Home Football Purdue @ Oregon State (Game Thread)

Purdue @ Oregon State (Game Thread)

By
angry
-
478

I was just reading up how last week was the worst loss in Purdue’s history. So while people are rightfully down on them, I still feel like they can’t be that bad, and the law of averages will make this a close game between two ugly teams. This is like Ron Jeremy banging the female version of Ron Jeremy. Purdue has more room to average out, so I’m still thinking they win this by 2 or 3, but unlike ridiculous claims made here earlier in the week, I hope to be wrong – may our Ron Jeremy jizz last!

(Nobody can accuse me of using ChatGPT to write my game threads). ;)

Gooo Beavs.

478 COMMENTS

  4. 4

    I don’t think this game will be close but I’m not picking a winner.

    That said Purdue run D is awful. So RTFB!!!

    Someone wins 35-14

    Reply

    • If they can run it consistently, great. But I’d like to see some semblance of a downfield passing game, which we have really not seen the first three games. I’m betting Purdue is going to stack the box because the Beavs have not shown any downfield threat and to help shore up their poor run defense.

      Reply
  9. 2

    Damn, ND has looked like crap again so far and trails Miami(Ohio) 3-0 in the second. It would be funny if ND ends up in last place in the MAC after today!

    Reply
  14. 1

    Tuned in late to Utah vs the other OSU. Whittingham, even without Rising, uses that good ol’ formula of 2/3 rushes/control clock/limit penalties (zero today) to come out with a 3 pt win on the road. And what I saw didn’t look that close. Vegas leaned toward pick ’em at KO.

    That said, Bray knows how to do this same thing. Only question for me is ability to handle the size of the lines of Purdue.
    Beavs by 10+

    Reply
  15. 2

    Clemons and Wells are dressed. Let’s hope that means they play. olu was dressed last week but didn’t play so who knows if this really means they play.

    Reply
  27. 3

    I’m only tracking the game from Angrybeavs at the moment but the Bray era will be fucking dead to me if he keeps up with the bonehead 4th down decisions in our own territory bullshit from the previous staff.

    Reply
    • 2

      They did better than i thought they would. Students are supposed to be all orange if that’s what you mean. Their section makes it look odd

      Reply
  38. 1

    I like calling the timeout before the quarter ends to het the extra play. It didnt net much, but i like the thought that you want to maximize your opportunities

    Reply
  40. 1

    Pudgy Gnome and MSU are ahead of Boston College at the half 13-6. I’m really ready for a Sparty loss, but BC is not playing well at home so far. DJU has generated a scintillated 7 points, but they lead Cal 7-6 deep in the 3rd.

    Reply
    • 1

      Looked at the replays when I got home.

      Excellent production, btw. And Ryan Leaf is actually a good announcer who talked about the game and the Pac 12, not the SEC.

      That being said, our dline would be in the hole as the rb cut upfield, but they would be following the oline. On the 63 yard run, the dlineman simply had his back turned to the rb and wasn’t watching the ball… while running away from him and simply exiting the hole.

      Reply
  47. 1
    8

    Can we try someone else besides McCoy?

    I’ve seen enough and I’m less than impressed. Granted our receivers are doing him no favors

    Reply
  49. 2

    McCoy has been very efficient so far this year and hasn’t (knock on wood) turned the ball over. However, running all these option plays has me wishing Barri was in the game. McCoy much more mobile than some of our previous guys but Barri seems so dynamic with his legs.

    Reply
    • 2

      It was tough to tell. Honestly I thought the call on the field would stand.

      But I don’t get paid to make those decisions so I go back to my napkins

      Reply
  67. 3
    1

    Take the fucking points!!

    Love the creativity on offense and playing to Mccoy’s running strengths. But if it’s an XP FG let’s take it.

    Reply
    • 3
      1

      Yeah I think that is the best argument for just taking the points there. In a relatively low scoring game where the opponent hasn’t appeared dangerous on offense, any points are fine.

      Reply
    • 9

      He’s been good tonight. He’s shown that when you give him a pocket where he can step into his throws, he delivers a pretty darn good ball. And when they play with pace he gets into a rhythm.

      Reply
  81. 6
    5

    Purdue is awful but we’re executing pretty tight in the run game. Basically doing what we should be, so that’s at least good. The one test we had with Oregon we failed. I think the Beavs are mediocre, but I’ll also take 3-1. It’s important to have a historical winning record once we do get invited to a real conference. This is our chance to do that.

    Reply
    • 13
      1

      So our high school team rises up and beats a P4/Big10 roster of legit college recruits (compared to our high school/MWC roster apparently), and all angry can say is that Purdue is horrible?
      Beavs made plenty of mistakes and still outplayed Purdue all game. So which team is more to the reality: this week or last week? OSU isn’t mediocre and I don’t yet think OSU is great but I know they aren’t a glorified high school team.
      Good bounceback game by the Beavs. COaching has some growing pains and shows signs of figuring stuff out, as well as some goofy play calls, but overall improvement.

      Reply
      • 2

        Well last week we were missing some starters and I think it showed that we don’t quite have the depth in certain areas. Having those guys back made a difference. But the second stringers have to improve if we want to be a good football team. Especially as the season wears on.

        Reply
      • 5
        2

        Angry doesn’t actually watch the games, he’s said so himself. Not sure how/why he runs a website on a subject he doesn’t watch. Thanks though for you fellow beavs

        Reply
  90. 4
    2

    Honestly, if we fix some things defensively, we could be a good football team. It’s clear that Noble Thomas is a huge part of this defense. And we need to find a better pass rush. But still some problems with positioning and pursuit.

    Reply
    • 10

      Need to drastically improve our downfield passing which is almost non existent. Most of our receivers can’t get separation on man coverage. This gives us little balance on offense. Once we play another good defensive team they’ll shut us down.

      Reply
    • 6

      Surprised we don’t have more ability to have Singleton or Jordan move to that other safety/nickle spot until Thomas is back. I get Kane has been in the system for several years but he seems a little overmatched in the secondary.

      A few early season thoughts. This offense can be very good if we can run the ball. Having to rely on a passing game spells trouble. Gotta love how McCoy has protected the ball so far this season and he seems much more comfortable during those hurryup type scenarios. I do think the injuries on the O Line are probably part of why the TE haven’t really been involved in the passing game. They’re needed to help out in pass pro. Hopefully this bye week allows for some recuperation and if Clemoms can stay healthy and on the field, that might help open the passing game up a bit more.

      Defensively, we’ve got to get better against the run. Some poor tackling at times, but on several occasions Purdue collapsed the whole left side of our defense and got some chunk yardage. While I think there’s some talent on the d-line compared to earlier in Snake Smith tenure, I think we’re seeing the results of missing a lot of those upperclassmen like McCarten on the edge, etc. This is also a unit that’s probably hurting from some injuries but definitely was thinking our run d would be better than it is. QB pressure is also a little low. Got in Purdue backfield a little but that td they threw to the TE…he had all day back there.

