1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:06,960 Checking out college football on the West Coast. This is Get Off My Pylon, 2 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:11,400 a look at the PAC twelve and more, part of the college Gridiron 3 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:17,519 Coast to Coast podcast network. Here's your host, that Zemmo. Welcome to 4 00:00:17,559 --> 00:00:21,679 the latest edition of Get Off My Highland College Football podcast. This is your 5 00:00:21,719 --> 00:00:26,280 host, Matt zek. Well, that was a game that was a game 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:31,320 and a half, you even call it two games, Oregon Washington. It 7 00:00:31,399 --> 00:00:36,240 felt like a heavyweight bout from the start to the finish it entered. You 8 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,840 know, it began as one of the PAC twelve games of the year. 9 00:00:40,439 --> 00:00:46,200 Probably not gonna top it, especially since you know, USC got absolutely flattened 10 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:51,560 by Notre Dame, I mean USC Washington. USC Oregon before the season seemed 11 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:57,159 like main events. But after this weekend, Oregon Washington is probably as good 12 00:00:57,159 --> 00:01:00,479 as we're gonna get in the PAC twelve. And it might very will be 13 00:01:00,039 --> 00:01:07,200 the preview of a rematch in the PAC twelve championship game on Friday, December 14 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:15,040 first in Las Vegas. So lots to unpack from Oregon Washington, and we 15 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:21,359 obviously have to start with Dan Lane's decision made Now you might recall one year 16 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:26,159 ago Oregon Washington in Eugene thirty four to thirty four, tie Oregon with a 17 00:01:26,359 --> 00:01:32,959 fourth and one near its own thirty five late in the game and landing in 18 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,159 Oregon go for it, they get stopped. Washington's able to kick the field 19 00:01:36,239 --> 00:01:42,040 goal win the game. Thirty seven thirty four. Now a lot of people 20 00:01:42,239 --> 00:01:44,680 fell at the time. You know, you got to punt there, you 21 00:01:44,719 --> 00:01:48,920 know, because if you failed, then Washington gets the ball basically, you 22 00:01:48,959 --> 00:01:51,719 know, on the edge of field goal range, just needs a few yards 23 00:01:52,439 --> 00:01:57,760 to win the game. You know, understandable line of criticism. But the 24 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,400 really big point about that fourth and one decision one year ago from Lanning is 25 00:02:02,439 --> 00:02:07,080 that bow Knicks, who remember he was injured. Bow Knicks was not on 26 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:13,840 the field for that fourth and one, and that's what made it so easy 27 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,960 for Washington to anticipate a running play, which is exactly what happened with Oregon's 28 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:23,080 backup quarterback in the game on the field, Washington was able to just go 29 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:28,319 all in, sell out for the run, stop the run, and get 30 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,960 the fourth down stop set up the field goal for the win. So what 31 00:02:32,159 --> 00:02:37,240 Lanning failed to account for was not having Knicks, Like even if you have 32 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,759 a hobbled boon Nicks on the field, you know, get you plant that 33 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:45,879 seat of doubt in the opposition's mind. You know, is Nick's gonna keep 34 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:47,120 the ball? Is he gonna run the ball? Is he gonna throw the 35 00:02:47,159 --> 00:02:54,319 ball? You instantly put several variables in play and the defense can't just gamble 36 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,960 on crashing down against the run. But with the backup quarterback in Washington made 37 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:06,960 that obvious choice, and Oregon did not have an effective counter. That really 38 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,680 was the problem. It was the play selection and not accounting for the absence 39 00:03:09,719 --> 00:03:14,280 of Knicks. This year, fast forward to twenty three. This year, 40 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:20,719 Bonux is on the field healthy, and so Oregon had its trigger man leading 41 00:03:20,759 --> 00:03:25,719 the offense different situations. So when we think about these fourth down go for 42 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:30,360 it decisions by Landing, like this year he had his guy. Last year 43 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,919 he didn't, and that was the problem that he didn't have Bonux. But 44 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,680 this year he did. And you know, we continue to talk about the 45 00:03:38,719 --> 00:03:44,639 analytics and football strategy. And as I've said before on previous editions of Get 46 00:03:44,639 --> 00:03:49,080 Off My Pion here on the College Great on Coast to Coast podcast network, 47 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,840 as I've said before, like analytics are good, like they provide a large 48 00:03:53,039 --> 00:04:00,240 bed