Pac-12 Notes – TCU Week

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Pac-12 Notes – TCU Week

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September 1st

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Stanford and Cal joining ACC at a substantial media payout discount

From ESPN … The ACC joins the ranks of a rapidly changing collegiate landscape. Starting next year, the Big Ten will have 18 teams and the Big 12 and SEC will have 16. The move leaves the Pac-12 with just two remaining programs, Washington State and Oregon State, a continued spiral that has included the league losing eight teams since late July.

“We are confident that the ACC and its constituent institutions are an excellent match for our university and will provide an elite competitive context for our student-athletes in this changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics,” University of California-Berkeley chancellor Carol Christ said in a statement.

Cal, Stanford and SMU will come at a significant discount, which will help create a revenue pool to be shared among ACC members. SMU is expected to come in for nine years with no broadcast media revenue, sources told ESPN, and Cal and Stanford will each start out receiving just a 30% share of ACC payouts.

That money being withheld is expected to create an annual pot of revenue between $50 million and $60 million. Some of the revenue will be divided proportionally among the 14 full-time members and Notre Dame, and another portion will be put in a pool designated for success initiatives that rewards programs that win.

For Stanford and Cal, it will be 30% of a whole ACC share for the next seven years. That number will jump to 70% in Year 8, 75% in Year 9 and then full financial shares in the 10th year, per sources.

The move delivers a life preserver to the athletic departments at Stanford and Cal, which were left twisting amid the Pac-12’s implosion. Stanford has an athletic department that is considered the gold standard in college athletics. Both will face increased travel costs, which will significantly impact a Cal athletic department that faces hundreds of millions in debt.

“Student-athletes come to Stanford to pursue their highest academic and athletic potential, and joining the ACC gives us the ability to continue offering them that opportunity at a national level,” Stanford president Richard P. Saller said in a statement.

For SMU, the decision to forgo television revenue gave it a seat in a major conference, and the school will lean on its wealthy boosters to help it stay afloat until revenue comes in. It marks a significant moment for the school’s climb back from the death penalty for major infractions that led to the school not playing football in 1987 and 1988. SMU didn’t return to a bowl until 2009 after the penalties.

“This is a transformational day for SMU,” SMU president R. Gerald Turner said in a statement. “Becoming a member of the ACC will positively impact all aspects of the collegiate experience on the Hilltop and will raise SMU’s profile on a national level. We want to thank everyone who has helped position SMU for this important moment. Joining the ACC is an historic milestone in our institution’s history, and the start of a new chapter in SMU Athletics.”

… Continue reading story here …

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*Stanford, Cal and SMU to join the ACC*

From ESPN … The Atlantic Coast Conference is expanding from its Eastern roots.

The ACC presidents and chancellors met Friday morning and voted to add three schools — Stanford, Cal and SMU, sources told ESPN. It will bring the league to 18 members — 17 will play football full time in the league. The additions are in all sports and will begin in the 2024-25 school year.

The moves have been the subject of much drama the past month, as commissioner Jim Phillips worked diligently to appease a group of members eager to add the schools and others seeking more revenue. The protracted process ultimately ended with the ACC growing amid a backdrop that brought to light some of the fundamental tensions within the league.

The move unfolded in an atypical process, as typically votes in league matters are cast as unanimous and a formality when the presidents meet to decide. The ACC needed 12 of 15 votes. Heading into the meeting on Friday morning it was uncertain whether or not the league had votes, a significant variance from how conference expansion typically works.

In a straw poll more than three weeks ago, four ACC schools dissented — Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and NC State. One of them needed to flip for the vote to pass and all eyes entered the meeting on NC State chancellor Randy Woodson.

It was a 12-3 vote on Friday with NC State flipping, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN’s Andrea Adelson.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 31st 

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Minnesota scores twice in final three minutes to defeat Nebraska, 13-10

From ESPN …  Dragan Kesich kicked a 47-yard field goal for Minnesota as time expired after Daniel Jackson’s toe-tap touchdown catch from Athan Kaliakmanis tied the game with 2:32 left, and the Gophers beat Nebraska 13-10 to ruin Huskers coach Matt Rhule’s debut on Thursday night.

Tyler Nubin had two of Minnesota’s three interceptions of Nebraska newcomer Jeff Sims, including a leaping grab and 14-yard return in the final minute that gave the Gophers the ball at their 49. Kaliakmanis completed three short passes. Then Sean Tyler had a first-down run to get them in range.

“From there, everything went black,” said Kesich, who made a 34-yard field goal and missed a 54-yarder in the first half. “That’s the moment kickers dream of.”