      All in all, I think this is about where I expected them to be though. Honestly, I could’ve easily had them as 2-2 with losses to Yucks and Purdue. I know WSU was in a shootout vs SJSU, but I think they look like a much better team than the Beavs at this stage in the game and I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the coaching staff sticking around there but they’re still playing new guys to their systems too. 4 games in, I’d still consider WSU a loss and unless the run defense can tighten up, I could see BSU running for a ton of yards and winning that game as well.

      Reply

  94. Of all the Beavs who left – who is the one player you’d want back right now? I don’t think Martinez is missed much. Chiles or DJ? Nah. Somebody on defense?

    Reply
  99. 8
    2

    Angry always had the biggest chubby for Marcus McMaryion so he must squirt McCoy. Makes good decisions, doesn’t turn the ball over, versatile and has improved every game. But that does fit his current narrative so he must suck and is high school level.

    Reply
  100. 8

    Going into this year I was concerned over the offense and not so much over the defense. Having a strong defense last couple years and having Bray at the helm who is a defensive guy gave me hope for this years defense. But honestly the tables have turned. Offense isn’t bad where defense is disappointing. Our defense is being helped by the fact our offense is controlling the time of possession. Every game so far we are getting gashed on the ground but also in the air. So my main concern going forward is just that, can the offense keep us in the game? Can Bray get this defense tightened up? It you look at the stats it is the time of possession that has us winning the games we have won. Purdue had 19 minutes in possession and we had 40. Yet if you look at rushing yards not a huge difference, OSU 341 to Purdue 263, with yards per rush 6.0 OSU to 8.8 Purdue. This is the concern going forward.

    Reply
    • 4

      Yeah, our defense has been disappointing starting with the d- line. Getting pushed around and zero pash rush. I have not noticed a blitz called in any of their games??? Offense has been decent but concerned about lack of balance. Clemons appears to be our only receiver he can get separation although Purdue went to a zone towards the end of the first half when Clemons was playing. Its great that we were so dominant running the ball that we did not have to pass much but concerned about our downfield passing game when we play some good defenses.

      Reply
    • 4

      Same here.
      What do you think is the biggest defensive problem?
      For me, containing the edges and solid tackling are the main issues. Sure miss guys like McCartan and Chatfield (both somewhat underappreciated).

      Another thought: is the defense gonna run outa gas if TOP reverts to something near normal?

      Reply
    • 3

      It’s all about the front. Those injuries and losing Griffis to gross incompetence were brutal. Teams are going to try to attack and leverage the advantage at the line of scrimmage after they’ve shown that as their clear weakness.

      Coaching staff has gone full youth movement and getting the young guys experience as opposed to less talented but more experienced vets, but on the line they really don’t have many options. Looking back on Coach Tuiaki’s pre-season interview where he seemed to lower expectations and say it would be a “work in progress” are holding true.

      CAL, UNLV, WSU, BSU will present the biggest challenge the rest of the season, but leaning into the old-school running offense and dominating the time of possession isn’t a bad strategy all things considered, as much as I want to see the playbook open up (and it it seems to be some), I get the intent. They could win all of those games if they continue to dominate the TOP.

      Retain the young guys you’re getting reps and recruit the DL, EDGE, and OLB to build the dam.

      Reply
  102. 3

    PFF fun after Purdue:

    Offense
    Top players were Jam, Hank, and GCL
    Bottom players were Gray, Terry, and Reddicks
    Pretty rough performance for the OL overall and McCoy’s worst game of the season
    Clemons was the top rated WR

    GCL has to be establishing himself as a NFL draft prospect. He’s our top rated OL on the year and #14 OT in the country. Gray is the #18 ranked OG in the country.

    Hankerson is the #20 ranked RB in the country; Griffin is #40.

    McCoy has the same rating as Chiles on the season. McCoy is rated much better as a passer, Chiles much better as a runner.

    Defense
    Best players were Saez, Thomas, and Chisom
    Bottom players were Kane, Schuster, and Saluni
    Since playing better opposition, Kane has been absolutely exposed. He had the most missed tackles and got burned in coverage a few times. Saluni continues to struggle.

    Collins is the #12 ranked DT in the country.

    Reply

    • I’m worried that Kane has some kind of feel good story and an upperclassman walk on with the staff, so he keep’s playing. He is obviously a step behind and undersized compared to safeties we have seen lately.
      I hope one of the freshmen can get his reps, or maybe of those big corners could slide over or something.
      Unfortunately the linebackers aren’t helping with interior tackling or outside pressure. Who is on charge of the linebackers?

      Reply

      • He played really well against the weaker opposition. He seems to make smart plays most of the time and be in the right position. When challenged, his relative lack of speed and size seems to hold him back.

        Our whole defense seems to be at a talent deficit. Is it because they’re young?

        Reply
      • 3

        Agree, he had his most well rounded game, mixing a good dose of running plays with some triple option and more deep throws than we’ve seen. Clemons coming back helped with that last part.
        He probably lost some status because of the 3rd down sack that forced us into the long (missed) field goal, plus he had a few handoffs where he and the ball carrier collided which resulted in blowb up plays.

        Reply

      • I think it’s funny, because when they show replays of chunk runs, I see #84 with the springing block, sometimes while he’s in funny positions, and he’s consistently ranked low in pff.

        Reply
  103. 15
    1

    Media bias is unreal.

    Boise State (2-1) gets ranked #25 this week with wins against…wait for it: Georgia Southern and Portland State. Washington State, at 4-0 (with wins over Texas Tech and Washington), remains unranked.

    Reply
    • 10
      1

      WSU being ranked would go against the media and everyone else narrative that WSU and OSU are not good and should just disappear. WSU being ranked means they would have to be talked about. Everyone just wants PAC 12 do go away

      Reply
      • 6

        Well WSU and BSU play each other next week in Boise. If they win, they’ll be ranked.

        Getting taken to the wire by SJSU didn’t help perception.

        Just gotta keep winning if you’re a coug.

        Reply
  104. 8
    2

    Is running the option and jet sweeps not opening up the playbook? What more do you guys want?

    Seeing the Beavers finally run the option with a mobile QB was a thing of beauty. Pettibone must have been smiling somewhere.

    Reply
  105. 1

    Sagarin ratings after week 4:
    P12 is rated even with the ACC. If the ACC is considered a power conference, the new PAC should be, too (especially because losing FSU and Clemson will really tank their SOS).

    Average rankings by conference:
    Big 12- 38
    Big Ten- 40
    ACC- 50
    Current P12- 51
    “New P12 (+Memphis, Tulane)”- 67
    American (the highest rated G5 conference)- 101

    Reply
  106. 8
    13

    Overall nice and easy win against a p4 opponent.

