His 156.1 Passing Efficiency Rating and 20-9 touchdown-interception ratio are both good. In the seven games he’s started and finished, Slovis has four wins, three losses. His wins came against Stanford, Arizona, Colorado and Arizona State. When he started, USC lost to BYU, Notre Dame and Oregon. All in all, he’s played well for a rookie.
Star Wide Receivers
#USC WR Michael Pittman Jr. recently accepted his Senior Bowl invitation.
His game against Utah (10 catches, 232 yards, and 1 TD) is a microcosm of what he is as a prospect. pic.twitter.com/ZJ3Szk173s
With all the praise given to Slovis, it’s important to remember that USC’s wide receivers are the stars of the show. In the Pac-12 conference, USC’s top-three wide outs are each top-ten in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Michael Pittman Jr.
71 (No. 1) receptions
938 (No. 1) receiving yards
8 (No. 3) receiving touchdowns
Tyler Vaughns
62 (No. 3) receptions
752 (No. 4) receiving yards
5 (No. 8) receiving touchdowns
Amon-Ra St. Brown
55 (No. 5) receptions
666 (No. 7) receiving yards
5 (No. 8) receiving touchdowns
USC’s Defense
On defense, they’re holding teams to 28.1 points-per-game and 418 yards-per-game. That’s not ideal, considering they’re only averaging 30.5 points-per-game. But, it highlights why they are 6-and-4 and not 8-2.
Why Cal Football will win
Injuries to USC
Unfortunately, USC’s recent health hasn’t been good. Running backs Stephen Carr, Merkese Stepp and Vavae Malepeai were all out. Hopefully Carr and Malepeai can play against Cal. But if not, USC plays without three, key running backs.
More importantly, USC’s Brett Neilon left last week’s game with a calf strain. That calf strain sidelines him for multiple weeks, while Justin Dedich takes over. Adding to that is the health of Kedon Slovis. Again, during the same game against WSU, Slovis dealt with cramps that briefly sidelined him. While he sat out two series, they had to use an IV pump.
After starting out the game 15 of 17 for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns (on the first four drives), USC slumped. They only scored three points the rest of the game. Following the four touchdowns, their drives ended:
5 punts
One fumble
One interception
One turnover on downs
One field goal
If USC isn’t in better health, Cal football takes the W.
While not elite anymore, the Cal football defense is still good. They rank 30th in DFEI, according to footballoutsiders. Their .38 DFEI best USC’s .25 DFEI. Additionally, the strength of Cal’s defense directly challenges the strength of USC’s offense. Cal’s secondary is their best feature, while USC’s talent is in their receiving corps. They’ll have their work cut out for them guarding Michael Pittman Jr., but if anyone can do it, Cal can.
Back when the Cal football program was winning and ranked, Garbers was their guy. Before his Week 5 injury, Garbers led Cal to four straight wins. In five games (one partial), Garbers showcased a 148.1 Passing Efficiency Rating, alongside an 8-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. After years of poor play, Cal actually had an offense. Following his injury, they lost four straight games.
But now, finally throwing without limitations, Chase Garbers is good to go. Even if Justin Wilcox won’t name him as the starter yet, he should be. Garbers played well enough at the start of the season to earn the job. Moreover, Garbers brings a running dimension. Oh, and let’s not forget that Garbers led Cal football to a victory last season against USC.
Wow. That was the worst call of the season. Every Washington State fan should be infuriated. It is despicable what the Pac-12 referees and officials did to their team. While mistakes happen every game, this was without a doubt a horrible penalty. But, even worse, this poor call and what ensued after uncovered pure incompetency by the Pac-12 conference.
For those that missed it, here’s what happened:
Saturday (An Egregious Mistake)
Tough night: a Cal penalty was incorrectly called against WSU. Have word that Harris’ qtr3 KR hands-to-face flag was actually supposed to be against Cal; incorrectly announced against WSU. Plays ran so it couldn’t be rectified. Ball should’ve been at Cal 33; was put at WSU 8
Down 20-11 in the third quarter, WSU’s Travell Harris returns kickoff to the 50-yard line.
WSU penalized for illegal hands to the face. Football placed at WSU 8-yard line.
Referee realizes he made an error. Because the penalty was against WSU, it should have been placed at Cal’s 35-yard line. The drive results in a field goal.
WSU loses to Cal 20-33
Sunday (Incorrect Apology)
Pac-12 Statement
First, the Pac-12 releases the above statement acknowledging “mechanics error”.
In that statement, they claim that WSU was informed of the mistake “After the next play was run”.
In punishment, the Pac-12 suspends referee for one game and crew is “downgraded”.
After realizing his mistake, Matt Richards (referee) decided to wait until the next media break to inform Washington State. Their drive took up 6 minutes and 38 seconds of the game clock…
What this all means for Pac-12 refereeing
Among college football, the Pac-12 is not respected. It’s the ugly duckling of the Power Five. Because of mistakes like this, and other failures of Larry Scott, Pac-12 football is taunted.
For Pac-12 fans, it’s clear that Pac-12 referees are inconsistent and consistently make poor judgment calls. But, it’s one thing to make a mistake as an official. It’s an entirely other issue to have no measures to correct it.
Is this not 2019? Don’t we have booths, staff and video replay? The Pac-12 should utilize on-site and off-site video assistants to make sure that errors like this don’t happen. Honestly, it’s pathetic. Absolutely depressing. Football programs shouldn’t endure Pac-12 referee mistakes that ruin a game. We are better than this.
It’s about time that the Pac-12 owns up to its faults, corrects its mistakes and takes action for the future. Apologies aren’t enough.
