Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans are likely out of contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff after losing 34-32 to Utah over the weekend. With its second consecutive loss, USC would need absolute chaos to occur throughout the sport to get back into the picture.

With that in mind, FOX Sports’ Emmanuel Acho — a former Texas Longhorn who had a brief NFL career — suggested that Williams should sit the rest of the season and prepare for the NFL Draft.

Acho went so far as to say it would be “fiscally irresponsible” for Williams, who is viewed as the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, to continue playing and risk an injury. Nothing left to play for, Acho argued.

He was blasted over that take. CBS Sports’ Josh Pate was among those who just shredded the opinion.

“He could be the best person on the face of the earth,” Pate said. “No one is immune from horrendously bad takes. That’s a really bad take. It’s terrible

“The audacity of people who get paid to cover this sport rushing to the nearest phone to tweet out advice to kids to not play the sport is basically how you turn off an audience.”

He disagreed with the premise entirely.

“If you apply for a job at Morton’s and you walk in the kitchen the first day and start railing against meat consumption, you’re gonna get blowback,” Pate said, “just like Emmanuel Acho rightly got blowback by posting that garbage opinion.”

The debate about players sitting bowl games has been raging for years. But no one of Williams’ caliber has sat out the final third of a season because his team’s ultimate ambitions were dashed. Bowl games are one thing, USC still has a pathway to the Pac-12 Championship Game.

“There is something left to play for if you’re a competitor. There’s a lot left to play for if you’re a man of your word, if you follow through on any kind of ambitions you have. There’s a lot left to play for.”

It’s also worth something that Alabama’s Bryce Young lost two games in his final season, didn’t play for an SEC championship, didn’t play for a national championship, still played in the team’s bowl game, threw five touchdowns in a win, and was then drafted first overall in the ensuing NFL Draft.

An unforeseen injury could cost Williams some money in the draft, but he’d likely be a high first-rounder regardless.

Many more agreed with Pate.