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California is the lifeblood of Pac-12 recruiting. Sure, coaches talk about putting up fences in their backyards and keeping their state's elite talent within. But the majority of the top-notch players from the conference hail from the Golden State -- Northern, Southern and everywhere in between.

So it was an interesting read in SI to see that the bulk of top-rated players in the state are holding out before making a commitment. Bravo. It would be nice to see players make their commitment after some careful consideration and then stick with it.

This trend of flip-flopping, while dramatic, gets old. There was the 11th-hour Shaq Thompson switch, for example (though Washington folks probably aren't complaining). And of course the tale of Davonte Neal, who left schools dangling (and 600 elementary school kids by the way) before finally settling on Notre Dame.

Remember the time when a player would simply call up the coach and say: "I'm coming to your school."

To which the coach would say: "OK, be ready to work in the fall."

That was it.

Of course, no California recruiting story would be complete without a Tosh Lupoi reference. Writes Steve Megargee from the SI article:

When Washington hired Tosh Lupoi away from California two weeks before National Signing Day, it sent shockwaves through the 2012 West Coast recruiting scene. The aftermath of that move is still making an impact.

"That whole thing that happened with coach Lupoi, I think it sent a message to everybody here in California that you have to wait until that point where everything's about to be finalized to make your decision," Atwater Buhach offensive tackle and Rivals100 recruit Aaron Cochran said. "Anything can happen."

Cochran should know. He's the younger brother of Matt Cochran, a 2012 three-star center who verbally committed to California two weeks before Lupoi's departure. Though he signed with California anyway, the Golden Bears lost several other coveted prospects. Among them: Sacramento Grant safety Shaq Thompson (Washington), Monrovia defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy (UCLA) and Westlake Village wide receiver Jordan Payton (UCLA). All three were Rivals100 recruits.

I was covering San Diego State when Cal defensive lineman Mustafa Jalil committed to the Aztecs, a "solid verbal" as they say, only to make his switch to the Bears. I distinctly remember someone at SDSU telling me off the record "we're going to have to work hard to keep that guy." Not hard enough, apparently. And after the switch, I remember that same person using a more explicit word.

Players are free to choose whatever school they want, but hopefully this will start a trend of giving their decision a little more thought, rather than just knee-jerking on their first commitment. And if that means waiting until signing day before making an announcement, great. That makes for better drama, anyway.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley and former quarterback Ryan Katz opened up about what went wrong in Corvallis and why Katz decided to make the move to San Diego State.

In interviews with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Katz and Riley both candidly explained the downfall of Katz at OSU -- from his injury, to the rise of Sean Mannion and Katz' eventual decision to leave the program.

Here's what Riley told the U-T's Brent Schrotenboer:

It wasn’t anything Ryan did or didn’t do. The other kid just played well. It was just a coach’s decision. It was competition. He was bitterly disappointed (to get benched) but handled it like a pro. When the right time came, he came to see me and said he wanted to find someplace he could play his senior year. I was all for him. I just encouraged him to find the right place. That’s why he’s at San Diego State.

Katz said he spoke with former USC wide receiver Brice Butler, who also decided to transfer to SDSU when things started falling apart with the Trojans.

Said Katz:

When you have a top player like that coming with you, it definitely went into the decision. I’m glad. I think I made the right choice.

While it seems like there were some hurt feelings -- understandable, considering Katz started 12 games for the Beavers the previous season -- the split appears to be fairly amicable.

Added Katz:

That’s behind me. It happened. I really don’t want to get into that, to tell you truth... Things happen. It was a bad situation what happened. I’m an Aztec now. I’m not really looking in the rear-view mirror and don't want to reflect on that.

According to reports, Katz has looked strong in SDSU's spring camp and appears to be the frontrunner to replace Ryan Lindley, a four-year starter who is likely NFL bound. In 2010, Katz completed 60 percent of his passes for the Beavers (213-of-355), throwing for 2,401 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

It's no secret that success is often tied to coaching continuity. For example, see Ducks, Oregon.

According to Pete Roussel of CoachingSearch.com, Oregon is the only team in the country that has not had any coaching turnover since 2009.

