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 --> 00:00:17,320 Coast to Coast podcast Network. Here's your host, Matt Zimon. Welcome to 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,719 to Get Off My polar on college football podcast, part of the College Gridiron 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:27,359 Coast to Coast podcast Network. This is your host, Matt Zeig ding Dong, 6 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:32,520 The Wicked Grinch. The Wicked Grinch ding Dong, the Wicked Grinch is 7 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:38,759 well not dead, but his tenure at USC is over. Alex Grinch getting 8 00:00:38,759 --> 00:00:42,600 fired. That's the big story of the week in PAC twelve football and our 9 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:49,759 survey of western college football in the United States. The ride is finally over. 10 00:00:50,079 --> 00:00:53,880 And so you know, a lot of people have fought, and let's 11 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:59,119 just get right into this. Before we talk about the unbeaten Washington Huskies and 12 00:01:00,079 --> 00:01:04,480 the ascendant Fresno State Bulldogs other stories in the West on this edition of the 13 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,159 Get Off My Pylon College Football Podcast. Before we get to other teams and 14 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:14,319 other games, let's let's deal with Grinch up close. One of the long 15 00:01:14,439 --> 00:01:17,959 term criticisms about Lincoln Ry. I'm not here to say that it's valid or 16 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,840 invalid but just the idea that Lincoln Riley will never win a national championship. 17 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,400 Okay, it was predicated to a considerable extent, not fully, you know, 18 00:01:27,439 --> 00:01:30,879 because this is more than just a Grinch thing, and we'll talk about 19 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,480 that in the next few minutes. But a lot of it was based on 20 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,120 the belief that he'll never fire Alex Grinch. They're married, they're joined at 21 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,760 the hip there. They're never going to let each other go. Lincoln's never 22 00:01:41,799 --> 00:01:47,000 going to let his boy Alex Grinch go. A lot of USC fans and 23 00:01:47,079 --> 00:01:49,280 a lot of Oklahoma fans thought he's not going to cut bait. He's not 24 00:01:49,319 --> 00:01:53,400 actually gonna do that. He's not serious about winning. Well, you know, 25 00:01:53,799 --> 00:02:00,000 everything has its limits, right, I mean, even the most commit 26 00:02:00,319 --> 00:02:07,319 relationship, even the most committed professional workplace association. If things get to a 27 00:02:07,359 --> 00:02:10,080 point where, you know, you have people just out and out laughing at 28 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:17,599 USC, and you also have scenes such as Caleb Williams sobbing behind a cover, 29 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:23,599 you know, with his parents because of this ruined season and coming back 30 00:02:23,599 --> 00:02:27,240 as the Heisman Trophy winner, wanting to win a Pac twelve title, wanting 31 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,840 to win a national championship, wanting to make the College Football Playoff. I 32 00:02:30,879 --> 00:02:35,120 mean, obviously the playoff and the national title were already done, but this 33 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,840 game cemented that USC is not going to be playing in the PAC twelve championship 34 00:02:39,879 --> 00:02:43,879 game. So the seasons of failure, USC is going to play in the 35 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,240 Las Vegas Bowl, maybe the Sun Bowl. Caleb Williams did not come back 36 00:02:47,479 --> 00:02:53,560 to USC this season for that, and that that was the That was the 37 00:02:53,599 --> 00:02:57,680 outpouring of emotion that you know, this season is a failure. You can't 38 00:02:57,719 --> 00:03:00,879 window dress it, you can't spin it any other way. And that was 39 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:07,599 the frustration of failure for Kleb Williams, who you know, technically he has 40 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,560 to own the failure because USC lost the game. But of course he played 41 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:13,840 a great game. It was it was, all things considered, his best 42 00:03:13,879 --> 00:03:16,120 game of the year, you know, playing well against Stanford, playing well 43 00:03:16,159 --> 00:03:20,759 against Nevada, who cares, But this was this was a spotlight game. 44 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,840 A lot of NFL executives, scouts ron hand Caleb Williams was awesome. Now, 45 00:03:24,879 --> 00:03:30,080 he wasn't perfect. Committed a fumble and he also took a sack that 46 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:35,879 took USC out of field goal range, and those plays definitely mattered. But 47 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,960 in many ways, that underscores the point that Caleb Williams had to do things 48 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:45,080 by himself for so much of his USC tenure and he had to be perfect 49 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:50,000 in some cases for USC to win. This is