Bleacher Report - Pac-10 Football

Dick Vitale Proclaims the PAC-10 Is the Best College Football Conference

BabyTate — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:52:54 -0500

Dick Vitale is about as famous as, well, Paul McCartney. Jack Nicholson? Donald Trump? Oprah Winfrey?

Let's just agree he is one of the most famous personalities of the past 25 years.

So when the college basketball guru makes a statement, the rest of the world perks up its ears to hear what he says.

However, one was forced to do a double take with the commentary he laid down in New York City on Wednesday night during the later stages of the Duke-Arizona State basketball contest.

With the Blue Devils moving along to another victory in the young round-ball season, ESPN play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman began to question Vitale concerning a variety of subjects to keep the TV audience from turning to another channel.

At this point, Vitale shocked the world by proclaiming the "PAC-10 is the best college football conference" this season. Shulman prodded the legendary sports analyst with hints that fans of other conferences may feel differently.

Vitale held firm, stating he felt that way "because of strength top to bottom" in the PAC-10.

Moments later, after additional queries by Shulman, Vitale declared the "Big 10 was the best basketball conference" this season.

A most likable and self-deprecating man of great charisma and accomplishments, Vitale is always available for speaking his mind and giving his opinions regarding virtually everything.

Dickie V., as he is known to his followers and detractors, is extremely knowledgeable in the major sports. His candid analysis of athletic issues underpins his position as the most famous person in the business.

While entertaining to say the very least, Vitale may have provided college football fans with a rallying cry for the season. No matter who plays in the BCS Title game, does it really matter if they advance without playing in the PAC-10?

A review concerning outside of conference schedules for teams in the PAC 10 reveal a very favorable record of 20 wins and nine losses for a 69 percent winning rate.

But a comparison to teams in the SEC casts doubt upon the veracity of Vitale's assertion of PAC-10 supremacy.

The outside of conference record of SEC teams is 39-6, an 87 percent success rate.

Surely the actual results must mean something in this debate.

To be certain, an in-depth analysis regarding quality of the outside opponents could reveal a different conclusion but, even that appears argumentative and unlikely.

So there we have it. An entire season of work and accomplishment washed down the drain by the ultimate sports announcer.

And just thinking, isn't that the responsibility of the BCS selection committee?

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Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting in 2009 (DJ Morgan)

Rick McMahan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:25:10 -0500

In a season that has experienced many lows and few highs, the 2009 USC Trojan recruiting class has begun to follow suit.

DJ Morgan, the speedy tailback out of Woodland Hills, CA (Taft High) and rated the No. 36 top prep prospect by ESPN, tore his ACL in his last game.

This injury will end the season for Morgan and will require surgery.

DJ Morgan was the top running back prospect for the Trojans, a player whose speed and shifty moves are reminiscent of current Trojan tailback, Joe McKnight.

It should also be noted that recently there has been speculation that Morgan might forgo his verbal commitment to USC and join his brother at Arizona.

How this injury affects those plans is unclear.

What is clear is that this year's Trojan recruiting class, while deep in quality in certain areas, such as tight end, remains in a state of flux as many USC targets are withholding commitments until the Feb. 2 signing date draws near.

Meanwhile, other verbal commitments, such as Illinois wide receiver, Kyle Prater, are only considered "soft verbals," which in recruiting speak means prepare for signing day surprises.

Trojan faithful need only go back to last year to recall two of these signing day shocks, Morrel Pressley to UCLA and Vontaze Burfict to Arizona State.

The loss of Burfict, in particular, is one that still sticks in the craw of USC fans as Burfict would have looked awfully good in Cardinal and Gold right now.

Of course, in Burfict's case, there were eligibility issues involved in his decision to enroll at ASU so perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.

Nonetheless, there appears to be a disturbing trend where either opposing programs are badmouthing USC, costing them recruits or, and this might be even more disturbing, the luster has worn off the USC Trojan shine.

Either way, this is a critical year for USC to replenish its talent reserves, and this year's class will play a crucial role as the Trojans try to move on from a disappointing season.

The injury to Morgan, the soft status of Kyle Prater, and the transient state of verbal commitments to USC make this one of the more difficult recruiting seasons to project.

By Feb. 2, the signing day for high school recruits, this will all become crystal clear and the Trojans can move forward knowing what needs have been filled and which remain in question.

Expect the USC coaching staff to hit the recruiting trail long and hard between now and signing day.

After this year's team's disappointment on the field, a successful season recruiting will take some of the sour taste out of both the program and their fans mouth's and will provide an optimistic path to spring practice.

Lord knows the Trojans and their fans could use a smile right about now.

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College Football's Unlucky Week 13?: Anything Goes in a Rivarly

David Hedlind — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:20:59 -0500

It’s week 13. Will 13 prove to be unlucky for some teams?

It’s Thanksgiving week. What will these teams have to be thankful for?

It’s rivalry week. Everything goes out the window when you are playing a rival.

Tuesday Nov. 24

Ball State at Western Michigan: It is already the second half. By the time this is published the game will likely be over. WMU is just trying not to have a losing season. Ball State just wants a W.

Thursday Nov. 26

Texas at Texas A&M: Texas is still undefeated and is trying to make the BCS National Championship game. A win here is the first step followed by the Big XII title game.

Friday Nov. 27

Temple at Ohio: The winner of this game goes to the MAC title game to represent the East. Temple has been the hot team and is undefeated in MAC play. Ohio only has one conference loss.

Illinois at Cincinnati: The Bearcats are undefeated and could lose here but still make a BCS bowl since it is out of conference. Winning against a Big Ten conference team will help the reputation and staying undefeated will keep the hopes of more than just any BCS bowl alive.

Alabama at Auburn: Alabama is undefeated and already playing in the SEC championship game, the winner of which people expect will play for the National Championship. Auburn would love to kill its rival's dreams by pulling the upset in the Iron Bowl.

Nebraska at Colorado: Nebraska is set to play for the Big XII title in another week and will use this as a momentum builder.

Pitt at West Virginia: Pitt still has a chance at the Big East title but first must battle through the Back Yard Brawl. Pitt will meet Cincinnati next week for no less than a share of the Big East.

Nevada at Boise State: Boise State still has a game after this one but this is basically for the WAC title. Both teams are undefeated in league play. Boise is still hoping to make the BCS.

Saturday Nov. 28

Wake Forest at Duke: Only real thing to say here is that if Duke wins it will be bowl eligible.

Clemson at South Carolina: Clemson is already headed for the ACC title game. South Carolina would love to take some of the wind out of Clemson’s sails.

Oklahoma State at Oklahoma: Oklahoma State could still make a BCS bowl but the Cowboys would definitely need a win here. Oklahoma simply wants to have a better season than just 6-6.

Southern Miss at East Carolina: The winner will play in the Conference USA championship game. The representative from the West is yet to be determined.

Arizona at Arizona State: Arizona is playing for bowl position and to show it can rebound from back to back losses with the last one being a draining emotional overtime loss.

Florida State at Florida: This rivalry has been pretty one sided in recent years with Florida winning and winning and winning. Florida still has National Championship hopes which, like in any rivalry, FSU would love to dash.

Miami at South Florida: USF already beat Florida State this season and would love to notch a win over Miami. The state’s big three is inching toward a big four.

Middle Tennessee at ULM: Did you know that if a conference is unable to fill all of its bowls then those bowls must take a 7-5 team before a 6-6 team no matter what? What does that mean? It means that if ULM wins it will be 7-5 and a bowl must take the Warhawks at large before teams like Arizona, UCLA, Tennessee, or South Carolina.

Utah at BYU: The Holy War doesn’t have the same luster as it has in the last few years when the conference and more were on the line. It will still be a big game for both teams, though, as it is for second place in the conference. The only game with two ranked teams this week.

Washington State at Washington: Another Sour Apple Cup game. Washington isn’t as bad as it was last season but the Huskies are still low in the Pac 10. Washington State is just as bad, maybe worse, as last season.

Troy at ULL: Same story as the ULM game. ULL is eligible and could steal a spot from a more prestigious name team if they can get another win.

Georgia at Georgia Tech: I don’t know what to say here since Georgia is having its worst year in, well, let's just say a long time. Georgia Tech on the other hand is rolling right along with a great year.

Notre Dame at Stanford: Notre Dame is not having the year the Irish expected and even with a win change is likely going to happen. Stanford is exceeding the expectations of most and change may happen due to the success.

UCLA at USC: I don’t even really know what they call this rivalry. The battle for LA? Simply for bragging rights and bowl position with no impact on the conference title.

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Pac-10 Preview Week 13: A Week Off before the Only Game That Matters

Keith Becker uosportsdude.com — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:41:13 -0500

Normally I would be angry about the Ducks having a week off, but to tell you the truth, I could use a break. I am completely spent from that down to the wire, pulling out my hair, covering my eyes, instant classic, comeback win down in Arizona.

I was so nervous in the fourth quarter it felt like I had just drunk 17 cups of coffee. And then when Jeremiah Masoli found Ed Dickson in the back of the end zone on that beautiful post route, it was like I had a Starbucks double-shot to account for the giddiness.

To sum up, I was shaking more than a Shakira music video.

But now we get to look ahead to a game even more important and nerve-wrecking than last Saturday: the 113th Civil War.

And just so we can properly hype up this game to the mammoth proportions it deserves, there will be a Super Bowl-esque break beforehand.

With how much attention the game is drawing already, it will take about seven overtimes for this game to live up to the hype.

But that’s enough about that, for now.

With Thanksgiving on Thursday, I’m making my picks for the rest of the Pac-10 early.

Stanford 38, Notre Dame 24

The Fighting Irish have taken a beating this year, figuratively and literally. If the media hasn’t been hard enough on Charlie Weis and his team this year, fans are going above and beyond to get the message across that 6-5 just doesn’t cut it in South Bend.

After last week’s devastating home loss to Connecticut, quarterback Jimmy Clausen was punched in the face by a disappointed fan. And much like Notre Dame this season, Clausen did not fight back and left.

If the Fighting Irish can’t handle a single fan at a sports bar, imagine what Heisman candidate Toby Gerhart will do to them this Saturday. I don’t like their chances.

Arizona 34, Arizona State 17

This has let-down game written all over it for Arizona. It will be hard for the emotionally bruised Wildcats to bounce back from the disappointing loss to Oregon, especially on the road.

But luckily for them, the Sun Devils just aren’t a very good football team. And hey, they are still in the running for the Holiday Bowl, so don’t tell me they have nothing left to play for.

Washington 28, Washington State 17

As bad as these teams were last year, the Apple Cup was one of the more exciting (yet pathetic) games of the season.

Both of the Washington schools got off to relatively promising starts this season, so it is disappointing for these teams to have a mere two Pac-10 combined wins coming in to this year's contest.

If you have nothing better to do Saturday afternoon, it might be fun to watch these two teams battle for supremacy in the state of Washington. But then again, that’s like being the tallest midget or smartest retard.

Even if you win, you still suck.

USC 24, UCLA 17

On the bright side, USC fans won’t have to complain about suffering through another Rose Bowl. With a win, the Trojans could make the execs over at the Holiday Bowl the happiest people alive. And the Bruins? Well, they would be happy with the Poinsettia Bowl.

Can you imagine that if USC loses this game it would fall to 4-4 in conference? I can’t even remember the last time that happened. I am going to attribute the fall of the Trojans to the beating Oregon put on them in Autzen on Halloween. Take that, Matt Barkley! Fear the Juju!

The UOSportsDude.com

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BCS Bowl Predictions: Pitt In, Cincy Out

Brian Nelson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:17:14 -0500

After yet another ho-hum weekend of a forgettable college football season, things are about to get exciting.

