1 00:00:01,199 --> 00:00:04,799 Speaker 1: Check it out. College football on the West Coast. This 2 00:00:04,839 --> 00:00:07,960 is Get Off My pilone Look at the PAC twelve 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,560 and more, part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast 4 00:00:11,679 --> 00:00:16,160 podcast Network. Here's your host, that's Zimmy. Welcome to the 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,160 latest edition if you Get Off My Pilon college football podcast. 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,519 This is your host, Matt Zemmit. Get Off My Pilon 7 00:00:21,679 --> 00:00:24,440 part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network. 8 00:00:24,519 --> 00:00:27,800 Cash all your favorite grid College Gridiron Coast to Coast 9 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:33,439 podcasts at Gridiron Coast on Twitter and at Apple Speaker, 10 00:00:33,679 --> 00:00:36,759 Spotify the other places where you listen to your podcasts 11 00:00:37,119 --> 00:00:41,320 on the web. Noah Drury has the Big Ten Paradigm. 12 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,960 He's going to be previewing Michigan and Ohio State this week. 13 00:00:44,439 --> 00:00:49,280 Florida Football Insiders with Jason Powers, Miami staying in the 14 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:54,679 playoff hunt, Florida State retaining Mike Norvel, Florida battling LSU 15 00:00:54,799 --> 00:01:00,039 for Lane Kiffin. So many points of intrigue in the 16 00:01:00,079 --> 00:01:03,280 state of Florida, So Jason Powers has that on his 17 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,159 College grid Iron Coast to Coast podcast. There's the All 18 00:01:07,159 --> 00:01:11,159 Sports Discussion podcast covering the acc Pit with the huge 19 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,959 win over Georgia Tech and SMU trying to close in 20 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:19,879 on back to back appearances in the ACC Championship game. 21 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,480 We have CAL firing justin Wilcox and CAL of course 22 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,920 now in ACC program. So that's also part of what 23 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,840 the All Sports Discussion ACC podcast is going to cover. 24 00:01:30,079 --> 00:01:32,719 Yards and Stripes and the Service Academy's Army with an 25 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,400 ugly loss to Tulsa, a game it never should have lost, 26 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,519 but the Army Navy game just a few weeks away, 27 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:41,640 so you know that's going to be a talking point 28 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,319 for Yards and Stripes. Navy also still in the hunt 29 00:01:44,599 --> 00:01:48,200 in the American Conference with a group of five championship 30 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,599 in playoff berth. So Yards and Stripes has you covered? There? 31 00:01:52,799 --> 00:01:57,760 Just so many interesting podcasts on the different flavors of 32 00:01:57,799 --> 00:02:00,400 college football in the different regions of the country, all 33 00:02:00,439 --> 00:02:04,159 here under our umbrella at the College Great Iron Coast 34 00:02:04,159 --> 00:02:07,599 to Coast podcast. Get off my pile and we cover 35 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,080 college football in the West. So let's get to it. 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,759 Week thirteen done, just one more full service Saturday before 37 00:02:16,159 --> 00:02:21,479 Conference Championship Saturday. So we're getting down to it. Mountain West. 38 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,360 San Diego State beats San Jose State, so San Diego 39 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,719 State closing in on a spot on the Mountain West 40 00:02:26,759 --> 00:02:31,800 championship game. Boise State still in the hunt. You know, 41 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,039 the Mountain West will not be part of the Group 42 00:02:34,039 --> 00:02:38,039 of five championship race, but a conference championship still means 43 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:40,639 a whole lot in San Diego State in the best 44 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,919 position to play for the Mountain West championship with one 45 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,879 week of football left in the conference before you know, 46 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,719 realignment's going to scramble everything in twenty twenty six. So 47 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,960 the Aztecs under Sean Lewis, it's gonna be interesting to 48 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,680 see if Sean Louis is going to be a candidate 49 00:02:57,759 --> 00:02:59,919 in the carousel. Is he going to go to cal 50 00:03:01,039 --> 00:03:04,000 Is he gonna go to Stanford? Is he gonna go 51 00:03:04,039 --> 00:03:07,159 to UCLA? Lots of Western openings and we're gonna get 52 00:03:07,199 --> 00:03:09,560 to that in a little bit. But Sean Lewis definitely 53 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,439 making a statement this season, the magnificent job he's done 54 00:03:13,599 --> 00:03:19,000 in San Diego for team to lot. Okay, so that's 55 00:03:19,039 --> 00:03:21,719 the Mountain West again. The Mountain West just hasn't hit 56 00:03:21,759 --> 00:03:24,599 the spot this season, so we haven't really had a 57 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,759 whole lot to talk about. They're in the two pack. 58 00:03:29,479 --> 00:03:33,080 Washington State, what an exasperating team. And what an exasperating 59 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,840 season for Washington State. You know, lose to Oregon State, 60 00:03:37,879 --> 00:03:40,919 a bad Oregon State team that fired its coach midseason, 61 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,080 and yet Washington State very nearly won at Virginia, a 62 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,599 team that could play for the ACC title. In Washington 63 00:03:48,639 --> 00:03:51,000 State very nearly beat James Man. Is it a team 64 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,120 that's still alive in the Group of five championship? Hunt 65 00:03:54,199 --> 00:03:58,439 Washington State, you know, flying across the country playing good 66 00:03:58,479 --> 00:04:02,159 teams on the road in the state of Virginia, comes 67 00:04:02,199 --> 00:04:05,439 oh so close in really good performances. And let's not 68 00:04:05,479 --> 00:04:08,599 forget Washington State lost at Ole Miss by just a 69 00:04:08,639 --> 00:04:11,159 field goal. Like this team has played some really good 70 00:04:11,159 --> 00:04:14,199 football against some really good opponents. And then you look 71 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,439 at how did this team lose to Oregon State and 72 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,959 why is this team not better overall? Also, Washington State 73 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,399 lost to North Texas by forty nine points. I mean, 74 00:04:24,439 --> 00:04:27,040 North Texas has a good offense, but Washington State has 75 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:31,199 scored only ten against North Texas. It's been a wacky 76 00:04:31,439 --> 00:04:36,160 up and down season and so you know, it's frustrating 77 00:04:36,199 --> 00:04:39,600 that the Cougars aren't getting the results that they want. 78 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,079 But on the other hand, like this team's been competitive 79 00:04:42,079 --> 00:04:45,120 against quality opposition on the road, so there is some 80 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,480 there are seeds of hope for next year in Pollman 81 00:04:50,439 --> 00:04:55,079 a really bizarre, hard to pin down year for Washington 82 00:04:55,079 --> 00:04:57,519 State football, but you know, a really well played game 83 00:04:58,079 --> 00:05:02,519 against James Madison. The Cougar's made the Dukes and potential 84 00:05:02,519 --> 00:05:05,759 coaching carousel candidate Bob Chesney earned every bit of that 85 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,920 twenty four to twenty win. It was a close one 86 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,800 the whole way. And of course, you know Oregon State 87 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:18,560 is moving on a coaching hire, and it brings up 88 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,399 the point as we kind of we can go from 89 00:05:21,439 --> 00:05:23,759 the two pack to the ACC and kind of bundle 90 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,399 them all together. So Oregon State, Stanford, and now CAL 91 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:31,839 with Justin Wilcox getting fired, those three former PAC twelve schools. 