Writes Roussel:

Tomorrow, former Georgetown assistant Luke Thompson officially joins Rich Ellerson's staff at Army, which means Chip Kelly's staff at Oregon will be the only staff in the country that has remained completely intact since start of the 2009 season. All nine full-time assistant coaches that began the 2009 season with Kelly remain on the staff in coaching positions.

Think about that. There are over 120 major college football programs and only one will have the same nine coaches for four consecutive seasons.

It's an interesting breakdown. A few other Pac-12 teams are mentioned in the article. Stanford is listed as having the same offensive coordinator since 2010. Roussel refers to David Shaw as "technically" the offensive coordinator, though I think Pep Hamilton and his 97 percent red zone efficiency last year might take exception to that.

San Diego State is also listed as one of the 17 teams with no coaching turnover, though offensive line coach Dan Finn left the Aztecs last month to return to Utah -- where he was a former graduate assistant.

Still, it's an impressive note about Oregon and a credit to Kelly and his staff, which has gone 34-6 and 25-2 in the conference during that span.

For the second week in a row, a former USC football player is making headlines at San Diego State. While Brice Butler wasn't dismissed from the Aztecs or his new home on Montezuma Mesa — which was the case last week with former Trojan running back Dillon Baxter — Butler had some choice words for his former program.

Butler, who transferred from USC to San Diego State in January, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he didn't feel appreciated by Lane Kiffin, and that everything had changed when Pete Carroll left for the Seattle Seahawks.

"I wasn't doing what I thought I should have been doing over there [at USC]. With Carroll, he had goals set for me and stuff like that. When the staff changed, things kind of changed for me. I want to go to the NFL, so I have to make the best decision for me and I did ... when Kiffin got there, it changed my outlook."

That all makes sense. But it's his next statement that's a bit of a head-scratcher.

"When Carroll was there I was one of the guys that, you know, Carroll looked out for. When you get a whole new staff, it changes. So that was one of the biggest reasons. It wasn't because of nobody that was playing ahead of me or anything like that. It had nothing to do with the players. It was all upstairs."

All upstairs? Nothing to do with the players? Really? I'm guessing that Robert Woods and Marqise Lee had at least a little something to do with it.

Guys transfer every year for a myriad of reasons. Coaching changes, personnel changes, broken promises. Whatever. It happens. And if you want to take a shot at your old coach on your way out the door, you better have a good reason to do it. But to say that it had nothing to do with the players — that would be the Biletnikoff finalist and the freshman All-American, by the way — well that's just plain silliness.

Was he treated poorly or underappreciated? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. I wasn't in the locker room. But I think we can all agree the two guys ahead of him are really, really good.

Butler is loaded with potential. At 6-4, 195-pounds, he was one of the top wide receiver recruits in the country and ranked 15th on the 2008 ESPNU 150 list. So things didn't work out at USC. There's no shame in saying you were the No. 3 guy behind two of the top receivers in the country and didn't think your targets or catches would increase. There's nothing wrong with trying to better yourself, and your chances of playing in the NFL, by transferring to a school that had two wide receivers drafted last year. But also be realistic that there was probably more at play than just a coaching change.

Athlon Sports takes a look at transfers to watch in 2012, and a number of comings and goings involve Pac-12 players.

Some of the top outgoing transfers: Former Oregon State QB Ryan Katz to San Diego State, former Oregon RB Lache Seastrunk to Baylor and former USC WR Brice Butler to San Diego State.

Here is what Athlon has to say about four top incoming Pac-12 transfers:

QB Connor Wood, Texas to Colorado – Wood made a push for playing time last spring with Texas, but eventually fell behind David Ash, Garrett Gilbert and Case McCoy in the fall. With playing time unlikely in Austin, Wood transferred to Colorado and will be expected to contend for the starting job this season. He ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation coming out of high school, but never found his way onto the field with Texas. Wood will have to compete with Nick Hirschman for the No. 1 job, but Hirschman might miss spring workouts with a foot injury, giving the Texas transfer an early edge in the quarterback battle.

DL Brandon Willis, North Carolina to UCLA – Willis has transferred from North Carolina to UCLA twice, but finally appears to be staying with the Bruins and will be eligible in 2012. Willis has yet to play a down of college football, but ranked as one of the top defensive linemen coming out of high school. Willis is expected to contribute to the UCLA defensive line rotation this season.

