College Football Week 1 is usually full of inter-conference games in which FBS teams vie for supremacy over other regional affiliations.
It's incredibly hard for any single conference to go undefeated in that period, but one did.
The Pac-12 — yes, that's still a thing — went 2-0 on Saturday with remaining members Washington State and Oregon State defeating their respective opponents.
9 of the 10 FBS conferences have found a loss this season. The Pac-12 finishes week 1 undefeated. pic.twitter.com/XTmzC6B4Q8
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 1, 2024
Ok, that's not really that impressive. Both schools were facing clearly inferior FCS foes and had a relatively good chance of coming out on top.
But what is impressive (or kind of sad to be honest) is the resilience (or stubbornness) of both to remain in a conference that needs the scheduling prowess of the Mountain West to stay on life support — and even that isn't guaranteed past this season.
The rest of the original members of the Pac-12 scattered to the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC last year when conference officials dragged their feet on a new TV contract.
What should now be more appropriately dubbed the Pac-Two has lingered in limbo ever since, eventually signing a deal with The CW to nationally distribute Washington State and Oregon State's games.
It's only a matter of time until the Pac-12 and Mountain West merge in some form, whether that revives the original Pac-12 branding or creates some new hybrid of the two is anyone's guess.
The conference will have it's first true test next week when Washington State hosts Texas Tech and Oregon State visits San Diego State on Sept. 7.
More must-reads:
The Cleveland Browns are a step closer to finding their starting quarterback for the upcoming season. The Browns had a four-way race for the QB1 job entering training camp. Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were long-shot contenders for the gig. The real competition has been between Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. However, the race has dramatically changed following Pickett's hamstring injury. Per Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Flacco is now the "strong favorite" to win the starting job, as the veteran has taken advantage of his reps while Pickett remains limited at practice. "Pickett said he’s working '24-7' to get back to full speed but acknowledged he’s losing ground," Jackson wrote. "Joe Flacco’s two best throwing days have been the two most recent days, Friday and Saturday. Neither of the rookies ever had much of a realistic chance to win the starting job this August, and over the last week, Flacco has gone from presumed favorite to strong favorite. What always mattered most was finding the No. 1 — even if that status was going to be in flux at some point — and letting the folks in charge evaluate and decide on the rest of the depth chart and the room. There’s a lot of camp left, and there’s obviously a lot still to be settled with Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders. Flacco's resurgence in 2023, when he won NFL Comeback Player of the Year, was the main reason the Browns made the playoffs that season. His familiarity with Cleveland and head coach Kevin Stefanski makes him the natural choice to start Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, even if Pickett wasn't sidelined for team drills.
With training camps approaching in one month, the Boston Celtics could add an interesting player to their roster. This addition would provide depth to their center rotation, which remains a significant hole they need to address. Currently, the Boston Celtics’ center rotation includes Xavier Tillman, Luka Garza, and Neemias Queta. All three players either lack experience or consistent production, and none match the quality of their previous rotation featuring Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. The potential addition doesn’t reach the caliber of Porzingis or Horford, and isn’t even close to Kornet’s level. However, there’s development potential given that he’s only 24 years old. Charles Bassey, the former San Antonio Spurs player who competed with the Celtics during last summer’s league, has emerged as the candidate in question. Bassey chooses NBA over European opportunity NBA insider Noa Dazzell reported that Bassey prefers playing for the Celtics next season rather than accepting an overseas offer with Partizan Belgrade in the Serbian League. “He’s not currently planning on going overseas, that seems to be pretty unlikely, and almost like a last resort type of thing. And right now, I think, you know, he feels pretty confident that he’s going to play in the NBA next season,” Dazzell explained. “He currently still views the Celtics as a top destination, and really, really wants to end up in Boston. And that’s not me saying that that’s going to happen, but that’s a top priority for him. He loves the culture. He loves the fact that they’ve been in the playoffs routinely. It’s a culture of winning, the coaches,” she added. Boston has roster spot available for potential signing The Celtics maintain one open roster spot that could accommodate Bassey’s addition. His summer league performance with Boston demonstrated his potential value to the organization. “He really wants to come to the Celtics. We’ll see whether it works out right now. Boston has one remaining roster spot that’s open,” Dazzell noted. Bassey’s summer league production included impressive numbers of 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. These statistics explain why other teams like Partizan Belgrade have shown interest in acquiring his services, as well as the fact that he is athletic rim‑runner with elite length and shot‑blocking instincts. His strong summer showing could translate to meaningful NBA contributions if he maintains his health and development trajectory. Injury history creates concern about reliability Bassey has struggled with health issues throughout his NBA career, frequently dealing with injuries that have limited his availability. His most significant setback came with an ACL injury in 2023 that restricted him to only 19 games that season. Last season with the Spurs, he appeared in 36 games while averaging modest numbers of 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. The limited production reflects both his role and ongoing health challenges. His injury history raises questions about long-term reliability, but his youth and potential upside could make him worth the risk for a team who needs depth in the center area like Boston.