Kaliakmanis went 24 for 44 for 196 yards and one interception plus the tying score to Jackson.

“That’s why we call plays to him,” Kaliakmanis said.

The Gophers set up the tying touchdown with a turnover, too, when Justin Walley whacked the ball out of Anthony Grant’s arm to give them the ball at their 47. Bryce Williams converted a fourth-and-1 run, and a facemask penalty pushed the ball to the Huskers 28.

After three straight incompletions from the 13, Kaliakmanis and the Gophers had one more shot. The sophomore slid to his left and threw off balance toward the streaking Jackson, who managed to complete one of the most difficult and dramatic catches in program history.

He grabbed the pass in stride at the edge of the end zone, somehow managing to tap his right toes on the turf and flip his left heel up high enough to keep his lead foot from hitting out of bounds first.

“That’s a ‘wall’ catch,” coach P.J. Fleck said. “That’s a picture that goes on the wall that will be in our home forever.”

… Continue reading story here …

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No. 14 Utah opens with a 24-11 victory over Florida

From ESPN … Utah gave Florida a taste of the same suffocating defense the Utes have used to recently dominate Pac-12 opponents.

Bryson Barnes threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Money Parks on Utah’s first play of the game, rushed for another score and the No. 14 Utes beat Florida 24-11 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.

Nate Johnson split time at quarterback with Barnes for the Utes with usual starter Rising still recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the Rose Bowl.

Utah clamped down on defense in Rising’s absence, forcing a turnover and getting five sacks. The Gators converted 1 of 13 third downs and 2 of 5 fourth downs while totaling 13 yards rushing on 21 carries.

“If you had to say what was the one phase or one thing that was the biggest difference in the game, it was the way our defense played,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.

Graham Mertz threw for 333 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in his first start for the Gators. Ricky Pearsall had 92 yards on eight catches. Florida drove inside the red zone four times but totaled only 10 points on those drives.

“They just always seemed like they had one extra guy,” Mertz said.

Making his second career start, Barnes wasted no time making an impact with the scoring strike to Parks. Barnes completed his first four passes and had 150 yards passing by halftime. He finished with 159 yards.

… Continue reading story here …

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Quarterback Cam Rising doubtful for Utah opener tonight against Florida

From ESPN … Star Utah quarterback Cam Rising is doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Florida Gators and is not expected to play, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

Rising is 18-6 as a starter — the fifth-most wins by any quarterback in Utah history — and has thrown for 5,572 yards and 46 touchdowns while leading the No. 14 Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 titles.

Junior Bryson Barnes is expected to start Thursday night against the Gators (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET), with dynamic redshirt freshman Nate Johnson also expected to see snaps in a change-of-pace role. Barnes is a former walk-on who won his only career start at Washington State last year when Rising was a late scratch.

Rising tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl against Penn State, and his return had long been viewed as close to the start of this season. It’s still unclear when he’ll return, as Rising told local media this week that he’s feeling “pretty damn good.”

Utah, coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons, plays at Baylor in Week 2 — another marquee game amid one of the country’s toughest nonconference schedules.

There’s also some ambiguity about the status of Utes tight end Brant Kuithe, as coach Kyle Whittingham refused earlier this week to acknowledge whether he’d been cleared to play against the Gators. Kuithe is also returning from an ACL injury.

Barnes appeared in 10 games last year, completing 37 of 57 passes for four touchdowns and two interceptions. He was 10-for-19 for 12 yards with one TD and one interception after replacing Rising in the Rose Bowl loss to Penn State.

Johnson will bring a run element for his snaps, as he’s a former high school track star who is expected to be seen in Wildcat looks. He also threw a touchdown on his only throwing attempt last year, a 16-yarder against Stanford.

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August 30th

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CU over 3.5 wins the most popular bet in college football

From ActionNetwork.com … The Colorado Buffaloes are the biggest story in college football this season.

The Buffs are coming off a 1-11 season where they lost by an average of 29.1 points per game, but that seems like a distant memory after Colorado hired one of the most prolific men in football to be its head coach.

It is hard to watch any college football show without seeing at least some discussion of Deion Sanders and Colorado.

This has led to a lot of betting attention on Colorado futures. It may seem like Coach Prime is a polarizing figure, but bettors — for the most part — are willing to back his unprecedented rebuild.

Colorado over 3.5 wins is the most popular over bet at BetMGM. It has fluctuated a little bit throughout the offseason, but over 3.5 is still plus-money at BetMGM and 87% of the bets and 83% of the handle is on the over.

