The PAC12 THREAD v.2

[mcnabb7542]

I honestly think USC is his dream job. I don't see him leaving that school unless he is fired. I don't think there is any other job at any level he would leave them for.

I don't know???

That's a tough comment, I know some of these guys create winning programs and get that itch to start over somewhere else, and well its usually in the NFL.

I'm excited for him and SC, and I really excited for the rival to be hyped again, but all in all, I still feel the Huskies are walking away from all this as the winners here, I think Petersen is a great fit for here and will continue to get this program back on top...

 

[yeodonie]

I had Stanford beating Oregon the last two years. I think that comes to an end this year.

Ducks will go 11-1 in the regular season. Loss won't be to Stanford but to ***drum roll**** UCLA. Won't matter though (other than perhaps keep Oregon out of the field of 4 for the "playoff")

They'll still win the North and slaughter UCLA in the CCG.

 

[trojanfan12]

Not much to be learned from the USC Spring Game yesterday other than they got the offense and defense installed. Sark held out something like 23 players due to injury or pre-caution. Mainly used walk-on RB's etc.


HempCon was a blast though!!


Fun day!!

 

[yeodonie]

Not much to be learned from the USC Spring Game yesterday other than they got the offense and defense installed. Sark held out something like 23 players due to injury or pre-caution. Mainly used walk-on RB's etc.


HempCon was a blast though!!


Fun day!!

Oregon South?

 

[trojanfan12]

Oregon South?

Seems to be the idea. Apparently they will be starting plays early in the play clock and the qb won't be under center much. I don't know how many plays they ran yesterday, but Kessler says that during spring practice they were averaging about 120 plays in an hour and 45 minutes.

Outside of some formation tweaks, it seems that it's going to be very similar to what USC has usually run, Sark's just throwing a turbo charger on it.

As I've said, I've never been much of a fan of the hunh (although I have always supported Oregon and other teams right to run it), but have been curious to see what USC can do with it considering the players we tend to get.

 

[yeodonie]

Seems to be the idea. Apparently they will be starting plays early in the play clock and the qb won't be under center much. I don't know how many plays they ran yesterday, but Kessler says that during spring practice they were averaging about 120 plays in an hour and 45 minutes.

Outside of some formation tweaks, it seems that it's going to be very similar to what USC has usually run, Sark's just throwing a turbo charger on it.

As I've said, I've never been much of a fan of the hunh (although I have always supported Oregon and other teams right to run it), but have been curious to see what USC can do with it considering the players we tend to get.

I don't like USC doing it. The only team left to run a "standard" offense will be Stanford. That'll give them the advantage like Oregon had when they were the one show in town. Defenses will have lots of time preparing for what we all do and very little experience in what Stanford and the SEC (for the most part) run.

 

[WizardHawk]

He made it sound as if UW was his dream job too. There have been plenty of college coaches who leave their college "dream job" in exchange for the NFL. If and when the NFL comes knocking on Sark's door, I don't think he will be able to resist the allure if he has been at USC for at least 4 years.

I realize the lens many of our base will view that through, but Neuheisel was in a similar place here. He didn't quit to go to UCLA, but he would have in a heart beat. There is no chance he would have left that for the NFL.

Sark is from so cal and clearly views that as his dream job. He hasn't shown any real interest in jumping to the NFL and now that he has his dream job I really don't see it being something he finds interest in. Carroll was someone who already had NFL experience and probably always looked to find a way to go back and do it right. Once you have been up there and had failure, why wouldn't you look for a chance to rewrite that legacy if the right opportunity comes along?

I wasn't surprised Sark would take USC over UW, but I was stunned USC wanted him given his upper level of mediocrity at UW. His teams all lacked discipline and Sark lacked leadership in some key areas of his tenure. Of course some of us were willing to see if he could continue to grow and maybe improve in those areas because we had no alternative as long as the school wasn't looking to remove him. But why would USC take that risk when they could literally have their pick of proven and qualified coaches?

Now that he is there I would be shocked if he voluntarily left that position for any other job at any level.

 

[WizardHawk]

I don't like USC doing it. The only team left to run a "standard" offense will be Stanford. That'll give them the advantage like Oregon had when they were the one show in town. Defenses will have lots of time preparing for what we all do and very little experience in what Stanford and the SEC (for the most part) run.

Everything successful is inevitably either deconstructed until it is irrelevant or adopted by other programs looking to cash in on aspects of it.