92 00:05:32,079 --> 00:05:37,279 You know, Washington State and Oregon State are technically PAC twelve, 93 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,959 but you know what I mean, the old PAC twelve schools. 94 00:05:40,959 --> 00:05:44,560 From the old PAC twelve, there are four vacant seats 95 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,920 both Bay Area schools, Cal joins Stanford with the Justin 96 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:54,160 Wilcox move, Oregon State and UCLA, that's four vacant seats 97 00:05:54,439 --> 00:05:59,519 from old PAC twelve members. It's gonna be fascinating to see, 98 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,399 you know, if any of those schools are competing against 99 00:06:02,399 --> 00:06:04,920 each other, and we haven't even mentioned like what if 100 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,680 Jonathan Smith gets fired at Michigan State, does Oregon State 101 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,879 seek a reunion or have the bridges been burned in Corvallis. 102 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,240 That's gonna be fascinating to look at. So let's talk 103 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,839 a little bit more about Callen Stanford. So they played Stanford, won, 104 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,199 Stanford with two defensive scores. It was a meltdown for Cal, 105 00:06:23,759 --> 00:06:28,240 and that leads us into the Justin Wilcox firing. Somewhat 106 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:33,240 surprising maybe, but not an earthquake. The fact that Cal 107 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,240 brought a board alumnus Ron Rivera, you know, a guy 108 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,160 who's coached in the Super Bowl, you know, a long 109 00:06:41,519 --> 00:06:47,600 NFL career as player and coach. When Cal brought aboard 110 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,920 Ron Rivera as gm UH, one had to think that, 111 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:53,759 you know what, the bar is going to be raised, 112 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,399 The expectations are going to be higher. Justin Wilcox can't 113 00:06:57,399 --> 00:06:59,759 get away with, you know, winning six or seven games. 114 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,480 Cal wants to be a nine win program and so 115 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,639 this this move really confirms that aspiration. Now, whether Cal 116 00:07:06,759 --> 00:07:09,680 becomes a nine win program, that's a separate matter, but 117 00:07:09,839 --> 00:07:14,000 Cal definitely wants to play with the big boys in Berkeley. 118 00:07:14,279 --> 00:07:18,480 Cal definitely wants to aim higher. So Ron Rivera like 119 00:07:18,519 --> 00:07:21,879 put an end to this Justin Wilcox, you know, middle 120 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:26,600 of the road tenure. Will Cox. Remember he didn't leave 121 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:31,240 Berkeley four years ago when Marrio Cristobal bolted for Miami. 122 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,480 Dan Lanning of course got the job. Justin Wilcox, according 123 00:07:36,519 --> 00:07:39,360 to insiders, could have had that job if you wanted it, 124 00:07:39,399 --> 00:07:42,720 but he said no. And Justin Wilcox made the calculation. 125 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,639 And you know, for a long time this calculation worked 126 00:07:45,639 --> 00:07:49,120 out for him, just in terms of job security. He 127 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,759 he seemed to have an arrangement where, you know what, 128 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,959 I'm not gonna pursue other jobs and in exchange for 129 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:59,399 giving you Berkeley stability. You know, I'm not gonna go anywhere, 130 00:07:59,399 --> 00:08:01,959 but you're gonna get me job security. And like that 131 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:06,439 arrangement kept Wilcox around as the cow head coach longer 132 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,800 than results might have warranted. But it seems as though 133 00:08:09,839 --> 00:08:13,759 there was a wink wink, nod, nod, nudge nudge kind 134 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,920 of agreement between the coach and Berkeley administration. Let's remember 135 00:08:17,959 --> 00:08:22,319 COVID in twenty twenty twenty twenty one. Like, I know, 136 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,480 we don't like to remember that time, but this is 137 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,240 relevant to the story that you know, there were the 138 00:08:27,279 --> 00:08:31,959 severe lockdowns in Berkeley, you know, very liberal area treated 139 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,279 COVID differently from other parts of the United States, so 140 00:08:35,399 --> 00:08:37,960 it was really hard to recruit, really hard to get 141 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,720 into the portal and procure elite talent. So Justin Wilcox 142 00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:46,399 was given some grace there. So the program was a drift. 143 00:08:47,879 --> 00:08:51,279 Willcox was legitimately on the hot seat at previous points 144 00:08:51,799 --> 00:08:54,679 over the past several years, but there seemed to be 145 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,759 an agreement and an awareness that you know what, I'll 146 00:08:57,759 --> 00:09:01,320 stay here, give you stability. I might not give you 147 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,840 spectacular results, but like I'll get to bawl games at 148 00:09:04,919 --> 00:09:07,279 least at least some of the time, and in exchange, 149 00:09:07,399 --> 00:09:09,960 you know, you keep me aboard. And it worked for 150 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,679 a while just in terms of Justin Wilcox preserving his 151 00:09:14,799 --> 00:09:19,759 place as an FBS and power for head coach. But 152 00:09:19,879 --> 00:09:23,960 the Ron Rivera arrival changed everything, and the Ron Rivera 153 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,200 higher as general managers part of a trend that we're 154 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,879 seeing in college football and it's been very much in 155 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:34,360 evidence in the West. You know Andrew luck being brought 156 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,320 aboard as the general manager at Stanford, and one has 157 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:43,039 to think that Ron Rivera's thought process was, Hey, Stanford's 158 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,039 hiring a new coach. I think we need it's time 159 00:09:45,039 --> 00:09:48,679 for our upgrade as well. And of course seeing Stanford 160 00:09:48,759 --> 00:09:53,799 with an interim Frank Reich, you know, wiping the floor 161 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:58,200 with cal that that told Ron Rivera everything he needed 162 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,720 to know. But you know, USC has gotten a general manager, 163 00:10:00,799 --> 00:10:05,559 Chad Boden from Notre Dame that hires what has improved 164 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,919 USC's recruiting, Like it's not as though Lincoln Riley figured 165 00:10:08,919 --> 00:10:12,080 out how to recruit, No, it was Chad Boden coming 166 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:16,279 in streamlining the NIL operation. Like he's the one getting 167 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,080 the high end recruits. He's the one who knows how 168 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:25,279 to shop for whole foods, level groceries and so the 169 00:10:25,399 --> 00:10:29,200 GM position. You're seeing the influence of this, especially when 170 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:34,279 schools hire someone who's really skilled, really adept at handling 171 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:40,159 that administrative position. And it is certainly at Stanford. Andrew 172 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,679 Lux the guy driving the bus. You know, he's running 173 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,200 the program. It's not the head coach anymore. In some places, 174 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:49,600 Stanford is one of them. And now we can say 175 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,759 very clearly, Cal's the other. You know, Ron Rivera sachs 176 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,679 Justin Wilcox, he's the guy in charge, he's the captain now, 177 00:10:57,799 --> 00:11:02,080 So what's going on at Cal? Also Stanford reflective of 178 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:05,960 the different administrative dynamics that