Per Trojans wire, and when it's broken down, they're right...
Let’s be adults here, folks. Let’s be grownups. Let’s be mature individuals and admit the simple truth. It’s okay. It’s not a sign of weakness to admit what we can all see in the room: The Pac-12 very clearly catered to the University of Oregon in crafting and approving of its 2023 conference football schedule. The conference was just as clear and transparent in not catering to the University of Southern California.
We can simply admit this as mature adults, or we can look off to the side and pretend this didn’t happen. It’s your choice.
We don’t have to pretend. We can be honest with ourselves and each other and see this schedule for what it is.
Let’s be very clear: USC was catered to and given a soft, cushiony ride last year in the 2022 schedule release. The Pac-12 rolled out the red carpet for the Trojans. We never refused to admit that, too.
Then came the move to the Big Ten. Suddenly, USC was no longer valued by George Kliavkoff. Oregon was.
We can just admit this or pretend these considerations are irrelevant. Come on now. Let’s go through the details and simply admit the truth:
BACK TO BACK ROAD GAMES
Dan Lanning — USA TODAY Sports
Oregon is the only Pac-12 team which doesn’t have to play road games in consecutive weeks on the 2023 football schedule.
Come on now. Something like that just doesn’t happen by accident. It’s called P-H-I-L K-N-I-G-H-T.
OREGON-UTAH ON OCTOBER 28
Oregon plays Utah on Oct. 28.
The week before, on Oct. 21, Utah plays at USC. Oregon plays Washington State at home.
Come on now. Utah gets a uniquely tough road. The Utes were one of the big losers in this schedule alongside USC.
Oregon is being put in position to succeed. Phil Knight would approve.
OREGON-WASHINGTON OFF WEEK
Oregon and Washington get the week off before they play. The Ducks and Huskies also get a week off in the middle third of the season, which is when an off week is most advantageous.
Let’s be honest: Kliavkoff needs Oregon and Washington to stay in the Pac-12. He needs to make sure those schools have minimal to no reason to want to bolt for another conference. Of course he’s going to throw those schools a bone or two. It’s actually smart politics. I respect it.
Let’s just be grownups and admit this was part of the calculus when schedule was released. It’s not an idle coincidence.
Come on now.
USC "OFF" WEEK
Come on now. USC doesn’t have the week “off” in Week 13.
USC getting Week 13 “off” really isn’t a true off week, since the Trojans will have played their 12-game slate before Week 13. Having that week open means something only if USC gets to Las Vegas, and the Pac-12 made it supremely difficult for the Trojans to get to Vegas.
OREGON BUFFERS
If you look closely at Oregon’s 2023
football schedule at Ducks Wire, you will notice that none of the three big games for the Ducks — Washington, Utah, or USC — come back-to-back. They are all separated by easier, more manageable games.
Washington, Utah and USC do not have that enormous luxury.
WASHINGTON BACK TO BACK
Washington plays USC on Nov. 4 and Utah on Nov. 11. Back-to-back games against the toughest teams in the Pac-12.
UTAH BACK-TO-BACK
Utah plays USC on Oct. 21, Oregon on Oct. 28. Back-to-back against the top tier of the conference.
The UCLA-Oregon State back-to-back is on a short week in late September. The Utes were done no favors, which — when combined with USC’s rough ride — adds to the reality that Oregon is uniquely set up to succeed here.
USC BACK-TO-BACKS, PLURAL
USC has a Pac-12 back-to-back against Washington on Nov. 4 and Oregon on Nov. 11. Oregon plays Cal the week before playing USC.
Really, this could not be any clearer.
USC also has a back-to-back involving Notre Dame on Oct. 14 and Utah on Oct. 21. Tough games in consecutive weeks, twice.
Come on now. We all have our eyes open here.
OREGON BLACK FRIDAY
The Pac-12 made sure to put Oregon-Oregon State on Thanksgiving Friday to ensure that the Ducks get an extra day of rest before the Pac-12 title game if they get there.
BOTTOM LINE
From start to finish, the 2023 Pac-12 football schedule gives breaks to Oregon which don’t exist for other programs, particularly USC and Utah. We can either admit this as mature adults, or pretend this didn’t actually happen.
George Kliavkoff isn’t a villain for doing this, we should clarify. He’s just being smart and catering to most of his constituents, chiefly Phil Knight.
If Kliavkoff did make one mistake, it’s that he actually didn’t cater to Utah enough. Could the Utes have second thoughts after being wronged in a few obvious ways by this schedule? We’ll see
Edited for pictures and credits. Whole thing here:
If you were #Pac12 commissioner right now, you would have catered to #Oregon -- not #USC -- in crafting your football schedule. Even @Ducks_Wire would agree.
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