ESPN College Football

Tequila in his heartbeat; his veins burned gasoline
It kept his motor runnin'; but he never kept it clean

• Teddy Bruschi deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
• Instilling discipline at ASU is spelled out in Todd Graham's contract.
• Cal fans are predicting seven wins for the Bears in 2012.
• Tyler Hansen living the dream as a Bengals QB.
• A video breakdown of Oregon's spring game from the guys at FishDuck. Per usual, good analysis.
• Cliff Kirkpatrick continues his Oregon State spring tour with a look at the Civil War.
• Some updates to the original story on former Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu.
• Some notes about USC's three football players/tracksters.
• Time to vote, Utah fan. How will the team finish?
• A Washington recruit might be backing off from his original commitment to the Huskies.
• WSU AD Bill Moos hints that the season opener against BYU could be moved to Thursday night.

Receiver Paul Richardson is Colorado's best player. He's got Pac-12 speed, which the Buffaloes were sorely lacking in 2011. Coach Jon Embree's chief task in recruiting is to get more Paul Richardsons -- speedy guys for both sides of the ball.

But the rebuilding project in Boulder is going to require just as much David Bakhtiari as Paul Richardson. Bakhtiari, the Buffs' left offensive tackle, earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2011 as a sophomore, the only Colorado player to get an All-Conference nod.

He's a want-to guy. A guy who talks about chemistry and a sense of urgency. A guy willing to lead. A guy who seems slightly bothered -- politely so, of course -- when a reporter notes the Buffs' significant holes heading into 2012.

Why should folks believe Colorado can improve on a 3-10 finish despite losing its top passer, top rusher and top-two receivers (Richardson missed four games due to injury)?

"There is definitely a sense of urgency that I can see from last year's team to this year's team," Bakhtiari said. "People are moving around with a purpose. They are buying into our common goal, which is a bowl game. We've decided we are tired of going home in December and watching all these games."

Bakhtiari has been impressed with QB Connor Wood, the Texas transfer who has the inside track to replace Tyler Hansen. He raves about RB Tony Jones, who will step in for Rodney Stewart. Stewart only led the Buffs in rushing four consecutive years and now ranks second on the school's all-time rushing list. And a healthy Richardson is the obvious choice to replace the receptions that departed with Stewart (45) and Toney Clemons (43).

But if the Buffs are going to improve, they are going to need to score more than 19.8 points per game, a total that ranked last in the Pac-12 in 2011. That starts with Bakhtiari and the O-line, which is replacing guards Ethan Adkins and Ryan Miller.

Offensive line coach Steve Marshall, speaking to B.G. Brooks, called Bakhtiari "probably was our most productive player (in 2011) game in and game out." He'll be protecting Wood's blindside as well as leading the charge for a rushing offense that needs to do better than 3.5 yards per carry and 109 yards per game.

Like most Colorado players, Bakhtiari was recruited by Dan Hawkins, a far softer touch than the demanding, straight-talking Embree. (Said Bakhtiari, "Embree is a little more, 'I want production and I'm going to get it.'"). Unquestionably, there was an adjustment to the change in styles in 2011. There was a lot less nurturing and a lot more barking at practices. And Embree isn't afraid to publicly question his players commitment to winning.

But there were hints of accord late last season between coaching staff and locker room. After a 1-9 start, the Buffs won two of their final three games, including a shocking and impressive 17-14 win at Utah, which knocked the Utes out of the Pac-12 title game.

"Guys are now understanding what these coaches want and how they want it to be," Bakhtiari said. "Last year, we were kind of chickens with our heads cut off."

That's a start. It's probably going to take a few more Richardsons and Bakhtiaris to get the Buffs into Pac-12 South Division contention. But that's a start.

Recognition is so important for an offense. Think Andrew Luck -- or Peyton Manning -- wildly gesticulating at the line of scrimmage.

Or, for that matter, Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas doing the same thing.

That was something that stuck with me after I chatted with Oregon sophomore center Hroniss Grasu a couple of weeks ago. We were talking about how he improved at making line calls during the 2011 season, but he went out of his way to note how good Thomas was at helping out, at identifying last-second changes a defense made that perhaps hinted at its ill intentions.

