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1. Jimmy Johnson has been out of coaching for more than a decade, and out of college football for nearly 25 years. But he knows enough about the University of Miami to know that he likes second-year coach Al Golden. “I told Al he’s doing it the right way,” Johnson said Tuesday at his College Football Hall of Fame press conference in New York. “He’s an outstanding recruiter. He’s very disciplined. I think he’s the perfect guy to get Miami back on track.”

2. The Big Ten athletic directors backed away from commissioner Jim Delany’s trial balloon of playing semifinal games on campus. It is, in theory, a good idea to even the playing field. But it ignores the history of bowls and the celebratory nature of the traditional postseason. All sides seem to want to integrate the playoff system into the bowls as much as possible. The battleship that is college football’s postseason doesn’t turn easily.

3. A very happy 100th birthday Thursday to Ace Parker, one of the greatest American athletes of the prewar era. Parker starred for Wallace Wade at Duke from 1934-36 as a single-wing tailback (5.9-yard rushing average), punter and defensive back. The 1936 Blue Devils went 9-1 with seven shutouts. Parker won the NFL MVP Award in 1940 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Parker also played outfield for two seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1936-37). He is the oldest living member of the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame.

Former Notre Dame assistants Rob Ianello and John Latina have taken new jobs at Kansas and Duke, respectively.

Ianello, who coached Irish receivers and served as recruiting coordinator from 2005-08, was hired by Charlie Weis to perform the same duties with the Jayhawks. He was promoted to assistant head coach for offense in 2009 and was the Irish's interim coach after Weis was fired.

Ianello is coming off a two-year stint as Akron's head coach.

Latina, meanwhile, joins David Cutcliffe's Blue Devils staff as an offensive line coach, the same role he served at Notre Dame from 2005-08. He was Akron's offensive coordinator the past two seasons.

Former Irish quarterback coach (2007-09) Ron Powlus joined Weis' Kansas staff Dec. 13.

1. Andrew Luck of Stanford had a bad game, and Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State keeps throwing touchdown passes, and suddenly we have not only a race for All-American quarterback but for the Heisman Trophy. What we’re seeing with Luck is the classic backlash against a player held to a higher standard all season long. Luck doesn’t have to outplay Weeden; he has to outplay the larger-than-life version of himself that we, the media, have created. He didn’t do that against Oregon.

2. It’s easy to dismiss Duke at 3-7 because Duke is always 3-7, right? But the Blue Devils are 2-3 in games decided by four points or fewer. “I talked to our squad about how we’ve got a good football team with a bad record,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “We still have some time to do a little something about it -- not as much as we would like.” The Blue Devils have won 18 games in four seasons under Cutcliffe after winning 10 in the previous seven seasons. You have to believe that Duke is smart enough to keep him.

3. Georgia coach Mark Richt will never say “I told you so” to everyone who had him fired after the Dawgs lost to South Carolina to go 0-2. He reflected this week on what he said to his team that day. “Men, just don't put your heads down,” Richt said. “Don't lose heart. We've got a chance to be a good team. I left the field feeling encouraged that we have the right stuff. Now, what are we going to do with it? Are we going to keep grinding and keep believing, or are we going to fall apart and start feeling sorry for ourselves and start pointing fingers?” The Dawgs are one win away from The SEC East title.

No. 6 Stanford faces its first significant test of the season Saturday at Arizona, where the spirited 'Zona Zoo can be a challenge for opposing offenses.

The game has the potential to be highly entertaining, at least if you like A-list quarterbacks. Stanford's Andrew Luck is a leading Heisman Trophy candidate and likely will be the top over all pick in next spring's NFL draft, while Arizona's Nick Foles has put up huge numbers so far and could join Luck in the draft's first round.

Stanford blogger Kevin Gemmell and Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller decided there was plenty to discuss.

Kevin Gemmell: Ted, I think it's commonly accepted that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is the Heisman front-runner and will be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But I couldn't help notice Arizona quarterback Nick Foles getting some love in last week's Heisman poll. Stanford's secondary has been its weakest cog through two weeks of the season. Foles will be, by far, the most accurate quarterback they have faced this season when they roll into Tucson on Saturday. That has me wondering. Do we have this all wrong? Is Foles the Pac-12 quarterback we should be focusing on and not Luck?

Ted Miller: Well, Luck is Luck, considered by many to be the best quarterback prospect in a decade. He’s the total package and almost certain top pick in the NFL draft this spring. More than a few folks believe, however, that Foles, if he turns in a good season, also could find his way into the first round of the NFL draft. He’s a big guy with a good arm and is very accurate. Further, as a third-year starter, he’s experienced. He’s not going to get surprised. And he will tax the Stanford pass defense, particularly if he gets receiver Juron Criner back. My guess is Luck will look longingly at Foles’ receivers.

The problem for Foles and Arizona, though, is five new offensive line starters. They’ve done OK pass blocking, but the Wildcats run game has been mostly nonexistent. Seems like the Stanford front seven has been stout thus far. We knew the linebackers would be good. Tell me about the defensive line.