of information and context and details, and coaches should be looking into this 49 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:06,319 stuff. They should be diving into the data and and really getting some solid 50 00:04:06,319 --> 00:04:12,360 information in terms of you know, these the situations and these decisions. You 51 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,079 know, if they often point in one direction rather than another, that that 52 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:24,480 should generally inform decisions generally. But as I've said, here's here's the cautionary 53 00:04:24,519 --> 00:04:30,240 note. Sometimes regardless of what the analytics say, there is a game context, 54 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,920 and you can very clearly change the context of the game by making a 55 00:04:34,959 --> 00:04:40,639 specific decision regardless of what the analytics say. See, that's the thing I 56 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:46,399 think. If you if the analytics help you sort out a somewhat murky situation, 57 00:04:46,199 --> 00:04:50,040 that's what they're there for. Like if you if there's no obvious angle, 58 00:04:50,519 --> 00:04:54,399 like if you can look at a situation, you can definitely play it 59 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:59,079 two or three different ways. That's when the analytics come in handy. But 60 00:04:59,199 --> 00:05:02,399 if it's absolute clear, like you don't have to consult analytics, and you 61 00:05:02,639 --> 00:05:09,319 know as a point of fact that the game will change in a certain specific 62 00:05:09,439 --> 00:05:15,480 way if you do something, that's when you should just use common sense and 63 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,920 you shouldn't have to consult the analytics. So as we dig into these decisions 64 00:05:19,959 --> 00:05:27,319 from Dan Lanning against Washington. You know, the first fourth down gamble right 65 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:31,519 before halftime, down four points, you know, so a field goal takes 66 00:05:31,519 --> 00:05:35,639 a four point lead down to a one point lead. But it's only halftime, 67 00:05:36,079 --> 00:05:41,639 Like, you know, there's so much game left that you know, 68 00:05:41,759 --> 00:05:48,240 you're not really getting into the end game phase, right, decisions made late 69 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:54,040 in the second quarter, you're not thinking about, you know, how what 70 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:58,639 might happen in the final five minutes of a game. Now, you know, 71 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,680 the old school philosoph is, you know, bank points early, collect 72 00:06:02,759 --> 00:06:06,680 them so that you have them on your side of the ledger late in the 73 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,680 game. I mean, so there is to a certain extent, there is 74 00:06:10,759 --> 00:06:15,279 a looking ahead quality to that, but it's on a very general level, 75 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,240 Like it's not about specific to the opponent. It's just a much broader way 76 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:24,800 of looking at a game. Just you know, let's have more points in 77 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:27,680 our pockets so that at the end of the game, you know, we 78 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,079 might have better odds. It's not so much you know, looking at the 79 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:38,560 specific score against the specific opponent with a specific set of traits. You know, 80 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:46,120 being down four versus being down one versus being up to at halftime in 81 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:54,360 Seattle against Michael Pennix and Washington like the idea that, oh, you absolutely 82 00:06:54,480 --> 00:07:00,079 have to have the three points to go from down four to down one. 83 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,560 I'm not going to lose too much sleep over that, all right. And 84 00:07:02,639 --> 00:07:08,240 so if the analytics point in a certain direction and you have Bonnicks, you 85 00:07:08,319 --> 00:07:12,120 have a lot of talent on offense, which Oregon definitely does, let it 86 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,839 ride. Like, trust your guys, and remember, let's also remember this, 87 00:07:15,399 --> 00:07:18,399 when you continue to go for it on fourth down, you are sending 88 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:23,000 that message to your players. I believe in you, I trust you so 89 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:28,000 like you're not speaking to them verbally vocally, but you are sending a message 90 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,920 I am riding with you. I trust you to make big plays in big 91 00:07:31,959 --> 00:07:35,639 situations. And so if a coach thinks he has an elite offense and an 92 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:40,680 elite team, he should be sending that message, or at least you should 93 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:46,399 be sending it a reasonable percentage of the time. And that's another reason why 94 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,959 I'm not going to knock Dan Laning on a larger general level for most of 95 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:56,000 these fourth down