LB Brian Wagner, Akron to Arizona – Wagner didn’t gather the fanfare of some of the transfers on this list, but he could end up being one of Arizona's most productive defensive players in 2012. He was a tackling machine in his three seasons at Akron, collecting at least 100 stops in every year. Wagner also picked up All-MAC honors in two out of his three seasons with the Zips.

Many are projecting Wood to win the starting job at Colorado. Wagner seems almost certain to start due to the Wildcats thin corps of LBs.

It seems likely Willis will get plenty of chances to break through with the Bruins. While UCLA welcomes back plenty of experience on its defensive line, that line was mediocre to bad in 2011, despite having a number of once-touted recruits.

Looks like Dillon Baxter is going to be looking for another football team -- again.

The once-heralded USC running back recruit has been dismissed from San Diego State just six weeks after transferring from the Trojans, according to Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Aztecs head coach Rocky Long confirmed Baxter's removal Wednesday, saying "he's no longer part of the program."

Long said players in his program have to meet certain expectations and that it's better to "split ways" with Baxter.

Long said the move was made for "various reasons" but declined to talk about those reasons.

According to a source, Baxter, 20, had issues with class attendance and falling asleep in study hall. He also has a baby, which added stress to his schedule.

When reached by phone, Baxter said he couldn't talk about his dismissal.

Because of NCAA transfer rules, Baxter would not have been able to play withthe Aztecs this season anyway. He could have hung out with the team during spring ball, but last week Long announced that Baxter would be "held out" of spring ball to focus on personal and academic issues.

Baxter was no stranger to trouble when he was at USC. He was suspended for two games his freshman season and had trouble showing up to class. And, of course, there was the golf-cart incident. He also frequently complained about his lack of playing time.

In his two turbulent years with the Trojans, Baxter had just 68 carries for 281 yards and one rushing touchdown. A four-star recruit coming out of Mission Bay High in San Diego, Baxter was ranked 117th on the ESPNU 150 list in 2010 after setting a state record with 76 touchdowns in 2009.

There's no immediate news on what Baxter plans to do yet. As the article points out, he'll be eligible for the NFL draft next season. But without any college resume to speak of and a 747 full of baggage, it's going to be tough for him to get looks. As someone who covered Baxter in high school and saw his potential, it's another sad chapter in a college career that never really got started.

Thursday, I don't care about you.

• Arizona quarterback Nick Foles will compete in the All-Star Football Challenge.
• New ASU coach Todd Graham is making progress on the recruiting front.
• Cal fans can still be thankful for this recruiting season.
• Some more fallout from Colorado recruit Yuri Wright and his infamous Tweets.
• Former Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris says he's still a 'Duck at heart.'
• Former Pac-12 players Ryan Katz (Oregon State), Dillon Baxter (USC) and Brice Butler (USC) are officially enrolled at San Diego State.
• Andrew Luck might not be the only No. 1 pick at Stanford.
• Washington's Chris Polk wins Seattle's Male Sports Star of the Year.
• A reaction to Texas Tech rejecting Mike Leach's settlement request.

Former Arizona QB Nick Foles will be receiving snaps from a Sun Devil at the Senior Bowl on Jan. 28 in Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.

Foles was named one of three QBs for the South squad, along with Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden and San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley.

The Senior Bowl, the nation's premier college all-star game, also selected former Arizona State center Garth Gerhart.

“I think we’ve identified three solid quarterback prospects in Brandon Weeden, Nick Foles and Ryan Lindley,” Senior Bowl President and CEO Steve Hale said in a statement. “All three guys are 6’4” and above and all possess tremendous arm strength and the leadership abilities that NFL clubs are looking for. We’re excited about bringing them here to the Senior Bowl to compete at the highest level.”

More from the press release:

Foles was an Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 selection in 2011 after throwing for a single-season school record 4,334 yards and 28 touchdowns for the Wildcats. The three-year starter also broke the Arizona record for attempts (560) and completions (387) this season and finished the year with a 69.1% completion percentage. He ranked in the top five in most major passing categories, including completions per game (32.3—2nd), passing yards per game (361.2—3rd), total offense per game (352.6—4th) and total passing yards (4,334—5th).