Kevin Gemmell: You're right about the linebackers. They are good. And a significant reason they are good is because of that defensive line. As you know, linebackers rule in the 3-4 scheme, and the boys up front are there to occupy the blockers. But here's the catch. They are doing more than that. Matt Masifilo, Terrence Stephens and Ben Gardner have also been making tackles and getting to the quarterback. Those three have combined for 13 tackles, five tackles for losses of 25 yards, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in the first two games. First they occupy the block, then they shed it just as quickly. Where the Stanford defense has had some problems through the first couple of weeks has been in the secondary. It hasn't really been "burned" by any big plays, but the defenders have missed tackles which have led to a few big plays. They have created the big play on their own. Never a good thing. San Jose State and Duke completed 62 percent of their passes against the Cardinal. Not great numbers, but better than you'd expect from a couple of lower-tier teams. What's going to happen when an accurate passer like Foles gets in there?

Ted Miller: Well, the Stanford secondary then is going to need to buckle up because while there’s talk of trying for some balance in Tucson, it’s really going to be about Foles and the passing game. Of course, as good as Foles is and as deep as the Wildcats receivers are, the offense is not the same without Criner, who it’s fair to say is questionable after having an appendectomy last week. With Criner, Foles has a big target who’s a deep threat and has a knack for making big plays. Without him, the passing attack lacks that obvious go-to target. That Cardinal secondary, which only lost cornerback Richard Sherman from 2010, did a good job against Foles last year, holding him to 248 yards passing -- 5.2 yards per completion -- with a touchdown and an interception from Sherman. Foles has to win that battle, though, for the Wildcats to have a chance for the upset. He’ll need another 400-yard passing game.

What about the other side of the ball? While Luck is back and looking good, despite losing his top-two receivers from 2010, how has the personality of the offense changed after the departure of coach Jim Harbaugh and some key players? Arizona coach Mike Stoops said the Cardinal had been “vanilla” in the first two games. Are we going to see some new things this weekend?

Kevin Gemmell: The personality is a lot like David Shaw. Balanced. You haven't seen "Heisman-esque" numbers out of Luck, because he doesn't play in a five-wide spread offense. They want to establish the run, be physical, and then pick their moments to take the shots down the field. The running game has been hit-and-miss to this point. But that's to be expected with three new starters on the offensive line. Some readers have commented to me that they think Stanford has lost its "swagger" sans Harbaugh. I couldn't disagree more. There is plenty of swagger to go around, and 101 points in two games to back that up.

Shaw heard the "vanilla" comment, and he called it a fair assessment. But so far we've seen a flea-flicker and a nifty little shovel pass. Not entirely vanilla. There's nothing wrong with showing other teams on film that you have those clubs in your bag. And they've also shown a lot of their three tight-end formations. Talk about mismatch issues! Stanford has three tight ends -- two of them 6-foot-6 and another at 6-8 -- who would create matchup problems for any defense in this country. Those tight ends have more than made up for the missing wide receivers from last season. And speaking of the receivers, even though Chris Owusu hasn't had that "big play," he is coming off a 100-yard receiving game against Duke, and Griff Whalen has proven to be a nice presence underneath.

Let's call it vanilla with sprinkles, cookie dough and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

OK, Ted. Prediction time. You're the Pac-12 veteran. How do you see this one playing out?

Ted Miller: It would be a lot easier, Kevin, if we knew if Criner was going to play. My hunch is no. But I still wouldn’t pick the Wildcats in this one because they lack a running game to help Foles, and the young offensive line is going to struggle with the Cardinal front seven. Still, Arizona plays better in front of the ‘Zona Zoo, one of the best home crowds in the Pac-12. My pick is a competitive 35-24 victory for Stanford, with the Cardinal asserting itself in the fourth quarter.

What’s your take?

Kevin Gemmell: Truly, great minds think alike. I had Stanford pegged at 35-24 in my Thursday prediction. I'm looking for a lot more running out the of the Cardinal than people are probably expecting in a game with two marquee quarterbacks. I think the Cardinal are a little tired of hearing the folks say they haven't played anyone yet. Not that Arizona is Alabama or Oklahoma -- but a win against an above average Pac-12 team on the road would go a long way toward silencing some of their critics. Foles is going to get his stats, but Stanford will get the win.

PALO ALTO, Calif., -- Is it worth getting picky over a pick? Stanford coach David Shaw thinks so.

That’s why he wanted to wait and watch the game film before making any sort of judgment on Andrew Luck’s first and only interception of the season, which came in the final five minutes of the first half Saturday against Duke.

Shaw said his initial thought was that there might have been pass interference.

With the Cardinal clinging to a 10-0 lead, it looked like they might be poised for another score before the break (which they did after enduring a surprise Duke onside kick and a great effort from the defense).

On third-and-8 at the Duke 38 yard line, Luck was working from the shotgun in a four-receiver set. The blocking wasn't airtight and Luck took a hit after he threw the ball. But he had enough time to pump fake a drag to wide receiver Griff Whalen before looking to Chris Owusu on a 7-yard up-and-in. I counted, unofficially, four seconds from snap to throw.

The pass looked to be a little behind Owusu, though not outlandishly uncatchable. It bounced, and then fell right into the hands of Duke’s Lee Butler, who went 76 yards untouched for the score. It was Luck’s first pick-six since at Arizona in 2009.