yet another game in which 50 00:03:50,159 --> 00:03:57,719 USC has scored at least forty two points with Caleb Williams at quarterback, and 51 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:02,000 USC didn't win. You know, lost forty three forty two to Utah a 52 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:08,759 year ago, lost forty six forty five to Tulaine in the Cotton Bowl, 53 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:14,800 and now another game in which USC scores at least forty two points and doesn't 54 00:04:14,879 --> 00:04:18,639 walk off the field a winner. And so in so many ways, Alex 55 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:24,759 Grinch failed Caleb Williams. And that was part of the that was part of 56 00:04:24,759 --> 00:04:30,279 the reality that Lincoln Riley had to absorb after that Washington game that by choosing 57 00:04:30,319 --> 00:04:36,000 to retain Alex Grinch, Lincoln Riley, not just Alex Grinch, failed Caleb 58 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:42,639 Williams. And you know, Lincoln Riley felt the weight of that reality. 59 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:46,480 That's why he fired Alex Grinch as much as he had. He is loyal 60 00:04:46,519 --> 00:04:51,160 to Alex Grinch. You know, when things reach a certain level, you 61 00:04:51,399 --> 00:04:57,120 simply have to cut bait. And let's keep in mind USC It's twenty twenty 62 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,360 four recruiting class very little activity since the fourth of July weekend, and it 63 00:05:01,399 --> 00:05:05,680 really did seem that a lot of recruits, especially on the defensive side of 64 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:11,439 the ball, across the country, but including in Southern California, they wanted 65 00:05:11,439 --> 00:05:14,720 to wait. They wanted to wait to see if Alex Grinch could improve the 66 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,279 USC defense this year. And if not, why would you go to USC 67 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:24,040 and be coached by Alex Grinch. If you're a defensive stud no matter what 68 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,000 position you are on the field, why go to USC. Indeed, players 69 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,160 needed to see proof of concept and they did not get it. Like in 70 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:38,279 kingston Ville, Yammuasa, a decorated linebacker from Saint John Bosco, one of 71 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:43,480 those Southern California high school powerhouses. He chose Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame. 72 00:05:43,959 --> 00:05:46,959 And you know, if you're a defensive star, you would play defense for 73 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,680 Marcus Freeman and Order Dame because he understands defense. He doesn't understand offense, 74 00:05:51,879 --> 00:05:56,079 that's a different story, but he does understand defense. So if you're a 75 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,360 defensive star, you go to Notre Dame. If you're an offensive star, 76 00:05:59,639 --> 00:06:02,600 you go to USC, or you also go to Ohio State. So like 77 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,240 you know, kids can put two and two together. These high school prospects 78 00:06:06,319 --> 00:06:13,480 know what's up, and so the idea that Alex Grinch could could have been 79 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:18,160 retained for twenty twenty four. Like I personally think that died with the Utah 80 00:06:18,199 --> 00:06:23,720 game. But then giving up forty nine points to cal that only affirmed things 81 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:28,240 even more. And then giving up fifty two to Washington the final nail in 82 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:35,920 the coffin. The Huskies got over two hundred yards rushing before contact without a 83 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:42,360 ball carrier being touched by a USC defender. It was that bad. Washington 84 00:06:42,399 --> 00:06:46,360 could just pitch the ball left right, it didn't matter. Just a simple 85 00:06:46,439 --> 00:06:49,160 pitch play, a simple toss to one side of the field, and USC 86 00:06:49,439 --> 00:06:55,680 was nowhere close to making tackles, nowhere close to being in position to make 87 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,839 plays. It was that easy for Washington. You know, these were not 88 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,600 wildly common complicated plays. Now Lincoln Riley, he had to dial up some 89 00:07:02,639 --> 00:07:08,800 complicated plays to score at times against Washington. There was a jet sweet flea 90 00:07:08,879 --> 00:07:14,680 flicker, an amazing trick play. Zachariah Branch takes a jet sweet handoff, 91 00:07:15,079 --> 00:07:17,120 goes to the left side. He then reverses his field. You know, 92 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,480 he's near the numbers, and then he reverses his field. Instead of going 93 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:25,519 toward the sideline towards the boundary, he reverses his field, cuts back inside, 94 00:07:25,879 --> 00:07:30,959 and flips the ball to Caleb on a flea flicker. Washington's defense naturally 95 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:36,240 abandons receiver USC receiver Tage Washington up the left sideline, Caleb Williams has an 96 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:43,680 easy throw for a touchdown. Like Lincoln Riley went deep into his playbook to 97 00:07:43,759 --> 00:07:47,959 score against Washington, Washington did not have to go that deep into its playbook 98 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:54,040 to put forty to put fifty two points on USC. So it just became 99 00:07:54,199 --> 00:07:57,839 way too clear, way too obvious. It's just week after week after week 100 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:03,279 Utah cal Washington, just the humiliation, the horrible results. They piled up 101 00:08:03,319 --> 00:08:07,839 way too much for Lincoln Riley to keep Alex Grinch. He had to cut 102 00:08:07,879 --> 00:08:13,920 bait now rather than at the end of the season to reduce recruiting losses. 