decisions that he made. However, as I mentioned earlier, 96 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:01,639 when there is a very clear cut game context to be considered, and when 97 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:07,079 you can very clearly alter the context of a game, but by doing something, 98 00:08:07,519 --> 00:08:11,160 then you don't need to consult the analytics. You should just do what 99 00:08:11,879 --> 00:08:16,920 represents common sense. And so when Oregon down by eleven, has chewed a 100 00:08:16,959 --> 00:08:22,199 field goal and went for it on what was fourth and a few yards, 101 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:26,519 you not fourth in inches, fourth in inches, you should pretty much always 102 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:31,600 go for it. But fourth and two or three yards down eleven, right, 103 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:37,960 if you are down eleven points, a field goal contains significant value because 104 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,200 it puts you down eight. And what have I said before? When you 105 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:46,279 can change a threshold, you know, going from the two score threshold to 106 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:50,960 the one score threshold, you should almost always do that, and I don't 107 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,159 care what the analytics say. You can go down from eleven to eight, 108 00:08:54,799 --> 00:09:01,600 from ten to seven, from nine to six. Those those three changes, 109 00:09:01,639 --> 00:09:05,720 because those all involved going down two scores to going down one score. If 110 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,639 you can make one of those changes by kicking a field goal, and it's 111 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,399 not fourth and inches, but it's like fourth and two, fourth and three, 112 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:16,480 fourth and four, Yes, kick the field goal. You know there 113 00:09:16,519 --> 00:09:20,960 might be an occasional exception, but generally kick the field goal. In those 114 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,559 situations and Landing did not, And that's the one time I really have a 115 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:30,679 problem because that's when he ignored a very very clear contextual reality in the game. 116 00:09:31,159 --> 00:09:33,000 Now people will say, well, this game ended thirty six, thirty 117 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,480 three, so boyd you know, Landing, if he had kicked those are 118 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,559 your field goals, might have won. Yes, that's a fair point, 119 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:46,440 but the bigger point is when you are in a specific scoreboard situation and a 120 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:52,279 field goal really achieved something. Remember like, if you're down twelve, you 121 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,519 should never kick a field goal to go down nine. I mean certainly not 122 00:09:54,559 --> 00:10:00,879 in the second half. You should be going for it to get down one 123 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:05,159 score trying to get down six, then five points with the pat or down 124 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:09,759 four with a two point conversion if you're down twelve, if you're down thirteen, 125 00:10:09,039 --> 00:10:13,919 of course the field goal is not a significant consideration, but down eleven, 126 00:10:15,639 --> 00:10:18,440 down ten, down nine, it absolutely should be. And of course, 127 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,200 on the other side of the point, if you are up six and 128 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:24,879 you can go up nine, if you're up seven, you can go up 129 00:10:24,919 --> 00:10:28,360 ten. If you're up eight and you can go up eleven, you know 130 00:10:28,399 --> 00:10:31,559 you should be kicking the field goal as well, because you're going from one 131 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:39,440 threshold to another. So that is really the deeper aspect of Dan Lanning's fourth 132 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,320 down decisions. Didn't have a problem with most of them, but I did 133 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:48,159 have a problem with not kicking when he was down eleven in the third quarter. 134 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,120 Needed to make it a one score game. And so that is something 135 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:56,120 that he needs to wrestle with because I think he goes for it all the 136 00:10:56,159 --> 00:11:01,840 time. There once in a while you have to pick your spots. Once 137 00:11:01,879 --> 00:11:05,320 in a while, you have to step away from the analytics framework and just 138 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:09,399 look at the context of a game. All right. Other things about Oregon 139 00:11:09,399 --> 00:11:13,360 and Washington. First off, the hitting, the physicality, Like this felt 140 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:18,200 like a heavyweight battle. It felt like, you know, the first half 141 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,840 felt like a whole game. I know, a lot of a few people 142 00:11:20,879 --> 00:11:26,799 on Twitter made that