May 5, 2026 • 17 mins
Jon Wilner from The San Jose Mercury News joins Softy and Dick Fain to talk about the finances for the University of Washington right now in the Big Ten compared to what it would have been in the Pac-12, how the Big 12 works, the Spring Games potentially not happening in the near future, UW’s football ranking now, and Demond Williams’ future.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Lady, you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it at Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJR.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
FM, It is time for our weekly Pac twelve conversation
with Senos, a Mercury News reporter John Wilner, brought to
you by simply Seattle. Our friends at simply Seattle dot
com have the most amazing collection of all things Seattle
Seahawks gear UW hats, the largest selection of Sonics gear
anywhere in the world. Learn more at simply Seattle dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
All right, we're back at Jimmy's on First Pick. Thanks
to our friends at simply Seattle dot com. You got
your rye on anything KJR fifteen for fifteen percent off
whatever at simply Seattle dot com. Marenergear Seahawks Championship merchandise
still flying off the shells. Use code KJR fifteen for
fifteen percent off what ebbs at simply Sattle dot com.
Here he is our friend, the Pope of the packagit
(01:00):
ten Baron himself, Johnny Wilner, John, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm good?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
How you guys doings well?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Can you go over the Big Ten payouts that were
made per school?
Speaker 4 (01:11):
How much money you dub made?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And if we are all still thinking that the Huskies
made the right move financially leaving the Pac twelve and
going to the Big Ten.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
For sure?
Speaker 5 (01:22):
So Friday evening the Big Ten release Friday afternoon, Friday
Evening released the tax filings for the twenty five fiscal year.
So the twenty four football season Spring of twenty five,
the first year of an eighteen team Big Ten record revenue,
(01:42):
record distributions to the schools the average amount to There
are sixteen schools that have full shares, right everybody except
Oregon and Washington. Those schools averaged about seventy nine million
in distributions from the conference office. Oregon and Washington are
half share members. Oregon took home forty eight million, Washington
(02:08):
took home forty six million. The difference there was Oregon's
participation in the CFP in December of twenty four. So basically,
if you're a Husky fan, you're looking at a forty
six million dollar take on from the Big ten, and
the average school is pulling in thirty three million more
(02:28):
than you are. And that is not a one time occurrence, right,
Washington's a half share member for six years. If you
do the math, the Huskies are basically one hundred and
eighty million dollars behind the average school and the Big
ten Oregon is as well. But we know Oregon has
an eighty six year old shoe dog advantage that Washington
(02:50):
does not have. But that is a whole lot of
money that the Huskies are behind their competition.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Well, that's one way to put it right.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
The other way to put it is how much they're
making versus what they would have made if they had
stayed in the PAC twelve. So I get your point
about the buck eighty that they're not getting because they
don't have a full share. How much better off are
they financially versus the old setup if they would have
stayed in that old conference.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Well, if they had stayed in the old conference and
they had done the Apple deal. There are still a
few pieces that we don't know about the Apple deal,
but I think that they are certainly they are better
off The answer to that is yes. The question is
are they enough better off to justify some of the
(03:41):
other challenges. Now, I think you can make a strong
case that they are because the platform of the Big
ten provides the longer term security the Big ten provides.
But competitively, and we've talked about this, you can make
a case that they would have a better chance of
getting into the CFP if they had stayed in the
PAC twelve.
Speaker 6 (04:00):
Well, we'll see how many PAC twelve teams get to
go in a new CFP when when that comes up.
But that'll be a question that we can ask you
next year or the year after. Why does private capital
work for the Big twelve in your mind but not
for the Big Ten?
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Well, because it's a big difference in how they're structuring
the deal. The Big twelve is basically taken about twelve
million bucks from a private capital for conference operations, and
then it's giving each school the option to take a
thirty million dollar loan. The Big Ten was giving away
(04:35):
equity in the conference, like literally a piece of ownership
in the conference. The Big twelve is not doing that.
There is no equity, there is no ownership. It's just
a it's basically a credit card. Big tend to not
do that. It was a much deeper stake, and they
were selling They were basically selling off the part of
(04:57):
the future of the conference, you know. And you look
at the number. Two point four billion would have been
the ten percent stake for the private capital firm. The
Big Ten's just churn it, spitting out one point four
billion in a single year or two to all at school.