    Some assorted thoughts:

    Stop with the random QB subbing ala Smith. It ruins momentum. I also find it weird that Dr. Ben is listed as the backup but isn’t ever plugged in. I always get hate for it but I still continue to believe that Ben vs Florida in the Las Vegas bowl was the best all around QB performance from an OSU QB in ages, and I wondering if he could open up our almost non existent passing game. Where’s the TE utilization?

    4th and 1 deep in our own was a terrible call, you don’t generally ever go for it there, and if you do, you should be using your great running backs to pick up that 3 feet.

    Much to the chagrin of some on this board, I will again point out that game attendance outside of the student section continues to be pretty pathetic, and that we, as a team that wants to be seen as a power program, or at least taken seriously, should be displaying power and support by consistently packing our tiny 35,000 capacity stadium. Hated seeing so many empty seats on the overhead shots when watching the highlights.

    Reply
  108. 1

    Sunday night realignment update from Nicole Auerbach at the Athletic. Nothing really newsworthy. Teams seem to be feeling each other out.
    https://x.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1838027289251959085?t=sdiohxhxaSL_YyLoBpCWaQ&s=19
    ??————–

    As others have reported, this should be a week that gives us realignment clarity re: the new Pac-12 and Memphis/Tulane/USF/UTSA. The Mountain West is also working on having its remaining members essentially recommit to each other/the conference.
    As always with realignment, there’s a fear of inaction. Schools worry about being left behind when others jump. But my sense from sources is that the AAC schools are being patient and deliberate — and talking to each other. They’re weighing the risks.
    There’s a great deal of skepticism within the industry about the Pac-12/its consultant projecting $10-15M per school in a media rights deal that doesn’t exist yet. And the AAC exit fees would be significant — who pays them?
    So, we’ll see.

    Reply
    • 1

      OSU/WSU/Pac 12 is using the same consulting firm; Navigate, that Tulane and Memphis hired to help with their ACC bid. Could bode well for negotiations as well as keeping a close tab without the AAC or other interfering.

      Reply
      • 3

        The ACC has every reason to interfere and cast doubt on the Pac 12 and it potential TV contract.

        They don’t want Memphis Tulane now but they want to be able to grab them for pennies as needed if Clemson/FSU bail. Expect to see a lot banter especially from media types connected with financially interested parties like ACC/ESPN that will cast doubt on everything related to this realignment.

        Reply
        • 1

          ^^^^
          This

          Everyone is looking out for their best interests: schools and their respective teams, conferences, broadcasters; the fans are the only ones getting shafted.

          Reply
  110. 2

    What’s the news on Gutridge?

    He needs a good 20 pounds, but he has the mental side, which should easily acclimate him to the college game in a year of development.

    Reply
  111. 2

    The Pac12 has possibly mis-stepped how they added 4 MW teams last week rather than 6.
    Now the MW is using those exit fees they’re owed from the 4 as leverage to keep the remaining teams together.
    If the Pac12 decides to add a team like UNLV now, the MW can guarantee UNLV a 1 time payment in addition to their current distrubution that would keep their revenue at or above what the Pac would be willing to pay.
    Ross Dellenger is reporting that is currently how the MW is approaching the process.

    https://x.com/PeteThamel/status/1838238625034547569?t=sFQxw16hpjDA7wZqjjnjAQ&s=19

    Reply

    • Joining the new PAC 12 is a long term decision. If UNLV lets a one time payment affect their decision that’s on them.
      I suspect if they’re invited, they’ll jump, if not they’ll try to get a one time payment.

      MWC – getting $5M per year. Probably less after realignment.
      New PAC12 – unknown but will be considerably more than $5M

      I think if the PAC 12 viewed UNLV as a must have, they’d be in right now.

      Reply

      • UNLV timeline was probably different from the others due to sharing a board of regents with UNR. The others could jump quickly and they couldn’t. That’s my guess.

        Reply
      • 2

        Joining the Pac12 sounds like more of a 4-5 year commitment, rather than long term.
        At least if the online reports about GOR negotiations are accurate.
        I think UNLV becomes much more of a must have if the Pac can’t lure away 2 AAC teams.
        Especially if the ACC remains together and there’s no exit option for Stanford/Cal.

        The Pac12 exit fees paid to the MW for the 4 current teams is enough to easily offset any new revenue the Pac can offer UNLV at this point, for several years.
        The need for Memphis/Tulane to join has grown quite a bit.

        Reply
      • 5
        1

        I don’t think it’s an overplay. $10-15 million on a 5-year GOR and partial coverage for exit fees is a great deal for Memphis, Tulane, and USF. They’re being incompetent by not taking it. I’m proud of the Pac-12 for not rolling over and holding firm on a fair offer.

        They think they can gouge the AAC for more money for a few years while waiting out for a spot in expanded B12, ACC backfill, or even get the call up for the SEC/B1G super conf (USF thinks the B1G wants them for AAU status).

        ESPN doesn’t want the PAC-12 to exist, the AAC 3 took their bait. Their fans are pissed (especially Memphis).

        It sucks because it would have put them right up there with the current P4 numbers and far above the G5. Now, even the best case scenario (UNLV/Air Force) creates a G6 and everyone loses except ESPN/Fox (undefeated in conf re-alignment).

        Reply
        • 4
          2

          Meh.

          UTSA and UNT would be nice adds. And we still need a private school, so Rice suddenly looks nice.

          The thing about Rice being a doormat means coaches can spend time recruiting the Houston area with minimal focus on an away game. So the “token private school in the conference,” thing has some value.

          UNLV has leverage with the MWC. If they don’t want to join us, they don’t have to.

          Reply

          • Could take a flier on UTSA and Texas State and hope they continue their development in football (not sure there’s hope in other sports). Those teams are right by each other geographically, gives you a Texas footprint, and gets you to 8 fb schools.

            Then figure out if others (UNLV, Calford, AF, etc) want to join.

            Reply
  113. 6
    1

    Again ESPN has sent the PAC2 to the curb. Nice behind the scenes maneuvering to spoil even the idea of a rebuilt PAC12.

    I’m not sure how to reset from here. If MWC is hunkering down and making it harder to get 2 more, and AAC has shut us out, ACC is promising cash all in self preservation funded by ESPN.
    Not good but obviously something is afoot and plenty of admins are anxious about another version of PAC12.

    Reply
  114. 4
    1

    So 4 AAC schools have essentially been paid off in the short term by ESPN behind the scenes to insure that the PAC12 doesn’t rise to anything nearing a new strong conference with multi regional footprint, major market share and competitive/competent football programs.

    ESPN is spending money behind the scenes but it would be nice to see who is partnering with PAC12 to recreate a conference. Is it just CW? Where is TNT, Amazon, Apple? If these media giants jumped in and took a visible role in the remake as partners not dictators, the public perception would easily overwhelm the pennies ESPN is using to move chess pieces away from PAC12.

