1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: Check it out college football on the West Coast. This 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,039 is Get Off My Pylon, a look at the PAC 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,839 twelve and more, part of the College Gridiron Coast to 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,679 Coast podcast network. Here's your host, Matt Zimon. 5 00:00:16,559 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 2: Welcome to the last edition of to Get Off My 6 00:00:18,559 --> 00:00:21,760 Pilon college football podcast. This is your host, Matt Zemmick 7 00:00:22,359 --> 00:00:25,000 Get Off My Pilon part of the College graderon Coast 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,679 to Coast podcast network. Go to Twitter at Gridiron Coast 9 00:00:29,359 --> 00:00:33,600 for all the shows there. Also go to Apple, Speaker, Spotify, 10 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:35,759 and the other places where you listen to your podcast 11 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:37,880 to get all your favorite College Grade Aron Coast to 12 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,840 Coast shows, whether it's Pigskin and Burnt Dens or whether 13 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,359 it's Yards and Stripes. On the Service Academies, Jason Powers 14 00:00:44,359 --> 00:00:49,039 and the Florida Football Insiders obviously Florida hiring a new 15 00:00:49,079 --> 00:00:52,560 coach and Miami in the midst of the playoff debate. 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,320 Also South Florida's Alex Goulish leaving to become coach at Auburn, 17 00:00:57,359 --> 00:01:01,439 so plenty on Jason's plate. As usual with Florida Football Insiders, 18 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,879 you have Noah Drury's Big ten paradigm, so he's going 19 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,439 to be previewing Ohio State Indiana. Obviously those are not 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,519 West Coast schools, so you know that's under his umbrella, 21 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:13,760 not mine. I'll throw in a little bit on the 22 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,239 Big Ten, but not about Ohio State Indiana in terms 23 00:01:17,239 --> 00:01:20,200 of the matchup. Have some things about scheduling, but not 24 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,959 that matchup. That's where you want to go to Noah 25 00:01:23,079 --> 00:01:27,439 Drury for the Big Ten Paradigm All Sports Discussion. They're 26 00:01:27,439 --> 00:01:30,599 going to be talking about five lost Duke, the fly 27 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,840 in the ointment, the troublemaker in the ACC, and how 28 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,200 the ACC is praying for Virginia to win that game. 29 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:42,239 So plenty from the All Sports Discussion ACC podcast as well. 30 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,799 So for these and the other college grid Aaron Coast 31 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,120 to Coast shows, go to Grid airon Coast on Twitter, 32 00:01:48,319 --> 00:01:51,840 go to Apple, go to Speaker, go to Spotify, wherever 33 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:54,480 you listen to your podcast. So get off my pylon. 34 00:01:54,599 --> 00:01:59,280 We cover western college football in the United States, and 35 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,519 so we arrive at the end of the regularly scheduled 36 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:08,120 portion of the season, you know, conference Championship Saturday. Technically 37 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,759 these are thirteenth games. These are games that aren't built 38 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,039 in at the start of the season, meaning that teams 39 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:15,719 don't know for sure if they're going to play a 40 00:02:15,759 --> 00:02:18,639 thirteenth game. We think that, you know, some teams are 41 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,240 likely to play in these games more than others, and 42 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,000 in some cases the conventional wisdom panned out, but in 43 00:02:25,039 --> 00:02:29,479 other cases not. But anyway, some people will refer to 44 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,800 this as postseason play. To me, it feels more like 45 00:02:33,879 --> 00:02:36,319 the end of the regular season. That's just like it's 46 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,039 you know, it's one week after Week fourteen, it's one 47 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,360 week after game twelve. To me, the regular season is 48 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,560 thirteen games and then the playoff and the balls are 49 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:47,960 are separate. But if you want to view this as 50 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,080 a postseason game, I'm not going to die on that hill. Like, 51 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,039 I'll let you have that argument. Because it is a 52 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,719 championship game, it is kind of a playoff game. The 53 00:02:57,719 --> 00:03:00,879 stakes are really high for some teams, you know, like 54 00:03:01,439 --> 00:03:04,280 Virginia has to win the ACC to get into the playoff, 55 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,319 James Madison has to win the Sun Belt title game 56 00:03:08,599 --> 00:03:10,759 to have any chance of getting into the playoff. And 57 00:03:10,879 --> 00:03:13,840 North Texas versus Twain, that's a true playoff game. The 58 00:03:13,879 --> 00:03:17,199 winner will be in the playoffs. So lots of stakes there. 59 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:19,960 So if you want to call it postseason ball. Fine, 60 00:03:20,479 --> 00:03:22,800 you know, not that big a deal to me. It's 61 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,719 just kind of interesting how this this week feels like 62 00:03:25,759 --> 00:03:28,479 an in between week because you have games that are 63 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,960 labeled championships, but just how big are these championships in 64 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,479 actual fact. I'm gonna have a little bit more coming 65 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,680 around on that later, but just wanted to get that 66 00:03:39,719 --> 00:03:43,960 thought out at the beginning. Let's review Week fourteen with 67 00:03:44,199 --> 00:03:51,479 the Western football schools, you know, callen Stanford. Stanford loses 68 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,360 to Notre Dame, a blowout that everyone predicted. Not a 69 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,280 whole lot there. The big story with Stanford Andrew Luck 70 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:02,319 hiring Tabata Pritchard, former Stamford player, former Stanford coach. He 71 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,439 knows Andrew Luck well, so Andrew Luck keeps it in 72 00:04:05,479 --> 00:04:10,240 the family. One of his friends is promoted to Stanford 73 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:14,919 head coach. Cal is why Duke is in the ACC 74 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:19,199 title game. Cal rallies late under interim coach Nick Rolovich. 75 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,360 And if you remember that name, Nick Rolovich. Yes, that's 76 00:04:22,399 --> 00:04:25,480 the guy who used to coach Washington State, but he 77 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,160 had a disagreement with the school about COVID policy, so 78 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,079 he was sent packing. So he was the interim for 79 00:04:32,199 --> 00:04:36,480 Cal and Cal still has a vacancy to fill, and 80 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,279 you know Cal's went over. SMU put Duke in to 81 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,920 the a SEC title game. As CAL looks for its 82 00:04:42,959 --> 00:04:46,600 head coach under Ron Rivera. The industry chatter behind the scenes, 83 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,800 if you're not following the Cal job as part of 84 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,160 the coaching carousel very closely, the intrigue and the whispering 85 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,600 behind the scenes right now is that the target is 86 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,560 Tosh Loupoi. So he's Dan Lanning's defensive coordinator at Oregon, 87 00:05:01,439 --> 00:05:07,040 defensive coordinator for Nick Saban at Alabama, a recruiting heavyweight, 88 00:05:07,519 --> 00:05:11,600 and it would it would