All the noise about the BCS and the regular season isn't just noise anymore.

Fraught with intriguing story lines, bitter rivalries, sweet revenge and BCS-or-bust championship games, the next two weeks of college football will feature some of the most compelling and meaningful games of the season.

Finally.

Three games in particular will feature head-to-head battles for the BCS. The winner will go on to play on the big stage while the loser will likely be destined for "just-another" December Bowl.

· No. 5 Cincinnati at No. 9 Pittsburgh

· No. 16 Oregon State at No. 8 Oregon

· No. 7 Georgia Tech vs. No. 18 Clemson

We must also mention the National Championship semi-final—otherwise knows as the SEC Championship Game. Another intriguing story line. Another hate-filled, storybook SEC rivalry in the brewing.

Most likely, the winner will go on to play for the crystal football while the loser will spend the off-season explaining their loss to an MWC team in New Orleans.

Here's my take on where we stand now, and how the rest of the season will play out leading up to Selection Sunday.

What we know

Texas, Florida, Alabama and Ohio State are locks for the BCS, regardless of outcomes.

Most likely to clinch a BCS berth this week

TCU just needs a win at home this week against 1-10 New Mexico.

Who is on the bubble for an at-large?

Iowa, Penn State, Boise State, and Oklahoma State.

Who seems the least likely but still has an outside shot of getting in

· Unranked Nebraska needs to upset Texas in the Big 12 Title game

· No. 18 Clemson needs to beat Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game

· No. 19 Oregon State needs to beat rival Oregon at Autzen in the Civil War.

What other key games will likely determine BCS berths

· No. 12 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma

· Nevada at No. 6 Boise State

Who wins, who goes and who gets left out

Alabama over Florida 19-14

The Florida Gators' last-minute touchdown drive falls short as the Tide's dominant defense holds Tebow to 130 passing yards and 58 yards rushing. Mark Ingram strengthens his case for the Heisman with another clock-chewing 124-yard rushing performance.

Pitt over Cincinnati 20-17

Pittsburgh exploits the suspect Cincinnati ground defense with their explosive running game.

Oregon over Oregon State 37-31

The Ducks, who blocked the Beavers from the Rose Bowl last year, will stave off the Beavers once again despite a 140-yard rushing performance from Jacquizz Rodgers.

Georgia Tech over Clemson 28-24

Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets prove once again to be too much for Clemson despite their close game earlier at Georgia Tech—a game where the Jackets were aided by a phantom offensive holding call against Clemson late in the 4th quarter.

Oklahoma over Oklahoma State 24-20

Even though Zac Robinson returns to the field, Oklahoma stuns the Cowboys in Norman.

How will the BCS Bowl Selection play out?

· BCS Title Game : Texas vs. Alabama

· Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Ohio State

· Orange Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Georgia Tech

· Sugar Bowl: TCU vs. Florida

· Fiesta Bowl: Penn State vs. Boise State

How they got there

After losing Alabama to the BCS Title game, the Sugar Bowl will get the first replacement pick and will select the Gators.

The Fiesta Bowl will go next and replace Texas with Penn State, banking on the Joe Paterno entourage and the Nitts’ strong base of traveling fans.

The Orange Bowl goes next and will choose Pittsburgh to face ACC tie-in Georgia Tech.

The Fiesta Bowl will follow-up by selecting Boise State—a team that cut its teeth at the Fiesta Bowl and seems to travel well.

All of this leaves the Mountain West Conference’s TCU to the Sugar Bowl.

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

Should USC Sit Matt Barkley if He Struggles Against UCLA?

Rick McMahan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:00:20 -0500

First, let me emphatically state that I am aware that what I am proposing would have been considered blasphemy just five short weeks ago.

Bench Matt Barkley?

Are you serious?

The short answer is yes. But with an explanation.

I am aware that for USC, the future is Matt Barkley.

But is it fair to the team if the quarterback of the future is not playing well enough to be the quarterback of now?

Barkley, the nation's darling when the Trojans were 6-1, is now just another struggling young quarterback trying to find his way on a Trojan team that has slipped to 7-3.

Along with his flashes of brilliance, so evident early in the season, now comes the true freshman mistakes that resulted in four turnovers in USC's home debacle against the Stanford Cardinal.

Saddled side by side with his 11 touchdown passes are 10 interceptions, the majority of which have come recently.

Now, I know that the Trojans slide is far from young Mr. Barkley's fault.

It goes without saying that even a "typical" Trojan defensive effort would have possibly resulted in one or two more victories.

So this line of questioning isn't wrapped around an accusation that Matt Barkley is the reason for the Trojans' less than stellar record.

But given the deterioration of that same defense, can the Trojans afford to couple that with another poor performance by Barkley?

Please understand that in the grand scheme of things, there is no greater fan of Barkley than myself.

I fully believe that this talented young man will lead the USC Trojans to the promised land and that soon, perhaps even next year, he will be hoisting that crystal football as the Trojans celebrate a national championship.

However, I also believe that at this point in time, there may be other options that might better suit this year's Trojans should Barkley struggle again.

I also know that the Trojan coaching staff has thrown their support fully to Matt.

I get that.

It is a show of support meant to prop up the confidence of a young quarterback who is struggling.

Yet, there is also an obligation that must be considered to the senior players and others who came to USC to forge their own success as part of this traditional powerhouse.

Is it fair to them to stubbornly refuse to consider Mitch Mustain as a possible option should Barkley stumble once again?

And let us not forget USC's opponent this week.

It is UCLA. Need I say more?

Should Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates keep refusing to explore other options against this rival should Barkley fail to produce?

In my opinion, no. Any and all options must be considered and utilized against UCLA this week.

So while many may consider my suggestion blasphemy, please forgive me.

More importantly, let's do whatever it takes to beat UCLA.

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Charlie Weis and Al Groh - Pink Slips Ahead?: The VFA Week 12 Awards

Alex Ferguson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:43:00 -0500

It's Thanksgiving out there people, and most of us are already thinking about turkey rather than football. Actually, that's not true...we're all thinking about turkey. AND football.

For Penn State Nation, the [add word here] 10-2 season is over, with the good hammerin' of Michigan State. Gosh we played well. Life is good at last. We'll take the Land Grant Trophy. Thanks, Staters!!

Anyway, here are some awards we are handin' out.

The Pink Slip Award for Hapless Coaching

1. Charlie Weis (Notre Dame): Cry all you want Charlie, it probably won't save your job. If you do stay another year, it'll be the greatest resurrection since (Touchdown) Jesus.

2. Al Groh (Virginia): Goodbye already!

3. Mark Mangino (Kansas): If the racist remarks are worse than they appear, then it won't matter what we think. Big man is going to get his butt kicked out of hippieville.

4. Mark Richt (Georgia): We know the fate of Georgia's defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, but after the Kentucky game, could we be saying goodbye to Richt in the shock firing of the year? If we do, you heard it here first!

5. Joe Paterno (Penn State): Just joking. Really—he'll leave when he wants to.

Games Of The Week

1. Oregon 44, Arizona 41: What an atmosphere and what a game. Oregon wasn't at its best, but it survived. Oh, but Arizona won the best cheerleader award. Sorry Ducks.

2. UConn 33, Notre Dame 30: It wasn't the win that moved us, it was the tears of both Weis and Randy Edsall. Football's about emotion, and regardless of the result, this was pretty emotional.

3. Ole Miss 25, LSU 23: Late LSU comeback fails. We're still exhausted watching this one.

4. Penn State 42, Michigan State 14: Because at last the Nittany Lions brought the wood out. A great performance on both sides of the ball.

5. Northwestern 33, Wisconsin 31: After getting their Big 10 hopes shredded last week, Wisconsin then loses to a loser-ish team (sorry Wildcats!). But we're all sad it's over.

Best Two-Tool Player in the Nation

1. CJ Spiller (Clemson): Can run, throw, and catch. The kid's the real deal.

2. Jordan Shipley (Texas): He might be 85, but his punt returns are second to none and we love his wide receiving skills.

3. Tim Tebow (Florida): He's Superman. He's Jesus. He's Florida's quarterback. His walking on water skills might be needed if the FSU game on Saturday is as wet as last week's.

The Unexpected Award for Stunning Results, Turnarounds and Events

1. Northwestern beating Wisconsin. Mike Kafka. Future Big Ten legend. You heard it here, er, third.

2. Cal beating Stanford. We know it's 'The Game' and all that, but after Stanford savaged Oregon AND USC, we expected Cal to take a beating. Maybe Jeff Tedford can coach.

3. Georgia blowing a monster lead and losing to Kentucky. It's not even getting funny now.

4. Florida State going bowling. Didn't expect this after a string of horrible performances. The last-ditch win over Maryland was exciting - but who holds hope for them against the GateShow? Not us!

And the Richard Fuld Award for Bad Management goes to....

1. LSU's Les Miles. A lot of Tigers fans want 17 seconds back.

2. Stanford's Jim Harbaugh. Going for it with three minutes to go. The throws from Andrew Luck - the so-called best quarterback in the Pac-10 - weren't much better. Both will have better days. But not on Week 12 of the 2009 season.

3. Georgia and it's defensive co-ordination team. Goodbye, and thanks for nothing.

4. Charlie Weis' defensive co-ordinators John Tenuta and Corwin Brown both deserve to be fired after the Irish's defensive efforts. Can't tackle a UConn running back? Not going to be easy against Toby Gerhardt of Stanford, either.

5. Rich Rodriguez. Should have pulled Tate Forcier earlier in the game. Four interceptions? We think Denard Robinson could have done better.

Congratulations to...

1. Connecticut's Randy Edsall: Finally gets a win for Jasper Howard, who passed away earlier in the season. Not a dry eye in the house.

2. The College Gameday guys: They finally picked a game that they would actually show. And boy, was it great. The "student shots" made you want to sign up and take another four years of college in Tuscon...Mama! I'm comin' home!

3. Nebraska (Big XII North Champs): The title's coming home to Lincoln. Children of the Corn, it's coming home!

4. Clemson (ACC Coastal Champs): We have to say that after the Georgia Tech game it all looked a little unlikely, but well done!

5. Florida and Alabama: Because one of you will end up in the National Championship. And one of you will end up in the Sugar Bowl. And you'll win both games.

Quote of the day

"Jordan Shipley had a senior day with Tommy Nobis," Rece Davis, College Football Final. We laughed anyway. By the way, CFF had a picture of Colt McCoy hugging his family on Senior Day. Did anyone else noticed that his mother is smoking hot? How did he come to look like such a, well, alien?

Wish we were...

In Tuscon last week for the Arizona game. Hot girls, lovely temperatures, and an atmosphere in Arizona Stadium that was to die for. We ask you to go to your recording of the U of A game and watch for the crowd shots in the fourth quarter for the reasons why.

And finally...

Best Cheerleaders

1. Arizona
2. Oregon
3. Ole Miss
4. Florida
5. Arizona State (We can't WAIT until the Arizona-Arizona State game)

Had this song in my head...

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Oregon Ducks Football Campus Voice: Right Now the Oregon Campus Oozes Confidence

Kyle Sponseller — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:51:33 -0500

If there were one word that could describe the mood on the University of Oregon campus, it would be confident.

In fact, students and players alike are oozing it. It is everywhere. It is impossible to go on campus and not be smacked in the face with it.

It is a great feeling to have and share with over 20,000 people within a two-mile radius.

Why wouldn’t Duck fans feel this way? There is no reason not to be confident or to be humble at this point.

With the Ducks coming off one of the most intense, exciting, and meaningful games in school history at Arizona on Saturday, Oregon is finally prime for a Rose Bowl berth.

