though the Rams gave him away to the Ravens, he is playing elite football. Every Pac-12 NFL fan see his level of play. His 85.1 PFF Grade on the season and three pass break-ups against the Bills display this. Peters is right at home on the Ravens. Their secondary is the best in the league and the Rams management have to regret that trade.

Washington State

Gardner Minshew – Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars and @GardnerMinshew5 surprised 50 kids with tonight’s Shop with a Jaguar event pic.twitter.com/vWJIdYe9w4
— Ashlyn Sullivan (@ashlynrsullivan) December 10, 2019

In a blowout loss, Minshew threw for a humble (very humble) 162 yards and one touchdown. But, it certainly wasn’t enough to combat the Chargers’ offense and the Jaguars’ defensive woes.

Honestly, to those that watched the game, it felt like the Jaguars defense phoned this one in. The Chargers ran and passed all over the Jaguars. Jacksonville didn’t have their heart in the game.

Granted, that’s much easier to say coming from the comfort of my own home, while not actually playing football. And we know players like Gardner Minshew gave it their all. It’s just too much on Minshew’s shoulders. He’s shown excellent upside this season, but with injured pass-catchers and a porous defense, it’s too much.

Miss Week 13’s Top Pac-12 NFL Performances?

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Colorado Buffaloes Football Needs to Break “5-7 Curse” In 2020

Karl Dorrell's Quarterback Conundrum Ahead of 2020 Colorado Buffaloes Season

It was an up-and-down season for the 2019 Colorado Buffaloes. After the final whistle blew against Utah on November 30, 2019, the Buffs found themselves at 5-7, an all-too-familiar record.

Laviska was named MVP at the team's annual senior banquet 👏

📝 https://t.co/vdIcwEcvHk pic.twitter.com/ijqMKM6RvS
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 9, 2019

Home Play Needs to Continue to be a Strength in 2020

The 2019 season was the third straight 5-7 season for Colorado Buffaloes Football. What can CU do to break the 5-7 “curse” of sorts? They can build upon the successes in the first year of the Mel Tucker era. No one outside of Boulder expected the Buffs to have November wins against Pac-12 stalwarts Stanford and Washington. Also, every Buffaloes home game was decided by one possession. The Buffs went 4-2 in these games. For 2020, the Buffs will need to build upon their valiant efforts at home against all opponents.

https://twitter.com/Coach_mtucker/status/1203385772335722497?s=20

Road Play Absolutely Has to Improve in 2020

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However, one area where the Buffaloes will absolutely have to improve in 2020 is their road play. Counting out the neutral-site win over Colorado State in College Football Week 1, the Buffs went 1-4 on the road this season. They won their first true road game of the season against then-ranked Arizona State. No one expected the Buffaloes to win this game. Unfortunately, the rest of the road slate for CU turned out as many expected it to. They were outscored 162-42 in their last four road games against Oregon, Washington State, UCLA, and Utah.

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In non-conference play, the Buffs will go on the road to play Colorado State and Texas A&M in 2020. Many will expect the Buffaloes to beat CSU, but no one will expect the Buffaloes to beat Texas A&M. Being competitive in this early season road test against the Aggies will do wonders for Mel Tucker. Fans will feel much more confident in the ability of the Buffaloes to take their relentless attitude on the road.

At home, Colorado will only have one non-conference game against Fresno State next season. Many college football fans, both impartial and partial to the Buffaloes, will hope for them to be 2-1 going into conference play. With two non-conference wins the Buffaloes will need to go 4-5 in Pac-12 play to make a bowl game. This is a huge ask, considering how the Buffaloes have only won four conference games once since joining the Pac-12 in 2011 (eight wins in 2016).

Can the 2020 Colorado Buffaloes Win More Pac-12 Games?

Image result for ralphie run colorado football

Along with the regular Pac-12 South opponents, the Buffaloes will have games against Pac-12 north will play Oregon and Washington State at home while traveling to play Stanford and Washington. The games can be put into two categories: good chance to win and not-as-good chance to win.