The point: Centers and quarterbacks are the brains of an offense. The center typically makes the calls at the line of scrimmage that make sure everyone is accounted for. And quarterbacks communicate to both the skill players and the line about checks and audibles.

The QB and center work in tandem. They need to be in sync. And having smart, experienced signal-callers and centers is a big deal for an offense. It means an offense can go to the line with more options, and it can check into the right option more often than not. That breeds confidence, both among players and with their coaches.

So which Pac-12 teams are experienced at QB and center? Who has both back, one back or neither?

Thanks for asking.

Arizona: Center
Skinny: While Nick Foles was the Wildcats' quarterback last year, Matt Scott has started five games, so the offense is not in inexperienced hands. Senior center Kyle Quinn did a solid job in 2011, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors. On the downside, the Wildcats are installing a new offense with coach Rich Rodriguez, so past experience isn't as helpful.

Arizona State: Neither
Skinny: QB Brock Osweiler is gone as is center Garth Gerhart. Kody Koebensky likely takes over at center, while the quarterback competition continues to be wide-open. Of course, the Sun Devils are installing a new offense under new coach Todd Graham, so being green isn't as much of an issue.

California: Both
Skinny: QB Zach Maynard should be much more in control as a second-year starter. While center Dominic Galas is back, he's sitting out spring due to a shoulder injury, and it appears he will switch over to guard. Galas, some of you Bears fans might recall, did have some issues with shotgun snaps last year. Chris Adcock or Mark Brazinski could end up winning the job.

Colorado: Center
Skinny: Tyler Hansen is almost certainly going to be replaced at quarterback by Texas transfer Connor Wood, a sophomore with no game experience. It should help Wood, however, to have junior Gus Handler back making the line calls. Daniel Munyer, who's slated to start at guard, also has starting experience at center.

Oregon: Center
Skinny: Center Grasu's first start as a redshirt freshman was against LSU's beastly defensive front. That was a baptism by fire, but he consistently improved throughout the season. QB Bryan Bennett has some experience, including one start, but he will be challenged this spring by redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota.

Oregon State: QB
Skinny: Sean Mannion is back at QB, but center Grant Johnson is gone. The frontrunner to win that job is sophomore Roman Sapolu. The Beavers have injury issues on the line this spring, and that likely will slow down the unit's -- and Sapolu's -- development.

Stanford: Center
Skinny: You might have heard that Andrew Luck is gone. Brett Nottingham and Josh Nunes look like the favorites to replace him, but neither has significant experience. Senior Sam Schwartzstein did a fine job stepping into Chase Beeler's shoes in 2011, but life was, naturally, easier with Luck at QB. More will fall on Schwartzstein in 2012.

UCLA: QB
Skinny: The Bruins have two quarterbacks with significant starting experience back: Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut. But redshirt freshman Brett Hundley might end up winning the job. All three are learning a new offense this spring under new coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. Sophomore Jacob Brendel -- or perhaps junior Greg Capella, who mostly started at guard last year -- are the frontrunners to replace Kai Maiava at center.

USC: Both
Skinny: You've maybe heard of Trojans QB Matt Barkley and his receivers, Robert Woods/Marqise Lee, being the best pass-catch trio in the nation. Well, Barkley and senior center Khaled Holmes are the perhaps the best QB-center combination in the nation. Holmes was second-team All-Pac-12 in 2011, and he's probably the best center in the conference.

Utah: Both
Skinny: Junior Jordan Wynn, a three-year starter, only needs to stay healthy for the Utes to get at least solid QB play. Center Tevita Stevens is solid, but he will be breaking in a pair of new OTs.

Washington: Both
Skinny: Junior QB Keith Price was a revelation last year as a first-year starter, far eclipsing the production of his celebrated predecessor, Jake Locker. Senior center Drew Schaefer is a 30-game starter. So this is a strong combo for the Huskies.

Washington State: Both
Skinny: Jeff Tuel feels like a decided frontrunner to retain his starting job at QB, while junior Matt Goetz returns at center. A junior-college transfer in 2011, he started the final nine games of 2011. A year of seasoning -- and in the weight room -- should help Goetz in 2012.

