1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:06,240 Check it out college football on the West Coast. This is Get Off My 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,880 Pylon, a look at the PAC twelve and more, part of the College 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:19,199 Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network. Here's your host, Matt zemmi Welcome to 4 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:24,440 the Get Off My Pylon College Football podcasts. This is your host, Matt 5 00:00:24,519 --> 00:00:29,239 Zemmick. So, another week in the PAC twelve, and this one is 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:36,479 you know, on the surface, you know, nothing terrifically surprising, Like, 7 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,719 are you really surprised us you gave up a ton of points to Colorado? 8 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:44,960 Not really right? And are you really surprised that Washington struggled against Arizona? 9 00:00:45,079 --> 00:00:48,840 Remember Washington, Washington goes to the state of Arizona. Weird things happen. 10 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:54,320 Now, Yes, Washington struggles more with Arizona State in Tampede than with 11 00:00:54,479 --> 00:00:58,840 the University of Arizona in Tucson. But even though, uh, you know, 12 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,759 Washington is now on seventh straight in Tucson. A lot of these games 13 00:01:02,799 --> 00:01:08,400 have been bumpy rides, and it was no exception on Saturday night, Washington, 14 00:01:08,599 --> 00:01:12,319 you know, struggling to put Arizona fully away. I mean, what 15 00:01:12,439 --> 00:01:17,280 you know, Arizona didn't have a chance to win the game late, but 16 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,680 it was a lot like USC Colorado, with the game staying kind of sort 17 00:01:21,719 --> 00:01:26,239 of close, Arizona pulling within seven late, but Washington, you know, 18 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,359 running the clock out, very similar to USC Colorado. But Washington, you 19 00:01:30,359 --> 00:01:33,920 know, didn't have a particularly good game and just somehow always seems to happen 20 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,200 in Tucson. It's something similar with Oregon. Oregon also struggles when it goes 21 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,680 to the State of Arizona. Ducks have suffered upset losses to the University of 22 00:01:42,719 --> 00:01:49,319 Arizona also suffered. You might remember an upset loss to Arizona State and Herm 23 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,959 Edwards a few years ago that knocked the Ducks out of the running for the 24 00:01:53,959 --> 00:01:57,400 college football playoffs. It's just really weird how that stuff happens. But like 25 00:01:57,439 --> 00:02:01,079 if you know the history, you're not all that surprise. If you if 26 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:06,319 you follow Pact twelve football and have followed the conference for you know, a 27 00:02:06,359 --> 00:02:09,639 couple of decades, you know that when Washington goes down to the Grand Canyon 28 00:02:09,719 --> 00:02:15,560 State, weird things often happened. So not an absolute shocker that the Huskies 29 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,800 weren't at their very best. And of course, the next game on the 30 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,599 schedule for Washington is that Oregon game. So you know that was kind of 31 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:28,599 sort on players minds. I know that game isn't for another two weeks until 32 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,879 October fourteenth, but nevertheless, you know, nineteen twenty year old athletes, 33 00:02:34,599 --> 00:02:38,280 that is human nature. That is part of the story. And so nothing 34 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:45,439 terrifically surprising in the PAC twelve from this past week. Are you surprised that 35 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:52,439 Oregon State beat Utah? And are you surprised that Utah's offense played terribly without 36 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,479 Cam Rising shouldn't have been a surprise, like if you if you have watched 37 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:04,719 this Utah offense slog along under Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson, Like let's remember, 38 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:10,919 even at home in Salt Lake City, Utah struggled to score on offense 39 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:17,280 against UCLA just one offensive touchdown, and so you know, even even in 40 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,360 Rice Eckel Stadium, it's not as though Utah has played particularly well on offense 41 00:03:23,439 --> 00:03:28,919 this year. And then of course away from home now at Baylor, Utah 42 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:34,800 very fortunate to get a win there. Baylor was playing its backup quarterback in 43 00:03:34,919 --> 00:03:39,879 that game against Utah and the youth barely got out of Waco intact with win. 44 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:46,960 So like going into Corvallis on a Friday night short week and Oregon State 45 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:51,479 coming off a loss. So like, the Beavers absolutely had to have that 46 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,360 game. If they lose, they're absolutely done in the Pac twelve title chase 47 00:03:55,639 --> 00:04:00,800 before the NF September, So they really needed that one. Their defense is 48 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,560 good, their defense is gonna do well, you know, against a team 49 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:09,319 which can't stretch them vertically, Like that's what Washington State did. Cam Ward 50 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,039 just smoked the cam Ward was able to throw the ball aggressively. Washington State's 51 00:04:14,039 --> 00:04:18,079 passing game functioned well. Utah doesn't have a downfield passing game if cam Rising's 52 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,800 not there. Like Nate Johnson's thing is a running quarterback, a dual threat. 