comment, and yes, like like those Florida State Miami 143 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,600 games of the late nineteen eighties, early nineteen nineties, you know, so 144 00:11:30,799 --> 00:11:35,600 there was so much action packed into a game, so much athleticism, just 145 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,080 so many different things happening. Wasn't a dull game, wasn't a slow game. 146 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,879 You know, it wasn't a dry game. Like there were all sorts 147 00:11:43,919 --> 00:11:48,759 of incidents. Those games just spilled out over the field, and there was 148 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:54,000 just so much to account for, so much to process and absorb, so 149 00:11:54,080 --> 00:12:00,879 many details, so many nuances. This Oregon Washington game felt like that these 150 00:12:00,919 --> 00:12:05,159 teams both look like they belong. You know, the Oregon defense, you 151 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:09,000 know, didn't win the game, but you know, after getting shredded for 152 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:13,559 two and a half quarters, this defense really toughened up. It really dug 153 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:18,639 in very deeply, and so like it's hard to say that the Oregon defense 154 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,080 fundamentally failed. Now, I was skeptical of this defense, and it certainly 155 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:26,600 had a bumpy ride for portions of time. But all in all, if 156 00:12:26,639 --> 00:12:31,919 you're holding Washington to thirty six points with all the weapons that the Huskies have, 157 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:35,320 that's really not that bad. Like, and you know, in my 158 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,559 position at Trojan's Wire following USC football regularly, you know, I've said that 159 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:45,600 if you can hold if you're Alex Grinch and you can hold these other elite 160 00:12:45,639 --> 00:12:48,639 Pac twelve offenses under forty points, that's really not that bad an effort. 161 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:52,120 So I need to hold Oregon to the same standard. The Oregon defense did 162 00:12:52,159 --> 00:12:58,360 not collapse, and that has to be an encouraging outing for that group in 163 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:03,639 spite of the fact that it lost. Really, you know, the frustration 164 00:13:03,759 --> 00:13:07,360 for Oregon was and you can find this on film. You can find this 165 00:13:07,399 --> 00:13:11,799 from breakdowns, including from Zachary Neil, the great editor of Ducks Wire. 166 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:18,440 You look at his tweets on Twitter at Zachary C. Neil and ee L. 167 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:22,279 He has some screen grabs and some film cuts of bow Knicks not hitting 168 00:13:22,279 --> 00:13:28,720 a few receivers in important situations. That's what the kind of thing that organ 169 00:13:28,799 --> 00:13:31,120 might regret. And you know, if bo Nix hits some guys on third 170 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,960 down in the red zone, then we're not talking about these fourth down gambles. 171 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,440 So that is also part of the context in terms of, you know, 172 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:43,639 why Oregon fell short. But all in all, like the Ducks can't 173 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,879 feel that they didn't lay it all out on the field, they certainly did. 174 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,000 They do have to be annoyed that their kicking game, which had improved 175 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,639 in recent years, failed them. And you know, it's notable that several 176 00:13:54,720 --> 00:14:00,840 years ago Washington missed a field goal late in Eugene that were have won the 177 00:14:00,879 --> 00:14:03,679 game, and the Ducks were able to win in overtime. And that was 178 00:14:03,759 --> 00:14:09,320 Chris Peterson once again, you know from his days at Boise State having a 179 00:14:09,399 --> 00:14:13,720 kicking game failure, but this time it was Oregon having the kicking game failure, 180 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:20,120 and Chris Peterson was shown in the Fox College Football studio clapping and cheering 181 00:14:20,879 --> 00:14:26,039 as that Oregon kick missed and everyone celebrated and rushed onto the field at Husky 182 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:31,600 Stadium in Seattle. So Chris Peterson not coaching Washington, but you know, 183 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:37,159 enjoying being on the other side of the divide in terms of a big kick 184 00:14:37,679 --> 00:14:43,799 being missed in a Washington game of considerable importance Heisman Trophy. What do we 185 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:48,200 take from this game? Well, I mean bo Nicks didn't do poorly, 186 00:14:48,559 --> 00:14:52,840 but he also didn't come up with the big play. Michael Pennix did, 187 00:14:52,879 --> 00:14:56,320 and I think you have to put Pennix now at the top. And of 188 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:01,120 course Kayleb Williams, you know, was horrible. And you know if you're 189 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,679 going to have a repeat Heisman Trophy winner that that guy has to be miles 190 00:15:05,759 --> 00:15:09,360 better than the rest of the competition. So I think Kayleb Williams Heisman Trophy 191 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,639 chances are done, because if you're going to win back to back, you 192 00:15:13,759 --> 00:15:18,600 need to be clearly better than everyone else, and Caleb Williams was clearly better 193 00:15:18,639 --> 00:15:22,679 than everyone else a year ago. But that isn't the case now, and 194 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,799 it's unlikely that it's going to be the case at the end of the season. 