    Theresa Gould should expose the negotiations and who intruded. Go public with the media info and let everyone know what is happening with the money.

    Reply
  117. 1

    Gonzaga is joining PAC12 just announced so that covers the private school stipulation and Rice is off the board right?

    Need 2 football schools-
    AAC schools are out.
    MWC schools must decide tonight-UNLV and Wyoming?
    CUSA schools- NMST, UTEP,
    Sunbelt conference- Texas St and Arkansas St?

    Reply
      • 1
        1

        Yeah… I was worried about that.

        I honestly don’t know why Zags wasn’t just added in the first phase. Their valuation is higher than any of the AAC that just said no.

        Reply

    • i hope A-st does join i live in Jonesboro so i can tell u all about a-st

      pros nice football and basketball places in the last 15 years they have tried to win a-st is only 55 min from memphis
      cons awful baseball stadium looks like a d-ii place football only seats 30k and unlees boise memphis or SEC play there it never sells out
      their basketball utill last season made u guys look top 25 but now they have a damn good coach but in a 10k place they only draw around 2k
      their woman basketball is very bad she cannot coach at the high school level

      their biggest drawback is our airport sucks basiccy to play here u have to fly to memphis and bus the 55 miles here fine for football but for other sports idk plus all they care about is beating the razorbacks and football

      Reply
  122. 1

    Kind of a simple decipher of what has taken place in the last week or so.

    Theresa Gould was interviewed by Yogi Roth last week and said said they were going to swing for the fences on phase 2.

    Which put ESPN on alert to dump money into an ACC settlement to lock in Cal and Stanford.
    Then there was a lot of smoke about a PAC12 move to scrape the top AAC schools and widen the footprint. So ESPN steps in and dumps money into a short term stability for certain AAC members with a future possible P4 invite behind the scenes.

    I’d guess based on Gould mood last week, and Big Jim hinting an announcement for Sunday night that everyone was in agreement for a Monday morning announcement to add:
    Tulane, Memphis, south Florida and UTSA
    Followed by a second announcement later that Gonzaga was joining as well.

    I’d bet that it mirrors what happened last August and the media monsters got wind and acted as quickly as possible
    To bust it up overnight.

    Reply
    • 3

      I agree. If there’s one piece about all this I didn’t understand was how this was so public the whole way. These things are usually done in the dead of night.

      Grabbing the 4 MWC schools was handled well.

      Then we look toward the AAC and it’s front page news. The PAC commish is talking about swinging for the fences. AAC coaches are talking about their schools being contacted. Most every college football media member is blasting the story. Not sure the AAC schools were ever that serious or it would have been a whole lot quieter.

      Reply
  125. 2
    1

    I say we poach Hawai’i, football only.

    The MWC might be happy to be rid of them. And they can use a two-year waiver to elevate Sac State and/or Davis to FBS.

    Then we add UCONN, football only. And we add Zags. And they help negotiate a scheduling agreement with the Big East in Olympic sports.

    Hawai’i and UCONN have never played each other, and it’s up to us to give the people the football game we all want to see.

    Reply
  126. 3

    At least the PAC can save face with messaging about prioritizing student athletes with less travel.

    Get Gonzaga, UNLV and UNR and we’ll be fine.

    Reply

    • I like Nevada more than the USU rumors I’ve been seeing.

      We could have our fb ccg in Vegas, and the hoops tourneys can play in Reno, once their sweet hoops arena is built.

      Reply

      • I do too. USU is toxic right now. Baylor type scandal but less visible.
        Nevada make for a nice road trip, centrally located to all of the teams in the current Pac. And Reno is the fastest growing city in the west.
        Businesses are moving to Reno and the population will grow as a result. That market will only continue to grow

        Reply
  128. 2
    2

    Pac2 played this incredibly bad. Gould is out of her league. Seems they nickeled and dimed this and didn’t have hard deadlines which allowed AAC schools and ESPN to play us. UNLV, Air Force, Texas schools, etc now have all the leverage. I don’t think we truly understand how big of deathblow today was. Buckle up because the next few weeks are going to be brutal.

    Reply
    • 2
      1

      They certainly played it poorly by not keeping it under wraps, allowing it all to be played out in broad daylight clearly changed the dynamics

      Reply
    • 3
      1

      It was a play for Cal and Stanford and keeping at minimal shares for max media payouts. ESPN figured that out and killed it.
      This is going exactly like coaches who entertain an offer only to get a raise. No one is really interested and is only using PAC for their own gain. So wild that all possible options west of Texas are apparently locked up except New
      Mexico St.
      Maybe it is worth elevating North Dakota St and Montana St just to get to 8…
      I like the desperation of getting Hawaii, UConn and Gonzaga. Why not at this point?
      Who is left? Can they actually keep the next move under secrecy or will the 4 new schools all be ready to jump ship after today?
      Not a good day at all.

      Reply
  131. 6

    Well apparently we got Utah State. So 1 more needed at this point to get to 8
    What a sad day for the Pac. Now other conferences can just point to our leadership and failures and say “look, do you really want to be part of that?”

    Reply
      • 1

        such is life. if any 2 teams should be prepared for that type of double dealing, it would be OSU/WSU who went through this shit last year with the Pac12 and then also tried to pick apart the Mountain West after they gave us a life raft this season.

        As it stands, if Utah State accepts, both the MW and the PAC will have 7 football teams each. Neither will have enough teams to be eligible for the playoffs as an auto-bid. So something’s gotta give. Either the MW will need to find an extra team while keeping their current membership intact, or the MW will start seeing more defections. So far it sounds as if Air Force, UNLV and San Jose have agreed to stay put. That leaves Hawaii, Wyoming, NM State as the Pac12’s best bets to break apart what remains of the MW. This could get really ugly.

        Reply
    • 4
      2

      Not what I wanted to see once I got off work today. I’m not sure there is a single school in the country that moves the needle less than Utah State.
      There the fourth best school in Utah. Weber St has more marketability than USU. Is Sac St still on the table? Texas St has potential. There’s 8 billion reasons to like Rice. Beg UC Davis to move up!
      USU doesn’t have baseball, doesn’t have wrestling, barely has football. This would be the best thing to ever happen to that school.
      Is OSUs plan to rebuild the PAC12 and leave it as soon as possible?

      Reply
      • 5
        6

        Relax.

        We already have the teams we really want. Everyone else is just gravy USU makes regional sense, and I’m hearing they approached the Pac 12 about paying all buyout costs, because some wealthy boosters want to clean up the program and give USU a chance.

        This has been a fun day, as a fan.

        And it’s a Monday.

        Reply
      • 5
        3

        Hope they stay, I’d rather just merge at this point so I hope the MWC forces that.

        This is a massive fuck up and honestly should cost PAC leadership their jobs. Spend 100+ million to put together a conference that they could have gotten for free?

        Brutal.

        Reply
  132. 7
    2

    Might as well just bring back Idaho and Montana. They were in the Pac way back.