In order to reach the almighty Rose Bowl, Oregon must wage civil war against its little brother to the north, Oregon State.

While some, in other parts of the state or nation, may be cautious or wary of facing the Beavers, Duck fans here in Eugene are looking forward to pouncing on the Beavers and defeating them for an entrance into the Rose Bowl.

Although the matchup is still over a week away, festivities have already begun for Oregon students.

Oregon’s own Greenman and group Supwitchyougirl have already started endorsing a yellow-out of Autzen Stadium for the Civil War and have begun selling their own yellow t-shirts to help the campaign.

The entire state of Oregon knows the stakes at hand in this season’s Civil War contest. It is being advertised and discussed as the most important and colossal meeting of the 112-year history of the matchup. There is no reason to believe that it is not.

Last season was fairly important in that Oregon State had an opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl with a victory but was unable to handle the Ducks onslaught. Some see this as giving the Beavers the upper hand. They argue that Oregon State will have an advantage because they want revenge for what the Ducks did last season.

Revenge is on the mind of the Beavers. Earlier this week, it was reported that backup quarterback Lyle Moevao guaranteed a Beaver victory and revenge on his Twitter account.

This season, however, both teams are Rose Bowl possibilities. The winner will be bathing in roses, while the loser gets the thorns.

Despite the revenge argument, Oregon fans have no doubt in their minds that the Ducks have every advantage. The biggest and most influential factor will be that the game is at Autzen Stadium. Oregon has yet to lose a game at home this season and have lost just one game in the last 12 at Autzen.

Oregon fans are confident, yes, but with good reason. This next week should be one full of friendly trash-talking between friends, family, and coworkers that will ultimately be resolved on the gridiron on Dec. 3.

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

Arizona Wildcats Have Given Fans Plenty to Be Thankful for

Michael Abbott — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:06:44 -0500

I started to write an article about how I felt that Arizona’s loss to Oregon had started a mini-Great Depression in the UA community, but I was too depressed to write it.

Then I got to thinking that this isn’t the time to just give up on your team, especially when ASU and USC are just around the corner.

It’s time to cheer up, Wildcat fans, and to put the Oregon game in the past. It’s the holiday season!

This year the Arizona Wildcats have given fans of the program plenty to be thankful for.

Nick Foles has shown that he can lead an offense. For a team that was thought to have a pretty good defense at the beginning of the year, the offense has really shined. He also won Pac-10 Player of the Week for his stellar play against Stanford.

Despite Arizona’s defensive woes this year, there have been bright spots. Devin Ross earned Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week for his game-clinching interception and 12 tackles against Oregon State. Also, senior free safety Cam Nelson won the award after the Wildcats’ victory over UCLA.

Mike Stoops looks to be in the running for Pac-10 Coach of the Year with wins at Arizona State and USC in the coming weeks. He was also named a semifinalist for the 21st George Munger Award for College Coach of the Year along with 15 other candidates.

The Wildcats were picked to finish No. 8 in the Pac-10 Preseason Media Poll back in late July. Judging by the fact that Pac-10 championship talk surrounded the team until Week 12 of the season, I’d say the Wildcats proved everyone wrong.

The Wildcats will play in their second bowl game in two years. Where they will play is up in the air.

ESPN brought College GameDay to Arizona for the first time in the school’s history. The UA faithful didn’t disappoint with tons of hilarious signs and more excitement than I have ever seen on campus. Let’s also mention that the game was an “Instant Classic.”

There has been more buzz surrounding this team than there’s been in years, and I have no doubt that this team will be hungry to finish out the season on a good note and come out strong next year.

So come off the ledge, Wildcat fans.

Sure, there has been a fair share of disappointment this year, but a ton of good has surrounded this team, and the season is not over yet.

I went to an ASU football game in October and overheard a Sun Devil fan talking about how he wished the Devils would acquire Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes to run the ASU offense.

An ASU fan jealous of the UA football program.

Now that’s something to be thankful for.

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The Pac-10's Top Running Backs Spark New West Coast Goal Rush

Todd Williams — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:54:49 -0500

College Football tends to go in cycles, so it is no surprise that the PAC-10 has turned into more of a rushing conference than a passing one. Not that they forgot who to toss the forward pass on the West Coast, but the production of runners has been impressive lately, especially this year. With the top 6 runners all ranking in the top 41 in the nation, with three in the top 10! Let's take a look at the PAC's top runners this year.

Begin Slideshow

Are BCS Fans Really This Naive?

Brian Nelson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:16:58 -0500

We’ve all heard them over and over again. It’s the same stuff year after year.

Blanket assumptions opined by ignorant fans from BCS teams questioning the worthiness of non-BCS teams and their quest to bust the BCS.

While the naiveté comes in different shapes and sizes, from various parts of the country, from analysts, coaches, and fans alike, what they all share in common is their blatant lack of validity, rationale, and factual support.

We all get that the BCS is rooted in tradition, fanbases, recruiting, and revenues, while those factors may be a source for a delusional sense of superiority, they don't usually correlate to performance on the field.

Remember the tune Barry Switzer sang before kickoff at last year’s Sugar Bowl? “There isn’t one player, not one player, on Utah’s team that Nick Saban would’ve recruited.”

That alone was the basis Barry used to predict that Alabama would be too much for Utah to handle. He wasn't alone.

The blogosphere along with "analysts" throughout the country were rampant with the expectation that Alabama was going to dismantle Utah, based on worthless, delusional assumptions.

So how do they explain Utah's bitch-slapping of Alabama?

They can't. They can only minimize Alabama's motivation or point to the loss of OT Andre Smith. Never mind that USC was still motivated to beat Penn State, Texas to beat Ohio State, Georgia to beat Hawaii, etc.

So goes the logic and the rationale in the attempts to discredit the non-BCS elite.

We all welcome a healthy argument, but please do so with a) logic, b) substantive reasoning, c) empirical data, or d) items that can be found on a scoreboard.

No assumptions. We already know that you think TCU couldn’t withstand the "brutal week in, week out" schedule in the SEC or the Big 12.

Or how teams like Colorado or Virginia would probably run the table in the MWC.

We’ve heard it all. What we haven’t heard is evidence to support it. Though we’ve seen plenty to the contrary. If the MWC is so weak how does:

Colorado State clobber Colorado in Boulder, but then go 0-7 in the MWC?

Last year’s Wyoming (1-7 in the MWC) travel to Knoxville and beat the Volunteers?

Last year’s UNLV team (2-6 in the MWC) go 2-0 against BCS teams (Arizona State, Iowa State)?

These are teams that have a combined 3-20 record in MWC play that somehow have managed to go 4-0 against BCS competition.

While the MWC has proven it’s on par at the bottom, it’s beating the other conferences at the top as well. In the last two seasons alone, the MWC has beaten Alabama, Boise State, Clemson, Oregon State, and Oklahoma.

Can your conference lay claim to five stronger out-of-conference victories in the last two years?

While the MWC can talk up scoreboard, the BCS will continue to throw out useless platitudes to justify their illusion of superiority.

As a result, we all have to suffer from the existence of pathetic articles such as, “Three Reasons TCU Doesn’t Belong in the BCS," which came out Monday from Tim Nash.

(Mr. Nash also focuses the article on Boise State, which I'll ignore. The BCS conferences love to denigrate the MWC by blurring it with the WAC.)

Let's break down Mr. Nash's typical, uninventive arguments for why TCU doesn't belong in the BCS.

Reason No. 1: The MWC Has Inferior Depth and Talent

Mr. Nash says, “There are currently only four schools from BCS automatic qualifiers that are currently undefeated. That's because the BCS schools play conference schedules against teams that test them for the most part, week in and week out.

"When you get an unranked Tennessee team that almost knocks off No. 2 Alabama at home, or an unranked Oklahoma almost upsetting No. 3 Texas, it tends to weed out the contenders from the pretenders.”

So let me get this straight, there are six undefeated teams left. Four come from the six BCS conferences and two from the other non-BCS conferences. This illustrates how truly weak the non-AQ conferences are?

Confused?

You should be. It makes no sense. The basis of this poorly articulated argument is that BCS teams fall and suffer from close calls more frequently because they play tougher schedules.

Never mind TCU is ranked higher than Texas in four out of the six computer polls or that TCU has more wins over ranked opponents than Texas and Florida. Or that both of Texas’s marquee wins have lost to non-BCS teams.

To support his assumption, Mr. Nash uses the Longhorns' close call with Oklahoma as proof that TCU doesn't belong.

Does he not know that Oklahoma lost to BYU, an MWC team that TCU slaughtered 38-7?

Then there’s Tennessee-Alabama. I get it. He’s trying to say that because Alabama plays talented teams like Tennessee week in and week out, they're more vulnerable to loss.

Let’s reverse his logic. Over the last two seasons, Alabama is 15-1 in the vaunted SEC. Yet somehow, they are 0-1 against the MWC in the same time frame. Alabama could play 14 games against MWC opponents and still have a worse winning percentage in the MWC than they do against SEC competition.

Go figure. Yet somehow all this strange reasoning was used to support how the MWC has inferior depth and talent. Again, a blanket assumption with worthless data to support it.

Maybe he’s asserting that over a broader sample of BCS teams, non-BCS teams would be more likely to lose.

That's a fair argument, except that 2004/2008 Utah and 2009 TCU are a combined 9-0 against BCS teams, beating:

Arizona, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Oregon State, Alabama, Virginia, and Clemson.

Nine BCS opponents, nine victories. Only two games played at home. Is that a strong enough sampling?

I know the new BCS party line centers on the constant brutality of BCS conference play, but that's only a myth.

On very rare occasion, like Texas in 2008 or Miami at the beginning of this season, do you see a brutal "week in, week out" schedule. Most schedules consist of a trip to Kentucky, followed by Tennessee at home, Mississippi State on the road, and then Florida International.

That's nothing TCU couldn't handle. Trust me.

Reason No. 2: TCU Hasn’t Played a Tough Out-of-Conference Schedule

Mr Nash claims: "Supposedly, TCU beat a terrible Virginia team and then a mediocre Clemson squad. The rest of their out of conference slate, with wins over Texas State and SMU, were underwhelming."

If Clemson is mediocre, then how come they get to play in a conference championship game that could earn them an automatic BCS berth, but TCU doesn’t belong? Doesn’t that contradict the whole point?

Tell me one team, or one BCS conference, that has an out-of-conference win that is substantially more impressive than TCU at Clemson.

If Virginia is so terrible how come the Cavs alone have beaten more BCS teams than all four of Texas’s out-of-conference opponents combined?

It’s not like Florida and Alabama's OOC schedules are worth writing home about.

Reason No. 3: TCU’s Victories Against Ranked Opponents Are Suspect

Mr Nash: "TCU has beaten two ranked teams from its own conference that will play each other, leaving TCU with only one victory over a ranked opponent."

First, let’s all completely ignore the fact that Clemson is currently ranked 18th in the BCS. I know it's a lot more convenient to disregard facts that do not support BCS supremacy, but that doesn't alter the reality of the outcome.

BYU and Utah play each other this week, which is the third time this season that two ranked MWC teams play each other.

BYU is ranked No. 19 in the BCS. Utah is No. 21. Barring a complete blowout, it seems highly unlikely that the loser will fall out of the top 25, but more than likely, the winner will head towards the top 15 in the BCS.

Even if TCU's wins over these ranked teams are somehow "suspect," they have still beaten three of them. That is the same number as Alabama, one more than Florida, and two more than Texas, who has only beaten one.

That's elite company. Tell me again how TCU doesn't belong?

Mr. Nash can't. And neither can the throng of BCS fans singing the same tune. All they can do is point to baseless assumptions that bear little resemblance to on-the-field results.