195 00:15:26,799 --> 00:15:30,559 Now, if Kayleb Williams wants to put on his Superman Kate and USC 196 00:15:30,799 --> 00:15:33,879 somehow wins its next six games, you know which, which seems like a 197 00:15:33,919 --> 00:15:39,200 miracle right now, you consider all of the Trojan's problems and deficiencies. If 198 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:43,399 he can do that, all right, but you know what are the odds. 199 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,799 The odds are extremely, extremely small, to the extent that I'm not 200 00:15:46,879 --> 00:15:52,440 taking that seriously as a possibility. I think Michael Pennix is in the driver's 201 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:58,360 seat. Dylan Gabriel of Oklahoma Jordan Travis of Florida State are also there. 202 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:03,080 But Pennix should be in the league because this was a spectacular game. He 203 00:16:03,159 --> 00:16:07,159 made some money plays late in the game to help his team win. If 204 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,440 Washington wins the Pac twelve and or makes the College Football Playoff, it is 205 00:16:11,519 --> 00:16:18,960 going to be hard for someone else to overcome and transcend Michael Pennix as the 206 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:25,279 Heisman Trophy winner for twenty twenty three. All Right, More after the break. 207 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:29,679 But first our friends at ticket smarter ticketsmader dot com and a ticket Smarter 208 00:16:29,759 --> 00:16:33,320 mobile app. You know they know as well as you do that you know, 209 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:37,759 we're into big game season in the Pac twelve. I mentioned it last 210 00:16:37,799 --> 00:16:42,039 week that Oregon Washington got the party started. This week's big game is Utah 211 00:16:42,159 --> 00:16:47,679 USC. You can also look at Washington State at Oregon in Eugene, but 212 00:16:47,759 --> 00:16:52,879 you know, Utah USC really is the prime attraction in the Los Angeles Coliseum. 213 00:16:52,679 --> 00:16:56,960 And then after that it's going to be Oregon at Utah and October twenty 214 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:02,039 eight, and then it's going to be Washington at USC on November fourth, 215 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,519 and then it's going to be USC dot Oregon November eleventh. 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This is the outlet you want to use for your 232 00:18:25,039 --> 00:18:30,000 college football game tickets this season. So get in the game with Ticketsmarter dot 233 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,640 com and the ticket Smarter Mobile app. LWOS ten for ten dollars off your 234 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:38,680 order of one hundred dollars or more, LWOS twenty or twenty dollars off your 235 00:18:38,799 --> 00:18:44,519 order of three hundred dollars or more. Get in the game with tickets smarter. 236 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,200 All right, So on the other side of Oregon, Washington, USC 237 00:18:48,319 --> 00:18:51,799 Notre Dame. Now, let's just put it playing with USC like there is 238 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:56,319 no We don't need to be all that complicated and long winded about this. 239 00:18:56,599 --> 00:19:02,160 USC is soft. USC is a poorly co team. USC does not have 240 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:06,200 as good a roster as it did last year. Now you could say, 241 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,400 no, you know, maybe the players are actually as good as last year, 242 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:12,079 but the coaches aren't doing the job. You could also say, maybe 243 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,559 the coaches, you know, are are doing okay, but they just don't 244 00:19:17,559 --> 00:19:19,799 have the dudes that they have last year. Well, you know, in 245 00:19:19,839 --> 00:19:22,319 reality, it's probably a little bit of both, but it has to be 246 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:26,039 at least one or the other. So either the coaches aren't coaching these really 247 00:19:26,079 --> 00:19:32,119 good players, or the coaches did not evaluate well enough when they made their 248 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:37,720 transfer portal acquisitions. Like Jordan Addison last year, he was an elite portal 249 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:45,200 acquisition for USC. His speed opened up the field that changed the game, 250 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:49,880 made things so much easier for Caleb Williams, this year's big wide receiver portal 251 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:55,519 pickup was Dorian Singer from Arizona, and I