David Shaw Speaks

Stanford head coach David Shaw speaks to reporters during NCAA college Pac-12 Football Media Days, Thursday, July 30, 2015, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Photo: Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press

“Every school plays a tough conference schedule, no matter eight or nine games, but it’s also how you schedule that can help you or hurt you. That’s why I had no qualms with USC getting a bye week before the Pac-12 championship game. They played 12 straight games. That’s insane, which only really happens in our conference. You play 12 straight weeks without a bye, without an (FCS) opponent, so for me anything we can do to normalize the scheduling is for all of our benefit. It makes too much sense.”

— Stanford coach David Shaw 

72 thoughts on “David Shaw Speaks

  1. I don’t think the playoff committee should look at number of loses in determining the teams, they should look at number of wins. Alabama’s win over Mercer (FCS team) should not count, thus Alabama only has 10 wins. Both USC and OSU have 11 wins. But this just makes too much sense.

      • Saban’s excuse was they couldn’t get anyone else to fill the date/game…..are we naive enough to believe that BS, no

        • Of course they couldn’t find anyone else…all the other Power 5 conferences are playing CONFERENCE GAMES in November.

  2. Translation: If USC can’t get any respect within our conference, how in the world will the rest of the nation respect them? If SC can’t get respect as our conference champion, how will the rest of us get any national respect when we win the conference?

    • Like any program, SC must earn respect on the field. Forget the self-inflicted embarrassments (sanctions, inept ADs, coaching carousel) and look at the scores against quality opponents. When you let Alabama, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Stanford, Oregon, etc. run up huge margins of victory in games where you are supposed top be competitive, you lose respect. When you bumble along and barely win games in which you are highly favored, you lose respect.

      It is not the PAC12 conference’s job to dish out “respect” to any team.

      • I’m willing to bet you that the teams within the SEC are VERY, VERY glad that their Commissioner, Greg Sankey, doesn’t think like you do.

  3. …he really is a great coach on many levels…it wont be pretty next year when they play SC…dont see anyone mentioning how much they have improved since playing SC the first game…

  4. Make David Shaw the Commissioner. He is fair, looks out for the conference, and wants to protect each and every school. You have not heard this much from the pencil neck geek commissioner we have now.

  5. Herm Edwards to ASU and the South just got a little more interesting. Maybe he can talk some sense into Larry Scott.

    • The guy has been sitting on the shelf for the last 10 years. We will soon find out if he’s got what to takes to dethrone the Trojans

      • But being a good speaker, Arturo has a great point. Someone needs to grab Larry Scotts pu$see and shake him up.

    • Coach of coaches……Outside of PC, one of my all time favorite college coaches…. yes, always a class act

    • But is he a good coach? He lost to SDSU a team with lesser talent. According to Scott that makes him a loser. Truth is that can happen to any coach. Shaw is the kind of guy college football needs.

  6. Shaw’s a great coach and would be a tremendous P12 Commissioner. For Helton to actually beat Shaw twice in one year is an amazing accomplishment and would be for any coach.

    Can’t wait to see USC play the Bucks, losers of 7-straight to mighty USC, on Dec. 29. Best matchup by far outside of the two PO games.

    • I’m glad you said it first. That was a big take away for me from Friday. Helton has beat David Shaw two in a row, but in the same season from where Furd started to where they ended is pretty impressive.

    • 1. All the “ranking” complaints make no sense. USC did not merit the CFPs, and it got the best bowl opponent outside the CFPs.

      2. USC had a bye before Stanford2, while Stanford played on a short week.

      Love was in very poor shape.

      Most importantly, USC had Sam D, who is as good as CFB QBs get, unless you pressure him mercilessly, when his undeveloped footwork and unstable platform cause him problems. The current Stanford D-line is not great, and could not bring that sort of pressure. Sam had sufficient time, and hence 17/24, 345, 2, 0. That’s a VERY good night, even by Sam’s standards.

      Costello is not Sam D at this point in time. Shaw would tell you that, no doubt.

      Verdict clearly remains out on Helton.

      If USC badly beats Meyer on a neutral site in Dallas, that will be meaningful.

  7. Did Lynn Swann lobby on the Trojans behalf for a playoff appearance? The Sunshine Pumpers believe they have made their case as to why the Trojans deserved a playoff spot over Alabama, how come we didn’t hear Lynn Swann fighting for the Trojans…who knows?

