On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden discuss the termination of Washington State Head Coach Nick Rolovich and four assistants due to their refusal to adhere to the state employee vaccination mandate. Did Rolovich stand up for his principle, or did he quit on his team? Oregon narrowly escaped against Cal, and the guys debate whether that, along with Utah’s win over Arizona State, mean that all doorways to the College Football Playoff are now sealed shut. After recapping last week’s games, George and Ralph give their Pac-12 power rankings, and pick the upcoming week’s games, including the extremely important conference matchups between Oregon and UCLA, as well as Utah’s trip to Oregon State.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
Oregon State losing to Washington State means the Pac-12 has already, halfway through the seasons, whittled themselves down to only one possible path to the College Football Playoff. Oregon and Arizona State need to win out, meet in the Pac-12 Championship, and hope for a lot of chaos in front of them in the rankings.
While some teams are left only playing for pride, two of the conference’s teams are just hoping to avoid shame. Best of luck to both Colorado and Arizona. Someone has to win, right?
What’s at stake: Oregon has no room for error, and at the mid-point of the season, has yet to establish an offensive identity. With Offensive Coordinator Joe Moorhead battling medical issues, and feature back C.J. Verdell out for the season, someone needs to step up and become the dominant force on this offense to keep the Ducks from another disastrous result like they had against Stanford. Will it be Anthony Brown start finding a receivers downfield (No Ducks WR has more than 11 catches), or Travis Dye finding a way to be an every-down player instead of a change-of-pace guy? Without figuring out who they are offensively, you can probably forget a shot at the College Football Playoff.
For Cal, they’re getting dangerously close to a lost season without a bowl appearance, and a waste of Chase Garbers’ talent as an upperclassman. One thing you know that Justin Wilcox wouldn’t mind is following up a 6-point performance against Washington State by having an offensive explosion against his old Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who is now the DC at Oregon.
Our Picks: Ralph likes Cal to Cover +13.5, George Wrighster is going with his Ducks and the spread.
Arizona at Colorado
Kickoff: 12:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Colorado -6.5
What’s at stake: Seriously? A win. A single win.
Colorado nearly beating Texas A&M, who just beat #1 Alabama, the Buffaloes offense is so putrid that they’re favored by less than a TD against a team that hasn’t won in over two years. Arizona will go back to Gunner Cruz after Jordan McCloud suffered a season-ending injury against UCLA. First team to 20 wins? Or maybe even 10?
Our Picks: Ralph and George both have Colorado covering the -6.5.
Stanford at Washington State
Kickoff: 4:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: ESPNU
Opening Odds: Stanford -1.5
When Jayden de Laura is at QB for Washington State, they can compete with anyone in the conference. Many people were surprised by the Cougars win over Oregon State last week, but de Laura’s 400 yards passing are a big reason why it happened. Stanford showed they can drive the ball against Arizona State last week, but they had no ability to finish.
Stanford’s inconsistency and yo-yoing as a team is discouraging to Cardinal fans, but if the pattern continues, this will be the week that they bounce back and show their resilience.
Our Picks: Ralph talked George into joining him by taking Stanford -1.5.
UCLA at Washington
Kickoff: 5:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Odds: Washington -1.5
What’s at stake: UCLA can run, but last week against Arizona they failed to both pass, and stop the pass. They might have won the game, but there are legitimate concerns that the Bruins have started to fall apart after experiencing early success. The idea that Washington will have to depend on the arm of Dylan Morris in order to defend homefield on Saturday makes picking this game extremely tricky. Dylan Morris rarely completes over 60% of his passes and plays turnover-free football. Unless he does so against one of college football’s worst secondaries on Saturday, you’re going to start to see even more heat on Huskies Head Coach Jimmy Lake than there already is.
For Chip Kelly, the mission is simple- test Washington’s run defense to see if it’s got soft spots, and if it does, exploit it until the final whistle. The less your defense is on the field, the better.
Our Picks: George went with UCLA +1.5, Ralph took the home favorite, Washington -1.5.
#18 Arizona State at Utah
Kickoff: 7:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Odds: Arizona State -1
What’s at stake: Arizona State and Utah are 3-3 in their last 6 games. The fans, or at least the vocal online community of fans, are on each other’s nerves year-round. Utah just ended a 100-year drought by getting a win in the Coliseum, and spent the week grieving the loss of DB Aaron Lowe. They’re either going to be emotionally spent, or raring to get a piece of the ranked Sun Devils on Saturday night. The bottom line here is that if Utah can’t win this game, the Pac-12 South is basically wrapped up by ASU, who is on a quest to become the Pac-12’s first-ever undefeated team in conference play.
