THE PAC12 Thread

[yeodonie]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say 75% of the board will come and say "yes" in the Civil War....

Just so we can see the ultimate melt down of fanbase....

Probably a safe estimate

 

[BeaverShaver]

UW is their only chance. Don't underestimate Price's ability to flat out give away a game on the road. Shouldn't happen, but always a real possibility.

I see your point on KP, but I really think the UW-OSU game comes down to 2 things.

1. The OSU defense NOT being able to stop the run.
2. UW defense NOT biting on the play action pass.

If those 2 things hold true, the game will be almost exactly like the one we saw last night.

What I don't understand is why OSU has gone away from the fly sweeps this year? They should run that formation on almost every play, bring Cooks in motion and either hand it off to him, hand off to the RB in the middle, or hit the TE or Cooks on a pass. The use of some sort of running game would help those play actions stick. Once USC stopped biting on them, it was all over.

 

[RegentDenali]

UW is their only chance. Don't underestimate Price's ability to flat out give away a game on the road. Shouldn't happen, but always a real possibility.

Agreed. Price can stink up the joint on the road, but after watching what Furd and USC did to the Biebers, I like UWs chances with this one. Beavs D is looking a bit suspect.

Even if they lose out, they still are bowl eligible, so it's not a disaster for OSU all thing considered. They'll still get a bowl game this year.

 

[yeodonie]

Don't even know why OSewe even bothers with the PAP at this point. No one should bite

 

[WizardHawk]

Agreed. Price can stink up the joint on the road, but after watching what Furd and USC did to the Biebers, I like UWs chances with this one. Beavs D is looking a bit suspect.

Even if they lose out, they still are bowl eligible, so it's not a disaster for OSU all thing considered. They'll still get a bowl game this year.

We liked UW's chances last year up 18 in the 4th against WSU too.

I think UW should, and probably will, beat OSU. Just saying as long as we have KP at the helm a loss on the road is possible against any team in the country.

 

[yeodonie]

Apple Cup in Seattle?

 

[WizardHawk]

Apple Cup in Seattle?

yeah. We should feel a lot better about that game having it here, but it is still the apple cup. Upsets are more the rule than the exception both ways in that series.

 

[WizardHawk]

It will be an interesting game. With so many fans hating on Leach I want to see how cocky and angry their fans are compared to past apple cups. Say what you want about UW fans, but cougs are an angry and bitter group on game day. Always fun to rub their noses in it as they leave mid way through the 4th.

 

[4down20]

Question? Anyone honestly think OSU wins another game this year?

Not me, I thought USC was their last real chance this year. UW is their next best chance and I don't think they win it.

Lucky for them they got enough wins to be bowl eligible now.

 

[yeodonie]

yeah. We should feel a lot better about that game having it here, but it is still the apple cup. Upsets are more the rule than the exception both ways in that series.

You guys should be able to man handle the Cougs. Just keep starters in for 60 like them

 

[BeaverShaver]

Gawd I cant stand watching some of these early games. This IOWA-Wisky game is like watching paint dry in slow motion. Dare I say I would rather watch Army? At least their uniforms are kinda cool.

One thing I love about the Army games is how the players will sometimes rep certain divisions on their uniforms. For this year they have them on the back of the helmets. Awesome. Every time I see a 10th Mountain Division logo I get all fired up and yell, "Hey, that's my division!!!"

GO ARMY!!!!

 

[OregonDucks]

ASU will be a fun game to play.

 

[BeaverShaver]

An interesting take on the Oregon Fan issue, this one from PAC12 guru Ted Miller:

Follow the Pac-12 blog on Twitter.

To the notes!

Dave from Neverland writes: On Tuesday, John Canzano posted a letter he had purportedly received from a former Ducks player. This player outlined the abhorrent fan behavior he observed while sitting in the stands. There have been countless other stories about the wretched behavior of Ducks fans, not just at Autzen, but also other stadiums they visit. An article a few years back by one of your competitor websites surveyed fans and the survey concluded that Oregon fans are generally perceived as being the worst in the conference, by far. Reading the comments of the Canzano blog post, the fan comments seemed to substantiate the article. My question: Is the perception about Oregon fans aligned with reality? Are Oregon fans truly as awful as they are made out to be, or are we just hated because we win?

Ted Miller: I was asked about this in my Thursday chat, and my chief response was to deride the anonymity of the letter writer.

I stand by that. If you're going to attack something, you need to have the courage to step up and identify yourself. That, by the way, is not a slight on Canzano for posting the letter, only on its writer.