seem like a program for Cal, 89 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:16,399 which has been pretty irrelevant for quite a while Toash Lupoy, like, 90 00:05:16,439 --> 00:05:19,160 I'm not fully sold on him as a coach tactically 91 00:05:19,759 --> 00:05:23,639 as we've seen, you know, him get torn apart when 92 00:05:23,639 --> 00:05:27,000 he was at Alabama, Like Clemson just had its way 93 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,279 with Lupoi and Alabama in that twenty eighteen national title game. 94 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,079 Obviously that was seven seven years ago, though Lupoi might 95 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,720 have learned a few things since then. But still tactically, 96 00:05:39,079 --> 00:05:42,600 I have my reservations. But for a program such as CAL, 97 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:46,519 like Cal is not USC, Cal is not Oregon. Cal 98 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:51,040 is not, you know, a big hitter. Tosh Lupoi to 99 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,079 Cal see would seem like a really really good move 100 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:59,680 and a clear upgrade from the relatively ordinary, not terrible, 101 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:05,360 but ordinary, you know nothing spectacular tenure of Justin Wilcox, 102 00:06:05,399 --> 00:06:08,720 whom Ron Rivera of course fired. So Tosh Flupoy, if 103 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,199 he goes to Cal, that would be really interesting. And 104 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:16,399 of course Tash flu boy would want to keep sagapolutele 105 00:06:16,439 --> 00:06:21,000 A as quarterback, and maybe the thought process is that 106 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,040 Toash Lupoy would have the juice to kind of make 107 00:06:24,079 --> 00:06:29,360 that happen, keep Cal's star quarterback and build that roster 108 00:06:29,439 --> 00:06:35,319 out with nil investments, the right allocations of resources for 109 00:06:35,439 --> 00:06:40,120 the retention and development of Cal's twenty twenty six roster. 110 00:06:41,439 --> 00:06:46,360 So that's Stanford and that's Cal. I'm not terrifically impressed 111 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:52,800 by Tabita Pritchard, but but Stanford does have robust nil coffers. 112 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,279 That was recently a fifty million dollar donation to the 113 00:06:56,319 --> 00:06:59,240 football program. So like Andrew Luck has money to spend, 114 00:07:00,079 --> 00:07:02,639 or Taba to Pritchard, it could be that the infrastructure 115 00:07:02,959 --> 00:07:06,439 at Stanford is so strong and so built up that 116 00:07:06,959 --> 00:07:09,680 having Taba to Pritchard there might not be a negative 117 00:07:11,439 --> 00:07:14,160 drag on the program. It could be that just give 118 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,399 Pritchard the resources and Andrew lux, you know, running the 119 00:07:17,399 --> 00:07:20,319 show anyway. So maybe it's just a matter of Andrew 120 00:07:20,439 --> 00:07:24,360 Luck getting the players in the portal and that could 121 00:07:24,399 --> 00:07:27,639 set Stanford up for success. But I think if it's 122 00:07:27,639 --> 00:07:30,720 Tosh Lupoy at Cal, we don't know as we record 123 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:36,079 this episode on Carousel Monday. This is this recording is 124 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,279 always the Monday after the past weekend of college football. 125 00:07:40,079 --> 00:07:42,720 If it is Lupoi at Cal, if that turns out 126 00:07:42,759 --> 00:07:45,120 to be the higher I give Cal much higher marks 127 00:07:45,759 --> 00:07:49,319 than Stanford in the Bay Area. All right, So moving along, 128 00:07:49,759 --> 00:07:53,639 Washington State concludes its season. Oregon State have concluded its season. 129 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:59,120 Oregon State had a vacancy JaMarcus Shepherd assistant at Alabama. 130 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,319 You know, a young go getter. That's the profile for 131 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:04,480 what Oregon State chose to do. Get a young guy, 132 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:09,160 give him time, but he's from Alabama from the SEC. 133 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,319 So hiring a young, energetic coach who can really recruit, 134 00:08:13,399 --> 00:08:18,680 who can make a significant, convincing nil sales pitch. So 135 00:08:18,959 --> 00:08:21,360 you know, for if you're Oregon State and you've fallen 136 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,759 on hard times, going with a young coach and giving 137 00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:28,519 him time. I think that's the right move. And you know, 138 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,840 Jonathan Smith got fired by Michigan State. Was Oregon State 139 00:08:32,879 --> 00:08:35,320 interested in a reunion with John and Smith? No, I 140 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,799 mean those bridges got burned, and I understand that, and 141 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:42,519 I think it makes total sense Oregon State going young 142 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,600 with a head coach. You know, who will be given time, 143 00:08:45,639 --> 00:08:48,159 who will be given a long leash like Oregon State 144 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,159 is not a quick fixed situation, not in the two 145 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:58,480 pack going into the reworked, reorganized PAC twelve next season. 146 00:08:59,279 --> 00:09:02,799 That that that's a good move Conceptually. You know, Oregon 147 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,039 State was not going to attract an elite candidate, so 148 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,960 you might as well go young, learn on the job, 149 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:13,279 developmental coach. Why not? Or Oregon State fits that profile 150 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,799 right now. I mean Oregon State didn't want to be here. 151 00:09:16,159 --> 00:09:18,879 Oregon State would have preferred to have, you know, stayed 152 00:09:18,879 --> 00:09:23,360 with an intact PAC twelve with Washington, with Oregon Uh, 153 00:09:23,639 --> 00:09:27,279 you know, with USC everybody. It didn't happen that way. 154 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,279 So Oregon State is making the right adjustment. I think 155 00:09:30,639 --> 00:09:35,519 with the hire of JaMarcus Sheppard as head coach. All right, 156 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,240 moving along, we go to the Mountain West and this 157 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,039 was this was wild. We had a we had a 158 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,879 multi team tie, more more than two teams tied. So 159 00:09:44,919 --> 00:09:48,399 it went to u a formula of some kind. I'm 160 00:09:48,399 --> 00:09:50,200 not going to claim to know all the ins and outs, 161 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,279 but through this formula, it's going to be Boise State 162 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:56,960 and unlv UH in the title game. And you know, 163 00:09:57,039 --> 00:10:00,639 New Mexico beat San Diego State, and San Diego State 164 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,840 was leading the conference most of the season. And so 165 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:10,080 not only does New Mexico's defeat knock San Diego State out, 166 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,679 but New Mexico did not get in. And a lot 167 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,240 of people thought, and I'll admit I was one of them. 168 00:10:15,279 --> 00:10:17,639 I was thinking, hm, that that has to me New 169 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:22,799 Mexico's in. But know the complicated formula used by the 170 00:10:22,799 --> 00:10:28,639 Mountain West to break this several way tie, it fell 171 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,279 in the favor of Boise State and UNLV with San 172 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,960 Diego State and New Mexico the two teams that played 173 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,759 an overtime game on Friday left out. Kind of unformhaw 174 00:10:39,799 --> 00:10:42,559 would have been really great to see New Mexico play 175 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,519 in the Mountain West title game for the first time. Ever, nevertheless, 176 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:49,080 the Lobos do go nine to three, so that's an 177 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:53,000 amazing coaching job by Jason Eck. And if you haven't 178 00:10:53,039 --> 00:10:56,600 caught a wind of this yet, Jason X signs a 179 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:01,200 five year deal, an extension to keep him in Albuquerque. 