    At least you’d have some nostalgia for the old timers.

    I hate this.

    In some ways this is worse than just being the Pac2.

    Reply
  134. 8
    1

    Honestly, they’d have been better off continuing to house Olympics in the WCC and staying Independent in football

    This is a complete failure and might as well just offer a full merger with the MWC to get that 100+ million back. Utah State etc… are a disaster.

    Reply
    • 1
      1

      Dellenger is saying we’re talking with UConn as a football only option?
      Who would think that’s a reasonable solution without basketball included????

      Reply
          • 1
            1

            They e given the war chest up as it is. Now the MWC has that cash and the PAC is still a 5 million dollar per team conference.

            So how are they better off? How much did CW pay for them as an Independent? Bet it’s roughly what they’ll get in the MWC Sr. Division in 2026 anyway.

            They blew 100 million to be right where they are.

            Reply
  136. 2
    4

    Of all the teams I didn’t want, Utah State was at the top. Nothing screams mediocrity more than USU. Followed thereafter by New Mexico State (who we’ll probably be welcoming as the 8th member of the new Pac12 soon, I’m sure).

    Reply
    • 2

      Can someone run the numbers and compare how much it would take to bribe 5 more schools to defect from theWC rather than buyout just 2 more from MWC? We don’t want the reverse merger because the war chest and assets are lost at that point. And we can’t afford to pay the buyout for very many or both conferences are stuck in the middle with less than 7 correct?
      Plan D for the day is to bribe SJSU, UNLV, Nevada, Wyoming and USU apparently to vote to shut it down and those 9 schools join with about $10-$12 mill each out of the gate and no exit fees, and Navarro is out of a job in central California somewhere by nightfall.
      So the next step will be that ESPN signs a bloated tv deal with MWC in order to help them backload enough teams to kill the PAC for the 4th time in less than a year.

      Reply

      • Wouldn’t they just do the thing we did and say that the minute each school declared they were leaving, they lost their vote?

        It’d be like NM and Hawaii as the new MW2 or something.

        Reply
        • 2

          Yeah. The PAC blew it and now will be paying mark of its war chest to put together a shit conference.

          You’re not getting the MWC to vote to dissolve, that option died when you announced the 4.

          Saw a rumor the PAC only offered to help with 10% of the AAC exit fees which, if true, means they weren’t even making a serious offer so why’d they bother?

          Reply
    • 2

      Mediocrity you say?

      Didn’t they beat the Beavs in the LA bowl a couple years ago?

      Personally I’d have rather added Nevada then Hopefully UNLV

      Reply
  137. 7

    UNLV back in play they did not sign anything. Also talking to UCONN and Gonzaga. The theory going around is after getting to 8/9/10 members they can get hard numbers for a media deal and circle back to Tulane/Memphis/USF/UTSA. This shit changes every 30 min. Hang on

    Reply
    • 2
      6

      Those “hard numbers” won’t get Memphis and Tulane back. The P12 is a joke. Every university with any value is using them as leverage. UNLV, Gonzaga, UConn is pipe dream. Get ready for USU to back out and P12 to either reverse merge or add Sac St and New Mexico. Media deal is going to be depressing and in 3-5 years, nobody nationally will even think about WSU/OSU. War chest wasted on MW teams. Our recruiting advantage over BSU, SDSU, FSU, CSU gone. If any teams in future P12 get invite to B12 or B10, it won’t be Beavs. Today was the nail in coffin. Desperate time lie ahead

      Reply
  139. 2

    How can OSU/WSU go from such good fighters lat year to missing so badly in this?
    It is obvious now that the idea of Phases was a moronic concept. They should’ve had all teams in place and ready to sign together and announced simultaneously. It could’ve been a really nice victory to have 4 MWC teams, 2 from AAC and Gonzaga all lined up into a west coast conference. But this is now about the worst possible position to be in, and the best lotions are to overpay for a couple more, capitulate or add a bottom feeder with no impact.
    Jack may be correct that the prizes are the first 4 but you still need 2 more to get to 8 and any kind of real media deal will be held up until then. How secure are the first four at this point?
    UConn doesn’t make sense.

    Reply
    • 3
      3

      Just a matter of time before we here every MWC is join the PAC.

      Air Force may go AAC but the PAC is going to end up with the rest. The merger everyone assumed was happening and no P2 fan wanted is gonna be the end result.

      It’s depressing but acceptance is where I’m at.

      Reply
  140. 3
    3

    Well at least they were swinging for the fences?
    Pretty lame and all the media will get to crow about the demise of WSU/OSU as no longer belonging like they all declared last year. It’s a sad day. Perhaps the PAC holds out for a while but it may not matter because the power players have outmaneuvered them again.

    Reply
  141. 7

    If #7 amd #8 do end up being UNLV/Utah State, I’m at least satisfied with one of those.
    Utah State is my least favorite outcome, but I also didnt want to see the Pac expand into the central timezone just to get Memphis/Tulane.
    We still need the private school angle, so a Gonzaga add needs to come through.
    Really hope UCONN was a mistake in reporting because that doesnt make any sense.

    Reply
    • 2

      USU with them covering their own exit fees is a no brainer. Puts MWC on the ropes and knee caps the incentive for UNLV and Air Force to stay. If those 2 leave, the whole conf likely goes down or merges with another g5 conf.

      USU also isn’t a bad fit from a school perspective, its fits with the others. Public land-grant, 30k students, 600m endowment, wealthy boosters.

      They don’t move the needle from a national brand or media market perspective, and they are a distant 3rd in their state behind Utah/BYU, but they aren’t the worst of the MWC either.

      If USU and UNLV round out the 8, get the media rights deal ironed out and swing back to Memphis, Tulane, and USF.

      Reply
  142. 0
    8

    I say go get NDSU and UTEP rather than grovel to MWC. Never surrender, never capitulate to the vultures. This is going to create another wave of athletes flooding out of Corvallis as each sport finishes. So frustrating.

    Reply
  143. 1

    What a draining day, but I guess there’s a chance that Gould and Co can sort of salvage this new league if you focus maybe on the basketball side of things. Yes, we know the minimum requirements center on football, but there’s money to be made in college basketball, too.

    Boise State
    Colorado State
    Fresno State
    Gonzaga
    Oregon State
    San Diego State
    UNLV
    Utah State
    Washington State

    I know I’ve written most of those names on March Madness brackets over the years. If Gould can close the deal on UNLV and Gonzaga, then maybe work to target another basketball program like St Mary’s, maybe this can feel like a step in an okay direction.

    Reply
  146. 3
    1

    With the “new” Pac-12, inc. UNLV, the conference would have the three highest ranked G5 teams in the country. Now, just be sure to schedule some non-cons with the other G5 conferences so when teams knock each other off in conference play poll voters still realize which is the top G5 conference. A playoff berth every year, with the Beavs having a good shot at it every year? I’ll take it.

