FOOTBALL

Is There A Point To Pac-12 Title Game For USC?

What’s the point of the Pac-12 championship game for USC?

The simple answer is a spot in the College Football Playoff.

But another way of looking at it is the game offers nothing for USC. The Trojans are already No. 4 in the CFP rankings. If they didn’t have another game, they could stroll into the playoff. The Pac-12 championship only offers risk for USC.

Ohio State can get into the playoff without playing in a conference title game. Is that fair?

It’s a weird byproduct of these conference title games and a four-team playoff.

If the playoff expands to 12 teams, then a conference title game will essentially be worthless for some teams because they make the playoff regardless. It’s all part of the changing world of college football.

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48 thoughts on “Is There A Point To Pac-12 Title Game For USC?”

    1. …and maybe if we get a resounding win over Michigan too they’ll just let us skip the next game to even things out….
      #Georgia&USC: Co-NationalChamps…
      #[Well,ItCouldHappen]

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    2. steve,

      If SC were to beat nd, gerogia, tcu, and michigan all at the same time and same game, the committee would keep SC at 4. The only way sC moves up is if one of the teams ahead of SC loses, then they will bump ohio st ahead. they don’t want SC in there. They want bama or ohio st.

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  3. Growing pains in a transitional period. One might ask, what is the point of a game between the top 2 Pac-12 teams, regardless of division? Hasn’t the regular season already decided who was first? In any event, a chance for SC to avenge its only regular season loss.

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    2. Totally agree. What’s the point unless the teams have the same record? Look at Michigan: they’re undefeated yet could lose the conference championship to a four loss team? Doesn’t make sense.

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  4. Glad Scott finally picked up on what has been discussed all week here,
    but the inequity facing Georgia, Michigan, TCU and SC for having to play an extra game was one of those flaws built into the present
    Final-4 selection formula which hopefully will be somewhat remedied by an 8 or 12-team playoff format (which might end the Conference Championship games)

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    1. Don’t you think the Pac 12 Championship game oughta be on the Pac 12 Network?
      #ThenItReallyWouldn’tMatter
      #WeCouldSayWeWonEvenIfWeLost
      #NobodyWouldKnowTheDifference

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    2. I think Scott read your early postings, Lawyer John. He had to sit down and first do some calculations, and when he found out you were correct he said “By Golly, Lawyer John is correct!”
      Of course there is another interpretation: they would not have necessarily picked USC #4 if they thought that was the final decision. The debate on which team to place #4 might have then been more contentious and, who knows, that may have tilted in favor of OSU.

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      1. Slim, I don’t believe Scott has ever claimed anybody was “correct” especially if contrary to his particular position on various topics
        (although we all may be guilty of that, at least a little)

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  5. And if this were some other season, a conference championship would propel a team into the playoff over another team that doesn’t play in their conference championship. Every year is different.

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  6. I think that Wolfie has stumbled onto the truth in this case. I just hope that George Kliavkoff doesn’t put out an order to his officials to make sure they give Utah an advantage in this game with calls favoring Utah. They way I understand it, at the end of this game George must personally present the Conference trophy to the winner of that game in front of all the stadium. Given how much George hates SC, I’m sure that that is the last thing in the world that he would ever want to have to do.

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    1. Let’s be honest –how much do you think George wants a National Champion football team [that would be us] leaving the Pac 12 to go to the Big 10? Anybody think that’s good publicity for George? Wouldn’t it be a lot better for George if the team that’s staying in the Pac 12 [that would be Utah] won the Pac 12 Championship?
      #BePreparedForMoreBullshit ..
      #USCJustHasToRiseAboveIt….

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      2. I’m looking at this from a financial standpoint, not some individual’s ego! The CFP is a great revenue-generating opportunity for the conference, why sabotage it?

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I guess that depends on what kind of a person George is. Some people are more practically oriented and others are ruled by their egos. I’m not sure which one George is.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Kliavkoff needs a team in the CFP. The payoff is too lucrative for the overall conference. The Pac-12 Network revenue distributed through the conference has been pathetic.

      With the strength of our conference this season, we should get two teams into the New Year’s 6 bowls games, plus an extra game if USC advances to the title game.

      2016 was the last season we had two teams play in a New Year’s 6 bowl game, USC and Washington(CFP)

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  7. If SC can somehow beat Utah, I think that SC will have a real chance to win it all. If they beat Utah, they will have one whole month to get healthy. Also, give LR one month to prepare for any team and there is no telling what could happen. You’ll have a healthy SC team prepared as well as they can be prepared to face anyone.

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    1. Another advantage for SC if they can get into the playoffs is that of all the teams, they will have the least amount of pressure on them because nobody expects them to win……not with Michigan and Georgia in it.

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  8. The game is useless and you run the risk of injury prior to the playoff . It is another way for schools and the PAC12 to generate more revenue at the student’s expense. Look at how many potential games USC will play if they make it to the final game! That is 15 games in one season for these kids.

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    1. I wonder, reaching this level of play, do the kids really feel like they are getting screwed? I always thought this is why they compete, to attain the championship, or the best you can possibly do.

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  9. AS always the point to each season is to win the conference title aka Pac12 title. Nothing great occurs if that is not accomplished,but also along the way a team must beat other ranked teams to obtain highest rankings. One loss is about all any team can afford in order to remain in competition for the national title. SC wins remains at top and 1 loss, a second loss eliminates them

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      1. Caleb and Vorhees made 1st team offense.
        Calen Bullock made 1st team defense
        Jordan Anderson made 2nd team offense
        Tuli Tuipulotu made 2nd team defense(can’t understand that)
        Mekhi Blackmon made 2nd team defense

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  13. Get Kincaid at the bottom of a pile-up.

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    1. Kincaid, like any beast, must be handled calmly and deliberately, respected not feared. In Grinch we trust. There are no other options.

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  14. Go look at the game again. #31 Taleni is blowing up Utah’s o-line. Constant menace. The offense played sloppy after going up 21-7. Gentry and Lee left the game and the plays from the linebackers disappeared at the same point in the game. The coverage was excellent until the second stringers entered the game and showed their lack of experience. That call was horrible but Duddy thought the Trojan defender hit the QB in the face and would not review that call in a million years. What saved Utah was the interception because if the receiver from Utah touches that ball then he’s ineligible and a penalty was going to be called since the side judge threw his hat off to signal player entering from out of bounds.

    I’m not worried about a second game because Riley has an excellent record in facing teams that beat him in the regular season playing against his squad in a championship games. With a better referee crew and better use of his roster, this USC team will thrive on Friday. Utah missing their battering ram of a running back (235 lbs.!) means trouble for them. Better tackling, better confidence, better result in the Trojans favor.

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  15. We just have to take care of business on Friday, and we won’t have to let the committee decide to throw a curve ball. We are playing at an all-time high on defense. We have a look of the old USC teams of the past. We know what lies in front of us, we will overcome any adversity that lies in this game, because we have managed to win games like no other team in the country. An amazing QB, great offensive play-calling, and opportunistic defense. A great way to continue this amazing ride for all us diehard Trojan fans.

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  16. For your information PPF released their All American teams. 1st team Caleb, Bullock, and Vorehees, 2nd team for Tuli, Addison, Blackmon Detrich? If I’m wrong about Detrich my bad. Great job more awards are on the way. Tuli is a big snub he should be 1st for all other teams? Maybe because he played all over I guess.

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  17. Agree Scott. Have always thought that once we entered the BCS/playoff world, the conference title games were just unnecessary landmines. The top teams have nothing to gain and everything to lose. This should be fixed come playoff expansion (which I hope is 8 not 12), but at least then the winner will gain an automatic berth, thereby not risking it all to gain nothing.

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  18. Many of these expert comments did not age well. Can we blame officiating for this one too? Maybe less concern over which of SC’s clearly superior players got snubbed and more time spent game planning? I look forward to seeing SC’s defense bouncing off ball carriers in the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl. Fight On!

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