are changing, you know, in 179 00:11:06,039 --> 00:11:11,559 terms of the pyramid of authority and who has power, 180 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,600 who has clout that is changing in college football, and 181 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:18,679 the Bay Area, the West coast state of California all 182 00:11:18,799 --> 00:11:23,360 very representative of these trends, these emerging trends, these shifting 183 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,799 wins in college football. So there's more to say about 184 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,919 Cow because of the Justin Wilcox fire. And I was 185 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,240 not planning, of course, I'm talking a lot about Cal 186 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,360 this week. But when you have a coach firing, yes, 187 00:11:35,399 --> 00:11:40,279 it becomes a bigger story. So Jeran kiahwe Sagapolutele, the 188 00:11:40,399 --> 00:11:44,120 talented young quarterback at Cal, part of the Golden Bears, 189 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:48,600 significant nil investments, so he has a decision to make now. 190 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:51,799 And you have to think that Ron Rivera made this 191 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:56,000 firing of Justin Wilcox with a candidate or two in mind, 192 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,799 or maybe just a plan in mind. Maybe the plan 193 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,519 could be, Hey, Ryan Harrison, he won a lot at 194 00:12:01,519 --> 00:12:05,000 Boise State. Obviously failed at Auburn. That's a separate story, 195 00:12:05,039 --> 00:12:07,480 but hey, he wanted Boise State. He knows how to 196 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,159 recruit the West. Maybe we elevate him from Cal offensive 197 00:12:11,159 --> 00:12:14,679 coordinator to head coach and maybe that keeps a sagapolu 198 00:12:14,799 --> 00:12:18,600 Tell in Berkeley. I don't know, but I mean that 199 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,320 that could be what Ron Rivera is thinking. If he's 200 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,360 not going to elevate Harson Brian Harrison to head coach, 201 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:31,360 then you know what candidate would keep Sagapolutelle who By 202 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,080 the way, you know you can do the initials. JKS 203 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,679 just wanted to say sagapol Utella a few times to 204 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,240 get that into the bloodstream. But from now on we'll 205 00:12:40,279 --> 00:12:45,440 just refer to him as JKS. Ron Rivera has to see, 206 00:12:45,519 --> 00:12:49,559 you know, if JKS is going to stay, if he 207 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,639 elevates Harson, maybe that's the move you make at least 208 00:12:52,639 --> 00:12:55,519 for just one year, and you can just have your 209 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,639 quarterback in the fold and you spend nil money on 210 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:03,080 wide receivers. Col's receivers were bad this year, so you 211 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,480 need to give Jks a much better crop of pass 212 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,360 catchers and maybe it can all work out. Maybe cal 213 00:13:09,399 --> 00:13:12,879 could make those forward strides in the ACC in twenty 214 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,720 twenty six. But if it's not Harson, Ron Rivera has 215 00:13:15,759 --> 00:13:18,840 to move quickly, right like he You can't fire a 216 00:13:18,879 --> 00:13:23,039 coach without having a very specific plan. And with Stanford 217 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:27,200 reportedly this is the industry chatter. Stanford has its man 218 00:13:27,399 --> 00:13:31,559 lined up, gonna make the announcement after the final game 219 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:33,759 against Notre Dame this weekend. I don't know that for 220 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,080 a fact, but like that's the industry chatter. So if 221 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:41,840 Stanford and Andrew Luck already have their guy, Ron Rivera 222 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,639 needs to come up with something special, Like you can't 223 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:48,399 just settle, like if you fire Justin Wilcox. I'm not 224 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:50,440 saying the move's bad, but you know, if you make 225 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,919 that kind of move, boy, you really need to have 226 00:13:53,039 --> 00:13:56,360 your ideal target lined up. You need to have confidence 227 00:13:56,399 --> 00:13:58,720 that the guy you want is going to say yes. 228 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,200 And so after you know, this weekend a reminder about 229 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,600 the coaching carousel, schools can interview coaches. You're going to 230 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,559 see a lot of movement. Obviously all eyes on Lane 231 00:14:10,639 --> 00:14:13,639 Kiffen and the SEC, but in the West, you know, 232 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,080 we'll see where how the dominoes or the plinko chips 233 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:20,440 on prices right fall, schools will be able to interview 234 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:24,279 candidates after these final regular season games. Now coaches are 235 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:29,720 coaching in conference championship games, then the interview process has 236 00:14:29,759 --> 00:14:32,120 to be delayed. But for coaches who are not in 237 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:36,559 conference championship games, they can be interviewed after the final 238 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,200 regular season game this weekend. So the wheels are turning 239 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:43,320 in Berkeley as they are in Stanford, So Silicon Valley 240 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,320 a lot of big coaching changes ahead. And this doesn't 241 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:51,799 even include UCLA, which you know is moving closer to 242 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:53,879 the end of its season. We have more of the 243 00:14:53,879 --> 00:14:58,639 Bruins later, but callen Stanford unexpectedly becoming a really big 244 00:14:58,679 --> 00:15:02,080 part of the news cycle this weekend in college football, 245 00:15:02,159 --> 00:15:04,799 and we'll see what the two Bay Area schools come 246 00:15:04,919 --> 00:15:09,480 up with in terms of their coaching hires in the ACC. 247 00:15:10,399 --> 00:15:13,840 All right, so Mountain West two pack the Bay Area 248 00:15:13,879 --> 00:15:17,519 schools in the ACC. So our survey of Western teams 249 00:15:17,559 --> 00:15:21,039 on Get off my Pylon now continues, and we moved 250 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:25,240 to the Big twelve. So it was a bad weekend 251 00:15:25,399 --> 00:15:30,960 for Utah and Arizona State, and even though they both won, 252 00:15:31,399 --> 00:15:37,480 because BYU goes into Cincinnati, handles the Bearcats. We're looking 253 00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:41,440 at a BYU Texas Tech Big Twelve title game. BYU 254 00:15:41,559 --> 00:15:44,360 just has to handle a not very good UCF team 255 00:15:44,399 --> 00:15:49,919 at home. UCF almost lost to a horrid Oklahoma State 256 00:15:49,919 --> 00:15:54,399 team at home. UCF down fourteen nothing, barely wins seventeen 257 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:58,440 to fourteen. So you know BYU should beat UCF like 258 00:15:58,799 --> 00:16:01,720 a drum and then Texas Tech is a twenty four 259 00:16:01,759 --> 00:16:04,360 and a half point favorite at you know, an injury 260 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:07,679 depleted West Virginia team. It's not really rich Rodriguez's fault, 261 00:16:08,639 --> 00:16:12,039 but West Virginia has just been a mash unit all season, 262 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:16,759 no depth year one, so like it's just this team 263 00:16:16,799 --> 00:16:21,480 has cratered and just because like there haven't been available bodies, 264 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,480 certainly not available starters for Rich rod. So Texas Tech 265 00:16:26,519 --> 00:16:30,120 should make easy work of West Virginia. So it's all 266 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:35,639 pointing to Texas Tech BYU. Utah and Arizona State likely 267 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,840 to be locked out of the Big Twelve championship game. 268 00:16:38,879 --> 00:16:42,480 And you know it's certainly in Utah's case. Utah had 269 00:16:42,519 --> 00:16:44,840 a chance to beat BYU head to head, couldn't get 270 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:49,279 it done, and so you know those schools are likely 271 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,240 to be left out of the playoff because it's really 272 00:16:52,279 --> 00:16:55,000 hard to see them getting an at large like Utah 273 00:16:55,039 --> 00:16:57,679 getting an at large at ten and two against a 274 00:16:57,759 --> 00:17:02,799 ten and two SEC team ten and two Miami not likely. 