What are the Worst Pac-12 Referee Mistakes?
If you remember an official error that is bigger than this one, comment below or Tweet at us!
The PAC-12 has come under fire in recent years for commissioner Larry Scott’s handling of the budget, his personal pay bumps and a lot of other things. The conference needs a good bowl season for a lot of reasons, the least of which is to recoup some money for the member schools to aid them in facility improvements and other areas that could help with recruiting, coach hiring and putting a better product on the field.
The PAC-12 reported a $12.5 million dollar drop in the 2018 fiscal year. This came in part because the Rose Bowl, which is normally a big source of income for the conference, was part of the College Football Playoff semifinal, something that will happen every third year. The Rose Bowl normally features the PAC-12 champion, so the 2019 season will feature a PAC-12 team and help recoup some of that loss from last year.
As for the rest of the league, well they need to step up and get some high-quality bowl game wins if they want to be in a cleaner financial situation next year.
According to the college football playoff’s website; “A conference will receive $6 million for each team that is selected for the semifinal games. There will be no additional distribution to conferences whose teams qualify for the national championship game. A conference will receive $4 million for each team that plays in a non-playoff bowl under the arrangement.
The Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes are the only remaining PAC-12 schools that even have a slight chance of making the semifinals, and neither school is projected to do so at this point. If Oregon wins out they have the best chance of sneaking into a top-four spot, which would make the conference $6 million per team, or $72 million in total.
Other bowl games pay out roughly $4 million to the conference for each team, which will net the PAC-12 somewhere between $8 million and $48 million.
Too many .500 schools
Right now it’s guaranteed that Oregon and Utah will make the conference at least $4 million each. However, every other school in the PAC-12 has a record between 6-4 and 4-6, meaning that all or none of them will be bowl-eligible (at least as many wins as losses) by the end of the season.
That makes it fairly hard to predict how the finances will shake out for Larry Scott and company this year, although it’s probably safe to assume that at least 2-3 other PAC-12 schools will get bowl bids, giving them a $20 million buffer.
The final few weeks of the college football season will be entertaining for a lot of reasons, but the PAC-12’s bowl placement is rarely this wide-open in mid-November, making for a fun yet also heart-attack-inducing few weeks for the commissioner’s office as they try to plan their budgeting going forward.
The Colorado Buffaloes had an opportunity to resurrect their bowl hopes against the Stanford Cardinal at Folsom Field in College Football Week 11. Despite the offense being held in check and the defense giving up another long touchdown pass to start the fourth quarter. They did just that, as Evan Price kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Buffaloes a much needed 16-13 victory. This result may have come as a surprise to people who may not follow the Buffaloes as closely. For Buffaloes fans, it was relieving to see the Buffaloes finally pull out a victory in a close home game after the heartbreaking losses to Arizona and USC earlier in 2019.
Three Phases Complement Each Other From the Onset
The Buffaloes did a good job playing complementary football across all three phases in the first quarter. The offense had not scored an opening-drive touchdown since College Football Week 4 against Arizona State. Mel Tucker took the aggressive approach and chose to receive the football. He did the same against Washington State when it went woefully bad for the Buffaloes, but the opposite would occur this time. Offensively, the Buffaloes looked like the more aggressive team. They were winning the line of scrimmage on their first drive with tough running by Alex Fontenot. Montez would score on a 13-yard scramble, and Tucker’s decision paid off greatly. Montez would become the second player in Colorado Buffaloes history to go over 10,000 total yards on the touchdown run.
Stanford was also able to run the ball on their opening possession. However, once they were knocking on the redzone, the defense tightened and was able to hold them to a field goal.
The special teams recovered a muffed punt after the Buffaloes stalled on their next offensive possession. Unfortunately, they were called for holding on the play, nullifying the fumble. However, the Buffaloes defense would force Stanford into a three-and-out. It finally seemed like the Buffaloes were excelling at playing complementary football.
A Big Mistake for Montez, but the Defense Gets Timely Turnover
On the next drive, the Buffaloes got to Stanford territory. Montez would make a big mistake on a first down. He saw his receiver open to his left, but Stanford senior safety J.J. Parsons picked him off. Fortunately for the Buffaloes, the defense stepped up and only allowed a field goal on the ensuing Stanford possession. The Buffaloes still had the 7-6 lead.
Stanford would get the ball back, and the defense got back to their calling card early in the season: a timely turnover. Safety Derrion Rakestraw would pick off Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello on a deep pass to give the ball back to the Buffaloes. They had 3:42 left to score before halftime. The offense would follow through, as Evan Price kicked a 34-yard field goal. As was the case with the last two home games against Arizona and USC, the Colorado Buffaloes entered the halftime locker room with the lead.
Third Quarter Uneventful, but Defense Falters to Start 4th
Stanford and Colorado were playing their game at the same time as what many in the media were pinning as the “Game of the Year” in College Football 2019. Fans may have had one eye on the Buffaloes while having another eye on how the LSU-Alabama contest was unfolding. With how boring the third quarter was, it would not have been to anyone’s surprise if watching Joe Burrow picking apart the Alabama defense was more entertaining even to die-hard fans of the Buffaloes or Cardinal.
The Buffaloes were able to shut Stanford down the whole game when they crossed the 50-yard line. Stanford had a chance to make it 10-9, but Ryan Sanborn missed the field goal try. The offense was unable to muster much offense on their two third-quarter possessions and did not do much of anything. They punted twice, and Stanford had the ball to start the fourth quarter trailing 10-6.