180 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,519 So that's great news for New Mexico and that reduces 181 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,679 the sting of not getting into the Mountain West title game. 182 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:11,480 You know, Boise State and UNLV they did not have 183 00:11:11,799 --> 00:11:16,679 especially impressive seasons. They get into the Mountain West title game. 184 00:11:16,759 --> 00:11:18,639 So that's kind of reflective of the year that it 185 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,679 was in the Mountain West with San Diego State not 186 00:11:22,879 --> 00:11:26,000 making the Mountain West title game. You know, so New 187 00:11:26,039 --> 00:11:29,639 Mexico locked up Jason Eck to an extension. Now all 188 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:32,879 eyes turned to San Diego. Will the Aztecs be able 189 00:11:32,919 --> 00:11:36,279 to retain Sean Lewis their head coach or will he 190 00:11:36,519 --> 00:11:39,480 jump for another job. It's gonna be interesting to see, 191 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,440 but just a forgettable year for the Mountain West. Before 192 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,919 you know, the realignment with the Pac twelve occurs next year. 193 00:11:46,039 --> 00:11:50,000 You know, UNLB, Boise State, it's gonna have zero playoff implications. 194 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,600 It's for a conference championship. But like this, Boise State 195 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:58,279 was several you could even say dozens of naches worse 196 00:11:58,759 --> 00:12:01,000 than it was last season. At the Broncos are probably 197 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,639 gonna be favored over UNLV. They they they clapbored UNLV 198 00:12:05,919 --> 00:12:08,120 ordered the season. It's going to be a test for 199 00:12:08,279 --> 00:12:13,799 UNLV's defense, which you know got sand blasted to hold 200 00:12:13,879 --> 00:12:17,480 up against Boise State a second time. So Boise State 201 00:12:17,519 --> 00:12:20,279 and UNLV in the Mountain West just a forgettable year 202 00:12:20,279 --> 00:12:24,440 for football in that conference. All right, Now we moved 203 00:12:24,519 --> 00:12:27,679 to the Big Twelve, and so it's Texas Tech against BYU. 204 00:12:28,159 --> 00:12:31,000 So BYU being a Western team that we focus on 205 00:12:31,039 --> 00:12:34,600 here and get off my pilon. Uh. You know, b 206 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,480 YU clinched before it took the field against UCF on 207 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:46,039 Saturday because Arizona State lost to Arizona and so you 208 00:12:46,039 --> 00:12:48,799 know that that clinched it for BYU. So it was 209 00:12:48,799 --> 00:12:51,360 a sleepy start for the Cougars. But they do beat UCF. 210 00:12:51,399 --> 00:12:54,240 They are eleven and one. And so before we get 211 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,960 into the discussion of BYU Texas Tech in the Big 212 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,559 Twelve title game for a spot in the playoff, right now, 213 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:06,159 the rumors are flying Kilani Sataki to Penn State. Very 214 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:11,080 possible that Sataki becomes the Nittee Lions next coach. It's 215 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,240 like it's up to him, Like Penn State seems to 216 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,200 want him, and now it's up to Kialani Sataki to 217 00:13:16,279 --> 00:13:19,360 see if he chooses to go to Happy Valley. So 218 00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:23,799 that becomes a plot point during the week leading up 219 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,799 to the Big twelve championship game. Keep your eyes on that, 220 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,639 all right. Now, let's talk about this BYU Texas Tech game. 221 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,759 You know, the first meeting in Lubbock, it was one 222 00:13:35,799 --> 00:13:39,960 way traffic. Texas Tech's defense absolutely smothered BYU. So the 223 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:45,600 challenge is obvious. Can BYU generate consistent offense. You know, 224 00:13:45,639 --> 00:13:48,360 I'm not expecting BYU to score a lot, but BYU 225 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,399 is going to have to score at least like twenty points. 226 00:13:51,879 --> 00:13:55,679 You know, BYU is not gonna win this game scoring ten, thirteen, fourteen, 227 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,879 probably even seventeen points. Like BYU is gonna have to 228 00:13:58,879 --> 00:14:01,440 score at least twenty and the defense is going to 229 00:14:01,519 --> 00:14:03,799 have to play a great game. BYU defense is going 230 00:14:03,879 --> 00:14:06,960 to have to take the ball away from Texas Tech. 231 00:14:07,039 --> 00:14:09,799 BYU is going to have to be at least even 232 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,480 on the scoreboard, so that you know, by wh has 233 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,200 been a second half team this year, BYU has to 234 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,279 at least be even or very close to even at 235 00:14:19,279 --> 00:14:23,519 the break. So Texas Tech took control very early in Lubbock, 236 00:14:23,919 --> 00:14:27,799 got up, I believe, thirteen nothing, and just kept adding, 237 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,200 you know, drip, drip, drip to the lead. BYU cannot 238 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,559 fall behind thirteen nothing of this game. It's just it's 239 00:14:33,759 --> 00:14:37,799 just not gonna happen, because then, you know, Jacob Rodriguez, 240 00:14:37,799 --> 00:14:40,399 who I think should be a Heisman finalist, he should 241 00:14:40,399 --> 00:14:43,200 go to New York. He and the rest of that 242 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,679 loaded Texas Tech defense, they're just gonna rush the passer. 243 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,559 They're gonna rush Bear Bachmeier. If Texas Tech gets a 244 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,159 thirteen nothing, fourteen nothing kind of lead. So BYU just 245 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:59,399 has to manage that game early, make plays early, throw 246 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,840 punches early. If it's if Texas Tech is leading by 247 00:15:03,879 --> 00:15:08,759 at least seven points at halftime, very unlikely BYU comes back. 248 00:15:08,799 --> 00:15:13,080 If Texas Tech is up, you know, thirteen points at 249 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,159 any stage of this game just just really really hard 250 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,679 to see BYU doing much of anything. So Texas Tech 251 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,559 is a double digit favorite, and it should be. You know, 252 00:15:23,279 --> 00:15:25,879 there there was a big gap between those two teams 253 00:15:25,879 --> 00:15:30,159 in Lubbock a few weeks ago, and this game will 254 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,440 be in Arlington, of course, the Jerry World, the Dallas 255 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:35,600 Cowboys home stadium. It's still going to be a Texas 256 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,639 Tech crowd. Probably, you know, there will be more BYU 257 00:15:38,679 --> 00:15:40,559 fans and attendance, but it's still going to be mostly 258 00:15:40,559 --> 00:15:43,879 a Texas Tech building. So b YU just has to 259 00:15:43,879 --> 00:15:46,080 get off to a good start. Bear Bachwunner has to 260 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:50,080 make plays down the field in the passing game like byus. 261 00:15:50,159 --> 00:15:53,879 Not likely to march fourteen plays eighty yards in seven minutes. 262 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,919 BYU's gonna need to hit some shots. BOU is gonna 263 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,080 need to get some home runs. Just hit like ten 264 00:16:01,159 --> 00:16:05,720 singles and slowly drive down the field. Now BYU is 265 00:16:05,759 --> 00:16:10,360 gonna need splash plays in this game against Texas Tech. 266 00:16:10,399 --> 00:16:13,240 The Red Raiders are the heavy favorite. They should be 267 00:16:13,279 --> 00:16:16,720 the heavy favorite. I would expect them to win comfortably. 