Pac-12 Football: Cal Golden Bears Looking Good After Spring Game

On a beautiful spring day in Berkley, California, the California Golden Bears open up the gates and welcome everyone to the Spring Game and showcase its talent.

The Cal Golden Bears football team finished last season with a wining record of 7-6, giving them just their third winning season in nine years. Looking forward, the PAC-12 conference appears to be wide open and the Bears are poised to bring back 13 players from last seasons stingy 10th ranked defensive units.

The defense features Sr. ILB Evan Weaver a 2nd team All-American, and redshirt Jr. CB Camryn Bynum, leader of the #Takers, the defense, is working towards being even better.

The #Takers, Cal’s defensive back unit was live on the scene when sophomore Safety Daniel Scott made a beautiful play. Dropping back into zone coverage Scott read the eyes of quarterback Robby Rowell and elevated snagging an interception.

Cal Golden Bears gear at Fanatics.com

Kuony Deng the 6-foot-6 Jr. ILB dropped back into coverage and somehow managed to avoid detection from sophomore City College of San Francisco transfer Jack Newman, and get setup with for a pick-6.

Transfer student Deon White, OLB, laid down the Hitstick “Crush of the Game” when he stuffed a Gun zone run and completely blew up the ball carrier. The Bears have a long way to go and will find it difficult to fill the shoes of Jordan Kunaszyk, but they appear ready to #EarnIt and be up to the challenge.

Cal Golden Bears gear at Fanatics.com

Offense

Cal has 4 quarterbacks on the roster Chase Garbers, UCLA transfer student Devon Modster, freshman Robby Rowell, and Jack Newsome. Collectively in the spring game the quarterbacks went 23-32 177 yards 1TD 2INTS. Modster recorded the only passing touchdown of the day and would finish 6-7 27 yards and 1TD. Garbers completed 7-10 for 60 yards with a rushing touchdown. Rowell looked sharp early with the ball coming out on time and with zip. He had the offense in a nice rhythm up until feeding Scott the interception. Rowell’s stat line was 7-10 for 68 yards and 1INT.

Offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin has his work cut out for him as the Bears offense seeks ways to put more points on the board. Returning quarterback Chase Garbers appears to be the likley starter, and his confidence in his ability in the passing game is growing. Last years Bears scored 280 total points and averaged 21.5 points per game.

Baldwin must also find ways to replace Patrick Laird’s production. Laird’s 223 carries accounted for 47% of the run game and his 9 scoring plays (5 rushes, 4 receptions) were 29% of the Bears 29 scores in 2018.

Luckily for Bear enthusiasts everywhere, the 2019 have a healthy sized stable of young workhorses ready to carry the load. Alex Letherda had a team longest run of 29 yards, and would finish the afternoon with 12 carries for 76 yards. Deshawn Collins rushed nine times for 39 yards including a 2yd TD run. The Bears offense appears to be featuring two special players.

Dancing Dancy and J-Hawk

Marcel Dancy turned in one of the top performances of the day, Dancy is a playmaker with vision, speed, power, hands, some shimmy/wiggle, and an ice cold spin move. Dancy would finish the day with 8 carries for 33 yards and a TD, he would also catch 3 passes for 29 yards including this 16 yard catch and run ending in pay dirt.


Jeremiah Hawkins introduced himself to the Golden Bear family with impressive displays of speed, moves, and a punishing stiff arm. Hawkins brings a very much needed shot in the arm to the speed department. What shouldn’t be understated is Hawkins knowledge of how to use his speed. Knowing that the best application of it is actual changing speeds and mixing it up so as to throw off the timing of defenders.

These two dynamic young players look to factor in heavily into Cal’s offensive attack and rightfully so. Dancy runs with power can churn through tackles and freeze defenders in their tracks when he puts them through spinning off of defenders.

Hawkins is 5-foot-8 185 pounds of pure dynamite, and if he’s not blowing past you, he’s embarrassing you with a smooth peel-back block or a merciless stiff-arm to the ground. Hawkins is one tough cookie, and we should hope that he has remedied his ball security issues.

Two Ways to Improve College Football Playoffs and the Pac-12

Pac-12 College Football Playoff

Recently, Larry Scott said it was “painful” that the Pac-12 once again missed College Football Playoffs. It’s a regular lament because it seems like the Pac-12 is always left out. Every college football fan, athlete or staffer knows that the Pac-12 is the odd one out. Washington and Oregon are the only teams from the Pac-12 to make it. Just 2 out of 24. Not good for the Pac-12.

So, the idea of expanding the college playoffs or bringing more parity to the selection process sounds perfect. First off, College Football Playoffs are a huge success. It was a long time coming and fans of all programs and divisions love it. With a four-team playoff, rather than selecting just two teams, college football moved to greater competition. From that, it was easier to conclude with the rightful champion.

Now, in its sixth year of success playoffs, the FBS needs to evolve further. For the sake of fans, collegiate programs and football itself.

Expand College Football Playoffs to Eight Teams

First off, the easiest way to increase the likelihood of crowning the just champion is to increase the sample size. Honestly, the NFL has 32 teams and still lets 12 into the playoffs. On the other hand, the FBS has 130 football programs (64 from Power-Five conferences) and only selects four. From such an abundant source of talent and diversity, the current four-team playoffs is restrictive.

Considering how slow and/or unwilling college football is to change, it’s best to keep an expansion small. Adjusting College Football Playoffs from four teams to six or eight is ideal. With six teams, the first and second-ranked teams are afforded a bye. Essentially, With eight teams, playoffs would be similar to the NCAA basketball tournament seeding. But, drastically smaller.