“It’s a great honor. It’s something that growing up as a kid you always want to play in an all-star game like the Senior Bowl and I have the privilege to be one of six quarterbacks selected,” Foles said.

Foles leaves Arizona as the Wildcat’s all-time leading passer with 10,011 yards and is tied for the lead on the school’s all-time list with 67 touchdown passes. He also holds the school record for career attempts (1,369), completions (933) and total offense (9,722).

“It’s really exciting. It’s a different game now, it’s not college football and it’s not high school so I’m just going to go out there and get a taste of what the NFL is going to be like—that’s what I’m looking forward to,” Foles added.

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

Wynn flinging it? Utah QB Jordan Wynn is understandably tired of talking about his surgically repaired shoulder, but many will continue to wonder about it until he looks 100 percent in an A-list performance. He's mostly improved each week, but coming off a bye week he should be well-rested and as healthy as he's been. With a high-scoring Washington offense coming to town, he might need to look like his old, efficient self for the Utes to win.

Arizona D steps up or Barkley bounces back? Trojans QB Matt Barkley turned in a poor performance at Arizona State, with two interceptions, a fumble and a number of missed throws. Arizona's defense has been a perfect backdrop so far for tour de force offensive performances. Will Barkley be the latest A-list player to make the Wildcats look bad? Or will the Wildcats step up, as their friends in Tempe did a week ago?

ASU stays focused: Speaking of Tempe, the Sun Devils are at home against 0-3 Oregon State. On paper, it would look like an easy, blowout win. But ASU isn't a team that can believe anything will be easy just yet, particularly against a program that has beaten it three straight times. The Sun Devils need to step on the gas early and keep pressing until the game is clearly in hand.

Does Lobbestael get time to throw? Washington State's strong crew of receivers has a decided advantage against Colorado's secondary, which was questionable even before it got banged up. That would seem to play right into Cougars QB Marshall Lobbestael's hands. But the Buffaloes compensate for their secondary with a fierce pass rush, see 14 sacks, which leads the Pac-12. So will Lobbestael be able to punish Colorado pressure? Or will he have a long day looking up at the lights around Folsom Field?

Luck vs. Bruins defense: While the Bruins defense played OK at Oregon State, it's still been dreadful this year, mustering just three sacks while giving up 183 yards rushing per game, which ranks 11th in the conference. If Stanford runs well bell-to-bell, this is going to be a blowout. And if Andrew Luck can stand in the pocket unmolested, this is going to be a blowout. The 2011 Bruins defense was billed as a group that would attack. It's going to have to take some aggressive chances to slow down Luck and the Cardinal.

Polk versus Utes run defense: Huskies running back Chris Polk is one of the nation's best runners. He ranks second in the Pac-12 with 127 yards rushing per game. Utah's run defense is yielding just 79 yards per game, which ranks third in the conference. While UW QB Keith Price has been brilliant thus far -- see a nation-leading 14 TD passes -- know that coach Steve Sarkisian wants to challenge the Utes with the running game. If the Utes make the Huskies one-dimensional, that will make things tough for Price on the road.

Any help for Foles? The defense isn't Arizona's only problem. The Wildcats also have one of the nation's worst running games and have surrendered 12 sacks, most in the conference. It's mostly been QB Nick Foles versus the world during the three-game losing streak. Will any other Wildcats step up? Will a defender make a play that gives Foles a short field? Will the running backs and offensive line create any sort of running threat? Will the O-line give Foles time to throw? Foles can't do it alone, particularly on the road against a quality team.

Rodgers revs up: Know what would be the best way for the Beavers to energize? A couple of big plays from receiver James Rodgers, who will be playing his second game since returning from knee surgery. Rodgers looked good against UCLA and made some plays. Here's a guess he'll be less focused on his knee and more focused on making plays than he was in his first game back. When healthy, he's one of the most dangerous players in the nation. Can he unleash his old self on the Sun Devils?

Rodney Stewart let loose: San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman gashed the Cougars for 191 yards and four touchdowns. Can Colorado's Rodney Stewart follow his lead? The Cougars are better on defense than they have been, but these are still many of the same players who yielded 220 yards on the ground in 2010. Stewart and the Buffs running game has mostly been held in check, see a No. 11 ranking in the conference. It would be a good time for Stewart and company to reverse that early-season trend.

