01-02-2020, 10:51 AM
(01-02-2020, 08:46 AM)lex24 Wrote:(01-02-2020, 08:27 AM)Farm93 Wrote: ASU and Oregon won games they easily could have lost thanks turnovers.
Pac-12 could have easily gone 2-5, but that didn't happen. Whew!
4-3 is a rather good case.
USC simply doesn't show up for bowl games other than CFP/NY6 games.
Utah got a very raw deal. They went from CFP to Alamo. Worse in the Alamo their opponents were a few miles from campus.
The biggest question coming out of the 2019 bowl season will belong to another conference.
1) Big12 - (Tag you're it) - No question they will be the conference that loses tiebreakers in 2020. Their best teams were destroyed in the big bowls. Their schedules have few quality OOC games.
Other questions/observations -
Rose Bowl Trends - The Pac-12 went 6-2 in Rose Bowls. The BigTen went 2-6. Most of those years it was Pac-12 #1 vs BigTen #2, but that's a different problem.
Pac-12 CG losers - The Pac-12 CG losers are now 0-9 in bowl games. That's a problem.
Michigan/Harbaugh - Coach Harbaugh has still not beaten a top 10 team away from Ann Arbor. Hard to be a BigTen conference champion or CFP champion with that inability to win the big ones on the road.
In all seriousness, why would you want to see a Pac12 team other than Stanford in the NCS? How does that improve Stanfords program? Remember ‘99? Stanford got slaughtered by Texas in the opener and went on to win Pac 10. The Conference was, I believe, pretty weak that year. Does that draw away from the Championship? No. They don’t put asterisks next to it.
As far as I’m concerned if the Conference is down, Stanford has a better shot to win it. I don’t want an Oregon or a Wash competing for the NCS.
Best conferences win national titles. It really is that simple.
Stanford women’s soccer won the NCAA title because the PAC-12 made them resilient enough to beat a team from the other good conference.
Stanford women’s volleyball played in the strong PAC-12 and that brutal conference allowed them to dominate three teams from the other strong conference.
Stanford Men’s water polo finally has re-emerged as the MPSF’s best. And as the MPSF attracts the best players they were strong enough to win it all.
Then ignoring the critical idea that strong conference competition during the season is key for navigating playoff formats, there are three other reasons for Pac-12 passion.
1) Reputation
The CFP invites are a lot about conference reputation. At the start of the year Auburn v Oregon was a key test for the Pac-12. A test the PAC-12 did not pass. No one ever said it was a key test for the SEC. I am very confident that if Auburn won the SEC even with a loss to the Ducks they would have been invited
2) United we stand.
The SEC is very good at supporting their conference. LSU v Bama sure. But in the postseason it is crystal clear that coaches administrators and players understand that they are members of the SEC.
Scott owns a bit of this but the member schools and their supporters own it too.
3) Fame and Fortune
Stronger conferences get more money, and better TV ratings. Even if alums might say those are not important, they matter to recruits.
Recruits want to see great facilities, compete in great venues and play in games with big ratings. Especially going forward as the players can start to monetize their fame.
The CFP committee has become very comfortable leaving the PAC-12 out of the CFP. It will be very hard for many PAC-12 member schools to stay competitive in football and the Olympic sports without that revenue.
Stanford will not thrive in postseason play in many sports if the conference is the newest member of the Group of 6.
Sure cheering or not cheering for another program at home on 1/1 is rather insignificant, but PAC-12 apathy in the geographical footprint is noticeable to advertisers, bowl committees and recruits.
Therefore...Congrats Ducks!