At question is whether the defender on Owusu, Duke’s Johnny Williams, was getting a little too handsy.

“I need to see that one that was intercepted,” Shaw said. “It looked like there was a lot of contact on Chris Owusu. The ball wasn’t that high and he couldn’t get up. Whether it was pass interference or not? We’ll need to watch it on film.”

As the pocket started to collapse, Luck said he felt the pressure – and he had been hit a few times leading up to that point. He took the blame – as any quarterback worth their salt should do on an interception – regardless of who is at fault.

“That was truly a poor decision that might have come about by them having a little more pressure,” Luck said. “But it’s something I wish I could take back. But maybe the pressure did have a correlation with that play.”

Have a look at the play and decide for yourself if there was pass interference.

Watch it all the way through, and appreciate the hustle from running back Stepfan Taylor. He didn't get there in time, but you have to love that he didn't give up on the play.

Taking stock of the second week of games and looking ahead to Week 3.

Team of the week: Arizona State announced its return to relevancy -- and the national polls -- with a 37-30 win aganst Missouri. Sure, it was sloppy, and the Sun Devils nearly blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, but that was the sort of game that was a near-miss, not a win over the previous two seasons.

Best game: While the Sun Devils produced a thriller, it was ruined by 23 combined penalties with the Tigers. Utah's visit to USC was played at a high level throughout and lived up to its backdrop as the first-ever Pac-12 game (again, Colorado and California fans who didn't read any of the the 12,237 mentions that their game wasn't conference game: Your game wasn't a conference game; it didn't count in the standings). USC's 23-14 victory even featured a thrilling -- thrilling -- final score controversy.

Biggest play: Utah could have forced overtime at USC, but kicker Coleman Petersen's 41-yard field goal attempt was low and was easily blocked by Matt Kalil. Torin Harris returned the block for a TD, which accounts for the deceiving final margin.

Offensive standout: Wow. So many big numbers this weekend it's hard to single out one player. But one Pac-12 team beat a ranked nonconference foe, so we're going with Sun Devils quarterback Brock Osweiler, who completed 24 of 32 passes for 353 yards with three TDs and no interceptions and also rushed five times for 34 yards and a score. The number of Osweiler doubters has been greatly reduced.

Defensive standout: The many big offensive performances obscured a brilliant defensive one by Stanford outside linebacker Chase Thomas, who got screwed out of a helmet sticker. Duke couldn't handle Thomas, who recorded 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble against the Blue Devils

Special teams standout: Colorado was concerned about its kicking during the preseason, but Will Oliver has answered those concerned. In the overtime loss to California, he was 4 for 4 on field goals, with a long of 52 yards, and 3 for 3 on PATs. He accounted for 15 of the Buffs 33 points. He's yet to miss a kick in two games.

Smiley face: USC, California and Arizona State have found ways to lose games they should have won of late, but all three found ways to win tight games over the weekend.

Smiley face II: Huge performances in the passing game over the weekend, from both quarterbacks and receivers. Quarterbacks accounted for 33 TD passes and just four interceptions. Seven threw three or more TD passes. Five threw for more than 350 yards. Only UCLA passed for fewer than 230 yards. And receivers had big days: Arizona's Dan Buckner, Arizona State's Aaron Pflugrad, Colorado's Paul Richardson, California's Keenan Allen, Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas (a running back!), Stanford's Chris Owusu, USC's Robert Woods, Utah's DeVonte Christopher, Washington's Devin Aguilar and Washington State's Marquess Wilson.

Frowny face: Arizona and Oregon State both lost on the road to very good teams, but neither distinguished itself with a competitive effort.

Thought of the week: If the quarterback play continues at the present pace, who wins first- and second-team All-Pac-12 quarterback? Consider the pecking order here before you answer.

Questions for the week: Can the Pac-12 make big statements on the road? Four conference teams face tough road matchups Saturday. Arizona State is at Illinois, trying to avoid a letdown game. Utah visits rival BYU in a contest that might be even nastier than before for the former Mountain West Conference members. Washington plays Nebraska for the third time in a year, this time with the Cornhuskers wanting revenge. And Washington State plays at a tough San Diego State squad looking for a 3-0 start.

DURHAM, N.C. -- For the second straight week, Stanford’s offense tiptoed that ever-so-fine-line between sputtering and spectacular.

At times, they looked unstoppable. Others, leaky.

“Not good enough,” said quarterback Andrew Luck. “Definitely not in the first half. Not good enough … I made a mistake here. Another guy makes a mistake there. It’s hard to get into a rhythm when every other guy is making a mistake. But they had a good defense. They dialed up some stuff and had our number for a while.”

And yet the No. 6 team in the nation endured with a victory over Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium -- if you can call a 44-14 victory and 504 total yards of offense enduring.

But heading into the locker room at halftime with a flimsy 17-7 lead, coach David Shaw recognized that there were some issues.

“We didn’t make a lot of changes,” Shaw said. “We just charged our guys to play physical and make plays down the field.”