53 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,480 You need some run pass options, get the defense on a swivel. 54 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:28,959 You know, is he gonna run? Is he gonna throw? But you're 55 00:04:28,959 --> 00:04:30,560 playing the game in a phone booth. You're playing the game in a ten 56 00:04:30,639 --> 00:04:35,959 to fifteen yard box. There's no vertical threat, there's no ultimate speed merchant 57 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,800 that Utah has a wide receiver. And let's remember Brant Queefy, excellent tight 58 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,639 end, he's still hurt. Like they need him. He Queethy needs to 59 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,519 be the Dalton Kincaid guy. I mean, Quefy was the excellent tight end 60 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:55,639 before he got hurt, and Kincaid stepped into that role last year. He 61 00:04:55,759 --> 00:05:00,600 told the USC. Of course, so Utah extreme limited on offense going into 62 00:05:00,639 --> 00:05:05,240 the Corvallis or in its nest. Also worth noting, you know, Research 63 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:12,959 Stadium was being renovated last year. Only half of that stadium was available for 64 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,560 spectators, for for purchase tickets. You know, when USC went to Corvallis 65 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,199 for the Oregon State game, it was just you know, fans were just 66 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:23,079 on one half, you know, one side of the stadium, so you 67 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,279 had under thirty thousand in the yard. Well, now you have the full 68 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,800 newly renovated Research Stadium, you have over fifty thousand in the ballpark. And 69 00:05:30,879 --> 00:05:35,360 on a Friday night like that, that was just a viper's nest that Utah 70 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:40,279 was walking into. I was kind of surprised that, you know, just 71 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,600 you know, referring to betting lines, not because of I'm recommending you know, 72 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:46,959 that you should gamble, or recommending that you should pick certain teams, 73 00:05:47,199 --> 00:05:53,399 but just in terms of measuring how Vegas and how the markets and how the 74 00:05:53,399 --> 00:05:58,839 public money sized up this matchup, felt it was surprising that Oregon State was 75 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,199 you know, a relatively small point spread favorite. You know, it was 76 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:08,199 just a handful of points. I was thinking Oregon State might be favored by 77 00:06:08,199 --> 00:06:12,240 a touchdown, maybe even eight or nine, but it was less than that. 78 00:06:12,959 --> 00:06:17,800 And uh, because you know, as soon as Cam Rising was reported, 79 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,000 you know, not gonna play in this game, I thought, oh, 80 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:25,800 that line's gonna move way up, and it didn't. That was very 81 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:30,160 surprising, but like no one should be shocked at all that Oregon State not 82 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,040 only won that game, but won that game fairly comfortably with because Utah. 83 00:06:34,199 --> 00:06:41,160 Utah's offense just isn't there without Rising. And it raises the point. You 84 00:06:41,199 --> 00:06:45,360 know, Utah's staff, I think, in in the off season in the 85 00:06:45,399 --> 00:06:48,079 summer, you know, they hope Cam Rising would be available for the Baylor 86 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:57,879 game in Week two. And so obviously Cam Rising's progression in terms of his 87 00:06:57,959 --> 00:07:01,199 health status and availability it hasn't gone on the way that the Utah coaches hoped 88 00:07:01,199 --> 00:07:08,079 it would. But even if you as a coach, as a leader of 89 00:07:08,079 --> 00:07:14,519 a program, have an ideal timetable for you know, one of your most 90 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,360 important players in the off season, you do have to be prepared for the 91 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:24,839 eventuality or the possibility I should say, if that medical timetable doesn't pan out. 92 00:07:25,519 --> 00:07:29,240 And you know, I'm not going to be too harsh on Kyle Weddingham 93 00:07:29,279 --> 00:07:32,319 because he's done a phenomenal job the past few years. And if you followed 94 00:07:32,319 --> 00:07:35,920 me for the past several years, you know, like into through twenty eighteen, 95 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:40,680 twenty nineteen, you know that I was a skeptic of Weddingham for a 96 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,240 long time, and that in twenty eighteen I was thinking, you know, 97 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,079 you just can't keep going into big games without a big time quarterback. And 98 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:54,120 you know kis we found Cam Rising was able to cultivate him as a quarterback, 99 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:59,360 you know, finally getting that baller that that really good quarterback is what 100 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,079 Utah was missing. Cam Rising took that program to the next level. So 101 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,199 if you're in the off season, if you're thinking, you know that Cam 102 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:09,959 Rising could be available starting in week two, and you think that you can 103 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,079 handle Florida in week one, and we also, you know, we've all 104 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:18,120 seen how mediocre Florida is on offense. So you know, if Kyle Winniham 105 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,240 was getting feedback from his medical team for a number of months, that hey, 106 00:08:22,639 --> 00:08:26,079 Cam Rising is probably not going to play against Florida, but he could 107 00:08:26,079 --> 00:08:28,879 be available in week two. You know, you know, I can I 108 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,480 can be I can accept that. You know, he was relying on that 109 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:39,960 prognosis. He was relying on that timetable for Cam rising. So I'm going 110 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,559 to give him a pass on this. But but for the future, and 111 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:48,240 I'm sure other coaches are taking notice of this. If your star quarterback or 112 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:54,720 another really really important player has any significant medical questions in the off season, 113 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,000 you need to go into the transfer portal, make sure that you have an 114 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:03,159 insurance policy, that you have a significant plan B, you have a really 115 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:13,360 good option for that position. And that note carries over into other programs across 116 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,360 the country, like at Ohio State. Okay, Kyle McCord is being groomed 117 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,320 as the successor to c. J. Stroud, you know, the next 118 00:09:20,399 --> 00:09:24,080 quarterback in the pipeline. But if you're Ohio State, why wouldn't you go 119 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:28,240 into the portal and seek that insurance policy, seek that option. Let's remember 120 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:33,919 Justin Fields was a transfer, all right, Joe Burrow of LSU, he 121 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:39,480 was a transfer. You don't go into the portal get your solid quarterback if 122 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,360 you have a freshman coming in, or if your main guy, such as 123 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:50,879 Utah's Cam rising Hat faces medical uncertainties going into the portal for an insurance policy. 124 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,679 That is something that coaches at a lot of different programs need to look 125 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:01,159 at. They need to think about how they do business for USC. You 126 00:10:01,159 --> 00:10:05,799 know, next year when Caleb Williams leaves, are you going to entrust your 127 00:10:05,799 --> 00:10:09,480 program to Miller Moss or Maliki Nelson? You know, the guys who are 128 00:10:09,759 --> 00:10:13,279 you know, waiting their turn, waiting in the wings to be the next 129 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:18,440 guy. Maybe. But if I'm Lincoln Riley, I'm thinking, you know, 130 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:24,919 like I don't have a moral obligation to give Miller Moss the starting quarterback 131 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,840 job next year. I have a season opener against LSU in Las Vegas. 132 00:10:30,039 --> 00:10:33,639 Lincoln Riley needs to think about going to the portal for an elite transfer quarterback 133 00:10:35,519 --> 00:10:39,240 next year. Just because he recruited a five star Maliki Nelson, that doesn't 134 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,000 mean like he's owed the job. It doesn't mean that there is some kind 135 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:48,120 of moral or ethical obligation to just give one of the two in house quarterbacks 136 00:10:48,159 --> 00:10:54,559 the job. If Lincoln Riley's paid to win football games and win championships, 137 00:10:54,639 --> 00:10:58,720 he needs to think about the portal for a quarterback edition for next year. 138 00:10:58,639 --> 00:11:03,679 So that's something that a lot of PAC twelve teams really need to be thinking 139 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:07,320 about. It's not just Cam Rising at Utah, but Cam Rising does bring 140 00:11:07,399 --> 00:11:11,440 up that point that if Kyle Widingham had had to do it all over again 141 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,840 in terms of mapping out his offseason, you know, maybe he should have 142 00:11:15,919 --> 00:11:20,159 been in the portal in uh January, you know, when he knew that 143 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:24,799 Cam Rising was facing a long rehab, and maybe that might have hurt Cam 144 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,399 Rising's feelings. But you know, if your job is to win championships, 145 00:11:28,759 --> 00:11:31,279 and if you're at Utah and you want to get over that hump, you 146 00:11:31,279 --> 00:11:33,600 want to win a Rose Bowl, you want to you know, take that 147 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:39,240 next step up the ladder. As a program, you need to think about 148 00:11:39,279 --> 00:11:45,399 all options on the table. That that is something that's very worth noting in 149 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,799 the PAC twelve. So our show is brought to you by ticket Smarter. 150 00:11:50,159 --> 00:11:54,279 Go to ticket smarter dot com or the ticket Smarter mobile app to get you 151 00:11:54,799 --> 00:11:58,639 into the biggest games on the college football scene. UH. Strictly in terms 152 00:11:58,639 --> 00:12:01,679 of the PAC twelve, you have a very very very interesting game coming up 153 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:07,960 this weekend October seventh, Washington State at UCLA, and we're going to talk 154 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:13,919 about that game on the other side of this advertisement for ticket Smarter, But 155 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,840 like, if you want to get into that game or the other interesting games 156 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,399 in the PAC twelve and of course on October fourteenth, there's the Massive Showdown 157 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:26,120 Oregon Washington, the first really big meeting of PAC twelve heavyweights. That game 158 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,679 in Seattle at Husky Stadium. You know, if you want to get into 159 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:31,840 these games, ticket smarter dot Com and the ticket smarter Mobile app give you 160 00:12:31,919 --> 00:12:37,519 competitive pricing on the secondary market. 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Those promo 179 00:14:05,759 --> 00:14:09,480 codes you can use them throughout the season. It's not a one time thing. 180 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,039 There's no limit throughout the college football season. Those promo codes apply from 181 00:14:13,039 --> 00:14:20,679 our friends at ticket smarter dot com and the ticket Smarter Mobile app. All 182 00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:24,240 right, we're gonna talk about Washington State and uciling a little bit, but 183 00:14:24,799 --> 00:14:26,639 let's hit on you know, we've hit on Utah, on Oregon State. 184 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,919 Let's now discuss you know, the three giants, uh, you know, 185 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,559 USC, Oregon, and Washington and how they all relate. After week five 186 00:14:35,639 --> 00:14:39,320 of the season, now everyone saw USC Colorado, or at least you know, 187 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:45,480 USC Colorado was the highly visible game, big noon Saturday Breakfast and Boulder 188 00:14:45,559 --> 00:14:48,759 with the Buffs, USC playing that body clock game, and actually USC was 189 00:14:48,799 --> 00:14:52,960 ready. USC did not have a problem with the body clock, but it 190 00:14:52,039 --> 00:14:58,000 might have had a problem with the altitude. Colorado had ninety overall snaps and 191 00:14:58,039 --> 00:15:01,080 as the game wore on, USC's defense might have gotten tired to a certain 192 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,000 extent. But really, and you're not going to get sugar quoting here, 193 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:09,919 there's no excuse for a forty eight twenty one lead to become forty eight forty 194 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:15,279 one. You know we've seen this with USC's defense, uh, you know, 195 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,120 throughout the Alex Scringe tenure. You know, we saw it last year 196 00:15:18,159 --> 00:15:24,240 in which USC led Cal by twenty points that became a six point game forty 197 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:28,840 one thirty five. We saw USC get a big lead over Arizona, which 198 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,600 got whittled down to eight, and so the Trojans you know, had comfortable 199 00:15:31,919 --> 00:15:37,759 or at least seemingly comfortable leads uh in second halves in fourth quarters, and 200 00:15:37,759 --> 00:15:43,120 the defense just basically takes a vacation and the league gets chopped down to one 201 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:48,480 score and USC either needs to recover an on sidekick or get one last first 202 00:15:48,519 --> 00:15:52,720 down to seal the game. And it's just a lot a game is a 203 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,519 lot more of a headache than it ever should be. And let's keep in 204 00:15:56,559 --> 00:15:58,759 mind, like like kay USC one and that's good and that is the main 205 00:15:58,799 --> 00:16:03,080 thing. But these things carry a cost. And last year, because USC 206 00:16:03,399 --> 00:16:07,879 wasn't finishing games in the fourth quarter, what did you have? You had? 207 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:14,960 You had starters playing longer than they should have. You know, starters 208 00:16:15,039 --> 00:16:19,679 could have been out early fourth quarter. But because the Trojans weren't able to 209 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,759 put games to bed, because they weren't able to kill games off early, 210 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,080 starters were playing deep into the fourth quarter. And what did you have in 211 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:30,720 the pactual change game. You had Killer Williams hurt, You had Andrew Vorhees, 212 00:16:30,759 --> 00:16:33,320 the elite offensive lineman hurt. You had you had other guys hurt as 213 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:38,000 well, And that wear and tear. You know that attrition caught up with 214 00:16:38,159 --> 00:16:44,039 USC. The the the lack of depth on the roster that became a real 215 00:16:44,159 --> 00:16:47,840 problem for USC late in the season. So you have to wonder if those 216 00:16:47,879 --> 00:16:53,200 games were put to bed a lot earlier and starters accumulated fewer snaps, maybe 217 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,080 that dynamic would have been different. So, you know, it a win's 218 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,720 a win, and that's true to a certain extent, But not being able 219 00:17:00,759 --> 00:17:04,359 to finish games earlier it carries a cost. And in this case it's not 220 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:10,319 so much about guys getting hurt, but because the game was on Big New 221 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:15,680 Saturday, because the game had such a big national stage and profile so visible 222 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:23,519 on Fox, you know, the national narrative changed surrounding both USC and Colorado 223 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:29,160 based on the forty eight twenty one second half lead turning into a forty eight 224 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,559 forty one final. You know, Dion Sanders was saying after the game, 225 00:17:32,599 --> 00:17:36,920 how fun it was to coach against Lincoln Riley and compete against Caleb Williams. 226 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:41,680 He's not saying that if USC wins by twenty or twenty seven, and sports 227 00:17:41,759 --> 00:17:48,160 Riders, you know who appropriately questioned USC's defense and Lincoln Riley's commitment to winning 228 00:17:48,559 --> 00:17:52,599 because he's because he stands by Ox Grinch. Sports riders would not be writing 229 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,920 about USC's defense. If USC wins this game by twenty twenty five and puts 230 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:02,279 the game to bed, early sportswriters would not be ryan about that. But 231 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,240 because the league got all the way down to seven, and because in a 232 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:10,559 USC wound up having to cover an on side kick in a game it led 233 00:18:10,559 --> 00:18:12,799 by twenty seven, you know, the narrative of this game was not, 234 00:18:14,039 --> 00:18:15,519 Wow, look at Caleb Williams, look at how great he is, look 235 00:18:15,519 --> 00:18:19,480 at how awesome the USC offense is. No, that was not the narrative. 236 00:18:19,799 --> 00:18:23,759 That was not the main headline. It was, Oh, USC's defense 237 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,559 is not ready to win, not even the national championship. It's not even 238 00:18:27,599 --> 00:18:33,079 ready to win the PAC twelve championship. Columnists from the PAC twelve footprint, 239 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,759 people who cover the conference regularly, we're saying, us, he's not even 240 00:18:36,799 --> 00:18:38,920 gonna get to Las Vegas, US, He's not even gonna make the PAC 241 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,920 twelve championship game, let alone, you know, not even win the PAC 242 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:48,279 twelve title, let alone not make the college football playoffs. Like that's how 243 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:53,200 much the Colorado will come back against USC, dented USC's brand, It dented 244 00:18:53,319 --> 00:19:00,000 USC's national identity. Like that, the main focus that national pundits and commentators 245 00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:03,519 half is USC can't be taken seriously. I'm not, you know, arguing 246 00:19:03,559 --> 00:19:07,599 with that. I'm just telling you what the NAT national narrative is. If 247 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,200 USC wins by twenty that's not the conversation. So even though USC one that 248 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:17,839 comeback really shape reshape a lot of people's minds. But now here's the other 249 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:22,960 thing. Here's the other half of the story. So Oregon and Washington they 250 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:26,119 didn't play well either. Oregon got shut out in the first half at Stanford. 251 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:32,680 Oregon scored only fourteen points in the first half at Stanford. Oregon didn't 252 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:34,759 play well. Okay, Oregon pulled away from Stanford in the second half. 253 00:19:34,839 --> 00:19:40,319 Okay, fine, great, But like you know, USC played Stanford a 254 00:19:40,319 --> 00:19:42,000 hell of a lot better than Oregon, did you know, So people are 255 00:19:42,039 --> 00:19:48,240 comparing Colorado between USC and Oregon. Yeah, of course, Oregon played Colorado 256 00:19:48,319 --> 00:19:52,119 a lot better than USC did. But USC played Stanford a whole lot better 257 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,960 than Oregon did. And you know, Oregon played a bad first half and 258 00:19:57,039 --> 00:20:02,440 a very very strong second half against ambered well. USC played a great first 259 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:06,400 half against Colorado, got up thirty four seven, and then played a really 260 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:10,599 bad second half, or more specifically, a really bad final twenty minutes after 261 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:12,880 going up forty eight twenty one. You know, midway through third quarter, 262 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:18,400 USC is still up twenty seven. It didn't really go sideways until late in 263 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,000 the third quarter and then throughout the fourth quarter. USC not scoring a point 264 00:20:22,519 --> 00:20:26,279 in the fourth quarter. But like, you know, so Oregon played better 265 00:20:26,319 --> 00:20:29,839 on the back end, USC better on the front end, But in the 266 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:33,799 end, it's it's the same, Like they both played one good half and 267 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,559 one bad half, and then you have Washington struggling against Arizona. You know, 268 00:20:37,839 --> 00:20:41,839 you can you can split that game apart in a lot of different ways. 269 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,880 And you know, again, Washington was not in immediate danger of losing, 270 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,400 much as USC was never an immediate danger of losing, Like the USC 271 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,960 recovers an on sidekick late up seven, So like Colorado never had the ball 272 00:20:53,319 --> 00:20:57,400 with a chance to tire or take the lead, but nevertheless, like it 273 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,880 never should have gotten to that point. But you know, very similar with 274 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:07,400 Washington and Arizona, Like the Huskies didn't were not in danger of actually losing, 275 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:11,200 but they did they certainly made that game a lot more of a headache 276 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,079 than it needed to be. But here's the thing. So USC was playing 277 00:21:15,079 --> 00:21:21,079 on Big News Saturday. All the media credentials, all the high profile shows, 278 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,960 talkers, commentators, Carnival Barkers, celebrities, they were all at that 279 00:21:26,039 --> 00:21:30,079 game. Oregon in Washington, both on PAC twelve network. Very few people 280 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,519 could see either one of those games. Uh did not have, you know, 281 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:38,640 any any real visibility compared to the stage that USC had. So like, 282 00:21:38,839 --> 00:21:44,880 USC is gonna get a lot of attention for its terrible defensive performance. 283 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:52,759 Oregon in Washington hardly any publicity for what were very mediocre performances. So USC's 284 00:21:52,799 --> 00:21:57,720 gonna grab the headlines and USC's been it was written about a lot more than 285 00:21:57,759 --> 00:22:02,839 Oregon in Washington were. But all three of them didn't play well. I 286 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:08,640 mean, at least all three of them played mediocre to subpar football for large 287 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:14,640 portions of their Week five games. So you know, in in the early 288 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,680 afternoon you had John Gonzano and I'm not I'm not even disagreeing with it. 289 00:22:18,799 --> 00:22:22,640 I'm just I'm just basically pointing out what he said. John Conzana, the 290 00:22:22,799 --> 00:22:26,839 very good PAC twelve journalists. The guy who broke the story on you know 291 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:32,480 what the actual uh twenty twenty two ESPN media rights deal was, you know, 292 00:22:32,559 --> 00:22:36,000 thirty million a year. He scooped that story. Does a great job 293 00:22:36,039 --> 00:22:41,480 covering the PAC twelve I love him, he said. He tweeted out after 294 00:22:41,559 --> 00:22:45,039 the or when the USC car game was ending, he said, you know, 295 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,720 right now, I think the PAC twelve title games going to have two 296 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,880 teams from the Pacific Northwest. I mean, and that's pretty logical. That's 297 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:56,559 like, that's a logical response to everything that's gone on. Like you look 298 00:22:56,559 --> 00:23:00,799 at USC's defense and you have to say that the events is not ready to 299 00:23:00,839 --> 00:23:04,160 beat Washington and November four, it's not ready to beat Oregon on November eleven. 300 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:07,920 So that's a very very logical point from gonzal So I'm not even disagreeing 301 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:14,039 with him, but that statement was made at the end of a very high 302 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:18,319 visibility game. Oregon and Washington didn't play, you know, basically in the 303 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:22,079 woods. They basically play in the wilderness on PAC twelve network, and no 304 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:26,319 one was saying, oh, I don't think Oregon's ready for the PAC twelve 305 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,400 title game. I don't think Washington's ready for the pac twelve title game. 306 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:37,920 It's not a media criticism so much as a difference in media visibility. All 307 00:23:37,079 --> 00:23:44,640 three of Oregon, USC, and Washington played mediocre to subpar games, but 308 00:23:44,799 --> 00:23:48,480 only USC is getting the media hit. And I'm not blaming the media. 309 00:23:48,559 --> 00:23:52,720 I'm just talking about the difference in coverage and visibility that because USC had the 310 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:57,440 bigger stage, more people are gonna walk away from Week five thinking, oh, 311 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:03,680 USC is clearly a cut below Oregon and Washington. That that may be 312 00:24:03,839 --> 00:24:08,400 true because of Adlex Gridge's defense, but Oregon and Washington didn't really set the 313 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:14,759 bar really high in Week five, and so like in the afternoon, it 314 00:24:14,799 --> 00:24:18,359 was probably logical to say, oh, Pacific Northwest is definitely going to have 315 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:23,519 both representatives in the PACTROL title game. But then eight hours later, are 316 00:24:23,519 --> 00:24:29,079 you still thinking that you are you still of that same mindset. What