Jon Joseph

Terrific article Darren, thank you. But I disagree that the Pac-12 is on the rise. Strongly disagree. Please see my response to Woodbuther's excellent take: Organized Turmoil. I vented enough there without piling on here. If Oregon and USC were a stock I'd advise, BUY. But the conference as a whole, I advise, SELL.

Thanks for the great post. But Playoffs? Playoffs! Since George Kliavkoff (GK) replaced Larry Scott the spin has stopped. No more spin, thank goodness GK tells the truth and talks the talk. GK knows how important it is for the Conference of Champions to win titles that matter: CFB and CBB titles. As GK says, 'the Pac-12 is in a valley.' 2017 -2021, the conference is 8-22 in postseason CFB play. 1-5 in NY6 bowls. Zero Playoff invites. In 2021 vs FBS opponents out-of-conference the Pac-12 went 9-18. The Pac-12 went 0-5 in its 2021 bowls including the first loss to a MAC school in 18 years. Pac-12 recruiting is simply bad. The Orange bowl between Georgia and Michigan featured starting QBs from Reno and 'LA.' The Heisman winner, Bryce Young from 'LA" is the QB at Bama. The Rose Bowl winning QB, Ohio State's Stroud, is from LA. Insult to injury, QB Dillon Gabriel just flipped his commitment from UCLA to Oklahoma. Understandable with the Bruins having a lame duck (sorry Puddles) head coach. And it appears that Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams will not be following Lincoln Riley to SC but will instead be signing with Georgia. From 2014-2018 participation in high school football in California dropped 11.7% During this same period participation dropped 3.2% in Georgia and 0.6% in Florida. The Pac-12 average head coach and assistant coach salaries are the lowest in the G5. Washington State lost a winning head coach to a bottom feeder SEC program. CU could not come close to matching Michigan State's offer to Mel Tucker. USC opened the wallet for Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and the assistants he brought with him. SC has also significantly upped its recruiting budget including hiring additional staff to help with recruiting. Oregon is paying 'market value' for a new coach without head coaching experience and for his staff. Yet, Oregon spends approximately $1.3M per annum on recruiting. One third of what Georgia spends on recruiting. Only Vandy in the SEC spends less than Oregon on recruiting. Many the Pac-12 stadia are 'empty' and silent on game day. One has to ask if all 12 conference teams and their respective administrators are all-in in being competitive in CFB and CBB? And, even if all-in do they have the money to spend that is required to be competitive in the money ball sports? The Pac-12 under the current media agreement is stuck with lousy, late kick off times. The Pac-12 Network is a functionally insolvent albatross. Having decided not to expand into the central time zone by adding Sugar Bowl winner Baylor, Fiesta Bowl winner Oklahoma State, a Houston team that defeated Auburn, a Texas Tech squad that blew out Mississippi State, bowl eligible Iowa State and Kansas State and basketball power Kansas, along with top to bottom strong CBB programs, what does GK have to sell come media renegotiation time other than what Larry Scott had to sell? Oregon and USC are spending the money necessary to compete at the highest level. Yet, the Ducks and Trojans get the same revenue share as do schools that do not come close to spending the same amount of money. ROI wise, SC and Oregon are taking it in the financial shorts. Go 13-0 and as a P5 champ and you will be in the Playoff. But 13-0 is a big ask when you go 'on the road' versus Georgia, play BYU out-of-conference and then play 5 conference road games. Since the Pac-12 added CU and Utah, no Pac-12 team has gone 13-0. As weak as the conference is, 12-1 does not by any means guarantee a Playoff spot. Oregon is in a tough position. I fervently hope that before Oregon pledges its media rights to the new Pac-12 media deal that it will consider other alternatives? Alternatives where there will be an opportunity to make more money and to play with partners willing and able to spend the money required to be competitive. Again, thanks for the terrific comment.

OK fans are predicting he goes to UGA. Love it if he decided on the Ducks but I don't see it. If he signed at Oregon and other guys not as talented left; well, that's the nature of today's game and the portal. No one in the QB room in 2021 was good enough to beat out Brown. Speaks for itself.

