We're one BS call in quadruple OT away from 1st place in the south

[sundevil04]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/standings/_/group/9

We're a win over Oregon on a BS in bounds call in quadruple OT away from benig tied for 1st place in the pac-12 south.

We would be in a 4 way tie with UCLA, USC and Utah.

 

[82CardsGrad]

We have losses to both USC and Utah... That Oregon call is meaningless...

 

[sundevil04]

In a tie with more than 2 teams, in this case 4, head to head is not the tie breaker.

 

[Phrazbit]

First tie breaker in a 3+ team tie is cumulative head to head between the teams, at 1-2 ASU isn't looking too hot. Should ASU win @Cal (doubtful) they also would have required UCLA to beat USC on the road (also doubtful) and Colorado to beat Utah on the road (no chance).

What lost that game vs Oregon was trash play calling. The "BS" call, which was at best a 50/50 and given that it was a TD on the field there was little chance was getting overturned, AND Oregon was on 2nd and 5 anyway.

 

[sundevil04]

We all have our own opinions on if it was a "BS" call. In my opinion it was and so was the non call on the off sides where Berco thought he had a free play and threw a pick. AND so was the 5th down in WASU. Really though, those are all beside the point. The point of my post was to show just how close this team really was to contending for a pac12 title. This team, while frustrating and disappointing, is MUCH closer than their record would have you believe.

a 4th quarter lead in Utah (Playing without Demario Richard in the rain)
a non-call on an offisdes vs ORE that led to a pick
a "BS" in bounds call vs ORE
a 5th down allowed in WASU

I know the "what if" fan is always annoying, but "what if" these go our way? We're a top 15 team and going to play for a pac12 title for a chance to play in the Rose bowl.

 

[Phrazbit]

We all have our own opinions on if it was a "BS" call. In my opinion it was and so was the non call on the off sides where Berco thought he had a free play and threw a pick. AND so was the 5th down in WASU. Really though, those are all beside the point. The point of my post was to show just how close this team really was to contending for a pac12 title. This team, while frustrating and disappointing, is MUCH closer than their record would have you believe.

a 4th quarter lead in Utah (Playing without Demario Richard in the rain)
a non-call on an offisdes vs ORE that led to a pick
a "BS" in bounds call vs ORE
a 5th down allowed in WASU

I know the "what if" fan is always annoying, but "what if" these go our way? We're a top 15 team and going to play for a pac12 title for a chance to play in the Rose bowl.

Every team can run through "what ifs". The one call that was for sure terrible was the Washington State call, but that came in the 2nd quarter of a game ASU went onto lose by multiple possessions.

There is no sugar coating the seasons of either Arizona school, they were both massive disappointments. The reason ASU sits only a game out of a first place tie is not because the year was not as bad as it looks, but because the entire conference ended up being waaaay worse than projected.

 

[Absolute Zero]

 

[sundevil04]

"The reason ASU sits only a game out of a first place tie is not because the year was not as bad as it looks, but because the entire conference ended up being waaaay worse than projected."

The 4 teams that I mentioned would have been tied for the south have a whopping 2 losses out of conference....here they are.

USC loses by 10 to #4 Notre Dame at Notre Dame
ASU loses to Texas A&M at A & M (essentially)

and one to grow on

Oregon loses by 3 to #6 Mich St at Mich St


....that makes the conference horrible?


not to mention 4 teams ranked in the top 22

 

[Phrazbit]

"The reason ASU sits only a game out of a first place tie is not because the year was not as bad as it looks, but because the entire conference ended up being waaaay worse than projected."

The 4 teams that I mentioned would have been tied for the south have a whopping 2 losses out of conference....here they are.

USC loses by 10 to #4 Notre Dame at Notre Dame
ASU loses to Texas A&M at A & M (essentially)

and one to grow on

Oregon loses by 3 to #6 Mich St at Mich St


....that makes the conference horrible?


not to mention 4 teams ranked in the top 22

I'm saying its a conference who's only quality win out of conference was Utah over Michigan, then proceeded to beat the tar out of itself during league play.