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With each set up, there would be three rounds of College Football Playoffs. This would work best for multiple reasons. First, as said above, expanding to more teams gives college football a clearer, less controversial champion. Additionally, it would add to revenue. As everyone knows, the NCAA loves money (even though it only pays college athletes more than a 550 dollar gift for bowl participation). So, instead of just three playoff games, there would be five to seven. Fundamentally doubling the amount of big-time matches and viewers.

Does Larry Scott support expansion?

Yes. But also no.

“I completely get that it would really release the pressure of being the one that’s been on the outside looking in the most in the first six years to say that automatically we’ve got our champion [in],” Scott said Thursday. “But we also have agreements through 2026 [the championship game] that I think will be very challenging for us to all agree how we’re going to amend and change.”

Larry Scott

Even though expanding playoffs to six or eight teams increases the odds the Pac-12 makes it in, Larry Scott needs a guarantee. He supports an eight team expansion only if each Power-Five conference champion gets a spot in the tournament. This makes sense for Scott because he wants to end the Pac-12’s embarrassing record of playoff participation.

However, he’s wrong in his idea. For two major reasons. First and foremost, expanding the playoffs automatically helps the Pac-12. It lowers the risk of a Pac-12 snub. Because the Pac-12 has little leverage in the situation, he can’t ask for more. Additionally, he’s misguided because mandating that each Power-Five conference champion gets in lowers college football parity. What if the overall competition of the ACC or Big Ten was significantly lower than Pac-12, SEC or Big 12? That hurts the playoff picture.

Granted, an eight-team playoff model like Ross Dellenger depicted would be extremely exciting. Five auto-bids, two at-large and one group of five sounds excellent. Nonetheless, greater freedom in selection creates a chance for greater competition.

Larry Scott refuses to give up the Rose Bowl

Also, of note, Larry Scott and the Pac-12 would be protective of the Rose Bowl. Yes, history is on his side. The Rose Bowl and the Pac-12 have over a century of history together. Nonetheless, Scott needs to be willing to change, to adapt and to give in order to gain. Yes, the Rose Bowl means a great deal for Pac-12 fans. It’s a monumental bowl game. With that being said, the audience would grow substantially if the Rose Bowl had greater competition. If the FBS combined the Rose Bowl, college football’s oldest bowl game, with playoffs each year, ratings and excitement would follow.

Yes, Scott and the Pac-12 have every right to be protective of the Rose Bowl. It’s ours. However, in order to increase the chance of a Pac-12 champion, the Pac-12 must be willing to sacrifice it’s most historic safety blanket. Keep in mind, there could also be a happy medium. If a Pac-12 team gets into the playoffs, they could get automatic entry into the Rose Bowl game. And if they missed the six or eight team playoff selection, they would sacrifice the Rose Bowl. It’s a risk, but one the Pac-12 needs to take.

Play at Least 10 Power-Five Opponents

In addition to Scott, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby also added his own idea. Bowlsby suggested a new requirement for College Football Playoff selection.

  • Each Power-Five team has to play at least ten Power-Five opponents

Excluding conference championship games, only Clemson and Oklahoma played nine, regular season, Power-Five opponents. Ohio State chose to play Florida Atlantic, Cincinnati, and the Miami Redhawks. Likewise, LSU scheduled Georgia Southern, Northwestern State, and Utah State. If they played one more Power-Five team, it’s completely possible they would have an additional loss.

In order to make College Football Playoffs, each team selected needs to have at least ten (excluding conference championships) games against Power-Five opponents. If 2018 Notre Dame can do it, any program should be able to.

Reaction: Is Jim Leavitt Leaving the Oregon Ducks? Why? What’s Next?

Jim Leavitt Oregon Ducks Mario Cristobal Fired

*updated 7:43am 2/14/19

Reports came out Wednesday evening that the Oregon Ducks would be parting ways with their defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt. Yet, no official statement has been made by the university or Jim Leavitt. He did remove “Oregon LB coach/defensive coordinator” from his Twitter profile. And Bruce Feldman tweeted that Oregon and Jim Leavitt have reached a financial settlement. The biggest questions are why have Leavitt and head coach Mario Cristobal struggled to co-exist, and will he be fired, resign, or will they make up? There had been grumblings of discord within the coaching staff for the quite some time. Apparently, those frustrations have come to a head.

There are four possibilities in this situation: Oregon fires Leavitt and pays out the rest of his contract, Leavitt resigns, Oregon fires Leavitt for cause, or athletic director Rob Mullens and the rest of the decision makers get the coaches to work out their differences.

It seems unlikely that the Ducks would want to fire Leavitt who is under contract through January 31, 2022, at $1.7 million per year. Technically, that could be done, but that would be a high price to pay to get Leavitt to go away. It also seems extremely unlikely that Leavitt just quits without having another job lined up. He would forfeit the remaining money he is guaranteed. I don’t know one person who would leave that kind of money on the table. If Leavitt did something for Oregon to fire him for cause, we would have heard about it before now. So, that leaves Leavitt and Cristobal kissing and making up as a viable option.

What will the fallout be if Leavitt leaves? Will players enter the transfer portal? Who will be the next defensive coordinator?

Download the podcast with more details or watch the video. Leave a comment


Washington QB Jake Browning Doesn’t Hear Social Media ‘Crowd Noise’

Jake Browning Rose Bowl Washington

While social media tends to rule the athletic landscape, for Jake Browning, it’s just another distraction.

