Instantaneous response to Pac-12 developments on the sphere …
1. All about L.A., for now
The Los Angeles colleges are the discuss of the convention in the course of October, simply as they have been on the finish of June — just for vastly completely different causes.
Three-and-a-half months in the past, USC and UCLA made headlines for Ivory Tower choices (to affix the Massive Ten). Now, their on-field play is producing the eye.
The crosstown rivals (and beforehand underachieving applications) are 6-0 in the identical season for the primary time since 2005 after heading off challenges Saturday from one-loss opponents.
The Trojans dealt with Washington State 30-14, whereas the Bruins outlasted Utah 42-32.
The previous shall be within the top-10 of the AP ballot when it’s launched Sunday morning; the latter ought to be within the top-15, at worst.
At this level, each have to be thought-about Faculty Soccer Playoff contenders — sure, even UCLA (extra on that momentarily).
The Hotline is struck by their similarities. The Trojans and Bruins aren’t an identical in roster make-up or schemes, however they’re clearly fraternal twins.
Each head coaches, USC’s Lincoln Riley and UCLA’s Chip Kelly, are among the many faculty recreation’s most inventive offensive minds of the previous 10-12 years, and each have made skilled use of the switch portal.
Each defenses are extra opportunistic than they're stout.
And each offenses declare three excellent playmakers: USC’s mixture of quarterback Caleb Williams, tailback Travis Dye and receiver Jordan Addison; and UCLA’s equivalents in quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, tailback Zach Charbonnet and receiver Jake Bobo.
(If we had to decide on, the Hotline would go for UCLA’s triumvirate.)
Additionally, each groups will face their most difficult assignments of the season once they return to the sphere.
USC visits Utah subsequent weekend, whereas the Bruins have a bye, then head to Oregon.
By late October, the Pac-12’s hierarchy would possibly look fairly completely different.
However for now — and for the primary season in eons — the middle of gravity is in Los Angeles.
2. UCLA and the CFP: A historical past
It’s necessary to notice that neither USC or UCLA faces a must-win state of affairs in its subsequent recreation, not less than within the context of a CFP berth.
Anybody-loss Energy 5 champion stands a superb opportunity of taking part within the semifinals. If the Trojans lose in Salt Lake Metropolis or the Bruins lose in Eugene, solely their margin-for-error can have vanished.
End with a 12-1 file and Pac-12 title in hand, and a CFP berth shall be inside attain.
And sure, that goes for the Bruins.
The Hotline examined the resumes of all 32 groups which have participated within the CFP and located two cases by which a semifinalist didn't personal a non-conference victory over a Energy 5 opponent:
Each instances, it was Ohio State.
The Buckeyes reached the CFP in 2014 with wins over Navy and Kent State and a loss to Virginia Tech.
And so they made it in 2019 with wins over Florida Atlantic, Miami-Ohio and Cincinnati, which itself was an 11-game winner that 12 months.
Every of the opposite 30 playoff groups claimed not less than one out-of-conference victory over a Energy 5 foe.
UCLA’s non-conference lineup this season consists of Bowling Inexperienced, South Alabama and Alabama State.
Not solely do the Bruins have to hold profitable, however they have to accomplish that impressively. With that schedule, their resume would get picked aside by the speaking heads on ESPN.
3. Speedy response
Our ideas on the seven Pac-12 groups with information of 4-2 or higher:
— UCLA’s offense is the very best within the convention — sure, higher than USC’s assault — due to the stainless run-pass stability and the way in which Kelly’s items match collectively. However the protection will be sliced and diced.
— Utah’s protection isn’t practically as dominant because it was final 12 months — we misplaced monitor of the missed tackles within the Rose Bowl on Saturday — and the offense desperately wants a downfield part to stretch opponents and create operating lanes.
— Oregon may need the very best all-around workforce, particularly when quarterback Bo Nix is comfy and freed from turnovers. Don’t be deceived by the rating of the Georgia recreation; the Geese have a superb opportunity to win the Pac-12 title. (How would the nationwide media reply to the Pac-12 producing a champion that owns a 49-3 loss to Georgia? Take one guess.)
— USC’s offense is a half-step behind UCLA’s assault — it was hardly an indomitable drive in opposition to Washington State or Oregon State — however the protection possesses a better ceiling, together with probably the most disruptive drive within the convention in lineman Tuli Tuipulotu.
— Washington State’s protection is arguably the very best within the Pac-12, however the unit wants assist from the offense to keep away from carrying down over the course of the season. It’s robust to play underneath back-to-the-wall strain week after week.
— Oregon State will get extra out of its personnel than any workforce however should resolve the quarterback state of affairs in an effort to stay in rivalry deep into November.
— Washington’s protection isn’t simply unhealthy, it’s inverted: The secondary, lengthy the energy of this system, is now the weak hyperlink. The Huskies have been shredded by ASU backup quarterback Trenton Bourguet and are 0-2 on the street after the recent residence begin.
Additionally, Michigan State is horrible.
4. The nightcap comeback
One of the best end of the day unfolded simply earlier than midnight in basic #Pac12AfterDark trend.
Oregon State trailed Stanford 24-10 getting into the fourth quarter with a backup quarterback (Ben Gulbranson) and no kicking recreation (due to an harm to the long-snapper).
So what occurred?
— The Beavers scored 10 seconds into the quarter to drag inside 24-16 however missed the two-point conversion.
— They scored once more with 5:45 remaining but additionally failed on the conversion and trailed 24-22.
— They allowed a Stanford discipline purpose with 58 seconds left and have been down 27-22.
— They scored the sport winner with 13 seconds left on a catch-and-run from Gulbranson to receiver Tre’Shaun Harrison.
The throw was down the precise sideline. Harrison turned, jumped and plucked it away from the Stanford defender, then raced down the sideline for an unbelievable, miracle 56-yard landing.
It was probably the most stunning end, maybe, because the ‘Hill Mary’ in Arizona’s 49-45 victory over Cal in 2014.
The 28-27 victory strikes the Beavers (4-2) into prime place for an additional bowl berth: They want two wins of their closing six video games — and considered one of them is Colorado.
It was a crushing loss for Stanford, which merely needed to keep away from a defensive breakdown in an effort to finish its 10-game dropping streak in opposition to FBS opponents.
As an alternative, the Cardinal heads to Notre Dame subsequent weekend in quest of its first main faculty win in 54 weeks.
5. On focusing on
There have been a slew of focusing on calls throughout the convention Saturday; all of them managed to outrage one fan base or one other.
The USC-Washington State recreation featured an ejection for every workforce — and we thought the officers obtained it proper in each cases.
First, let’s keep in mind that on-field officers are instructed to name something that appears near focusing on, at which level the replay sales space determines if the decision ought to be upheld or overturned.
There are two methods focusing on will be upheld:
— If the participant leads with the crown of his helmet, no matter the place the contact is made with the opponent.
— If a participant makes forcible contact to the top or neck space together with his helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder.
In each instances, the so-called indicators have to be current. Primarily, these contain the offending participant launching right into a defenseless opponent.
However the important thing phrase requires simply seven phrases: “When in query, it's a foul.”
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