The MWC is 2-0 in the BCS, with both being blowout victories. No other conference has a higher winning percentage or better average margin of victory.

By contrast, the ACC is 2-9. The Big 10 is 2-5 since 2005-05. The MWC can go 0-8 in BCS Bowls and still claim a better record than the ACC.

Amazing, perhaps Tim Nash can right articles questioning their worthiness. At least this time he'll have empirical evidence to draw from.

If TCU isn't worthy, then who is? Who deserves to get in more than the Frogs?

Oklahoma State hasn't beaten a single ranked team. Neither has Penn State. Iowa beat Penn State, but needed help from above to beat Indiana (a team that Virginia killed) and lost to Northwestern.

The truth of the matter is that the Utah's and the TCU's can be every bit as good, if not better, than the elite powerhouses.

The BCS, its fans, pundits, and coaches will do everything they can to try and cover this fact, but it's finally time to drop the baseless assumptions and stop living in denial.

Instead of trying to mold hard facts to fit a myopic view of how we think college football should be, let's just sit back, enjoy, and praise good football when we see it.

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

Thrilling Oregon-Arizona Finish Gets Overshadowed By Ugly Fan Behavior

Keith Becker uosportsdude.com — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:55:53 -0500

Things started so well for the Arizona Wildcat faithful.

College Game Day announced they would be live in Tucson, the Athletic Department successfully organized an almost frighteningly intimidating red-out, and Arizona Stadium was going completely bonkers Saturday evening in a way only Oregon fans could appreciate.

And when the Wildcats got a crucial stop with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Arizona fans were almost certain they had locked up yet another heartbreaking defeat of the Oregon Ducks.

So sure of victory, in fact, that several rows in the student section prematurely spilled onto the field before Jeremiah Masoli ever had a chance to lead the Ducks on their game-tying drive.

And we all know what happened after that.

As a die-hard sports fan for more than 15 years, I can empathize with a team that gets their hopes up just in time for them to come crashing down harder and faster than they ever could imagine. Really, I do.

Being an Oakland A’s fan, I’ve struggled through three absolutely demoralizing American League Division Series defeats where I was positive victory was inevitable.

So I get it, Arizona fans were absolutely crushed when Masoli rumbled his way into the end zone in double overtime to hijack the first ever Wildcats Rose Bowl appearance.

I’m pretty sure I even heard the fans’ collective jaws drop to the floor as the stadium fell into an utter, frozen, stunned silence.

But there was no excuse for what they did next.

So angry about the loss, fans starting throwing water bottles—some still half full—and other debris onto the field. One bottle struck Oregon cheerleader Katelynn Johnson in the head, causing a concussion. She was taken to a local hospital for examination.

“That’s unacceptable,” Masoli said. “That’s just unacceptable behavior from fans, whether they’re Arizona fans or any fan across the nation.”

When you mix alcohol with emotional fans, it’s understandable to imagine how this might happen, and that’s why, like Oregon Athletic Director Mike Belotti said, it’s up to individual schools to police the conduct of their fans.

Sadly, these actions really shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody. There is a long history of unhappy fans at sporting events throwing projectiles onto the field. For example, in 2001 Cleveland Browns fans threw plastic beer bottles onto the field in protest of an overturned call by referees in the final minutes.

By no means should the fans receive a pass for their behavior. It’s truly despicable that spectators think throwing objects on the field is the best way to handle their emotions.

I’m guessing they wouldn’t be too thrilled if someone came to their office and hit them with a half-full water bottle every time they were late handing in a TPS report.

But with that being said, it is up to each school to educate their fans about appropriate behavior at sporting events.

Sure, University of Arizona president Robert Shelton issued an apology on behalf of his schools’ fans, but that doesn’t make up for Johnson’s concussion or the endangered safety of each person that was on the field Saturday evening.

The University of Oregon has made it a point to promote their “Code of ConDUCKt” to encourage good sportsmanship among fans in Autzen Stadium.

Along with providing a conDUCKt hotline (541-346-6148) for fans to report any irresponsible behavior, there has been an increased visual presence of the code in the Moshofsky Center, inside the stadium, and even a video public service announcement on the scoreboard during games.

Hopefully University of Arizona will learn from this tragic situation and follow suit to do their best in putting an end to disruptive fan behavior.

“It was disturbing when you think about that. It can hurt somebody—kill somebody, actually—when people are throwing something like that from the stands,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. “It’s definitely something that we’ll continue to look at, security-wise, I’m sure.”

It’s a shame when a game this good gets overshadowed by such horribly irresponsible fan behavior.

The UOsportsdude.com

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With Arizona State's 2009 Season All but Over, a Look to the Future Is at Hand

Kristian Siuta — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:53:57 -0500

Any last-gasp hopes of reaching a postseason bowl game were lost at the Rose Bowl Saturday night. Arizona State's loss to the UCLA Bruins also ensured the Sun Devils of their first back-to-back losing seasons since 1946-47.

So how do Dennis Erickson's Sun Devils keep on building towards the future?

Well, before we look forward, the mistakes and weaknesses that have marred the Sun Devils the past two seasons have to be addressed.

First and foremost, the penalty situation, although not a big issues this Saturday (nine penalties for 62 yards), in the past has stalled offensive drives and put the Sun Devil defense in some tough spots.

The last two seasons, Erickson's bunch has finished the season 112th or higher in penalties against. This season, Arizona State is dead last in the country in terms of yards against per game.

To be successful offensively or defensively, the penalties must kept in check, and the team must be accountable for their play on the field.

Secondly, this season, the Sun Devils did not have a quarterback. The old saying goes, "If you have two good quarterbacks, you don't have a quarterback."

Well, this season Erickson chose senior Danny Sullivan to be his engineer, or as he called Sullivan, his "game manager." For the Sun Devils, managing the game against big-time opponents just didn't cut it in the Pacific Ten. The picture was starting to get clearer that ASU didn't have a quarterback this season.

Thus, the fans all around Tempe voiced their displeasures about Sullivan, and their wish was granted. Erickson pulled Sullivan in the second half of their game against USC—enter true freshman Brock Osweiler. Although Osweiler was flashy and showed signs of promise, a shoulder injury and lack of experience led to his demise.

Then Erickson really had no one else to turn to but Samson Szakacsy, a former USC commit. Once again, Szakacsy energized the offense with his mobility and ability to throw on the run, which earned the Southern California native a start Saturday in the Rose Bowl.

However, as fans found out, a quarterback can't sit on the sidelines during practice for the better part of three seasons and then turn a team's season around. Szakacsy showed his inexperience in pressure situations and his lack of awareness when defenders hit him. Szakacsy threw one interception and fumbled while being sacked by UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price, both resulting in touchdowns for the Bruins.

I do think that Szakacsy will get the start against Arizona this upcoming Saturday, but I would not rule out the possibility of Erickson letting Sullivan start in his last home game.

But that brings up the point about building for the future. The Sun Devils have unfortunately written their fate for the season, and that is a bowl-less season once again.

I think the right move, with the program's best interests in mind, would be to start either Szakacsy or Osweiler against the Arizona Wildcats. Yes, Sullivan is a senior, and he did give four years of his life to Arizona State, but after Saturday night, Sullivan is done and has no more eligibility left.

I say start Szakacsy to let him learn and go through the growing pains against a solid U of A defense at home. The future for Arizona State football is now. The season was a disappointment, but there is still one game to play, one game to evaluate the returning talent, and one game to eliminate the mistakes that have wrecked the Sun Devils the last two seasons.

Let us remember that this season on paper did not turn out the way fans had envisioned it to be, but there are some bright spots about the Arizona State football team moving forward.

The running game has improved, slowly but surely, and with that improvement, you have to give credit to the offensive line. The ASU offensive line was decimated by injuries all season, and with positions needing to be filled, everyone who was called upon answered and performed admirably.

In terms of the Arizona State defense, well, the Sun Devils might finish with the top ranked defense in the conference, barring another Oregon or Stanford-like blowout at the hands of in-state rival Arizona.

With young talent returning in the likes of Vontaze Burfict, Lawrence Guy, and Deveron Carr, every single level of the defense has an established leader to nurture the young talent that Erickson brings in with recruiting this offseason.

But the bottom line moving forward is the quarterback situation has to be reevaluated during the offseason. It is unfortunate that the front runner for that spot, Michigan transfer Steven Threet, cannot suit up and have a virtual tryout against Arizona Saturday night.

The game against U of A should be a momentum builder for a program that is on a five-game losing streak. The Sun Devils would like nothing more than to knock off the Arizona Wildcats and create a leg up on their rivals to the south in recruiting.

The future of Arizona State football begins today.

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Why Oregon State Will Win the Biggest Civil War Ever

Brian D. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:49:56 -0500

This year’s Civil War football matchup between Oregon and Oregon State is unquestionably the biggest and most important game in the 115-year history of the rivalry.

Oh, there have been big Civil War games before. In 2000, Oregon was ranked No. 5 and Oregon State No. 8, and both teams had BCS dreams.

Last year, the Beavers were favored to go to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 43 years, only to have the rug pulled out from under them as they were annihilated by a well-rested and well-prepared Ducks team, 65-38.

But this year is bigger. For the first time ever, the winner of this game goes to the Rose Bowl. Guaranteed.

The Civil War has become the War of the Roses.

Overall, the Oregon Ducks have the upper hand in the rivalry, with a 56-46-10 record against the Beavers. This year the Ducks will have the upper hand again, with a higher BCS ranking and home field advantage.

However, if you’re the betting type, there are some very good reasons to pick the Beavers to win the biggest battle in Civil War history.

To begin with, Mike Riley is widely respected as the best coach in the Pac-10. That doesn’t always translate into 10-win seasons, because recruiting to Corvallis is harder than recruiting to Arizona or Los Angeles, but perhaps no coach in college football does a better job at improving his team from the beginning of the season until the end than Riley.

This year has been no exception. Just look at the transformation of Sean Canfield from a big question mark into an exclamation point. Just look at the improvement of an Oregon State defense that gave up an average of 28 points in its first four Pac-10 games and only 16 in its last four.

Say what you will about the roll the Ducks went on after that opening loss to Boise State; the Beavers have been on just as great a roll over the past seven weeks, going 6-1 with the only loss coming in a close game at USC. Riley has his team on track to win at least nine games for the fourth season in a row.

Meanwhile, the Ducks have been sputtering, relatively speaking. After going 5-0 and allowing only 11.6 points per game to start the Pac-10 season, in the last three games they lost at Stanford, needed double OT to beat Arizona, and have given up an average of 37.6 points.

Believe it or not, nearly half the points scored against the Ducks this season have come in just the last three games (113 points in the last three games; 137 in the previous eight).

All of this means that the Beavers are going into this game with momentum on their side. They have nothing to lose, because nobody expected them to be in this position. At the same time, they are playing better than anyone in the conference. They are exactly where Riley wants them to be: humble and hungry.

Chip Kelly, on the other hand, may be a genius as an offensive coordinator, but he’s a rookie head coach. Both teams will have 11 days to prepare for this game, and you have to think that gives Riley an advantage.

Besides, there’s also the revenge factor. The Beavers went into last year’s Civil War with visions of the Rose Bowl dancing in their heads. Losing that game the way they did had to be the worst moment in the football careers of everyone associated with the team.

Now they have a second chance to make that Rose Bowl dream a reality, and they can do it by beating the very team that dashed their hopes a year ago. To make it even more like a fairy tale, that team also happens to be their in-state rival. For a college athlete or a coaching staff, it doesn’t get any better than that.