268 00:16:17,039 --> 00:16:21,399 We'll see if BYU can change the conversation relative to 269 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:25,799 what happened a few weeks ago in Lubbock. All right, 270 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,159 now we go to the Big Ten and the Western 271 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:33,759 teams in the Big Ten Conference. So Oregon beat Washington, 272 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,559 USC beat Ucla. Let's get the undercard out of the way. 273 00:16:37,759 --> 00:16:42,279 USC did not look good at all against Ucla. Bruins 274 00:16:42,279 --> 00:16:45,840 are just bad. This was a pillow fight. It was 275 00:16:45,879 --> 00:16:48,679 fourteen to ten USC early in the fourth quarter. The 276 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,559 Bruins drop a pass that would have given them a 277 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:57,879 first down in USC territory. They punt. Then USC appeared 278 00:16:57,919 --> 00:17:01,200 to have thrown an interception. Jade and Mayava seemingly well. 279 00:17:01,279 --> 00:17:04,880 He did throw an interception, but roughing the passer and 280 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,319 pass interference against UCLA. So the Bruins just made it 281 00:17:09,519 --> 00:17:13,240 make a ton of huge mistakes early in the fourth quarter. 282 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,799 USC is able to finally get off the deck cash 283 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,960 in those mistakes win twenty nine ten, But you know, 284 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:24,000 final margin of nineteen points. It wasn't nearly as impressive 285 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,960 on the scoreboard as you might think. I mean, in 286 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,559 real life. The scoreboard suggests it was a comfortable win. 287 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,240 But if you saw that game, it was not a 288 00:17:34,279 --> 00:17:37,799 comfortable win. It was not a convincing performance at all 289 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:42,400 for USC. And so for USC, if this team is 290 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:46,200 struggling with a bad UCLA squad, you know, up only 291 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,119 fourteen to ten in the fourth quarter, trailing ten to 292 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,359 seven late in the third quarter. If this is how 293 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,680 it is against a bad UCLA team, what happens next 294 00:17:54,799 --> 00:17:57,160 year when USC has to play Indiana and Ohio State, 295 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,359 not to mention other Big Ten teams, and we'll see 296 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,440 if that Notre Dame series continues next year. You know, 297 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:09,079 this was a disappointing finale for USC. It's a win, 298 00:18:09,319 --> 00:18:11,359 but the Trojans did not look good and it just 299 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:17,119 underscores the inconsistency and the lack of elite play from 300 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:21,359 Lincoln Riley and his team. USC was nine to three, 301 00:18:21,519 --> 00:18:24,079 but again, no Ohio stayed on this schedule this year, 302 00:18:24,559 --> 00:18:27,839 No Indiana US. He played a soft Big Ten schedule 303 00:18:27,839 --> 00:18:30,359 and still couldn't get to the playoff, still couldn't get 304 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:35,599 ten and two. It was not as bad a year 305 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,599 as twenty twenty four when the Trojans lost five games, 306 00:18:40,039 --> 00:18:42,359 but it wasn't especially good year and the Big Ten 307 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:46,799 schedules only going to get tougher next year for USC UCLA. 308 00:18:47,079 --> 00:18:50,000 You know, so Ucla, really, the USC game is a 309 00:18:50,039 --> 00:18:54,200 non story. What matters the Bruins land the plane. They 310 00:18:54,319 --> 00:18:58,440 hire James Madison coach Bob Chesney as their next head coach. 311 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,799 They're going to allow Chesney to coach James Madison in 312 00:19:01,799 --> 00:19:04,839 the Sun Belt Championship game. And you know, if Duke 313 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,759 beats Virginia in the ACC title game. That that could 314 00:19:08,799 --> 00:19:12,599 mean James Madison gets into the playoff because remember the 315 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:18,960 playoff format is the top five ranked conference champions get 316 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:24,359 the automatic bids. Top five highest ranked conference champions get 317 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,640 automatic bids. If Duke beats Virginia and becomes ACC champion, 318 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,559 Duke will not be one of the five highest ranked 319 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:37,480 conference champions. You'll have the SEC, Big Ten, Big twelve, 320 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:40,920 the North Texas Tulane winner in the American and then 321 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,680 James Madison would be the fifth highest ranked conference champion. 322 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,599 The Dukes and Bob Chesney would get the automatic bid 323 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:54,680 into the playoff. If that happens, UCLA has said or 324 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:58,279 has agreed to or We'll let Bob Jesney coach James 325 00:19:58,319 --> 00:20:01,839 Madison in the colle football playoff and then once the 326 00:20:01,839 --> 00:20:06,119 playoff's over, Chesney can fully get to work leading UCLA. 327 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,680 So UCLA gets the ex James Madison coach or soon 328 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,839 to be ex James Madison coach. So the obvious plot 329 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,880 point here, UCLA hopes it has the new Kurt Signetti. 330 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:22,160 If Bob Chesney coming from James Madison can do anything 331 00:20:22,279 --> 00:20:26,000 close to what Kurt Signetti has done at Indiana since 332 00:20:26,079 --> 00:20:28,720 leaving James Madison. Well, UCLA is gonna have a really 333 00:20:28,759 --> 00:20:31,359 good time and UCLA is going to be back to relevant. 334 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:36,400 So UCLA is following the James Madison path after Indiana 335 00:20:36,519 --> 00:20:40,480 hired Kurt Signetti away from James Madison. That is the hope. 336 00:20:40,519 --> 00:20:44,160 Can Chesney be Signetti two point zero or even Signetti 337 00:20:44,599 --> 00:20:48,759 one point five or one point zero, that that is 338 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,400 the hope. And as we get into this UCLA situation, 339 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:58,319 you know, will Bob Chesney get the nil resources, the 340 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:03,759 overall structural an administrative alignment that he needs for UCLA 341 00:21:03,839 --> 00:21:08,359 football to really succeed. And UCLA has to support Bob 342 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:14,079 Chesney with substantial resources. And if that doesn't happen, if 343 00:21:14,079 --> 00:21:17,759 he's not getting administrative support, he can be a good coach, 344 00:21:17,799 --> 00:21:19,400 but he's not going to get the kind of players 345 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,640 he needs. Now. One obvious plot point as part of 346 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,640 this is that Kurt Signetti brought a lot of James 347 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,519 Madison players to Indiana and he coached them up and 348 00:21:28,559 --> 00:21:31,400 he won with them. So maybe Bob Chesney could do 349 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:34,599 the same thing. You know, not not five stars and 350 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:38,880 four stars, but James Madison players, just coaching them up. Well, 351 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,039 like that you can really tell that UCLA wants to 352 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:49,440 have a repeat of Signetti only in Westwood, and we'll 353 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,200 see if the Bruins can do enough administratively as a school, 354 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,559 as a football program to make it happen and put 355 00:21:56,599 --> 00:21:59,440 Bob Chesney in position to succeed. That's going to be 356 00:22:00,079 --> 00:22:03,039 very interesting next year. Bruins made on paper a great 357 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:07,160 hire spicing things up, and you know, Bob Chesney versus 358 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,279 Lincoln Riley next year that could be very interesting, That 359 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,359 could be really really compelling. Can't wait to see that 360 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:18,680 particular coaching matchup in twenty twenty six. All right, now 361 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,559 to the main course in the big ten, Oregon over Washington. 