The second half was better -- and the Cardinal looked the part of a top-10 team. A closer examination of the stats shows that the Cardinal (2-0) actually had more yards in the first half, 253 to 251 in the second half. But numbers can lie.

The big difference came in the rushing attack. After 68 yards in the first half (including a paltry three yards in the second quarter), Stanford burst open for 137 rushing yards in the second half.

“The first half was a little disappointing,” said center Sam Schwartzstein. “But that’s the way football is. I’m happy with the way we answered some adversity.”

The root of the problem was Duke running delayed blitzes. It tripped up the pass protection and led to Luck taking more hits than his offensive line was comfortable allowing -- including two sacks (one by contact, the second out of bounds).

“Way too many,” said offensive tackle Jonathan Martin. “Our communication wasn’t all the way down. Guys were coming free who shouldn’t have come free. But we’re getting there.”

Luck finished the game 20-of-28 for 290 yards and four touchdowns. For the second-straight week, he was pulled in the second half.

“Pass protection-wise, it was the stunts [that bothered us],” Shaw said. “But as the game went on, our offensive line got better and better and better.”

It looked like Duke (0-2) might grab some momentum before halftime, when Lee Butler intercepted a tipped ball and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown -- cutting Stanford’s lead to 10-7 with 2:14 remaining.

Then Jekyll went to sleep and Hyde woke up. Stanford went from lethargic to lethal, needing only 43 seconds and four plays to move 59 yards for a 10-yard Luck-to-Chris Owusu touchdown. Stanford took a 17-7 lead at the break and never looked back. Owusu finished with seven catches for 106 yards.

“It’s one of the most difficult things in sports, to regain momentum and we couldn’t do that,” said Duke coach David Cutcliffe. “We didn’t make those plays to get that done.”

One area that appears to have no consistency issues is the run defense -- which was outstanding for the second week in a row. The Blue Devils were limited to just 30 rushing yards, and if not for a late touchdown with 57 seconds left in the game, the defense would have pitched a touchdown-free performance again.

“It was going to happen eventually,” joked linebacker Shayne Skov, who led the Cardinal with 11 tackles.

The front seven were relentless, notching six sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. Linebacker Chase Thomas looked like he was buying real estate in the Duke backfield, tallying 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss. After the Butler interception/touchdown, Duke shocked the Cardinal with an onside kick and recovered -- threatening to take the lead at the half. But the defense sacked Duke quarterback Sean Renfree twice in three plays, giving the ball back to the offense, which went on to score on the Owusu touchdown.

The secondary, however, continued to show holes. The Blue Devils threw for 305 yards and, had it not been for three missed field goals, the game might have been even tighter at the break.

In the second half, when the running game was cranking, the passing game opened up. For example, it allowed Stanford to run one of their three-tight-end sets. One goes to the post, one to the corner and the other up the middle. Coby Fleener was the guy who went up the middle, and the end result was a bullet from Luck, a mismatch for a shorter defender, and a 60-yard touchdown. The Cardinal went on to score touchdowns on their next four possessions.

“The shortest one (of the tight ends) is 6-5, so it’s pick your poison,” Shaw said. “When they are one-on-one, we feel like they are all open.”

Fleener had a stellar game, catching two balls -- both touchdowns -- for 63 yards. But he too saw the inconsistency on offense.

“I think everybody saw us stall a lot in the first half,” he said. “We can’t be like that if we expect to win games down the road. We need to play 60 minutes, start fast, and finish similar to the way we did tonight.”

Last week, Shaw received the game ball from his players for his first victory as Stanford’s head coach. Saturday night, in a game of two halves, it wasn’t so clear.

So who gets it this week?

“We’ll watch film before we decide,” Shaw said.

Probably a good call. Numbers lie.

DURHAM, N.C. -- A closer look at Stanford and Duke at halftime at Wallace Wade Stadium:

Stat of the half: Duke is losing this game far more than Stanford is winning it. The Blue Devils are 0-for-7 on third-down conversion attempts and have missed three field goals (though, to their credit, the Blue Devils are 2-for-2 on fourth-down conversions).

Stat of the half, take 2: Andrew Luck has taken more punishment in the first half than probably was expected. He's been knocked down three times and sacked once.

Best play: Can't be the pick six, because it literally fell into Lee Butler's hands. That would get the award for being in the right place at the right time. All he had to do was run. I'm going with the 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Owusu. It was a little wide receiver screen. Great first move by Owusu, great blocking, and it swung the momentum back in Stanford's favor.

Best call: Hands down, the onside kick following Butler's interception return for a touchdown. In the end, it didn't end up hurting the Cardinal, who had two sacks on the next three plays. But you have to love the call by David Cutcliffe.

Ten issues to consider heading into the second week of games.

1. Foles versus Weeden: It's possible we'll have 750-800 yards passing in Arizona's visit to Oklahoma State. It's a showdown of two marquee quarterbacks in the Wildcats' Nick Foles and the Cowboys' Brandon Weeden, though the showdown of marquee receivers -- Juron Criner and Justin Blackmon -- doesn't look like it will happen because Criner has missed practices with an undisclosed illness. The Cowboys bombed Arizona in the 2010 Alamo Bowl 36-10, which was the last of five consecutive season-ending losses for the Wildcats. The Wildcats want redemption, but for them to have any chance, Foles must outplay Weeden.