That’s why you can throw aside the respective records and the home field advantage and confidently pick the Oregon State Beavers to upset the Ducks and go to the Rose Bowl.

And if they don’t? Well, they are the Beavers, after all.

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Pac-10 Football Power Rankings: Week 13

Jason Figueiredo-Dumpit — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:06:03 -0500

Oregon versus Oregon State

The biggest game of the year for the Pac-10 will be played on the national stage on Thursday, Dec. 3, and the winner gets the grandest gift of them all...a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Oregon survived a scare against Arizona to keep their championship hopes alive, setting the background for the most exciting Civil War game in recent memory.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers while watching this game, because it’s going to be a dandy.

Here are this week’s Pac-10 Power Rankings.

(Overall Record, Conference Record | Last Week's Rankings)

1. Oregon Ducks (9-2, 7-1 | 1)

With a little under three minutes left to play in regulation, Jeremiah Masoli and the Ducks did what a championship team would do. They didn’t panic, understood the situation that was presented, and calmly moved the ball 80 yards down the field for the tying score.

In overtime, Oregon scored touchdowns on both of their possessions with extreme ease.

Masoli struck with two 20-plus-yard passes in overtime to bring the Ducks inside the Wildcats’ five-yard line, providing the often-confusing Oregon option offense with two effortless touchdown scores. Masoli scored six touchdowns on the day, three with his arm and three more with his feet.

With only one game left on the schedule for the Ducks, Oregon's shot at the Pac-10 crown apparently lies squarely on Masoli’s shoulders.

2. Oregon State Beavers (8-3, 6-2 | 3)

In a game that no one in the world thought they would come close to losing, the Beavers proved everyone right. Oregon State rolled over the meager Cougars, scoring 42 points and allowing less than 200 yards on defense.

While beating up on Wazzu is all fun and good, the Beavers' biggest game of the season still lies ahead.

As you all know, the Civil War has much more than just bragging rights on the line this year. The winner takes the Pac-10 crown and receives the all-important Rose Bowl bid.

But don’t think that Oregon State has forgotten how the Ducks knocked them out of Rose Bowl contention last year. The Beavers will be out for blood, and it should be interesting to see how these two explosive offenses respond.

3. Stanford Cardinal (7-4, 6-3 | 2)

The Cardinal jumped out to an early two-touchdown lead in the first quarter of the Big Game against Cal, and things appeared to be headed in the same direction for Stanford as they had the two previous weeks. But then the Golden Bears decided to come out of hibernation.

Stanford could not find an answer for Cal’s running game, allowing the Bears to rattle off 24 straight points.

It wasn’t for a lack of effort by Toby Gerhart though. “White Thunder” rushed for his fifth straight 100-yard game and scored four touchdowns, giving him 1,531 yards and 23 touchdowns on the year.

Trailing by six, the Cardinal put together an impressive drive to end the game, but an ill-advised pass by a pressured Andrew Luck in the red zone led to an interception, sealing the game for Cal.

The final game on the Farm this year for Stanford comes against the struggling Irish, and it will be Gerhart’s last opportunity to wow Heisman voters on the national stage.

4. USC Trojans (7-3, 4-3 | 5)

The Trojans come off a much-needed bye week after getting thumped by the Cardinal, and they look to take out all of their pent-up frustrations against their crosstown rivals.

USC has won nine of the past 10 games against the Bruins, with their only loss coming three years ago in a game where the Trojans failed to score a touchdown.

This really shouldn’t be a problem this year for USC, but watch out—this is probably the best defense the Trojans have seen all season.

5. California Bears (8-3, 5-3 | 6)

Shane Vereen stole the show on Saturday in the Big Game, rushing the ball 42 times, gaining 193 yards, and scoring three touchdowns.

Vereen was the bane of the Cardinal's existence. He kept the sticks moving for the Bears and, more importantly, forced the high-caliber Stanford offense to watch from the sidelines.

Cal held a 2-to-1 edge in time of possession, collecting 31 first downs on their way to a 34-28 victory and their eighth Big Game win in the past 11 years.

The Bears play their final game of the year in Seattle, where they look to win their ninth game for the second straight season.

6. Arizona Wildcats (6-4, 4-3 | 4)

After allowing the Ducks to dominate them throughout the majority of the first two quarters, the Wildcats found new life heading into halftime, scoring 10 points within the final two minutes of the half.

Arizona took the lead halfway through the third by playing decent offense, but more significantly, they found a way to bear down and hold Masoli and the Ducks to minimal offensive production. But as the saying goes, it’s hard to keep a good man down.

The Wildcats saw their 10-point lead deteriorate, and later in the fourth, after regaining a seven-point lead, a Nick Foles interception in the end zone with under two minutes left set up Oregon for a game-tying drive. It was a valiant effort by Arizona, but they will once again be looking back at what could have been.

Two more road games are in store for the Wildcats, but with a bowl game already wrapped up, bringing back the high intensity levels of the past few weeks could be a challenge.

7. UCLA Bruins (6-5, 3-5 | 7)

The Bruins gained bowl eligibility for the first time since 2007, and they have their defense to thank.

UCLA’s defense forced a staggered Arizona State offense to turn the ball over six times in what was a rather sloppy game played by both teams.

The only two touchdowns scored by UCLA were through a 68-yard interception and a nine-yard fumble return. While their offense did surpass 300 yards gained, they had to settle for field goals whenever they got deep inside Sun Devil territory.

The Bruins' final game of the season comes against USC, but even with the disarray that Pete Carroll’s squad seems to be in, Rick Neuheisel’s team will need a mini-miracle to get his first win wearing the baby blue against the Men of Troy.

8. Washington Huskies (3-7, 2-5 | 8)

Only two games are left for the downward-spiraling Huskies, but this could be the weekend that they snap their four-game losing streak.

Fresh off a bye, Washington should completely control this weekend’s game against the pathetic Cougars, even though Wazzu has won four of the past five meetings between the state rivals.

Jake Locker has two more chances to impress scouts, and fortunately for him, he gets to do it in front of a friendly Seattle crowd.

9. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-7, 2-6 | 9)

Things aren’t getting better for the Sun Devils as the season comes to a close. ASU has lost five straight and seven of their past nine, leaving little to get excited about amongst the faithful in Tempe.

One somewhat bright spot from last Saturday’s matchup against the Bruins was senior running back Dimitri Nance. He ran for his second 100-yard game of the year, but the Sun Devil offense couldn’t get things moving otherwise.

Turning the ball over six times and collecting zero turnovers of their own would cause even the best teams to lose. Unfortunately, the Sun Devils are nowhere close to being one of the best teams in the Pac-10 or really in college football.

One last game lies ahead for ASU, and even though things look down, failing to solidify a bowl game for the second straight year, it could be possible to end things on a high note against the mentally wounded Wildcats.

10. Washington State Cougars (1-10, 0-8 | 10)

Is the season over yet?

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Pac-10 Football: Simply the Best

Ken Stansell — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:58:29 -0500

The current BCS Rankings have four Pac-10 teams in the top 25.

The previous week's ranking had five Pac-10 teams in the top 25 (Stanford fell out after losing to Cal on Saturday).

This past Saturday, Pac-10 matchups featured Oregon vs. Arizona and Cal vs. Stanford. Both games had Pac-10 Championship and Rose Bowl implications. In sharp contrast, the BCS No. 1-ranked team, Florida from the SEC, was playing in a lob-sided blowout against lowly Florida International University.

Perhaps the Pac-10 should emulate other conferences by adding two new teams to its conference to become the Pac-12 (I suggest Fresno State and Hawaii) and play one more non-conference game than they currently have—preferably late in the season when BCS rankings are on the line.

Nah—I will take the Pac-10 just the way it is—as the best football conference in the nation, where every team plays each other to determine the conference champion.

I look forward to another perfect bowl season for Pac-10 teams—just like last year's bowl season.

Pac-10 Football—simply the best.

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Five Things We Learned This Week: Arizona-Oregon

Tom Phillips — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:43:00 -0500

1. Mike Stoops Has Arizona In The Right Direction

The first call I got after the game was from someone who has been very critical of Mike Stoops. These were his words, "Mike Stoops has you guys going in the right direction."

It's true. For all of the criticism that Mike Stoops has gotten in his tenure at Arizona, he is building a winner in Tucson.

He is recruiting quality players, who only want to get better. The players have all bought into the system that Mike Stoops is running; work hard and play harder. Every player knows they play a crucial role in order to make sure that Arizona wins.

They play for the team, they aren't playing for themselves to get to the NFL. They know in order to get noticed they have to get better as a team, to get noticed as an individual.

Hopefully Wildcat fans are able to see Mike Stoops stick around in Tucson for awhile.

2. Cats Fought Back

Arizona was down 14-0 and seemed it would stay that way going into halftime.

That's when Nick Foles put together a great drive on a short field to hook up with the first of Juron Criner's three touchdown catches. Then Alex Zendejas hit a career long 47 yard field goal to end the half and put Arizona within four.

This might have been the most important stretch of the game for the Cats on offense. Being down 14 going into the second half might have seemed insurmountable having not scored in the first half.

This series of scores gave Arizona momentum going into the second half and some swagger as they scored on their first drive of the third quarter to go up 17-14.

I hate to sound like a broken record but past Arizona teams would have not fought back and just accepted defeat. These are even more signs that Mike Stoops has Arizona going in the right direction.

3. Stopping the Option

If there is one offense that Mike Stoops' defense has had trouble stopping it would be the option.

Oregon runs this offense better than any other team in the country. Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli is probably the best quarterback in the country to run the option.

Arizona has struggled for years to stop this offense but on Saturday night they kept it in check until the final drive. The defense did a good job of staying at home an making sure that Masoli and LaMichael James didn't run wild on them.

Inside the red zone is where the Cats struggled to stop the option. Whether it was nerves about trying to make sure they didn't score or Oregon just being too good at the option, Arizona couldn't stop Oregon in the red zone.

4. Karmaic Shift

For all of the times that Arizona has rushed the field, you would figure Arizona fans would know what they are doing.

With a minute left and Oregon driving, about 200 students decided to stand on the sidelines in anticipation of rushing the field. This is where Karma came in.

Oregon continued to drive and Arizona had the Ducks down to a 4th-and-4 with 23 seconds left. Oregon converted.

Fan turned against their fellow fans. Chants from the stands directed towards the premature rushers included "It's all your fault."

A lot of fans blame the students jumping the gun for the loss. Oregon was a better team and stepped up when it counted, but Karma works in mysterious ways.

5. Last Two Games Important

For all of momentum that Arizona built going into November, they need to finish on a positive note.

There is a huge difference between finishing 8-4 and finishing 6-6. Arizona started 6-2, to finish 6-6 or 7-5, might suck the wind from the sails for Arizona going into a bowl game.

Arizona will have a rough time going to ASU and USC to finish out the season. They will have to keep playing hard and not hang their heads after two straight losses.

Finishing at .500, puts Arizona in the Poinsettia Bowl. Winning the final two games and an Oregon State loss puts Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. Arizona has to keep improving from year to year bowl-wise.

While spending New Year's Eve in El Paso might not sound like a great time for fans, for the team it is important to make getting to at least the Sun Bowl this year. This would mean a third place finish for the Cats up from fifth-place last year.

While revisiting the site of last year's bowl win might be a good time for everyone, making it to El Paso is an important step for the program.

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

Imagine All The People

Joseph Manuel — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:53:38 -0500

Imagine being a failure.

No, hold it, that’s too broad.

Imagine regretting a major life decision.

Scratch.

Imagine going into a big decision thinking that it will pan out for the better.

Imagine getting asked to go to a certain place among many, and finally picking the one that you think will turn out to be the better scenario for yourself.

Imagine that you go to this place that you think is great at first; you learn to grow up, you’re advancing your life (or so you thought), you’re meeting a lot of cool new people (or so you thought), and you’ll have a terrific plan once the whole procedure is finished. Sounds ideal, initially.

Imagine being jealous. Wait, hold up. Imagine admiring something instead. Your admiration is the result of constantly being bested. Your admiration is for a huge event which tore so many people apart.

Now imagine that this event has just occurred. And imagine that the result was not favorable to your likeness. Imagine being mad at first, then placing blame, then being mad again, then cursing everything in sight, and then finally accepting that you just were not good enough.

Imagine leaving the event, tears in your eyes. Two kinds of emotion eschew from the whole situation: joyous celebratory gestures and tear soaked sadness culminating in bowed heads and quiet, shuffling feet. And imagine your emotion being the latter.

Now imagine getting in your mode of transportation, and going back to the place you once held so sacred. Imagine the trip, and yourself thinking the whole time that you wished you did not belong to this place, and that you have so much regret.

Imagine the long, quiet ride.

Imagine reaching your destination, going home, and thinking about the event the whole time. Imagine replaying everything in your mind, and wishing that you did something a little different which would have changed the whole outcome.

Imagine your phone being flooded with calls and text messages of many varieties. Some are encouraging, some are mean, and some are just repetitive. You don’t care about this at the moment, because you’re still in heartbreak mode.

Imagine finally being able to rest. As you sit down, your whole body is aching completely, and the fact that the event did not turn out favorable to you only compounds your physical pain.

Imagine thinking about how many opportunities have just been lost based on this event. Imagine one side going completely up, and the other side going completely down.

Imagine once being so close to going to a warm weather city during the dead of winter doing what you love doing, and instead not knowing where you are headed yet during this aforementioned cold, chilly season.

Imagine dreading the next day. Imagine getting yelled at unmercifully. Imagine more physical pain being dealt to your already aching body.

Now imagine weeks going by. The sting of what occurred is still glaring, and it will never leave your mind. Imagine that the big day comes in which you thought you would be doing something meaningful, and instead you are sitting on a couch watching the television and admiring the people you see on it.

Imagine watching those that bested you during your darkest hour on the television, and not sure if you want them to succeed or fail. All you know is that you could have been there.

Now imagine watching this television for approximately four hours, and constantly seeing a flood of green and yellow besting a flood of red and silver.

Imagine pitying those in red and silver, because you can feel their pain.

Now imagine wishing that you had chosen to wear the green and yellow instead of black and orange. Imagine the limitless possibilities that could have resulted in your decision.

Imagine heaving a sigh of disappointment, and having to wait a full year to try and gain your revenge. And imagine not even circling the date on your calendar, because you know that you secretly don’t want it with the green and yellow.

Now imagine that you are a football player for Oregon State University after December 3, 2009.

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

Oregon-Arizona: Ducks Tame Wildcats and Inch Closer to Roses

Keith Becker uosportsdude.com — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:58:32 -0500

I’m usually a pretty confident guy, arrogant even, you could say. But coming into the Arizona game this weekend, I was more nervous than any other Saturday this season, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the players on the field.

It didn’t matter that we were playing on the road in front of a raucous red-out, that our Rose Bowl hopes had crashed and burned in our last two trips to Tucson’s house of horrors, or even that Sunshine-look-alike Nick Foles had a ridiculous 69 percent completion percentage and might tear up the depleted secondary.

You could throw that all out that window.

Why?

I had to watch this game with my girlfriend.

On the outside, that sounds like a nice Saturday evening. We go to different schools and live in different states, so any time I could spend with her sounds like a good thing, right?

Well, not when it comes to Oregon Ducks football.

I have watched two games with her this season, and guess which ones they were. You got it—Boise State and Stanford.

So the thought of watching my beloved Ducks’ Rose Bowl hopes vanish right before my eyes while cuddling with my almost-as-beloved girlfriend would have been remarkably bittersweet.

I almost threw her out of the house after Oregon didn’t convert on the late fourth down conversion, but when I imagined the following month-long silent treatment as my punishment, I decided against it.

Fortunately, that never had to happen, as the Ducks emerged victorious in one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen, even though I was watching the entire game-tying drive and overtimes through the cracks between my fingers.

Hopefully my girlfriend doesn’t read this.

Here are my thoughts on the game:

Hands down, the best game of the year. It had every element you could want: ESPN's College GameDay , tons of points, a fourth-quarter comeback, two overtimes, and a Ducks' victory. I’m still giddy.

What the hell got into Jeff Maehl? Was he drinking the “special stuff” that Bugs Bunny created in Space Jam? Seriously. I take back and apologize for everything bad I’ve ever said about Jeff Maehl (which is a lot). He absolutely came to play today and we won because of it.

The end of the game couldn’t have been scripted better if it were a movie. The second those Arizona students started hopping onto the field, I knew we had a chance. The football Gods love irony.

Jeremiah Masoli’s reaction: “I saw it and I actually smirked,” Masoli said. “It was kind of funny. I wasn’t really worried about it.”

And when the cameras found Masoli smirking, I knew we were all about to witness greatness.

The only thing greater than that drive was watching the student section slink their way back up into the stands after Ed Dickson came down with the catch of the year. Absolutely priceless.

Then an Arizona student had to go and throw a water bottle at an Oregon cheerleader. Not cool, bro.

I’m pretty sure my heart stopped when Morgan Flint’s field goal attempt ricocheted off and through the goal posts.

Congrats to my ever-growing man crush, LaMichael James, for breaking Jaquizz Rodger’s Pac-10 freshman rushing record.

Sneakiest play of the night: the fourth-quarter draw to LMJ on 2nd-and-11. "Big Balls" Chip at his finest.

Speaking of Chip Kelly, I think the abilities of his halftime speeches might have become a little exaggerated , especially when the idiot kicker (the kicker!) decided to taunt Oregon’s sideline right before half. If that doesn’t fire you up, I don’t know what will.

Not too impressive the past couple weeks, but then again, who needs coaching when you have Masoli’s six touchdowns?

I’ve said it before, but I have to say it again, Nick Foles is a dead ringer for Sunshine from Remember the Titans . I don’t think I have ever seen two people look more alike in my entire life.

Did anyone else see Brent Musberger’s suit last night? That image will be burned into my retinas forever.

Could there be a more perfect setup for the 113th Civil War next Thursday?

The Rose Bowl's on the line and vengeance is looming for the rivalry game. I’m excited!

One more reason to hate Oregon State: The Beavers were caught blasting Miley Cyrus after the game. And there go the "man cards" for the entire team.

I’m obligated by every Oregon fan out there to end this column with “I Love My Ducks .” There I said it! Now, let’s go get that Rose Bowl!

The UOsportsdude.com

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Luck Runs Out On Irish, Not Oregon: Week 12 Thoughts

David Hedlind — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:19:51 -0500

Running, Running, Running

The University of Nevada has done something no other team has ever done. They ran the ball. That isn’t the part no one has ever done. That comes in the fact that this season they have three different players that have now run for over 1,000 yards. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running backs Luke Lippincott and Vai Taua have all hit the mark.

By the way, I predicted this to happen in my 17 bold predictions at the start of the season.

BCS Play-ins

The Ohio State University is already in the Rose Bowl.

The SEC Championship game has been known for a couple weeks to be between Florida and Alabama.

The ACC will be decided between Clemson and Georgia Tech.

Texas and Nebraska will play for the Big 12 title.

In other games that are not championship games by title, but will decide the conference's spot in the BCS, Pitt and Cincinnati will play for the Big East title while Oregon and Oregon State will battle for the Pac-10 championship.

Of the non-automatic qualifiers, most are still yet to be decided, but the WAC will be decided when Boise State meets Nevada.

Double OT: Part One

With 1:10 left against Notre Dame, Connecticut drove the field and tied the game on a field goal. After UCONN failed to convert on Notre Dame's ensuing fumle, the game was pushed into overtime. Both teams then scored touchdowns to force a second over time.

In the second OT, Notre Dame started with ball and was forced to kick a 36 yard field goal. Connecticut then took the ball and moved it inside the five, where Anthony Dixon scored on a four yard run. It is being called one of the biggest wins in the history of the young Connecticut program.

Double OT: Part Two

In a little more dramatic fashion, one of the last games of the day also ended in a double overtime thrill ride. In the previous, game both teams were playing to salvage their season. In this one, Pac-10 title hopes and Rose Bowl dreams were on the line.

The drama started with about eight minutes to play when Oregon kicked a long field goal to tie the game at 24. The ball was a line drive that looked like it was going to be too low. In fact it was so low it hit the cross bar. Fotunately for the lucky Ducks, it still went over.

Very quickly, Arizona came back and threw a 70 yard touchdown. The ball then went back and forth until it seemed Arizona was going to score again to put the game away. Instead, Oregon corner Talmadge Jackson III intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone.

The Ducks took over and drove 80 yards, capping things off with an eight yard pass from Masoli to TE Ed Dickson with six seconds left. The entire drive, Arizona fans were coming out of their seats and standing on the sidelines in anticipation of taking the field. The snap on the extra point was low, but backup quarterback Nate Costa stayed calm and got it down for Morgan Flint to kick the extra point for the tie. Arizona quarterback Nick Foles took one knee and the game went to overtime.

The fans went back into the stands.

In overtime Oregon scored first on a circus looking catch across the middle by Jeff Maehl. Arizona responded with a touchdown pass to Juron Criner.

In the second overtime, Oregon’s defense stepped up and forced a long field goal. Masoli again went to work and four plays later he was in the end zone holding a game winning touchdown.

Tick Tock

I don’t know if it was Les Miles, an assistant, or the quarterback, and it was likely all of them, but someone wasn’t paying attention to the clock at the end of the LSU and Ole Miss game. The play calling was suspect too. With the golden opportunity vanished, it seems like LSU fans have reason to feal upset.

Rich Rodriguez and Michigan

If Michigan fans are upset with him after yesterdays loss, they need to redirect the blame elsewhere. I don’t think this loss was the coach's fault. Tate Forcier, on the other hand, should have all the blame. He was responsible for too many turnovers and missed opportunities. The defense didn’t help much either.

Notre Dame

At worst, the Irish will finish 6-6, which still makes them bowl eligible. The question is, in which low tier bowl in mid-December will they end up? Regardless of which bowl they play in, it is it will be a far cry from the expectations that the fans had at the start of the season.

Big-10 BCS at Large

Does the Big 10 deserve a second team in the BCS? If so, how do you decide which team gets that spot? Iowa and Penn State are the two teams in position to make it in. Iowa was one of the hottest teams out there until they suddenly lost two in a row to Northwestern and Ohio State at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Penn State has won seven of their last eight games. However, Iowa did beat Penn State.

Army-Navy

Army is now 5-6 with one game to go against Navy game. This year's matchup takes on a whole new dimension. For the first time in a while, Army will be playing for a bowl game. If they can beat Navy, Army will make their first bowl appearance in over 10 seasons.

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

A Trojan Fan's Perspective: Choke On It, Jim Harbaugh

Rick McMahan — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:40:17 -0500

First, for sake of full disclosure, I readily admit I am a USC Trojan fan.

Big time.

Second, I am not too proud to take absolute delight in the suffering of a newly despised program via the hands of another besides my beloved Trojans.

Of course, that "newly despised" program is the Stanford Cardinal led by their chief villain and head coach, Jim Harbaugh.

And the program that handed Harbaugh and the Cardinal that defeat is none other than their hated rival, the California Golden Bears.

You know, those same Cal Bears that the Trojans thumped 30-3 in Berkeley some weeks ago.