103 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:18,839 And it's interesting USC had a defensive back for the twenty twenty six class, 104 00:08:18,959 --> 00:08:22,480 not twenty twenty four. But nevertheless, a twenty twenty six defensive back committed 105 00:08:22,519 --> 00:08:31,920 to USC minutes minutes less than an hour minutes after Alex Grinch was fired on 106 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:37,159 Sunday afternoon. So that underscored why USC and Lincoln Riley needed to do what 107 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,480 they did. The idea that Lincoln Riley would never ever ever fire out ex 108 00:08:41,519 --> 00:08:45,720 Scrinch, you know, it just didn't hold water because the situation had just 109 00:08:45,799 --> 00:08:52,720 become plainly way too untenable. And you know, Lincoln Riley is an adult 110 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,080 and he's he's only forty years old. You know, he's been at this 111 00:08:56,240 --> 00:09:01,519 for several years as a head coach. He's been a a coach for a 112 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:07,200 decade. You know, he's young, but but but he's had experience in 113 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,399 the industry. I mean, he can put two and two together. And 114 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:16,120 so you know, he finally made this decision and now we arrive at the 115 00:09:16,159 --> 00:09:20,600 biggest choice of Lincoln Riley's USC career. And obviously athletic director Jen Cohen at 116 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:24,720 USC is going to collaborate with him on this. But Lincoln Riley needs to 117 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:31,080 be serious about his defensive coordinator. He needs to get a big time home 118 00:09:31,159 --> 00:09:37,200 run hitter for his USC team. He can't settle for average, can't settle 119 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,000 for slightly above average. He needs to go get a big time guy, 120 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:46,039 and we're going to see what Lincoln Riley values. There's only one other thing 121 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,240 to be said. I'm not going to take you through all the ins and 122 00:09:48,279 --> 00:09:52,639 outs of the defensive coordinator search. That's something we can visit at a future 123 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:56,679 point in time. But I would only say this when USC, Lincoln Riley, 124 00:09:56,759 --> 00:10:03,480 and Jen Cohen interview defensive cour ordinator candidates, those defensive coordinator candidates are 125 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:07,320 almost certainly going to say, Hey, you know your strength coach Benny Wiley. 126 00:10:07,919 --> 00:10:11,440 He doesn't seem to be creating tough, strong, physical players. I 127 00:10:11,759 --> 00:10:16,960 don't want to work for you, Lincoln Riley if Benny Wiley is still strength 128 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,879 coach, and so that is the other piece of the puzzle at USC. 129 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,720 It's not just a Grinch problem. You know. Riley owns this problem because 130 00:10:24,759 --> 00:10:28,960 he retained to Grinch. Riley also owns this problem because he has retained to 131 00:10:30,039 --> 00:10:35,279 this point Benny Wiley as his strength coach despite less than great results. And 132 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:41,320 so in the process of this defensive coordinator search, it might become apparent to 133 00:10:41,399 --> 00:10:46,120 Lincoln Riley that he also has to fire strength coach Benny Wiley. That, 134 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:50,799 in my view, is another thing that USC needs to do in order to 135 00:10:50,919 --> 00:10:56,440 truly make over the program, in order to truly transform the toughness of this 136 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:01,840 team, which has been a soft team throughout the twenty twenty three season. 137 00:11:01,919 --> 00:11:05,360 Even the one game where the defense was okay against Notre Dame, the offensive 138 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:11,440 line got absolutely blasted by Notre Dame's front seven. So in every game you've 139 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:16,200 seen at least one of the two USC lines, it's usually been the defensive 140 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,399 line. But in the games where the defensive line has been okay, the 141 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:22,879 offensive line has been less than great. So to some extent, USC has 142 00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:30,679 been soft as tissue paper in every game this season against at least against half 143 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:35,000 decent opponents such as Arizona, such as Notre Dame, Utah now Washington. 