Bruins get physical: One of the best things UCLA can do is keep Luck off the field. That means run the ball. The Bruins have run well in the early going with 214 yards per game. Stanford has the nation's No. 1 rated running defense, but it has yet to play a good running team. Also, this is the Cardinal's first game without standout linebacker Shayne Skov. If the Bruins can run consistently, and physically challenge the Cardinal front seven, that could open things up for QB Richard Brehaut. And Stanford is yielding a 65.8 percent completion rate, third worst in the conference.

A string of losing seasons? It wasn't always like this for Colorado and Washington State.

Sure, the Buffaloes haven't posted a winning season since 2005, which wasn't such a great year considering then-coach Gary Barnett was fired before the bowl game of a 7-6 finish. But they split a national title in 1990 and won the Big 12 in 2001.

Sure, the Cougars haven't posted a winning season since 2003. But that was the third of three consecutive 10-win seasons, and the Cougs played in the Rose Bowl after the 1997 and 2002 seasons.

Both programs are trying to crawl out of the dumps, but both fan bases can recall what it's like to be on top. And they're ready to start climbing in a positive direction again.

And it's likely that when Buffs and Cougs fans went through the 2011 schedule in the preseason and registered in their mind's eyes most likely spots to record wins, both wrote a W by Oct. 1, when Washington State visits Colorado for the first Pac-12 conference game in Folsom Field (the California game, again, was a nonconference game and doesn't count in the Pac-12 standings).

Obviously, one team is going to be disappointed, and probably for good reason. It's hard to imagine the loser earning bowl eligibility.

While the Buffs have suffered, and they did go 2-10 in 2006, their fall was not as precipitous as Washington State's. Colorado has won 13 games over the past three years. The Cougars have won five over the same span. Still, new coach Jon Embree almost seems amused with the notion that his players might overlook the Cougs.

"First off, we've only won one game so we can't take anybody lightly," he said. "When I watch them on tape, I see how explosive they are on offense. I really felt like coming into this year, them and Arizona State would be the two most improved teams."

That's fair. While beating Idaho State and UNLV, as Washington State did before losing at San Diego State, doesn't announce a team as a Pac-12 contender, it's worth noting UNLV beat Hawaii by 20 points. That's the same Hawaii team that beat Colorado 34-17 in the season opener.

Last year, the Cougs transformed from grade-A FBS patsy to a competitive team. Now, in order for coach Paul Wulff to keep his job into 2012, the program needs to take the next step, which means winning some games.

"All the parts have improved but we are still nowhere near where we can be and we've got to keep growing," Wulff said.

That growth is best demonstrated by the Cougars not folding after starting quarterback Jeff Tuel went down in the opener with a broken collarbone. Senior Marshall Lobbestael has come off the bench and played well, ranking sixth in the nation in passing efficiency.

Said Embree, "That's a testament to Coach Wulff and him getting this program back to where he wants it."

Lobbestael and the Cougars deep receiving corps could be where the game turns. Entering the season, Colorado's biggest question was its secondary. That unit has been adequate, probably better than expected, even with some key injuries. But part of that is not playing good passing teams. While the Buffs haven't given up many passing yards -- 183.5 yards per game is the fewest in the conference -- they also rank only 10th in pass efficiency defense.

The Cougs rank No. 1 in the conference in passing efficiency.

That said, the Buffs front seven will challenge the Cougars offensive line. Colorado leads the conference with 14 sacks. It's likely Lobbestael will need to unload quickly, and it would helpful if he gets some production from his running game.

Speaking of running games, Colorado would prefer not to. Only miserable Arizona has prevented the Buffs from ranking last in rushing in the conference.

Playing at home should make things easier for that offense. In its only other home game so far -- against Cal -- Colorado rolled up 582 yards, including 108 yards rushing.

"If we are going to have any kind of successful season, we have to win home games," Embree said.

The opposite could prove true for Washington State: It must win on the road because a vast majority of its most winnable games on paper -- Colorado, UCLA, Oregon State (in Seattle), California and Washington -- are on the road. That list once included San Diego State, a game in which the Cougs imploded in the fourth quarter.