275 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,680 You know, Miami has the win over Notre Dame, the 276 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,279 win over South Florida, the win over Florida, Like that's 277 00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:14,880 that is better than what Utah has done. So it's 278 00:17:15,039 --> 00:17:18,000 it's looking slim to none for the Big Twelve getting 279 00:17:18,039 --> 00:17:21,359 a second team in. I think the real point of 280 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:25,279 intrigue now becomes, you know, if BYU and Texas Tech 281 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,440 do meet in the Big Twelve title game and BYU wins, 282 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,720 can Texas Tech be the second team? That's the only 283 00:17:31,759 --> 00:17:35,119 way the Big Twelve gets more than one team. I 284 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,440 wouldn't be too optimistic. Texas Tech lost to Arizona State, 285 00:17:38,839 --> 00:17:42,759 so then at a loss to BYU is a two 286 00:17:42,799 --> 00:17:45,039 loss Texas Tech going to get in over a two 287 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:50,559 loss SEC team. It's hard to feel confident about that. 288 00:17:51,519 --> 00:17:53,240 And then and there, of course, there are so many 289 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:57,680 other dominoes to fall in the final weeks of college football. 290 00:17:57,799 --> 00:18:00,039 So but if you are the Big Twelve like that, 291 00:18:00,039 --> 00:18:04,079 that is your hope that BYU beats Texas Tech in 292 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,440 a great game, like it has to be a classic. 293 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,079 You know, if BYU somehow beats Texas Tech by seventeen 294 00:18:10,279 --> 00:18:12,440 and I doubt it, you know, I would certainly pick 295 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,559 Texas Tech to win that game, assuming it does become 296 00:18:15,599 --> 00:18:19,119 official in one week. But if BYU does beat Texas 297 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,240 Tech by like seventeen fourteen points, I don't think Texas 298 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:24,359 Tech gets in as an at large. But if it's 299 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,599 a classic game, maybe Texas Tech can sneak in, so 300 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,799 that would be very interesting. So let's talk a little 301 00:18:30,839 --> 00:18:33,319 bit more about the BYU Cincinnati game, since that was 302 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:38,319 the game in the Big Twelve this past weekend. You know, 303 00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:42,720 BYU showed that sometimes you don't have to win by 304 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,000 playing excellent football, because BYU did not play excellent football. 305 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,119 You just win by you know, not making huge mistakes. 306 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:54,960 Cincinnati imploded in this game. Multiple missed field goals failed 307 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,000 on fourth and one at the three. Obviously BYU has 308 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,359 something to do with that. But at four the one 309 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,319 at the three, Cincinnati coach Scott Sadderfield takes the ball 310 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,440 out of the hands of his quarterback Brendan Soresby. He 311 00:19:08,519 --> 00:19:11,440 has the running back take take the ball on the 312 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:15,640 backfield and the play got stuffed, and that's that's just 313 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:21,000 a really bad play. Cincinnati just made one mistake after another, 314 00:19:21,319 --> 00:19:25,400 left a lot of points on the field. Now, the 315 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:30,680 final score twenty six to fourteen. But BYU scored its 316 00:19:30,759 --> 00:19:33,039 last touchdown in the final minute with the ball that 317 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,720 was attack on touchdown. This was essentially a one score game. 318 00:19:36,759 --> 00:19:40,839 And so Cincinnati with two missed field goals neither extremely 319 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:45,440 long multiple miss field goals, I should say, and they 320 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,960 weren't extremely long ones. And then also getting stopped at 321 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,359 on fourth and one at the three. And also Cincinnati 322 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:58,400 also fumbled inside the BYU thirty on a separate possession. 323 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,759 It was just one mistake, one huge mistake after another. 324 00:20:02,839 --> 00:20:06,039 It's not just that Cincinnati made more mistakes. These were 325 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:12,119 high leverage mistakes. These were high impact, game changing mistakes. 326 00:20:12,279 --> 00:20:15,759 You know that had swings of several points. You know, 327 00:20:15,799 --> 00:20:23,039 shifted the win probability by many percentage points. BYU, you know, 328 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,480 allowed Cincinnati to move the ball and was in vulnerable 329 00:20:26,519 --> 00:20:32,079 positions throughout that game until the very end. But Cincinnati imploded. 330 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,839 And so you give BYU credit because BYU did not 331 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,000 make the big mistakes in this game. And going on 332 00:20:38,079 --> 00:20:42,440 the road, at Night. BYU has found answers every every 333 00:20:42,799 --> 00:20:46,559 game this season except for Texas Tech. And I have 334 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,720 to reinforce a basic point that I made several weeks 335 00:20:49,759 --> 00:20:53,599 ago here on Get Off my Pilot. BYU had its 336 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,880 QB one. Jake Retzlof, who was so good for them 337 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:01,160 last year, by You almost made the Big twelve championship game. 338 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,920 So Retsloff gets into trouble, and of course at BYU 339 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:10,240 they have the honor code, so you know, behavioral missteps 340 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,880 and mistakes. Reet Slough had to go. That was just accepted, 341 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,279 and so BYU has to scramble and adjust in the 342 00:21:18,319 --> 00:21:21,960 middle of the off season to find its QB one. 343 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:25,839 And bear Bachmeier comes in as a freshman and he 344 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:28,759 hits it out of the park. So huge props to 345 00:21:28,799 --> 00:21:32,079 bear Bachmeyer. And you know, as a freshman he was 346 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,119 not the guy making mistakes on that field. It was Cincinnati. 