Now, many would say that my delight in the defeat of the Cardinal is motivated by Stanford's destruction of USC 55-21, two weeks ago at the coliseum.

True, but of course, as any good Trojan fan will tell you, it goes deeper than that.

The real source of my hostile attitude toward the Cardinal can be summed up in one play.

That play is, of course, the infamous two point attempt Harbaugh called for when leading the Trojans by three touchdowns late in the game.

The Trojans stuffed it but that is besides the point.

After the game, at the midfield handshake, Pete Carroll questioned Harbaugh as to his motivation for the play, although it wasn't necessary to do so.

Everyone knew Harbaugh was trying to show up the Trojans, including coach Carroll.

In the week that followed the game, Jim Harbaugh was hailed by the national media as the "hot coach." leading the "hot program" to the promised land.

Except that the Cal Bears had something (I say gleefully) to say about it.

And the "hot coach" made some bad decisions.

Like going for it on fourth down, with 3-1/2 minutes to go and all of his timeouts left, Harbaugh rolled the dice and came up snakeyes when Andrew Luck ran out of same and threw an harmless pass which fell incomplete.

So much for Stanford's Rose Bowl aspirations.

Of course, many would say it is cheap to acquire such joy in the defeat of a program by someone other than the team you follow.

Guilty as charged.

However, while in my perfect world, the Trojans would have won two weeks ago, it wasn't meant to be.

The Trojans got beat by a better team that day.

So now I will gladly get my "jollies" vicariously through the Cal Bears and I have only one thing to say:

Choke on it Jim Harbaugh.

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

ACC, Pac-10 and SEC Capsules Week 12

Asher Feldman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:31:01 -0500

Atlantic Coast Conference

Conference Leaders: Clemson (Atlantic Division; 8-3, 6-2) and Georgia Tech (Coastal Division; 10-1, 7-1) have both clinched their respective divisions and will meet for the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 5.

Game of Last Week: Clemson 34, Virginia 21. With the Atlantic Division waiting to be claimed after Boston College lost, the Tigers took full advantage, as a full team effort allowed Clemson to claim victory on Senior Day.

Game of Next Week: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech. With few inter-conference battles scheduled for next Saturday, this rivalry game is sure to be a good one.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Boston College Golden Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech Hokies, North Carolina Tar Heels, Florida State Seminoles.

Pac-10

Conference Leader : Oregon (9-2, 7-1)

Lurking: Oregon State (8-3, 6-2)

Game of Last Week: Oregon 44, Arizona 41. With both teams looking for a bid to the Rose Bowl, this double overtime thriller in Arizona left just Oregon and Oregon State with a chance at making the Rose Bowl, and the two will face off on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Game of Next Week: USC vs. UCLA. Both programs aren't what they expected to be this year, so a victory here in their biggest rivalry game would be huge for either team.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, California Bears, Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal, Oregon State Beavers, UCLA Bruins.

SEC

Conference Leaders: Florida (11-0, 8-0) and Alabama (11-0, 7-0) have both clinched spots in the SEC Championship Game by winning their respective divisions in the SEC.

Game of Last Week: Ole Miss 25, LSU 23. LSU, down all game, drove all the way down the field and had one second left to stop the clock and kick a field goal, but the clock ran out on the Tigers, and gave the Running Rebels a big upset victory at home.

Game of Next Week: Alabama vs. Auburn. There still remains the chance that a loss here could send the BCS into frenzy, and Auburn may just be the team to give the BCS a jolt by shocking the Crimson Tide.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Running Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks, Tennessee Volunteers.

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California Golden Bears Dash Stanford Cardinal's Rose Bowl Hopes

Steven Resnick — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:54:02 -0500

Coming into tonight's game that featured the California Golden Bears against the Stanford Cardinal, most of the talk was about Cardinal running back Toby Gerhart and how the Bears were going to stop him.

Before the game even began the announcers for Versus the network that was airing the game had talked to defensive coordinator Bob Gregory of the Bears. Gregory stated that the goals were to keep Gerhart under 150 yards rushing.

In the first quarter it looked like that goal was probably not going to be in reach because Gerhart on the first Cardinal series took off with a 61 yard touchdown run on a third and two play.

The game didn't start very well for the Bears either. After three plays from scrimmage the Bears were already down 7-0. On the Bears first possession it didn't go very well either and the Bears were forced to punt.

On the next series the Bears defense was able to hold and force a punt by Stanford, but again the offense didn't look very good and were forced into another three and out. Bryan Anger came into punt and got his punt blocked by the Cardinal and lead to the second rushing touchdown of the Game for Gerhart.

So, at that moment it didn't look very good for the Bears. The team was down 14-0 and Kevin Riley and the Bears offense looked like they were in for another struggle.

But, on the next Bears possession Riley was able to get the Bears down the field into the red zone, but the Bears had to settle for a field goal. I believe even though the Bears only scored three points it showed that the Bears could move the ball against the Cardinal.

California's defense stepped up again forcing another punt for the Cardinal. Again the Bears marched down the field and got inside the red zone. Unfortunately, Riley made a bad throw to Shane Vereen and the ball was intercepted on a nice play by the Cardinal defense.

Again the Bears defense forced the Cardinal to punt. The Bears even with the interception by Riley seemed to have the momentum. Riley and Vereen helped get the Bears back down the field and this time the Bears punched their way through putting the game back to 14-10 and that's what the score was at halftime.

Since, the Cardinal elected to receive the ball to start the game the Bears got the ball to start the second half. It didn't seem like the start of the half on the kickoff was going to be good for the Bears because of a penalty that forced them to start at the eight.

But, again Riley and Vereen were able to march the Bears down the field for another touchdown which gave Cal their first lead of the game 17-14.

Although, on the kickoff by the Bears it looked like the Cardinal were at least going to tie the game up or possibly take the lead because of good return by the Cardinal and a personal foul.

Yet, another great stand by the Bears defense and a missed field goal let the Bears escaped unharmed after the penalty. Again the Bears were able to march down the field against the Cardinal and another touchdown for Vereen. Meaning that the Bears scored 24 unanswered points against the Cardinal.

Stanford finally got back on the scoreboard with Gerhart getting in for his third touchdown of the day, but the Bears took the wind out of the Cardinal sails by marching down the field again and this time Riley found Marvin Jones for a 12 yard touchdown.

That's when the game became interesting because the Cardinal were able to score again bringing the lead for the Bears to 31-28. It was the last six minutes of the game that was the most exciting or heartbreaking if you were a Cardinal fan.

It seemed like the Bears were going to go three and out and give the ball back to the Cardinal, but Verran Tucker made an oustanding catch along the sidelines to let the Bears be able to run more time off the clock and move the ball down the field.

Ultimately though the Bears were forced to put. Jim Harbaugh though made a horrific decision with just over four minutes left he chose to go for it on fourth and eight which gave the Bears the ball in great field position because the Bears were already in field goal range if the Cardinal didn't make it.

So, when the Cardinal went for it and did not get a first the Bears got excellent field position. Vereen was able to get the Bears a first down and instead of stepping out of bounds he stayed in forcing the Cardinal to use all three timeouts to stop the clock.

The Bears were only able to manage a field goal bringing the lead to 34-28. Tedford had his special team kick a short kick because of the dangerous return man the Cardinal had on the other side.

Which, mean that the Bears had to play defense with two minutes and 36 seconds left. It looked like the Cardinal were in position to win the game, but the Bears defense again stepped up with Mike Mohamed making the game changing play with an interception with just over a minute left.

The Bears were able to come out with a hard fought 34-28 victory over the number 14 team in the country.

As for Gregory's declaration of holding Gerhart to under 150 yards, the Bears did do that. Gerhart finished with 20 carries, 136 yards, and 4 touchdowns.

Vereen for the Bears acted like Gerhart as the man who just attacks the defense carry after carry. Vereen finished with 42 carries, 193 yards, and 3 touchdowns.

What was most impressive for the Bears were the four touchdown drives they went for 14 plays for 85 yards, 11 plays 92 yards, 10 plays 72 yards, and six plays 72 yards. The drive for the field goal was 10 plays 70 yards.

Meaning in those five scoring drives combined for 51 plays for 391 yards. Which also goes to show why the Bears ruled the time of possession nearly double that of the Cardinal.

Even with the time of possession in the Bears favor, the Cardinal nearly pulled off the victory. But, thanks to a great play by Mohamed on the interception the Bears came out victorious!

Read more Pac-10 Football news on BleacherReport.com

Quarterback Signees of 2006: Did They Become NCAA Studs or Duds?

Kimberley Nash — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:36:33 -0500

Many of the members of the class of 2006 will be exiting stage left at season's end. A couple of them, Matthew Stafford and Nate Davis, have already done as much and are no longer repping their respective universities with pride. While others are still churning out yards and blazing trails of their own for the new breeds to follow. As the 2009 college football season comes to an end, it seems fitting to see how the highly, and not so highly, touted high school boys of 2006 have done. Some have excelled beyond their wildest dreams—Tim Tebow. While others have found it hard to make any true impact at all—Mitch Mustain. All were at one point or another, considered to be one of the best at their respective position but Friday Night Light glory does not always translate into Saturday success.

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Is Pete Carroll's Charity Work a Hindrance For The USC Trojans?

Rick McMahan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:16:57 -0500

As Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans attempt to climb out of the quagmire of a disappointing season, the radio talk around the Los Angeles southland has centered on a most unusual topic.

Is Pete Carroll's work with his charity foundation "A Better LA," detracting from his ability to guide the Trojans?

This was the topic for discussion on ESPN's popular "Steve Mason and John Ireland Show," where a surprising number of call in's said that indeed, the charity work was limiting Carroll's ability to pull the Trojans out of their recent travails.

Both Mason and Ireland took exception to this line of thinking, saying that Pete's charity work was never a problem when he was guiding the Trojans to their NCAA record seven straight top four finishes along with those consecutive PAC-10 championships.

Well, yes and no.

The fact that the Trojans were winning all those championships, in and of itself, precluded this line of questioning of Carroll's altruistic work.

Those who support the line of thinking that the charity work is getting in the way could also contend that the charity work got in the way of Carroll's preparation when the the Trojans lost those yearly pesky conference games that seemed to haunt USC annually.

Except that there is a problem with this rational also.

When Carroll appeared on the Mason and Ireland show, he was asked specifically if the charity work was a hindrance time-wise, for which the Trojans have suffered.

I am paraphrasing here but this is basically how Carroll responded:

"No," said Pete, "The vast majority of the time spent on the foundation is done by others. In no way does this charity take away from my ability to my job."

Again, yes and no.

To be sure, the main work is done by others.

"A Better LA," a "take it to the streets" program that attempts to guide young people in the inner city away from gangs, is largely run by others.

Carroll, who founded the program some years ago, lends both his name and considerable popularity to the cause but during the college football season, not much time.

With this exception:

Pete Carroll has been seen on CBS' "Sixty Minutes" and various other talk shows promoting the foundation which, admittedly, has done tremendous work around the southland.

Carroll has also appeared at his various fundraisers throughout the years, including the upcoming "A Night Of Comedy," hosted by Will Ferrell, a friend of both Pete Carroll and the Trojans themselves.

But does this really hinder Pete's ability to guide the Trojans?

In my opinion, no.

Carroll, like most coaches, arrives very early and leaves just as late as any other coach in his pursuit of Trojan college gridiron excellence.

His passion and diligence has translated into fabulous success for USC and their fans.

In what little time Pete has left over, he donates to his foundation and its charitable cause.

Part of the reason for the Trojans success is his amazing ability to recruit four and five-star players to come play for the Trojans.