Washington State has had a bye week to shake off that loss and game plan for the Buffs. It's not melodramatic to say a lot is on the line for Wulff.

The Buffs and Cougs were the preseason picks to finish at the bottom of the South and North Divisions, respectively. The winner Saturday has a much better chance of avoiding that fate.

So, forget about the past, there's plenty of present urgency.

Two touchdown passes from Marshall Lobbestael have Washington State up 17-14 at San Diego State.

In fact, in the matchup of quarterbacks, Lobbestael has the edge over the Aztecs touted starter, Ryan Lindley. Lobbestael has completed 12-of-22 for 201 yards. Lindley has completed 13-of-24 for 155 yards with an interception.

It's been a back-and-forth affair, but winning the turnover battle 2-1 in the half is probably the difference.

The Cougs outgained the Aztecs 260-221 at the break.

The screws are going to tighten in the second half -- this doesn't feel like a blowout game either way.

The question is who blinks? It's been a while since the Cougars were playing for big stakes in a tight game. How will they react?

Happy Friday.

• Arizona cornerback Shaquille Richardson is trying to develop a short memory and thick skin. Wide receiver David Douglas waits his turn.
• Arizona State gets ready for another dual-threat quarterback. A scouting report.
• California coach Jeff Tedford moves toward a landmark. A practice update, including defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast talking about the defense, which got beaten up by Colorado.
• Colorado believes it will have its hands full with Colorado State. It didn't take long for Paul Richardson to announce himself as an elite wide receiver.
• The injury to Oregon linebacker Michael Clay, who looks very day-to-day, thins the Ducks' linebacker depth. O-lineman Carson York is a good player and a smart guy.
• Should Oregon State redshirt James Rodgers? Here's a column that says yes.
• Stanford's pass defense, which hasn't been great, gets ready for Arizona quarterback Nick Foles. This is the Cardinal's first big test.
• UCLA's Derrick Coleman isn't fancy but he's effective. It appears Kevin Prince will start at quarterback.
• A final decision on USC D-lineman Armond Armstead's status should come shortly. A true freshman is expected to start on the O-line.
• Does BYU have an edge over Utah? Does the rivalry need to cool down?
• Washington's receivers, shut down by Nebraska in the previous two meetings, are hoping for redemption. Some practice notes.
• Washington State linebacker C.J. Mizell has grown up as a player and person. The Cougars' starting center is doubtful at San Diego State.

Some notes to get you through the hours until Saturday. Many thanks to ESPN Stats & Information.

