How the Pac12 fared this year - Printable Version
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How the Pac12 fared this year - gailtate - 12-08-2024
From Bruce Jennings in today's SFChron:
From the memorable scenes in Berkeley to the desolation of Stanford Stadium, the Pac-12 football conference drew the full spectrum of attention in its recovery from disaster.
The script was written ahead of time; in one way or another, every team was coated in the stain of abandonment. As we focus on the six teams that fled to powerhouse conferences — six that really represent “Pacific,” not some interloper from Arizona or Utah — the report card goes this way, in descending order of success:
1. Oregon. Ascended to the nation’s No. 1 ranking and could win the postseason tournament. Took advantage of a relatively weak Big Ten and beat rival Washington after going 0-3 against the Huskies under head coach Dan Lanning.
2. Washington. Packed an awful lot of fun into a 6-6 season, knocking off Northwestern, Michigan, USC and UCLA along the way. This team typically recovers, from everything, and will do so again.
3. Cal. Hold on a minute, you might say. The Bears choked away their season with that incomprehensibly hapless four-game losing streak, after all. And they blew a chance to actually be relevant in the ACC. But people figured Berkeley would be a veritable football wasteland with the Bears lodging themselves so far away. Instead, students started arriving at midnight before the Miami game. ESPN’s “GameDay” crew was there, with thousands of happy people milling everywhere. And the Big Game brought not only a packed house, but a 98-yard, game-winning drive that had fans storming the field. Heartwarming stuff — and by the way, if the ACC is going to list five quarterbacks on its all-conference team, including honorable mention, Cal’s endearing Fernando Mendoza has to be on there.
4. UCLA. The Bruins looked doomed from the start, on Media Day, when new head coach DeShaun Foster couldn’t put a coherent sentence together as he addressed the gathering. What followed was a season of utter nothingness, and now they’re losing at least 13 starters to the transfer portal. Maybe school executives will acknowledge the cowardly nature of their money-grabbing ways and return to the Pacific-12 (or whatever) someday. They might even be forgiven.
5. Stanford. Cal fans kept the faith, but the Stanford people just gave up. Heck with the ACC. Too many obstacles with the NIL and the transfer portal. Lousy team, too. On some days, it looked like about 38 people were there for home games. A very positive thing happened, though, with the hiring of Andrew Luck as the collegiate game’s first-ever “general manager.” He cares, deeply. He knows how great this program can be — he was part of it, under head coaches Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw — and how a few key moves can change everything.
6. USC. This is harsh, but make no mistake, it was the Trojans who destroyed the Pac-12. For a few extra bucks — a financial windfall that won’t mean a damned thing when reality sets in — the Trojans’ executive airheads pulled the plug and launched a spirit-crushing exodus. They deserved to go 0-12, and it almost felt that way after a 6-6 season as head coach Lincoln Riley’s overall record fell to 25-14. It’s a sad, paltry affair for this once-proud program, but Pac-12 justice has been served.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - Goose - 12-08-2024
(12-08-2024, 09:49 AM)gailtate Wrote: From Bruce Jennings in today's SFChron:Justice has not been served. USC is so toxic that even good coaches like Riley can't extract much more than mediocrity. USC needs to be so bad that the B1G keeps Purdue and expels USC! That would be justice (almost).
6. USC. This is harsh, but make no mistake, it was the Trojans who destroyed the Pac-12. For a few extra bucks — a financial windfall that won’t mean a damned thing when reality sets in — the Trojans’ executive airheads pulled the plug and launched a spirit-crushing exodus. They deserved to go 0-12, and it almost felt that way after a 6-6 season as head coach Lincoln Riley’s overall record fell to 25-14. It’s a sad, paltry affair for this once-proud program, but Pac-12 justice has been served.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - JohnR34231 - 12-08-2024
I don't think there were "happy people milling everywhere" when Kal blew a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter to lose to Miami. Oh well, at least they were happy before the game and presumably through the first three quarters.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - Mick - 12-08-2024
Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - BostonCard - 12-08-2024
Note that a year after ASU was dead last in the PAC-12, they won the Big12 and are going to the CFB playoffs as the four seed.
BC
(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: hit the old NIL on the head:ICWYDT
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - newguy - 12-09-2024
(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
that's a good one.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - JohnR34231 - 12-09-2024
(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
He should have worked BD (Yale's old star QB Brian Dowling) in there somehow.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - CompSci87 - 12-09-2024
(12-09-2024, 10:40 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
He should have worked BD (Yale's old star QB Brian Dowling) in there somehow.
The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - JohnR34231 - 12-09-2024
(12-09-2024, 12:16 PM)CompSci87 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 10:40 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
He should have worked BD (Yale's old star QB Brian Dowling) in there somehow.
The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.
Checked him out and he supposedly almost went to U$C. Interesting for a guy who was touted as so academically oriented.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - old spanish trail - 12-09-2024
(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
So good!
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - Mick - 12-09-2024
(12-09-2024, 01:37 PM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 12:16 PM)CompSci87 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 10:40 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
He should have worked BD (Yale's old star QB Brian Dowling) in there somehow.
The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.