As with ASU and Arizona's season, there is no way to sugar coat what has been a massively disappointing season for the conference. Prior to the year there was a lot of "Has the Pac overtaken the SEC as the best conference?" talk. The other major conferences have multiple teams ranked above the highest rank team in the Pac, we don't have a prayer at getting anyone into the playoff and were essentially eliminated 2 weeks prior to the conference title games being set.

I'm a Pac fan, I always want the Pac to do well, I feel the Pac had been underrated for a long time... however, this year was a disaster for the conference and several teams fell well short of their expectations while only one team (Wazzu) played above what the projections thought they would.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I'm saying its a conference who's only quality win out of conference was Utah over Michigan, then proceeded to beat the tar out of itself during league play.

As with ASU and Arizona's season, there is no way to sugar coat what has been a massively disappointing season for the conference. Prior to the year there was a lot of "Has the Pac overtaken the SEC as the best conference?" talk. The other major conferences have multiple teams ranked above the highest rank team in the Pac, we don't have a prayer at getting anyone into the playoff and were essentially eliminated 2 weeks prior to the conference title games being set.

I'm a Pac fan, I always want the Pac to do well, I feel the Pac had been underrated for a long time... however, this year was a disaster for the conference and several teams fell well short of their expectations while only one team (Wazzu) played above what the projections thought they would.

I hear ya... but, could this situation be more a result of the fact that the Pac-12 doesn't have the number of patsies as does the SEC? Vandy, KY, South Carolina, Missouri... I dunno...The SEC East might not be any better/deeper than either of the Pac-12 divisions...

 

[Phrazbit]

I hear ya... but, could this situation be more a result of the fact that the Pac-12 doesn't have the number of patsies as does the SEC? Vandy, KY, South Carolina, Missouri... I dunno...The SEC East might not be any better/deeper than either of the Pac-12 divisions...

The SEC East is unquestionably weak. But there are more strong programs in the SEC West division than there are in any other conference.

I think the Pac has a lot of depth but it also has no standouts right now. Oregon got smashed by 42 in their own building. It made Utah look legit for a hot minute but then they went onto get routed by a really mediocre USC team and lost to the severely depleted Wildcats. Stanford lost to Northwestern... that is a real killer for the conference. Our champion got beat by the 5th best team in the supposedly inferior Big 10.

Its a really bad year for the conference. Hopefully they redeem themselves in bowl season, put up a strong record but heading into the winter even the teams in Bowls fell well short of where they thought they'd go.

 

[Dback Jon]

The SEC East is unquestionably weak. But there are more strong programs in the SEC West division than there are in any other conference.

I think the Pac has a lot of depth but it also has no standouts right now. Oregon got smashed by 42 in their own building. It made Utah look legit for a hot minute but then they went onto get routed by a really mediocre USC team and lost to the severely depleted Wildcats. Stanford lost to Northwestern... that is a real killer for the conference. Our champion got beat by the 5th best team in the supposedly inferior Big 10.

Its a really bad year for the conference. Hopefully they redeem themselves in bowl season, put up a strong record but heading into the winter even the teams in Bowls fell well short of where they thought they'd go.

SEC West this year is vastly over-rated.

 

[TJ]

ASU would be closer to first place had Todd Graham kept his expectations in check and not doubled-down on being a national championship contender by wearing NC-15 bracelets, posting signs in the team's practice facility, and telling everyone with a microphone or pen and paper that this team was going to the playoffs.

Todd Graham put way too much pressure on the team and when it failed to meet expectations, he continued to press. ASU didn't have the horses to contend for a championship let alone the conference or division.

ASU's season shortcomings go further than one botched call.

 

[sundevil04]

Stanford lost to Northwestern... that is a real killer for the conference. Our champion got beat by the 5th best team in the supposedly inferior Big 10.

If we're using that logic, than why do you not mention Utah over Michigan? Utah is 6th in the pac-12 right now.

 

[sundevil04]

we don't have a prayer at getting anyone into the playoff and were essentially eliminated 2 weeks prior to the conference title games being set.

FYI - We're 1 Alabama loss vs Auburn this week or Florida in the SEC title game away from not having an SEC team in the playoffs either.

Says something about the theory that strong conferences beat each other up doesn't it.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

The conference was really down this year. Eye test and the 2016 NFL Draft will tell us as much. I mean did the OP really say that ASU was a few plays away from being a top 15 team this year? Did he not watch them play?