362 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,680 You know, so Washington's demand Williams, he just doesn't have it. 363 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,880 And Jed Fish has not gotten the elite quarterback you 364 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:33,119 play that his predecessor, Kaylin de Boer had at the 365 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:38,119 University of Washington with Michael Pennix. Washington needs that elite quarterback. 366 00:22:39,039 --> 00:22:42,680 It's obviously the most important position on the field, and 367 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:49,359 Washington had that rock star quarterback with Pennix. Clear downgrades 368 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,880 the last few years Will Rogers last year, Demond Williams 369 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,279 this year. And so Washington's offense just you know, was 370 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,680 pretty well contained by Oregon's defense. Oregon was in control 371 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,279 of that game the whole way because Oregon's offense is 372 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:08,559 not amazing and Oregon's been dealing with some injuries and limitations. 373 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,440 You know, Oregon didn't do a ton, but whenever Oregon 374 00:23:11,519 --> 00:23:14,799 had to do something on offense, it did, And so 375 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,160 the Ducks won, you know, not a blowout, but a 376 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,000 comfortable win. They were always in charge of that game. 377 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,319 So Washington and Jed Fish have to go back to 378 00:23:22,319 --> 00:23:25,400 the drawing board and need that upgrade at quarterbacks for 379 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:30,480 twenty twenty six. Oregon now safely in the playoff, and 380 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,960 it's going to be really interesting to see what unfolds there. 381 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:39,079 And you know, before I talk about Oregon in the playoff, 382 00:23:39,079 --> 00:23:42,599 you have to consider this point too. Oregon's two coordinators, 383 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:46,559 will Stein on offense and the aforementioned Tosh Lupoy on defense, 384 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,440 they could both go. You know, will Stein might go 385 00:23:49,519 --> 00:23:52,640 to Kentucky to replace Mark Stoops. Will Stein is a 386 00:23:52,759 --> 00:23:57,160 Kentucky native, so there's a lot of speculations swirling around there. 387 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,799 And of course we've already mentioned Tosh Lupoy could go 388 00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:03,119 to cal could go to Berkeley be hired by Ron 389 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,799 Rivera as head coach, so Dan Lanning might have two 390 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:11,279 coordinators to replace, not just one in the coming weeks, 391 00:24:11,319 --> 00:24:15,039 but Oregon in the playoffs. And now we get to 392 00:24:15,079 --> 00:24:17,279 a point where, you know, I'm not going to talk 393 00:24:17,319 --> 00:24:20,400 about the Ohio State Indiana matchup like the x'es and 394 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:23,160 o's the keys to the game, because that's what Noah 395 00:24:23,279 --> 00:24:25,960 Drury and the Big Ten Paradigm are for. They Noah 396 00:24:26,039 --> 00:24:28,640 Drury covers the Big Ten out, you know, the whole 397 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,880 Big Ten. I just covered the Big Ten in the 398 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,720 West and the four West Coast schools that are part 399 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,160 of the Big Ten. So I have to let Noah 400 00:24:37,279 --> 00:24:41,039 Drury handle that so that you can get Ohio State 401 00:24:41,079 --> 00:24:44,880 Indiana everything you want on that game over at Big 402 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,680 Ten Paradigm. Another College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast. But 403 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,519 here's what I'm going to say about Ohio State Indiana 404 00:24:51,599 --> 00:24:56,640 just on a larger level with regard to college football scheduling. 405 00:24:57,519 --> 00:25:00,920 And you remember last year, Oregon was the number one 406 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:05,079 team twelve to zero, went to the Big Ten championship game. 407 00:25:06,279 --> 00:25:09,039 Ohio State was ten and two, but got into the 408 00:25:09,079 --> 00:25:13,160 playoff and you know, did not but did not have 409 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:16,160 to play in the Big Ten Championship game. Which team 410 00:25:16,839 --> 00:25:20,279 won in the playoff and which team played better in 411 00:25:20,319 --> 00:25:22,400 the playoffs. It was the team that didn't have to 412 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,599 play in the Big Ten Championship game. Ohio State got 413 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,839 that weekend off. Oregon had to work that weekend and 414 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,400 play Penn State in the Big Ten Title Game, and 415 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,079 Ohio State was able to rest up for the first round, 416 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,960 develop momentum, beat Tennessee and then going to the Rose Bowl, 417 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:43,519 and it absolutely annihilated Oregon. And I said last year, 418 00:25:43,599 --> 00:25:46,039 and I wrote this at Trojans Wire, and if you 419 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:50,319 google Oregon doesn't deserve to be in Big Ten Championship 420 00:25:50,319 --> 00:25:53,319 Game Trojans Wire, if you google that, you'll get a 421 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:55,920 link to my article which I wrote last year, and 422 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:58,119 I said Oregon doesn't deserve to be in the Big 423 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,359 Ten Championship Game. Now, on the surface that it feels 424 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,279 like a dis toward Oregon, but what I was really 425 00:26:03,319 --> 00:26:06,200 saying and like Oregon didn't deserve to be in the 426 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,720 Big Ten championshi Game last year, it deserved better, not 427 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:13,880 worse better. Oregon deserved to have that weekend off. It 428 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,720 should have been Ohio State and in maybe Indiana playing 429 00:26:17,839 --> 00:26:21,079 or it should have been Indiana versus Penn State, but 430 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,400 Oregon definitely should have had that weekend off to rest, 431 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,559 and now it's flipped now this year, it's a total 432 00:26:29,599 --> 00:26:34,200 role reversal. How State's unbeatn Indiana's unbeaten. They're playing each other, 433 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,559 but they should both be called Big ten co champions 434 00:26:37,559 --> 00:26:41,319 for twenty twenty five, and it should be Oregon playing 435 00:26:43,079 --> 00:26:45,799 in Indianapolis. And obviously it wouldn't be a Big Ten 436 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,880 championship game because Ohio State in Indiana would be co champions. 437 00:26:50,079 --> 00:26:54,319 But like Oregon should be playing let's say Texas in 438 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,960 what we could call the Big Ten playoff game, a 439 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,039 Big ten team versus another team as kind of a 440 00:27:00,079 --> 00:27:04,119 playoff play in game or bubble game. That's the adjustment 441 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:08,759 that should be made at Ohio State and Indiana. They've 442 00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:12,200 earned first round byes that they should be getting a 443 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,039 week to rest. And it's interesting, you know, Oregon. I 444 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,079 mentioned Oregon is dealing with a lot of injuries, So 445 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,880 Oregon by not playing in the Big Ten Championship game, 446 00:27:21,079 --> 00:27:24,640 that helps Oregon because Oregon doesn't have to play another game, 447 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:26,720 a non playoff. 