Wow, USC Dropped Three Spots in the AP Poll

[The Miami Ute]

You can tell that the voters were decidedly unimpressed with their victory last night over ASU. ASU hung with USC all game and, for a moment, I thought that they could pull off the upset. As of today, the PAC has four teams in the AP Top 10, Washington, USC, Oregon, and Utah. Washington also received a solitary vote for the #1 ranking.

[2008 National Champ]

Their schedule is starting to hurt them. 2 of the worst MW teams and the bottom two from the PAC so far. They won’t even get a bump from beating Colorado since Oregon already popped that balloon.

[The Miami Ute]

I’ve watched the majority of their season so far, and, just being honest, their defense doesn’t look much improved from last year. I can see them easily losing 2-3 games if they don’t improve on both sides of the ball from last night’s performance. I think an important thing to remember is that, due to who they are, they’re going to receive everybody’s best punch. That must get tiring week after week.

[Hellhound152]

Watching them is insufferable if you love technical football. Nails never throws in phase, he seems to have a greenlight to do whatever he wants and looks even more reckless with the ball then last season but no one can cover those receivers for 7+ seconds while he jacks around out there and it turns into a school yard scramble drill. Then he launches it for 65 yards to a guys who is wide open standing and waiting for the ball and the announcers fall all overthemselves about how that was the most amazing thing they have ever witnessed. Hopefully Utah figured out how to play him with the two games last season because it is more of the same school yard stuff as last year only more disjointed.

[The Miami Ute]

I agree. Williams’ ability to improvise is his biggest strength. You take that away and force him to be more of a conventional drop back passer and, all of a sudden, he doesn’t look as great. I also believe that he puts himself into situations, taking on defenders, that a guy of such importance to his team shouldn’t be doing. Let’s face it, if Williams gets hurt and is out for any extended period, USC’s season can easily go up in smoke.

[Hellhound152]

I personally think if he goes down and they lose a couple he won’t come back this season. I think his Dad sees the writing on the wall about his pro prospects hence the stay in College and milk that NIL for all it is worth. He will be the first QB taken but will have Manziel results because no one has actually taught him to play quarterback. Last night while I was watching I thought could any team be less impacted if the play pamphlet (I am sure they have a pamphlet not a book) got stolen and fell into the opposing teams hands than USC?

[The Miami Ute]

Oh wow, no kidding? I’ve been saying the same thing about Williams since before the season started and totally agree. If he picks up any niggling injury and USC falls out of contention for the CFP or CCG, I totally see him calling a wrap to his college career. He’s going to be the #1 draft pick but, like you, I’m not certain how much of his game will translate to the NFL. I guess we’ll have next season to see it happen.

[Central Coast Ute]

Michelle Bodkin was on the radio the other day and was asked about Williams. She said she has spoken with some NFL scouts who don’t like his footwork. Take it for what it’s worth. He’s still a good college QB but i agree, he’ll stick around one more year for NIL. Which brings up the question about when the P2 breaks off from the NCAA, will players ever run out of eligibility?

[The Miami Ute]

You know, I mentioned a little while back that it wouldn’t surprise me if Williams stayed at USC for his senior season, just based on his NIL earnings, and it didn’t gain much traction here. Most people that responded to me thought I was off-base. However, I’ve had conversations with a guy that I know that’s dialed in with House of Victory, the USC NIL collective, and he told me that Williams is making over $6M this year in NIL and will easily go over $10M in NIL next year if he stays for his senior season. $10M is not nothing and there’s the added attraction of living and working in LA and continuing to build his brand at a very successful college program. I also get the impression, maybe wrongly, that Williams is a guy that likes to set his own path and not follow a cookie cutter approach to life and his profession. Should be interesting…

[chinngiskhaan]

doesn’t matter one teeny tiny bit. Wins are the only thing that matters.

[The Miami Ute]

To say it doesn’t matter at all is not realistic in my view. What happens if all P5 Champions are undefeated? You don’t think it’ll matter then?

[chinngiskhaan]

LOL! And you claim I’m not being realistic? When all P5 champions are undefeated I will give you my pet flying unicorn pig.

I’ll admit I’m wrong when your scenario happens. Deal?

Also, starting next year, even that won’t matter since the playoff will expand to 12 teams. Before you say, “Well, what if 13 teams finish undefeated?” let me remind you that there have never been 13 undefeated teams in one year in the entire history of college football. Even back when it was normal for teams to only play one game!

[The Miami Ute]

Yes, you’re absolutely being completely unrealistic if your thesis is that the AP poll doesn’t matter at all. You claim I’m being unrealistic with the scenario of all P5 champions being undefeated, well, OK. What about if all P5 champions have one loss? What about if all the P5 champions have one loss and there are two or three or four other P5 teams that also have only one loss and maybe those teams beat the P5 champions in the regular season? Are those also unrealistic scenarios in your world? And playoffs? Playoffs? Nice move trying to buttress your thesis by using a classic strawman argument.

[Hellhound152]

That limp seems to show up any time things are not going his way.

[Tony (admin)]

As my father taught me, when you screw up, fake an injury.

[Ol’ Lefty]

I think Williams is already hurt. He was limping around last night, grabbing his leg and had the same gait pattern he had when we smacked around for three quarters last December. That type of injury will linger with his style of play and with games at Colorado (Arizona at home no big deal) and at Notre Dame I am hoping that they will have used up all their luck and will have settled into the predicablity we have seen before. As good as he is, Utah can contain him, sustain coverage and that game very winnable in the Coliseum. Need some offense.

[The Miami Ute]

Definitely need some offense. Hopefully, at least Cam will be back by that time. If not, not sure why even bother to play him the rest of the season.