Good chance to win: UCLA, Washington State @ Arizona, @ Washington, @ Stanford

Fans should have more confidence in these games due to the Buffaloes being able to beat Washington and Stanford this season. They beat UCLA at home in 2018. Road games are tough to put in this category, as the Buffaloes just were not consistent enough on the road in 2019. Fans will hope that the Buffaloes can go either 3-2 or 4-1 in these games. It is going to come down to playing better on the road for the Buffaloes. With more of his recruits playing there is more pressure on Mel Tucker to get the job done.

Not-as-good chance to win: Oregon, Arizona State, Utah, @ USC

Since joining the Pac-12, CU has been historically bad against Oregon, USC, and Utah. There is no reason to think the Buffaloes will be favored in any of these games. However, they have had a propensity for beating Arizona State the last few seasons. Unfortunately for the Buffaloes and the Pac-12, Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels has the looks of a quarterback ready to take over the Pac-12. If the Buffaloes can win one of these games, however, it may propel them to a bowl berth.

Final Verdict: The 2020 Colorado Buffaloes Will Finish 6-6

Image result for mel tucker colorado football

The Buffaloes are losing arguably their top three players on offense: Quarterback Steven Montez and wide receivers Laviska Shenault, Jr., and K.D. Nixon. The latter two decided to forego their senior season and declared for the NFL Draft. They will also be without standout graduate transfer safety Mikial Onu on defense in 2020.

https://twitter.com/Superstarnixon/status/1204446257910931463?s=20

Finishing 6-6 is an attainable goal for the Buffs. Going 4-5 in-conference is an attainable goal for the Buffaloes, and Mel Tucker will have more of his recruits playing, including Brendan Rice, the son of San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Tucker may also be getting the services of Antonio Alfano, a transfer defensive end from Alabama who has been hyped up locally. Tucker will also be getting a dual-threat quarterback prospect in Brendon Lewis, who is from Melissa, Texas.

Fans will want to see improvement from year one to year two of the Mel Tucker era. It is vitally important for Tucker to make the 6-6 mark. It would bring more exposure to the team nationally and it would help the team’s “relentless” mantra be broadcast to a wider audience, including possible recruits. No one is expecting the next few years of Colorado Buffaloes football to be Bill McCartney-esque, but it is important for Mel Tucker to get the program away from the “just another Pac-12 opponent” label.

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Don’t Fire Your College Football Head Coach Until You Answer 2 Questions

Tis’ Coach Firing Season

Willie Taggart, Chad Morris, and Matt Luke are all college football coaches who were fired, while Clay Helton, Will Muschamp, and Kevin Sumlin were all retained. It is abundantly clear that many college football programs do not make good decisions when it comes to deciding whether to retain or fire their head coaches. So I am here to help. I have come up with a simple, absolutely genius, and foolproof Coaching Test to determine whether or not your head coach needs to be fired. Thanks to social media, fans, and boosters that scream about wanting their coaches fired are now heard except at USC. More often than not get their wish granted.

2019 Coaching Changes

As of December 12th, there have been 15 FBS head coaching jobs that have come open. All of the schools fired their coaches except two. Chris Petersen (Wash) and Jeff Tedford (Fresno St) unexpectedly resigned.

The Power 5 firings happened at Arkansas, Missouri, Florida State, Ole Miss, Boston College, and Rutgers (Is it ok to call them Power 5).

None of these coaching changes were unexpected, but were they justified? Often, coaches are on an extremely short leash and are expected to win now despite the dysfunction they inherited. College football fans and school administrations demand microwave results for problems that took years to make.

Fans and boosters have called for Clay Helton (USC), Tom, Herman (TEX), Gus Malzahn (AUB) fired. But should they be gone as well?

Cost of firing a coach

With some coaches having enormous buyouts, there are obvious financial ramifications to firing a head coach. For instance, for USC to fire Clay Helton they would have to pay out over $20 million for him and his assistants remaining contracts. Kevin Sumlin is another name that rings a bell. The school just paid Rich Rodriguez a buyout and is probably reluctant to pay another so soon.