• Arizona has lost six straight games against FBS teams, a streak that started with a 42-17 loss to Stanford last season. The other losses in order were to USC, Oregon, Arizona State, and Oklahoma State (twice).
• Stanford tight ends Coby Fleener and Zach Ertz have caught five of Andrew Luck's seven touchdown passes this season. With 18 TD passes to tight ends since the start of the 2010 season, Luck has twice as many touchdown passes to tight ends than any other quarterback. Boise State's Kellen Moore has nine.
• Luck is at his best in the pocket, where he completed 73.0 percent of his passes last season. That's a higher rate than any quarterback taken in the 2011 NFL draft.
• Luck excels throwing after a play fake, averaging over 10 yards per attempt. In Stanford’s victory over Arizona last season, Luck faked a run and then threw the ball 44 yards in the air to Chris Owusu for a 45-yard touchdown. Since 2010, when Luck uses play action, he completes 72 percent of his throws with 12 TDs and no interceptions.
• Luck has 51 career touchdown passes at Stanford. He’s one behind Jim Plunkett (52) for the 3rd-most in school history. John Elway is the all-time leader with 77.
• Arizona QB Nick Foles has had success throwing the ball downfield on first down, but has struggled to complete passes thrown 20 yards or more in the air after that. On such throws, he's completed 53 percent on first down with six TDs and one interception. On second and third downs, he's completed 24 percent with a TD and two picks.
• Stanford is looking to start 3-0 for the seconds consecutive season. The last time the Cardinal started two straight seasons 3-0 was 1971-72.
• Stanford has won 10 straight games dating back to last season. It’s the longest streak for the Cardinal since winning 13 straight games during the 1939-41 seasons and the second-longest current streak in the FBS (Auburn – 17).
• Arizona State and Illinois have not met since the teams opened up the season against one another in 1987 and 1988 (both games won by ASU).
• Arizona State has started 2-0 all five seasons under head coach Dennis Erickson. The only 3-0 start under Erickson came in his first season in 2007 when the Sun Devils began the season with eight straight victories.
• Illinois has lost 10 straight games to opponents ranked in the AP top-25 (last win came on November 10, 2007 at top-ranked Ohio State). The Illini are 3-18 against ranked opponents since Ron Zook took over the program in 2005 (all three wins came in 2007 season).
• The Illini have lost five straight games against current Pac-12 teams.
• This will be the first ever meeting between Presbyterian and California. And hopefully the last.
• This will be the first of five "home" games Cal will play at AT&T Park while Memorial Stadium in Berkeley is being renovated.
• Colorado leads its series with Colorado State 60-20-2. The Buffaloes won 24-3 last year.
• Colorado had never lost a game in which it didn't surrender either a sack or turnover until last weekend against California.
• This will be the first ever meeting between Missouri State and Oregon. And hopefully the last.
• Oregon is a perfect 14-0 at home under head coach Chip Kelly. Missouri State has lost nine straight road games.
• Oregon has outscored its last four FCS opponents by 186 points (212-26) including a 69-0 win over Portland State last season.
• Ducks QB Darron Thomas has seven TD passes in the Ducks' first two games of the season (tied for most in FBS).
• Texas and UCLA have met five times, with UCLA winning each of the past three. That includes a 34-12 upset win in Austin last September in which Texas was outrushed 264-85.
• Texas gave up a season-high 264 rushing yards in its loss to UCLA. The Bruins were able to march slowly up and down the field, as 22 of their 57 rushes (38.6) went for 5 yards or more.
• Since that big win vs. Texas last year, coach Rick Neuheisel and UCLA is 3-7.
• USC leads its series with Syracuse 2-0. The teams last met in 1990, a 34-16 Trojans victory.
• The Trojan are averaging just 21 points per game, which ranks 10th in the Pac-12 and 91st in the nation.
• Utah leads its rivalry series with BYU 54-34-4. The Utes beat the Cougars 17-16 last year, rallying from a 16-0 deficit in the fourth quarter and blocking a 42-yard field goal to win.
• Two rivalry trophies are at stake at BYU: The Deseret Duel and the Beehive Boot.
• The Utes rank last in the Pac-12 in passing offense (169.5 yards per game), which is a big reason they also rank last in total offense (305.5 ypg). They also are last in passing efficiency and first downs (35).
• Since losing by a combined 94-16 in back-to-back weeks to Stanford and Oregon in 2010, Washington turned to running back Chris Polk. Polk has run for a 100 yards in five or his past six games, all wins by the Huskies.
• Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez rushed for 137 yards and three TDs in the first meeting with Washington last season and managed just 23 yards and no TD in the Holiday Bowl.
• Washington’s current six-game win streak is tied for the fourth-longest in the FBS. Washington is looking to start 3-0 for the first time since the 2001 season (started 4-0).
• In its lone previous meeting with San Diego State, Washington State won 45-17 in 2007.
• Washington State's offense averages 61.5 points per game, which leads the nation.

Winning is not a sometime thing, it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

• It's still uncertain if Arizona WR Juron Criner will play against Stanford.
• Arizona State fans are catching a case of the Pflu.
• An explanation for why California is playing Methodist, er, Presbyterian.
• Colorado is no longer fretting its field goal kicking.
• Missouri State could win at Oregon? One word: No.
• Demoted Oregon State QB Ryan Katz speaks to reporters, and, yes, he's not happy.
• Stanford tight end Coby Fleener is big and fast and tough to handle.
• Things are a bit uneasy for UCLA at kicker.
• USC's offense is struggling.
• Utah's offense is a work in progress.
• Washington will be down a safety at Nebraska.
• Washington State upped the intensity at practice.