448 00:27:26,279 --> 00:27:30,279 Speaker 3: Game, and can rest up and heal and so the 449 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:32,440 Ducks might be a much much better team when they 450 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,960 get to the playoff because some guys will be off 451 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,680 the shelf, they'll be back in action, they will have 452 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,079 gotten rest and recuperation. 453 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,079 Speaker 2: But it really is backwards in the twelve team playoff era, 454 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,759 you know, in the BCS era and in the four 455 00:27:46,799 --> 00:27:50,640 team playoff era, those conference championship games usually meant a lot. 456 00:27:51,039 --> 00:27:53,599 You usually had to finish the deal to get into 457 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,880 a four team playoff. But now in the twelve team playoff, 458 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:01,079 it has completely flipped these teams. Most league, you know, 459 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,480 like Virginia has to win to the ACC title game 460 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,559 to get in, James Madison has to win the Sun 461 00:28:08,599 --> 00:28:11,400 Belt title to get in. North Texas and Twain have 462 00:28:11,519 --> 00:28:14,000 to win their game to get in. So the the 463 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:18,200 lower conferences, the smaller conferences. Yeah, but Georgia and Alabama 464 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,240 are both in. Maybe you could say if Alabama gets 465 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:25,160 blown out by Georgia, maybe Alabama no longer has a 466 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:28,160 playoff spot. But I would think that since Alabama has 467 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,680 already beaten Georgia, they're not going to punish Alabama for 468 00:28:31,799 --> 00:28:35,279 earning the thirteenth game and playing Georgia twice. I think 469 00:28:35,319 --> 00:28:39,839 Alabama is in regardless, but maybe if Georgia wins by thirty, 470 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,720 maybe that's what gets Alabama out and puts either Miami 471 00:28:43,839 --> 00:28:48,000 or Notre Dame in replacing the Tide. But for the 472 00:28:48,039 --> 00:28:52,839 most part, for the most part, you know, and it's 473 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,720 especially true in the Big Ten, if you're obviously in 474 00:28:55,799 --> 00:28:59,319 the playoff, having the conference championship game like it doesn't 475 00:28:59,319 --> 00:29:02,839 further you're in interests, and these conferences should make the 476 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,359 adjustment of just saying, hey, we'll declare a conference champion 477 00:29:06,759 --> 00:29:10,599 and we'll use the television property, We'll use that real estate, 478 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:14,039 we'll use that four hour TV window in order December. 479 00:29:14,519 --> 00:29:17,240 We'll still play a game in Indianapolis, or for the 480 00:29:17,279 --> 00:29:21,160 SEC Atlanta, or for the Big twelve Arlington, or for 481 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:24,880 the ACC Charlotte. We'll still play a game in those stadiums, 482 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,119 and the rights, the TV rights holders will still have 483 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,960 a game to show, but instead of having it be 484 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,160 a championship game, it could just be a playoff game. 485 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,759 So imagine this, and this goes beyond the Big Ten. 486 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,079 Instead of having the conference championship games we currently have, 487 00:29:40,599 --> 00:29:43,680 and you know, some people will get excited about Ohio State, Indiana, 488 00:29:44,519 --> 00:29:47,599 I'm not really all that thrilled about it, because you know, 489 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,240 they could meet in the playoff, semi finals or championship 490 00:29:50,279 --> 00:29:53,279 game in a month. Why have them play now, Like, 491 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,680 let's just save it for the semis or the title. 492 00:29:57,839 --> 00:30:00,799 Right now, it just feels like an extra game, an appendage, 493 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,799 a chore. You know, in the old days, a one 494 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:08,839 versus two meeting in December was basically for the national title. 495 00:30:09,279 --> 00:30:11,160 It was it was an ultimate event, like a really 496 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:15,640 good example Texas versus Arkansas December nineteen sixty nine, Like 497 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:19,599 that game was everything, it was everything. President Nixon was there, 498 00:30:19,799 --> 00:30:23,559 Richard Nixon was there, and it's still written and talked 499 00:30:23,599 --> 00:30:27,440 about over fifty five years later. But it's because it 500 00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:31,039 meant everything. But now, in a twelve team playoff context, 501 00:30:31,319 --> 00:30:34,640 a one versus two December game, it's just kind of 502 00:30:34,759 --> 00:30:37,680 all right, it's a nice television event, but it's not 503 00:30:37,839 --> 00:30:41,680 hugely significant because both Ohio State and Indiana are going 504 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:43,920 to be going to have first round byes in the playoffs. 505 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,559 So really it's about just don't get anyone hurt in 506 00:30:46,599 --> 00:30:49,160 this game. And that's not how it should feel. That's 507 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,039 not how it should be. But I hope you can 508 00:30:51,079 --> 00:30:54,480 all consider and realize how different things are in the 509 00:30:54,559 --> 00:30:57,880 twelve team playoff era, just to deal with the ACC. 510 00:30:58,519 --> 00:31:00,759 I know this is not about the West, but I'm 511 00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:03,960 talking about college football nationally, and you know, there are 512 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:06,960 things worth discussing about college football on a national level 513 00:31:07,319 --> 00:31:10,720 this week because we can see how deficient the product 514 00:31:10,799 --> 00:31:13,720 is and how a few obvious adjustments can make it better. 515 00:31:14,119 --> 00:31:17,119 With the ACC, you know, Duke has five losses. It 516 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,440 should have been obvious last year when Clemson won the 517 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:25,039 ACC with three losses, it should have been obvious, Oh wow, 518 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,200 a three loss conference champion. What if a conference champion 519 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,119 has four or five losses? Should we allow that team 520 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:35,079 into the playoff? Could have just had a role, could 521 00:31:35,119 --> 00:31:37,960 have just implemented a policy which said, you know what, 522 00:31:38,039 --> 00:31:40,440 if you have more than three losses, you don't get 523 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,559 an automatic spot in the conference championship game and you 524 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:48,960 don't get an automatic berth into the playoff. The AEC 525 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,759 could have made that role, but it didn't. So instead 526 00:31:51,759 --> 00:31:54,720 of Miami, which you know has a legitimate playoff argument, 527 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,160 instead of Miami getting a chance to play its way 528 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:00,680 in we have five loss Duke in that game didn't 529 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:05,559 have to happen. But the ACC did not make a 530 00:32:05,599 --> 00:32:08,599 common sense rule, and like all the power conferences should 531 00:32:08,599 --> 00:32:11,839 be making these kinds of rules, Like there should not 532 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:16,039 be four or five lost teams in these games on Saturdays. 