Colorado had gone a full three quarters without giving up a big play to the Cardinal. However, all Buffaloes fans’ worst fears were realized one minute into the fourth quarter. The defense forced Stanford into a 3rd-and-15 from their own 21-yard line. Unfortunately, they faltered as they let receiver Simi Fehoko pop open. He went through the entire CU secondary to give the Cardinal a 13-10 lead. The defense has given up so many big plays this season to lose games.
The Offense, Able to be Methodical, Does Enough to Win
The offense was able to be the defense’s best friend after the big play. They kept the ball for 12:31 in the fourth quarter. Moving the football methodically, the offensive line started winning the war in the trenches again. Alex Fontenot gained 36 yards on seven carries on the ensuing possession. The Buffaloes had a 3rd-and-2 from the Stanford six yard line. However, Montez missed a wide-open K.D. Nixon for a touchdown to take the lead. Despite being pressured, it was still a throw that a senior quarterback is expected to make. Instead of taking the lead, the Buffaloes had to settle for a field goal to tie the game at 13.
The defense did their job on the ensuing Stanford drive, forcing them into a three-and-out. After the offense held the ball for 6:31 on their last possession, this stop was huge. The Stanford defense was forced back onto the field. The Buffaloes got the ball back with six minutes to play. They had a win in front of them. After fans left Folsom Field disappointed the past three home games, it was time for them to experience the joy of winning.
The Buffaloes were able to methodically get into Stanford territory, but the Cardinal defense stood up and forced them into a 4th-and-1 at the Stanford 34-yard line. It was time for the Buffaloes to let their star player, Laviska Shenault, get the ball. They handed it to him on an inside sweep play, and he muscled his way for a five-yard gain. Stanford did not use any of their remaining timeouts, and the Buffaloes had a win right in front of them.
Evan Price would deliver on a 37-yard field goal, and the Buffaloes finally broke their five-game losing streak. The defense finally broke their 14-game streak of giving up 30+ points, and they did this emphatically. The Buffaloes needed to win one of these close in-conference home games. They finally got a sense of relief at home for the first time since beating Nebraska.
A Momentum Boost for the Buffaloes Heading Into Bye Week
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) November 9, 2019
The Buffaloes sit at 4-6 now, and they still have a chance at a bowl game. However, some may argue that it may take a prayer for them to make it. Winning against a name-brand school such as Stanford is a huge momentum boost for Mel Tucker. It improves team morale and is great for recruiting. Next week, the Buffaloes are on bye, but they will play Washington on November 23, which will be senior day. Steven Montez will have one more chance to build upon his legacy in front of the Folsom faithful.
Washington sits at 6-4 and also is on bye before the play the Buffaloes. Both teams will be well-rested. If any of the Buffaloes’ home games are any indication, fans should be ready for a tightly knit affair. It is up to the Buffaloes to build upon finally winning a close conference home game and continue to show they belong with the name brands of the Pac-12.
Each week, Unafraidshow staff scours box scores, articles, advanced stats, and social media to find the best Pac-12 NFL performances. Which players had the biggest moments in week 10? Which Pac-12 NFL players made the largest impact on their team?
While the Pac-12 is considerably frustrating due to Larry Scott and officiating, Pac-12 NFL players remind us that there’s still football after college. So, enjoy our school by school breakdown no matter where your program is on the Pac-12 Power Rankings.
Arizona
Reggie Gilbert – Tennessee Titans
Honestly, there aren’t many Arizona alumni currently playing in the NFL. Therefore, any Arizona alum getting snaps instantly pops on the list. In their win impressive win against the Kansas City Chiefs, Gilbert played 24-percent of defensive snaps. He logged two tackles.
Is Reggie Gilbert one of the best Pac-12 NFL players in the league? No. But, he’s the best that Arizona has right now.
Arizona State
Terrell Suggs – Arizona Cardinals
Terrell Suggs w 1/2 sack on that drive & gets to Jameis Winston for 1st time.
Winston becomes the 76th different QB Suggs has sacked in his career.
In NFL history only Reggie White & Julius Peppers (77 each) have sacked more different QBs than Suggs. pic.twitter.com/uWkPUgmU3i
Ageless. Against Father Time, Pac-12 NFL superstar Terrell Suggs is still winning. And what a career! He has the opportunity to join Reggie White and Julius Peppers if he sacks one more quarterback. Or, if he somehow can pull it off, Terrell Suggs could leapfrog them and sit atop the list. Incredible.
Even though they lost to Tampa Bay, it wasn’t because of Suggs. In their loss, Suggs racked up:
While not epic, Aaron Rodgers does a great job at leading scoring drives. Most of the time quarterbacks are judged by touchdowns alone. But, it’s important to remember that Aaron Jones ran three touchdowns in.
No, Rodgers didn’t throw a touchdown. This wasn’t one of his highlight games that makes Cal fans scream. However, his team scored three touchdowns and won 24 to 16. It was another one of his “elite game-managing” games. No one does it like Rodgers. He can minimize mistakes, play it safe, all while leading his team to scoring drives.
In Week 10, the Atlanta Falcons were without their top cornerback, Desmond Trufant. Additionally, they had to compete against a healthy Drew Brees. Everyone thought it was going to be an easy blowout.
Against the odds, the Falcons and their secondary held up. Especially because of players like Isaiah Oliver. Oliver racked up six crucial tackles in the second level. Oliver and the Falcons held Drew Brees and company to three field goals. No touchdowns. It was an impossible task, but they carried it out anyway.
It’s the fourth quarter. The Seattle Seahawks are up 21 to 10 and they’ve got the ball back. All of a sudden, DeForest Buckner recovered a fumble and ran it in for a touchdown. It was exactly what the home team needed to get back into the game.
