Look at the top six. Is that how you projected things in August?
Me neither.
1. Oregon: The Ducks rolled over a very good Arizona State defense in a 44-21 victory. Can they do it twice more, starting Saturday at Arizona? If so, they go to the Rose Bowl.
2. Stanford: Not many teams in the nation have posted as impressive back-to-back wins as the Cardinal over Oregon and then USC. The Cardinal conclude their Pac-10 slate at home against rival California.
3. Oregon State: The Beavers took care of business against Washington, and their Rose Bowl path is clear. The defense has grown up and no Pac-10 quarterback is playing better than Sean Canfield.
4. Arizona: The Wildcats offense didn't show up at Cal, and now they must win-out to secure the program's first Rose Bowl. That includes the marquee showdown with Oregon on Saturday.
5. USC: The mighty have fallen. The Trojans surely will do some soul-searching during their bye week, trying to figure out what's gone wrong and how to move forward.
6. California: That was a good win over Arizona, particularly for a beleaguered defense that has underachieved this season. The Bears could feel even better about themselves if they win their next two games, starting with surging rival Stanford.
7. UCLA: The Bruins whipped Washington State and are now only one win from bowl eligibility, though it's more than likely they will have to find an at-large berth in a bowl with no Pac-10 tie-in. Their first chance is at home vs. Arizona State, losers of four in a row. And the season finale at USC suddenly doesn't seem so daunting.
8. Arizona State: The Sun Devils have lost four in a row but can still become bowl eligible if they win their final two games: at UCLA and Arizona. Things might be interesting at quarterback.
9. Washington: A tough reality has set in for Washington, which has lost six of seven since earning a national ranking with a 2-1 start and a win over USC. The Huskies, out of the bowl picture, are, indeed, rebuilding and the process won't be a one-season deal. The Huskies have a bye week to refocus and prepare for a visit from rival Washington State.
10. Washington State: Coach Paul Wulff needs to recruit like he's never recruited before. The season can't end soon enough in Pullman.
Me neither.
1. Oregon: The Ducks rolled over a very good Arizona State defense in a 44-21 victory. Can they do it twice more, starting Saturday at Arizona? If so, they go to the Rose Bowl.
2. Stanford: Not many teams in the nation have posted as impressive back-to-back wins as the Cardinal over Oregon and then USC. The Cardinal conclude their Pac-10 slate at home against rival California.
3. Oregon State: The Beavers took care of business against Washington, and their Rose Bowl path is clear. The defense has grown up and no Pac-10 quarterback is playing better than Sean Canfield.
4. Arizona: The Wildcats offense didn't show up at Cal, and now they must win-out to secure the program's first Rose Bowl. That includes the marquee showdown with Oregon on Saturday.
5. USC: The mighty have fallen. The Trojans surely will do some soul-searching during their bye week, trying to figure out what's gone wrong and how to move forward.
6. California: That was a good win over Arizona, particularly for a beleaguered defense that has underachieved this season. The Bears could feel even better about themselves if they win their next two games, starting with surging rival Stanford.
7. UCLA: The Bruins whipped Washington State and are now only one win from bowl eligibility, though it's more than likely they will have to find an at-large berth in a bowl with no Pac-10 tie-in. Their first chance is at home vs. Arizona State, losers of four in a row. And the season finale at USC suddenly doesn't seem so daunting.
8. Arizona State: The Sun Devils have lost four in a row but can still become bowl eligible if they win their final two games: at UCLA and Arizona. Things might be interesting at quarterback.
9. Washington: A tough reality has set in for Washington, which has lost six of seven since earning a national ranking with a 2-1 start and a win over USC. The Huskies, out of the bowl picture, are, indeed, rebuilding and the process won't be a one-season deal. The Huskies have a bye week to refocus and prepare for a visit from rival Washington State.
10. Washington State: Coach Paul Wulff needs to recruit like he's never recruited before. The season can't end soon enough in Pullman.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Ted Miller
Miller has been covering college football since 1997, starting with Auburn and then heading West to Washington and the Pac-10. His columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer won first place in 2007 APSE Best Writing contest. The Atlanta native and University of Richmond graduate presently lives with his wife in Scottsdale, Ariz.