2. Play smart, Arizona State: Missouri is one team that can claim as many injuries to key players as Arizona State -- the Tigers are down six starters. It's possible that the Tigers will play things fairly close to the vest with new QB James Franklin, who's a better runner than passer, perhaps waiting for the Sun Devils to make mistakes. And that strategy has worked in the past for teams facing the Sun Devils. ASU has long been penalty- and turnover-prone. The Sun Devils have the talent to win this game outright ... as long as they don't blow it. If ASU wins the turnover battle and is at least close to even in penalties, it should be a happy Friday night in Tempe.

3. Play loose, attack, Oregon State: The Beavers odds are pretty darn bad at Wisconsin. Even without significant injuries, or a loss to Sacramento State in the opener, few would be predicting an upset. Most likely, the best-case scenario for Oregon State is a respectable performance that includes no new injuries. Still, the Beavers need to reclaim their pride and confidence. They need to enjoy the big stage and regain some swagger. To do that, they will need to play loose and take some chances. Throw deep. Run some trick plays. Blitz. Try to have some fun, because that's exactly what didn't seem to happen last weekend.

4. Can Colorado block Cal? You might have noticed that I picked Colorado to upset California. If you want to know why that pick may end up making me look bad, it's the matchup of the Buffaloes' offensive line against the Bears' strong front seven. Hawaii pushed the Buffs around, recording seven sacks and holding them to 17 yards rushing. Cal has a more talented front seven than Hawaii, so that's a huge issue worth watching during the early going: Are the Buffs able to protect Tyler Hansen and create some gaps for Rodney Stewart? Playing at home will help, but the Colorado O-line is where an upset will start. Or end.

5. Oregon's fire: The last time the Ducks suffered a disappointing season-opening loss in a marquee nonconference game was in 2009 at Boise State. You might recall the Ducks didn't play particularly well the next two weeks against Purdue and Utah, though they managed to win both games. While the players will talk about trying to get the bad taste of the LSU game out of their mouths, it's easy to imagine the Ducks coming out flat against Nevada. This is not the same Nevada team that went 13-1 in 2010, but the Wolf Pack are good enough to steal one if Oregon takes too long to wake up.

6. Man-up, Washington: The Huskies played soft on both sides of the ball in a weak effort against Eastern Washington. That performance won't beat Hawaii, which pushed Colorado around on both lines and is coming to Seattle expecting to win. If Washington thinks it can coast into its visit to Nebraska the following weekend, it's going to get embarrassed. Two key issues: 1. QB Bryant Moniz is the Warriors' offense as both a runner and passer. He must be contained. And hit. 2. The running game must get going with Chris Polk. The Hawaii front seven had its way with the Buffs. Are the Huskies next?

7. Lucky numbers: While everyone knows Stanford QB Andrew Luck is the best player in college football, he's going to have to put up some numbers to win the Heisman Trophy. 171 yards passing -- his total in the opener -- won't get it done. Duke should offer an opportunity for Luck to pad his stats a bit. While the Cardinal's chief interest is getting their running game going -- it sagged a bit against San Jose State -- Luck throwing aggressively downfield is also a good thing.

8. Lobbestael as starter: It's one thing to come off the bench and play well. There's no thinking time. It's all about instincts. But with the injury to QB Jeff Tuel, Marshall Lobbestael now knows he's Washington State's starter for at least six weeks. He's had time to process that -- and perhaps overthink and get nervous about that. The Cougars have the players to beat UNLV at home without Tuel. But Lobbestael needs to be a good game manager. He's not going to be asked to throw for 350 yards. He needs to avoid mistakes, go through his progressions and take what the defense gives him.

9.Utah's secondary vs. USC's Matt Barkley and Robert Woods: Utah completely rebuilt its secondary this offseason, replacing all four 2010 starters. While reviews were solid during preseason practices, we have no idea how good the unit is. We will have some idea after it faces Barkley and Woods, two future high NFL draft choices. If there is one matchup where it looks like the Trojans can exploit the Utes, it's in the passing game. Utah's first job is to contain Barkley and make things uncomfortable for him in the pocket, which might not be too difficult with an uncertain Trojans O-line.

10. Reproduce the second half at Houston: UCLA played terribly at Houston for a half, which left it down 31-14. But the Bruins were pretty good on both sides of the ball in the second half. First, that shows that they fought back, which is a good sign. But it also shows the Bruins can get it done on both sides of the ball. If the Bruins play like they did in the second half for all four quarters against San Jose State, they will romp the Spartans and build some confidence for Texas' visit the following weekend.

The Pac-12 went 8-4 last week. I went 9-3.

This week I'm going to try harder.

Thursday

Oklahoma State 38, Arizona 24: Even without wideout Juron Criner's uncertain status, this was going to be a tough trip for the Wildcats. The Cowboys look like a better team than the one that blew Arizona out in the 2010 Alamo Bowl.

Friday

Arizona State 30, Missouri 24: Both teams have injury issues, but the Tigers' are more recent, therefore more taxing for their preparation. The Sun Devils will make a statement on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Brock Osweiler and linebacker Vontaze Burfict both stepping up.