thought, personally, you know, 252 00:19:55,559 --> 00:20:00,759 hey, like he torched USC last year in Tucson, and of Williams 253 00:20:00,319 --> 00:20:03,200 watching that game from the sidelines, you know, when he was not on 254 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:07,759 the field against Arizona, he asked, Hey, can we get that guy? 255 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,640 He's really good. So like when Dorian Singer came to USC, when 256 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:15,160 he transferred from Arizona, I was thinking, and a lot of people were 257 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:21,079 thinking, hey, USC found the next Jordan Nadison. Not necessarily in terms 258 00:20:21,079 --> 00:20:23,839 of playing style, but just you know, a wide, a number one 259 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,440 wide receiver who was going to make all sorts of huge plays, who was 260 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,480 going to stuff the statue. He was really going to change the equation. 261 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:36,599 He was going to occupy one half of the field and open up opportunities for 262 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:41,640 everyone else. That has not happened. Didn't happen a couple of weeks ago 263 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:45,839 against Arizona, didn't happen against Notre Dame. This guy does not get separation, 264 00:20:47,079 --> 00:20:51,599 This guy does not have next level speed. Us. These wide receivers 265 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:56,920 have surprisingly become a limitation on this offense, and yet they're not the biggest 266 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:03,000 limitation on the offense. Now Kayleb Williams played horribly, Like that's just reality, 267 00:21:03,039 --> 00:21:07,039 and you know it's interesting. Jalen Hurts of the Eagles also played an 268 00:21:07,079 --> 00:21:11,240 absolutely atrocious game. Maybe it was just a weird weekend for clunkers, rare 269 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:17,440 clunkers from really good quarterbacks who know how to play the game, who have 270 00:21:17,599 --> 00:21:21,240 proved themselves time and time again. Maybe it was just an aberration and to 271 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:23,720 a certain extent, Yeah, like Kayleb Williams is not going to regularly play 272 00:21:23,839 --> 00:21:26,960 like this, and he was horrible. But we also have to say, 273 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,319 as bad as Kleb Williams was and he did lose the game for USC against 274 00:21:30,319 --> 00:21:33,839 Notre Dame, his offensive line did not help him. And that is the 275 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:40,920 other thing. So the USC receivers surprisingly limited, the offensive line is even 276 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,559 worse, and that is really that was really the number one issue against Notre 277 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:48,880 Dame. That offensive line got punched in the mouth. Notre Dame's defensive front 278 00:21:48,319 --> 00:21:53,240 was excellent. Marcus Freeman and defensive coordinator Al Golden had their guys ready to 279 00:21:53,319 --> 00:21:57,559 play like they were on point. They were ready and they brought it to 280 00:21:57,759 --> 00:22:03,039 USC and US offensive line did not have an answer. So what are we 281 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:07,039 left to conclude, well, I think the personnel for USC is not as 282 00:22:07,039 --> 00:22:11,160 good as it was last year. Let's remember who USC had on its offensive 283 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:15,799 line one year ago. Andrew Vorhees now if the Baltimore Ravens like he's an 284 00:22:15,839 --> 00:22:25,400 injury rehab but he's with the Ravens and Brett Nelon another elite offensive lineman from 285 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:33,079 last season. You know, they were not players who came to USC in 286 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:37,279 the transfer portal. They were players that stayed around. They were players that 287 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:42,319 Riley inherited and wanted to keep on the roster, and they did stay on 288 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:47,559 the roster. That seems to be the difference. You know, Vorhees and 289 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,920 Nlon gave structure and stability to that offensive line. Without them this year, 290 00:22:52,319 --> 00:22:56,680 you know, Justin Dietitch is the one main holdover from last year's starting offensive 291 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:02,480 line. Justin Dietitch is struggling at center. He has not had the year 292 00:23:02,559 --> 00:23:07,799 anyone hoped or expected from him at USC. For He's and Nylon very clearly 293 00:23:07,839 --> 00:23:12,000 were the glue of that offensive line. Without them, you know, it's 294 00:23:12,039 --> 00:23:15,440 not nearly as good. And that brings up the larger point that when we 295 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:21,079 evaluate coaches, when we evaluate programs, you know that first year, the 296 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:27,440 transition year, coaches are inheriting a larger percentage of players from the previous head 297 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:33,000 