Arizona State is the better team at almost every position, but if the offense can’t handle the crowd noise in Provo without getting 19 flags thrown, how are they going to handle the rowdy crowd in Salt Lake?
Our Picks: George and Ralph both have the Sun Devils -1 on the road.
Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden recap the action from last week, including Washington State’s surprising win over Oregon State, Utah’s streak-busting win against USC in the Coliseum, Arizona State dominating Stanford, and Arizona falling short after giving UCLA their best shot. The guys give their power rankings for the week, and preview the upcoming games, including a very important matchup between UCLA and Washington. Last, is Arizona State vs Utah a rivalry, or is Twitter driving a narrative that doesn’t exist outside social media?
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
The Pac-12 is reeling from losing its easiest path to the College Football Playoff last week, with Oregon falling to Stanford in overtime. Worse than that, Pac-12 officiating has again become a talking point. The more things change, the more they stay the same…
This week, one third of the conference has a bye, and only three games are going to be played on Saturday. Oregon State has wins over Washington and USC under its belt, and all of the sudden we’re going to get to see how the Beavers play as favorites for most of the rest of the season, instead of the plucky underdogs they’ve been for Jonathan Smith’s entire tenure.
While I’m not sure we’ll have any world-shattering events take place in week 6 of Pac-12 play, let’s still take a look at the matchups and give you an outline of what to expect…
What’s at stake: David Shaw said a lot of things before this season started. Many of them were about his team being better than the national media expected (and they have been), but some of them were about the Arizona State Sun Devils violating the dead period during the Covid-19 pandemic. When ASU’s Herm Edwards was asked to respond to David Shaw’s comments, he pointed out that Shaw didn’t have anything to say when the two were together before Pac-12 Media Day. While there’s plenty at stake on the field for both teams in this game, the budding off-the-field feud between Shaw and the ASU program adds an interesting element.
Some might find the fact that Stanford is a heavy underdog coming off an upset of the #3 team in the country to be a surprise, but the Cardinal are giving up over 5 yards a carry in the run game, and offensively, they’ve lost Brycen Tremayne for the season, which accounts for 21% of their receiving yards and 45% of their receiving TDs this year. Considering the strengths of Arizona State are their run game and the secondary, this is a recipe for a blowout Sun Devils win. Historically, however, David Shaw is 4-1 against ASU, and with this being a Friday night game, you can never be too sure of the outcome.
Our Picks: Ralph likes Arizona State to Cover, George is rolling with Stanford.
Oregon State at Washington State
Kickoff: 1:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Oregon State -3.5
What’s at stake: Oregon State is 4-1 with seven games left, and considering they haven’t won more than five games in the last seven seasons, it’s staring to feel like this could be an extremely special season. Nine different Beavers have an interception on defense, and B.J. Baylor is running like he’s this year’s Jarek Broussard. So why are they only a 3.5 point favorite in Pullman? Well, Wazzu seems to be a completely different team when Jayden de Laura is at quarterback. The Cougars have had a lead in the second half of all three of their losses, and maybe last week’s 21-6 win over Cal showed this team that they have the ability to close an opponent out. If Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh can combine to give Washington State equal or greater offense than Baylor gives the Beavers, the Cougars have a legitimate shot to defend homefield and get the upset.
Our Picks: Ralph and George both have the Beavers covering the -3.5.
Utah at USC
Kickoff: 5:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Odds: USC -3
What’s at stake: Utah hears every single year that they can’t win at Southern California, and Utes fans are absolutely sick of it. Under Kyle Wittingham, Utah is 0-5 on the road against USC, and there’s no reason to believe that it’s any kind of regional curse, as the Utes usually smash UCLA at the Rose Bowl when they play. The Trojans are barely favored, and last time they were at home, they were dominated by an Oregon State team that hadn’t won at USC in 60+ years. Perhaps this is the year Utah joins the club?
In order to win, and not fall behind in the race for the Pac-12 south, the Utes are going to need to practice ball security (they had four turnovers in last year’s loss), and keep the time of possession lopsided. USC has the ability to move the ball down the field to Drake London in a hurry, and while you’re not going to shut London down completely, you can keep Slovis uncomfortable enough to not have the time to get the ball out of his hands.