347 00:21:35,519 --> 00:21:39,480 So bear Bachmeyer with so much composure, poise, maturity far 348 00:21:39,519 --> 00:21:42,680 beyond his years. I mean, he's just been a grand 349 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,279 Slam for BYU this season. He's only a freshman. He's 350 00:21:45,319 --> 00:21:48,319 gonna get better. What a bright future for BYU and 351 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,960 Kalanie Sataki like handling this quarterback situation getting the most 352 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:57,759 out of it. Also, Aaron Roderick offensive coordinator, like he 353 00:21:57,839 --> 00:22:00,000 should be considered for a job in the coaching care 354 00:22:00,799 --> 00:22:04,720 given what he's done with Red Sloth last season and 355 00:22:04,759 --> 00:22:09,359 now with Bachmeier this season. Like how many offensive coordinators 356 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:12,960 have done a better job overall the past two seasons 357 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,599 than Aaron Roderick of BYU. So a lot of really 358 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,519 good coaching from Sataki and Roderick and the rest of 359 00:22:20,519 --> 00:22:23,920 that BYU staff, Like they deserve to be where they are. 360 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,920 They keep impressing, and frankly, they keep overachieving. The other 361 00:22:29,039 --> 00:22:32,400 big reminder about BYU this season, less about Cincinnati, more 362 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,960 about the whole season. They were down at least ten 363 00:22:35,039 --> 00:22:39,599 points on the road at Iowa State, at Arizona, at Colorado, 364 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,359 came back in one each time. I mean, just tremendous resilience, 365 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:48,519 so many great halftime adjustments, great third quarter team, great 366 00:22:48,599 --> 00:22:53,920 second half team. Just a magnificent coaching display from Kolonie, 367 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,119 Sataki and BYU this season. So Cougars just need to 368 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,559 handle UCF at home. I don't think that game is 369 00:23:00,599 --> 00:23:04,160 going to be particularly close, and Texas Tech just has 370 00:23:04,279 --> 00:23:07,440 to handle West Virginia. We get the BYU Texas Tech 371 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:12,720 Big Twelve championship game. Quite a season for those two schools, 372 00:23:12,759 --> 00:23:14,359 and of course it would be a rematch of the 373 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,759 game in Lubbock. It would be played in Arlington, so 374 00:23:17,799 --> 00:23:19,440 it's still going to be a Texas Tech crowd. But 375 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,240 BYU travels pretty well. It'll be interesting to see how 376 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,480 the stadium is for that game, and of course we'll 377 00:23:24,519 --> 00:23:26,680 wait a week to really preview that one, but it 378 00:23:26,759 --> 00:23:30,279 all signs pointing to Texas Tech BYU for the Big 379 00:23:30,279 --> 00:23:34,160 Twelve title and a guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff. 380 00:23:34,599 --> 00:23:37,640 All right, So we now go to the Big Ten 381 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:39,440 on the West Coast schools and the conference. As we 382 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:44,400 always do, this is usually our final segment, and so 383 00:23:44,599 --> 00:23:48,160 here it is for this week. So Washington over UCLA 384 00:23:48,519 --> 00:23:51,640 a blowout, and Washington's been a terrible road team this season. 385 00:23:51,759 --> 00:23:56,960 Lost on the road at Wisconsin, got absolutely smothered on 386 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,160 the road at Michigan, didn't play well at Maryland for 387 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,039 rallying very late to steal that one. But at UCLA 388 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,720 and what could be the last Bruin home game in 389 00:24:06,759 --> 00:24:08,839 the Rose Bowl, we'll just have to wait and see 390 00:24:08,839 --> 00:24:11,359 on that one. It's really a matter for the courts 391 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:17,359 to resolve, but it was a very pitiful effort by 392 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:22,240 UCLA making a bad road team look very good. Washington 393 00:24:22,279 --> 00:24:25,599 wins by thirty four. The viral moment from that game 394 00:24:25,839 --> 00:24:29,880 UCLA faking a field goal on fourth and very long 395 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:35,000 and the holder makes one of those blind flip passes 396 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,160 behind his over his right shoulder. You know, we've seen 397 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,200 that fake field goal before, like Less Miles and LSU 398 00:24:41,599 --> 00:24:44,240 used it and won some big games with it, you know, 399 00:24:44,279 --> 00:24:48,039 a decade and a half ago. This blind flip nowhere 400 00:24:48,039 --> 00:24:53,480 close to the kicker. Washington recovers the ball the lateral 401 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:56,240 and takes it all the way all the way to 402 00:24:56,319 --> 00:24:59,799 the other end for a touchdown. Basically breaks the game open, 403 00:24:59,799 --> 00:25:03,880 and UCLA lost all belief after that play, like the 404 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,400 air went out of the balloon. Bruin defense was actually 405 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,359 good in the first twenty minutes, but the offense was 406 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:15,200 a horror show. Dropped passes, multiple fumbles, just handing Washington points. 407 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,480 And then then comes that disastrous fake field goal, and 408 00:25:19,519 --> 00:25:23,599 that was basically game over. Huskies just rolled right over Ucla, 409 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:27,079 and so Washington now prepares for a home game against 410 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:32,839 Oregon in Seattle. So that's gonna be very spicy. And Ucla. 411 00:25:33,839 --> 00:25:38,319 The other impact of this blowout and basically the past month, 412 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,920 Ucla had that nice little three game winning streak got 413 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,160 everyone's attention. The Bruins were on Fox Big Noon against 414 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:49,400 Indiana a month ago. Well here the Bruins are now. 415 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:55,279 They have been sand blasted. They have been annihilated consistently 416 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,480 over the past month. So definitely Tim Skipper Jerry Neuheisel 417 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,920 be retained. That seems pretty obvious. Like Jerry new Seisl 418 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,799 does not really have a strong argument to be retained 419 00:26:07,839 --> 00:26:10,680 as offensive coordinator for a new head coach. It's going 420 00:26:10,759 --> 00:26:13,400 to be a new regime. But I would still say 421 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:16,680 that Tim Skipper and new Heiseel, you know, they should 422 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,680 be able to find jobs elsewhere. You know, maybe if 423 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,279 Oregon State hires a specific head coach that Jerry new 424 00:26:23,319 --> 00:26:27,680 Heiseel becomes the offensive coordinator in Corvallis Tim Skipper, you know, 425 00:26:27,799 --> 00:26:32,039 there are open jobs in the Mountain West. Maybe Colorado 426 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,880 State is Tim Skipper's landing spot. Let's remember he used 427 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,920 to coach at Presno State. Matt EN's has that job 428 00:26:38,519 --> 00:26:42,079 pretty secure in his first season, so I don't see 429 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,680 Matt end's going anywhere, so Fresno State's not going to 430 00:26:44,759 --> 00:26:48,039 be available, so maybe Colorado State becomes the landing spot 431 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:52,400 for Tim Skipper. Also, one more carousel plot point to 432 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:57,039 think about Jason Eck, who's had a very successful year 433 00:26:57,599 --> 00:26:59,839 at New Mexico. The Lobos are going to go to 434 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:02,920 a bowl game. Maybe he takes a job higher up 435 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,279 the food chain. Maybe Tim Skipper goes to Albuquerque if 436 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,599 Jason Eck leaves New Mexico. So that's kind of the 437 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,759 youth CLA outlook. Also, Nico Iamliava, is he going to 438 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,599 enter the transfer portal again? Because you know, coaching change 439 00:27:18,559 --> 00:27:22,400 for the Bruins. It's not the situation he stepped into. 440 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,119 You know, how how important is it for U c 441 00:27:27,319 --> 00:27:30,960 l A to hire a specific coach with an eye 442 00:27:31,079 --> 00:27:36,119 on Nico iam Maliava. Stay, Like, if you're you CLA, 443 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:39,759 you want to hire the right coach, but you also 444 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,440 probably want to ask Nico Io Maliava, Hey, you know, 445 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,200 does it matter which coach we hire in terms of 446 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,079 whether you want to stay with us for the season 447 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,400 or next. It'd be interesting to see what kind of 448 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:56,240 back channel conversations exist there. I also have to mention, uh, 449 00:27:56,279 --> 00:28:01,039 there's a website called Foya ball uh and you might 450 00:28:01,079 --> 00:28:03,519 not have heard of it, but it came up with 451 00:28:03,559 --> 00:28:07,480 a damning report last week. So go to foya ball. 452 00:28:07,599 --> 00:28:12,119 That website a report on how u c l a's 453 00:28:12,319 --> 00:28:19,799 n I L collective has allegedly misused funds very very significantly, 454 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:26,160 very substantially James Washington of the Bruins for Life collective. 