Checked him out and he supposedly almost went to U$C. Interesting for a guy who was touted as so academically oriented.
Brian Dowling considered USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern and supposedly Notre Dame really wanted him, as much as they wanted Terry Hanratty. Dowling was recruited by 60 colleges. But his dad was the president of a steel company and forced the issue, happy to pay his way through Yale.
BLUE POWER WINS A BOWL GAME - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - JohnR34231 - 12-09-2024
(12-09-2024, 04:32 PM)Mick Wrote:(12-09-2024, 01:37 PM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 12:16 PM)CompSci87 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 10:40 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-08-2024, 12:46 PM)Mick Wrote: Today's "Doonesbury" really hit the old NIL on the head:
Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2024
He should have worked BD (Yale's old star QB Brian Dowling) in there somehow.
The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.
Checked him out and he supposedly almost went to U$C. Interesting for a guy who was touted as so academically oriented.
Brian Dowling considered USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern and supposedly Notre Dame really wanted him, as much as they wanted Terry Hanratty. Dowling was recruited by 60 colleges. But his dad was the president of a steel company and forced the issue, happy to pay his way through Yale.
BLUE POWER WINS A BOWL GAME - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com
The next year's Harvard Yale game was just as dramatic. Both teams were undefeated, but Yale, led by Dowling, was the heavy favorite. That prediction looked accurate as Yale took a 29-13 lead into the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Then Harvard suddenly came to life, scored a touchdown followed by a two point conversion, recovered an onside kick and went down and tied the game. The headlines read "Harvard defeats Yale, 29-29."
The Yale coach was asked after the game if he considered putting his offensive stars (Dowling was also a star DB in high school who held the Ohio HS record for interceptions) in the game to stop Harvard's last drive. No, he said, he didn't want the people taken out to go through their lives knowing they were the people sacrificed to save the victory. Gives you an idea of the Ivy League attitude towards sports.
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - lex24 - 12-09-2024
(12-09-2024, 06:11 PM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 04:32 PM)Mick Wrote:(12-09-2024, 01:37 PM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 12:16 PM)CompSci87 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 10:40 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote: He should have worked BD (Yale's old star QB Brian Dowling) in there somehow.
The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.
Checked him out and he supposedly almost went to U$C. Interesting for a guy who was touted as so academically oriented.
Brian Dowling considered USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern and supposedly Notre Dame really wanted him, as much as they wanted Terry Hanratty. Dowling was recruited by 60 colleges. But his dad was the president of a steel company and forced the issue, happy to pay his way through Yale.
BLUE POWER WINS A BOWL GAME - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com
The next year's Harvard Yale game was just as dramatic. Both teams were undefeated, but Yale, led by Dowling, was the heavy favorite. That prediction looked accurate as Yale took a 29-13 lead into the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Then Harvard suddenly came to life, scored a touchdown followed by a two point conversion, recovered an onside kick and went down and tied the game. The headlines read "Harvard defeats Yale, 29-29."
The Yale coach was asked after the game if he considered putting his offensive stars (Dowling was also a star DB in high school who held the Ohio HS record for interceptions) in the game to stop Harvard's last drive. No, he said, he didn't want the people taken out to go through their lives knowing they were the people sacrificed to save the victory. Gives you an idea of the Ivy League attitude towards sports.
Wasn’t he also Plunketts back up at NE?
RE: How the Pac12 faired this year - Mick - 12-09-2024
(12-09-2024, 07:40 PM)lex24 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 06:11 PM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 04:32 PM)Mick Wrote:(12-09-2024, 01:37 PM)JohnR34231 Wrote:(12-09-2024, 12:16 PM)CompSci87 Wrote: The grey haired coach is BD. He finally quit wearing a helmet all the time at some point.
Checked him out and he supposedly almost went to U$C. Interesting for a guy who was touted as so academically oriented.
Brian Dowling considered USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern and supposedly Notre Dame really wanted him, as much as they wanted Terry Hanratty. Dowling was recruited by 60 colleges. But his dad was the president of a steel company and forced the issue, happy to pay his way through Yale.
BLUE POWER WINS A BOWL GAME - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com
The next year's Harvard Yale game was just as dramatic. Both teams were undefeated, but Yale, led by Dowling, was the heavy favorite. That prediction looked accurate as Yale took a 29-13 lead into the waning moments of the 4th quarter. Then Harvard suddenly came to life, scored a touchdown followed by a two point conversion, recovered an onside kick and went down and tied the game. The headlines read "Harvard defeats Yale, 29-29."
The Yale coach was asked after the game if he considered putting his offensive stars (Dowling was also a star DB in high school who held the Ohio HS record for interceptions) in the game to stop Harvard's last drive. No, he said, he didn't want the people taken out to go through their lives knowing they were the people sacrificed to save the victory. Gives you an idea of the Ivy League attitude towards sports.
Wasn’t he also Plunketts back up at NE?
That he was. And he did very well in 1972, his rookie year and Plunkett's second year. He was his backup in 1973 and didn't record a pass. He played in the WFL, then the CFL when the WFL folded. And in 1977, he returned to the NFL to the Packers for a few games. Signed by the Rams in 1978, didn't make the final roster.