Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

What did we learn from week 8 of Pac-10 action?

1. USC's defense can be had, Take 2: This was a "What we learned" last week after the Trojans gave up 159 yards in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame. Well, Oregon State clearly saw some vulnerabilities in the pass defense -- hey USC! Cover the tight end! -- while throwing for 329 yards and three TDs in a 42-36 loss. As noted last week, "Oregon coach Chip Kelly will raise an eyebrow over some of these potential chinks in the Trojans' armor."

2. Jeremiah Masoli is OK. And he's good: The first issue with Masoli: It looks like his knee won't be another Dennis Dixon deal (knock on wood, Ducks fans). Masoli said his knee was stiff and still bothering him, but he clearly can play on it (knock on wood, Ducks fans). With Masoli, the Ducks offense hums along on the ground and through the air. His ability with ball fakes in the spread-option and his threat as a runner or scrambler make a huge difference when he's in the game.

3. Arizona and Oregon State are rising: Sure, Oregon State lost at USC, but here's a guess that game film won't make anyone in the conference excited about playing the Beavers, who again are clearly a top-half team. Arizona is surely still ruing the loss at Washington. Without that late deflection, the Wildcats would be sniffing the nation's top 10. Both are bowl teams. The question is how high up the pecking order can they climb? Here's a guess that matchups on consecutive weekends at Cal (Oregon State on Nov. 7; Arizona on Nov. 14) will be revealing.

4. Arizona State, UCLA and Washington are falling: Washington and UCLA are now 3-5 and 3-4, respectively, and need three wins against tough schedules to obtain bowl eligibility. Arizona State is 4-3 and needs to find two wins against an even tougher schedule to obtain bowl eligibility. The conference would benefit greatly if at least one of the three would become bowl eligible.

5. California's defense is a problem: The Bears seem to have solved their offensive woes, but now it appears their defense might hold them back. Though Cal beat Washington State 49-17, its defense gave up 440 yards and has now yielded at least 400 yards for the fourth consecutive game. It's one thing to do that vs. Oregon or USC. Another entirely to do it vs. the Cougars.