    Reply
  147. 4
    1

    I am still am unclear why we didn’t target UNLV and SJSU from the outset. It seems like media deals are all predicated on media market sizes. Having the Bay Area and Vegas would seem like no brainers for us to get when negotiating the new media deal but for some reason we didn’t target them.

    While not the biggest fan of the USU add today, I get it as it adds the SLC media market and USU has about 30 enrollment which is on par with BYU and Utah. It is also more regionally aligned versus Tulane, Memphis, UTSA or USF. And don’t forget that USU went to The Dance last year which means they can generate revenue for the conference in basketball.

    Hope we can get Gonzaga to join. That would mean that half the league (if you include the Zags) would have made the NCAA Tourney last year. An opportunity to generate more money for the conference if those teams can keep playing well.

    Reply
    • 1
      2

      They wanted to keep it as small as possible to maximize how much each school would get in a media deal and to not dilute the quality of the teams as much as possible in their fight to maintain “Power” status.

      Pac-6 + Memphis, Tulane, and USF would have been widely considered a marginal “Power” conference, clearly far above the G5. They would have had a real case to maintain their “Autonomous” status and CFP payouts. That’s why it was Plan A for the Pac.

      Negotiations didn’t work because both the Pac-12 and the AAC schools perceived themselves as in a place of leverage.

      Pac-12 only offered to cover 10% of the exit fees because they didn’t feel the risk of them walking was worth spending more (they have more money to spend). They want to retain that money for something else that they value. They drove a hard bargain and didn’t budge or roll over just to make it happen. That’s interesting. You could also argue that the Pac-12 only offered to cover 10% because they value that “Power” status more than the other guys and thought it would be a slam-dunk and there was no way they would turn it down.

      The AAC schools didn’t take the low offer because they didn’t think paying large exit fees on their own was worth being in a west-coast based quasi-Power conference with only a marginally improved hypothetical media rights deal, especially when weighing that against the potential for the ACC to need to backfill or the B12 to need to expand to survive a “Power 3” play in the near future.

      The Pac-12 play now is to get to 8 with UNLV or 9 with Air Force. Taking Air Force would block them from the AAC, although they may prefer to join the other service academies and may not care at all about CFP access and “Power” status given their recruiting and NIL limitations. Then maybe add Gonzaga for basketball, sort out media rights and distribution (Apple/Amazon?), and hurry up and wait. In that scenario they’ve achieved the “best of the G6” status and don’t need to force another move until another domino falls.

      If FSU/CLEM commit to stay in the ACC long-term and drop their lawsuits, the AAC 3 likely won’t see themselves as in a place of leverage and might be more motivated to take a similar (or worse) deal.

      If FSU/CLEM bail and it leads to an all-out exodus to the B1G/SEC/B12. Maybe the AAC 3 get backfilled to the ACC/B12, maybe they don’t, maybe there are a few other “Power” schools out there for the Pac-12 to rescue?

      So, it’s not quite the darkest timeline, but locking down UNLV is all that matters at this point.

      Reply
      • 2
        1

        Good synopsis but I don’t think AF is in play and I think the P12 swing and miss at Memphis is extremely detrimental to ability to get respectable media deal. MWC 2.0 is a bad place to be.

        Reply
  152. 6
    2

    I just find it interesting how TV seems to want to rid itself of millions of alums.

    I’ve watched zero non-Beavs games. And at this point won’t even turn ESPN on unless it’s for a Seahawks/Beavs game.

    I think by 2030 the newness of watching 5 SEC, 4 B1G, and 3 other schools playing in the playoffs every year will wear off and people will realize how unwatchable such an event really is.

    Reply
    • 11
      2

      Exactly. My buddy from GaTech said the same to me. He lost all interest. It seems to be part of the “idiocracy” of sports…just trying to appeal to drunk idiots who re-post highlights and scream “wooooh did you see that!!” on tiktok.

      Reply
    • 5
      1

      It is a novelty right now to see a USC @Mich game but the extra eyeballs watching aren’t invested in either team really. I found myself checking in but hoping they both lose and look terrible doing it.
      The lunacy of trying to whittle 100 schools into a 32 team made for tv format is absurd. It has taken perhaps $10-$20 billion dollars in tv deals to destroy basic regional rivalries, geographic norms, competitive balance, and longtime conference affiliations just to get here. But heaven forbid the PAC12 attempt to overthrow the AppleCart of ESPN/Fox by adding schools from the central time zone in a meager effort to stay relevant.

      Reply
  154. 6
    1

    I don’t get all the sudden negativity on this board. Are people really shocked that an expanded mountain west was the inevitable endgame? What other schools did everyone expect to get? Personally I would have liked the Memphis, Tulane, UTSA trio but is that really earth shaking either way? This conference was always going to be orders of magnitude less relevant than the P4. If Gonzaga really does come on board for hoops that’s phenomenal.

    Reply
    • 9

      Some OSU fans haven’t been with OSU long enough to know that everything is always hard, and we have to do things for ourselves, not pretend we’re some entitled weenies with our hair on fire at the first glimmer of resistance.

      Reply
    • 2

      Well is this a Pollyanna board or is it angrybeavs? I’m not shocked as it all went south in a matter of hours yesterday (again). I know the curse of LODB, I have been around long enough to expect the worst outcome for anything OSU.
      I’m simply amazed at what has been an ongoing unified call/effort by a lot of entities to reduce OSU to the college football trash heap. It is almost like either a personal vendetta by some exec at ESPN or just wolves circling because that is why wolves do.
      I like a good story and I like the idea of hoping for a great turnaround with a loyal media partnership that will be a dramatic shift in the monopolistic efforts of ESPN. I also like the idea of all of this maltreatment/marginalization offending a guy like Jensen Huang to the point that he steps in and drops an enormous donation (like $200 million) to make a public statement backing his alma mater.
      But Jack has had it all figured out and can smugly comment here and there. I don’t mind. I’ll walk in the Wild swings of yesterday and have my say unapologetically because I do actually wonder about these things behind the scenes and who/how do these machinations continue to batter OSU.

      Reply
      • 5

        But again……what “went south”? Losing Memphis et. al is akin to arriving at the Old Country Buffet with gift certificate in hand only to realize that it expired 3 days ago and you won’t be getting that delicious feast for free. Disappointing? Sure. Debilitating to your ongoing mental state? Hopefully not.

        Reply
          • 5

            Didn’t seem like it yesterday.

            Reading some of your all’s comments was way more revealing of weaknesses and insecurities than anything the Pac 12 did or could not do. If it was you all leading the conference, it would have given up before the morning coffee break yesterday.

            Reply
          • 2
            1

            Haha, it’s the internet man, not the real world.

            If I were leading the conference I would have never have taken the 4 till I knew I had 8.

            And Oregon State could end up in the Big Sky and it wouldn’t affect my daily life or happiness at all.