He finished the game with 5 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries and a big touchdown. The 49ers didn’t get the win, due to a shanked kick, but Buckner got hit.
Who would have thought that the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, could make their way back to playoff contention? Somehow, they are. The Steelers are five and four. They’re wildcard hopefuls now.
However, it’s not because of their offense. Their offense still isn’t what it used to be. Nevertheless, Steven Nelson and the Steelers defense is great. They shut down Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams.
Yet again, Eric Kendricks came up big. On fourth down, with 43 seconds left, Kendricks dove and deflected the pass to Ezekiel Elliott. He cemented the win against the Cowboys in a big way.
For the Vikings, Kendricks’ pass coverage is exceptional. His ability to cover tight ends and running backs is truly valuable for the Vikings. Because he’s a sure-tackler and impressive in coverage, he’s one of the best Pac-12 NFL linebackers around.
USC
Ronald Jones – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ronald Jones catches in:
* High school = 7 * Final year at USC = 14 * Rookie season = 7 * Prior to Week 10 = 8 * on Sunday = 8
Ronald Jones can’t catch. Well, at least that’s what everyone thought prior to this game. Jones had a breakout performance as a receiver. Because of this, turned heads and the Buccaneers finally have a running back to match their high-powered offense.
Ronald Jones bouncing off tackles for the score! #AZvsTB@rojo
On the day, Jones caught 8 passes for 77 yards. Moreover, Jones found the pay-dirt. His breakout performance earned him a spot on our Pac-12 NFL list. But, it should more-importantly earn him a bell-cow role on his team.
Perfect. Matt Gay was perfect (if we don’t count his nulled miss because of an offsides call) in Tampa Bay’s win. Three for three for extra points. And, three for three from distances of 30, 45 and 41.
With so many missed kicks in the NFL, it’s nice when a kicker executes his job without mistakes. Kicking is a tough job without glory, but they’re players too. It’s okay to give them credit every now and then.
With Deionte Thompson out, Jalen Thompson played 96-percent of snaps. Against playmakers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Cardinals had their work cut out for them.
But, Thompson played well. They didn’t get the win and Thompson didn’t get any turnovers. However, it was an impressive game for the rookie out of Washington State.
Welcome to the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 12. Overall, it was another wild week in the conference. There is not an oddsmaker in the world that can consistently pick winners. Every team in the conference except Oregon and Utah have between four and six wins. That means up to 10 teams could end up bowl eligible, most of which at 6-6. What a mess.
Another week, another Pac-12 officiating controversy. This time it was so bad, the conference suspended a referee and downgraded the crew. in last week’s power rankings I literally talked about how bad the officiating is, so this exact same statement applies. “The Pac-12 refs managed to steal the show and become the center of attention. The officiating is so bad that even commissioner Larry Scott who said Pac-12 referees were on par with other conferences at Pac-12 Media had to admit what we all know:”
“I sit through a review every single week with David Coleman, the head of our officiating, and I can tell you there’s a significant number of mistakes every week,” Scott said according to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times.
Players and fans deserve better than to have crucial games be affected by horrendous officiating. It’s gotta stop somewhere.
If Oregon and Utah meet with 1-loss in the Pac-12 Championship, the winner should land a spot in the College Football Playoff Top 4.
Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games. The Pac-12 Power Rankings will available on Unafraid Show every Monday morning. Make sure you send your comments and grievances to immad@unafraidshow.com.
Peach—Oregon vs LSU (Playoff) Rose—Utah vs Minnesota Alamo—USC vs Texas Holiday—Washington vs Michigan Sun—OSU vs Virginia Las Vegas—Cal vs Boise State Cheez-It—ASU vs San Diego St Redbox—Stanford vs Indiana
Nothing bad can happen if you don’t play, but the Wildcats did call into last place of the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 12. Kevin Sumlin has allowed his job security to be threatened by refusing to choose a starting quarterback. The team looks awful not only defensively but inconsistent offensively. It is time to turn the page on Khalil Tate and let the era Grant Gunnell begin. They won’t be beating the Ducks in Eugene, so it’s time to plan for the future.
11. Washington State Cougars (4-5, 1-5)
Last Week: 20-33 (L) at Cal
Everybody thinks Mike Leach press conferences are amazing theatre and they regularly go viral for his off the wall content. His name is also constantly mentioned for every head coaching job that opens, even by me. But, why doesn’t the media trumpet his words when he is railing against his players? This week he called a group of his players frauds. Earlier this year he called his team fat, dumb, happy, and entitled.
I was always taught that teams are a reflection of the head coach. So, if the team is all these bad things, what is the head coach?
Mike Leach not a fan of his team, calls them frauds after loss to Cal https://t.co/sv4jZkpj3R
Colorado had given up at least 30 points in thirteen straight games. How is it possible that Stanford only managed to score 13 with KJ Costello at quarterback. For the second season consecutive season, David Shaw’s team has struggled to run the football. Everything we have seen since the beginning of last season says the “intellectual brutality” that Stanford is known for is broken beyond repair. They are either 10th or 11th in the Pac-12 in total offense, passing offense, and rushing offense.
But hey, the way things go in the Pac-12 you know they will put up 30 points at Washington State.
9. Colorado Buffaloes (4-6, 2-5)
Last Week: 16-13 (W) vs Stanford
Colorado looked like they were on pace to one-up last year’s team that lost seven straight games. But, they pulled out an offensive struggle against Stanford. Yes, I meant an offensive struggle. Neither defense is particularly good, but both offenses were completely underwhelming.
I don’t know what Mel Tucker did or said to his team to get them ready to play but he deserves praise because they were going nowhere fast. Can he bottle it up and get the Buffaloes to do it two more times to make a bowl game?