When going into the Rose Bowl, or any major bowl game for that matter, reporters always try and get into the headspace of the athletes. And rightfully so. This is an era of “seen or be seen.” Often times, athletes take to social media to make sure that even when the lights are off, they’re still under the spotlight. But for Washington quarterback Jake Browning, an area discussed at media day was his social media habits, and how they affected his preparation.

All sports figures receive criticism and praise, but something that’s always worth discussing–whether good or bad–is how athletes handle themselves when adversity hits. This is often what separates good coaching from great coaching, and it occurs sooner than people realize.

For Jake Browning, this “culture” occurred in high school.

When asked how Browning learned to dismiss criticism or praise, he said, “It’s something that my high school coach kind of made me do. So it was kind of a habit I already had.” Browning continues, “I think you have to limit the avenues people can reach you. If you’re all over social media and promoting yourself and all that, when you don’t do well, people will be all over you.”

Browning also touched upon the issue that everyone presents when athletes are criticized, “You can say it doesn’t affect you, and you’d be lying, because I’m a pretty reasonable person and people say some unreasonable stuff, and then you want to rip into this guy… that’s some random person you don’t even know. [It] takes energy away from getting ready for the next game.”

Jake Browning says he doesn’t have Twitter.  “I think it’s the worst one.” Dovetailing back to his comment on limiting people’s ability to reach you on social media, conditioning yourself to eliminate that level of noise is a virtue few players lack in an era where self-marketing is the only is the only static way athletes can capitalize off their talents when their playing days are over, or when they go to the NFL.

A significant part of player conditioning is in the mental state, and that’s often overlooked. ” I think a lot of average people look at me [and ask], ‘What’s make this guy so special?'” Said Browning. “It’s hard work. I’ve prided myself on doing things that other people aren’t willing to do preparation-wise.”

As for as what Browning has done to prepare beyond what others are doing, he said, “There’s nothing special. Just watching more film and preparing harder, getting the sleep and hydration and all that stuff.” Browning continued by mentioning that taking care of his body is a huge priority, but that his routine isn’t particularly “special,” it’s just more how he spends his time that affects how he feels for practices.

Publicity can certainly influence how a player feels, and Browning mentioned in the Rose Bowl press conference that he feels as though he is a better quarterback than he was a few years ago because it’s just the natural progression. He contributes several things to his improvement, however. “I do a better job not forcing the issue on certain things. Letting a play die. Taking a sack. For me, I’ll kind of scramble around sometimes, and on the pass, I’ll kind of take some bad sacks just trying to make too much happen. Sometimes you’ve got to cut your losses and take the four-yard sack instead of the 15-yard sack.”

For the senior quarterback, those are lessons you learn with time, but without the distractions of social media, it’s allowed Browning an opportunity to focus on his progression in a way that allows him to realize his mistakes without others pointing them out first. It’s, perhaps, a level of accountability that’s become lost on a generation that has grown used to seeing in real-time, praises and criticisms that often filter moods and feelings.

Pac-12 Conference: Five Things Must Change to Keep Pace in College Football

Pac-12 conference larry Scott

The Pac-12 is called the “Conference of Champions” because it boasts the most national championships in all of college athletics. That statement is true. Yes, it’s nice and fun to win track, volleyball, softball, baseball, and golf championships. But the reality is that college football is king and the Pac-12 conference hasn’t won a national championship since USC in 2004. If the leadership stays on the current course, only God knows when it will happen again. I will examine the problems the conference faces and the steps it needs to take to remedy them. I promise not to even mention the officiating and replay drama.

1. Admit There is a Problem/Speak Up

The first step to recovery is admitting there is a problem. It seems that everyone outside of Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott realizes the Pac-12 is at the beginning stages of a free fall behind the other four power 5 conferences. Public perception, revenue-sharing payout projections, television contracts, officiating, and conference play schedules are all bad.

The Big Ten and Big XII commissioners have been outspoken when they believe their teams have been slighted by the CFB Playoff committee. They are 100% right to do so because the reality is that there is a tremendous imbalance in the schedules which affects rankings. The ACC and SEC play eight conference games while the Pac-12, Big Ten and Big XII all play nine. In contrast, when Pac-12 teams get slighted the conference just takes it in stride and makes no waves. Here was commissioner Larry Scott’s statement about Washington State being left out of the New Years’ Six Bowls:

“Washington State University had a fantastic season, a very strong record, and captured the attention of the nation with their thrilling style of play and remarkable competitiveness in every game.  While we are disappointed that they were not selected for a New Year’s Six bowl, we made the case for Washington State to the selection committee through the established communications protocols, and we were aligned in our approach with Washington State in this regard.  At the same time, we know that the selection committee has difficult decisions to make, and we respect the committee and its members.”

Does this sound like the statement of anyone who is willing to demand change? Or does this seem like the statement of someone who just takes what they can get? My mom always said the squeaky wheel gets the oil. The Pac-12 is not making enough noise or disruption to cause change. The Big Ten has been left out of the CFB Playoff for three straight years. Their commissioner Jim Delany sees the bias and is now demanding an 8-team playoff. Guess which commissioner is more likely to get something done to help his conference?

2. Fix Pac-12 Network and TV Contracts

The problems with the Pac-12 network are accessibility and revenue generation. Pac-12 fans cannot watch if they have DirectTV or have streaming service providers like Hulu TV or YouTube TV. In the era of cord-cutters, that is a total disaster. The conference doesn’t even have an app on Apple TV or Amazon Fire Stick. To make matters worse, their contract with Uverse was not renewed. If the Pac-12 cannot be seen by most college football fans, the perception of the conference suffers.

