Heisman votes.

[EagleMountainUte]

So it didn’t affect Mariota obviously. I can’t help but wonder where Utah would be rankings wise. People just not only don’t stay awake for P12 games but they can’t even watch them.

NOOOO one is talking about the ASU game nationally. Why? Well it was Utah’s only ranked opponent who ended up being a paper tiger but it was a still a ranked victory at that time. It was on the P12 Network.
Mccaffery loses Heisman votes because of a voters bedtime.

[FtheY]

The article said 87% of his games started after 10:30pm eastern time – that’s crazy. We know there are perception issues due to timing, some of which we can’t control due to Western timezones. But the PAC 12 needs to figure out other ways to increase perception then. 

Some ideas could be earlier start times where possible, particularly for the top teams that year. 

Another could be Thursday/Friday games after byes – less games on television to compete with. 

8 conf games would allow more OOC matchups and earlier games overall. 

[Dwight89]

Anything but 8 conference games. If anything we need to band together with the Big 10 and Big 12 to force ACC and SEC to move to 9 conference games. 

[PhiladelphiaUte]

I agree with the 8 conference games format, but it’s my understanding that one of the reasons Scott was able to get that then-record setting media deal was BECAUSE of the 9 game slate.  ESPN & FOX felt that a 9-game league slate would provide better content/inventory than an 8 game slate, where the rest of the league not-named USC and Stanford would fill it full of weak SOS FCS teams and bottom-feeder MWC, C-USA, MAC, and Sun Belt teams — you know, games not even the FANS want to watch, much less the viewers on the east coast who don’t care about the Pac-12.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

I agree with the 8 conference games format, but it’s my understanding that one of the reasons Scott was able to get that then-record setting media deal was BECAUSE of the 9 game slate.  ESPN & FOX felt that a 9-game league slate would provide better content/inventory than an 8 game slate, where the rest of the league not-named USC and Stanford would fill it full of weak SOS FCS teams and bottom-feeder MWC, C-USA, MAC, and Sun Belt teams — you know, games not even their own FANS want to watch — much less the viewers on the east coast who don’t care about the Pac-12.

[FtheY]

I don’t know enough about the deal at the time to comment, so I’ll skip that one for now.

I see the draw for nine games in the moment of the matchup for the week. I’d rather play Arizona than Wyoming any week. 

But Id also gladly take an extra California/Florida/Texas g5 team, for the sake of another win in a recruiting hotspot for the medium-long term benefit. Could more wins mean more attention, and better game times, and improved national perception for the pac 12? Maybe, I don’t know. But at the least 8 games would provide more flexibility. 

If we get more wins and better recruits, everything takes care of itself. I could be missing something, but 9 conf games seems like it makes that harder, no? 

[UtMtBiker]

Utah is appropriately ranked right now. Our schedule is pretty weak but we’re taking care of business and in the mix. We’re in agreat spot. If your argument is that we’re can win a Heisman trophy on the west coast it’s not accurate. It’s been done and many others have been have been close. It hasn’t been about the best player in a long time. Just like CFP voters, they don’t watch most of the games regardless of what time they play. They read the hype and watch highlights like most people. Utah has been less than adept in self promotion and Whits brand of football doesn’t get casual observers excited. I think the time zone thing is way over blown.

[ProudUte]

I am with you – I feel we are appropriately ranked.

TH is having a great season, but so is Burrow and he has done it against a bunch of top 25 teams.  IMO Burrow is the obvious Heisman choice.  As for Mcaffery, I think he should have won the Heisman.  He was very fun to watch and had amazing stats.

[RiseasUtes]

We are ranked very fairly, I’m actually surprised(and happy)that Penn st and Oklahoma haven’t passed us up.  ASU isn’t a ranked win(they kind of suck), and those two have ranked wins. We have been destroying teams and that he helped us keep our ranking up, that and USC now being ranked.  We are pretty fortunate to be in the position we are in, lots of good one loss teams in front and behind us.

[Utesbyfive]

I honestly think it’s our defensive stats that are keeping us as high as we are.

[Charlie]

We have given Direct TV long enough to consider our offer. We need to get them running the Pac channel even if it reduces revenue from Dish etc. We need to run more games in the afternoon but it makes sense to run some games in the evening when it is very difficult to run games in the east to take advantage of the late slot. Don’t put too much into late games there are many reasons folks miss a game, late slot is mealy one. The late slot is harder on fans in the stadium than on east coast perception.

Could you imagine the NBA or NFL playing games against lower level competition and making them count the same as league games? Preseason games should be against same level teams or not count at all. Why in the world some teams play 25% to 33% of their inventory against lower level teams, expect folks to pay the same for the tickets, and expect them to count the same is wrongheaded. Do rankings that include only same level (P5) games and call all other games preseason while making clear 9 and 0 beats 8 and 0 and the problem will quickly fix itself. Currently, fewer league games only supports the goal of finishing undefeated. Soon the ACC may go to 7 conference games.