Starters in, starters out. That's college football. Players' eligibility expires and they leave for the rest of their lives, whether that includes the NFL or not.

And they leave behind shoes of various sizes that need to be filled.

Our concern with this series? The biggest shoes -- in some cases Shaq-like size 23s.

Big shoes: Quarterback Tyler Hansen

Coach Jon Embree called the quarterback position battle the No. 1 priority for the Buffaloes this spring and going into fall. That's good enough for us. Colorado isn't lacking holes to fill, so you might as well start at the top. Hansen didn't have great numbers by Pac-12 standards. His 56.1 completion percentage was last among conference quarterbacks, and his 20-to-11 touchdown to interception ratio and 2,883 yards were pedestrian in a league where half of the quarterbacks throw for 3,000-plus yards. But numbers aside, he was gutty, reliable and absorbed every one of the 82 sacks he suffered in a four-year career. He was a leader. And that's not easily replaced.

Stepping in: Connor Wood, Nick Hirschman, Stevie Joe Dorman or John Schrock

The quarterback competition, which was supposed to heat up this spring between Wood, a Texas transfer, and Hirschman, last year's backup, got put on ice after Hirschman suffered another broken bone in his foot. That means Wood has the entire spring to impress the coaching staff and work pretty much exclusively with the first team. Embree said the competition will resume when Hirschman returns in the summer, and the job is not Wood's by any means. Dorman and Schrock, are a pair of dark horse candidates that will also benefit from Hirschman missing spring, but both are expected to split reps with the second team.

The rest of the "Big Shoes" series can be found here.

Colorado has released its pre-spring depth chart, but the biggest news is the announcement that QB Nick Hirschman will be out with a foot injury.

That means Hirschman won't be able to compete with Connor Wood, a Texas transfer, for the starting job. Hirschman was recovering from offseason foot surgery when he hurt his other foot.

From a press release: "[Hirschman] broke the exact same metatarsal bone in his other foot over the weekend (he was walking and just stepped on it wrong, he was not in any athletic activity or conditioning); he flew home to California today where he will have surgery later in the week."

Hirschman started one game last season -- against Arizona State -- but there is strong sentiment that Wood is the frontrunner to replace Tyler Hansen.

Colorado holds its first practice Saturday.

Some more notes:

• The Buffaloes will use a 4-3 defense after using a 3-4 -- officially -- much of last year. The No. 1 defensive line goes like this: Will Pericak and Eric Richter at the DTs and Juda Parker and Chidera UzoDiribe at the ends.
• Other players out due to injury: CB Jered Bell (knee), DL Nate Bonsu (shoulder), RB Malcolm Creer (knee) and LB Doug Rippy (knee).
• Ray Polk and Parker Orms are the free and strong safeties, respectively, and Josh Moten and Greg Henderson are the corners.
• The offensive line goes like this: David Bakhtiari at LT and Jack Harris at RT, Gus Handler at center and Daniel Munyer and Ryan Dannewitz at left and right guard, respectively.
• Other QBs who will be in the mix: redshirt freshman John Schrock, a walk-on, and redshirt freshman Stevie Joe Dorman. Touted incoming true freshman Shane Dillon will join the fray in August.
• The spring game is April 14 at Folsom Field.

Success at sports is the province of the almost empty head.

• Some thoughts from an Arizona perspective on Davonte' Neal odd recruiting journey, which ended at Notre Dame. More details here.
• Former Arizona State CB Omar Bolden has a lot to prove at the NFL combine.
• Here are the Bay Area players headed to the NFL combine, and a quick preview of them here.
• Former Colorado QB Tyler Hansen has been working out with Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn, and he senses no tension between the two.
• What are the odds Oregon wins the national title?
• Oregon State might undergo a recruiting realignment with its coaches.
• Former Stanford QB Andrew Luck is working out with a QB guru before he heads to the NFL combine.
• Former UCLA defensive coordinator Joe Tresey found another job. A review of the Bruins highly rated recruiting class.
• How do things stack up at QB for USC behind Matt Barkley?
• A shot at casting a movie about Washington State football.

I'm Kevin Nealon, and that's news to me.