The Pac-12 loves to boast that it is the only conference that wholly owns its own network. Fox owns 49% of the Big Ten Network. The SEC and ACC Network are entirely owned by ESPN. Who cares if the Pac-12 owns the entire network if it is not generating the revenue the other conferences do? More revenue means more resources for coaches and recruiting. Better players and coaches lead to more success which comes full circle to more money.

When payments are made for this year, the Pac-12 will be last amongst the Power-5 conferences in distributions to their member schools. Over the next five years, the conference will fall even further behind and won’t even reach $38 million in payouts per school until 2023.

By comparison, the Big Ten is expected to provide payouts to schools this year that exceed $51 million. The SEC is currently at $42 million, and the Big 12 is at $38. Even the Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to pass $40 million after previously ranking last. Each of those conferences future projection increases are larger than the Pac-12.

The Pac-12 has to find a way to generate significantly more revenue in a hurry. The schools and Pac-12 leadership need to do away with the arrogant attitude that the conference can achieve success equal to the Big Ten and SEC on a “lean” budget. Success in football drives the revenue for all conferences. Can the Pac-12 have the success necessary on the football field to warrant a network shelling out big cash to air their games?

Jon Wilner does a great job detailing more about the Pac-12 finances.

3. Poorly Designed Schedules Hurt the Pac-12

Pac-12 football schedules are set with a three-step process. The individual teams set their own non-conference schedules. Those are then sent to a company that builds the conference schedules around those. The athletic directors then view and approve the schedules.

The Pac-12 is already playing at a disadvantage to the SEC and ACC by playing nine conference games. I detail how the amount of conference games dramatically affects rankings here. The conference does not do itself any favors by creating competitive disadvantages during conference play. The SEC schedules its teams for success. Their biggest rivalry games are almost always preceded by a bye week or FCS opponent. The LSU-Alabama, Auburn-Alabama, and Florida-Georgia games are prime examples. And they would never have one team coming off a bye playing a team on a Friday night or in the conference championship. The conference’s most important rivalry games are typically played toward the end of the season for the committee to talk about. The Pac-12 literally does the complete opposite of this.

Oregon-Washington, USC-UCLA, USC-Stanford, and any other combination of those games should be highlighted by the conference. Instead, most of these games are at the beginning of the season in 2019 and will be forgotten by the time the committee decides the top four. Stanford plays three of its most critical Pac-12 games against USC, Oregon, and Washington in the first six weeks of the season without a bye. Washington and Oregon are projected to be some of the best teams in the Pac-12 but have similar situations. How on earth does this make sense?

Imagine if the conference scheduled those games towards the end of the season when those teams are 7-0 or 6-1 like the SEC does. You would have “epic matchups of college football heavyweights.” And the loser would fall minimally in the rankings. The Pac-12 has to be more strategic with scheduling because it drastically impacts perception, rankings, and ability to make the playoff.

USC, UCLA, and Stanford typically put together schedules of 11 Power-5 games which no other teams from any other conference would attempt, especially the SEC. This year Stanford plays ZERO FCS opponents and plays 11 Power-5 teams plus UCF. I applaud these schedules and believe every team in college football should follow suit. However, they do need to include strategically plans bye weeks.

4. Game Times

East Coast Bias is real, but the Pac-12 exacerbates the problem with atrocious start times. “Pac-12 After Dark” is always a trending topic on fall Saturday nights, but it’s a thing that nobody on the east coast or midwest sees. These 10p ET kickoffs mean east coast college football fans would be on their 13th hour of games when they end at 1-2a ET. It is unreasonable to expect that fans and media east of the Mississippi will watch. It does a complete disservice to some of the best teams and players in the nation.

Christian McCaffrey didn’t win the Heisman trophy in 2015 because of “Pac-12 After Dark”. Seven of his games started after 10p ET that season. He had one of the most incredible seasons when broke Barry Sanders single-season NCAA all-purpose yardage record (3250), but didn’t get the hardware.

When rankings and postseason accolades are affected, clearly a change has to be made.

5. Make it Matter More to Fans

Pac-12 fans as a whole are just not engaged and invested at the same level as SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 fans. As a Pac-12 fan, it is frustrating and sad to admit that. The schools have to find a way to ignite the rabid nature of fans. It is time to do away with the casual kind of fandom. There is no reason that USC and UCLA games are quiet as a church mouse until something good happens. Fans have to live and die with the games. That is the only way to get respect from the rest of the nation.

The Pac-12 has some of the best football in all of college football, but until these things are fixed, it will continue to be underappreciated.

College Football Players Are Not Obligated to Play in Bowl Games

Will Grier Bowl Games Sitting West Virginia

Why do fans expect an “amateur” football player to put his career and livelihood on the line for what amounts to an exhibition game? On Saturday, West Virginia University announced that starting quarterback Will Grier will not be participating in the Camping World Bowl game against Syracuse. His decision not to participate in bowl games to focus on preparation for the NFL Draft did not sit well with some college football fans. He joined the list of more than a dozen players who will skip their teams’ bowl games.

Grier made the following statement informing fans of his decision.

Fans have no right to be upset with unpaid “amateur” athletes for choosing to further their professional careers.  After all is that not what a major part of the college experience is all about, learning to make tactical business decisions to be better professionally.  Grier did just that.  He made a tactical business decision to protect his potential professional career by not subjecting himself to injury in the bowl game.

Furthermore, Grier is slated to be a first or second-round draft pick. Would it really make sense for Grier to jeopardize his NFL draft potential by playing in a bowl game? The answer is simple. No, it would not make sense.