Not all HUNH offense are created equal. Not every team has the talent that USC or even Oregon has. Other teams using it are only adding it to their existing offensive philosophies. Some are staying in a spread pass happy set and others are keeping their zone read looks.

Defenses still have to prepare differently for each variation of teams running the HUNH, but if their own team runs some flavor of it it does make them able to keep up with the fast pace substitutions and decision making at the line. So far it hasn't removed the advantage of the teams running it which is why it is being adopted more and more across the country.

I still don't care for it much. I like the diversity of plays in a traditional offense and I like the chess match between coaches in it. In the HUNH you can see a team run the exact same play 3 or 4 times in a row and the play book is a fraction of what it otherwise would be. They simply try to wear out a defense and that is much more boring to me.

I always supported Oregon's right to run it, but now that I was able to follow it on my own team I'm even more against it in terms of wanting to watch my own team run it. I know Petersen will be staying with up tempo himself and those of us who prefer the traditional offenses are just going to have to deal with it.

Unlike the pistol or the wildcat, HUNH appears to be something that will last a while at this level. I guess our only place to see the football we like will be at the pro level until it dies down.

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't like USC doing it. The only team left to run a "standard" offense will be Stanford. That'll give them the advantage like Oregon had when they were the one show in town. Defenses will have lots of time preparing for what we all do and very little experience in what Stanford and the SEC (for the most part) run.

I'm on the fence about it. I suppose that if it works to the level that I think it can, I'll "make my peace" with it.

If it doesn't, I'll be screaming to bring back our pro-style offense. We'll see. It's going to be interesting, no doubt.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

I don't like USC doing it. The only team left to run a "standard" offense will be Stanford. That'll give them the advantage like Oregon had when they were the one show in town. Defenses will have lots of time preparing for what we all do and very little experience in what Stanford and the SEC (for the most part) run.

I take it you don't know Oregon State that well or it's coach?

Good...see ya in late Nov or early Dec @ Reser!

 

[trojanfan12]

Agreed. I think eventually he gets offered an NFL job and will ditch USC just as he did UW though.

We'll see. I think virtually all cfb coaches eventually want to try their hand in the NFL. His only NFL experience was a brief stint in 2004 as the Raiders QB coach. Outside of that, I've never heard him say anything about coaching in the NFL.

I have no doubt that if he is successful at USC, the NFL will come calling at some point, just as they have with virtually every successful USC coach. The question will be whether or not he has any interest in the NFL or is happy at the college level.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

^ Sark will succeed @ USC, no doubt in my mind here. I wouldn't be surprised at all if his team THIS YEAR wins the South.

They have so much "plug-n-play" athletes that the team will improve very quickly to their new coaches style of play in my OP.

with that said...


Glad me Beavers see em early in the season and not latter as they improve thruout the year.

 

[trojanfan12]

^ Sark will succeed @ USC, no doubt in my mind here. I wouldn't be surprised at all if his team THIS YEAR wins the South.

They have so much "plug-n-play" athletes that the team will improve very quickly to their new coaches style of play in my OP.

with that said...


Glad me Beavers see em early in the season and not latter as they improve thruout the year.

It wouldn't surprise me to see USC win the South either, but I think UCLA is the favorite. If the losses of Barr and Zumwalt cause issues with their defense and USC doesn't suffer too many injuries at key spots (o-line and DB's) then I think USC takes it. ASU could slip in if they don't slip too much defensively, but that'll be tough because they lost a lot.

Arizona could slip in as a dark horse, but I think they are a year or 2 away.

I think USC finishes about 10-2. The 3 teams that are most likely to get them will be Stanford, Notre Dame and UCLA, but I don't think we lose to all 3. The South may very well come down to the USC/UCLA game. I'd include your Beavs in the group of potential losses (not out of the question, especially early), but we get you at the Coliseum this year and after a bye week, so it'll be tough for them. Much better shot if we were coming to Corvallis.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

It wouldn't surprise me to see USC win the South either, but I think UCLA is the favorite. If the losses of Barr and Zumwalt cause issues with their defense and USC doesn't suffer too many injuries at key spots (o-line and DB's) then I think USC takes it. ASU could slip in if they don't slip too much defensively, but that'll be tough because they lost a lot.

Arizona could slip in as a dark horse, but I think they are a year or 2 away.