            Reply

        • I’d say what went south was the public nature of what may normally be back room negotiations. Through Canzano and a few other sources, the PAC was presented as ready to announce a few AAC additions in the morning and by late afternoon they were reduced to accepting a begging Utah St. and it was all playing out through tweets etc for all to mock. That is a big departure from the announcement that happened couple of weeks ago for Phase 1 as they called it.
          Public perception and media narratives matter and if PAC12 doesn’t control that narrative carefully, they will be mocked and ridiculed even more which only adds fuel to the fire for those who want the PAC to burn down.
          I agree it is less about the teams from the AAC at this point and more about the overall presence for the conference to maintain value.

          Reply
          • 3

            Mock us at your own peril, other conferences.

            All I see is a bunch of schools who ran away for money, and they were so hell-bent on it, they paid us a quarter-billion dollars to do it. And on top of it all, they left us a TV network… that we can use without all their “superior fiscal minds” jamming up the gears, as they always seemed to do.

            Mock away. Empty jabs from idiots don’t really bother me.

            Example: Yesterday, there was some article which aggregated fans mocking the Pac 12 for adding Zags as a full share, despite no football. The reality is Zags is more valuable than Memphis or Tulane, even without football.

            Mock away.

            Reply
        • 1
          1

          Losing Memphis is more like announcing to the world on IG Live that you’ve got this sweet gift card and are going to walk into Old Country Buffet like you own the place and order everything on the menu because you’re the shit, only to have the cashier tell you your gift card expired and everybody is watching it unfold live, laughing at your failures.

          sure, it doesn’t mean a whole lot, but it must mean something considering you announced it to the world and got cocky with it.

          Reply
          • 1

            Meh.

            They were our 5th choice, and now they’re going to be beholden to a PE firm and the AAC, who has a lousy deal for distribution of its games, even if it stays the same.

            More power to them. Good luck.

            We’ll still be here, when they want to talk.

            Reply
      • 2
        3

        Wondering is neat.

        Right now we have our sleeves rolled up and are doing work, and we’re facing the same crap we’ve always faced… uphill both ways.

        And people want to go all crying to their diaries like self-entitled weenies trying to feel all woe is me.

        Keep that bullshit for the dear diary entries. We’re still swinging, and when the dust settles, it will likely be okay.

        And then we can look back at the wreckage of those who defied us and laugh at them. ESPN is “this close” to being irrelevant in the world of sports, if they can’t get their Venu deal up and running. And even that will be a tenuous existence, since the techs can simply crush them at will.

        All it will take is that will.

        And we still have a network, something no other conference has.

        Reply
        • 1
          1

          Great perspective Jack. I’d like to see ESPN/Disney collapse under the weight of their own house of cards.

          How might the landscape change if ESPN is found to be writing checks they can’t cash?

          Reply
          • 3
            1

            Conferences will bid out to whomever. And I’m sure ESPN will hold on in some form by being able to pay the same amount for even less teams. I think they’ve alienated a bunch of fans at this point. And they just don’t have the overhead to catch the techs on streaming infrastructure. But they will continue to give lesser quality (hard to imagine at this point) production of their preferred schools and milk it for whatever its worth, until they lose that contract.

            Unless Congress grants the NCAA an antitrust exemption, all of ESPN’s and FOX’s plans will be just overspent money on what are still just college football teams.

            Reply
    • 1

      I would have been okay with that outcome had they just announced that.

      Doing it this way just makes them look weak. And the conference will rightly be labeled MWC2 now. Whereas had they just grabbed 6 MWC and said this is “the new power conference” they might have been able to sell that. Once you have to beg for Utah State that’s out the window.

      Reply
      • 4

        Except USU begged us… so… oh well.

        Either UNLV joins, or we go shopping for an easy add and stay put for a bit.

        The irrational angst and self-flagellation with a wet noodle because our 5th and 6th choices didn’t accept, but our 8th did, is just weak sauce.

        Reply
          • 2

            Memphis ain’t all that.

            I would have been happy with both Nevada schools, and we call it a day. But Nevada football is Nevada football, and Mackay needs a lot of work.

            However, that hoops arena is going to be pretty awesome.

            Reply
          • 2

            Nevada football is pretty bad, but doesn’t every conference have that gimmie win on their schedule?
            that was Colorado (and OSU) for a period of time in the Pac12.

            Reply
          • 2

            I think we’re arguing semantics. While the midwest and southern schools would have been nice adds for recruiting purposes, none of them even remotely move the needle in terms of national respect. As Jack has rightly stated, this thing is a PROJECT. It’s basically building up from ground zero starting now.

            Reply
          • 1

            I guess that’s the crux of it then. IMO, any hope of respect nationally was always an impossibility. This has been inevitable for a very long time.

            Reply
          • 2

            And the perception of a Pac 12 with USF in it wasn’t being mocked somewhere, especially when we previously announced we would like to retain regionality?

            If you’re making decisions based on perception, you have already made a poor decision.

            It’s just about the numbers, and the numbers aren’t all that different for some of these adds.

            Reply
          • 1

            “College football is 100% perception”

            True enough, I’ve seen social media posts from Memphis fans who think the football AAC teams are miles ahead of the reconfigured Pac teams, aside from Memphis and Tulane I’m not seeing anyone in that conference or in those markets that beat what the Pac has put together.

            Reply

          • We will see. I’ll bet the perception of the AAC conference leads to their champ getting bid 5 more often than the rebuilt PAC. Which was the goal of this. And you forgot USF.

            Reply

          • Looking at the current top 25, and those ‘also receiving votes,’ I don’t see how they make that case.

            Because they have an inflated view of themselves doesn’t make it so.

            Reply
  156. 14
    1

    Why are we putting our pants for unlv again? utah state has a much better pedigree the last 10 years then unlv does and the vegas market outside a conference championship isn’t that great . If they make the mwc championship their coach is gone, and they’re back to an easy out. Memphis and tulane would have been nice but it didn’t make geographical sense on their part. Of course they played us for a better offer from the AAC. They don’t want that much travel and I don’t blame them. Swinging for the fences doesn’t mean a home run, they gave it a shot and it didn’t work, oh well. Get to 8 any way you can then start strategically booking OOC games that aren’t body bags or push overs to the power 5 and make your case moving forward. Fucking drama around here, it’s like a board full of 13 girls.

    Reply
  158. 5
    1

    Here’s where it starts to get ugly. According to Dellenger, the Pac12 has filed a lawsuit against the MW conference over those additional “poaching” penalties they’re charging us to take their programs.
    Interesting to see where this goes, because at first glance they all seemed pretty straight forward and agreed upon by the Pac and MW conferences back when we set up that 2024 scheduling agreement. The Pac is arguing the extra fees are excessive and not reflective of actual damages the MW would face by losing those teams. Also the Pac says they’ve always considered those extra penalties to be unenforceable and illegal throughout their negotiations with the MW conference over scheduling.
    I guess this is where it hopefully pays off that we had a legal team in place that specializes in this sort of thing.