• ESPN's Todd McShay says former UA quarterback Nick Foles is better under pressure than Robert Griffin III, and he has the tweets to back it up.
• ASU's Todd Graham rewarded walk-on wide receiver Kevin Ozier with a scholarship.
• More fallout from the Tosh Lupoi departure from Cal to Washington.
• Former Buffs quarterback Tyler Hansen thinks his stock is on the rise. And from late Friday night, an early look at the Colorado offense in 2013.
• Oregon's Dior Mathis and B.J. Kelley both made the 60-meter final at the Husky Classic track meet. Mathis gets the bragging rights, finishing third while Kelley finished eighth.
• Mike Riley is expected to hire Rod Perry as his secondary coach today, according to the Portland Tribune.
• Former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck being taken No. 1 is the only lock of this year's draft.
• Early reviews of UCLA strength coach Sal Alosi appear to be positive.
• Lane Kiffin filled two more coaching vacancies over the weekend.
• What are the 100 things a Utah fan must know before they die? Here's how to find out.
• Washington sets its pro day for March 8.
• Here's a recap of all the recent news and notes at Washington State.

We're looking at the top individual performances in the Pac-12 in 2011.

Up first: The Buff Duo.

Who & against whom? Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen and receiver Paul Richardson vs. California on Sept. 10.

The numbers: Richardson caught 11 passes for a school-record 284 yards and two TDs, and Hansen passed for a school record 474 yards and three scores and no interceptions in a 36-33 overtime loss to California.

A closer look: It takes a lot for a losing performance to earn a top performance nod, but setting a pair of major offensive school records is a lot. Richardson's total was the top receiving performance in the conference this season, and Hansen's passing yardage total ranked third. The pair helped the Buffaloes rally from a 10-point second-half deficit to force overtime. Further, these numbers were compiled by a bad offense against a good defense. The Buffs ranked 11th in the Pac-12 in total offense and 12th in scoring, while the Bears ranked first in total defense, fourth in scoring and No. 1 in pass efficiency defense. Hansen's 474 yards passing was 15 percent of the Buffs' total passing yards in 2011. While it was a so-close-but-yet-so-far ending for Colorado, that doesn't subtract from a scintillating performance.

The 2011 season is over. That means report cards are due.

Up next: Colorado

Offense: The Buffaloes ranked last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense (19.8 points per game) and 11th in total offense (346.3 yards per game). They ranked ninth in rushing (108.7 ypg) and 12th in passing efficiency. Three times the Buffs didn't reach double digits. So not much went right this season on offense, despite having a veteran QB in Tyler Hansen, a proven rusher in Rodney Stewart and a nice combo at receiver in Paul Richardson and Toney Clemons. The offensive line was surprisingly poor: The Buffs gained 3.5 yards per rush and yielded 31 sacks, which ranked ninth in the conference. The worrisome thing is the unit looks like it will be rebuilding in 2012 with just four starters back.

Grade: F

Defense: Colorado ranked last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (36.5 ppg) and 11th in total defense (439.3 ypg). It was bad against the run and pass, ranking last in pass efficiency defense. It forced 15 turnovers, fewest in the conference. It was last in the conference in red zone defense, with opponents scoring TDs on 45 of 60 red zone trips. Injuries were an issue, most notably LB Douglas Rippy blowing out his knee at Washington on Oct. 15. There is good news, however. Seven starters will be back in 2012, and there's some intriguing youth that should take a step forward.

Grade: D-

Overall: Look at those grades. Bad, huh? But guess what? The Buffaloes, who played a 13-game, no-bye schedule that was among the toughest in the country, were statistically worse than their season actually was. No, going 3-10 is not good by any measure. And the numbers are hard to spin -- 109th in the nation in scoring offense and defense. But Colorado won two of its last three games, including an impressive effort in a win at Utah that ended a 24-game losing streak outside the state. The question is can coach Jon Embree parlay that small bit of success into offseason momentum, both in recruiting and offseason workouts? And can that then carry over into a strong spring session that inspires some confidence within the program?

Grade: D

It's never too early to look ahead, and even if it is, it's not against the law or anything.

And so we have our way-too-early 2012 power rankings.

By the way, schedule does not factor into these. This is a projected pecking order based on where a team stands right now -- Jan. 10, 2012.