533 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,759 It should be you know, teams that are on the 534 00:32:18,759 --> 00:32:22,920 playoff bubble getting their chance to play in play their 535 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:27,240 way into the field. So imagine this. Imagine if we 536 00:32:27,279 --> 00:32:30,720 didn't have Duke in Virginia in Charlotte instead we had 537 00:32:31,079 --> 00:32:37,759 Notre Dame versus Texas or Alabama. Pretty big upgrade, right, 538 00:32:38,319 --> 00:32:41,160 And what if in the SEC change a game because 539 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,480 you know, again, Georgia is a playoff lock. Georgia doesn't 540 00:32:44,519 --> 00:32:48,599 need to be playing this weekend, right, Georgia's in the playoffs. 541 00:32:48,599 --> 00:32:52,480 So this SEC title game is just an appendage called 542 00:32:52,599 --> 00:32:57,519 Georgia the SEC champion award Georgia the SEC Championship, and 543 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:03,000 have Alabama play Miami in Atlanta. Isn't that so much better? 544 00:33:03,319 --> 00:33:08,319 Isn't that just a massive massive upgrade of the product. 545 00:33:08,519 --> 00:33:15,279 You know, college football just is so very dumb about 546 00:33:15,279 --> 00:33:19,240 these things, right. You know, I do write for a 547 00:33:19,279 --> 00:33:22,920 publication called College Sportswire. That's in addition to the my 548 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:27,599 editing duties at Trojan's Wire and UCLA Wire and that 549 00:33:27,799 --> 00:33:32,160 college College Sports Wire should say, I wrote a piece 550 00:33:32,359 --> 00:33:35,440 right before the Michigan Ohio State game. We'recalling the most 551 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:39,640 important Michigan Ohio State game ever. And you want to 552 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:41,960 read that piece, you know, you can just google the 553 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:46,599 most important Michigan State, Michigan Ohio State game ever College 554 00:33:46,599 --> 00:33:51,119 Sports Wire, you'll get that link. But the nineteen seventy 555 00:33:51,119 --> 00:33:55,480 three Michigan Ohio State game is the most important Michigan 556 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:59,079 Ohio State football game ever played. Now why it was 557 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:03,000 a tie and at the time, the Big Ten athletic 558 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,640 directors had to vote to break the tie. They voted 559 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,960 to decide which team was going to represent the Rose 560 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,559 Bowl or represent the Rose Bowl, represent the Big Ten 561 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,960 in the Rose Bowl the nineteen seventy four Rose Bowl 562 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,559 game at the end of the nineteen seventy three Big 563 00:34:18,599 --> 00:34:22,039 Ten season, and the vote went to Ohio State. Ohio 564 00:34:22,119 --> 00:34:24,679 State won the vote six to four. If it had 565 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:26,840 been a five to five tie, Michigan would have gone 566 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:30,000 because Ohio State went to the Rose Bowl the previous season. 567 00:34:31,079 --> 00:34:33,199 But you know there's a history there. The Big Ten 568 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:36,559 used to have a policy in the nineteen sixties that 569 00:34:36,639 --> 00:34:39,760 you could not go to the Rose Bowl in consecutive years. 570 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,079 Even if you won the league, the second year you 571 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:44,880 didn't go. They just they did not want the same 572 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,920 school representing the conference in consecutive seasons. They eventually did 573 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,519 away with that. But because Ohio State went to the 574 00:34:52,599 --> 00:34:55,800 nineteen seventy three Rose Bowl, and then there was a tie, 575 00:34:56,119 --> 00:34:59,320 a flat foot tie between Ohio State and Michigan in 576 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,840 nineteen seven three. If the ad, if the vote of 577 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,760 Big Ten Athletic directors was tied five to five, they 578 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,400 were going to give the tie to Michigan. So Ohio 579 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,119 State won the vote six to four. It goes to 580 00:35:12,159 --> 00:35:15,559 the nineteen seventy four Rose Bowl and back in nineteen 581 00:35:15,599 --> 00:35:17,920 seventy three, And of course I researched this for the 582 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,719 piece that I wrote at College Sports Wire. There were 583 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:24,079 only eleven bowl games in nineteen seventy three in college football, 584 00:35:24,519 --> 00:35:27,519 so just twenty two teams. It was just the select 585 00:35:28,119 --> 00:35:31,519 elite crop of teams going to a select few bowl games. 586 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:35,960 So you had the Big four, Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange. 587 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,880 The Fiesta Bowl was still a second tier bowl. It existed, 588 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,360 but it was a second tier game, you know, It 589 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,679 was not a game between top ten teams. Generally, the 590 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:50,239 Fiesta Bowl became a January game, a New Year's Day 591 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:53,920 game in nineteen eighty two. It was a December game 592 00:35:54,039 --> 00:35:57,480 through nineteen eighty, so the Fiesta Bowl was not yet 593 00:35:57,519 --> 00:36:03,360 a big time game. So that nineteen seventy three Michigan 594 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:07,239 Ohio State tie with Michigan having a great season but 595 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:11,719 not playing in any bowl game, that opened some eyes 596 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,760 in and around the Big Ten in college football. It 597 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,000 made people aware of, you know what, it's pretty absurd 598 00:36:18,079 --> 00:36:21,280 to have really good teams not playing in these big 599 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:26,079 postseason bowl games just because they finished second in a 600 00:36:26,119 --> 00:36:31,320 conference where they lost a tie of some kind. And 601 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,199 so a few years after that nineteen seventy three tie, 602 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:40,000 Michigan and it was playing Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. 603 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:42,679 So Big ten teams were finally allowed to play non 604 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,760 Rose Bowl games for the first time. And then the 605 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:51,519 number of bowl games gradually grew and the sport got better, 606 00:36:52,039 --> 00:36:55,599 and you had more interesting bowl games in late December 607 00:36:57,159 --> 00:36:59,519 and also in early January, like a January second or 608 00:36:59,559 --> 00:37:03,639 January third bowl game. The sport got better. And what 609 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,280 was also happening in that same era of college sports 610 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:11,800 was that the NCAA Tournament grew in size because, as 611 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,000 it was in football, you know, only the conference champion 612 00:37:15,039 --> 00:37:18,320 went to the Rose Bowl Big Ten. It was similar 613 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,760 in college basketball, only the conference champion went to the 614 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:27,400 NCAA Tournament. You had great second place teams in various 615 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:31,559 conferences and they weren't able to be in the NCAA Tournament. 