Our Picks: Ralph and George both think USC continues to keep Kyle Wittingham winless at the Coliseum. Trojans -3.
UCLA at Arizona
Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Odds: UCLA -16
What’s at stake: Two weeks of preparation for Jedd Fisch after keeping things close against Oregon has many people that cover the Pac-12, and people in the national media, convinced that this game could be an enormous trap for the Bruins. Jordan McCloud’s mobility is a big key to keeping drives alive for Arizona, but if they want to compete against UCLA, they’re going to need to greatly exceed the 3.3 yards per carry they’re averaging as a team on the season. Defensively, the Wildcats are going to need to force some turnovers- something Dorian Thompson Robinson has drastically cut back on in 2021. For UCLA, the narrative went from “could they go undefeated” to “who will the next coach be” in a matter of three weeks. The defensive backfield is struggling mightily, and it would be an enormous embarrassment for the program if they continue to fall apart against an Arizona team that currently is averaging 1.5 less yards per pass attempt than UCLA’s defense has allowed on the season.
Our Picks: Ralph and George both picked the Bruins in a blowout.
Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this episode of Pac-12 Apostles, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden sort through the damage of Oregon’s loss to Stanford, and assess the rest of week 5’s conference play action. George Wrighster interviews Pac-12 Conference Commissioner George Kliavkoff, and tries to get to the bottom of the conference’s television distribution issues. The guys give their updated power rankings, and preview/predict the four week 6 games before giving an update on who’s still a legitimate contender to replace Clay Helton at USC.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
As the Pac-12 gets ready to kick off week 5 of the season, and the second week of conference play, we’re getting a clearer picture of who the contenders and pretenders might be.
We know that USC is going to be fighting for a bowl appearance, and not a conference title. We know that Oregon State has found their QB. We know that Cal’s fans are going to be haunted by the 2021 version of their team’s inability to finish. We know that Washington was wrong about keeping Sean McGrew on the bench all along. We know that the winner of UCLA/ASU this week might be Oregon’s only competition to win the conference.
But there’s still plenty that we don’t know, and in week 5 we’re going to learn an awful lot…
What’s at stake: One galaxy-brained way to look at the rest of the season if you’re a USC fan is to think to yourself that now that Donte Williams doesn’t have the pressure of walking the undefeated tightrope in order to earn the job, the Trojans can just go out and play. I say whatever you need to tell yourself to stay invested in this season after Oregon State won its first game on your homefield in 61 year, you gotta do it. Look, Colorado can’t move the ball through the air, so if they do it against the Trojans even half as well as Chance Nolan did, the problems run so much deeper than alleviating Clay Helton of his position. As far as Colorado goes, you have to keep building. You went from going scoreless on two games’ worth of drives, and then managed to score 13 points in Tempe. Double that against the Trojans at home and you might still be in the fight for a bowl.
Our Picks: Ralph and George both like USC to cover
#3 Oregon at Stanford
Kickoff: 12:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: ABC
Opening Odds: Oregon -8
What’s at stake: For Oregon, everything is on the line all the time. They’ve played Stony Brook and Arizona closer than they should have in the last two weeks, and so a fast start would be helpful against a Stanford team that is starting to find its identity with Tanner McKee under center. We don’t know if Oregon is vulnerable to the run, and you can bet that David Shaw is going to put that to the test in hopes of keeping the pace of the game at a crawl. If the game ends up a shootout, I’m not sure they have the firepower to keep up with Oregon.
Our Picks: Ralph is taking Stanford to cover, George, as always, is swimming with the Ducks.
Washington State at Cal
Kickoff: 2:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Cal -7.5
What’s at stake: Cal could easily be 4-0 with 3-4 plays going differently. Washington State has had a second half lead in all three of their losses. The level of unmet expectations and disappointment in this contest is immeasurable, but alas! Someone HAS TO WIN!!! On the other end of that fact… Bowl hopes end for the loser… in week 5.
Our Picks: Ralph likes Cal -7.5, George is taking Wazzu.
