West coast week 4

Conan · Sep 18, 2016

I'm going to stick with fading USC Friday. Aside from the fact that Utah's defense is
rated up there which is nearly a guarantee that USC won't produce points, the Trojan
OL has yet to show up to any game as expected since the start of the year. This week
they will be all sore from a typical Stanford beating.

Think I'll lay the small number.

Utah -1½/USC (5 Dimes)

Conan · Sep 18, 2016

UCLA is just not physical enough to contend with Stanford,
not even at home in the Rose Bowl. If anything the venue
could inspire the trees to show us their best in front of a
national audience. It looks like David Shaw has them tuned
up and ready to rumble. The Bruins are simply outclassed.

Stanford -3/UCLA

Enfuego · Sep 18, 2016

Can't do it Conan. I'm on USC.

They have their backs against it and need a win pretty badly. The Utah QB, as you know, used to be at UW. He's not that impressive IMO. I can see Utah feeling pretty good and USC coming in and winning 27-20.

indiana · Sep 18, 2016

Conan.......lov the Stanford play...........BOL with all your action this week...........indy

Conan · Sep 18, 2016

Enfuego said:
Can't do it Conan. I'm on USC.

They have their backs against it and need a win pretty badly. The Utah QB, as you know, used to be at UW. He's not that impressive IMO. I can see Utah feeling pretty good and USC coming in and winning 27-20.

Enfuego,
First of all thanks for your comment.

Let me say that desperation isn't necessarily a motivating factor where it comes
to execution on the field. IMO It can just as easily work in reverse. But I've seen
when revenge does motivate a team, particularly when they get the team that
beat them last year in their own house. Also, Utah's defense continues to come
through for them. They've only given up 36 points this year in 3 weeks. It looks
like USC's big weakness is the way teams with decent defenses shut them down.

IMHO neither team has a stellar QB. I really am coming to the conclusion that
Clay Helton isn't the man for the job either. I even might go as far as to say
that there could be a HC mismatch here. How does any coach screw up an OL
as talented as the Trojans purportedly have? Beats me.

Wittingham is a cagey dude. In front of a home crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium,
I think you will see the Utes light it up more than people expect. If you haven't
noticed yet, Utah is ranked #24 now, USC is unranked. There's been some
changes since the original rankings came out.

Again your comments are appreciated. Please feel free to post here any time
you like.
BOL

alkimyst · Sep 18, 2016

Love reading your stuff. Looking at Stanford this week as well.

Enfuego · Sep 18, 2016

Conan said:
Enfuego,
First of all thanks for your comment.

Let me say that desperation isn't necessarily a motivating factor where it comes
to execution on the field. IMO It can just as easily work in reverse. But I've seen
when revenge does motivate a team, particularly when they get the team that
beat them last year in their own house. Also, Utah's defense continues to come
through for them. They've only given up 36 points this year in 3 weeks. It looks
like USC's big weakness is the way teams with decent defenses shut them down.

IMHO neither team has a stellar QB. I really am coming to the conclusion that
Clay Helton isn't the man for the job either. I even might go as far as to say
that there could be a HC mismatch here. How does any coach screw up an OL
as talented as the Trojans purportedly have? Beats me.

Wittingham is a cagey dude. In front of a home crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium,
I think you will see the Utes light it up more than people expect. If you haven't
noticed yet, Utah is ranked #24 now, USC is unranked. There's been some
changes since the original rankings came out.

Again your comments are appreciated. Please feel free to post here any time
you like.
BOL

Agree with all Conan. I love wagering on a Wittingham coached team at home but not with this QB. I watched UW so much when he was there and kept waiting for him to be good and it just never came. Watched him play Saturday at SJSU and it was his D and running game that won the game. If Utah gets down and the crowd is taken out of the game, I see this kid forcing things a bit. You're right though, Helton isn't looking great but the players love him and will fight for his job.

Conan · Sep 18, 2016

Enfuego said:
Agree with all Conan. I love wagering on a Wittingham coached team at home but not with this QB. I watched UW so much when he was there and kept waiting for him to be good and it just never came. Watched him play Saturday at SJSU and it was his D and running game that won the game. If Utah gets down and the crowd is taken out of the game, I see this kid forcing things a bit. You're right though, Helton isn't looking great but the players love him and will fight for his job.

LOL. No offense intended, but when players fight for the job of a coach they like, that does sound like desperation. For the sake of their QB, I figure that Utah's passing game will likely be minimal and the rush will dominate their offensive game plan. Hard tell what we should expect from Max Browne or Sam Darnold, but I doubt it will be spectacular. Either or both of them will be dogged all afternoon. A pick or two could end it.

WinOne · Sep 19, 2016

Conan said:
Enfuego,
First of all thanks for your comment.