coach, and it's often the case that a coach will win with the player 298 00:23:33,039 --> 00:23:37,759 the really good players he inherits from the previous staff, guys who have received 299 00:23:37,799 --> 00:23:44,519 coaching from from other sources, and then the new coach inherits that and benefits 300 00:23:44,559 --> 00:23:48,599 from it. And then in year two, after those inherited players leave, 301 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:53,359 then the quality goes down and it becomes, you know, it is revealed 302 00:23:53,480 --> 00:24:00,799 that the coaching staff was really the beneficiary of what it inherited more than the 303 00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:04,759 actual quality of coaching it did in that first year. When the coaching staff 304 00:24:04,799 --> 00:24:10,799 then gets more and more of its own players, you know, in terms 305 00:24:10,839 --> 00:24:15,160 of either recruits or from the transfer portal, year two and then year three 306 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,359 might reveal that that coaching staff is not able to do as good a job. 307 00:24:18,799 --> 00:24:22,759 And so USC fans really have to be worried that the coaches on hand 308 00:24:22,759 --> 00:24:29,119 at USC they're not developing these players in year two. That is a scary 309 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:33,400 thing heading into year three and in the Big Ten, like has Lincoln Riley 310 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:38,839 surrounded himself with assistants so mediocre that his player development track record, you know, 311 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:44,079 which was really strong at Oklahoma, but it had some good pieces there, 312 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:49,039 specifically offensive line coach Bill Bidenbaugh who did not come over to Los Angeles 313 00:24:49,039 --> 00:24:56,559 from Norman and join him at USC. Bill Beidenbaugh not joining USC and Lincoln 314 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:02,480 Riley. That could be the most significant aspect of this USC downfall, or 315 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:07,640 at least this temporary USC decline. That no one outside the state of Oklahoma 316 00:25:07,759 --> 00:25:11,559 is talking about people inside the state of Oklahoma like they've been saying that a 317 00:25:11,559 --> 00:25:15,920 lot. Like I know what people in Oklahoma have been saying about Lincoln Riley, 318 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,119 and one of the things they were saying was, Hey, if you 319 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:22,160 don't have Bill Beidenba, your offensive line play is going to suffer in this 320 00:25:22,279 --> 00:25:27,799 season. Oklahoma fans have been right, and no USC fan should take any 321 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:34,200 joy or pleasure in seeing that Oklahoma fans this year were right. They were 322 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:40,319 correct about Lincoln Riley. But that's the fact, Like that has definitely happened. 323 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:44,480 Like the things that Oklahoma fans were predicting about Lincoln Riley, they didn't 324 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,720 come true. In twenty twenty two, that was a great season for Riley 325 00:25:47,799 --> 00:25:51,480 in his first year. He overachieved, but in year two. Yes, 326 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,119 the things Oklahoma fans were saying and pointing to they have in fact happened, 327 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:02,599 and so Lincoln Riley definitely faced is a crisis at USC, and it's going 328 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,759 to be fascinating to see how he adjusts how he deals with everything. USC 329 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,799 playing Utah this weekend. Cam Rising, we don't know if he's gonna play, 330 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:12,720 but he didn't play against Cal, so if he does play, this 331 00:26:12,799 --> 00:26:19,160 is in season debut debut, and that invites all sorts of uncertainties for Utah. 332 00:26:19,519 --> 00:26:25,200 Now, if USC plays Utah and Cam Rising does not play, and 333 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:30,119 Utah still goes into the Los Angeles Coliseum and wins, well, then it 334 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:34,039 is a five alarm fire for Lincoln Riley at USC, and it's a situation 335 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:40,000 where he would probably need to need to fully clean house on his staff. 336 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:42,960 He probably needs to make a few firings anyway at the end of the season. 