That isn’t the only Colorado future attracting bettors.

Colorado is 150-1 to make the College Football Playoff at BetMGM. The Buffs are BetMGM’s third-biggest liability in the make the playoff market with 2.7% of the bets and 3% of the handle.

CU is also the biggest liability in BetMGM’s National Championship markets. The Buffs opened at 300-1 and are down to 250-1 to win it all. They have garnered 3.8% of the tickets and 3.6% of the money in the National Championship market.

It is no surprise that Colorado is also the most popular bet to win the Pac-12 conference. However, the market share might be a surprise. The Buffs are 100-1 to win the Pac-12, yet account for 41.8% of the tickets and 51.1% of the handle at BetMGM.

… Continue reading story here …

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Athlon: Three Keys for CU’s Chance at an Upset over No. 17 TCU

From Athlon Sports … The current spread for this affair is -20.5 favoring the Texas Christian Horned Frogs; Colorado will look to shock the world and quiet the doubters week one, and secure a victory for what will be Deion Sanders’ debut.

To beat TCU this weekend, there are three keys to success for Colorado that they need to focus on in order to pull off the upset. Let’s take a look at what they are!

1. Win in the trenches

Colorado has not had a strong offensive or defensive line for quite some time now and that must change this year. The Buffaloes must look to bully the TCU defensive line and get the run game going early if they have any hopes of winning this game. If the run game stalls, all the pressure falls on JSU transfer quarterback Shedeur Sanders to make plays against a stout TCU secondary. Defensively, CU will turn to the completely new defensive line with grad transfers, Shane Cokes and Leonard Payne Jr hoping to wreak havoc against a young and inexperienced TCU offensive line, with Jordan Dominick coming off the edge.

2. Get the ball in the hands of playmakers early and often

Colorado brought in tons of elite speed and skill transfers and recruits from all over the country, they have to get the ball to Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn, Dylan Edwards, and Xavier Weaver if they want to upset TCU. Jimmy Horn and Travis Hunter have the ability to hit the home run ball every time they catch a pass with crafty footwork and elite separation skills. Xavier Weaver is more of a jump ball receiver but in just nine games last season at USF, he finished with six touchdowns, 53 catches and 718 yards. Dylan Edwards the four star freshman running back from Kansas has serious speed and if he finds an open lane, he has the potential to outrun any player in the nation. All four of these skill position players will be crucial factors in determining if CU can concoct a recipe to overpower the Horned Frogs.

3. Look to force turnovers

TCU will try to play a smart, well balanced game against a recently built CU defense but Colorado has to take risks and try to make new TCU quarterback Chandler Morris uncomfortable in the pocket. If the Buffs pass rush can put some pressure on Morris, the CU secondary will almost certainly come up with a turnover or two. On paper, the secondary has a real argument for being the best in the Pac-12 with the likes of Travis Hunter at cornerback ( 5 star, #1 overall prospect in 2022 class), Cormani McClain cornerback (5 star, #14 overall prospect in 2023), Shilo Sanders at safety (3 star who played at South Carolina and Jackson State), Trevor Woods at safety (3 star who is one of the few remaining players from Colorado’s previous regime), Omarion Cooper at cornerback (4 star Florida State transfer) and Myles Slusher at safety (4 star Arkansas transfer). This group has all the tools, they just need to come together as one and look to outsmart opposing offenses, starting with TCU this upcoming weekend.

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August 29th

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Refresher course: Three rules changes this fall designed to shorten games

From The Athletic … College football is back, but that doesn’t mean it will look exactly the same as the way we left it. The NCAA changed three rules this offseason, and we’re here to help you understand how and why each change will work.

The three changes are aimed at shortening Division I and II college football games and reducing the number of plays per contest. Reducing the number of plays is both a player safety concern, with an expanded College Football Playoff on the way next season, and a fan engagement concern, with FBS games averaging close to three hours and 30 minutes while the NFL average is 3:10. Additional plays per game create additional opportunities for collisions and injuries. The game’s stakeholders are trying to limit the total number of “exposures,” as experts and administrators call them, that athletes experience across the entire season.

So, here’s what’s changing:

1. The game clock will run after first downs (as it does in the NFL), except for the last two minutes of each half.

Prior to the rule change, officials stopped the clock on every first down awarded. Now, they’ll only stop the clock after a first down in the final two minutes of the half. Although some fans have worried this change would remove one of college football’s superior rules compared to the NFL, Shaw reiterated that there will still be plenty of time for game-winning drives in college football.