8. Oregon State Beavers (4-5, 3-3)
Last Week: 7-19 (L) vs Washington
Oregon State is much better, but they are still a loooooooooong way away from competing with Washington, Utah, and Oregon. Their offense came into the Washington game scoring over 32 points per game and didn’t score one point. If Jacob Eason didn’t throw the defense a pick-six, OSU would have been blanked.
The only positive this week for the Beaver was the defense showed up and played their best game of the season against Utah. All that talk about a possible bowl game needs to be stopped immediately.
7. Cal Golden Bears (5-4, 2-4)
Last Week: 33-20 (W) vs Washington State
Cal had only averaged 8 ppg since Chase Garbers went down, but they managed to put up 33 on Wazzu. Devon Modster played a great game and used his athleticism to make plays when things weren’t available via the pass. It seems inevitable that Cal will make a bowl game. They are expecting to have Garbers back under center for the last two games of the season.
Justin Wilcox and Tim DeRuyter clearly have the recipe for stopping Washington’s offense and the Air Raid. On the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, we tell you the secret to stopping the Air Raid and where most teams go wrong.
ASU just slept walked through the first quarter against USC. They gave up 28 points, and it looked like they were going to suffer an all-time loss. But the defense buckled down and only gave up a field goal for the rest of the game. If Jayden Daniels had played I believe Arizona State would have won. But, if “ifs and ands were pots and pans, the whole world would be a kitchen”.
The Sun Devils came extremely close to being the last game for a 3rd USC football coach. They previously sent Lane Kiffin and Seven-win Sark packing. But, the Sun Devils have some serious soul searching to do. They started the season 4-1 and are now losers in three of their last four.
5. USC Trojans (6-4, 5-2)
Last Week: 31-26 (W) vs Arizona State
Clay Helton survives to coach another week. USC is going to a bowl game and might finish 8-4. Wouldn’t that be an incredible set of events that may cause Helton to be the head coach next season? There are so many built-in injury excuses for USC’s failures in 2019.
The Trojans clearly have their quarterback for at least the next two years in freshman Kedon Slovis. Every week he seems to be breaking more and more USC passing records.
4. Washington Huskies (6-4, 3-4)
Last Week: 19-7 (W) at Oregon State
Ewww. What an ugly win by Washington. Huskies fans are so angry about the offensive struggles this season but can’t come to a consensus on where the blame lies. Everyone from Chris Peterson, OC Bush Hamdan, the wide receivers, and Jacob Eason has been blamed. It’s weird, but UW still looks like a quality football team despite being 6-4 this season. They are just having trouble closing football games.
Jacob Eason is such an enigma to me. In the Utah game, he made throws in the first half that prove he could be an NFL 1st round pick. Then he proceeded to throw two awful interceptions including a pix-six that turned the game in Utah’s favor.
3. UCLA Bruins (4-5, 4-2)
Last Week: IDLE
Chip Kelly and the Bruins got a week off to scheme something outrageous up tot beat Utah. They have everything to play for. They still control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South and can make a bowl game. Imagine UCLA and much-maligned QB Dorian Thompson beating the Utes this weekend. Yea, I can’t imagine it either.
However, if UCLA does the unthinkable and wins the Pac-12 South I am going to spike the football so hard on everyone who called me crazy in the preseason.
2. Utah Utes (8-1, 5-1)
Last Week: IDLE
Finish the job. Don’t drink the rat poison. If Kyle Whittingham can keep his team focused on one game at a time and not to worry about their CFB Playoff Rankings, they are golden.
Don’t screw it up against Arizona. Last year, Khalil Tate and company put a hurting on the Ducks and flat out embarrassed them. This year, Mario Cristobal needs to make a serious statement to the College Football Playoff committee that they deserve to be in the top 4.
Check back every Monday for the next Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 12.
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.
Listen to the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast
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.
Welcome to the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 12 As it Should Be. Saturday started with seven undefeated teams, and now we are down to five. Firstly, my head may explode if one more person says LSU has four top 10 wins. They don’t. Texas was severely over ranked in the preseason and isn’t even in the top 25 right now. Your wins count for where those teams are ranked now. Rankings should be fair and unbiased, but that’s not the world we live in when preseason polls ultimately affect the final rankings. I’m not sure why I have to explain this but clearly I do.
Secondly, LSU vs Alabama was a great football game. But, the media and fans acting like it was the “Game of the Century” was tiring. Truth be told, there were five other games this season that were just as good.
Texas v LSU, Penn St vs Michigan, Oregon vs Washington, UCLA vs Washington State, Notre Dame vs Georgia
Every year there is always talk about the potential for chaos. I believe we may actually get some wild finishes to the season.
The biggest debate this week will be the #4 spot. Will the committee reward quality wins and schedules or named brands?
College Football Playoff
After the first CFB Playoff Committee rankings, we have enough information to put playoff scenarios together. So here is how it should shake out at this point. Check back here on Tuesday for the Road to the Playoff series where we examine every team’s path to the top 4.
SEC Champion- LSU and Georgia have the inside track to play in the SEC championship. Ironically, Auburn could put the entire SEC out of the playoff by beating UGA and Alabama, then have 2-loss UGA win the SEC championship.
Undefeated or 1-loss Big Ten Winner– (Ohio State/Minnesota/Penn State): The only thing that could mess up the Big Ten selection is if 2-loss Wisconsin wins the Big Ten Championship.
Clemson– They have no competition in the ACC so they will finish undefeated with a string of blowout victories.
