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McLaughlin: 8-Game Conference Football Slate a Bad Idea

Plus an evaluation of Cal head coach Justin Wilcox heading into the 2022 season

Posted on May 31, 2022


  By Spencer McLaughlin of Locked on CFB for SuperWest Sports

The Pac-12 has not been back to the College Football Playoff since Washington last appeared in the 2016-17 season.

To some, the idea of an 8-game schedule to boost teams’ records (and, by default, their CFP hopes) is something the Conference could implement to get a team closer to the Final Four at the end of the College Football regular season.

Though it would be the same number of conference games as the SEC and ACC play, this approach to getting a CFP-caliber team from the west coast is misguided.

In today’s episode of Locked On Pac-12, I explain why an 8-game conference schedule is not a good idea, despite those who think otherwise.

Playing one less conference game has not been what has held Pac-12 teams from getting back to the College Football Playoff.

Aside from Oregon in 2019, no team was “one game away”—and even then, having an 8-game conference slate would not have assured the Ducks a slot in the Playoff.

The next Pac-12 Football coach to get an evaluation on the show is Cal Bears HC Justin Wilcox. Entering his fifth full season (sixth overall), Wilcox might have a slightly warm seat underneath him up in Berkeley.

Despite being at a program without a rich tradition of winning, the pressure may slowly be mounting for Wilcox to get things moving in a forward trajectory—and the offense has to be better for that to happen.

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