And, by the way No. 2, if you don't like where your team is in the way-too-early power rankings, then I'd suggest whining about it until you get to play better.

By the way No. 3, Nos. 1 & 2 were easy. The rest is pretty darn murky, not in small part due to four new coaches.

1. USC: The Trojans welcome back 19 starters from a top-five team, including quarterback Matt Barkley. They beat Oregon in Autzen Stadium on Nov. 19. USC might be the preseason No. 2. Or No. 3.

2. Oregon: The Ducks have a strong mix of talent coming back from a team that won the Rose Bowl, but it's not just about 16 returning starters. If you want a reason to favor the Ducks over the Trojans, it's depth. Oregon welcomes back most of its two-deep. By the way, old Ducks fans probably grin about the idea of their team having better depth than USC.

3. Utah: The Utes welcome back 18 starters, though replacing both offensive tackles will be a huge task this spring. The defense has a chance to be beastly. The key? Utah proved it can win eight games with poor-to-middling quarterback play. But does a healthy Jordan Wynn -- back to late 2009, early 2010 form -- mean 10 wins?

4. Stanford: Many will count out the Cardinal, post-Andrew Luck. The Pac-12 blog will not. The over-under with this team is eight wins. Two gigantic holes on the offensive line and at both safeties are major issues, as is quarterback.

5. Washington: The Huskies welcome back seven starters on both sides of the ball, including up-and-coming quarterback Keith Price. The question is how quickly the defense can improve under Justin Wilcox.

6. California: While Cal only welcomes back 11 starters, there's plenty of intriguing talent on the roster, particularly on defense. Will quarterback Zach Maynard take a step forward? And what about his receivers after Keenan Allen? The pressure is on Jeff Tedford to win inside a renovated Memorial Stadium in 2012. If things come together, he just might do that.

7. Arizona: The Wildcats have more potential than most realize, starting with five returning starters on the offensive line and three defensive starters returning from injury, as well as an experienced quarterback in Matt Scott, who looks like a nice fit for Rich Rodriguez's spread-option offense.

8. Washington State: With 18 starters back, I'll go ahead and type it: New coach Mike Leach will lead the Cougars to a bowl game. And, hopefully, someone tips their cap to former coach Paul Wulff for collecting some solid talent, including two quarterbacks, Jeff Tuel and Connor Halliday, who appear capable of flinging the rock as Leach likes to, as well as a potential All-American receiver in Marquess Wilson.

9. Oregon State: The Beavers could be a surprise team if all the young players who were inconsistent in 2011 grow up in 2012, starting with true freshman quarterback Sean Mannion. With 17 starters back, experience won't be an issue. But those returning players went 3-9, so it's difficult to project a top-half finish. At least, not at this point.

10. UCLA: New coach Jim Mora doesn't start with an empty cupboard -- 16 starters are back. But the overall talent is dubious and, even more challenging, Mora needs to rebuild a culture. Further, taking the Bruins back to a pro-style offense, if that's the ultimate plan, might be a struggle in Year 1. First question: Is Kevin Prince the quarterback, or does Mora go with talented redshirt freshman Brett Hundley?

11. Arizona State: The Sun Devils tumbled in these rankings when quarterback Brock Osweiler, curiously, opted to enter the NFL draft. With just 10 starters back, a quarterback with no real game experience -- whoever wins the job -- and a challenging locker room, new coach Todd Graham might find the going rough in Year 1.

12. Colorado: The Buffs welcome back 13 starters from a team that went 3-10 and ranked last in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The rebuilding job on offense, in particular, will be significant with the loss of quarterback Tyler Hansen, running back Rodney Stewart and receiver Toney Clemons. The rebuilding job in Boulder won't happen overnight-- or over two seasons -- for second-year coach Jon Embree.

Do you believe in the primacy of returning starters for determining preseason pecking order? Well, if so, you'll enjoy this effort from College Football Matrix, which has broken down returning starers by conference for all FBS teams.

While measuring returning starters is an inexact science -- the common way is at least five starts the previous season -- the list is revealing. And it suggests that the SEC and Big 12, the two best conferences in 2011, will again thrive in 2012.