Saturday

Wisconsin 48, Oregon State 20: A week after losing to an FCS team, the Beavers head to Madison to play a national title contender. Oregon State wants to put in a respectable performance, get home in one piece and get healthy for Pac-12 play.

Colorado 24, California 21: This week's upset special! The Bears look better on paper, and they whipped the Buffs 52-7 in Berkeley last year. But think about it: This is EXACTLY the type of game in which Cal throws up on itself.

Oregon 44, Nevada 27: I suspect the Ducks will start a bit flat and this one won't be in the bag until the fourth quarter. So much was invested in the LSU game, it seems likely the Ducks won't be at their best on either side of the ball. But, most important, they will survive.

Washington 33, Hawaii 30: Warning! Warning! Huskies, warning! Hawaii shut down Colorado's running game, and quarterback Bryant Moniz is one of country's best playmakers. The difference should be Husky Stadium. And the poor performance last weekend versus Eastern Washington should help the focus.

Stanford 48, Duke 13: The Blue Devils already lost to Richmond, an FCS powerhouse best known for producing awesome college football bloggers. Will quarterback Andrew Luck get to play in the fourth quarter? Will he put up Heisman-worthy numbers after a solid but unspectacular performance in Week 1? Do the Blue Devils have any say in this one?

Washington State 33, UNLV 21: The Cougs improve to 2-0 -- just four wins away from bowl eligibility -- as backup quarterback Marshall Lobbestael does a solid job replacing Jeff Tuel.

Utah 27, USC 24: Upset special No. 2! Don't like the Matt Barkley-Robert Woods matchup with the Utes secondary, but do like the Utes D-line vs. the USC O-line? Utah is going to come in hungry and well-coached and I don't know if the Trojans will match that intensity. Utah announces itself to the Pac-12 WITH AUTHORITY!

UCLA 35, San Jose State 17: The Bruins will bounce back from the Houston loss with a victory, playing better on both sides of the ball.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Since this blog didn't come online until last Friday, and the ESPN.com bloggers post their predictions on Thursdays, you're going to have to take me at my word that I picked Stanford over San Jose State.

Overall: 1-0

Prediction: Stanford.

Why they'll win: I'm going with Stanford, and not because they are 22-point favorites. And it's not because of who they have starting. It's because of who they can put in to replace those starters. The Cardinal are deep -- possibly as deep as they have ever been in the history of the program -- and they're deep on both sides of the ball. A lot of different players tallied vital game experience against San Jose State, and coach David Shaw said he's confident that as many as eight defensive backs can be substituted liberally.

Experience counts: Make no mistake, heat is going to be a factor. Durham, N.C., does not offer the same, cool, breezy afternoons that Northern California does. It was an issue in 2009 when Stanford traveled to Winston-Salem and lost to Wake Forest on a last-minute touchdown. Shaw, then the offensive coordinator, pointed to that game two years ago as an example of how a lack of depth hurt the Cardinal -- noting his team didn't have the same "juice" in the second half that they did in the first. But the Cardinal are deep enough this time around that when fatigue does set in, fresh players with legitimate game experience will be prepared and can spell the starters. Like they did two years ago, the team leaves today to give them an extra day to hydrate and adjust to the time difference.

Difference-maker(s): Expecting a big game from the offensive line. They weren't too pleased with their performance last week. Shaw said there will not be any changes to the lineup, so they have had another week to work together. They are anxious to show people they can be one of the nation's best units.

Out on a limb: I like running back Anthony Wilkerson to put together some good numbers this week. Stepfan Taylor will get the bulk of the work, per usual. But Wilkerson should see plenty of chances once the heat sets in (or if the score gets out of hand). If the line play makes a big jump between weeks 1 and 2, logic and a hunch say Wilkerson (8 carries, 15 yards last week) will do the same.

The week that wasn't. The week that might be.

Welcome to "Measuring Stick Week" for the Pac-12, which comes right on the heels of "Mostly Laid an Egg Week" in the Pac-12.

To recap:

• The conference went 8-4 when 12-0 seemed perfectly reasonable to expect.
• Oregon lost its marquee showdown with LSU. The nation is saying it was because the Tigers bullied the Ducks with their super-superior angry robot players. Seems completely reasonable, of course, to ignore four Ducks turnovers and 12 Ducks penalties. Sure that had nothing to do with it.
• Oregon State lost at home to Sacramento State, which is not only an FCS team, it's a mediocre FCS team.
• UCLA lost at Houston, a team it pushed around a year ago.
• Colorado lost the battle on the line of scrimmage at Hawaii.
• Even the teams that did win didn't do so with distinction: Washington needed a late interception to beat Eastern Washington. Utah most certainly did NOT just barely beat Montana State -- that's for you angry Twitter sorts -- but it looked terrible on offense against Montana State. USC went scoreless in the second half and also needed a late interception to beat Minnesota.
• And in, "Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?" news, Washington State's price for manhandling Idaho State was quarterback Jeff Tuel's clavicle.

One word: Yuck.

But if you lay an egg, you can always pick it up and make an omelet. (Preferably with real butter. And some cheese.)