Giving Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro an opportunity to lead the Miami Heat appears the most likely outcome for the 2025-2026 season. However, the right opportunity arising at February's trade deadline could always shift an organization's plans. The Los Angeles Clippers have the league's oldest roster, led by Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, and more, so there's no telling how much next year will play out for them. It's possible all of the veteran stars thrive together, or the Clippers could fall completely out of title contention due to injuries and inconsistency. If the latter takes place, PFSN predicts the Heat could swoop in and acquire Leonard in a win-now blockbuster trade. The six-time All-Star has two seasons remaining on his three-year, $153 million contract, which is ideal for Miami's front office. It would give the Heat a few seasons to contend with a trio of Herro, Adebayo, and Leonard before money comes off the books for what is projected to be a loaded 2027 free agency class. Los Angeles trading Leonard would signal a rebuild is on the horizon, so the likes of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and draft capital could play a part in this scenario. One obstacle to this deal occurring is the Heat are often stubborn about how many assets are given up, so it's much more likely Leonard finishes out his rollercoaster career in L.A. or elsewhere. Miami Heat Moderately Rated In ESPN's Latest Free Agency Power Rankings Miami Heat Star Viewed As Biggest Building Block For Future
Much to Manchester United fans’ delight, it now looks as though Kobbie Mainoo will be staying at the club long-term. This comes after Mainoo had seemingly been facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford, initally due to the fact he had not agreed a new contract despite being in negotiations with United for over 12 months. Additionally, it became clear shortly after Ruben Amorim took the reins that the coach was struggling to determine the midfielder’s best role in his newly-implemented system, having utilised him just in front of the backline, in a more attacking role and, on one occasion last season, as a No.9. Mainoo had been linked with two of United’s top-flight rivals Such indecision over Mainoo’s Red Devils tenure prompted Tottenham Hotspur to approach United last month to gauge the feasibility of him leaving his boyhood club. Chelsea are also long-time admirers of the 20-year-old but they are instead set to pursue a move for Alejandro Garnacho this summer. For the United faithful, the prospect of losing their homegrown starlet so early in his senior career was an unthinkable one. He took the Premier League by storm when he broke onto the scene back in 2023/2024, and, while the hype quietened last term due to a stop-start injury-ridden campaign, Mainoo remains one of the most exhilarating youngsters plying his trade in Europe at this time. The state of play regarding Mainoo’s future Alas, fans will breathe a sigh of relief to learn that Amorim is indeed moving forward with Mainoo poised to play a key role in his plans, with Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke claiming it’s ‘increasingly likely’ the 10-capped England international stays put. Amorim is said to have been ‘won over’ by the player’s showings in training and on the pitch, and it’s been noted that Mainoo has ‘got his head down’ in hopes of ‘cementing himself’ in the boss’s project.
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