Big 12 teams average 17 returning starters, tops in the nation. The SEC averages 16.7. The Pac-12 is last among AQ conferences with just 13.8.

The Big 12, big on offense, has the most coming back on offense: 7.9. And the SEC, big on defense, has 7.6 coming back on defense.

The good news is nine of 12 Pac-12 quarterbacks are coming back, including USC's Matt Barkley, though that number falls to eight if Arizona State's Brock Osweiler opts to enter the NFL draft a year early.

Be forewarned: There is some imprecision on this list. It says Colorado's quarterback is returning; Tyler Hansen is not. And it lists Washington State as having just seven returning starters; by my count, the Cougars welcome back 18. So that was a miscalculation. I went through every Pac-12 team, and you could quibble the numbers a handful of times, so the numbers aren't absolute.

Here's my tally (* means quarterback coming back). It averages out to 14.8 starters returning for the conference. Keep in mind it doesn't including returning starters who were hurt this season, such as Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee, and does include players who still might announce for the NFL draft, such as Osweiler, Oregon running back LaMichael James.

Arizona (12)
Offense: 6
Defense: 6
specialists: 0

Arizona State (11*)
Offense: 5
Defense: 4
specialists: 2

California (11*)
Offense: 6
Defense: 5
specialists: 0

Colorado (13)
Offense: 4
Defense: 7
specialists: 2

Oregon (16*)
Offense: 7
Defense: 7
specialists: 2

Oregon State (17*)
Offense: 8
Defense: 8
specialists: 1

Stanford (12)
Offense: 5
Defense: 6
specialists: 1

UCLA (16*)
Offense: 8
Defense: 7
specialists: 1

USC (19*)
Offense: 9
Defense: 8
specialists: 2

Utah (18*)
Offense: 9
Defense: 7
specialists: 2

Washington (14*)
Offense: 7
Defense: 7
specialists: 0

Washington State (18*)
Offense: 8
Defense: 9
specialists: 1

Colorado's visit to UCLA is one of the more interesting games you'll see between teams that are 2-9 and 5-5, respectively.

First off, Buffaloes coach Jon Embree is UCLA receiver Taylor Embree's father. As the elder Embree told the L.A. Times, "This will be bragging rights for eternity."

Then there's this: Embree and UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel have known each other for a long time. "I stayed with the Embrees when I first moved to Colorado," Neuheisel said of his time as a Buffaloes assistant coach in 1994.

Colorado is riding a 22-game road losing skid, but Embree and his quarterback, Tyler Hansen, came very close to guaranteeing victory after the Buffs picked up their first Pac-12 win last weekend against Arizona.

If they are right, that won't be good for Neuheisel. It could get him fired. As you might have heard, he's on a very hot seat.

Ah, but even if the Bruins lose and fall to 5-6, they won't be eliminated from the Pac-12 South Division race. Heck, if UCLA, Arizona State and Utah all lose their final two games, the Bruins would go to the Pac-12 championship game at 5-7 but not be eligible for a bowl game. Even if they won the conference championship with a monumental upset, they'd need a special waiver from the NCAA to represent the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl, which would be horrifying in the conference offices.

Adam Maya of the Orange County Register even noted that going to the Pac-12 championship game might not be a good thing for the Bruins and Neuheisel. How through the looking glass is this logic:

Since UCLA is most likely to go 1-1 during the next two weeks (at home against Colorado, at USC) and finish 6-6, its best-case scenario would be for ASU or Utah to go 2-0 and win the division. That would keep the Bruins out of the Pac-12 title game and protect their bowl eligibility.

Funny thing is, the logic is sound. At 6-7 and losers of the Pac-12 championship game, the Bruins still would require a waiver from the NCAA to play in a bowl game, one that the NCAA likely wouldn't grant if there were winning teams not getting bowl invitations.

So there's a lot going on in and around this poor-to-middling matchup that likely will be watched by a half-full Rose Bowl.

Taking stock of the 11th week of games in the Pac-12.

Team of the week: Oregon took care of business at Stanford with a 53-30 win and has re-emerged as a national title contender. It defeated a top-five team on the road for the first time in school history and won its 19th consecutive conference game.

Best game: The only Pac-12 game that was undecided in the fourth quarter was Washington State's 37-27 upset win over Arizona State. The Sun Devils twice drove inside the Cougars 10-yard line in the fourth quarter and ended up with no points on either possession, turning the ball over on downs once and missing a chip shot field goal the second time.

Biggest play: On a fourth and 7 from the Stanford 41-yard line, with Oregon up 15-9 in the second quarter, Ducks QB Darron Thomas dumped a pass to true freshman De'Anthony Thomas, who scooted through the flailing Cardinal secondary 41 yards for a touchdown. That was the moment when you saw how Oregon's speed advantage was going to tax -- big time -- the Cardinal defense.

Offensive standout (s): Washington State's redshirt freshman QB Connor Halliday came off the bench and threw for 494 yards and four TDs in the win over Arizona State. He completed 27 of 36 passes with no interceptions. His yardage total was the best in conference history for a freshman and just 37 yards shy of Alex Brink's school record of 531 yards set against Oregon State in 2005.

Colorado RB Rodney Stewart, playing with a sprained ankle, rushed 24 times for 181 yards and three touchdowns, caught two passes for 23 yards, and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to QB Tyler Hansen in the Buffs 48-29 win over Arizona, the program's first Pac-12 victory.

Defensive standout (s): USC DE Nick Perry had 2.5 sacks in the 40-17 win over Washington, and Utah CB Conroy Black grabbed two interceptions in the 31-6 win over UCLA -- the second of which he returned 67 yards for a touchdown.

Special teams standout (s): Arizona State's Jamal Miles returned the opening kickoff at Washington State 95 yards for a touchdown, while USC's Marqise Lee returned a kickoff 88 yards for a TD against Washington.

Smiley face: Oregon's effort at Stanford was brilliant in just about every way: Outstanding plans on both sides of the ball executed about as well as plans can be executed.

Frowny face: Does anyone want to win the South Division? UCLA gift wrapped a huge opportunity for Arizona State to re-take control, but the Sun Devils flopped in the chill of Pullman. And now Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson's job might be in jeopardy.

Thought of the week: The North should secede from the Pac-12 union. At least this year. South teams have been dreadful, other than USC, which isn't eligible to win the title due to NCAA sanctions. Arizona State and UCLA, the two frontrunners, are a combined 2-8 on the road this year. Yeesh.

Questions for the week: What might a USC upset at Oregon mean? For one, it wouldn't upset the Pac-12 apple cart, other than eliminating the Ducks from the national championship hunt. Oregon would still go to the Rose Bowl if it won out -- Civil War with Oregon State and Pac-12 championship game -- and Stanford would still be favored for an at-large berth in the Fiesta Bowl. But it would give Trojans coach Lane Kiffin a landmark win and Trojans fans plenty to cackle about. And it certainly would provide the program momentum as it heads forward with scholarship reductions.

Panda Watch. The mood is tense; I have been on some serious, serious reports but nothing quite like this. I uh... Ching... King is inside right now. I tried to get an interview with him, but they said no, you can't do that he's a live bear, he will literally rip your face off.

• Arizona running back Daniel Jenkins is getting touches and producing.
• The loss at UCLA has Arizona State fans grumbling -- again.
• California is riding a four-game losing streak to Oregon State.
• Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen is playing his last game in Folsom Field.
• Oregon running back LaMichael James is no fan of the "finesse" label some give the Ducks. Oregon released more Willie Lyles documents.
• Oregon State safety Lance Mitchell is banged up but playing well.
• This is the biggest game of Andrew Luck's career. A good update on Stanford's injuries.
• The way to win for UCLA is rushing for 200 yards. Coach Rick Neuheisel had a chat with Norm Chow this year.
• USC coach Lane Kiffin talks about practice. Considering the play of Trojans defensive end Nick Perry.
• Utah has improved as quarterback Jon Hays has improved.
• Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt talks defense and USC.
• Washington State has some young talent, though it might not ever play for coach Paul Wulff, who talks candidly about his future prospects.

Here's a quick look at Week 10 in the Pac-12.

All times are ET.

Friday

USC (6-2, 3-2) at Colorado (1-8, 0-5) 9 p.m. ESPN: USC leads the series 5-0, winning the most recent meeting in 2002 40-3. Trojans QB Matt Barkley needs just 108 yards of total offense to move into third on the school's all-time total offense list. Colorado QB Tyler Hansen moved into fifth place on the Buffaloes' all-time passing yards list with 4,851. The Buffs rank 11th or 12th in the conference in 16 of 33 team statistical categories listed on the Pac-12's official release, including ranking last in scoring offense, scoring defense, rushing offense, rushing defense, pass-efficiency defense, sacks against, red zone offense and red zone defense.

Saturday

No. 4 Stanford (8-0, 6-0) at Oregon State (2-6, 2-3) 3:30 p.m. ABC: Stanford is riding a 16-game winning streak, longest in the nation. The Cardinal leads its series with Oregon State 49-25-3, including a 38-0 win last year. The Cardinal, however, lost its previous visit to Corvallis, 38-28 in 2009. The Cardinal trailed for the first time this season in its 56-48, triple-overtime win over USC last weekend. Last week, Oregon State receiver James Rodgers became the third Beaver to eclipse 200 career receptions. The Beavers are last in the conference in turnover margin (minus-5). Stanford is second (plus-7). The Cardinal have turned it over just six times, the Beavers 21.

Washington State (3-5, 1-4) at California (4-4, 1-4) 6:30 p.m. CSNCA: California leads the series 42-25-5. The Bears won last season in Pullman 20-13, a game that was notable because it was the Cal's first without QB Kevin Riley. Cougars QB Marshall Lobbestael, formerly Jeff Tuel's backup before Tuel got hurt, has eclipsed 300 yards in four games. Only Arizona's Nick Foles has more 300-yard games (six). The Cougars have scored 266 points this year (33.2 points per game). They scored 235 points in all of 2010 (19.6 ppg). Cal receiver Keenan Allen needs 11 yards to eclipse 1,000 receiving this season.

Utah (4-4, 1-4) at Arizona (2-6, 1-5) 7 p.m. FSAZ-KJZZ: Utah leads the series 19-15-2, last beating the Wildcats 27-24 in 2005. Before scoring 27 points in their first Pac-12 victory, the Utes had averaged just 13 points per game in their previous four conference games. The Utes lead the conference in total defense (325.6 yards per game). When Utes running back John White rushed for a career-high 205 yards in the win over Oregon State, it was Utah's first 200-yard rushing game in nine years. Wildcats QB Nick Foles leads the conference with 366.1 yards passing per game, which is on pace to eclipse the conference record of 342.9 yards passing per game set by Washington's Cody Pickett in 2002.

No. 19 Arizona State (6-2, 4-1) at UCLA (4-4, 3-2) 7:30 p.m. Versus: UCLA leads the series 16-10-1, but the Sun Devils won 55-34 in Tempe last year. Sun Devils running back Cameron Marshall is first in the conference with 12 rushing TDs. Bruins QB Kevin Prince rushed for 163 yards in the win over Cal. It was the first time since 1976 (Jeff Dankworth vs. Cal) that a Bruins QB eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark. ASU has forced 25 turnovers, five more than any other Pac-12 team. The Sun Devils are first in the conference in turnover margin (plus-12). UCLA is tied for sixth with just as many giveaways as takeaways.

No. 8 Oregon (7-1, 5-0) at Washington (6-2, 4-1) 10:30 p.m. FSN: Washington leads the series 58-40-5, but the Ducks have won seven in a row, each by at least 20 points. The Ducks have scored 40 or more points in each of their past seven games, averaging 50.4 points during the winning streak. Running back LaMichael James and QB Darron Thomas both started for Oregon against Washington State after missing action due to injuries. Thomas was yanked at halftime, however, so it's unclear if he or backup Bryan Bennett will start Saturday. Washington has scored 30 or more points in seven games this season, which hasn't happened since the 2000 Rose Bowl team scored more than 30 in nine games. Huskies running back Chris Polk's 3,577 career rushing yards ranks 14th in conference history and second all-time for the Huskies, only behind Napoleon Kaufman (4,106 yards). This will be the final game in Husky Stadium before it undergoes major renovations. The Apple Cup on Nov. 26 and the 2012 season will be played in the Seattle Seahawks home stadium, CenturyLink Field.