you 317 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,920 saw in Palo Alto with Oregon and what you saw on Tucsa on with Washington 318 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,319 did not really move the needle in that direction. It probably moved the needle 319 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,960 back forward. USC, Oregon, and Washington are pretty much standing on the 320 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:45,960 same ground, the same footing heading against the month of October after week five. 321 00:24:45,799 --> 00:24:49,480 So I'm not I'm not gonna sit here and say, you know what, 322 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,839 USC actually has the advantage. USC still has the inside track. I'm 323 00:24:53,839 --> 00:24:56,640 not going to tell you that. But I also I'm not going to say, 324 00:24:56,839 --> 00:25:02,079 oh, it's clearly Washington Oregon ahead of USC right now. I'm not 325 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:04,839 going to tell you that either. Now I'm not optimistic about US AND's chances, 326 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,319 but I'm also not going to say, oh, like Washington Oregon are 327 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:15,039 clearly setting the bar higher based on Week five, that that's really not the 328 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:22,240 cave. So that there it is worth making those particular kinds of distinctions about 329 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:26,160 the balance of power in the PAC twelve. So final thing is that the 330 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:32,440 big game in week six coming up. You know USC with Arizona that's not 331 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,559 a particularly big game, it's not expected to be close, and you have 332 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,519 Colorado at Arizona State. The bus should get healthy. That's certainly a game 333 00:25:41,559 --> 00:25:47,880 they need for their Bowl bid chances with Dion Sanders and Arizona State just lost 334 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:52,039 to Cal so like Colorado should be able to take care of business in tamp 335 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,160 But the big one, the big game in week six, Washington State at 336 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,880 UCLA. So let's lay it on the table here. Washington State, if 337 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:08,160 it gets by UCLA, most of the Cougar's schedule is very favorable. Washington 338 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:14,000 State does not play Utah on its schedule, Washington State does not play usc 339 00:26:14,599 --> 00:26:19,279 The Cougars avoid the Utes and the Trojans, So that those are that's a 340 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:23,880 that's a huge pair of breaks. That's a that's a big stroke of good 341 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:30,680 fortune for Jake Dickert and UH and Wazoo. So if Washington State gets by 342 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:37,279 Ucla, there is a very strong chance that Washington State can win at least 343 00:26:37,279 --> 00:26:42,839 ten games. And then if Washington State can win all the games it's supposed 344 00:26:42,839 --> 00:26:48,079 to, then this assumes a'll win over UCLA in Pasadena. That that's gonna 345 00:26:48,079 --> 00:26:52,720 be tricky. But if Wazoo gets past the UCLA test and then wins all 346 00:26:52,759 --> 00:26:56,759 the other remaining games it is supposed to, then we have a situation where 347 00:26:57,279 --> 00:27:03,599 if Washington State can just split Oregon and Washington, if it can win one 348 00:27:03,599 --> 00:27:07,839 of those two, the Cougars are going to be eleven and one, folks 349 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,359 eleven and one, and they will be eight and one in the PAC twelve. 350 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,799 And if you are eight and one in the PAC twelve, that very 351 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,880 very likely means you are going to be in the PAC twelve Championship game in 352 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:23,559 Las Vegas. So before the PAC twelve season began, you know, Oregon 353 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:29,559 State was kind of the dangerous floater the team viewed as, you know, 354 00:27:29,599 --> 00:27:36,880 the school that could bust up a meeting of heavyweights, the heavyweights being Utah, 355 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,920 the two time defending PAC twelve champion USC you know, the PAC twelve 356 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,359 runner up last year, Oregon, you know, which played Utah on the 357 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:49,160 twenty twenty one PAC twelve Championship Game and very nearly made the pactwelve title game 358 00:27:49,279 --> 00:27:52,920 last year before the late collapse against Oregon State. Oregon would have been in 359 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:57,359 the PAC twelve title game had it beaten Oregon State and protected a seventeen point 360 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:02,839 lead in Corvallis. Could not, but like Oregon was very close and then 361 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:06,160 Washington. Washington would have been in the PAC twelve tag game last year if 362 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:10,240 it hadn't stepped on a rake against Arizona State. Mansioned earlier in the show 363 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:15,720 Washington State or Washington I should say this has an incredibly hard time beating Arizona 364 00:28:15,759 --> 00:28:22,319 State in tampe one of the most mystifying losing streaks in all of college football. 365 00:28:22,319 --> 00:28:26,640 So Oregon State was viewed as the team that could get in the way 366 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:33,880 of a USC Washington or an Oregon Utah Pac twelve championship game. But it's 367 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,480 turned out, you know, with Washington State beating Oregon State, the Cougars, 368 00:28:37,559 --> 00:28:41,519 not the Beavers, are now that team that could bust up the heavyweight 369 00:28:41,559 --> 00:28:48,680 matchup, the anticipated matchup between two of the consensus top four teams in the 370 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:56,359 PAC twelve. So if Washington State can beat UCLA, the Cougars significantly elevate 371 00:28:56,599 --> 00:29:00,200 their chances of making the PAC twelve champion game. And that would be quite 372 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:06,680 a plot twist. And if Washington State can go eleven and one, you 373 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,039 know, then the Cougars could be in the hunt for a BCS Bowl. 374 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:14,440 And just briefly a brief digression from the PAC twelve, which is our main 375 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,319 focus here on get off my pilone. You know, if Duke had beaten 376 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:22,240 Order Dame, Duke would have had wins over Order Dame and Clemson, and 377 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,799 you know, Duke's figures to lose to Florida State. But if Duke had 378 00:29:25,839 --> 00:29:29,240 Beaten Order Dame, Duke would have been in a really good position for a 379 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:32,839 New Year's Six Bowl, you know, and just imagine a world in which 380 00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:37,319 Duke and Washington State play in New Year's Six Bowls in the same season. 381 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:42,079 We almost we almost had that, or at least we were almost looking at 382 00:29:42,119 --> 00:29:47,759 a strong possibility of Duke and Wazoo both being in New Year's Six Bowls had 383 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:52,480 the Blue Devils been able to stop Order Dame and Sam Hartman on that fourth 384 00:29:52,519 --> 00:29:57,680 and sixteen. But anyway, that tells you the stakes involved for Washington State 385 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:03,039 Ucla in Week six in Pasadena. And in terms of, you know, 386 00:30:03,079 --> 00:30:06,880 breaking open the keys to this game, well, you know, Donte Moore, 387 00:30:07,279 --> 00:30:10,359 you can see the talent, you can see the arm talent. It 388 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:15,799 was visible on a few throws against Utah, but it wasn't consistent. And 389 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:22,000 of course UCLA's offensive line got absolutely massed, absolutely dominated by sack Lake City 390 00:30:22,039 --> 00:30:27,799 and Kyle Wallingham's Utah defensive front. But if, if, if Washington State's 391 00:30:27,799 --> 00:30:33,279 offensive line, which played really well against Oregon State, can protect cam Ward, 392 00:30:33,319 --> 00:30:37,559 and if cam Ward is able to light up the sky once again, 393 00:30:40,039 --> 00:30:44,240 that might set the bar higher than what Dante Moore and UCLA's offense are able 394 00:30:44,279 --> 00:30:49,519 to achieve. So really, often the offensive lines and their ability to protect 395 00:30:49,519 --> 00:30:55,559 the respective quarterbacks represent the key to this game. You'd have to think that 396 00:30:55,720 --> 00:31:00,400 right now, Kim Ward's floor, not the ceiling, but the floor is 397 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:06,359 higher than Dante Moore's floor. And can Dante more reach a much higher ceiling 398 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:11,480 than anything we've seen to date. Can he reach back and find something special? 399 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:17,599 And can UCLA's omensive line give him the time needed to hit strikes down 400 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:23,079 the field? To me, the omensive line quarterback relationships, how well the 401 00:31:23,079 --> 00:31:29,640 old lines are able to protect their respective quarterbacks. Those are the centerpiece elements 402 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:36,359 of this coming Washington State UCLA battle. So it's a very interesting place in 403 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:41,240 the PAC twelve and you know the Oregon Washington super showdown just around the corner. 404 00:31:41,279 --> 00:31:45,559 We're gonna have a lot of that on next week's edition, but right 405 00:31:45,599 --> 00:31:51,079 now, it's Wazoo at UCLA taking the spotlight heading into week six, coming 406 00:31:51,079 --> 00:31:56,240 out of week five. That is the focus on this edition of the Get 407 00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,960 Off My Pylon College Football podcast, part of the Awe Grid Aaron cost to 408 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:06,000 Coast Network. Remember with our friends at ticketsmarter dot com and the ticket Smarter 409 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,599 mobile app. Ten dollars off purchase of one hundred dollars or more with the 410 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:15,559 promo code LWOS ten twenty dollars off purchase of three hundred dollars or more with 411 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:22,599 the promo code LWOS twenty. Get in the game with ticket Smarter, and 412 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:27,359 stay in the game with the Get Off My pylone College Football Podcast. This 413 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,240 is Matt Zemmick. Thank you for listening to another episode of our show.