“Even if you’re out of timeouts in the last two minutes, if you can get a first down and we stop the clock, you get an opportunity to score on a drive — and we are keeping that,” Shaw said. “The idea here is to keep the game moving. If nothing else changes, this will probably eliminate seven or eight plays per game. You may not even notice that seven or eight plays. But if you look at a 12-game season and eight plays per game, that’s 96 student-athlete exposures that we would reduce over the course of the season.”

With under two minutes left in the second and fourth quarters, the game clock will be stopped to award the first down and restarted on the referee’s signal. The clock will be restarted when the ball is ready for play, which is when the official places the ball down and is in position to officiate.

2. A team cannot call consecutive timeouts.

Say farewell to the most extreme tactics for icing the kicker. Teams are no longer allowed to call consecutive timeouts in the same dead-ball period. “This was done to keep the game moving,” Shaw said. “We’ve all been there: The defense has three timeouts left at the end of the first half, and they call to ice the kicker with all three timeouts. We lose five minutes of our lives, and the kicker kicks it through.”

The offense can call a timeout, followed by the defense calling a timeout — but neither side can call two in the same dead-ball period.

3. Untimed downs will only occur, as needed, in the second and fourth quarters. If there is a foul at the end of the first or third quarter, it will carry over into the next quarter.

Previously, if there was a penalty accepted for a live-ball foul during the last timed down of a quarter, the officials would extend the quarter with an untimed down. Now, that will only occur in the second and fourth quarters to close out the half’s action.

“We’re not going to extend the first quarter and we’re not going to extend the third quarter — that just adds another play to the game,” Shaw said. “We’re still going to enforce the penalty, but it’ll be carried over to the start of the following quarter. So that’s one way that we can reduce a play here and there.”

… Read full story here …

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August 28th

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TCU Coach Sonny Dykes on scouting CU: “You’ve got to be willing to adjust and adapt quickly”

From the Daily Camera … When a college football team is facing an opponent it matched up with just a year earlier, the first instinct is to start the new scouting report with a review of that game.

“That’s something that nobody’s wasted the time doing this year,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes told BuffZone in a phone interview Monday.

“It starts with scheme,” Dykes said of how the Horned Frogs have scouted CU. “So you look at all the places guys were in the past and it starts there. Then you try to look at the key players and guys that you think they’re gonna feature – obviously the quarterback (Shedeur Sanders) and the corner/wide receiver (Travis Hunter) and then some of the kids from South Florida (receivers Jimmy Horn Jr. and Xavier Weaver).

“Then you look at, obviously, the coordinators and what they’ve done in the past and how do you think the talent they have now matches up with what they’ve done in the past and what changes will they make.”

All of that information has been compiled into one scouting report that TCU is using to get ready for Saturday’s game – while knowing the Buffs will still probably throw the staff for a loop.

“Just all the different things that you try to project and then you do the best you can to come up with a game plan based on that,” he said. “Then you’ve got to be willing to adjust and adapt quickly because chances are it’s not going to be what you thought it was going to be.”

… Continue reading story here …

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ESPN: Best quotes of the off-season (Coach Prime; Pac-12 implosion)

From ESPN … The college football offseason is the best of times: Coaches love to tell you they’re all undefeated, the new recruits arrive to add some juice, and the strength coaches have everyone in the best shape of their lives. Meanwhile, the defenses are multiple and the offenses all have new wrinkles.

The offseason also is the worst of times: There aren’t any dang games, for starters, and nobody knows that if the offense lighting it up in the spring game means it’ll be great when it counts — or if your own defense is just bad.

The Pac-12 soap opera

“It’s not a concern. Our schools are committed to each other and to the Pac-12. We’ll get our media rights deal done, we’ll announce the deal. I think the realignment that’s going on in college athletics will come to an end for this cycle. The truth is we’ve got bigger fish to fry.” — Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, at the conference’s media day on July 21, on any worries about the Big 12 potentially poaching teams

“What we’ve seen is that the longer we wait for a deal, the better our options get. … There’s an underlying shift in the media market that’s happening and we’re long-term taking advantage of that, but short term may have provided some hiccups.” — Kliavkoff, at media day, on a potential new television contract

“They’re back.” — Michael Jordan-style statement issued by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, announcing Colorado’s Big 12 return on July 27

“I think it’s been well documented that the last couple of weeks was a culmination of years of failed leadership, vision, failed implementation. It isn’t one singular thing that led to the destruction of the Pac-12 as we know it. It was a bunch of decisions and failed strategies that put us in this place.” — Washington State athletic director Pat Chun, whose school was left out of the realignment derby and remains as one of the four Pac-12 schools in limbo

