Jon Joseph Moderator No. 1 Share Posted May 8, 2023 (edited) Jon Gold authors Saturdays Out West. Here are his takes on the 2023 Pac-12 best over/under regular season win total bets. Gold: Best, worst bets on Pac-12’s over/under win totals SATURDAYOUTWEST.COM The DraftKings win totals release was none-too-pretty for the Pac-12, but that does present some opportunities for fans with fantasies of double-digit wins. Is USC getting too much love? CBS Sports today picked USC to play in the 2023 Football Playoff Championship Game. Without a major improvement on defense, I don't see it. Although missing Oregon State and getting Utah and UW at home helps the Trojans cause. CBS also opined that Oregon has a 1st 5 game cakewalk. Playing Texas Tech in Lubbock is far from a piece of cake. But I am not surprised that the national media is undervaluing a game that is a 'no-win' game for the Ducks. Win, well you were supposed to win. Take the L and it is a bad L. This, even though TT shows up in many preseason top-25s. Both UCLA and USC are getting going-away scheduling handshakes from Merton Hanks and the Pac-12. Why? Why shouldn't management dysfunction continue? UW for instance plays 3 games in a row at USC, Utah at home, and then at Oregon State. USC has no three-game in conference gauntlet close to this. And we are well aware that Oregon plays Utah and UW on the road; as noted above, these two play USC in LA. Rob Mullens had a say regarding conference scheduling. I'd love to know if he objected to the LA schools receiving a departing gift. And I'd like to know what close to a million-dollar man a season, Rob, and his huge supporting staff do all the live-long day. Merton Hanks and the overseer of Pac-12 officiating, Coleman, by now should have both been shown the door. The only thing our new commissioner has done since his arrival is to close down the San Francisco offices. Something a ten-year-old could have figured out. It is what it is so go out Ducks and win the games. But I still do not like THIS. Edited May 8, 2023 by Jon Joseph 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 2 Share Posted May 8, 2023 I love being the underdog, while returning 15 starters and a TON of high-impact portal transfers. Let them promote the Huskies, (pardon me while I turn to spit) and the Trojans. It will make our season that much sweeter.. 1 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tandaian No. 3 Share Posted May 9, 2023 Not that it happens every time/year, but the teams are supposed to alternate home and away games. Technically speaking, USC having Utah and UW at home this year is correct. However, I do find it odd that USC and UW missed each other 4 out of the previous 5 years. USC Washington Utah 2017 Bye vs Utah 2018 Bye at Utah 2019 at UW vs Utah 2020 Bye at Utah 2021 Bye vs Utah 2022 Bye at Utah I'd say USC has a hard a 2nd half of a season as anybody in college football. 10/14 @ND 10/21 Utah 10/28 @ Cal 11/4 vs UW 11/11 @ UO 11/18 vs UCLA I'm still torn on whether or not having a bye week Thanksgiving weekend is good or bad. It is before the Pac 12 title game, so that is good, but they play 9 straight weeks without a bye. That is not good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 4 Share Posted May 9, 2023 (edited) It's hard to believe but I think that SC, with the Cali scheduling agreement, has not played UW since 2019. I get Utah but most certainly not UW. In addition, SC misses Oregon State in 2023 although I realize that SC played the Beavers in 2021 and 2022. Meanwhile, Oregon plays the 4 most likely title contenders, including Oregon State, with 2 games on the road. SC plays 1 preseason top-25 contender on the road, Oregon. SC plays the Pac-12 South in an era without divisions and also plays Stanford. There is no reason why SC should not play UW on the road instead of playing at CU, Stanford, and Arizona, for example, on the road. Add in an idle week before the Pac-12 championship and this is a comparative piece of cake. And SC fans had the chutzpah to whine over having to play Utah at home the Saturday after playing in South Bend. Edited May 9, 2023 by Jon Joseph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Author Moderator No. 5 Share Posted May 9, 2023 On 5/9/2023 at 11:35 AM, Tandaian said: Not that it happens every time/year, but the teams are supposed to alternate home and away games. Technically speaking, USC having Utah and UW at home this year is correct. However, I do find it odd that USC and UW missed each other 4 out of the previous 5 years. USC Washington Utah 2017 Bye vs Utah 2018 Bye at Utah 2019 at UW vs Utah 2020 Bye at Utah 2021 Bye vs Utah 2022 Bye at Utah I'd say USC has a hard a 2nd half of a season as anybody in college football. 10/14 @ND 10/21 Utah 10/28 @ Cal 11/4 vs UW 11/11 @ UO 11/18 vs UCLA I'm still torn on whether or not having a bye week Thanksgiving weekend is good or bad. It is before the Pac 12 title game, so that is good, but they play 9 straight weeks without a bye. That is not good. An idle week before the conference champ game is solid gold. Especially compared to last season when SC came off of the Notre Dame game and Utah played CU. 9 games in a row is tough but SC does not trip back-to-back in the conference or play this gauntlet: UW - vs Utah. At USC. At Oregon State. Oregon if it makes the champ game will be coming off a game versus physical Oregon State while SC plays Thin Air. Having a week to rest up, heal up and game plan against two possible champ game opponents is a gift to a program that told, after the fact, the Pac-10 to get bent. I am far last sanguine over this than are you. But I very much appreciate your take and the information contained therein. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
