Platform neutral in CFP debate, Westwood ticking clock, ring disruption management – Orange County Register

Comment on happenings on and off the pitch, and the court…

Rising: Pac-12 texting about playoff stalemate

A weekend of no progress on the College Football Playoff expansion ended with a scramble for the top spot, as several commissioners tried to portray themselves as the voice of reason amid the pitch wars. the grass is climbing and decrepit.

The Pac-12 has responded to that situation by zoning out neutral territory – a proactive move that contrasts with its public stance in previous years.

On Monday afternoon, it released a statement expressing support for “all six of the most discussed expansion models that will allow for timely expansion in the final two years of the agreement.” Current CFP”.

It added:

“Pac-12 will continue to take a flexible and solution-oriented approach to enable CFP expansion as soon as possible.”

Now, let’s not make fun of ourselves. Behind the scenes, commissioner George Kliavkoff is undoubtedly pursuing the picks that best suit both the Pac-12 and Rose Bowl, which would lose influence if the playoffs expand to 12 teams and four rounds.

But while his colleagues are public about their preferences, Kliavkoff seems to want to impress his constituents – and the college football world at large – that the Power Five conference needs the most expansion. took no fixed position on one of the most complex issues:

* Expandable to eight teams or 12 teams

* How to automatically allocate six bids (to the highest ranked conference champions or to the best Power Five and Pool of Five champions)

Whether the approach leads to Pac-12 getting exactly what it wants remains to be seen. But with regard to optics, it is wise to actively switch to the neutral zone of the conference.

Falling: An opportunity to change coaching at Westwood

On Sunday, Chip Kelly’s buyout dropped from $9 million to zero. Will he lead the Bruins next season – the last season included in his current contract? He has yet to sign the extension.

A few weeks ago, the Hotline wrote the following in situation analysis:

“We believe it is highly likely that Kelly will coach the Bruins next season. But that doesn’t mean his return isn’t guaranteed. ”

Our position has not changed, although defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro purportedly resigns – as reported by FootballScoop and others – supporting the view that Kelly is likely to return.

The fact that Azzinaro continues to monitor the defense is a potential obstacle.

In our opinion, Kelly’s commitment to a change in defensive leadership could lead to UCLA having to adjust its negotiating stance.

Once Kelly’s situation is resolved, there will only be two potential vacancies in the conference:

1. Utah, where our projections continue to show a zero chance of Kyle Whittingham retiring after the Rose Bowl.

2. An unexpected departure somewhere, by someone, for an unknown reason – in other words: a big surprise.

The probability that that scenario plays out is probably 5% and persists every season.

In Development: Schedule Pac-12 . Basketball

Good good good. Just two weeks after a lot of sound and fury about the decision to postpone the Arizona-UCLA showdown, an offset date has been found.

The sixth-place Wildcats and third-place Bruins will face off on January 25 at the Pauley Pavilion – a date that benefits both teams:

– The Bruins will play in Colorado three days before and have a home game two days later.

– The Wildcats will play at Cal two days before and have a home game four days later.

In terms of limiting player wear and tear, that’s a good thing.

Of course, January 25 is a Tuesday, and showtimes are scheduled for 8pm, so coast-to-coast viewership for a parade game won’t be optimal.

But our guess is that putting the game in the premium window is not an option for two reasons:

1. Pac-12 plays make-up games on Mondays and Tuesdays to give participants a chance from regularly scheduled round-robin matches on weekends.

2. All ESPN is pre-booked during prime time Monday and Tuesday with ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC games.

The conference also announced the rescheduling of four other games recently impacted by COVID, including Oregon-Colorado, which could have implications for the seeding of the Pac-12 tournament: