Master class chess matches of 2022: Lincoln Riley vs Kyle Whittingham
Hollywood vs Salt Lake City is going to be a compelling rivalry for as long as we have it until the Trojans leave for the Big 10 conference.
USC vs Utah is just a terrific budding rivalry in the Pac-12. Of course it’s going to be erased when the Trojans leave for the Big 10…but in the meantime it’s an outstanding matchup.
The Utes handed them two losses a year ago. The first a dramatic 43-42 home win, the latter a 47-24 comeuppance in the Pac-12 Championship in a game the Trojans had a 17-3 lead in at one point. We’re going to talk about the second one today because playoff football is a different animal than regular season football with very few exceptions.
The level of intensity in the play and the gameplans goes up a notch when a title is on the line. Exceptions include the Red River Shootout, “The Game,” perhaps the Iron Bowl and the cocktail party as well. I’m open to hearing other suggestions but those are some of the few games I’ve seen where the inputs into the contest mirror playoff focus. I bet a few other rivalry games get there.
What makes this just an amazing rivalry and matchup is the dichotomy of the programs and coaches.
Lincoln Riley, the necromancer of the transfer portal, is set up to poach top talents and athletes from around the country to join him in Hollywood and build elite offenses.
Kyle Whittingham has been at Utah so long he remembers when Joseph Smith arrived. The Utes build their teams with physicality along the lines, generally with Pacific Islanders, and the foundation of the program is development and Whittingham’s defense.
Hard-nosed, martial culture vs Hollywood offense. It’s a great contrast. The more physical program came out ahead in both games, but it was a tough battle. Here’s how the Riley vs Whittingham battle went in the Pac-12 Championship.
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