Pac-12 Champion– (Oregon/Utah) If both teams finish the season 11-1 the conference championship game will feature a top 10 showdown. And both teams are playing exceptional football right now.
The Big 12 is in trouble. Baylor can’t score and Oklahoma can’t play defense and there are no signature wins possible to jump other teams.
The way this season is shaping up, everyone may be on board with an 8 team playoff. There will be so many 1 loss teams who will be deserving of a chance to play for a championship. Wouldn’t it just make more sense to have the five Power 5 champions and highest-ranked Group of 5 team to get automatic bids? There would still be two spots left for at-large bids. You would always get the best and most deserving teams in the tournament. That might actually cause teams to schedule better non-conference games because they would know they could still get in the CFB Playoffs with 1-2 losses. Fans would then get better games.
The Rules: No Bias, No Bull College Football Rankings
There is no more unbiased ranking out there than Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6. I get criticized from time to time by people who only want to see the college football world through the lens of the AP Poll. These rankings are not going to look like the AP Poll. Open your eyes to see a different view of evaluating the top 10. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. After the preseason rankings, only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games.
I re-rank the top 10 every Sunday from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change, sometimes drastically every week because we will have new information. So make sure to come back every Sunday. For reference, you can check College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 11.
College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 10:
Next Up: Florida, Baylor, Wisconsin, Michigan
Baylor has looked awful offensively in back-to-back weeks. Nothing about this team makes me believe they can beat any of the top 10 teams. They were #9 last week but can’t crack the CFTAISB this week.
10. Penn State (8-1)
Last Week: 26-31 (L) at Minnesota
PSU drank the “rat poison”. They showed up to Minnesota thinking they were all that and got punched in the mouth. The Nittany Lions tried to fight back but came up short. It was troubling to see their secondary have so many miscommunications and leave receivers wide open. And it was a very inopportune time for quarterback Sean Clifford to throw three interceptions.
All is not lost though. Penn State can still get to the Big Ten Championship by knocking off Ohio State.
9. Oklahoma Sooners (8-1)
Last Week: at 42-41 (W) vs Iowa State
Oklahoma’s defense is a real problem. No lead is safe because they cannot stop anyone. Part of the reason things got so bad against Iowa State is that injuries have caused them to be extremely thin in the secondary. The defense has struggled against Kansas State and Iowa State. So, imagine what Clemson, LSU, or Ohio State would do to Oklahoma.
Jalen Hurts had another great performance with over 330 total yards and five total touchdowns. But that was almost not enough. I would be surprised if the Sooners finish the rest of the season undefeated because they are playing with fire.
8. Minnesota (9-0)
Last Week: 31-26 (W) vs Penn State
Minnesota made a believer out of all the doubters. They clearly felt disrespected by the CFB Playoff committee ranking them #17.
It was a good thing that Minnesota signed PJ Fleck to that huge contract extension before the Penn State game. It would have cost more after Saturday. The Golden Gophers are for real. They have a humongous offensive line. I’m not sure I have ever seen a line this big. The secondary is extremely opportunistic. They can’t beat Iowa, Wisconsin, then Ohio State… right?
The name of the name is “win and you are in” for the Golden Gophers.
7. Georgia Bulldogs (8-1)
Last Week: 27-0 (W) vs Missouri
Georgia won 27-0 but it was not a very impressive win. The defense looked very good against an average Missouri offense. But, the offense was pretty pedestrian. The Bulldogs only managed 339 yards of total offense and wasn’t very explosive.
Their loss to South Carolina looks even worse this week after the Gamecocks lost to Appalachian State. Georgia is a very talented team but I can see a scenario where they drop another game before the SEC championship. Kirby Smart plays much too conservative to win anything.
Check out our Pac-12 Football Podcast, Pac-12 Apostles:
The Utes are by far the most underrated team in college football. If they mess around and sneak in the playoff, they can shock the world. Their defense is experienced and physical. Utah’s quarterback, Tyler Huntley may be having the best season of any quarterback in the Pac-12.
Some are even arguing they are better than the Oregon Ducks. If you haven’t watched them play, Florida would be a really good comparison except UF has more explosive wide receivers.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1)
Last Week: 41-46 (L) vs LSU
Bama hadn’t played anybody with a pulse all year. When they finally did play their first top 25 team (TAMU is currently unranked), or team with a pulse, they lost. The Crimson Tide were not battle-tested while LSU had played Texas, Florida, and Auburn.
Tua fought hard and showed a lot of heart, but LSU was just too much. Most of the second half defensive stops had more to do with Joe Burrow missing throws than Alabama’s defense. It is clear that Bama is supremely talented offensively, but their defense is not what we are accustomed to. It would take a lot of chaos for Alabama to be deserving of a playoff spot.
They would need LSU to lose twice to make it to the SEC championship game. And if Bama were to beat Auburn, it would be their only quality win.
4. Oregon Ducks (8-1)
Last Week: IDLE
I would be pissed if I were Oregon. All week most of the national media debated their CFB Playoff chances and dismissed their defense and ability to compete with their preseason darlings. Expect Mario Cristobal to try and run up the score on their next three opponents before the Pac-12 championship to make a statement..
This is Oregon’s best team since the 2015 team that went to the CFB Championship in 2015. East coast bias will try and dismiss the Ducks, but this is a complete football team. They are one of the few teams in the nation who are tops in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense.
People thought the Pac-12 was out of the CFB Playoff conversation. But eleven weeks into the season Oregon and Utah are squarely back in the conversation.
3. Clemson Tigers (10-0)
Last Week: 55-10 (W) at NC State
This game was over after Clemson scored 28 points int he first quarter. How is the ACC so bad?