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

1. Luck versus Foles: Both Andrew Luck and Nick Foles are mature starters with lots of skills with NFL futures. They won't spend a lot of time comparing stats during the game, but it's hard to imagine both are completely uninterested in the other and how he performs. Quarterbacks study other quarterbacks. While both these guys want to win above all else, they'd also like to walk away with a better looking stat sheet than the other. Luck has a better running game and a better defense supporting him. Foles has better receivers. Who ends up with the best efficiency rating, oh and the W?

2. Nebraska's O-line versus Washington's D-line: The Cornhuskers offensive line is billed as perhaps the youngest in program history, with a freshman and two sophomore starters. And the 'Huskers 2010 O-line lost the battle with the Huskies D-line in the Holiday Bowl, rushing for just 91 yards. UW's 333-pound DT Alameda Ta'amu, in particular, dominated inside. While the Huskies pass defense has been suspect so far, the run defense is another story, ranking seventh in the nation. UW is talented and experienced up front. Nebraska is a run-first team, and quarterback Taylor Martinez is much more comfortable running than passing. While the Huskies pass defense, again, has been poor, coordinator Nick Holt certainly would feel better about his unit's chances if Martinez is forced to throw downfield to move the ball.

3. Osweiler's encore? Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler was a tour de force in the win over Missouri, passing for 353 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 34 yards and a score. Also, he projects confidence and is a vocal leader. The Sun Devils will be challenged to match the intensity they showed against Missouri on the road at Illinois. That's where Osweiler's leadership comes in. He needs to rally the locker room and make sure distraction and complacency don't take root. It would be nice if he played like he did against Missouri, too.

4. Can UCLA run against Texas? Texas' defense has been stout in the first two games. It held BYU to just a field goal in the second half. It's yielding just 86.5 yard rushing per game. In the Bruins upset victory last year, the Longhorns couldn't stop UCLA's pistol offense, which raked up 264 yards on the ground. The Bruins are still a run-first team with a questionable passing game. But it will be much easier to throw downfield if the running game is gashing the Longhorns and giving them a sense of déjà vu.

5. Washington State's defense makes a stand? The Cougars defense has been outstanding so far, and it's particularly encouraging that it has been stout against the run, which hasn't been the case for three years. But Idaho State and UNLV are terrible, and San Diego State is not. In fact, it has two NFL prospects leading the offense in quarterback Ryan Lindley and running back Ronnie Hillman. Both put up huge numbers in 2010, and they will challenge the Cougs with a potent pass-run balance. Want to know if the Cougs D is for real? This game will tell. And if the D passes the test, Washington State should win because it should be able to score plenty of points against the Aztecs.

6. Rodney Stewart gets going: Colorado ranks 114th in the nation in rushing even though it has an A-list running back in Stewart. While the passing game has been impressive, coach Jon Embree is not the sort to abandon the run and surrender balance. Colorado State gave up 150 yards rushing to New Mexico. You'd think the Buffs can at least match that, even with a injury-riddled offensive line. And if Stewart gets going, that will open up chances for quarterback Tyler Hansen to find wide receiver Paul Richardson over the top.

7. Pin your ears back, Trojans: Despite a soft schedule featuring Wake Forest and Rhode Island, Syracuse ranks 107th in the nation in rushing (78.5 yards per game). While Ryan Nassib is a nice quarterback, life won't be easy for him against a strong Trojans pass rush if he's got no running game to keep the defense honest. He's already been sacked four times, and his offensive line hasn't seen the likes of the Trojans front four.

8. Rediscover the run, Utes: While Jordan Wynn is a gamer, he looked significantly better at USC than in the season opener. But he's not the sort who can win a game alone, at least not while he's still regaining his shoulder strength after surgery. He needs a running game, which he didn't have against USC. BYU plays tough defense, but the Utes need to establish a run threat and some offensive balance to make life easier for Wynn, both in terms of opening up the downfield passing game and protecting Wynn's surgically repaired shoulder.

9. Road tough? Good teams win on the road, and good conferences have teams that consistently win on the road. Utah, Arizona State, Washington and Washington State each can make statements for themselves and for the Pac-12 if they take care of business in hostile environments. None are favored to do so. If the conference goes 3-1 in these games, it will significantly bolster the conference's Q-rating nationally. Oh, and its computer rating in the BCS standings.

10. Oregon and California? Oregon plays Missouri State and California plays Presbyterian. What to watch? Something else.