 

[Phrazbit]

If we're using that logic, than why do you not mention Utah over Michigan? Utah is 6th in the pac-12 right now.

I did mention that, it was literally the only quality win the entire conference had prior to league play, and Utah blew whatever goodwill that earned them by picking up some really bad losses down the road.

FYI - We're 1 Alabama loss vs Auburn this week or Florida in the SEC title game away from not having an SEC team in the playoffs either.

Says something about the theory that strong conferences beat each other up doesn't it.

I watched enough of the pac this year to say it was not a strong conference. It wasn't trash, there is a lot of depth but that depth lies in mediocrity. We have less patsies than most other conferences but we had zero elite teams.

Last year the Pac was really really good, and yes, it beat up on itself. That was not the case this year. There were a lot of severely flawed teams that played really mediocre football.

 

[devilalum]

We all have our own opinions on if it was a "BS" call. In my opinion it was and so was the non call on the off sides where Berco thought he had a free play and threw a pick. AND so was the 5th down in WASU. Really though, those are all beside the point. The point of my post was to show just how close this team really was to contending for a pac12 title. This team, while frustrating and disappointing, is MUCH closer than their record would have you believe.

a 4th quarter lead in Utah (Playing without Demario Richard in the rain)
a non-call on an offisdes vs ORE that led to a pick
a "BS" in bounds call vs ORE
a 5th down allowed in WASU

I know the "what if" fan is always annoying, but "what if" these go our way? We're a top 15 team and going to play for a pac12 title for a chance to play in the Rose bowl.

This.

Take back the BS OU call and the 5th down and the Devils are playing this week to go to the Championship game.

 

[Phrazbit]

This.

Take back the BS OU call and the 5th down and the Devils are playing this week to go to the Championship game.

A touchdown on 2nd and 5 and a play in the second quarter of a game ASU lost by 2 scores?

If every team could take back the worst 2 things to happen to them I suspect that many in the conference could make a stronger claim than those 2 plays which there is a good chance wouldn't have altered ASU eventual loses anyway.

 

[devilalum]

A touchdown on 2nd and 5 and a play in the second quarter of a game ASU lost by 2 scores?

If every team could take back the worst 2 things to happen to them I suspect that many in the conference could make a stronger claim than those 2 plays which there is a good chance wouldn't have altered ASU eventual loses anyway.

The 5th down was a HUGE momentum shifter. They get a stop on 4th instead of a Wazzu touchdown. Up to that point the Devils were defenitely in control. Of course there is no way to prove this theory, just my opinion.

 

[sundevil04]

Um, so Phrazbit...you were saying?

http://espn.go.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=400757090

It's becoming clear that if the SEC and the Pac12 were one conference it would be

1.) Alabama

big gap...

2.) Stanford

big gap....

3.) Florida/Oregon/Ole miss/Utah (in no particular order)

4.) USC/UCLA/ASU/the rest of the SEC south/Georgia (in no particular order)

big gap....

5.) Everyone else

 

[Bert]

This team is so far away from being a first place playoff contender it's not even funny. Worst ASU defense in recent memory. They better use all their chips on defensive players.

And I was at the Oregon game. Blaming the refs is a huge cop out IMO. This same crappy defense is to blame, bad special teams play, bad QB play.

 

[Buckybird]

This team is so far away from being a first place playoff contender it's not even funny. Worst ASU defense in recent memory. They better use all their chips on defensive players.

And I was at the Oregon game. Blaming the refs is a huge cop out IMO. This same crappy defense is to blame, bad special teams play, bad QB play.

Part of the problem is having a high octane, quick strike offense. The 2 go hand in hand...the run & shoot.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Part of the problem is having a high octane, quick strike offense. The 2 go hand in hand...the run & shoot.

Agree! I think Norvell is a HUGE part of the problem and is easily one of the most grossly overpaid people in America!! [emoji35]

 

[TJ]

Asu's coaching overall this season was putrid. Poor adjustments, clock and timeout mismanagement, and questionable personnel moves.

The title of this thread should be a novel long for reasons why asu didn't win the South.