616 00:37:31,599 --> 00:37:35,159 And the ultimate example of that was the nineteen seventy 617 00:37:35,199 --> 00:37:40,840 four North Carolina State Maryland ACC Tournament championship game, one 618 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:44,599 of the greatest college basketball games ever played. NC State 619 00:37:44,639 --> 00:37:48,599 wins a thriller, but that Maryland team, which you know, 620 00:37:48,639 --> 00:37:51,880 in modern times would have been a number one seed, 621 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:53,800 like North Carolina State would have been the number one 622 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,199 seed in the East, and Maryland would have been a 623 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:59,400 number one seed in the South or the Midwest. Maryland 624 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,280 was a number one and see caliber team. But because 625 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:07,039 only the ACC tournament champion was allowed into the NCAA 626 00:38:07,079 --> 00:38:11,519 Tournament back in nineteen seventy four, Maryland didn't qualify for 627 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:14,679 March Madness. And so that was kind of the epiphany 628 00:38:14,679 --> 00:38:17,360 in college basketball, you know what, we need to expand 629 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:19,920 the NCAA Tournament, need to allow second place teams in. 630 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,480 We need to have at large bids. It was similar 631 00:38:23,559 --> 00:38:26,440 to what happened with Michigan and Ohio State that nineteen 632 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:29,760 seventy three tie leads to the vote of the athletic directors. 633 00:38:30,119 --> 00:38:33,519 Michigan doesn't play in any bowl game, and that woke 634 00:38:33,639 --> 00:38:37,960 people up that you know, removed the role from people's eyes. 635 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:41,679 It made people see how dumb it was that Michigan 636 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:43,360 was not able to play in a bowl game, that 637 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:46,800 a really good second place team in a conference wasn't 638 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:50,519 allowed to play in the postseason. So I mentioned that 639 00:38:50,639 --> 00:38:55,159 because you know, college football was really really really dumb 640 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,719 in nineteen seventy three. The NCAA tournament was really really 641 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:04,320 really dumb in nineteen seventy four, not allowing more teams in. 642 00:39:05,119 --> 00:39:09,800 And it took these you know, major earthquake like moments, 643 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:13,320 these epic games to finally make people realize, Wow, the 644 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:16,639 way we've been doing things is really awful and it's 645 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,400 really hurting the product. And so the parallel to today 646 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:22,760 is obvious. You know, the way this postseason is structured, 647 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,760 the way these conference championship games are structured, it's so deficient, 648 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,920 it's woefully deficient. These aren't slight mistakes or imperfections. No, 649 00:39:31,559 --> 00:39:34,280 like this is this weekend's horrible. If I may say so, 650 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:38,119 Duke Virginia ACC Title game, we already had a BYU 651 00:39:38,199 --> 00:39:41,320 Texas Tech rematch, or we already had a BYU Texas 652 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:43,360 Tech game in the Big twelve. We want to see 653 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,880 that again. Georgia's in the playoff. Alabama is likely in 654 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:48,880 the playoff. I don't need to see them play again. 655 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,559 They played in Athens earlier this season. It should be 656 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:56,320 as I said it before, keep the TV properties, keep 657 00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:59,760 the television rights holders in place, but have bubble play 658 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:04,639 in games Notre Dame versus Texas. You know, have have 659 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:09,880 a Miami play Alabama, you know, massive upgrade if we 660 00:40:10,039 --> 00:40:14,159 used my system. But we don't have that. Uh. And 661 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:18,559 so that's my big overall point about Ohio State Indiana. 662 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:22,519 It's the least significant one versus two December game that 663 00:40:22,559 --> 00:40:25,880 I can ever remember in college football history, because any 664 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:29,519 previous time you had one versus two in December, it 665 00:40:29,599 --> 00:40:33,960 meant everything. But Ohio State Michigan two thousand and six 666 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:38,320 was late November. But like the winner knew it was 667 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:41,920 going to the national title game, and the loser knew 668 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:45,199 there was probably gonna be out, and you know, Florida 669 00:40:45,199 --> 00:40:48,159 got in, so that became Ohio State Florida. So you know, 670 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:52,119 one versus two late season in two thousand and six. Yeah, 671 00:40:52,159 --> 00:40:54,119 it felt like a huge event because you knew that 672 00:40:54,159 --> 00:40:57,719 the winner was gonna play for the title and the 673 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:00,280 loser had the expectation that it was probably to be 674 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,599 left out. But now with the twelve team playoff, that 675 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:08,199 is completely different and the sport of college football has 676 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:11,159 not really adjusted. So that's a little perspective on Ohio 677 00:41:11,159 --> 00:41:14,039 State Indiana. Not the matchup because you go to Noah 678 00:41:14,119 --> 00:41:16,360 Drury and the Big Ten paradigm for that, but in 679 00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:19,760 terms of the context and the significance of it, college 680 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:23,719 football really has to reform itself on so many levels, 681 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:26,719 and right now you just got a taste of it 682 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:31,039 here on Get Off My pilon So you know that 683 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:35,559 that is the season, folks. That is our series of 684 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:39,440 you know, major Saturday review shows here on Get Off 685 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:44,039 My Piline. We will come back next week to review 686 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:49,639 the coaching carousel, talk about the various programs that we cover, 687 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:53,199 the programs in the Western United States here on Get 688 00:41:53,199 --> 00:41:55,599 Off my pilone, and that'll be it. That'll be our season. 689 00:41:55,639 --> 00:41:59,719 Finale for two and twenty five, So coming back at 690 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:01,880 you one more show is part of the College gread 691 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:06,519 Down Coast to Coast podcast network. Next week here on 692 00:42:06,679 --> 00:42:09,519 Get Off My Pilon, a reminder go to Yards and 693 00:42:09,559 --> 00:42:13,840 Stripes for the Service Academies, Florida Football Insiders with Jason 694 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:19,079 Powers for all the Florida school news, John sumral to 695 00:42:19,159 --> 00:42:25,760 Florida and Miami fighting for the playoff Berth and more. Also, 696 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:29,039 go to the All Sports Discussion podcast for the acc 697 00:42:29,199 --> 00:42:31,599 and that mess with Virginia and Duke that I've alluded 698 00:42:31,599 --> 00:42:35,599 to a little bit, Pigskin and Burnt ends as well. 699 00:42:35,599 --> 00:42:40,480 That's another College Great Down podcast. So we're part of 700 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:43,599 the family and we're here for one more week Get 701 00:42:43,599 --> 00:42:48,280 Off My Pilon covering college football in the Western United States. 702 00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:51,519 So this is Matt Zemik. Thanks for listening to another 703 00:42:51,679 --> 00:42:54,639 edition of Get Off My Pilon here on the College 704 00:42:54,639 --> 00:42:58,960 Grade Down Coast to Coast Podcast Network season finale next week. 705 00:42:59,199 --> 00:42:59,960 We'll talk to you then,