    What we do know is that Lynn Swann had no problem having the Trojans settle for a 3rd tier bowl.

  8. Thank God for Shaw. Maybe the school presidents and ADs will take a more activist role and push back against our idiot conference commish.

    • Thanks. Nothing changes until the University presidents take ownership of their football franchises and put pressure on the conference. This year’s mindless schedule may have cost us a CFP spot, as well as millions of $ for USC, each P12 team, and the conference.

  9. Not only has the NCAA/CFP pushed the PAC 12 and Big 10 Champion out of the Rose Bowl, neither conference champion was given serious consideration for a playoff spot this year, they weren’t even assigned to a New Years Day bowl game. If that’s not a show of disrespect and a slap in the face…

  10. Washington is in the Fiesta Bowl
    while USC is relegated to the 3rd tier Cotton Bowl? WTH? The Trojans are the PAC 12 Champs and they aren’t invited to the more prestigious Fiesta Bowl?

    Michigan and South Carolina with their crap records will be playing on New Years Day?

    LMFAO!

    USC (Max Nikias & Lynn Swann) continue to allow the NCAA/CFP Cartel to clown USC.

    Unbelievable!

    • I didn’t know until right now you were actually this stupid.

      You think it would be better for USC to play in lesser bowls like the Outback, Citrus, and Peach Bowl against weaker opponents, just so USC could be stuck on Jan 1 playing teams like South Carolina, Michigan, LSU and UCF.

      Who wants to play on New Year’s eve in the Fiesta when you can get the Cotton at Jerry World on Dec 29 against #5 OHIO ST? Nobody, that’s who.

      You need a complete brain transplant, pota*rd.

      • Hey idiot, the more prestigious bowl games used to be reserved for New Years Day. Being that you’re clueless you don’t get who they’re lumping USC and Ohio State with on their “December 29th” 3rd tier bowl game. Here is the company the Trojans and Buckeyes will keep the same day of their bowl game.

        Dec. 29

        Belk Bowl
        Wake Forest vs. Texas A&M
        1 p.m. ESPN
        Bank of America Stadium
        Charlotte, North Carolina
        Tickets

        Hyundai Sun Bowl
        No. 24 NC State vs. Arizona State
        3 p.m., CBS
        Sun Bowl
        El Paso, Texas
        Tickets

        Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
        Kentucky vs. No. 21 Northwestern
        4:30 p.m., ESPN
        Nissan Stadium
        Nashville, Tennessee
        Tickets

        NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
        Utah State vs. New Mexico State
        5:30 p.m., CBSSN
        Arizona Stadium
        Tucson, Arizona
        Tickets

        Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
        No. 8 USC vs. No. 5 Ohio State
        8:30 p.m., ESPN
        AT&T Stadium
        Arlington, Texas
        Tickets

        LMFAO!

        You stupid idiot, you probably still don’t get it, playing the same day as though trash teams makes it look as if USC and Ohio State are of their caliber.

        • “as though trash teams”, huh.

          You should take some remedial english classes moron. You’re literally just too stupid and unaware to make any sense. Good luck.

        • So guess what, everyone’s gonna be watching the Cotton Bowl, clown. It’s one of the New Years six bowl games.

          • Uh, it’s one of the New Years six bowl games. And based upon the jacked up scheduling it’s not being played on Jan 1. The Fiesta and Orange Bowls are being played on Dec. 30. Thanks for playing but you didn’t even try, fool.

          • Exactly, so the Cotton Bowl is a New Years Six Bowl just not played on New Years Day…makes as much sense as you do…idiot.

            Again, thanks for playing and proving my point.

            LMFAO!

          • But it won’t be played on New Years Day…just so we’re clear.

            Got it. Again…thanks for playing.

      • Yeah, what corner are you working? If your night goes as usual, you might want to forget about buying a waterpump for your pinto wagon and instead purchase a bus pass or new pair of shoes and get to steppin’.

        LMFAO!