What Clemson is missing schedule, they make up for with dominance. It’s crazy to me that so many people knock Clemson’s schedule while barely mentioning Alabama’s weak schedule. At least the Tigers tried to have a good schedule. They play their conference games plus South Carolina and Texas A&M to bring them to ten Power 5 games. Bama scheduled Duke, NMST, So. Miss, and WCU.
Clemson doesn’t have any obvious opportunities for quality wins on the schedule, so it is crucial they finish the season undefeated.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0)
Last Week: 73-14 (W) vs Maryland
The suspension to Chase Young and people questioning their #1 ranking only made Ohio State mad. They put a hurting on Maryland. If this where high school football in Arizona or New York, OSU head coach Ryan Day would be fired for running up the score. Not only did they score 73 points, but they also racked up 705 yards of total offense, and held Maryland to 139 yards.
We are a week away from the meat of the Buckeyes schedule. They play Penn State and Michigan after they destroy Rutgers this upcoming weekend.
Chase Young being suspended over a loan he says he repaid only makes the #NIL situation worse for the NCAA. They will already be trying to push whatever “collegiate model” means as meaningful change but people and the states won’t be going for it.https://t.co/dPiwPEgyMi
LSU looks so unstoppable on offense. They can throw the ball downfield or run teams over. Joe Burrow cemented himself at the very least a Heisman finalist, if not sewing up the win. My biggest concern is this defense that has given up 38 points or more three times this season. But the good news is the offense is so potent LSU can win a shootout. Make no mistake, this is not an Oklahoma defense situation.
It is impossible to deny the Tigers’ body of work up to this point. Overtaking the #1 team in the College Football Top 10 As It Should Be Week 12 when the #1 team has been as dominant as Ohio State is a difficult task. But, LSU’s schedule played so far has been better and they knocked off Alabama last week.
Check back next Sunday morning for the College Football Top 10 Power Rankings Week 12.
It’s unbelievable what Tyler Huntley is doing this season. Against Washington (at Washington), Huntley made play after play. His 85.0 PFF grade and 139.6 Clean Passer Rating show this. Moreover, Huntley was incredible on third down.
Tyler Huntley on 3rd down today: 8-9, 143 yards, 1 TD, 7-10 first down conversions
3rd and 4, incomplete 3rd and 10, 31 yds 3rd and 21, 11 yds 3rd and 8, 9 yd TD pass 3rd and 6, 11 yds 3rd and 5, 2 yds 3rd and 3, 12 yd rush 3rd and 12, 41 yds 3rd and 8, 14 yds 3rd and 6, 23 yds
Even with Zack Moss averaging 3.7 yards-per-carry, it didn’t matter. Because Tyler Huntley proved he could take over a game. And he did it all on an injured leg!
Leading the Utes to a come-back win against the Huskies solidifies his position at the top of Pac-12 quarterbacks.
Tyler Huntley’s Efficiency
This 2019 season, the Pac-12 has a host of talented quarterbacks. Justin Herbert is currently projected to get drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. Additionally, Jacob Eason earned praise for his NFL arm-strength and Anthony Gordon leads the FBS in passing yards and passing touchdowns. It’s an excellent year for Pac-12 quarterbacks. However, based off the metrics, it is actually Tyler Huntley that is currently the top Pac-12 quarterback.
While Tyler Huntley ranks 30th in passing yards (2,062) and 64th in passing touchdowns (11), his efficiency is off the charts! Currently, Tyler Huntley leads all Pac-12 quarterbacks in Passing Efficiency Rating (182.5), NFL Passer Rating (124.6) and ESPN’s QBR (96.0). His 182.5 Passing Efficiency Rating ranks 5th among qualified FBS quarterbacks. After watching Utah Utes games and pouring over stats, Huntley’s accuracy is phenomenal. This is NFL-level precision.
Touchdown to Interception Ratio
As said above, Huntley has just 11 passing touchdowns this season. But, he’s only thrown one interception. Additionally, Huntley carried the ball into the end zone four times. His 11-1 touchdown to interception ratio is great, especially considering his four rushing scores.
He’s not a game manager
Whether on broadcasts or Twitter, Tyler Huntley’s been labeled a “game manager”. Because of his lower counting stats (yards and touchdowns), combined with Utah’s defensive and rushing prowess, it’s an easy judgment to make. Though easy, it’s inaccurate.
Game managers don’t let the ball fly like Huntley. They keep passes short and safe. Yes, he doesn’t throw the ball as often as other college quarterbacks. But, when he does, he isn’t afraid to take shots. His 10.8 yards-per-attempt and 11.7 adjusted yards-per-attempt both rank fourth in the nation. No other Pac-12 quarterback tops him in either of those categories.
Should Tyler Huntley be in the Heisman Conversation?
So, in review, Tyler Huntley ranks higher than all other Pac-12 quarterbacks in:
Passing Efficiency Rating
NFL Passer Rating
ESPN’s QBR
Yards-Per-Attempt
Adjusted Yards-Per-Attempt
It’s time to give Tyler Huntley the reigns of the Utah Utes offense. Let him show Pac-12 and the rest of college football what he’s made of. He’s already proven that he can be efficient and productive when called upon. Huntley, even with a bum-leg, can carry his team. If he leads his team to a Pac-12 title and college football playoffs, he has to be in the conversation.
Huntley is accurate, efficient, impressive and leads a strong offense. He’s an elite college quarterback and should be treated as such.
Pac-12 NFL players are Still Shining in the Spotlight
Unafraidshow, due to popular demand, is once again going College by College to give the best Pac-12 NFL players Week Nine. Each school gets at least one alumni and top-performer. No one is left out. Even if Washington can’t finish a game, at least Husky fans can watch Shaq Thompson light up defenders. Stanford fans tired of losing? Watch Christian McCaffrey put defenders on skates. It’s still a good year to be a Pac-12 NFL fan.
The Best Pac-12 NFL Performances, Program by Program
Unfortunately, Dane Cruikshank wasn’t able to tackle Colin Jones on the Carolina Panthers’ fake punt. While Cruikshank hit Jones shy of the first down, Jones pushed to the first down.
However, aside from that painful moment, Cruikshank played well on special teams. He totaled two tackles (one solo) and a blocked PAT. It wasn’t the best game for the special-teamer. But, he still made plays when he could.
Lamar Jackson is an unbelievable talent. Even with Russell Wilson in the NFL, no other quarterback is as elusive as Jackson. He consistently makes plays with his legs that no other player could. And yet, Lawrence Guy (Pac-12 NFL standout) was able to get to him.
In a 40 to 34 win against the Buccaneers, the Seahawks defense didn’t show up in a dominant way. However, Mychal Kendricks was a Pac-12, NFL difference maker . He came away with four tackles (three solo), one pass defended, one stuff and one tackle for a loss.
But, his biggest play came against left tackle Donovan Smith. Kendricks bull-rushed Smith into Jameis Winston. It forced a fumble and Rasheem Green recovered it and returned it 36 yards. All in all, it was an excellent showing for the linebacker.
As a running back, Phillip Lindsay has so much going against him.
Size: 5-foot-7, 184lbs
Drafted Capital: Undrafted
Snap Share: 51.4-percent
Nonetheless, Lindsay and his 4.44 wheels make splash plays again and again. How could Pac-12 NFL fans root against him? Efficiently, Lindsay finished the day with 9 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown. Lindsay also created 40 yards and evaded two tackles. He was instrumental in the Denver Broncos’ 24 to 19 win against the Cleveland Browns.
In the 24 to 19 win, Justin Hollins played 24 snaps and totaled just two tackles. However, it was a big day for Hollins.
Regardless of all other stats, Justin Hollins gets the credit today because he claimed his first sack. The fifth-round rookie out of Oregon took down quarterback Baker Mayfield and earned his big moment.
Oregon State
Matt Moore – Kansas City Chiefs
Yet again, Matt Moore impressed. In his three games (two started), Matt Moore’s stats include:
59 completions on 90 attempts (65.56-percent)
659 yards
4 touchdowns
Zero interceptions
102.0 Passer Rating
Two wins
This week, against the Vikings, Moore completed 71.4-percent of his passes with an average yards-per-attempt of 7.9. It was by far his best game. Additionally, even though he was hurried four times, he didn’t throw an interception. Moore is exactly what the Kansas City Chiefs needed while Patrick Mahomes is healing.
Come on man. Christian McCaffrey’s success makes it impossible to give anyone else from Stanford a highlight. 166 yards, 3 touchdowns, 5 evaded tackles. My goodness man. Will the carnage ever stop?
He’s this generations Marshall Faulk or LaDainian Tomlinson. In 2019, McCaffrey is playing at a level far above every other running back. We all get to witness his greatness. Stanford, well done. You’ve got the best Pac-12 NFL running back.
Kolton Miller keeps it a hundred. Because, Miller played every offensive snap of the Oakland Raiders first nine weeks. He’s their best offensive lineman and he continues to show promise.
Against the Detroit Lions, Miller and the offensive line set the stage. They racked up 171 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns and allowed just 1 sack. It was a great day for the second-year tackle.
Even with two weak holding penalties, the New York Giants still couldn’t do much against Tyron Smith. Against the free-falling Giants, the Dallas Cowboys rolled up 172 rushing yards and also kept Dak Prescott clean. Prescott, without being sacked, was able to pass for three touchdowns, while Ezekiel Elliott ran for 139 yards on 23 carries.
Smith, at 28 years old, is still a great offensive tackle. Even in an off-year, he owns a 74.5 PFF grade. On the season, he’s been penalized five times and has allowed just one sack. He’s a dominant force on the Cowboys offensive line. Prescott and Elliott are lucky to have him.
Utah
Eric Rowe – Miami Dolphins
Eric Rowe's versatility allows Coach Flores to give the defense different looks.
Oh. My. Goodness. The Miami Dolphins won a game! Can you believe it?
Well, in that game, Eric Rowe stood out. He helped keep Sam Darnold and the New York Jets at bay. Primarily covering tight-end Ryan Griffin when in coverage, he was only targeted once. It wasn’t completed.
Additionally, Rowe added four tackles (three solo) and was on the field for 97-percent of the Dolphins defensive snaps. Though the Dolphins are in tank-mode, at least Rowe is making his presence known.
Though Halloween is over, Shaq Thompson is still a monster. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill knows this first hand. Versus the Tennessee Titans, Thompson was everywhere. He racked up:
11 tackles (10 solo)
2 stuffs
3 sackles for a loss
One quarterback hit
One sack
It was by far his best game of the season. Next week, the Green Bay Packers have to keep Aaron Rodgers and company away from this beast.
Washington State
Andre Dillard – Philadelphia Eagles
Let’s give a big shoutout to our guy Andre Dillard! The rookie LT locked down the all-pro Khalil Mack all day yesterday. 🔒
It goes without saying that Khalil Mack is elite. Nevertheless, Andre Dillard locked him down. He limited Mack to just one quarterback hit and zero sacks or forced fumbles.
How about that? A 24-year old rookie went toe to toe with Khalil Mack and got the better of him. Dillard looks like a stud left tackle and a future pro bowler.
