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Looking Back
Desert downfall - Dreams have a tendency to die in the deserts the way Oregon’s CFP hopes did in Tempe. Credit Herm Edwards and the Sun Devils for having an excellent game plan and executing it. Shoutout to Jon Wilner for having the guts to call it. It was pretty simple, Oregon 2011-2014 teams weren’t able to run the conference table, but this one was going to? The Ducks were due to lose a Pac-12 game.
Jayden Daniels...wow - Too much attention on Saturday night’s win for Arizona State has gone on the fact that Oregon lost the game and not that Jayden Daniels looked like a soon-to-be Heisman candidate against the Ducks. The true freshman grossly outperformed Justin Herbert on a big stage and hit three amazing and clutch touchdowns.
Utah continues roll - The Utes just had to avoid a massive upset against what is probably the Pac-12’s worst team to stay atop the South and keep their CFP hopes alive. They did just what they needed to do.
Clay Helton making his case - I don’t know if there’s anything Helton can do to keep his job, but he’s giving it a shot. If the Utes somehow lose to Colorado the Trojans are going to have a shot at the Rose Bowl.
Cal breaks through - Cal’s struggles in The Big Game were one of those things where I feel like every non-Stanford adopted the Bears in the rivalry, hoping they could break through. Well they did and clinched a bowl game at the same time. A feel good win for a program that’s had an up and down year.
Washington State wins a basketball game - Remember a few years ago when it seemed like half of the conference games had a final score of 54-53? Well the Cougars and Beavers made me nostalgic with an epic back and forth with a bowl game on the line that ended with a Max Borghi walk off home run for the ages.
Colorado steps up on Senior night - It’s been a tough season for the Buffs, but they sent off their seniors in the right way, taking down a struggling Washington team. The Buffs at least give themselves something to play for against Utah.
Washington rebuilding? No...imploading - Expectations have whittled at Washington as the season has gone on and some bumps in the road have been expected given the turnover from their 2018 team. I don’t think even the biggest Duck or Cougar fan saw this coming though as the Huskies drop to 6-5 and only 3-5 in Pac-12 play with three losses to teams that have greatly struggled in 2019 themselves.
Looking ahead
So long showdown - Oregon vs. Utah will still be a really fun matchup of what should be Top 15 teams with Utah’s CFP hopes on the line, but it won’t be the potential CFP play-in game it could of been. Will this matchup still generate the excitement we hope it will?
Can Colorado do the impossible? The Buffs have won two straight, taking down Stanford and Washington and now they have to win their final game, at Utah, to make a bowl game. Can they do the impossible and spoil not only Utah’s CFP hopes, but their trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game?
Clay Helton? Our weekly question. Does Clay survive? Does it help him survive if Colorado can upset Utah? Then does it depend on if he can beat Oregon in the P12CG?