The Minimal Reward is Not Worth the Risk

The risk of injury in bowl games simply is not worth it for a college football player with a high NFL Draft potential. Bowl participants receive what amounts to very little for their participation. Participants receive a bowl gift and bragging rights for a year. Bowl gifts are nice and fun. However, they are minuscule when compared to the salaries and bonuses that coaches receive for bowl participation. This is especially true for a player like Will Grier who has already accomplished the pinnacle of what college sports and “amateurism” is supposed to be about – degree completion.

A degree is extremely valuable and can lead to a better life. Receipt of scholarship money to acquire a degree is very valuable as well.  However, a scholarship often does not equate to a college athlete’s full market value. Why should a player with the potential to finally receive their full fair market value for their athletic prowess risk a potential career ending injury in a game that is not going to compensate him up to his full value? Again, the answer is simple. No athlete should take that risk.  No fan should expect them to.

College Football Players Should not be Vilified for Opting Out of Bowl Games

Suiting up for any game carries a risk of injury. However, dissenting fans argue that it is only one more game, so the players should play. While it may only be one more game, the risk of injury is ever-present. In fact, the risk of injury is so prevalent that Grier is not the only player sitting out of a bowl game this year. In the past, players like Jaylon Smith and Jake Butt have suffered a serious injury which impacted their draft position.  Specifically, Ed Oliver, Rashan Gary, N’Keal Harry, Greedy Williams, and Grier’s teammate Yodny Cajuste are among those that have opted out of their respective bowl games this year to prepare for the NFL.

Some fans are equally upset by these decisions.  They argue that such players are being selfish and are quitting on their teams. However, that is not true. The players who opt out are not doing it to quit on their team. They are doing it to protect their future career prospects so that they may finally receive market value for their talents.  Despite what fans may think, college football players are not obligated to risk a career-ending injury for their viewing pleasure. Accordingly, players who opt out should not be vilified for their decision.

Players are not the Only Ones who Opt Out; Coaches do Too

Players are not the only ones who opt out of bowl games.  Coaches opt out as well.  Every year, several coaches leave their teams to take jobs at other schools in the midst of bowl game preparation.  Coaches are allowed to make business decisions for the betterment of their careers, just as players should be.

Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, college football is a business.  Therefore, all parties involved should be allowed to make decisions that are in the best interest of their careers. This freedom of movement may upset some fans. However, players and coaches should be able to make whatever decision is best for their career.

Kliff Kingsbury to USC? Here’s what we know about Texas Tech’s former HC

Kliff Kingsbury

Former Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury could be headed to Los Angeles as the USC Trojans’ offensive coordinator, but other teams could also be in the mix.

When former Texas Tech head football coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired following the Red Raiders’ loss against Baylor to close the season, it was pretty much guaranteed he would not be returning to Lubbock as its head coach in 2019. The following day, in a somber tone, Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt made the official announcement, and shortly thereafter, rumors of Kliff Kingsbury sightings in Los Angeles started to emerge. What’s more interesting is that despite the up and down news cycle in the past five days, there have been no other rumored sightings of Kingsbury elsewhere.

A USC Annenberg Associate Professor of Professional Practices, Jeff Fellenzer dropped this bomb on Twitter earlier today:

The news began Thursday afternoon when this started making the rounds:

This source has been wrong in the past, and in any event, we should always take caution when news breaks, especially if it’s not a primary source or corroborated by secondary outlets. Moreover, While the NFL season is still ongoing, according to many sources, Kingsbury has “firm offers” from several NFL teams, and NFL analysts such as Ian Rappoport have cautioned against any conclusive moves involving USC and Kingsbury.

In a Tweet by Bruce Feldman, Kingsbury’s agent said this in response to the news, “Pump the brakes on the Kliff Kingsbury to USC talk. His agent Erik Burkhardt just told me. ‘It’s premature to say that any decision (by Kliff) has been made.'” This could mean a number of things. It could very well mean that the in-principle deal outlets are reporting as factual are not true, or parties are still negotiating. It could also be a method agents employ when they want to drum up more leverage, considering Kingsbury will take a pay cut by going from making just north of $3 million a year at Texas Tech, to somewhere in the ballpark of $1.5 million. When former USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin was signed to an extension this past February, the details of his contract weren’t disclosed, but considering USC just wiped most of its staff, I’m sure Kingsbury and Burkhardt are being very meticulous about this.

Regardless of if or when terms are met, it’s important for USC to find its next coaching staff, especially with early National Signing Day on December 19.

We’ll be sure to update this as more information becomes available.

Want More? Check Out: Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 14: CFPlayoff Chase

Oregon Ducks vs. Oregon State Beavers: The Not So Civil War Game

Civil War Game

The Jokes

Breaking News: It is being reported that Oregon State head football coach Jonathan Smith will only be able to dress twenty players for the Oregon game. The rest of the players will have to get dressed by themselves!!
 
Eugene and Corvallis are separated by one highway, but the separation between the Green/Gold and the Black/Pumpkin Orange is much greater. In Eugene we have a saying, if you see a Beaver with a Championship ring, call the Police, He’s a thief!!

The Rivalry

2019 marks the 123rd  meeting between the two schools. The Ducks lead the series 65-47-10. 

The Civil War, Ducks vs. Beavers, is not so civil!!! There couldn’t be bigger differences between the two schools that are only about 47 miles apart. The rivalry is like Big Brother vs. Little Brother, the Haves vs. the Have-Nots, or the popular vs. the unpopular kids. The Beavers look at themselves like blue-collar, hard workers who are the meat and potatoes of this country. They feel they earn everything they get, but we get everything handed to us on a silver platter. So when the Beavers play the Ducks, they have a big chip on their shoulder, because they live in the humongous shadow of the “O.”