So I just think that it was a huge would
(05:17):
have been a huge mistake had they done it.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, Well, John Wilners with us on the program and
John Udubb had their Spring game Dogs after Dark Spring
Fling kind of carnival thing on Friday, And you know,
Dick and I were talking about this the other day
yesterday as a matter of fact, on the radio show that.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Our pat shown was on with us.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I think it was about a year ago or so,
and said, yeah, there's a chance that eventually these spring
games kind of maybe go away. I mean, you know,
I mentioned maybe going away to the Pro Bowl and
just turning it into something else entirely. U Dub has
been struggling to find a way to get people involved.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
They've moved the game to a Friday.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
The crowd was okay, but it wasn't great by any
stretch of the imagination on Friday night. What is your
take on what the future of things like that are,
especially for teams like you DUB on the West Coast
that don't draw with them.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Maybe SEC does.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Yeah, Well, the thing is that the spring games have
lost a lot of value because none of the everybody
is scared about the other teams seeing your video. They're
scared about seeing players approaching your players. But I think
that the spring practice itself and spring games it's going
away now. I don't know if it'll be gone away
by next spring, but in a few years, there will
(06:30):
be no spring practice as we've known it. It will
be something closer to an NFL ota, A series of
OTAs sprinkled in me. You know, maybe you have a
week in April and week in May, a week in June,
or two weeks in May and a week in June.
They're gonna move to something like that because they're gonna
they're moving every the calendar is changing, they're moving things up.
(06:52):
They want they want more of an NFL offseason model.
I think so Washington, My guess is Washington won't have
a spring game in twenty twenty eight.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
Wow, all right, right, John, it's a top twenty five
team at time. It's post spring top twenty five time.
And I thought it was very interesting how consistent the
major players nationally.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Had the Huskies.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
ESPN had the Huskies seventeen, CBS had the Huskies eighteen,
Fox had the Huskies nineteen.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Where does John Wilner have.
Speaker 6 (07:25):
The Huskies in his top twenty five going into the season.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Here we go, I don't have it in front of me.
I think I have him right around seventeen.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Okay, so thank god, which I.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
Did it, But this was a version two point zero
from me. I did an initial early ranking in January,
right after the national title game, and if you'll recall,
at that point, the portal was closed, but there were
still a lot of guys in the portal. I had Washington,
I believe, twentieth back in January, and I think I
(08:00):
moved them up a couple of spots in the version
I just published the other day.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Nice, okay, Sarah, Well, and what would be let me
ask you this, what would be looked at as a
success for Jetfish in year number three? Considering where they
were when he took over two years ago and where
they are now. What should Husky fans expectations be in
year three for Jetfish.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
With the non conference schedule, I think that the bar
has got to be nine wins. I mean, if they're
below that, it's a disappointment if they don't make the playoff.
I don't think you can say it's, you know, a
failed season or disappointing season they don't make the playoff.
But I think they need to be in that conversation
we get to November whatever it is. First second, when
(08:51):
the first playoff rankings come out, they need to be
in that top twenty five. Now, whether they all get
into it the twelve team event or not, I don't know. Oh,
but they they got to be part of the conversation.
I think if they are off the off the radar
that all of November, that that's that's not good.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Be in the conversation for the for the playoff tournament
when the calendar turns and the first rankings come out.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
But Dick and I and Jackson.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Have talked about this, that does that mean nine to
one in the first ten games before they play Indiana
Oregon can they afford to have two hiccups you think
before those final two regular season.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
Games, So they finished with Indiana and organ there's a
last two. Yes, I think that they I mean, if
you're gonna assume they lose both, then yeah, they got
to be nine to one. But you never know, right
they could they could win one of those two. We
have no idea how those teams are going to turn out.
We think they're gonna be really good, but things change Washington.
Speaker 6 (09:51):
Just they can't lose.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
A game that they shouldn't lose, right, you go on
the road against a bowl bound Big Ten team and
you lose that game. That's one thing. You can't lose
a game that they absolutely shouldn't lose. To Me's that's
kind of where it starts when the games you're supposed
to win. His third year. In his third year and
Tucson Fish went nine and three. They were one of
(10:14):
the biggest surprises in the country that year. And I
think he's you know, he's had enough time, and his
offensive line should be better, his quarterbacks should be better,
and they should be a real relevant football program.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Well, and also on the defensive side, I saw the
I think it was the times that put out what
Ryan Walters has done in year two. At his other
two stints at Missouri, his defense went from twenty five
points to game to nineteen points a game in year two.
