Well-rested USC awaits Stanford for Pac-12 title
Stanford coach David Shaw doesn’t see a problem with USC spending this past weekend with its feet up resting while any of their potential opponents in the Pac-12 title game were playing.
Shaw believes the Trojans earned it.
“I think we’re just more weathered. I think both teams are tired,” Shaw said. “Someone asked me if we won this game, Washington State didn’t beat Washington, was it kind of fair that USC had a bye. I said, Yeah, they just went 12 straight. They survived 12 straight and won the South. They deserve to have a bye. So there’s no issue with that whatsoever.”
The 14th-ranked Cardinal will take on No. 11 USC in the Pac-12 championship game on Friday night at Levi’s Stadium. Stanford got the help it needed on Saturday and it came early in the evening. Instead of the Cardinal waiting late into the night to see if Washington could help them out in the Apple Cup, it was clear by halftime in Seattle that Stanford would be the North Division champion as the Huskies held a 24-0 lead over Washington State. The Huskies ended up winning 41-17, ruining Washington State’s chance at its first division title.
Of course, the Trojans were fine with whatever the outcome. They were sitting out at while both of their potential opponents were playing rivalry games.
“For our players to go from 1-2 to win eight out of nine, get back to the Pac-12 championship game says a lot about who they are, a lot about what we do, a lot about our coaching staff,” Shaw said. “Now we have six days to get ready for a good team who is on a bye.”
It doesn’t seem like a fair situation with the Trojans rested. The optics would have been even worse if Washington State had won on the road then turned around and had to play six days later. But Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said the situation is just the reality of how the season played out.
“There are very certainly perceived inequities at different times of the year. If you’re a USC fan, you didn’t think it was fair earlier in the season when you didn’t have a week off,” Scott said. “At this time of year, you’re in the conference championship game and it’s an advantage.”
The Trojans would have liked another shot at Washington State after the Cougars derailed some of USC’s championship aspirations with a 30-27 win in Pullman in late September.
Certainly, Stanford wanted another chance at USC. The Cardinal were overwhelmed in a 42-24 USC victory in the second week of the regular season, giving up 623 total yards, the most ever allowed by a Shaw coached team. Bryce Love rushed for 160 yards in that loss, but that was a Stanford team quarterbacked by Keller Chryst, not K.J. Costello. Costello threw a career-high four touchdown passes in Stanford’s convincing victory over Notre Dame on Saturday.
“I think we played well in that game against USC, I really do,” Shaw said. “Keller Chryst played well in that game. We didn’t protect him very well. I thought they played lights out. They were phenomenal.”
TIGERS NEW NO. 1 >> Clemson is the new No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll, taking a close vote with Oklahoma after the top two teams in the rankings lost in the same weekend for the first time since 2012.
The Tigers jumped from fourth to No. 1 after blowing out South Carolina on Saturday night. Clemson received 27 first-place votes and No. 2 Oklahoma had 24. No. 3 Wisconsin received 10 first-place votes. ASU FIRES COACH >> Todd Graham changed the culture at Arizona State, adding a dose of discipline to a program that had been missing it. He helped the Sun Devils become better in the classroom, and upgrade their facilities with his penchant for connecting with donors.
The one thing Graham did not do, at least consistently enough: Win games.
Arizona State fired Graham after six seasons Sunday, a day after an emotional comeback victory over rival Arizona. MULLEN HIRED AT FLORIDA >> Dan Mullen spent the last 13 years in the Southeastern Conference. He cultivated offenses. He developed quarterbacks. He celebrated two national championships. He turned former league laughing stock Mississippi State into a title contender.
He probably should have been Florida’s top target from the start.
Instead, it took Chip Kelly spurning the Gators for athletic director Scott Stricklin to turn to his close friend and former Starkville, Mississippi, neighbor.
Stricklin hired Mullen as Florida’s next head coach Sunday, bringing back the guy who helped make Tim Tebow a star. The Gators announced the deal after Mullen told the Bulldogs he was returning to Gainesville.
VOLS PASS ON SCHIANO >> A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Tennessee is no longer pursuing Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano to be the school’s new head coach.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because none of the negotiations were intended to be made public until a deal was reached.
The school and Schiano were close to an agreement earlier Sunday, but the school backed out after widespread backlash that included a protest on campus and complaints on social media from fans, state representatives and gubernatorial candidates.
Their complaints stemmed from Schiano’s background as an assistant at Penn State during Jerry Sandusky’s tenure as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator. Sandusky is serving 30 to 60 years in prison for his conviction on 45 counts of sexual abuse.