Fortune Favors The Bold. The 'new' B12 won the Sugar and Fiesta Bowl and had a final 4 team. Houston defeated an SEC team as did UCF. BYU lost its bowl game without its starting QB.

Moved up from the opening -2.5. Will Oregon open 2022 vs the defending champ or the runner up?

Plus, the schedule is a witch. "At" Georgia and versus BYU OOC and 5 conference road games.

Thank you. Now that B12 is reestablished where could the conference if it wanted to, expand? It's a question of $. SC and OR spend the $ necessary to be competitive and its partners do not. Partners that get an equal piece of the pie. The Pac-12 conference today makes no business sense for Oregon and SC. The Alliance is good protection for GK's job and that's about it. I don't expect the B1G to start sharing $ with the Pac-12 anytime soon.

OK. But that was an Ohio State team missing 2 AA WRs and 6 starters on D. Utah scored 10 points in the 2nd half and the Utah DL was stymied by the Buckeyes OL. 80/20 Utah fans and Utah was incredibly geeked and the Buckeyes were not. Utah gave up over 500 yards through the air and Smith-Ngata set an all time bowl receiving record.

$?

Or, play all playoff games on campus except for the champ game played in the Rose Bowl on 1/1. CFB is tied to the bowls by tradition and nothing else. Expand the field and incent teams to get home games via better seeding as a result of better strength of schedule.

The results haven't been ideal but at least Bo knows UGA. Oklahoma boards are speculating that Caleb Williams is going to end up at Georgia. Not a great guy to have to play back to back.

We also saw his defense against the Heisman winning QB and it wasn't pretty. Will Georgia finally get over the Alabama melt downs? Was the SEC champ game aberrational or representative of how the UGA D performs against top QBs? Auburn had 7 sacks vs Bama, UGA zip. Personally I think UGA wins the champ game. Bama had to win the SEC champ game to make the final 4 and Georgia was in regardless.

OUTSTANDING! As many folks defended Mario's small ball approach to offense you Charles were consistent in calling out Mario for 'lying' about the style of O he planed to run and pointing out the damage the 'prevent offense' was doing to the Oregon brand. The man was a champion recruiter and a chump as a coach. He had talented athletes consistently playing down to the level of inferior competition. Great call also regarding the defense. Don't grow guys out west like those who play on the Georgia D line. Oregon needs to get its mojo back. Ohio State QB Stroud from SoCal was not wrong in observing that many Pac-12 stadiums are close to empty and silent on game day, Can't do much about the majority of the conference but let's get Autzen rocking again!

Meanwhile, Fansided ranks Oregon as 1 of the 5 teams most likely to retrogress in 2022. Others - Oklahoma, Pitt, Michigan State, Notre Dame

And I get to watch the Falcons! Bummer! 2019 - Should have ben a playoff team, won the semi and played for a tile. Only Dean Smith could hold down Michael Jordon and only Mario could hold down Justin. In your face McShade!

The ACC is locked in with ESPN through 2036. The BIG and the SEC's next media deals come up for bid before the Pac-12., ESPN is paying $300M plus to take over from CBS as the SEC's primary broadcaster. CBS was paying $55M a year. I think FOX, 51% owner of the B1G network, will come large to be the exclusive media outlet for the B1G. After the new deals, every B1G and SEC team will be bringing in $70M+ a year. Pac-12? $35 to 40M. The Pac-12 decided to stand pat. I will not be surprised if the 'new B12' doesn't bring in more money than the Pac-12. The PAC-12 football wise is not 'an exclusive club.' 2 teams in the Pac-12 have the desire and the money to be big time, Oregon and USC. If these 2 and possibly UW, CU, Utah and ASU do not look at joining the 'new B12' I think they are making a serious mistake. What does GK have to sell? 0-5 in bowl games. A bunch of disinterested fan bases. Recruiting budgets outside of SC and Oregon that are less than every SEC team except Vanderbilt. Recruiting #s that are way behind the curve. The 'leaders' of many the Pac-12 school couldn't care less about CFB. It will be the Pac-12 very late at night. SC and Oregon should give an equal share to teams that spend peanuts of football compared to these 2? And the Pac-12 Network. JV compared to the big boys. Ohio State QB JS Stroud, from SoCal is right. Pac-12 fans compared to B1G fans just don't give a whip.