In addition to financial ramifications of firing the coach, there is often a lot of uncertainty when you don’t know who the next head coach is going to be. Many fan bases that have called for their coaches to be fired are learning a hard lesson. You may get your wish with your coach being fired, but your new coach may be from the “scratch and dent bin.” There are good coaches in the scratch and dent bin, but they aren’t perfect and have some unsuccessful times in their history. But you got what you wanted, a new coach.

Most importantly, recruiting classes are often destroyed when recruits believe a coach will be fired. No matter how good a coach is, he cannot win without players.

Unafraid Show Coaching Test

Every head coach needs to be reevaluated every season. It does not matter whether the coach went undefeated and won the championship or went defeated and zero games. You only need to answer two questions to know whether your coach needs to be fired or not.

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Number one:

Is there a coach that is guaranteed to take your job that is better than your current coach? Example: James Franklin is the head coach at Penn State. In fact, they just gave him an extension. He is winning football games while recruiting well, but PSU would fire him without a second thought if Dabo Swinney or Nick Saban were walking through that door. Often coaches are fired, and the schools have no clue who will replace him. I believe that is part of the reason USC did not fire Clay Helton. They kicked the tires on Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer but ultimately couldn’t get a deal done. So, Helton lives to “fight on” for another day.

Coaches are more often valuing the stability at a top 11-25 job rather than jumping at the chance to coach a top 10 team.

Number Two:

Is there still hope? Can your current coach go into the living rooms of 17-21-year-old players and sell them and their parents on the fact that the future of your program is brighter than the past? Can you make them buy-in, believe, and go all-in with you? If you can’t answer both of these questions in the affirmative, then you need a head coaching change. The Unafraid Coaching Test is a simple and foolproof test. If Athletic Directors and administrators answered these two simple questions every season, they wouldn’t consistently mess up their programs.

This method of determining whether to keep or fire your coach is an easy explanation for the boosters and other influential people around your program. It will keep the waters from being muddied by people with personal agendas and faulty reasoning. When Athletic Directors and administrations listen to the mob of angry fans, they mess up their programs by firing a coach too prematurely, or they rely on their gut/pride and keep the coach too long. The angry mob of fans and boosters change their minds like the wind; their opinions cannot be trusted in the short term. Think about this. Last year Florida State fans couldn’t wait to get Jimbo Fisher out and Willie Taggart in. Now, they would happily take Jimbo back. Texas fans were unsure about Tom Herman’s prospects as head coach. Now the Longhorns fanbase is smiling. Here are a couple of common questions I got when I explained this on the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast:

What if the coach is winning, but he can’t recruit?

If your coach can’t recruit, then he can’t win long term. If he can’t win, there will be a loss of hope. When the loss of hope happens, fire your coach. Don’t fire a winning coach!

Those people that tell you “recruiting stars don’t matter” are delusional. There is no coincidence that the best teams in college football every year finish at the top of the recruiting rankings.

What if the coach recruits well, constantly goes 8-5 or 9-4, and can never get you “over the hump”?

This is clearly referring to the coaches like Tom Herman and Mark Dantonio. These coaches are expected to compete for conference championships and sometimes be in the national championship conversation. Coaches that consistently recruit well stay in around 8-9 wins per season. They are really close to breaking through and will eventually win the conference. But, fan bases aren’t happy with nine wins per season. They want a maximum of one loss per season. It is damn near impossible to put up win totals like Nick Saban every year.

Next time you get into a discussion about whether or not the coach of your favorite college football team needs to be fired refer to the Unafraid Coaching Test.

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The Best Pac-12 NFL Players: Week 13’s Performers from Each School

Defensive and Special Teams Touchdowns Highlight Pac-12 NFL Upside

In this week’s edition, we were graced with incredible play. Vita Vea impressed last week, but week 13 was a treat for football fans! Trick plays, blocked kicks, and unbelievable defensive plays highlight the Pac-12 NFL Players Week 13.