Measuring Stick Week offers plenty of opportunities for redemption. Or, if you want to be a negative-Nelly, for a precipitous slide in national esteem. (Here's a quick preview of the games).

• Instead of FCS foes, games include matchups with three ranked teams from other AQ conferences -- two on the road -- and two games against foes from non-AQ conferences that had double-digit wins in 2010 (Nevada and Hawaii).
• There are two conference games, though only one counts as a conferences game. Utah's visit to USC not only counts in the standings, it will be widely viewed as an early measure of the Utes' place in the conference pecking order. California's visit to Colorado stands as a nonconference game -- it was scheduled before expansion -- and is all about the Buffs hoping to redeem themselves for the disaster in Berkeley last year.
• Stanford and UCLA are heavy favorites against Duke and San Jose State, respectively, but Stanford is traveling 2,800 miles to Durham, while it's never certain what the Bruins will do.
• Can Washington State improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2005 at home against UNLV without its starting QB?

Pac-12 teams are underdogs in only two of these nonconference games: Arizona and Oregon State (by two and three TDs, respectively). That means the conference needs to go at least 6-2 to hold serve. That means Arizona State -- a 7.5-point favorite even though Missouri is ranked -- and Washington need to beat good teams at home. And Oregon, Stanford, Washington State and UCLA need to take care of business against double-digit underdogs.

And it wouldn't hurt if the Wildcats and Beavers at least distinguished themselves with competitive performances on the road.

The reaction to the Pac-12's first weekend of games was bad from the national media. You can see some here. And here.

You might find it unfair that few took note of the SEC suffering a few embarrassing performances, too, with Georgia getting outclassed by Boise State in a glorified home game and Ole Miss going down at home to BYU and Auburn just escaping Utah State. But that conference, as its adherents are known to point out, has won five consecutive national titles.

The Pac-12 needs more teams in the Top 25 to burnish its image. If Arizona State and Washington win this week, the Sun Devils will be in and the Huskies will be close. The Utah-USC winner will be ranked, while the Wildcats would be too if they pull the upset.

College football is often more of a beauty contest than a game contested on the field of play. The Pac-12 made big news this offseason by getting rich. That's why it has so many suitors now who want a piece of the action.

Being rich makes you attractive in our society.

But the Pac-12 would rather be George Clooney -- rich, good looking -- rather than T. Boone Pickens -- rich and wrinkled.

It figures to become one or the other when the smoke clears after Measuring Stick Week.

Scott Brown, who's coached the past four seasons at Colorado State, is Arizona State's new defensive line coach. He replaces Grady Stretz, who left to take the same position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brown, 59, was at Duke 12 years before arriving at Colorado State. He's also coached at Minnesota and TCU.

"Scott Brown brings a wealth of knowledge to Arizona State on coaching defensive line play," head coach Dennis Erickson said in a statement. "Everyone I spoke with talked about his work with the players and how much they learned from him. Scott will be a tremendous help to Craig Bray in our game planning during game week. I was extremely impressed with his ideas and concepts of a defense. He brings us so much more than just a position coach in that regard. He gave us a very impressive interview. Our defensive linemen, who met with Scott while he was on his interview, were very impressed with his style and his passion for the game. They were ready to play immediately."

Erickson also cited Brown's recruiting experience in Texas.

"He has recruited the state of Texas for 30 years," Erickson said. "He has extensive contacts there and not just in a certain area, but in the entire state of Texas. Trying to get into the state of Texas with no connections is difficult. With Scott's connections we will have instant credibility in that state."

The Arizona Republic reported that "Brown likely won't replace Stretz as recruiting coordinator. Those duties could fall to receivers coach Steve Broussard or running backs coach Bryce Erickson."

Ten issues to consider heading into the third week of games.

1. Cal's defense will be tested at Nevada: California presently ranks No. 1 in the nation in total defense, giving up a scant 160 yards per game. So kudos to new coordinator Clancy Pendergast. But Nevada ranks No. 1 in total offense, rolling up a monstrous 592 yards per game. So who wins: The irresistible force or the immovable object?

2. Arizona's O-line vs. Iowa's D-line: The Wildcats have a good offensive line, probably among the top three or four units in the Pac-10. But Iowa probably has the best defensive line in the country, led by end Adrian Clayborn. All four starters are back from 2009's stingy unit that combined for 27 sacks and allowed just 3.5 yards per rush. The first question is can the Wildcats line do enough to create any sort of run threat or occasional creases for Nic Grigsby? The second is, failing that, will the line give QB Nick Foles enough time to throw the ball?

3. Locker on the big stage: There is a bizarre crew that haunts the Pac-10 blog and constantly calls Washington QB Jake Locker "overrated," meaning they disagree with Mike Bellotti, Pete Carroll, every Pac-10 coach, every NFL scout, LSU's players (who called Locker the best player they saw in 2009) and just about everyone who makes a living around football. Of course, they have the right to call the world flat. But guess what? If Locker doesn't turn in an impressive performance vs. Nebraska, his Heisman Trophy candidacy will end before it gets started. So this is his big moment to either lead an upset or take a step back in national stature.