I think USC finishes about 10-2. The 3 teams that are most likely to get them will be Stanford, Notre Dame and UCLA, but I don't think we lose to all 3. The South may very well come down to the USC/UCLA game. I'd include your Beavs in the group of potential losses (not out of the question, especially early), but we get you at the Coliseum this year and after a bye week, so it'll be tough for them. Much better shot if we were coming to Corvallis.

Thing about Huntley, is like all good QBs, keep them contained in the pocket and let them beat you with their arms and quality throws. I see this as one of his weaknesses, especially with defensive pressure to hasten his decision-making skills. He IS one of the best in the PAC.

Always believe that my Beavers are spoilers, their last 2 years on their Pac road record proves it. USC has ALWAYS been a impossible place for OSU to win at. Let's hope for the best this year as far as my team is concerned. Beavers will have to be able to run the ball a fucking lot better this year, so the team can control TOP better. Our best defense may be our offense's ability to keep the opps offenses neutered and on their sidelines as long as possible.

 

[mcnabb7542]

Thing about Huntley, is like all good QBs, keep them contained in the pocket and let them beat you with their arms and quality throws. I see this as one of his weaknesses, especially with defensive pressure to hasten his decision-making skills. He IS one of the best in the PAC.
.

I with you Wallace, he forces the ball into double coverages a little to much, it's gonna be interesting to see how UCLA does this year, They lose two big names on defense, but Myles Jack should file in very well for Barr.....

I think the South is SC to lose, I think the addition of Sark and Wilcox just made them a whole lot better, both these coaches have up tempo play selection, and SC has product in the cupboard, alot better then what Washington had when Sark got here....

 

[trojanfan12]

I with you Wallace, he forces the ball into double coverages a little to much, it's gonna be interesting to see how UCLA does this year, They lose two big names on defense, but Myles Jack should file in very well for Barr.....

I think the South is SC to lose, I think the addition of Sark and Wilcox just made them a whole lot better, both these coaches have up tempo play selection, and SC has product in the cupboard, alot better then what Washington had when Sark got here....

As much as I hate the "USC recruits itself" stuff because it often feels like a way to discredit the recruiting abilities of our coaches, I have to agree that USC's "cupboard" is never bare. I remember when Paul "Can't" Hackett was fired and claimed that no talented players wanted to come to USC anymore. Then Pete Carroll came in and started winning with Hackett's recruits.

Regardless of how stuff happened with Kiffin, etc. last year, Sark and his staff have walked into a very nice situation. Now we see what they can do with it.

Not sure what it is, but something tells me that keeping Helton on staff is going to end up being one of the smarter moves that Sark has made in his first season as HC.

I still think UCLA is the favorite going into the season, but USC definitely has the talent to win it.

 

[WhiteMamba]

yep wallace. If we are honest with ourselves Hundley is an int or 2 waiting to happen.

Sorry Bruins. I think the hype on the guy is a little inflated.

 

[mcnabb7542]

I still think UCLA is the favorite going into the season, but USC definitely has the talent to win it.

You might be correct TF on UCLA as the favorite in the south, I think ASU has way to many holes on that defense to fill, and U of A I honestly feel that was a senior class that wanted to get one last shot at the Ducks and played outside of there minds. Plus I'm still not sold on Rich Rod, maybe if they give him the time to build the program up he might get it done, but if they start losing games the pressure will get to him and he's shown to crack....

 

[trojanfan12]

yep wallace. If we are honest with ourselves Hundley is an int or 2 waiting to happen.

Sorry Bruins. I think the hype on the guy is a little inflated.

I don't know if I agree. I know he has shown a penchant for the timely (for the opponent) interception, but he has also improved every season. If he continues to improve, then look out. Mariota will have some serious competition for best QB in the PAC.

If he doesn't, then UCLA could finish as low as 3rd or 4th in the South. Especially if the defense feels the loss of Barr and Zumwalt very much.

 

[trojanfan12]

You might be correct TF on UCLA as the favorite in the south, I think ASU has way to many holes on that defense to fill, and U of A I honestly feel that was a senior class that wanted to get one last shot at the Ducks and played outside of there minds. Plus I'm still not sold on Rich Rod, maybe if they give him the time to build the program up he might get it done, but if they start losing games the pressure will get to him and he's shown to crack....

If USC were at full strength, I would confidently pick us. But we are an injury or 2 in the wrong spots (specifically o-line and db's) from being in real trouble, especially at db. The uptempo offense can help hide deficiencies in the o-line just because of the pace. But you don't want deficiencies at db in a conference with qb's and wr's like the PAC has.

Agree about ASU and Arizona.