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.
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-12. His columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer won first place in the 2007 APSE Best Writing contest. The Atlanta native and University of Richmond graduate presently lives with his wife in Scottsdale, Ariz.
PAC-12 SCOREBOARD
Saturday, 12/17
Final Temple 37 Wyoming 15 Final Ohio 24 Utah State 23 Final San Diego State 30 Louisiana-Lafayette 32
Tuesday, 12/20
Wednesday, 12/21
Final 18 TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Thursday, 12/22
Saturday, 12/24
Final Nevada 17 21 Southern Miss 24
Monday, 12/26
Tuesday, 12/27
Final Western Michigan 32 Purdue 37 Final Louisville 24 North Carolina State 31
Wednesday, 12/28
Final Toledo 42 Air Force 41 Final California 10 24 Texas 21
Thursday, 12/29
Final Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14 Final Washington 56 12 Baylor 67
Friday, 12/30
Final Brigham Young 24 Tulsa 21 Final Rutgers 27 Iowa State 13 Final Mississippi State 23 Wake Forest 17 Final Iowa 14 14 Oklahoma 31
Saturday, 12/31
Final Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22 Final/OT Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 Final Illinois 20 UCLA 14 Final Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24 Final Virginia 24 25 Auburn 43
Monday, 1/2
Final 19 Houston 30 22 Penn State 14 Final Ohio State 17 Florida 24 Final/3OT 17 Michigan State 33 16 Georgia 30 Final 20 Nebraska 13 9 South Carolina 30 Final 10 Wisconsin 38 5 Oregon 45 Final/OT 4 Stanford 38 3 Oklahoma State 41
Tuesday, 1/3
Final/OT 13 Michigan 23 11 Virginia Tech 20
Wednesday, 1/4
Final 23 West Virginia 70 15 Clemson 33
Friday, 1/6
Final 8 Kansas State 16 6 Arkansas 29
Saturday, 1/7
Sunday, 1/8
Monday, 1/9
PAC-12 TEAM COVERAGE
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