        • The one across from your house. Come on over. I’m offering the “midnight special” well worth your money

  11. Shaw is a class act? Training student athletes to fake injuries because they can’t keep up with our speed is classy? (Maybe I’m just bitter right now because we’re about to loose our coach, our croots and >2+ natties…)

    • Stale quackers! Dumb ducks quack me up, your cheatin ex is sleeping around, here on the west side of LA, maybe you’d like him back. He’s bringing that antiquated old offense you liked so much. But then you just got rid of his protege.
      Quack quack quack quack!

      Here’s to you’re recruiting class! Quack quack quack! It’s quackin up!! About that new coach, slick willie, is he still there, or he out shopping for new digs?

  12. He didn’t say it outright but that phrase “normalize the scheduling” is a shot at playing games on non-Saturday days.

    Bye weeks are scattered among teams and one team will have that one game where the opponent did not play the week before. Can’t change that. The inequality comes when you have a team suit up again on a Thursday or Friday. With the Pac-12 championship game, USC had thirteen days to prepare compared to Stanford’s six.

    This conference just cannot shorten game weeks for it’s teams.

    • Stanford and USC allowing Notre F’ing Dame to get the last regular season weekend game is the underlying problem. Play them in September or dump them.

      • A good idea to rid ourselves of their sweet con and have them scramble when everyone else is playing their final conference game before they potentially play in a CCG something those gutless blanks want nothing to do with.

      • Problem comes when they play lower division teams and only eight conference games. This year we played 10 conference games, including the CCG and bamma played 8. We played nd, they played Mercer. That is the scheduling we need to level, after that the days we play can be addressed.

        • Not sure about Bama and Mercer but some other SEC schools are mandated by state law to play in state smaller schools. Something to do with revenue. Hard to challenge some of those games when a state legislature is involved.

          • They make so much money on their tv deal they can certainly pay the fine if necessary. They’re making 10x what the pac12 does.

      • Works both ways. They can ruin USC’s season/shot at the CFP at the end of a season just as much as USC or Stanford can end ND’s chance at the end.

        Makes it much more exciting when some chances come down to the last weekend.

        • LOL. You’ve got it all upside down and inside out. The Pac 12 owes nothing to ANY single member school. That’s not the mission of the conference. It’s not why USC or Cal or UW have chosen – CHOSEN – to be proud Pac 8/10/12 members for 75 years. A smarter question from you would have been, “how would USC survive without the Pac 12?”

          Go cry in your soup someplace else.

  13. Remarkable comments from the class of the conference truly remarkable.

    We all might also want to focus on the sweet deal permitted to notre dame not having to play in a CCG and listen to the idiocy of the analysts going on 3+ weeks ago on how they had a shot at one of the 4 slots prior to Miami knocking them down as they did us.

    Here’s to LSU continuing the annual tradition of beating the Irish – note they’ve been given a New Years Day Bowl date 9:00 am PST from Orlando (Citrus Bowl).

      • Ok let’s look at notre dame’s vaulted schedule –

        7 home games identical to USC

        Home loss to GA – a victory over USC
        Road – 2 solid beatdowns at the hands of both Miami and Stanford

        USC – no home losses
        2 road – WA St and Notre Dame

        Notre Dame escapes annually having to play a CCG – that ranking of their having the # 8 in strength iof schedule is confusing at best

  14. Hopefully Scott starts listening to the coaches rather than just the TV networks in making his decisions. Right now we need to bet basketball back on track based on USC and Arizonas start we look like the weakest Power 5 conference right now in bball

  15. Perhaps schools like AL who schedule teams like Mercer should have that count AGAINST them rather than be ignored or counted for them. NCAA should come out and tell everyone they WILL play the same number of conference games or it will count against them also. Not sure how yet……working on it.

    • It works. Just tell them next year that they have to abide by playing 9 conference games or they do not get to go to the playoffs. Let saban pout. Who cares.

  16. W*lf doesn’t realize that Shaw just hit a three pointer in his face for USC.
    Hahahahaaaaaaaaaa!

  17. Shaw speaks the truth. I just wish he would tell the World how phony Larry Scott is as a commissioner.

  18. Shaw is 100% correct, scheduling counts a ton. Trojans played 4 teams this year coming off of byes or “virtual byes”. Stanford/bye, Texas/played San Jose St, 50-zip-virtual bye. Wash. St./5th straight home game vs cupcakes-virtual bye, Notre Dame/bye. Makes it difficult week to week, but lack of secondary improvement really cost us a higher ranking.

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