If the Beavs feel the Ducks look down on the kids that play for Corvallis, they should. We do! OSU is a team to be respected and never taken lightly, but Duck players and fans feel we should never lose to “little brother.” The guys from Corvallis take our hand-me-downs and left-overs. We didn’t want Orange, so they took it. We get the newest uniforms; they get what is left. We get nationally televised games; they get the occasional regional broadcast plus radio. The Ducks are striving higher for National Championships while the Beavers are trying to climb from the Pac-12 cellar.

 
Why is my disdain for the Beavers so great? Simple. I’m a Duck. During my four years at Oregon, the Beavers beat us twice!!! That includes a 45-24 Shellacking in Corvallis my last year at Oregon. Until 3 days ago I had blocked that memory out of my mind. Honestly, until I was reminded I really thought we won (I’m blocking, I know lol). It still haunts me. So yes, we should run up the score like the 69-10 beat down last year if given the opportunity. I assure you the Beavers would if they could.

Classic Civil War Story

One time during the week of the civil war Samie Parker, Onterrio Smith and I were in Red Robin, and I saw TJ Housh “Your daddy” Houshmandzadeh (OSU wide receiver) sitting there with his wife and daughter. I had our waitress deliver him a note that said we were gonna beat the breaks off of him. TJ is a friend of mine now and a great guy. I was talking to him about that before the season started and he said, “man, I thought I was gonna have to fight ya’ll with the family there.” LOL, it was all done in good fun. TJ got the last laugh tho, Oregon State won the game.

 
What makes the “Un”-Civil War so great? You never know who is gonna win. What’s on the line in this game? BRAGGING RIGHTS! Two great programs are competing with their whole heart and soul to represent the state of Oregon. If you win, no one can say a word to you, but if you lose, you have a year of heckling to deal with. Both schools alumni have so much pride and love for our perspective schools that a loss is devastating. In recent years, this game had gotten coaches fired (Helfrich), and determined which team would go to the Rose Bowl.
 
2018 may not be the Biggest game in UO/OSU history, but it is important for both schools. Oregon’s head coach Mario Cristobal cannot afford a loss to the 2-9 Beavers. And the Beavers would love nothing better than to make Ducks fans question their future. The Ducks have been to multiple Rose Bowls and National Championships in the last 10 years. The Beavers haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since 1965… but that only makes the game that much more important for both schools. The Ducks want to keep their little brother in his place, and Oregon State wants to knock some of their big brother’s shine off. The intensity in Reser Stadium will be nothing less then ELECTRIFYING!!!!

Fun Fact:

The 1983 Civil War game is commonly referred to as the ‘Toilet Bowl’ because of the poor quality of play in the game. There were eleven fumbles, five interceptions, and four missed field goals. It was the last Division I football game to end in a scoreless tie.
See where these teams are in the Pac-12 Power Rankings week 13.

Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 13: Apple Cup, Civil War, Territorial Cup, Rose Bowl

Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 13

There is so much parity in Pac-12 that it is a tough undertaking to rank the teams outside of #1 Washington State. Washington lost to Oregon and Cal who lost to Arizona who lost to UCLA who lost to Arizona State who lost to Colorado, who lost to Oregon State who lost to USC who lost Stanford, who lost to Utah who lost to Washington. Teams 2-10 have switched up a lot this season and are pretty fluid from week to week. The Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 13 is based on four things: quality wins, schedule played, dominance, and how teams are playing now. The “eye test” and preseason rankings are not factored into the Unafraid Show’s rankings. I know some of you are used to the biased rankings, but you won’t find those here.

You can see last weeks rankings here.

Pac-12 Bowl Projections are after the rankings.

Send all your questions, comments, and grievances to: Immad@unafraidshow.com

12. Colorado (5-6) 

(L) 7-30 Utah

Not only has Colorado lost six straight games since starting 5-0. The Buffaloes have scored a grand total of 14 points in the last two weeks! The team isn’t playing as hard and their intensity is gone. It is obvious that the team sees the writing on the wall. Mike MacIntyre likely won’t be retained as the head coach for next season. He deserves credit for bringing stability to a program that was in total dysfunction. However, after six seasons and only one of those with more than five wins, it is hard to advocate for him. The Buffaloes will try to get bowl eligible this weekend at Cal.

11. Oregon State (2-9)

(L) 23-42 Washington

Everyone knew there would be no upset against Washington, but things are looking up for the Beavers. While their defense still can’t stop anyone ever their offense is continuing to show promise for the future. Jonathan Smith can at least take solace in the fact that multiple times this season the Beavers were not the worst team in the Pac-12.

10. Arizona (5-6)

(L) 28-69 Washington State

The Arizona defense returned back to form against Washington State. They allowed Wazzu quarterback Gardner Minshew to have a career day with 473 passing yards and seven touchdowns. The Wildcats defense had been poor all season against the pass and run despite back to back solid performances against Oregon and Colorado. Khalil Tate was one of the few bright spots this week. He finished with 319 total yards and four passing touchdowns. It seemed the freezing temperatures in Pullman took a toll on the warm-blooded Wildcats as they fumbled the ball six times. Coach Kevin Sumlin has to get his team back firing on all cylinders if he hopes to make a bowl game year one.

9. USC (5-6)

(L) 27-34 UCLA

The doomsday scenario has happened for USC. They do not have a school President, the athletic director Lynn Swann will likely be leaving soon, the boosters, fans, and alumni are demanding Clay Helton be fired, and they lost to a 2-8 UCLA team. The game against UCLA looked like it was going in Helton’s favor until a pair of horrendous second-half interceptions by quarterback JT Daniels sealed the Trojans fate. USC allowed UCLA running back Joshua Kelley to rush for 289 yards. So, I have no idea how they are going to compete against Notre Dame this week. If Helton can upset the Fighting Irish and knock them out of the College Football Playoff, he just might be able to save his job.

