No unbeaten teams in Pac-12 after Cal’s loss to Arizona State
Cal’s loss to Arizona State on Friday night left the conference without an undefeated team at the earliest point in its 12-school era.
Not since 2009 has the Pac-12 (or Pac-10) experienced such comprehensive early-season carnage.
(That year, you might recall, Oregon lost its opener at Boise State in Chip Kelly’s first game as head coach, then ripped off seven consecutive wins. The Ducks were the only team to finish the season with fewer than four losses.)
For your cannibalistic pleasure, the Hotline has compiled a list of the Pac-12’s last undefeated teams, year-by-year, with record at the time of the first loss and date/opponent:
2010: Oregon: 12-0, Jan. 10 (vs. Auburn/BCS championship)
2011 Stanford: 9-0, Nov. 12 (vs. Oregon)
2012: Oregon: 10-0, Nov. 17 (vs Stanford)
2013: Stanford: 5-0, Oct. 12 (at Utah)
2014: Arizona: 5-0, Oct. 11 (vs USC)
2015: Utah: 6-0, Oct. 24 (at USC)
2016: Washington: 9-0, Nov. 12 (vs USC)
2017: Washington: 6-0, Oct. 14 (at ASU)
2018: Colorado: 5-0, Oct. 13 (at USC)
2019: Cal: 4-0, Sept. 27 (vs. ASU) Here’s a question that flashed through the Hotline’s cranium:
At what point in October (November?) will every team have at least two losses?
THE PROPER PLAYOFF QUESTION >> Sure, Cal’s loss reduces the chances of the Pac-12 producing a College Football Playoff contender, but only on the margins:
The Bears weren’t good enough to play at the level required for the duration required.
Instead of wondering if the Pac-12 has a shot at the playoff, the better question is this:
Does the conference possess a one-loss team that’s good enough to run the table?
Because that’s the requirement at this point.
Every team has at least one loss.
The selection committee has never taken a two-loss team.
(And we can guarantee the first two-loss team to reach the semifinals, whenever it happens, won’t come from the Pac-12.)
So someone has to win out, secure the title in Levi’s Stadium, finish as a one-loss champion ... and hope for the best.
Only the teams currently with one loss have a shot: Arizona State, Arizona, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Are any of them good enough to win out?
We’re skeptical.
If you’re thinking: Maybe Utah, Oregon or Washington could reach 12-1, remember that it’s not a pure round-robin:
Washington plays Oregon and Utah plays Washington, but the Utes and Ducks don’t meet in the regular season.
For what it’s worth.
UTAH AND WASHINGTON STATE: PASSING IN THE NIGHT >> The Utes and Cougars were coming off wrenching losses, battered emotionally, bruised physically and facing a must-win situation (for each) in their collision in Salt Lake City.
Utah jumped to an early lead, controlled the second half and churned to a 38-13 win without its top playmakers, injured tailback Zack Moss and receiver Britain Covey.
Tyler Huntley was terrific (21of-30, 334 yards, two TDs), the secondary redeemed itself from the face plant at USC, and the defensive line was ferocious.
Overall: a dominant performance by the Utes when the desperately needed it.
Watching it unfold, I couldn’t help think of the longer-term implications.
The combination of a Utah loss and USC win would have dropped the Utes three games behind in the South race (because of the head-to-head loss) — they would have been eliminated in a practical, if not mathematical, sense.
Instead, the combination of USC’s loss and Utah’s win means the Utes are very much in the division race.
They have three road games left: Oregon State, Arizona and Washington.
Lose in Seattle, win the others and defend the home field, and they would finish 7-2.
That would probably be enough for the title.
At the same time, it was difficult to watch the Cougars get overpowered on the lines of scrimmage and envision them contending in the North.
The defense simply isn’t stout enough. The collapse against UCLA was obviously a warning sign, but Saturday night provided confirmation.
Utah gained 526 yards and converted 50 percent of its third downs — all without Moss and Covey.
Add the Cougars’ road schedule (ASU, Cal, Oregon and Washington), and they have a major challenge ahead to contend for the division for the fifth consecutive year.
And the fact that we’re even talking about WSU contending for the fifth consecutive year is, in itself, remarkable.
ASU BREAKS THROUGH >> With their 24-17 victory in Berkeley, the Sun Devils became just the third road team to win on Friday night since the start of 2016.
(Conference games only, but not rivalry games.)
Sure, the Devils had help: Cal’s offense dissolved after quarterback Chase Garbers injured his shoulder late in the second quarter — the Bears had just 25 yards in the final 25 minutes.
But ASU deserves plenty of credit, as well:
The defense was stout throughout, it had just one turnover, Jayden Daniels was poised and effective with his arm and legs, and Eno Benjamin hot the 100-yard mark.
But as we watched the Sun Devils execute, we were struck by one underrated component of their success.
The consistency with which offensive coordinator Rob Likens puts Daniels in position to succeed.
The true freshman simply isn’t placed in high-risk situations.
They don’t ask him to make difficult reads or throws (unless there’s no choice).
They match protection packages with down-and-distance.
And they aren’t afraid to be conservative with play-calling on second- and third-and-long.
Far better to punt, play defense and take another shot than to ask Daniels to make plays when the pass rush knows precisely where he’ll be.
Its a credit to Likens and coach Herm Edwards. WASHINGTON’S BIG WEEKEND >> We won’t go so far as to say beating USC was No. 2 on the Huskies’ list of weekend accomplishments -- their defense was marvelous, by the way -- but for some fans, it might feel that way.
That’s because on Friday, the Huskies received an oral commitment from Sav’ell Smalls, a Seattle product who is only the No. 1 rated outside linebacker in the country in the class of 2020.
Smalls said months ago that he didn’t want to attend college in his hometown, but UW stayed in the game and eventually beat out the likes of Alabama and Notre Dame for Smalls.
He’s a massive pickup for the Huskies because of his talent and high-value position.
Also, because of the need to keep the top players home — to fend off the marauders from the Big Ten and SEC.
(Former UW coach Steve Sarkisian was recruiting Smalls for Alabama, according to the recruiting website 247sports.)
That’s true not only for UW specifically but for the entire Pac12.