144 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:41,320 So that is something to look for that USC can't be content just with replacing 145 00:11:41,399 --> 00:11:46,639 defensive coordinators, replacing the strength coach, or at least Lincoln Riley amending the 146 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:52,679 way he practices, the way he trains his players, the way he oversees 147 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:58,080 a program that's going to need to change. Any good defensive coordinator candidate is 148 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,840 going to grill Lincoln Riley on those kinds of items. That is part of 149 00:12:01,879 --> 00:12:07,840 the equation at USC all right now. This podcast to get off my Pilon 150 00:12:07,919 --> 00:12:13,799 College Football podcast and the other college gridiron coast to coast podcasts are presented you, 151 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,240 presented to you by our friends at ticket Smarter. You can go to 152 00:12:18,279 --> 00:12:24,200 ticketsmarter dot com and the ticket Smarter mobile app to get into the biggest games 153 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,080 of the college football season. So this weekend we have USC at Oregon, 154 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:33,559 we have Utah at Washington, some featured games in the Pac twelve. You 155 00:12:33,639 --> 00:12:37,919 have other big time games across the country. That Michigan at Penn State game 156 00:12:39,399 --> 00:12:41,639 USC is going to be in the Big Ten next year. A lot of 157 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:46,399 Trojans are certainly going to be watching that Michigan Penn State game in Happy Valley 158 00:12:46,399 --> 00:12:52,039 and University Park. 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You get really good value and then with these promo 175 00:14:07,399 --> 00:14:11,799 codes you get an extra discount, so you're getting value on top of value 176 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:16,039 at ticket Smarter. So get in the game with ticketsmarter dot com. The 177 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:22,519 ticket smarter mobile app your place for the to attend the best games in college 178 00:14:22,519 --> 00:14:28,240 football for the right value. All right, so you've dealt with the USC 179 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:33,320 coaching situation. Now let's flip it to the team that beat USC, the 180 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:39,240 Washington Huskies. And you know, Michael Pennix was supposed to feast on an 181 00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:41,960 Alex Grinch defense. So, like, I don't know how much credit we 182 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,960 we should give him for doing what you know, any really good quarterback ought 183 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:50,440 to be doing. But I will say this that third and eighteen scramble in 184 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:52,159 the first half, third and eighteen, he rolls to his left near the 185 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:58,480 sideline, throws a dart into you know, like the receiver wasn't wide open, 186 00:14:58,559 --> 00:15:01,279 but like he had a little bit of space. Nevertheless, that was 187 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,799 a really big time NFL throw by Michael Pennix. And you know, if 188 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:11,559 his Heisman candidacy wobbled thanks to his very poor showing against Arizona State a few 189 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:16,480 weeks ago, you know, he got that back on track. And Michael 190 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,840 Pennox and bow Knicks of Oregon, you could certainly make an argument that they're 191 00:15:18,879 --> 00:15:24,960 one to two in the Heisman race. And you know, they Washington and 192 00:15:24,039 --> 00:15:30,120 Oregon. They might have a rematch on Friday, December first in the Pac 193 00:15:30,159 --> 00:15:33,200 twelve Championship game, and that could basically be not only your Pac twelve championship 194 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:37,200 game, but your Heisman Trophy championship game. It could be one versus two 195 00:15:37,759 --> 00:15:43,480 in the Pac twelve and in the Heisman race. Certainly, that is the 196 00:15:43,519 --> 00:15:50,639 gravitational center of the Heisman Trophy competition as it stands right now, It's gonna 197 00:15:50,639 --> 00:15:54,960 be very fascinating to watch in these last few weeks of the REGULARUS season. 198 00:15:54,399 --> 00:15:58,120 Washington being unbeaten gives Pennix a little bit of margin that. You know, 199 00:15:58,159 --> 00:16:03,919 if the Huskies lose O's a regular season game, but then beat Oregon in 200 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,480 the Pactreal Championship game, you would think Pennick still has the edge over Knicks. 