At Illinois, went from twenty two points a game to
thirteen points a game in year two, and last year
(10:50):
he only allowed nineteen points a game for Washington.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
So he's not gonna drop it that much.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
But could you see this defense, you know, following that trend,
you know, averaging fifteen sixteen points, because that's a playoff
type defense.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
It is somewhere in that range. But to me, the
question isn't the defense, it's the offense. Yeah, right, it's
they have got to score against the better teams on
their schedule. They can't go seven points you know against Indiana,
seven against Oregon, that kind of thing. They got to
show they can move the ball and get in the
(11:25):
end zone against top twenty five competition. That to me
is the whole question for the season for them, and
that starts upfront. Frankly, I mean, the offensive line's got.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
To be better. Yeah, I think they will be better
offensive line.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
This is the best line I think jet Fish has
had since he's been here. A lot.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
That's why I've got him where I do. That's why
I rank him. I think it's gonna be better.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Right Well, jet Fish said something interesting the year day
after the spring game was over, and maybe it's just
him being optimistic, he said, Look, there's a chance to
Mont Williams plays three more years here, which is five
years total for the five for five things are that
the under he's gonna play this year, he's gonna play
two more on campus at Montlake. Where do you say
the odds are and demon Williams playing five years at Washington?
Speaker 4 (12:11):
John Wow?
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Yeah, way definitely less than fifty to fifty. But the
thing is if he's doing if he's playing that fifth year,
that means he wasn't good enough as a fourth year
player to feel comfortable that his end a draft position,
right right. That's that's what I would take from it.
That he's saying, I'm gonna earn more money from nil
(12:35):
as a fifth year player for Washington than I would
as a you know, fifth, sixth round pick in the NFL.
And that, to me would say that his career as
a performer doesn't doesn't maybe match the expectations people have
for him right now, Frankly, Washington would be better off
if he goes to the NFL after his fourth year,
(12:56):
because that would mean that he's been a high level quarterback.
Speaker 6 (13:01):
John, do you like the change of the CFP rules
to allow the one seed to kind of pick their
path that they want, followed by the two seed getting
the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I mean, that's that.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
Seems to be a pretty sizable change.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Yeah, it is. I think it's good.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I think you should.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
They need to, you know, make it worthwhile, make winning
your conference championship game worthwhile. I think that's part of
the reason they're doing it. There's so much talk about
the conference championship games not being valuable. You know, the
SEC has had issues with the impact the championship game
has had on its teams in the playoffs. I think
that's part of what it is. Is is they want
(13:37):
to give teams a reason to play to win in
their conference championships. As crazy as that sounds, that's kind
of where things are at this point. They are they are,
you know, losing their relevance very quickly.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Yeah, John Willner, great stuff, Manu, and we appreciate you
putting U dub seventeenth because that means Dick Fane's not
angry at you.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I don't like it when Dick Fane's anger, you know,
I don't need it. I don't like being so he's
let's keep saying nice thing. Yeah, no want.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
So.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah too late man, all right. John Wilner with us
on the radio show. I was just thinking about what
he said there about, uh, you know, the odds of
making the playoff in the old PAC twelve versus the
Big ten. Now, keep in mind, if the Huskies had
stayed in the PAC twelve, Oregon would have stayed with him,
so you would have had uw Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State,
and then a bunch of new teams right, Fresno State, Nevada,
(14:33):
San Diego State, whatever, blah blah blah. The question is
not are they making more money? They are making more money.
I think, uh, they're losing out on some money, but
they're also making more money than what they would have
been making if they had stayed in the old PAC
twelve of the Apple deal, is there a better shot
of them making a Final four or excuse me, a
playoff by being one of the how many teams on
(14:55):
average you think Dick ball Park will make the tournament
in a twelve team player from the Big ten.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Four to say four on average, that's right, yeah, four
to five, say four?
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Are they better off being one of those four? Are
one of the one or two? Maybe not too well
if Oregon and you dab are both good and both
in the top fifteen. But that's the point, right, Are
they better off being that one or two team or
one of the four teams in a conference that includes Michigan, Oregon,
(15:24):
Ohio State, USC, Penn State, all these other programs?