455 00:28:27,279 --> 00:28:34,519 A lot of questions about his management or perhaps mismanagement 456 00:28:36,319 --> 00:28:39,680 of u c l a's NIL funds. And the reporter's 457 00:28:39,759 --> 00:28:43,519 name is David Kovuci, co O v u c c I, 458 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:48,480 so you can google that and look into that. So 459 00:28:48,839 --> 00:28:53,759 like u c l a's internal operations remain awful, and 460 00:28:53,759 --> 00:28:58,839 and this latest report from David Kovuci at Foyaball foyaball 461 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:03,279 dot com, it just adds to the need for ucle 462 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:07,880 to fire athletic director Martin Jarmond. Like this gives UCLA 463 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:13,079 a reason to fire Martin Jarmond with cause and and 464 00:29:13,119 --> 00:29:16,200 then therefore not be on the hook for the full 465 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,799 buyout that it would cost the Bruins, you know otherwise. 466 00:29:19,839 --> 00:29:23,640 But the UCLA can fire Martin Jarmond with cause, and 467 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,079 that's a move that the Bruins should be looking into 468 00:29:26,599 --> 00:29:30,640 will they stay tuned, So lots of questions about UCLA. Obviously, 469 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,480 will the will the school leave the Rose Bowl, That's 470 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:35,839 the one that's garnered a lot of national headlines. But 471 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:40,359 the more important issue is really firing Martin Jarmond, getting 472 00:29:40,359 --> 00:29:42,640 their internal house in order, and then hiring the right 473 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:47,200 coach and seeing if Nico im Liava is willing to 474 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:50,480 come back for twenty twenty six. Very unlikely that Nico 475 00:29:50,559 --> 00:29:55,559 is going to play against USC this coming weekend. So 476 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,400 speaking of USC, that brings us to the other big 477 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,160 Big Ten game involving West Coast schools. So Washington, UCLA 478 00:30:04,359 --> 00:30:11,079 was the late night throwing game without big national implications. 479 00:30:11,559 --> 00:30:15,279 US Oregon was the game with the big national significance 480 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,359 among the West Coast members of the Big Ten. So 481 00:30:19,319 --> 00:30:21,319 you know, if you saw that game on CBS, you 482 00:30:21,359 --> 00:30:26,960 saw that Oregon was dramatically better than USC. And one 483 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:31,799 really interesting point is that Oregon's starting center got injured 484 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,599 early in that game, so Oregon was playing the vast 485 00:30:34,599 --> 00:30:38,440 majority of this game with a backup center. When USC 486 00:30:38,559 --> 00:30:41,400 went to Notre Dame and lost to the fighting Irish 487 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,319 in mid October and South Bend the Irish did not 488 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,039 have their starting center, and Notre Dame ran for over 489 00:30:47,079 --> 00:30:50,359 three hundred yards in that game. Oregon was able to 490 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:54,480 run the ball very consistently against this USC defense. So 491 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,440 USC under Lincoln Riley, it's been the case the last 492 00:30:58,519 --> 00:31:02,000 three years, partly the case in twenty twenty two, but 493 00:31:02,079 --> 00:31:05,440 you had Caleb Williams, Jordan Addison, Travis Dye and the 494 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,680 rest of that elite offense that that offense was able 495 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,440 to cover the defense's shortcomings most of the time. Not 496 00:31:12,559 --> 00:31:16,480 in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane, not against Utah that season, 497 00:31:16,519 --> 00:31:18,799 but you know, most of the time, the offense was 498 00:31:18,839 --> 00:31:22,519 so good that the defense's weaknesses did not matter. But 499 00:31:22,599 --> 00:31:25,319 that is the point is that is the reality of 500 00:31:25,319 --> 00:31:29,200 Lincoln Riley at USC and frankly in general at Oklahoma. 501 00:31:29,319 --> 00:31:31,799 Lincoln Riley was able to score forty five to fifty 502 00:31:31,839 --> 00:31:35,599 to fifty five points. So his defenses under Alex Grinch, 503 00:31:36,319 --> 00:31:38,480 you know, they didn't lose that many games because the 504 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,359 offense is just able to cover up the mistakes. If 505 00:31:41,519 --> 00:31:44,960 USC is not scoring forty though, Trojans are in trouble. 506 00:31:45,119 --> 00:31:48,400 Like this just the latest example of that. Right, It's 507 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,920 really very clear that Lincoln Riley has always wanted to 508 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,279 win games forty five, forty two, forty nine, forty five, 509 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:59,400 fifty two, forty nine. If he's not scoring in the forties, 510 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:02,839 his teams are losing. That's the reality of his tenure 511 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:07,519 at USC. Just another soft performance from a Lincoln Riley defense. 512 00:32:07,759 --> 00:32:09,759 I know it was young, and there were some injuries 513 00:32:09,799 --> 00:32:13,799 in the secondary, but still Oregon was missing its top 514 00:32:13,839 --> 00:32:17,640 three receivers and its backup center and it didn't matter. 515 00:32:17,759 --> 00:32:22,400 Oregon hangs forty two on USC. So and you know, 516 00:32:22,559 --> 00:32:26,079 full disclosure reminder, I blog at Trojan's Wire, so I 517 00:32:26,119 --> 00:32:30,640 covered this program regularly. One would expect USC to fire 518 00:32:31,039 --> 00:32:34,759 linebacker coach Rob Ryan coming out of this game. I mean, 519 00:32:34,799 --> 00:32:37,960 he's just not been very good. And Matt Ends who 520 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,319 coached the linebackers a year ago now at Fresno State, 521 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:44,000 like he got a lot out of that unit. And 522 00:32:44,599 --> 00:32:48,599 let's remember Eric Gentry, the star linebacker for USC. He 523 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,559 got hurt one month into the twenty twenty four season, 524 00:32:52,079 --> 00:32:56,759 and us He's linebackers without Eric Gentry in October and 525 00:32:56,880 --> 00:33:01,279 November of last year were better than they were this 526 00:33:01,359 --> 00:33:04,599 year with Eric Gentry playing you know, the full season. 527 00:33:05,279 --> 00:33:08,279 So that gives you an indication of how much worse 528 00:33:08,559 --> 00:33:12,200 rob Ryan has been than matt Enz was a year ago. 529 00:33:12,319 --> 00:33:16,359 One should absolutely expect Rob Ryan to go out the door. 530 00:33:17,079 --> 00:33:22,400 USC's focus after this UCLA game turns to a very 531 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:26,880 crucial off season. One of the things us he's gonna 532 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,920 have to nail down is, you know, us, he's gonna 533 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:35,079 need to get those premium, elite defensive tackles, defensive ends 534 00:33:35,079 --> 00:33:37,720 in the transfer portal. And this was a young group. 