8. UCLA (3-8) 

(W) 34-27 USC

It is all smiles for the “boys in blue”. I actually have never heard anyone other than Maurice Jones-Drew call them that, but whatever. They beat USC after starting off the season 2-8. Chip Kelly has started 20 freshmen this season. Their start was slow, but have improved more than any other Pac-12 team from the beginning of the season until now. Their rushing offense and pass defense have steadily improved throughout the season. The future is extremely bright for the Bruins. I believe Chip Kelly will have UCLA in the College Football Playoff discussion in two more years.

7. Arizona State (6-5)

(L) 29-31 Oregon

If I told ASU fans that they would hire Herm Edwards (who hasn’t coached in forever), and have a chance to finish 7-5 year one they would have been happy. It will only take a win against their rival Arizona to make that a reality. The Sun Devils had to feel like they let a game slip away against Oregon. After a slow start, their defense held the Ducks to only a field goal in the second half. They picked off Justin Herbert twice and put up 16 points as well. If ASU can hold Khalil Tate in check this weekend, their bowl game destination will improve.

6. Cal (6-4)

Postponed vs Stanford (Dec. 1)

Cal is last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense (22.7 ppg). Ordinarily, that would be a huge impediment to winning games. But the Cal defense is only giving up 21.1 ppg. If they can get two wins to finish the season 8-4 coach I am positive you will start to hear Justin Wilcox’s name floated around for other head coaching jobs.

5. Oregon (7-4)

(W) 31-29 Arizona State

The good news is Ducks offense showed signs of life against Arizona State. The bad news is that it was only for one half of football. The Ducks offense scored 28 points in the first half. But only managed three more points and under a hundred yards of total offense in the second half. If the Ducks finish off the Beavers in Corvallis they will finish the regular season 8-4. It will be a could games less than I predicted preseason, but the future still appears bright. The biggest question for the Ducks is will their stars return for their senior seasons Herbert, Mitchell, Dye) . If they do, the Ducks will be in the preseason national championship conversation.

4. Stanford (6-4)

Postponed vs Cal (Dec. 1)

There has been nothing “Stanford-like” about this season. They still need two more wins just to tie David Shaw’s worst record at Stanford. UCLA and Cal won’t be pushovers the next two weeks. The Cardinal will need to get refocused after their game got postponed due to the California fires.

3. Utah (8-3)

(W) 30-7 Colorado

Everyone thought the Utes were done competing for the Pac-12 South crown when they lost their top two offensive playmakers, Tyler Huntley, and Zach Moss. Kyle Whittingham’s team had no intention of packing it in. They have had decisive victories against Oregon and Colorado since then. No matter what happens this week against BYU this week, Utah will still play the winner of the Washington vs. Washington State game in the Pac-12 Championship game. The conference needs Utah to dominate BYU and Washington State to beat Washington. It would set up at top 15 matchup in the championship game. The Utes will have an opportunity to make it to their first Rose Bowl appearance.

2. Washington (8-3)

(W) 42-23 Oregon State

The Huskies had been battling injuries all season, but are finally getting healthy. Myles Gaskin returned to the lineup last week and rushed for over 130 yards in both games. Washington’s offense came back to life and the look like a team that can win the Apple Cup. It will be interesting to see how the #2 defense holds up against the #1 offense in the Pac-12. A potential berth in the Rose Bowl will come down to Jake Browning’s ability to make throws and be special. Washington’s preseason hopes of playing for a national championship are gone, but there is still plenty on the line this week.

1. Washington State (10-1)

(W) 69-28 Arizona

DOMINATION. The Cougars whipped Arizona at every part of the game. Mike Leach’s team had 55 points at halftime. If he were Steve Spurrier in his Florida days he may have just done it. This was one of the statement games Washington State needed to send a message to the College Football Playoff committee that they deserve real consideration for the top four.

Now if they can survive the Apple Cup against Washington on a short week, and handly beat Utah in the Pac-12 championship, the Cougars just may get a berth in the playoffs. There feels like there is something magical about this squad. If they get in the playoffs, everybody better watch out!

BOWL PROJECTIONS

via- Sports Illustrated

Rose Bowl– Ohio State vs. Washington State

Holiday– Iowa vs. Washington

Sun– Syracuse vs. Cal

Alamo– Iowa State vs. Utah

Red Box– Indiana vs. Oregon

Cheez-It– Army vs. Arizona State

Las Vegas– Utah State vs. Stanford

Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 12: Chalk for Now…

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 12

The Rules: No Bias, No Bull

There has been no more unbiased ranking out there than the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 12. 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. However, if you go back and look at the rankings for each week, I guarantee you would now agree that I have been 100% right and accurate along the way.

The Unafraid Show College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 11 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. The college football top 10 teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Only the games have played matter.

I re-rank the top 10 every week 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.

Before we get to College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 11, you can reference the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings for Week 10.

Leave a comment or shoot an email: ImMad@unafraidshow.com… Yes, that is the real email address.

1.  Alabama (10-0) Last Week: #1

Watching Alabama play this year is like watching Mike Tyson in the early years. If you tune in 5 minutes late, you will miss the knockout. They were up 14 zero on Mississippi State before you could blink. Alabama did see the best defense they have seen all season. Tua Tagoviloa only finished with 164 yards with a touchdown and an interception. And the offense struggled to put points on the board. Even though this was Alabama’s most competitive game of the season, it still wasn’t close. Their defense has not allowed a single point in consecutive weeks. Very impressive.

