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All encompassing PAC 4 thread


Sbbruin

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Call me crazy but just what if as a part of their unusual game times to get more eyeballs on their games scheme (and in place of Pac12 Network games) they tried more Sunday morning games? Maybe start even earlier at 8:00 local to try to beat the NFL games start times by even more? I know that’s really early locally but they’d at least have more people tuning into (at least the first half of) their games and especially among the more hardcore CFB vs NFL fans/voter types.

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6 minutes ago, kopp0e said:

Already mentioned:

If by "already" you meant a tweet that's 15 minutes later than my post, then sure.

If Bonagura's right, though, that should be an automatic 25 place drop in the rankings and permanent Window Cougar status for all eternity.

UW pushed their shit in the last two seasons, but the Huskies are very young this year and it would be a great opportunity for BYU to polish their resume. Hard to see why they wouldn't take it. They have a bye this week anyway so even if a Pac-12 team opens up (UW would be obligated to play a conference opponent), they wouldn't lose anything.

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26 minutes ago, mdmost said:

PUSSIES!!! This should exclude them from the playoff once and for all. 

 


Thats not a good look. The issue everyone is going to have is their schedule strength and if they won’t play P5 teams, that should absolutely be held against them. 

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Fuck you Schmitty!

Quote

Once word spread that the Pac-12 is on the brink of allowing non-conference games, the call came swiftly on social media.

Oregon should play Brigham Young.

Utah should play Brigham Young.

Everyone should play Brigham Young!

From a competitive standpoint, any matchup with the Cougars makes sense:

They’re 8-0, ranked No. 8 in the AP poll, contending for a playoff bid and led by a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Zach Wilson.

But from a health and safety standpoint, any matchup with the Cougars is complicated.

By the Pac-12’s own definition, BYU qualifies as a high-level risk.

Why did the presidents and chancellors prohibit non-conference games in the first place?

Because they were worried that differences in safety standards would place teams at risk during games.

Why are some presidents and chancellors still wary of allowing non-conference games?

Because they’re worried about differences in testing protocols.

Well, guess which program has the least amount of accountability when it comes to testing and safety?

BYU is a private school, so it doesn’t release COVID-19 data, and it’s an Independent, so it doesn’t adhere to conference-wide standards.

The Cougars answer to themselves (and any Power Five conference willing to offer them permanent membership).

Unlike Pac-12 teams, they aren’t required to conduct PCR testing at least once a week.

Unlike Pac-12 teams, they aren’t required to conduct daily antigen testing.

Unlike Pac-12 teams, they don’t have a minimum standard for healthy players.

Here’s what we know:

*** The Cougars test players three days per week, according to a report in the Deseret News, and they use saliva tests, which aren’t as accurate as nasal swabs.

The Hotline reached out to a BYU spokesperson on Wednesday for specifics of the testing regimen. We’ll provide an update if specifics become available.

*** The Cougars’ three-days-per-week plan compares poorly to the frequency of testing across the Pac-12, which, based on Hotline research, ranges from six to nine times per week.

(The unknown is Arizona State, a public university that doesn’t disclose details of its testing program or case counts. All we know about ASU’s antigen testing cadence is that, according to a spokesperson, it occurs “on all days there is (a) high level of contact.” The Pac-12 requires antigen tests “each day of full practice” and “higher-risk transmission activity.”)

*** BYU’s process is less stringent than that deployed by the Mountain West, as well.

The MW conducts three antigen tests per week, with a positive followed by a confirmatory PCR, and all results are reported to the conference office.

The Cougars report to nobody.

*** Pac-12 teams must adhere to contact tracing standards set by local health officials and have a threshold for the number of healthy scholarship players.

The Cougars have no minimum.

“We need 11 to play on offense, 11 to play on defense, and 11 to play on special teams,” coach Kalani Sitake told the Deseret News. “So that’s pretty much it.”

*** The Cougars are not required to test players on game day. The only requirement is that they follow NCAA guidelines, which call for testing within 72 hours of competition.

Now, one could argue that any given opponent’s testing plan is irrelevant because there is no evidence of on-field transmission in college football or the NFL.

But that’s not the Pac-12’s approach. The presidents and medical advisors have insisted on a strict testing plan.

Based on their standards, an opponent with BYU’s testing plan seemingly would carry an elevated level of risk.


There is a workaround, but only if Pac-12 teams receive approval for non-conference games … and if the opportunity to play BYU presents itself … and if there is interest in a regular-season matchup and confidence in the safety piece.

The Cougars would have to agree to implement the Pac-12 testing plan and provide assurances on the level of contact tracing — all of which would seemingly increase the likelihood of players being held out.

The Cougars would have to agree to PCR tests on Thursdays.

And antigen tests before departure from campus.

And game-day testing administered by the third-party operator, SafeSite.

How the Pac-12 could ensure that BYU carried out proper contact tracing, we don’t know.

 

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Have to hand it to Stanford. They're making the best of a shitty situation as Santa Clara says organized sports can't happen due to rising Covid numbers. They're going to practice in Seattle all week for their game with Washington on Saturday and then travel to Corvallis next week to do the same thing. They're also giving up a home game to do so. 

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  • blacklab changed the title to All encompassing PAC 4 thread

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