YES! Before pledging media rights to the new deal Oregon and SC should get on the phone with Bob Bowlsby and see what kind of deal they make with the "New B12.' I respect Charles POV of course but SC and Oregon are the 2 schools with the money and the desire to compete at the highest level of CFB. IMO, the new commish already blew it by not expanding. I want Oregon in a conference where the administrations give a whip and fans show up for games. Should have added OK ST, TX Tech, Baylor, TCU, Houston, Kansas, K St and Iowa St. It's OK for Pac-12 teams to schedule Baylor and TCU but not OK to affiliate with these schools?

Mario did less with the talent of the roster than I imagined possible? He came close to destroying the brand,. He won a bad conference twice and got blown out by a Utah team with no where near the roster talent twice. I give him credit for recruiting and that's it. Happy to have Lanning on board. Like the staff. Now recruit like heck and make solid use of the portal. Michigan State was the champ of the Peach Bowl and Baylor won the Sugar Bowl because of the portal and upgraded coaching. Amazing turn around for both schools from 2020 to 2021.

I am most happy Mario is gone. He cane close to destroying the Oregon brand and his players were far too often not ready to play ball. He had the 12th best roster in the country and rarely had the team play close to this level. He had a losing record coming in and is 2 games over .500 going out. Recruiting champ and coaching clown. I like the Lanning hire and I like the coaching staff Lanning is putting together. CFB is a big business, Lanning gets a $9 to 10 M offer down the road from a Big/SEC teams he's gone. That's business. Today 2 teams in the Pac-12 are spending the money needed to compete at the highest level of CFB: USC and Oregon, with Utah close behind. The rest don't care and/or don't have the money. If this hire does not work out then Mullens most certainly has to be shown the door.

NO, but bringing in OK ST, TX TECH, Baylor, TCU, Houston, KS, K ST and Iowa State may have?

Nor, the DBs.

That looked like an old WAC shoot out in the first half. 2nd half. Utah DL could get no pressure at all on Stroud. Hats off to the Utes back up QB for tying it up but you just knew the Buckeyes were going to run the clock and win. This from an Ohio State team missing 6 starters. Sorry, but I don't think Cincinnati would come close to beating Ohio State. Coming into 2022 Ohio State is loaded. Looks like Ohio State will finish #4 in the final AP Poll. Probably a good thing that UCLA didn't play NC ST. Nice comeback win by OK ST today. Nice blow out win over the Pirate win by Texas Tech. But not good enough for the 'exclusive club.'

Bama's RB set a single game rushing record. Bama owned both LOS and with the OL dominating Cincy's DL it smothered Cincy. Cincy was never in the game. The OK ST D is far better than this Cincy D. Cincy played a weak SOS and beat a ND team that had no top 25 wins. Expand the playoff? I prefer to go back to the BCS. Better yet go back to the 'old bowl system.' And why shouldn't younger guys be able to go pro. UGA TE Brock Bowers is a pro now. What will he gain out of two more seasons of CFB.

Hats off to Lanning and the UGA D but that quality of player will not be playing for Oregon in 2022. Coach 'em up guys = Cincinnati. Take the best talent in the country and make them better = Georgia. UGA ran the same D against Michigan that it ran against Bama in the SEC champ game. Bama has the Heisman Trophy winner playing QB, Michigan does not. Can Georgia get a team with equal talent, Alabama, off of its back? Other than for the game vs Bama, the UGA D manhandled teams like it did Michigan all season long. Not dinging Lanning's coaching but at UGA Dan was working with big time Jimmies and Joes.

The Pac-12 in the post season is 0 - FOR including a loss to an 8-4 MAC team. Hopefully, Utah will come through today. Lot of Ohio State guys have opted out but Ohio State will still have plenty of talent on the field. Interesting that a former Mountain West team may be the only Pac-12 team to win a bowl game. How low can you go?