Washington at Oregon State
Kickoff: 6:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Oregon State -1.5
What’s at stake: Oregon State can go from “fun story” to “legitimate contender” with a win over Washington, and if you harken back to last season’s win in the game formerly known as the civil war, that’ll be the three game run that USC fans will use to convince themselves they’re happy about Jonathan Smith being the most logical choice to be their next head coach. In all seriousness though, the Beavers have a chance to finally show that talent development is superior to talent collection, and become the Pac-12 North’s version of Utah. Washington’s Jimmy Lake is in the unenviable position of replacing Clay Helton as the person who is coaching each game to avoid the rage of the base. Unless Lake wants to avoid pitchforks, and not the Sun Devil kind, he needs his team to play to their potential and take care of business in Corvallis.
Our Picks: George is all in on Oregon State, Ralph is giving the Huskies one last chance.
Arizona State at #20 UCLA
Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: FS1
Opening Odds: UCLA -3.5
What’s at stake: Herm Edwards has had success against lots of Pac-12 opponents, but in their last two contests, Chip Kelly has put on a coaching clinic. This year, both teams are 3-1 with solid defenses and very good running games. This game is going to come down to which skinny dual-threat QB makes the biggest play in the biggest moment. For Dorian Thompson Robinson, this is a legacy game. For Jayden Daniels, this is to give him the opportunity to have his own set of legacy games in an attempt to sweep the LA schools and beat Utah en route to a Pac-12 South title.
Our Picks: George likes the Bruins, Ralph is being stubborn and sticking to his “ASU goes 11-1” preseason prediction.
Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden break down the first week of conference play, give their current Pac-12 Power Rankings, and look ahead to next week’s games, including intriguing matchups between Oregon and Stanford, Arizona State and UCLA, and Washington and Oregon State. The guys comment on University of Arizona calling for a walk-on tryout in the middle of the season, and talk about the tragic shootings of Washington State’s Brandon Gray and Utah’s Aaron Lowe. To finish off the show, George and Ralph update their list of the most likely candidates for the USC head coaching job.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
We’ve hit Pac-12 Conference play at the perfect time- no more Mountain West and Big Sky teams around to bully the teams that had hopes to challenge for a conference championship. The best part about conference play? Someone has to win.
What’s at stake: Both of these teams have had a dramatic start to the season when it comes to the QB position. Utah’s Charlie Brewer quit the team after being benched during the Utes’ loss to San Diego State, and Wazzu completely fell apart after Jayden de Laura was injured against USC. The Cougars are heavy underdogs, and will start Jarrett Guarantano against Utah, who has handed the keys to the kingdom to Cam Rising. Will the Pac-12 discover a new star QB, or will both teams’ issues continue into next week?
Our Picks: Ralph has Washington State covering on the road, George is going with the Utes.
#24 UCLA at Stanford
Kickoff: 3:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: UCLA-6.5
What’s at stake: Fresno State might be very good. Kansas State might be very good as well. That’s what both Chip Kelly and David Shaw are hoping for, as both the Bruins and Cardinal have looked very good offensively outside of each team’s single out of conference loss. Stanford’s Tanner McKee seems to have given them an identity on offense, and Kyu Blu Kelly might be the best defensive player in the conference. UCLA’s best hope to move to 3-1 is to find a way to keep Stanford from building a lead the way Fresno State did last week, so the Bruins can showcase the running game that makes them special.
Our Picks: Ralph and George both have UCLA -6.5
Cal at Washington
Kickoff: 6:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Washington -6.5
What’s at stake: Who would have thought that after week 4, one of these teams would have their third loss of the season? Certainly not me when it comes to the Huskies- I had them going 10-2 on the season. There’s a lot of pressure on both Dylan Morris and Chase Garbers to will their team to victory in this game, but Cal is going to be shorthanded defensively, so Garbers is the one that can’t afford to make any mistakes. If Washington gets the job done in this Pac-12 North battle, it might be because they finally employed every running back they’d been saving up until last week, which sets TE Cade Otton up to benefit from Cal’s LBs having to account for multiple threats out of the backfield.
Our Picks: Ralph and George are both on Cal +6.5
Arizona at #3 Oregon
Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Odds: Oregon -28.5
What’s at stake: If you’re a “Back the PAC” person, you’ve probably been grinding your teeth all week thinking about the implications for the conference if University of Arizona finally figures things out against your conference’s best chance to get a team into the CFB Playoff. The Wildcats are 0-3, and are on their third starting QB. If Oregon does anything less than put the Wildcats away early, eyebrows will be raised at the authenticity of the Ducks’ chances.