    Reply
  159. 3

    Why is everyone complaining about USU? Almost all their coaches in the last 15 years have been poached to go to power programs. They’ve been to the MBB tournament a few times recently. They are clearly invested in athletics and have ambition, which is what the conference needs.

    They aren’t sexy, but neither is CSU and USU has way more recent success.

    Reply
    • 1

      I wouldn’t have wanted CSU if I’m honest. IMO, if the goal was to be the 5th best conference there were really only 3 MWC schools I would have wanted (BSU, UNLV, and SDST). Air Force would be my 4th.

      At this point I’d have rather gone full regional with BSU, Nevada, UNLV, and the 3 CA schools. And sold that.

      Reply
    • 2
      3

      Ask yourself the question again and you’ll find the answer.

      Hint: it’s the same reason some fought over the addition of Utah.

      Purely political but they won’t admit it

      Reply
      • 3
        1

        I think those people would be surprised at how UU, USU, and Weber don’t reflect the politics of the state.

        They’re a good school who has put a lot into academics and athletics recently, and they don’t want to be an afterthought in yet another realignment that screws them. So they’re willing to pay for this.

        Gift horse.

        Ironically, the politicians of Utah now have a vested interest to help USU and their new Conference. Any money saved from projected penalties is money that can be reinvested in one of their major institutions.

        Reply

        • Nobody hates Utah. I’m trying to figure out why you keep saying that. All of us would be cheering if the Utes came back to the pack. I’d welcome BYU or Weber St too. USU just has a dud brand. I only know one USU grad, and he is a huge BYU fan!

          Reply
          • 2

            BYU can stuff it.

            If they spent their money making their own state what they want, fine. But when they screw with us, they can just hop on a rocket and go to outer space.

            Reply
      • 1

        I couldn’t care less about the politics and would have happily taking BYU or Utah.

        Utah State is the #4 school in a small state, I know more Weber State fans.

        Reply
  160. 3
    1

    I haven’t been following much, but I’m kinda surprised Cal & Stanford won’t come back. They are only getting a 30% share of the ACC TV money (about $8M a year) for the next 7 years and then a 75% share for the 2 years after that. It seems like there will be another “shake up” before then and I just don’t see them making the 32 team Super League (or whatever it’s going to be). The 50 or so teams that don’t make the next cut will probably reorganize by geography and they will be right back where they started. Just an uneducated opinion/guess.

    Reply
  161. 1
    1

    The Mountain West did get signed grants-of-rights from seven of its current member institutions, including UNLV, according to Yahoo Sports. But without signatures from at least eight schools, the minimum required to be recognized as an FBS conference, the MWC is still in danger of dissolution and the grant of rights is not binding — meaning that UNLV and Air Force, which has drawn interest from other schools, could still leave.

    https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/pac-12-expansion-chaos-mountain-west-in-survival-mode-as-utah-state-defects-aac-schools-rebuff-interest/

    So it’s basically meaningless

    Reply
  164. 2
    2

    Not sure where I read it now, but earlier was reading that as soon as the Pac12 poached the 4 teams last week, the MW filed a lawsuit against the Pac, requesting that the poaching penalties get paid within 30 days. And the MW was dangling that cash out to teams like Air Force/UNLV to entice them to stay with the MW. So the Pac12’s response was to file a lawsuit against the MW, to tie that money up in court so the MW has no ability to promise that money to any other teams until the lawsuit is either decided or settled. We all know how long that type of decision could take. So this move essentially kneecaps the MW while we continue to work on filling out our membership.

    Reply
    • 6
      1

      Obvious play is to cherry pick the MWC, in that case. Take UNLV or AFA, add Gonzaga and call it a day. That’s a good outcome for us.

      Reply

      • American could still swipe AFA if we can get UNLV.
        Still feels like UNLV has leverage to sweeten their terms by playing all sides. They’re positioned as the lynch pin in this whole thing.
        If that happens and MW remaining members decide to merge with CUSA, I wonder if that means the Pac exit fees disappear?

        Reply
        • 5
          1

          Hawai’i comes at a partial share and potentially adds home content with an additional game.

          I honestly think they have more brand value, because everyone romanticizes the place and just know about it. They’re also able to draw major schools for visits, simply because the place is a desirable visit. And even middling schools travel well, just for the vacation.

          Also, their Olympics would stay in the Big West.

          Reply
          • 1
            2

            If UNLV dinks around and overplays their leverage, I kind of think Hawaii may be the low cost play to get to 8, without much too complaining.
            Although, Hawaii would need to commit to upgrading their facilities though right? And they have had a lot of political interference with anything when it comes to the stadium.
            Most of the teams currently in the PAC have long time recruiting in Hawaii, extra games for revenue, late time slot for games, and desirable place to travel, some historical success in football, get them cheaper than AAC schools

            Reply
          • 2
            1

            Hawaii and UNLV make a logical pairing, considering how many Hawaiian people consider Las Vegas the 9th island.
            Hawaii could be had for a discount and the UNLV would be forced to follow.
            Gets the Pac to 9 teams which sets up well for 8 conference games and 4 non-con games.

            Reply

          • Teams that travel to Hawaii can schedule an extra home game, even against an FCS team, to help offset travel costs.
            Problem is you put your team through an extra week of game action and either lose a bye week or start your season in week 0.
            Also, if you play 2 FCS teams, you can only count 1 of those W’s towards bowl eligibility.

            Reply
          • 1

            The Hawai’i Rule allows the option of playing a 13th game at home, to recoup the costs of travel to the islands.

            Most teams don’t do this, because it would take away a bye week and force the player’s to play that many games. But it’s good visibility and an opportunity for some dreg with a new coach to get extra reps in and maybe give some momentum, even if they don’t make a bowl… at least while the honeymoon period is in effect.

            Reply
    • 2
      3

      Remember that the playoffs aren’t really playoffs.

      They’re just the latest iteration of the Bowl Coalition and their corporate owners buying teams they want for their “bowl” appearances.

      It’s been this way since the mid-90s. They will likely need to continue changing their identity and format, due to them acting time and again in violation of antitrust law. That’s why they’re not called the Bowl Alliance/Coalition or the BCS any more, but they’re the same people doing the same thing, just in a slightly different way.

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    I was almost feeling bad for the MW conference till I read that the MW had been discussing trying to divide WSU away from OSU, prior to the moves the Pac made poach teams.

    Now if feels more like they reap what they sow

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        They didnt “want” either if us. They wanted to divide us to eliminate any threat of losing their own teams. WSU is the geographically closest team, so makes sense from that standpoint.
        Would love to have been a fly on the wall when either WSU or one of the first 4 defectors snitched to OSU what the MW was attempting.

        Reply

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