Speaker 4 (15:29):
And I just think time will bear that.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
I have a firm opinion on this, and it goes
twofold one. The PAC twelve will continue to decline in
influence as the college football playoffs expand.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Which PAC twelve, the PAC twelve that we have now
are the PAC twelve that we would have had a
few doubed state Because that's the question, right, We're not
comparing it to what the PAC twelve looks like today, correct,
We're comparing it to what it would have looked like
if the Huskies an Oregon had stay.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
Even if the Huskies in Oregon has stayed, it would
still have been a regional conference. That the nation does
not pay attention. Okay, Secondly, you would have gotten much
less talent, which means that even if you were to
go to the playoffs as a Pac twelve school, you
would have gotten slammed in the playoffs. Versus being a
Big ten team, which just Oregon in Washington's recruits, they're
(16:17):
just better football players than they would have been getting
in in the Pac twelve. You would not have been
able to compete with Big ten and SEC teams once
you got into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
If you're from the.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Pac twelve, well, I mean, look, I don't know if
I agree with that part. I do agree with you
that I think they're better off of the Big ten, right,
I just think financially talent wise, they're better off in
the Big ten. I'm not saying a team from that
conference could not have made a run, but I do
agree with the general point that they would be getting
better talent, better coverage, better players. Everything's better in this
conference because I think people tend to forget the chicken
(16:50):
crap perception of the Pac twelve. Even when USC, Oregon
and you DUBB all played together. I mean, all of
a sudden, the conference flows up like well, maybe it
wasn't that bad.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
No, it was that bad. It was terrible.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Leadership was terrible, the marketing was terrible, the perception was awful.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
All those things were bad. So I think they are
better off.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
But I do think there is some room for the
opposite side that wonders, can we be as competitive as
we want to be?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Can we make championships?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Can we make the College Football Playoff Tournament as consistently
as we want to in this conference? Versus what we
would have had access to if we had stayed with
Oregon in a new look PAC twelve that did not
include the LA schools. Let's do this. We're gonna break.
Julio Rodriguez, You're ready, forty four Gona enjoy next on
ninety three to three KJARFM
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Lady, you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it at Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJR.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
FM, It is time for our weekly Pac twelve conversation
with Senos, a Mercury News reporter John Wilner, brought to
you by simply Seattle. Our friends at simply Seattle dot
com have the most amazing collection of all things Seattle
Seahawks gear UW hats, the largest selection of Sonics gear
anywhere in the world. Learn more at simply Seattle dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
All right, we're back at Jimmy's on First Pick. Thanks
to our friends at simply Seattle dot com. You got
your rye on anything KJR fifteen for fifteen percent off
whatever at simply Seattle dot com. Marenergear Seahawks Championship merchandise
still flying off the shells. Use code KJR fifteen for
fifteen percent off what ebbs at simply Sattle dot com.
Here he is our friend, the Pope of the packagit
(01:00):
ten Baron himself, Johnny Wilner, John, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm good?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
How you guys doings well?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Can you go over the Big Ten payouts that were
made per school?
Speaker 4 (01:11):
How much money you dub made?
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And if we are all still thinking that the Huskies
made the right move financially leaving the Pac twelve and
going to the Big Ten.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
For sure?
Speaker 5 (01:22):
So Friday evening the Big Ten release Friday afternoon, Friday
Evening released the tax filings for the twenty five fiscal year.