Our Picks: Ralph and George have Oregon -28.5.
Colorado at Arizona State
Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: ESPNU
Opening Odds: Arizona State -14
What’s at stake: Colorado has 20 consecutive scoreless drives. Arizona State had 19 penalty flags last week. Which team can turn things around before their bad habits become their identity? In all likelihood, it will be much easier for the Sun Devils to correct mistakes that were brought on by road crowd noise than it will be for the Buffaloes to suddenly figure out how to move the ball against a very talented defense.
Our Picks: Ralph and George both have the Sun Devils -14
Oregon State at USC
Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: FS1
Opening Odds: USC -12.5
What’s at stake: USC got a massive boost last week from Jaxson Dart, but a torn meniscus means the Trojans will have to decide between a banged up Kedon Slovis, or freshman Miller Moss. Oregon State had a decisive victory over Idaho last week, but there isn’t a single player on the Vandals roster good enough to get reps at USC. For the Beavers to win this game, they’re going to have to play mistake-free football.
Our Picks: Ralph and George are taking Oregon State +12.5
Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden recap a disastrous week for the Pac-12 South, and debate what, if any, paths forward there might be for a College Football Playoff berth. Also, which conference is in a worse spot right now- the ACC or the Pac-12? The guys give their power rankings, then recap last week’s action before previewing the first week of conference play, and giving their picks. Other topics include 2022 QB Justyn Martin decommitting from Cal, Utah’s Charlie Brewer quitting football altogether, the QB controversy at USC, and which head coaching candidates stand out one week into the Trojans’ search.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
After Oregon’s massive win last week, and Stanford’s toppling of the Clay Helton regime, it’d be nice to get a week of uneventful Pac-12 wins against lesser competition- but there are a couple of serious opponents on the docket this week. ASU is trying to keep BYU from going 3-0 against the Pac-12 South, Colorado hopes to finish the task they weren’t able to last week vs Texas A&M, with the Buffaloes matching up against USC Head Coaching candidate P.J. Fleck and the Golden Gophers, while both Washington and Utah will try to bounce back against solid Group of 5 competition.
What’s at stake: What’s at stake: Last week Colorado, behind the effort of a bunch of players from the state of Texas, nearly took down the mighty Texas A&M Aggies. Minnesota isn’t Texas A&M, but the Buffaloes don’t have a large portion of their roster from the Twin Cities who are out to prove they should have been recruited by the Golden Gophers. It’s going to be a difficult task for Karl Dorrell to get his team up emotionally for this game, but if he can do it, then it will prove that leading a top-5 team for 98% of the game was no fluke. Minnesota has shown that they’ll give up yards in the passing game if you’re good enough to attack their defensive backs- is Brendon Lewis ready to level up in his third ever start?
Our Picks: Ralph has Minnesota winning straight up, while George is taking Colorado to cover
Idaho at Oregon State
Kickoff: 12:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Oregon State -28.5 (self made line)
What’s at stake: You have to beat Idaho. You just have to. Do the Vandals have some talented players? Oh yeah. There’s a good chance TE Hayden Hatten leaves the entire Beavers coaching staff wondering how they missed on his recruitment back when he was Heisman favorite Spencer Rattler’s #1 receiver. But still, anything less than a four-touchdown win is going to be an embarrassment. .
Our Picks: Ralph and George both have Oregon State covering 28.5
USC at Washington State
Kickoff: 12:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Odds: USC- 8.5
What’s at stake: After making waves by firing Clay Helton this week, USC is in a strange place in which Athletic Director Mike Bohn has essentially told the Trojan football team that they’re better off without their head coach. Interim Head Coach Donte Williams is walking a tightrope of perfection to even be considered as a candidate to take over permanently, and QB Kedon Slovis is fighting to restore his reputation as the next great USC QB. On Washington State’s end, this is the perfect opportunity to drown out some of the distractions of Nick Rolovich’s mysterious vaccination status and showcase his talented offense to a national audience.
Our Picks: Ralph and George are both on Washington State at home +8.5.