337 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:48,119 But if he loses to Utah without Cam Rising playing for the youths, 338 00:26:48,039 --> 00:26:51,920 that's pretty much the end of the season, and it should mark the end 339 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:56,920 of a lot of assistance jobs at USC all right. Other elsewhere in the 340 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,640 Pac twelve, the other things want to quickly hit on where we close the 341 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,799 show, Oregon State beats UCLA. You know, Oregon State, that's just 342 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,759 a team that seems to play really well at home and not play really well 343 00:27:10,519 --> 00:27:15,240 on the road. USC's UCLA's offense did begin to look a little bit better, 344 00:27:15,279 --> 00:27:18,559 but Oregon State did go up nineteen points pretty early in that game. 345 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:23,680 So was UCLA's a good showing on offense in the second half just a product 346 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:27,400 of Oregon State kind of stepping off the gas pedal. We'll have to wait 347 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:32,680 and see, but Oregon State definitely good at home. Now Washington State, 348 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:37,400 which had already beaten Wisconsin and Oregon State at home in Pullman figure two, 349 00:27:37,519 --> 00:27:41,160 you know, benefit from some home cooking again. You know, Washington State 350 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,559 might have been in the same basket as Oregon State in terms of, you 351 00:27:44,599 --> 00:27:51,680 know, a team that plays really well at home. But Arizona blew that 352 00:27:51,759 --> 00:27:55,960 all up on Saturday, and we have to look at the reality where at 353 00:27:56,039 --> 00:27:59,799 least the strong possibility Arizona might be a really good team, and you know, 354 00:27:59,799 --> 00:28:04,920 know Fefita stepping in for Jaden Dolora in the injured Jaden Dolora, the 355 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,039 quarterback, that might have been the lucky break that coach Jedfish needed to bring 356 00:28:11,079 --> 00:28:15,559 his team, his program to the next level. Like he did not have 357 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:19,440 Fifita as his day one starter, he had DeLaura. But when DeLaura got 358 00:28:19,519 --> 00:28:25,599 hurt and Fefida came in, Arizona instantly became a better team. And we 359 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,680 saw the zenith of that, we saw the height of that in that forty 360 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:34,480 four to six beat down over Washington State. So the Cougars, you know, 361 00:28:34,759 --> 00:28:38,680 they were beaten Oregon State and they were riding high. Now they've been 362 00:28:38,839 --> 00:28:45,279 they've been absolutely awful the last two weeks. Arizona, after Oregon in Washington 363 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,400 is playing the third best football in the Pac twelve. And Arizona has three 364 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:55,559 losses, But just in terms of quality of play, Arizona looks like, 365 00:28:56,119 --> 00:29:00,200 you know, a better team than USC and a better team than just a 366 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,880 anyone else in the Pac twelve. You also had Colorado blowing that twenty nine 367 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,880 tozzing lead to Stanford, and the shine has clearly worn off Deon Sanders and 368 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:15,720 all that media attention from the first half of the season now feels a little 369 00:29:15,759 --> 00:29:22,519 bit more like overkill. But Arizona is playing better than every other Pac twelve 370 00:29:22,559 --> 00:29:29,279 team not named Washington or Oregon. How many people expected that at the start 371 00:29:29,319 --> 00:29:33,039 of the season. And so when Oregon State goes to Arizona later this season, 372 00:29:33,119 --> 00:29:37,680 that is going to be must see television in the PAC twelve. Who 373 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:41,079 would have thought that? So you have Washington and Oregon playing this monster game. 374 00:29:41,119 --> 00:29:45,559 You have USC in crisis, you have Washington State unraveling, Oregon State 375 00:29:45,599 --> 00:29:51,119 playing really well at home, but really in many ways the biggest surprise of 376 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:55,200 the past weekend, along with Colorado blowing that twenty nine point lead to Stanford, 377 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:02,519 the Arizona Wildcats looked like a real wagon right now? How many people 378 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:07,839 would have thought that before the season began? Lots to cover in the Pac 379 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:14,160 twelve here on, get off my pylon. We head into week eight with 380 00:30:14,319 --> 00:30:18,839 so many juicy plot points you taught USC, you know, a prove it 381 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:22,200 game and a must win game for the Trojans, you know, how will 382 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:26,640 they respond? And then the other particularly interesting game, Washington State at Oregon. 383 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:32,279 Does Washington State get back on the beam after two atrocious performances or half 384 00:30:32,319 --> 00:30:36,079 the Cougar's basically mailed it in? And are they not going to get off 385 00:30:36,119 --> 00:30:41,359 the deck for the remainder of this season? Those are the two particularly interesting 386 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,759 games awaiting us in week eight. So this is Matt Zemeck. Thank you 387 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:49,359 you for listening to the latest edition of the Get Off My Pilon College Football 388 00:30:49,359 --> 00:30:55,279 podcast. We're part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network. Thanks 389 00:30:55,279 --> 00:30:55,799 for listening.