So the twenty four football season Spring of twenty five,
the first year of an eighteen team Big Ten record revenue,
(01:42):
record distributions to the schools the average amount to There
are sixteen schools that have full shares, right everybody except
Oregon and Washington. Those schools averaged about seventy nine million
in distributions from the conference office. Oregon and Washington are
half share members. Oregon took home forty eight million, Washington
(02:08):
took home forty six million. The difference there was Oregon's
participation in the CFP in December of twenty four. So basically,
if you're a Husky fan, you're looking at a forty
six million dollar take on from the Big ten, and
the average school is pulling in thirty three million more
(02:28):
than you are. And that is not a one time occurrence, right,
Washington's a half share member for six years. If you
do the math, the Huskies are basically one hundred and
eighty million dollars behind the average school and the Big
ten Oregon is as well. But we know Oregon has
an eighty six year old shoe dog advantage that Washington
(02:50):
does not have. But that is a whole lot of
money that the Huskies are behind their competition.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Well, that's one way to put it right.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
The other way to put it is how much they're
making versus what they would have made if they had
stayed in the PAC twelve. So I get your point
about the buck eighty that they're not getting because they
don't have a full share. How much better off are
they financially versus the old setup if they would have
stayed in that old conference.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Well, if they had stayed in the old conference and
they had done the Apple deal. There are still a
few pieces that we don't know about the Apple deal,
but I think that they are certainly they are better
off The answer to that is yes. The question is
are they enough better off to justify some of the
(03:41):
other challenges. Now, I think you can make a strong
case that they are because the platform of the Big
ten provides the longer term security the Big ten provides.
But competitively, and we've talked about this, you can make
a case that they would have a better chance of
getting into the CFP if they had stayed in the
PAC twelve.
Speaker 6 (04:00):
Well, we'll see how many PAC twelve teams get to
go in a new CFP when when that comes up.
But that'll be a question that we can ask you
next year or the year after. Why does private capital
work for the Big twelve in your mind but not
for the Big Ten?
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Well, because it's a big difference in how they're structuring
the deal. The Big twelve is basically taken about twelve
million bucks from a private capital for conference operations, and
then it's giving each school the option to take a
thirty million dollar loan. The Big Ten was giving away
(04:35):
equity in the conference, like literally a piece of ownership
in the conference. The Big twelve is not doing that.
There is no equity, there is no ownership. It's just
a it's basically a credit card. Big tend to not
do that. It was a much deeper stake, and they
were selling They were basically selling off the part of
(04:57):
the future of the conference, you know. And you look
at the number. Two point four billion would have been
the ten percent stake for the private capital firm. The
Big Ten's just churn it, spitting out one point four
billion in a single year or two to all at school.
So I just think that it was a huge would
(05:17):
have been a huge mistake had they done it.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, Well, John Wilners with us on the program and
John Udubb had their Spring game Dogs after Dark Spring
Fling kind of carnival thing on Friday, And you know,
Dick and I were talking about this the other day
yesterday as a matter of fact, on the radio show that.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Our pat shown was on with us.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I think it was about a year ago or so,
and said, yeah, there's a chance that eventually these spring
games kind of maybe go away. I mean, you know,
I mentioned maybe going away to the Pro Bowl and
just turning it into something else entirely. U Dub has
been struggling to find a way to get people involved.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
They've moved the game to a Friday.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
The crowd was okay, but it wasn't great by any
stretch of the imagination on Friday night. What is your
take on what the future of things like that are,
especially for teams like you DUB on the West Coast
that don't draw with them.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Maybe SEC does.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
Yeah, Well, the thing is that the spring games have
lost a lot of value because none of the everybody
is scared about the other teams seeing your video. They're
scared about seeing players approaching your players. But I think
that the spring practice itself and spring games it's going
away now. I don't know if it'll be gone away
by next spring, but in a few years, there will
(06:30):
be no spring practice as we've known it. It will
be something closer to an NFL ota, A series of
OTAs sprinkled in me. You know, maybe you have a
week in April and week in May, a week in June,
or two weeks in May and a week in June.
They're gonna move to something like that because they're gonna
they're moving every the calendar is changing, they're moving things up.
(06:52):
They want they want more of an NFL offseason model.
I think so Washington, My guess is Washington won't have
a spring game in twenty twenty eight.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
Wow, all right, right, John, it's a top twenty five
team at time. It's post spring top twenty five time.
And I thought it was very interesting how consistent the
major players nationally.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Had the Huskies.
Speaker 6 (07:16):
ESPN had the Huskies seventeen, CBS had the Huskies eighteen,
Fox had the Huskies nineteen.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Where does John Wilner have.
Speaker 6 (07:25):
The Huskies in his top twenty five going into the season.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Here we go, I don't have it in front of me.