[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Don RyanAre Oregon fans worse than the rest of the Pac-12?


Are Oregon fans "truly as awful as they are made out to be or are we just hated because we win?"

The short answer is no, Ducks fans are not uniquely awful. At least, I find such a sociological oddity difficult to believe. That said, I am not an expert on this: As a sportswriter, I have not sat in the stands of a college football game since the early 1990s.

Oregon is going through an unprecedented run of winning. That inspires gloating. Lots of it. And plenty of entitlement, too. The stadium is packed and the program is rich. Rivals are jealous, and therefore easy and frequent targets -- in the stands or anywhere else. And, suddenly, a two-loss season sounds like a disaster and everyone is a football expert.

Even without siting in the stands, I have personally witnessed reprehensible fan behavior at just about every Pac-12 venue. Back in my Seattle days, I wrote about the near-riot in Martin Stadium after the controversial 2002 Apple Cup and some Washington State fans took exception, often by trying to rewrite the facts of what happened. So I know how things might be for Canzano now.

There are all sorts of fans and each of those sorts roots for every team. Some love cheering and bonding with family and friends. Some find comfort in wide-eyed zealotry, the my-team-right-or-wrong adherence that defies all reasonable counterargument.

As I've previously noted, there are two foundations for fandom: Those who derive most of their joy from rooting for something. And those who most enjoy rooting against something. The first group is looking for something with which to align themselves. The second group is looking for a villain.

Yes, the loudest voices in the Pac-12 blog comment section are typically the latter. And, yes, those often are the sort of fans who can ruin the game-day experience of even folks wearing the same colors.

My belief is that if Washington or Oregon State started winning at the same rate Oregon has for the past four-plus years, its fans would act the same, or at least be perceived to act the same.

Yet there is a clear takeaway from this that is a positive. Reasonable people should have the guts to stand up to bad fan behavior. Don't be a passive onlooker. If someone is acting like a jerk, you should: 1. Calmly and with a minimum amount of confrontation, tell him/her to settle down; 2. Get security.

And Oregon itself should remain as vigilant as possible when it comes to making sure that reasonable standards of behavior are enforced.

 

[TheDayMan]

Are Oregon fans truly as awful as they are made out to be, or are we just hated because we win?

Rest assured, Oregon fans were hated long before their team was any good.

 

[BeaverShaver]

Rest assured, Oregon fans were hated long before their team was any good.

Rest assured, the feeling is mutual Husky fans.

 

[BeaverShaver]

Gawd I cant stand watching some of these early games. This IOWA-Wisky game is like watching paint dry in slow motion. Dare I say I would rather watch Army? At least their uniforms are kinda cool.

One thing I love about the Army games is how the players will sometimes rep certain divisions on their uniforms. For this year they have them on the back of the helmets. Awesome. Every time I see a 10th Mountain Division logo I get all fired up and yell, "Hey, that's my division!!!"

GO ARMY!!!!

As I am watching this game all I see is 4th Infantry Division badges on the back of the helmets. Normally they sport all kinds of different divisions. I wonder if this is a tribute game to 4th ID. Rough and Tough division there.

God bless our men and women in uniform, no matter what branch.

 

[WizardHawk]

Rest assured, the feeling is mutual Husky fans.

And the funny part is most of your clan hates UW fans because they were arrogant and cocky when they dominated the conference and what has your base become now? Exactly. Forgotten your roots you have. No credibility on complaining about how UW acted when your fellow fans are now worse than anything ours did. ZERO.

 

[trojanfan12]

I wasn't trying to shit in your corn flakes. Celebrate away. Any conference win is good. I was just putting it in perspective. Any time that offense of yours puts up 30 points it must mean by default the defense played was not good that day. This isn't your year on that side of the ball.

Yeah, because after all, I'm sure that having Marqise Lee, Xavier Grimble and Silas Redd back had absolutely nothing to do with it.

As you said, you didn't watch the game, so really have no idea what you're commenting on.

 

[The Derski]

Arizona 55-Cal 24

 

[BeaverShaver]

And the funny part is most of your clan hates UW fans because they were arrogant and cocky when they dominated the conference and what has your base become now? Exactly. Forgotten your roots you have. No credibility on complaining about how UW acted when your fellow fans are now worse than anything ours did. ZERO.

Jesus, here we go again. Leave it to Wiz to keep pointing out how Oregon fans continue to tear his trans-vaginal mesh. I'm sorry you are so hurt, but you may be entitled to compensation. Just call 1-800-BAD-DUCK