Every football team in the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC have byes next season. Baylor, Kansas State and West Virginia all have two.
But the Pac-12 chose not to give Arizona and Colorado a week off in 2014. Why? That’s the way the mathematical cards fell; the league says that in its 13-week rotation, every team gets a week off.
It gave Arizona Week 13 off (Nov. 28). Apparently, one school will suffer the same fate/nonsense every season.
Among the 65 Power 5 conference schools, the Wildcats and Buffaloes are the only two without a break.
That can’t be good.
“We play 12 straight weeks; I don’t know if this has ever happened here,” UA coach Rich Rodriguez said last week. “If the folks in the Pac-12 are listening, I’m not saying anything to get fined, but I don’t know how that happens.”
Colorado chose to add a 13th consecutive game — talk about picking your poison — by opening at Hawaii. The Buffaloes will make some extra money, but as RichRod said last week “if you play 12 straight, with no open date at this level, you’d better have a lot of guys ready to play.”
Research suggests that any team unfortunate enough to be on a no-week-off cycle will pay dearly.
ASU’s last no-byes season, 1991, resulted in a 6-5 record and the firing of coach Larry Marmie.
Oregon last attempted a no-bye schedule in 2004. The Ducks went 5-6, their last losing season. They lost the final game 50-21 to Oregon State.
UCLA’s last no-byes season was 2003; the Bruins went 6-7 and lost their last five games after opening 6-2.
RichRod benefited from a wonderful scheduling touch while building his reputation at West Virginia. His first Mountaineer team of note, 11-1 in 2005, had byes on Oct. 22 and Nov. 16.
A year later, finishing 11-2, RichRod’s team had byes on Sept. 30 and Oct. 27.
Arizona and Colorado aren’t anywhere close to being deep enough to survive a 12-week gauntlet, especially in the Pac-12 South. Injuries will become a significant factor.
The Wildcats last played a no-byes season in 1980, a transitional year in which Larry Smith replaced fired coach Tony Mason.
The UA, then 5-5, was so plainly out of gas in its final game, at home against an average (6-4) ASU club, that it lost 44-7.
The no-byes narrative will become much bigger news as the ’15 season wears on and on and on, and it can all be traced to the Pac-12 office.
Not only is Arizona playing 12 straight weeks, but three of its final four games are on the road (at Washington, USC and ASU). And poor Colorado must finish on the road at Washington State and Utah.