I think I have him right around seventeen.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Okay, so thank god, which I.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
Did it, But this was a version two point zero
from me. I did an initial early ranking in January,
right after the national title game, and if you'll recall,
at that point, the portal was closed, but there were
still a lot of guys in the portal. I had Washington,
I believe, twentieth back in January, and I think I
(08:00):
moved them up a couple of spots in the version
I just published the other day.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Nice, okay, Sarah, Well, and what would be let me
ask you this, what would be looked at as a
success for Jetfish in year number three? Considering where they
were when he took over two years ago and where
they are now. What should Husky fans expectations be in
year three for Jetfish.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
With the non conference schedule, I think that the bar
has got to be nine wins. I mean, if they're
below that, it's a disappointment if they don't make the playoff.
I don't think you can say it's, you know, a
failed season or disappointing season they don't make the playoff.
But I think they need to be in that conversation
we get to November whatever it is. First second, when
(08:51):
the first playoff rankings come out, they need to be
in that top twenty five. Now, whether they all get
into it the twelve team event or not, I don't know. Oh,
but they they got to be part of the conversation.
I think if they are off the off the radar
that all of November, that that's that's not good.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Be in the conversation for the for the playoff tournament
when the calendar turns and the first rankings come out.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
But Dick and I and Jackson.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Have talked about this, that does that mean nine to
one in the first ten games before they play Indiana
Oregon can they afford to have two hiccups you think
before those final two regular season.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
Games, So they finished with Indiana and organ there's a
last two. Yes, I think that they I mean, if
you're gonna assume they lose both, then yeah, they got
to be nine to one. But you never know, right
they could they could win one of those two. We
have no idea how those teams are going to turn out.
We think they're gonna be really good, but things change Washington.
Speaker 6 (09:51):
Just they can't lose.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
A game that they shouldn't lose, right, you go on
the road against a bowl bound Big Ten team and
you lose that game. That's one thing. You can't lose
a game that they absolutely shouldn't lose. To Me's that's
kind of where it starts when the games you're supposed
to win. His third year. In his third year and
Tucson Fish went nine and three. They were one of
(10:14):
the biggest surprises in the country that year. And I
think he's you know, he's had enough time, and his
offensive line should be better, his quarterbacks should be better,
and they should be a real relevant football program.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Well, and also on the defensive side, I saw the
I think it was the times that put out what
Ryan Walters has done in year two. At his other
two stints at Missouri, his defense went from twenty five
points to game to nineteen points a game in year two.
At Illinois, went from twenty two points a game to
thirteen points a game in year two, and last year
(10:50):
he only allowed nineteen points a game for Washington.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
So he's not gonna drop it that much.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
But could you see this defense, you know, following that trend,
you know, averaging fifteen sixteen points, because that's a playoff
type defense.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
It is somewhere in that range. But to me, the
question isn't the defense, it's the offense. Yeah, right, it's
they have got to score against the better teams on
their schedule. They can't go seven points you know against Indiana,
seven against Oregon, that kind of thing. They got to
show they can move the ball and get in the
(11:25):
end zone against top twenty five competition. That to me
is the whole question for the season for them, and
that starts upfront. Frankly, I mean, the offensive line's got.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
To be better. Yeah, I think they will be better
offensive line.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
This is the best line I think jet Fish has
had since he's been here. A lot.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
That's why I've got him where I do. That's why
I rank him. I think it's gonna be better.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Right Well, jet Fish said something interesting the year day
after the spring game was over, and maybe it's just
him being optimistic, he said, Look, there's a chance to
Mont Williams plays three more years here, which is five
years total for the five for five things are that
the under he's gonna play this year, he's gonna play
two more on campus at Montlake. Where do you say
the odds are and demon Williams playing five years at Washington?
Speaker 4 (12:11):
John Wow?
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Yeah, way definitely less than fifty to fifty. But the
thing is if he's doing if he's playing that fifth year,
that means he wasn't good enough as a fourth year
player to feel comfortable that his end a draft position,
right right. That's that's what I would take from it.
That he's saying, I'm gonna earn more money from nil
(12:35):
as a fifth year player for Washington than I would
as a you know, fifth, sixth round pick in the NFL.
And that, to me would say that his career as
a performer doesn't doesn't maybe match the expectations people have
for him right now, Frankly, Washington would be better off
if he goes to the NFL after his fourth year,
(12:56):
because that would mean that he's been a high level quarterback.
Speaker 6 (13:01):
John, do you like the change of the CFP rules
to allow the one seed to kind of pick their
path that they want, followed by the two seed getting
the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I mean, that's that.