535 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,279 You know, Jackem Stuart was the five star freshman. He 536 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:43,839 was hurt for a good portion of the year. He 537 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,839 was battling a foot injury. Like he was never one 538 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:50,880 hundred percent, Like he was never fully fit. You know, 539 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:54,160 he was never his very best self he was, so 540 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,359 he was battling an injury and that obviously hurt. They 541 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:01,200 needed a full strength Jeqem Stewart. They didn't have him. 542 00:34:01,319 --> 00:34:05,440 But like you need depth, right and USC had a 543 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:10,239 lot of young players on this defensive line. The feeling 544 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,800 around the program in August, if you go back to, 545 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,800 you know, before the season began, was that USC had 546 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,239 more depth on the defensive line than it did the 547 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:23,960 previous year, but it wasn't savvy depth. It wasn't veteran depth. 548 00:34:24,559 --> 00:34:28,360 And so USC's gonna need to get that veteran defensive 549 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:33,239 front quality in the transfer portal. And so general manager 550 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:36,360 Chad Boden, who I mentioned earlier on this show in 551 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:38,760 terms of you know, the rise of the general manager 552 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:44,079 in college football, including a Western programs, Chad Boden's gonna 553 00:34:44,079 --> 00:34:47,960 need to shop and get some high end groceries for 554 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:52,440 Danton Lymn. The defensive coordinator in USC's defensive staff. USC 555 00:34:52,599 --> 00:34:56,760 just has to have a robust defensive line. I went 556 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:01,440 into each of the past two seasons at USC thinking 557 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:04,119 the offensive line was the pivot point. It was the 558 00:35:04,119 --> 00:35:09,400 crucial group. Zach Hanson this year's new offensive line coach, 559 00:35:10,079 --> 00:35:13,800 taking over from Josh Henson, who coached the unit last 560 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,960 year and is now Barry Odom's offensive coordinator at Purdue. 561 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,719 Zach Hanson's been the best assistant on this staff in 562 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,599 twenty twenty five. And so the offensive line is no 563 00:35:23,679 --> 00:35:27,320 longer the number one concern, the number one worry for 564 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:30,800 USC purely in terms of position groups. It now becomes 565 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,760 the defensive line. Like us, he can't be allowing opponents 566 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,599 to run the ball at will against them, especially on 567 00:35:37,599 --> 00:35:40,719 the road, especially in big games against good teams. But 568 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:45,599 that's what happened this year. Illinois, Oregon, Notre Dame the 569 00:35:45,679 --> 00:35:49,119 three biggest road games of USC season. The defense was 570 00:35:49,159 --> 00:35:53,800 a wall in all three games. USC has to beef 571 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:57,159 up on the defensive line dramatically if it want of 572 00:35:57,199 --> 00:36:00,960 gets where it wants to go. But the the problem 573 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:04,760 with the larger situation surrounding USC is not just that 574 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:08,559 Lincoln Riley has soft teams and he doesn't generate accountability 575 00:36:08,639 --> 00:36:12,679 so many mistakes against Oregon, but also schedule's gonna be 576 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:15,760 tougher next year. USC did not play Ohio State or 577 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:19,480 Indiana each of these past two seasons. That's why failing 578 00:36:19,519 --> 00:36:23,480 to make the playoffs is such a setback for USC, 579 00:36:23,639 --> 00:36:26,960 because the Big ten schedule gets nastier next year with 580 00:36:27,239 --> 00:36:30,960 Ohio State and Indiana on the slate. USC is gonna 581 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,840 have to be so much better this season to get 582 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:36,599 to ten and two. I mean us he is likely 583 00:36:36,679 --> 00:36:39,719 to be nine to three if it beats UCLA, and 584 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:41,800 so you might think, well, just have to be one 585 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:44,840 game better next year. Well, the schedule's gonna be a 586 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:49,079 lot tougher. So that is what's basing Lincoln Riley, and 587 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,000 you know, USC fans, a lot of USC fans would 588 00:36:52,079 --> 00:36:56,239 like to fire him right now and not wait. I 589 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,599 understand that it's a pretty reasonable logical response, but of 590 00:37:00,639 --> 00:37:04,719 course the buyout money's enormous, and you brought in a 591 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:08,880 new general manager, Chad Bowden. USC also brought in a 592 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:13,800 new strength coach, Trumaine Carroll, in the spring. This was 593 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:17,639 like late April, early May, so you can't really expect 594 00:37:17,639 --> 00:37:20,599 a new strength coach to come in in the spring 595 00:37:21,199 --> 00:37:25,519 and instantly change everything. So the buyout money is one issue, 596 00:37:25,519 --> 00:37:29,519 but also new GM, new strength coach. You give Lincoln 597 00:37:29,599 --> 00:37:34,800 Riley one year, a full offseason, a full cycle with 598 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:37,760 these other new hires as part of the new staff, 599 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:41,559 the new infrastructure. But if Lincoln Riley doesn't figure it 600 00:37:41,559 --> 00:37:44,480 out in twenty twenty six, every single USC fan agrees, 601 00:37:45,079 --> 00:37:49,239 can't have him on beyond that, can't have him coach 602 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:53,599 his team into twenty twenty seven. If the mistakes that 603 00:37:53,639 --> 00:37:57,719 are still occurring four years into his tenure don't finally 604 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:02,480 get solved next year six, that's the verdict at USC. 605 00:38:03,159 --> 00:38:06,639 So now the other side of this, Oregon, Oregon comprehensively 606 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:12,039 better than USC. It's another Uh, it's another notch on 607 00:38:12,159 --> 00:38:16,440 Dan Lanning's belt, like his superiority over and against USC 608 00:38:16,559 --> 00:38:20,199 and Lincoln Riley very clear, they beat Youcal. They beat 609 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:24,320 USC convincingly two years ago in Audston Stadium as well. 610 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:29,159 I mean Oregon remains the gold standard program in the West. 611 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:32,880 I mean Washington and Kaleb de Boor gave Lanning fits, 612 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:36,320 but Deboor is no longer, of course at Washington. So 613 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:40,840 the West is Dan Lanning's province. UH. And Oregon had 614 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,000 all those injuries at receiver, missed its back up, missed 615 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,480 its starting center, I should say, had to go to 616 00:38:46,519 --> 00:38:50,159 a backup, and was still able to manhandle USC. And 617 00:38:50,199 --> 00:38:52,960 if Oregon there were tons of penalties in this game, 618 00:38:53,039 --> 00:38:58,119 tons of fifteen yard penalties. More specifically, UH, Oregon made 619 00:38:58,159 --> 00:39:00,760 its share of those mistakes. If OR had played a 620 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:04,280 clean game, would have won by thirty. But as it was, 621 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:08,800 you know, Oregon, USC basically traded mistakes for a lot 622 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,280 of this game. It was not Oregon's very best game, 623 00:39:11,679 --> 00:39:13,800 but it was still more than good enough to beat USC, 624 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:17,320 and so Oregon should be good for the playoff. But 625 00:39:17,679 --> 00:39:20,320 I would still advise the Ducks hate you don't want 626 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,639 to slip up in Seattle. And of course Oregon and 627 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:25,920 Washington hate each other. And the reminder for people who 628 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,719 you know, don't grow up in the Western United States, 629 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:35,039 don't follow these Western schools too closely. Oregon Washington is 630 00:39:35,079 --> 00:39:40,719 a far more nasty rivalry in the Pacific Northwest than 631 00:39:41,039 --> 00:39:46,559 Oregon Oregon state and Washington Washington State, you know those 632 00:39:46,599 --> 00:39:51,280 other in state rivalries. Yeah, the teams really want to 633 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,000 beat the other, but it's a lot of co workers, 634 00:39:54,079 --> 00:39:59,320 you know, in sharing cubicles in Portland and Seattle, and 635 00:39:59,599 --> 00:40:03,880 there they're still kind of a somewhat friendly undertone, like 636 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,480 they don't hate each other. They want they really want 637 00:40:06,519 --> 00:40:08,599 to beat each other and they want the bragging rights, 638 00:40:08,679 --> 00:40:11,440 but they don't hate each other. Oregon and Washington, though 639 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:13,800 they hate each other, they want each other to go 640 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:17,559 to hell. So Oregon will not have any problem being 641 00:40:17,559 --> 00:40:22,280 motivated for Washington. But the Ducks might want to just 642 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:26,039 make sure they win here to absolutely lock up a 643 00:40:26,079 --> 00:40:30,719 playoff berth. But Oregon certainly gained itself crucial leverage just 644 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:33,639 in case it loses to Washington ten and two. Oregon 645 00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:36,639 with a win over USC it looks certainly looks a 646 00:40:36,639 --> 00:40:38,880 lot better the Ducks would have been in major trouble. 647 00:40:39,599 --> 00:40:41,599 We can all agree if they had lost to USC 648 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:45,559 So Oregon goes to Washington. So let's preview that game 649 00:40:45,599 --> 00:40:49,280 since that's such a huge game in Week fourteen. So 650 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,880 it's in Seattle. Washington's been a bad road team, but 651 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:55,440 it's been a very good home team. Demond Williams. You know, 652 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,280 Washington scored forty eight points. But Demond Williams did not 653 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,880 play in a special good game. You know, he eventually 654 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,920 figured things out in the second half. But UCLA let 655 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:08,039 down its guard on defense. You know that again, after 656 00:41:08,079 --> 00:41:12,320 that fake field goal, Ucla just lost all belief. The 657 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:14,840 Bruins were just a flat team. It looked, it looked 658 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:17,719 and felt a lot like September under Deshaun Foster in 659 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:21,360 that second half, as UCLA just faded away into the 660 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:25,159 good night. So demand Williams of Washington, though, you know, 661 00:41:25,199 --> 00:41:30,440 I watched that game and he overthrew wide open receivers 662 00:41:30,519 --> 00:41:35,079 on downfield passes multiple times. And obviously in Husky Stadium 663 00:41:35,119 --> 00:41:38,360 he's a lot better. He's usually more precise than he 664 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,920 is on the road. But you know, against Oregon, the 665 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,280 channel is going to be more profound and demand. Williams 666 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:47,639 absolutely has to play his best game for Washington to 667 00:41:47,679 --> 00:41:51,559 have any chance against the Ducks. You know, Oregon dealing 668 00:41:51,559 --> 00:41:55,440 with the injuries to its main pass catchers. You know, 669 00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:57,519 can any of them get healthy for this game? That's 670 00:41:57,559 --> 00:42:01,320 gonna be something to watch. The other thing if you're 671 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:03,480 an Oregon fan is you know, hey, we were way 672 00:42:03,519 --> 00:42:07,559 better than USC even with a lot of fifteen yard 673 00:42:07,639 --> 00:42:12,880 penalties and numerous other mistakes. So if you're Oregon, just 674 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,559 play a clean game. If Oregon plays a clean game, 675 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:19,639 how is Washington going to have rise to the standard 676 00:42:19,639 --> 00:42:22,480 of play. It is going to need to knock off 677 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:25,559 the Ducks. So some of the plot points for Oregon 678 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:29,800 versus Washington. But Oregon definitely took a big, big step 679 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:34,320 toward the College Football Playoff. And of course we're going 680 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,079 to chop up the playoff next week after all the 681 00:42:37,119 --> 00:42:40,280 results that come in. But Dan Lanning is certainly in 682 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:46,800 position to stack playoff appearances together in consecutive seasons, reaffirming 683 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:52,159 Oregon as the premier program in the Western United States. 684 00:42:52,199 --> 00:42:55,800 And I would say, you know, we've talked about BYU 685 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:01,519 in the Big twelve, Oregon versus BYU, I would feel 686 00:43:01,679 --> 00:43:05,400 very very comfortable and confident in picking Oregon in a 687 00:43:05,519 --> 00:43:09,880 hypothetical matchup. If those two teams played BYU has overachieved. 688 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:14,519 BYU has been magnificent and bear Bachmeier has really come 689 00:43:14,519 --> 00:43:16,559 through as a freshman, but you put that up against 690 00:43:16,679 --> 00:43:20,480 Oregon on a neutral field, I feel very, very solid 691 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:24,880 in taking Oregon's athletes and Oregan's talent against what BYU 692 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:28,840 can bring to the table. If there are BYU listeners here, 693 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:31,960 you know, for look who are following all of this, 694 00:43:32,079 --> 00:43:35,840 they might disagree, But let's put it this way. You know, 695 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:37,559 b why you can just play its way into the 696 00:43:37,559 --> 00:43:41,559 playoff and maybe, just maybe BYU and Oregon are going 697 00:43:41,639 --> 00:43:43,840 to meet each other in the first round. Wouldn't that 698 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:48,159 be interesting? So we will see what happens. But that 699 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:50,800 is all for this week on Get Off My Pion, 700 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:54,599 the podcast which covers western college football in the United States, 701 00:43:54,599 --> 00:43:57,880 part of the College Great Down Coast to Coast podcast network. 702 00:43:58,679 --> 00:44:02,960 Go to Twitter at Great Coast for all your college 703 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:07,119 gridround Coast to Coast podcasts. Go to Apple, Spotify, and Speaker. 704 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:11,360 Whether it's Noah Drury's Big Ten, Paradigm, Yards and Stripes, 705 00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:15,119 and the Service Academies, The all sports discussion ACC Podcast, 706 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:20,760 Pigskin and Burnt Ends and Jason Powers Florida Football Insiders. 707 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:24,079 These and other shows all part of the College Gridiron 708 00:44:24,199 --> 00:44:28,360 Coast to Coast podcast family. So this is Matt Zemak. 709 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:32,320 Thanks for listening to another episode of Get Off My Pilon. 710 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:35,639 Seasons winding down, but we will see you next week 711 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:40,159 before conference championship Saturday. Talk to you next week. Everybody,