As long as Alabama doesn’t look past Auburn and Georgia, they will cruise to the SEC championship and College Football Playoff.

2. Clemson (10-0) Last Week: #2

There are so many similarities between the #1 and #2 teams. The Clemson defense matched Alabama’s defense this week. They pitched a shutout. The only points they allowed were on a punt return. Alabama gave up a touchdown this week as well, but a phantom penalty called it back. The Tigers defense has locked it down for the last month, while their offense has been steady and high powered. Clemson’s true freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence is growing up fast, but his play will be the difference between a trip to the College Football Playoff and a National Championship.

It feels like Clemson and Bama are on a collision course for the national championship.

3. Notre Dame (10-0) Last Week: #3

Any doubt Notre Dame had coming into the game without their starting quarterback Ian Book was quickly forgotten. The Fighting Irish jumped out to a commanding 32-6 halftime lead. It was a 26 point lead, but it felt like 100 points. Brandon Winbush had a couple of interceptions in the 3rd quarter.  It is clear that Notre Dame Book back in the lineup if they hope to beat Syracuse and USC to finish the season undefeated.

Chaos always happens in the rankings in November. Notre Dame will be looking to make sure they are not the victims who miss out on a top-four spot.

4. Michigan (9-1) Last Week: #4

Michigan’s offense is not explosive, but they are efficient. They lean on the defense, don’t make mistakes, and don’t turn the ball over. Then you look up and realize they scored 42 points. And the Wolverines defense is like a boa constrictor. They just squeeze and squeeze the offense until they break and turn the ball over. The #1 defense in college football has only gotten better since their week one loss to Notre Dame. This is an impressive football team.

I’m hesitant to pick Michigan to make the final top four because they have a huge mental hurdle to overcome in two weeks named Ohio State. It does look like the stars are aligning for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan faithful.

5. Oklahoma (9-1) Last Week: #5

I am still bullish on the Sooners and their offensive prowess. I am also terrified by their defense. This defense hasn’t been much better since they fired Mike Stoops as defensive coordinator. However, the stats and dominance show that Oklahoma’s offense is even more unstoppable than Alabama’s. And that is saying a lot. They put up an eye-popping 702 yards against Oklahoma State. Kyler Murray is the only player that may give Tua Tagoviloa a run for his money for the Heisman trophy.

The Sooners have only been held under 37 points once this season. And that was against Army who had the ball for literally three-quarters of the game.

If you answered 0-20, it only shows your bias. There is not a team in college football that could keep the Sooners under 20 points. I’m not saying they would beat Bama, but damnit their offense will make it competitive.

6. Georgia (9-1) Last Week: 7

The cream has risen to the top in the SEC. Georgia is playing so well right now that there is a lot of “what if Georgia beats Alabama” talk starting. The Bulldogs are dominant running the ball. They have rushed for over 300 yards in back to back weeks. Kirby Smart and the crew have smartly gone all-in on pounding the football. They likely would never have lost to LSU if they had kept running the football. As long as Georgia can run the ball at that pace and isn’t turning the ball over, they cannot be beaten.

If the Bulldogs have an Achilles heel, it is the passing game. If their running game gets slowed can Jake Fromm have 300+ three-touchdown performance to win the game?

7. Washington State (9-1) Last Week: 7

Washington State needed a dominant win after playing a close game against Cal last week. They easily disposed of Colorado on the road. Gardener Minshew has to be on target to take home some postseason hardware for the best passer in college football. He was below his season average, but nobody can complain about 335 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. By the metrics, the committee uses it seems unlikely the Cougars will make the playoffs. But, if a few things break their way, don’t be surprised if they slide in the back door.

8. West Virginia (8-1) Last Week: #8

The Mountaineers dominated TCU in every way possible. West Virginia had two rough weeks in the middle of the season, but it fair to say they are peaking at the right time. Will Grier had another performance that validates his 1st round draft pick hype. He finished with 343 yards passing and three touchdowns. The Big 12 is often criticized for not playing defense because their offenses are so explosive. However, this West Virginia team has allowed 17 points or less in five of their nine games.

If the Mountaineers do win the Big 12, I wonder if the committee will hold the fact that they will have one less win than everyone else against them (NC State game canceled due to hurricane).

9. Central Florida (9-0) Last Week: #9

Last week I said Central Florida had played too many close games against inferior competition to warrant significant #CFBPlayoff consideration. They took that criticism and put up a good performance against Navy. Ultimately the Knights will not make the playoffs. But I do believe missing out two years in a row will create enough momentum for the Group of Five schools to take action and put themselves in a better position to make the playoffs.

10. Ohio State (9-1) Last Week: #10

Another uninspiring victory by the Buckeyes. Michigan State has a tough defense, but Ohio State’s offense continued to struggle. They only converted 33% on 3rd down, and only averaged 2.7 yards per rush. And the Buckeyes only managed two offensive touchdowns. All of these struggles will be erased if they take care of business against Maryland and win the big one against Michigan.

Ohio State is a team that was projected to make the playoffs until about a month ago. They will need some better performances to propel them up the rankings.  If it comes down to the Buckeyes and another one-loss team like Oklahoma they may be on the outs unless something changes.

Next Up:

LSU– (a two-loss team that didn’t score a point against Bama and struggled to put Arkansas away)

Syracuse, NC State, Florida, Texas

I know some of you are steaming mad right now because your team is ranked too low or is unranked. Take a breathe and realize that your fandom is causing irrational thoughts. The College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 12 is accurate, unbiased, and unafraid.