Sacramento State at California
Kickoff: 1:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Bay Area
Opening Odds: Cal -24 (self created)
What’s at stake: You can make the argument that Cal has coached their way to an 0-2 start. The Golden Bears had a late lead at home against Nevada, and special teams miscues kept them from claiming a victory at Texas Christian. Cal needs this game as much as any Pac-12 team needs a win. Sacramento State is coached by former Cal QB Troy Taylor, who amassed 8,126 career passing yards and 51 touchdowns during his time in Berkeley, is not someone you want to take lightly, or else you might be considering him as your next hire because you allowed him to shock the world.
Our Picks: Ralph and George have Cal -24.
Arkansas State at Washington
Kickoff: 1:15PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Washington -16.5
What’s at stake: The Huskies, who many picked to win the Pac-12 North, have started 2021 by showcasing one of the worst offenses in all of college football. They’ve left Sean McGrew and Kamari Pleasant to wither on the bench despite the fact that the RB duo averaged 20 touches and 2 TDs per game in 2020. They’ve managed to earn unofficial visits from a few talented recruits on Saturday, and if those recruits see unhappy players, and a non-functioning offense, it’s going to severely handicap Jimmy Lake’s ability to infuse the roster with the talent they’ll need to keep pace with rival Oregon. Last week Arkansas State surrendered 55 to Memphis- if Washington can’t even get half of that, then it’s time to hit the panic button.
Our Picks: Ralph likes Washington to get back on track and cover, George has Arkansas State +16.5
Utah at San Diego State
Kickoff: 4PM Pacific
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Opening Odds: Utah -7.5
What’s at stake: What’s at stake: Utah QB Charlie Brewer has lost 8 consecutive games away from his home field dating back to last year at Baylor. San Diego State has bullied nearly half the Pac-12, including blowing out the team that gave BYU a better game than Utah did (Arizona). The Utes aren’t exactly at their best historically when visiting Southern California, either. This game has all the hallmarks of a Mountain West upset, so a win by Utah will probably be a pleasant surprise to the fan base, and conference as a whole.
Our Picks: Ralph likes the Utes, George is taking the Aztecs at home +7.5
Stony Brook at #4 Oregon
Kickoff: 4:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Networks
Opening Odds: Oregon -36 (self created)
What’s at stake: Oregon just can’t afford a let down of any kind. After winning at Ohio State, the lens the Ducks will be judged through for the rest of 2021 will be whether or not they’re worthy of College Football Playoff consideration. The best thing that can happen here is a 3-4 touchdown first quarter lead so that the young Ducks get some meaningful in-game experience.
Our Picks: Ralph and George are taking Oregon -36 in a line we completely made up.
Northern Arizona at Arizona
Kickoff: 7:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Arizona
Opening Odds: Arizona -21.5 (self created)
What’s at stake: Seeing online debates about whether or not University of Arizona fans should storm the field if they beat 0-2 FCS Northern Arizona at home to end their 14-game losing streak is a brand new level of depressing. For Arizona, the task is simple- taste success. They’ve switched to Will Plummer as their starting QB, a mobile athlete that is going to need to show accuracy and quick decision making on short to medium routes to secure the job leading into Pac-12 play.
Our Picks: We’re both on Arizona -21.5.
#19 Arizona State at #23 BYU
Kickoff: 7:15PM Pacific
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Odds: ASU -3.5
BYU QB Jaren Hall was Rivals #20 ranked dual threat QB in 2016.
Here are some Pac-12 notable DT QBs from that class:
What’s at stake: Arizona State fans are starting to wonder if QB Jayden Daniels has another gear beyond speedy game manager. Herm Edwards has long said that nothing travels better than defense and a running game, but the time has come for Arizona State’s third year gunslinger to prove that he’s special. BYU dominated Utah last week by getting an early lead, and then taking advantage of the opportunity to rush the passer. ASU can’t get down early if they want to avoid that trap, and they need to keep the Cougars out of the red zone and settling for field goal attempts, because the red zone is where the BYU offense is at its best.
Our Picks: Ralph likes ASU to win by a touchdown, George thinks ASU can win, but that BYU will cover the 3.5
Fresno State at #13 UCLA
Kickoff: 7:45PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: UCLA -11.5
What’s at stake: George thinks UCLA is worthy of top-10 consideration, and if they dominate Fresno State, they’ll probably get it. The Bruins had two weeks to prepare for a team that put a scare into Oregon, and for people to take the Pac-12 seriously, this and the ASU game are the two that are the most important, as you’d likely see three Pac-12 teams in the top 15 in the country.
Our Picks: Bruins -11.5, to the moon.
Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