201 00:16:10,159 --> 00:16:14,559 But ultimately, if Oregon is able to win out a vengeance lost to 202 00:16:14,679 --> 00:16:18,200 Washington and finished twelve and one, you would probably have to say Bonix would 203 00:16:18,279 --> 00:16:22,679 have the inside track. And there's another really interesting part of the Heisman debate. 204 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:26,399 I know it's not Western college football, but it's part of a debate 205 00:16:26,519 --> 00:16:33,000 involving Western players Penix and Knicks. Marvin Harrison, the fabulous receiver for Ohio 206 00:16:33,039 --> 00:16:37,440 State, he doesn't have nearly the numbers of you know, like Devonte Smith 207 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:44,440 did that at Alabama in twenty twenty when Smith won the Heisman Trophy, the 208 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:49,000 most recent wide receiver to do it. But even though he doesn't have the 209 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:55,159 numbers, he's usually the best player on the field in the games that he 210 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,919 plays. He doesn't have the numbers because Kyle McCord of Ohio State is not 211 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:02,879 an elite quarterback. He's a freshman who's been going through growing pains this season. 212 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:07,240 Or how State's been winning its high profile games by scores of twenty to 213 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:11,279 six and twenty four to ten. How State's been winning with its defense more 214 00:17:11,319 --> 00:17:15,319 than its offense. Ohio State's opponents, you know, can't generate any offense 215 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,960 whatsoever. But nevertheless, Marvin Harrison is this absolute stud. But it does 216 00:17:21,039 --> 00:17:23,640 bring up the point, do you have to have a certain level of statistical 217 00:17:25,519 --> 00:17:27,799 production to win the Heisman or can you just be the best player on the 218 00:17:27,799 --> 00:17:33,119 field with an eye test. I think most people would probably say you have 219 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:37,240 to have a certain level of statistical heft in addition to the eye test to 220 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,720 be a Heisman Trophy winner. But it remains to be seen, Like what 221 00:17:41,759 --> 00:17:45,759 if Marvin Harrison has a great game against Michigan later this season, could he 222 00:17:45,839 --> 00:17:49,839 get in the way of a Bonix or Michael Pennox Heisman win. That's going 223 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:56,279 to be a plot point worth following. The other really big story because you 224 00:17:56,279 --> 00:18:00,359 know, Oregon played Cal that was an easy win for Oregon. The other 225 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,160 really big story in western college football. We're gonna go away from the Pac 226 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,519 twelve and into the Mountain West, and that's the Presno State Bulldogs beating Boise 227 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:11,680 State Boise State four and five. But that was a tough game. Like 228 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,960 Boise State Fresno State, they always play competitive games when they go up against 229 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,279 each other. Jeff Tedford, well, you got to give it up to 230 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:25,440 him. He has Fresno State now very much in position to play air Force 231 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,440 for the Mountain West title. Presno State and air Force both with just one 232 00:18:29,519 --> 00:18:34,640 loss. So there's a chance that you know, their game in the Mountain 233 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,519 West Championship game in a few weeks, assuming it happens like those teams, 234 00:18:38,599 --> 00:18:42,799 you know, could they both have a twelve and one season in play. 235 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,519 That's possible for both teams. Air Force getting the shock loss against Army, 236 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:53,759 Army took out its frustration after you know, a miserable two months. Army 237 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:59,240 entered November and played like a totally different team against air Force, but of 238 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,599 course that's a non conference game. Fresno State by beating unlv A couple weeks 239 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:10,119 ago and now Boise State, Fresno State has the tiebreakers over both teams in 240 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:15,400 the Mountain West standings, and so Ifresno State definitely has the inside track to 241 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:21,039 play air Force. Jeff Tedford has been great overall at Fresno State, but 242 00:19:21,079 --> 00:19:25,680 he's also been great against Boise State. He's beating the Broncos twice in the 243 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:29,519 Mountain West Championship game. Did it in twenty eighteen, he did it last 244 00:19:29,599 --> 00:19:33,359 year as well, and he's now beaten Boise State multiple times in the regular 245 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,039 season. He did it in twenty seventeen, and now he's done it again 246 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,599 in twenty twenty three. Jeff Tedford, you know, he knocked it out 247 00:19:38,599 --> 00:19:42,640 of the park at California. You might remember in the two thousand and four 248 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:48,599 season, Mac Brown of Texas, you know, was lobbying like heck at 249 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,920 the end of the season, lobbying for Texas to get the Rose Bowl bid 250 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:56,799 over and against cal You know, Tedford didn't have that kind of clout in 251 00:19:56,839 --> 00:20:02,440 the room in Texas, of course, had the national brand name Cal deserved 252 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,480 to be in that Rose Bowl against Michigan, but Mac Brown lobbied really hard 253 00:20:06,519 --> 00:20:10,400 and Texas got in. It's really unfortunate because Cal had not been to the 254 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:15,240 Rose Bowl since the late nineteen fifties. It's the longest drought of any original 255 00:20:15,279 --> 00:20:18,599 Pacific Eight program, you know, the Pacific Eight became the Pac ten in 256 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:23,559 nineteen seventy eight when Arizona State and Arizona joined. Of any original pac eight 257 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:30,039 program, Cal had the longest drought still does. Tedford was poised to break 258 00:20:30,039 --> 00:20:36,240 that drought, but the Bowl selection process jobbed him in that twenty twenty in 259 00:20:36,279 --> 00:20:41,960 that two thousand and four season. But he did a great job at CAL, 260 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:47,279 lifting the Bears to national prominence, and now he continues to crush it 261 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:52,960 in a different California based program in the valley at Fresno State. It's pretty 262 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:59,359 remarkable what Jeff Tedford has done. We look at this weekend, so USC 263 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,960 goes to ore in Oregon is sixteen point favorite, and frankly, I would 264 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:07,359 jump all over Oregon minus the sixteen Ducks are poised to deliver a true blood 265 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,880 baff to USC by like thirty thirty five. Would not be surprised to see 266 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,200 a really large margin there. Now Utah at Washington, that game is a 267 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:21,200 little more interesting because Washington has not played very good defense and or really you 268 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,079 know, really good football the last few weeks, I mean, great offense 269 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:30,000 against USC. But you know, Utah's defense is worlds apart from USC's defense. 270 00:21:30,319 --> 00:21:34,200 So Utah is gonna pose a physical challenge to Washington. But the game 271 00:21:34,279 --> 00:21:37,920 is in Seattle, so you got to give Washington the edge. But Utah 272 00:21:38,279 --> 00:21:42,759 has the chance to punch Washington in the mouth. I know Kyle Woodingham and 273 00:21:42,799 --> 00:21:47,759 that offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, they're gonna try to run the ball down Washington's 274 00:21:47,759 --> 00:21:49,839 throat. They're gonna try and make this game a street fight, a physical 275 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:59,400 game. Let's see if Washington's leaky defense can tighten up enough against against Utah's 276 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,319 physical line play to ensure that the Huskies win that game. They will be 277 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:07,079 expected to win. But there are a lot of people who think that this 278 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,759 game is going to be close because Utah is playing a more physical style of 279 00:22:11,759 --> 00:22:15,960 football right now than Washington is. So that is definitely going to be a 280 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:21,279 game to watch. It's always interesting in the Pac twelve, and it's also 281 00:22:21,319 --> 00:22:26,559 interesting in the Mountain West like we're looking ahead to that Mountain Fresno State Air 282 00:22:26,599 --> 00:22:30,400 Force Mountain West changing game. That's a mouthwatering matchup to contemplate, and of 283 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:36,119 course Washington and Oregon currently on a collision course in Las Vegas. On December 284 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:41,480 one, we'll see if anyone can knock one of those teams off course in 285 00:22:41,559 --> 00:22:45,599 what could be a Pac twelve title game, which doubles as a Heisman Trophy 286 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:51,799 playoff game. Lots of interesting stories here in the Pac twelve. So that's 287 00:22:51,839 --> 00:22:55,839 the latest episode of the Get Off My Pilon College Football podcast. We're part 288 00:22:55,839 --> 00:23:00,000 of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network. Checkout all the podcast under 289 00:23:00,079 --> 00:23:04,119 the College Gridiron Coast to Coast banner. This is Matt Zenag. We'll see 290 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,720 you next week. Thanks for listening.