It’s Prime Time at Colorado

“We got a few positions already taken care of because I’m bringing my own luggage with me and it’s Louis [Vuitton], OK? … Ain’t gonna be no more of the mess that these wonderful fans, the student body and some of your parents have put up with for probably two decades now. I’m coming. And when I get there, it’s gonna be changed, so I want y’all to get ready to go ahead and jump in that portal and do whatever you’re gonna get because the more of you jump into [the portal], the more room you make because we bring kids that are smart, tough.” — Deion Sanders, in his first meeting with his Colorado team after being hired

“Quarterbacks are different. We want mother/father. Dual parent. We want that kid to be 3.5 [GPA] and up. Because he has to be smart. Not bad decisions off the field, at all. Because he has to be a leader of men. … Defensive linemen is totally opposite. Single mama, trying to get it, he’s on free lunch. I’m talking about just trying to make it. He’s trying to rescue mama. Like mama barely made the flight. And I want him to just go get it.” — Sanders, on what attributes he looks for in recruits, from “The Rich Eisen Show”

“If one fights, we all fight. You understand that? I don’t want to see you all walking off when somebody’s fighting. Never again!” –– Sanders, on players sitting out a shoving match between teammates in practice

… Read full story here …

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August 27th

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Arizona State self-imposes bowl ban; players “devastated” 

From ESPN … Arizona State has self-imposed a bowl ban for the 2023 season, the school announced Sunday, choosing to sanction itself over violations committed under former coach Herm Edwards.

“Arizona State University has informed the NCAA and Pac-12 conference that it will self-impose a one-year postseason ban on its football program for the upcoming season,” athletic director Ray Anderson said in a statement. “In light of the ongoing investigation and our membership obligation to maintain the confidentiality of the matter, we will not be commenting further at this time.”

The team was informed of the bowl ban Sunday morning, with a source telling ESPN’s Pete Thamel that the reaction in the meeting was “devastating” to the players, especially among the more than 20 seniors.

The NCAA has been investigating Arizona State since June 2021, looking into allegations that former defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce, who also served as the school’s recruiting coordinator, helped create a culture in which rule breaking was rewarded.

Arizona State allegedly blatantly violated recruiting rules, specifically ignoring NCAA-mandated dead periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. The violations were so blatant that some Arizona State staff members kept a group text documenting them, with a dossier created that was sent to the NCAA in May 2021.

The investigation led to five full-time coaches leaving the staff or being fired, including Pierce and former offensive coordinator Zak Hill.

The NCAA has not yet sent a notice of allegations to Arizona State.

… Continue reading story here …

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No. 6 USC overcomes sluggish start to defeat San Jose State, 56-28; Cliff Branch’s son Zachariah the star receiver

From ESPN … For about one half of football, the 2023 version of USC looked like a lot like the 2022 version.

In its season opener against San Jose State on Saturday night, the No. 6-ranked Trojans scored plenty of points but also struggled at times to keep their opponents from doing the same.

Quarterback Caleb Williams began his repeat Heisman campaign by picking up where he left off, throwing for 278 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-28 win. But the new-look defense was once again shaky, showing flashes of the team’s added talent but struggling to contain a mobile quarterback.

“No matter what the score was, if this was a three-point game, if it was a 28-point game, if it was a 50-point game, there’s gonna be that climb to the next step,” head coach Lincoln Riley said postgame. “And that’s where our focus is gonna stay. A lot of work to do, and we’re the right people to get it done.”

Last season, Williams often rendered inconsistent defensive performances moot by himself. He got some help Saturday, when another star emerged in the form of true freshman receiver Zachariah Branch. The No. 7 recruit in the 2023 ESPN 300, Branch took over the third quarter and zoomed his way to 232 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on just nine touches, including a dazzling 96-yard kickoff return for a score that helped cement the result.

Branch, who arrived on campus in the spring, had attracted rave reviews from his teammates throughout fall camp, but it was unclear how much playing time or impact he would have. After just one game, Branch can lay claim to one of the most electric debuts in USC football history and a role that should continue to grow.

“He made an impact on offense, he made an impact on special teams. He earned it,” said Riley, who notably doesn’t allow freshmen to speak to media. Branch sat alongside him in the press conference. “He did a good job of not trying to do too much, which guys in their first game will sometimes do.”

… Continue reading story here …

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This post, about the TCU game, from the 2023 Season, is filed under Article.
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