4. Vontaze Burfict vs. John Clay: Arizona State's 245-pound linebacker Vontaze Burfict is one of the most talented and aggressive LBs in the country. Wisconsin's 248-pound running back John Clay is one of the best power runners in the country. When these two meet, the violence of the impact should be dynamic. But who knocks the other backwards? Burfict and the ASU defense is looking to make a national statement. To do so, it needs to contain Clay.

5. Can USC put it together? USC's offense looked great in the opener at Hawaii. The defense looked terrible. The offense looked terrible vs. Virginia. The defense looked pretty good. The cumulative affect is we really don't know who these Trojans are. Will they put it all together at Minnesota's expense? Or will it be another piddling effort?

6. Luck through the air: Stanford QB Andrew Luck looked great running, but, despite two TD passes, didn't throw terribly well at UCLA. He completed just 11 of 24 passes for 151 yards. Wake Forest's secondary didn't look great while giving up 358 passing yards and four touchdowns to Duke in a wild 54-48 victory. You'd think Luck would feast on that at home and revert back to his accurate, playmaking self.

7. How will UCLA's offense bounce back? Stanford shut out the Bruins and held them to 233 total yards last weekend. That had many screaming for QB Kevin Prince's head. But Prince's biggest problem is he's barely seen practice time due to a back injury and then a shoulder injury. He's practiced all this week. Moreover, Houston's defense isn't anything like its offense. The Cougars are surrendering 26 points and 393 yards per game. Expect the Bruins to be much better on offense Saturday.

8. Jacquizz should break out vs. Louisville: Dating back to last season, Oregon State RB Jacquizz Rodgers hasn't eclipsed 100 yards rushing in three games. That's a mini-slump for him. Louisville gave up 230 yards rushing to a mediocre Kentucky team in week one. So expect for Rodgers to get his 100 yards. And also expect him to get some touches in the passing game, which he didn't vs. TCU.

9. Cougs stepping forward? Does the comeback win vs. Montana State turn a page for Washington State? Sure, it was just an FCS opponent, but showing some backbone feels meaningful. SMU has a high-powered, balanced offense and is one of the favorites in Conference USA. Moreover, the Mustangs will be plenty motivated after losing at Washington State last year. But if the Cougars pull the upset, the entire tenor of their season could change.

10. How did the Pac-10 measure up? It wasn't the most creative name or anything, but "Measuring Stick Saturday" is real. The Pac-10's place in the pecking order among BCS conferences largely will be based -- at least during the regular season -- on what happens Saturday. A winning weekend will earn it consideration with the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12. A losing one? It falls to the bottom half of the six. Considering the Pac-10 is an underdog in five of the nine games, the conference needs for all its favorites to prevail and at least one underdog to come through with an upset.

Went 8-0 last week but it was an 8-0 that felt like USC's 2-0. Sorta "neh."

Season record is 15-3. To the picks.

Friday

California 38, Nevada 30: Warning, warning, warning, Cal Bears! Nevada is not a push-over, particularly not at home. The Wolf Pack has averaged 592 yards and 50 points in its first two games. Cal fans, if you want my advice, you should feel nervous about this one.

Saturday

Iowa 28, Arizona 24: Arizona is better on offense and Iowa is better on defense, but the Hawkeyes are better-er on defense than the Wildcats are on offense. That said, this one should be far more competitive than the game in Iowa City last fall.

Wisconsin 27, Arizona State 17: Expect Wisconsin to have a significant advantage in time of possession, and that's why I think the Sun Devils defense will wear down in the second half. I also think the Sun Devils earn respect on the road in a tough venue and feel pretty good going forward about their chances of surprising some folks in the Pac-10.

USC 41, Minnesota 17: I am picking USC to roll for a third week in a row. Why do I think I might be correct this time? Well, for one, as in the previous two games, USC has a lot better players. And, second, I think the Golden Gophers are about as uninspired as a team can be, see a narrow victory over Middle Tennessee and a loss to South Dakota.

SMU 41, Washington State 24: What the Cougars need is a soft nonconference schedule that helps them build confidence. What they've got is a road game at a good SMU squad that will be highly motivated after its mistake-filled loss last year in Pullman.

Nebraska 28, Washington 21: The Huskies are going to challenge the Cornhuskers. But they aren't going to beat them.

Oregon State 35, Louisville 24: Beavers QB Ryan Katz will be comfortable at home, and that means distributing the ball to his playmakers, the Rodgers brothers, who are going to hang up some big numbers.

Oregon 1,000, Portland State 3: And then the second half starts. No, actually, my guess is Chip Kelly doesn't want to play his starters much after halftime.

UCLA 27, Houston 24: Just when you think the Bruins are going to go belly-up, they will rally and win. It will make a huge difference that Kevin Prince got a full week of practice. Not to mention that Houston QB Case Keenum is questionable with a concussion.

Stanford 45, Wake Forest 24: The Wake Forest defense gave up 48 points and 487 yards to Duke. Duke isn't terrible or anything, but you'd think QB Andrew Luck will represent a slight step up from sophomore Sean Renfree. And the Cardinal should be pretty salty based on how things went in the second half last year in Winston-Salem.