Let me say that desperation isn't necessarily a motivating factor where it comes
to execution on the field. IMO It can just as easily work in reverse. But I've seen
when revenge does motivate a team, particularly when they get the team that
beat them last year in their own house. Also, Utah's defense continues to come
through for them. They've only given up 36 points this year in 3 weeks. It looks
like USC's big weakness is the way teams with decent defenses shut them down.

IMHO neither team has a stellar QB. I really am coming to the conclusion that
Clay Helton isn't the man for the job either. I even might go as far as to say
that there could be a HC mismatch here. How does any coach screw up an OL
as talented as the Trojans purportedly have? Beats me.

Wittingham is a cagey dude. In front of a home crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium,
I think you will see the Utes light it up more than people expect. If you haven't
noticed yet, Utah is ranked #24 now, USC is unranked. There's been some
changes since the original rankings came out.

Again your comments are appreciated. Please feel free to post here any time
you like.
BOL

A couple of things we know about these two. One, that Utah will come out and lay the wood to you. They, like Stanford, love punching teams in the mouth. Two, this version of USC, when punched in the mouth has proven to back away from a challenge. It what I see as a low scoring game, I think Utah out-hits SC in this one and wins at home. Like you Conan, I'm not sure Helton is the guy, or if he just does not trust his OL to protect his QB's. I don't see any fire and passion. He talked all offseason about being tough. To date, I've not seen it. One final note, teams that play Stanford tend to fall off the following week.

Wanger · Sep 19, 2016

Tough week for Oregon. Devon Allen & Tyrell Crosby both done for the year and no time table for Royce Freeman's return. With the loss of Crosby they will be starting four freshman on the OL the rest of the year.

Conan · Sep 19, 2016

Yup. Also the Buffs defense is pretty stout.

Oh my what their OL might do to Oregon's DL... I can't bare to watch.
Smith-James, Griffin and Benoit will need to carry the load... or else.

Maybe we'll get 20 points again?

Conan · Sep 19, 2016

WinOne said:
A couple of things we know about these two. One, that Utah will come out and lay the wood to you. They, like Stanford, love punching teams in the mouth. Two, this version of USC, when punched in the mouth has proven to back away from a challenge. It what I see as a low scoring game, I think Utah out-hits SC in this one and wins at home. Like you Conan, I'm not sure Helton is the guy, or if he just does not trust his OL to protect his QB's. I don't see any fire and passion. He talked all offseason about being tough. To date, I've not seen it. One final note, teams that play Stanford tend to fall off the following week.

Was thinking the same thing about the game total.

And by the way, USC has a pretty good dental school. :missingte

Enfuego · Sep 19, 2016

Conan, what do you think about the Dawgs first test on the road at AZ?

Conan · Sep 19, 2016

Enfuego said:
Conan, what do you think about the Dawgs first test on the road at AZ?

I didn't think much because I haven't seen a line yet.
Waiting eagerly for that to happen. But I do know this,
Zona has issues that UDub doesn't.

Conan · Sep 19, 2016

Holy carapp!!

Utah has been bet up to -3 as of now.
Still like them with that number.

Shua12 · Sep 19, 2016

Stanford just looks too easy, huh?

they could have made this line -7, -7.5 hell even -9.5 and people would be lined up with wallet in hand to bet them.

Logic says tree, but the line screams UCLA

Conan · Sep 19, 2016

UCLA has an 8-game losing streak vs. Stanford.
I really don't see why this year will be any different.

Enfuego · Sep 19, 2016

Conan said:
I didn't think much because I haven't seen a line yet.
Waiting eagerly for that to happen. But I do know this,
Zona has issues that UDub doesn't.

I watched Arizona's first game against BYU from start to finish and they looked like utter dog shit on offense. BYU has a good D but not UW athletic fast D.

NoCoke · Sep 20, 2016

Utah play looks even better.. rumors out of LA that a player punched Helton today.

Conan · Sep 20, 2016

I feel sorry for USC AD Lynn Swan.

Did USC O-Lineman EJ Price Punch
Coach Clay Helton in the Face?

Tuesday September 20th 2016 Matt Keller and Nick Rudman

According to Reddit and USC message board FightOn247 something fishy is going on
behind the scenes with the USC football team. And by fishy we mean that freshman
OG EJ Price may have punched coach Clay Helton in the face, precipitating a possible
mass exodus of transfers from the school. Rumored to be among those considering a
transfer are OL Chuma Edoga, recently demoted QB Max Browne, and WR/CB WR JuJu
Smith, Keyshawn Pie Young and CB Adoree Jackson are also widely expected to declare
for the NFL draft as soon as the season is over.

Apparently Clay Helton has offered to sign the transfer papers of any player who wants
to leave. This is all over USC message boards, but no “legitimate” news source has run
with it yet.

Expect that to change in the next day as reports get more and more detailed, but it
certainly sounds like something is going on. Helton is expected to address it in some
manner either this afternoon or tomorrow.