Speaker 6 (13:10):
Seems to be a pretty sizable change.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
Yeah, it is. I think it's good.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I think you should.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
They need to, you know, make it worthwhile, make winning
your conference championship game worthwhile. I think that's part of
the reason they're doing it. There's so much talk about
the conference championship games not being valuable. You know, the
SEC has had issues with the impact the championship game
has had on its teams in the playoffs. I think
that's part of what it is. Is is they want
(13:37):
to give teams a reason to play to win in
their conference championships. As crazy as that sounds, that's kind
of where things are at this point. They are they are,
you know, losing their relevance very quickly.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Yeah, John Willner, great stuff, Manu, and we appreciate you
putting U dub seventeenth because that means Dick Fane's not
angry at you.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I don't like it when Dick Fane's anger, you know,
I don't need it. I don't like being so he's
let's keep saying nice thing. Yeah, no want.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
So.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah too late man, all right. John Wilner with us
on the radio show. I was just thinking about what
he said there about, uh, you know, the odds of
making the playoff in the old PAC twelve versus the
Big ten. Now, keep in mind, if the Huskies had
stayed in the PAC twelve, Oregon would have stayed with him,
so you would have had uw Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State,
and then a bunch of new teams right, Fresno State, Nevada,
(14:33):
San Diego State, whatever, blah blah blah. The question is
not are they making more money? They are making more money.
I think, uh, they're losing out on some money, but
they're also making more money than what they would have
been making if they had stayed in the old PAC
twelve of the Apple deal, is there a better shot
of them making a Final four or excuse me, a
playoff by being one of the how many teams on
(14:55):
average you think Dick ball Park will make the tournament
in a twelve team player from the Big ten.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
Four to say four on average, that's right, yeah, four
to five, say four?
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Are they better off being one of those four? Are
one of the one or two? Maybe not too well
if Oregon and you dab are both good and both
in the top fifteen. But that's the point, right, Are
they better off being that one or two team or
one of the four teams in a conference that includes Michigan, Oregon,
(15:24):
Ohio State, USC, Penn State, all these other programs?
Speaker 4 (15:29):
And I just think time will bear that.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
I have a firm opinion on this, and it goes
twofold one. The PAC twelve will continue to decline in
influence as the college football playoffs expand.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Which PAC twelve, the PAC twelve that we have now
are the PAC twelve that we would have had a
few doubed state Because that's the question, right, We're not
comparing it to what the PAC twelve looks like today, correct,
We're comparing it to what it would have looked like
if the Huskies an Oregon had stay.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
Even if the Huskies in Oregon has stayed, it would
still have been a regional conference. That the nation does
not pay attention. Okay, Secondly, you would have gotten much
less talent, which means that even if you were to
go to the playoffs as a Pac twelve school, you
would have gotten slammed in the playoffs. Versus being a
Big ten team, which just Oregon in Washington's recruits, they're
(16:17):
just better football players than they would have been getting
in in the Pac twelve. You would not have been
able to compete with Big ten and SEC teams once
you got into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
If you're from the.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Pac twelve, well, I mean, look, I don't know if
I agree with that part. I do agree with you
that I think they're better off of the Big ten, right,
I just think financially talent wise, they're better off in
the Big ten. I'm not saying a team from that
conference could not have made a run, but I do
agree with the general point that they would be getting
better talent, better coverage, better players. Everything's better in this
conference because I think people tend to forget the chicken
(16:50):
crap perception of the Pac twelve. Even when USC, Oregon
and you DUBB all played together. I mean, all of
a sudden, the conference flows up like well, maybe it
wasn't that bad.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
No, it was that bad. It was terrible.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Leadership was terrible, the marketing was terrible, the perception was awful.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
All those things were bad. So I think they are
better off.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
But I do think there is some room for the
opposite side that wonders, can we be as competitive as
we want to be?
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Can we make championships?
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Can we make the College Football Playoff Tournament as consistently
as we want to in this conference? Versus what we
would have had access to if we had stayed with
Oregon in a new look PAC twelve that did not
include the LA schools. Let's do this. We're gonna break.
Julio Rodriguez, You're ready, forty four Gona enjoy next on
ninety three to three KJARFM
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