When Carroll sits in these recruits homes and tells their parents that he will take care of their sons, Pete can point to his foundation as proof of his passion to care about things beyond the field of play.

The fact that the focus of his charity is in the inner city also plays well for these parents and recruits, many of whom hail directly from where the foundation does its best work.

But the best thing of all is that this charity work and Pete's passion are genuine.

"A Better LA" has done some fantastic things in the inner city by providing opportunities for youth to find a way to success beyond gang life.

That Pete Carroll cares enough about the community should be celebrated by the Trojan faithful who are struggling to come to terms with three losses (so far) in the 2009 season.

Those fans who are complaining about Pete Carroll's time distribution should take a step back and reconsider what is truly important.

Making life better in your community is a wonderful goal and those with the juice to effect change are truly blessed.

But they are only blessed if they choose to make that difference, which Pete Carroll has.

And there is a hidden benefit to this charity work for Trojan fans that worry every year that Pete will leave for NFL riches.

As each year passes and Pete Carroll becomes more heavily invested in his foundation, chances of his leaving become more remote.

So, in essence, Pete Carroll's investment in his charity is also an investment in the notion that he will stay and coach the Trojans.

Talk about your "win-win" scenarios...

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Pac-10 Predictions: Week 12

Brad Vipperman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:23:19 -0500

College GameDay is coming to Tucson, Arizona and I couldn't be more excited. I've been down here all week and it has absolutely been the talk of the town. My UofA friends that are still in college (and even some of the ones that have graduated) are planning on camping out tonight in preparation for the GameDay set.

Myself, and a few of my friends, bought tickets to this game over a month ago in preparation for what we thought might be the biggest game in recent Arizona Wildcat history.

Looks like we were right.

Despite Arizona's tough loss to Cal last weekend, they still control their own destiny when it comes to making the Rose Bowl to play Ohio State.

The story lines for this game abound, but for me, I've been struggling trying to decide what I'm more excited for: Potentially witnessing Tucson, Arizona erupt in joyful chaos...or being in the same vicinity of every sports fan's ideal woman—Erin Andrews.

I'm going to go with a toss-up.

Now onto the picks:

Arizona State @ UCLA (-4.5)

The season long struggle to find an identity will continue for the Arizona State Sun Devils this week as they start their third different quarterback. Samson Szakacsy has had a pretty wild ride to this point, but will finally receive his time in the spot light as Dennis Erickson gives his second quarterback their first career start in as many weeks.

Szakacsy, who grew up not far from the Rose Bowl, where Saturday's game will be played, was a former USC commit before injuries derailed his senior year of high school.

When Erickson came to ASU, Szakacsy decided to switch to the Sun Devils. Once there, he was supposed to compete with Sullivan for the number one job when injuries, again, kept him from being a viable option.

Now, seemingly healthy, the Sun Devils are going to count on his mobility and moxie to help them get past a UCLA team that is starting to hit their stride.

After dropping their first five conference games to start the year, UCLA is starting to strike back, beating the Washington schools in consecutive weeks.

During that stretch, freshman quarterback Kevin Prince has completed 40 of 57 passes for 526 yards and two touchdowns. He's also added 84 yards rushing and a touchdown.

In UCLA's last home game of the year, they are going to need their freshman quarterback to play his best as ASU comes into this game with statistically the best defense in the conference.

While I liked the way that Szakacsy played last weekend against Oregon, I think the Bruins will be too much for the Sun Devils at home. I like the way that team is coming along and the tandem of Neuheisel and Norm Chow should mean good things for UCLA going forward.

Pick: UCLA, 27-20

No. 19 Oregon State @ Washington State (+31)

I really do feel bad for Washington State. It's embarrassing that a Pac-10 team can be this bad but they really are. Every week it continues to amaze me and this week should be no different.

A week after getting smashed, 43-7 on their home turf by UCLA, the Cougars will have to take on an even more explosive opponent in the Oregon State Beavers.

They will also have to do this, without their only beacon of hope—freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel.

Tuel will be out with yet another injury this week and the Cougars will turn the offense back over to senior Kevin Lopina. It's kind of nice that the senior gets to start his final home game but that's about where the pleasantries end.

Oregon State should be using this game as a tune up for the all important "Civil War" next weekend against rival Oregon.

Quarterback Sean Canfield has been on point lately and the Rodgers brothers continue to provide all the big-play ability the Beavers could ask for.

There's really not much more to say about this one. Oregon State is going to smash the Cougars and cover the spread...maybe by halftime.

Pick: Oregon State, 48-10

No. 25 Cal @ No. 17 Stanford (-7.5)

This should actually be a pretty interesting game. Personally I think that Stanford is the best team in the Pac-10 right now. A resounding victory over Cal should cement that theory.

I was pretty hard on Cal last week because I couldn't understand how they could be favored over Arizona. I guess I was wrong. That being said, I think that Arizona lost that game more than Cal won it.

Cal will again be without Jahvid Best in this game as he recovers from his concussion. Shane Vereen and Kevin Riley will again be counted on to pick up the offensive slack. They are going to need to because Stanford has been absolutely clicking on all cylinders.

I've been saying it all season long but Toby Gerhart is a special running back. He has worked his way into Heisman contention and with another monster game here I think he could garner some serious votes.

Andrew Luck has also been getting a lot of hype as a future pro signal caller. Both of them will need to finish out their respective seasons strong in order to keep the buzz about them high but I fully expect them to do it.

Gerhart has 19 touchdowns on the year and almost more amazing, only has three games where he failed to score at least two touchdowns! In his last two games—against Oregon and USC—he has scored six. The man is becoming nearly impossible to stop and I fully expect another huge day from him on Saturday.

Cal has bounced back nicely from their early season struggles but Stanford is on fire right now. They'll win this game by double digits.

Pick: Stanford, 38-17

No. 11 Oregon @ Arizona (+6)

The Pac-10 game of the week and the site of ESPN's College GameDay will be raucous starting in about seven hours when the first fans start showing up and kicking off the, umm, festivities.

On the football field, it should be a clash of two high-powered offenses.

The Oregon Ducks have been dominant for months now, largely because of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back LaMichael James.

James has set the Oregon freshman record for rushing yards already, and his 1,193 yards are good for 10th in the Nation.

Masoli has been just as brilliant although he may need to watch out for a bit of history. The last two times Oregon has traveled to Tucson, they have lost their starting quarterback to an injury.

Arizona's starting quarterback needs to bounce back from a few sub-par performances after being arguably one of college football's hottest quarterbacks in October.

The Wildcats know what a win against Oregon means. Given the way USC has been playing and ASU's rebuilding status, a win here would seemingly be the largest obstacle for Arizona to overcome on their quest to the Rose Bowl.

Frenzy and electricity from a crowd can do funny things for a team. Fans can fuel their team in a way that is only understandable to those that have experienced it.

That being said, there will be no shortage of that here in Tucson this weekend. Smart money is on the Ducks to cover this game given Arizona's recent loss and seemingly less talented roster. However, I'm going to take the Wildcats in a memorable upset.

Now, if I can just figure out a way to get Erin Andrews to fall in love with me...

Pick: Arizona, 38-35

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Arizona State VS. UCLA: The Preview

Kristian Siuta — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:38:40 -0500

Well, the decision that fans in Tempe were waiting anxiously for has been announced.

Sophomore quarterback Samson Szakacsy will be under center in his home state of California, with one job in mind: Leave the Rose Bowl with an Arizona State Sun Devil victory.

Surely, that is the ideal situation for Head Coach Dennis Erickson.

Erickson has played musical chairs at quarterback all season long, and the fans at Frank Kush Field have been calling for different names to play quarterback.

At times, Szakacsy's name was not even mentioned.

Until last weekend's performance in Eugene.

Szakacsy does not have a full game experience under his belt, but in his second half relief appearance of Brock Osweiler, Szakacsy passed and ran for a touchdown in the Sun Devils 44-21 loss.

However, Erickson must have seen something that he liked in Szakacsy, to hand over the reigns to the Sun Devils in their final two games.

Maybe it was that spark, a little bit of energy, the athletic ability, or the calm demeanor of the redshirt Sophomore quarterback that warranted another shot in a full game.

Unfortunately, fans in Westwood now have something else to worry about in the game this Saturday.

If Danny Sullivan or Brock Osweiler were starting for ASU, the UCLA defense would not have to worry about keeping an eye on the quarterback on run plays, because let's be honest, Sullivan or Osweiler are not going anywhere quickly.

Szakacsy inserted into the quarterback position gives the Sun Devils an added threat on every single play, whether it's a run or a pass. Szakacsy has proven that he can make a lot out of nothing by extending the play with his legs.

UCLA's defense has yet to truly see a dual-threat quarterback this season, other than Washington's Jake Locker. The Bruins were lucky enough to catch Oregon when their star offensive leader, Jeremiah Masoli, was injured.

When UCLA played Washington, Locker was utilized more as a pocket passer in that game, than taking advantage of his athletic ability with his legs. Locker finished with only 23 yards on the ground, but passed for 235 yards.

Now the Bruins will face a quarterback that has wide receiver or defensive back-type speed, who can also throw on the run, or in the pocket, with precision and velocity.

All of those traits sound well and good, but it is unfortunate that Szakacsy was not healthy enough early in the season to prove his worth as the starter.

Who knows, maybe the Sun Devils would have a totally different record heading into their final two games?

The stories to watch for UCLA consist of their struggling quarterback play with Kevin Prince and Kevin Craft, as well as their defense trying to shutdown the ASU offense, similar to what Stanford, Oregon, and USC did to the Sun Devils did this season.

Prince will be the quarterback for the Bruins following a stellar performance against Washington State last week (314 yards passing, 76 yards rushing, and two total touchdowns). By looking at those numbers, it looks like the Bruins' defense will be well prepared for the athletic Szakacsy on Saturday.

But how effective will UCLA be at stopping or shutting down the ASU rushing attack? Because as all football fans, coaches, players, and staff members know, to be successful, you must be able to run the football on offense and stop the run on defense. That is where it starts and ends for both of these teams.

The winner of this game, will be the team that runs the football with consistency and effectiveness, and manages to slow down the opposing teams running game.

But as in any game, turnovers, mistakes, and penalties will play a major role in determining the outcome.

Arizona State beat UCLA with four defensive touchdowns last season in a 34-9 blowout victory, but as of late, the Sun Devils have not forced the turnover numbers that fans and players became accustomed to earlier this season.

For Arizona State, the penalties are still a major issue, and it seems to be unresolved week after week.

The Sun Devils have to limit those critical mental and emotional mistakes that might cost their team field position, yards, and maybe even the game.

ASU Key Player

Samson Szakacsy QB

Yes, I know that Szakacsy has been all the talk this week, online, on the radio, and in the newspapers, but the hype must live up to the billing, or else this season can turn from a nightmare into a funeral procession.

The weight of the world, or at least Tempe, AZ is on the shoulders of a quarterback who has never made a start in his career and has a questionable elbow.

That doesn't seem like the formula for success to me, but Erickson is confident in his abilities as a play-maker in the offense, and you have to respect that the coach has faith in Szakacsy's style to get the job done as well.

If Szakacsy puts together a full performance like he did in the second half against Oregon last weekend, the Sun Devils will be in great shape to earn the victory.

However, if Szakacsy lays an egg in Pasadena, and either Sullivan or Osweiler have to relieve him, well than all hopes and dreams of a potential bowl game go right down the toilet.

UCLA Key Player

Kevin Prince QB

I am going to stick with the quarterbacks as the highlight performers this Saturday.

Sure, the quarterback touches the ball on every single play; that is why his job as a field general is so important.

Prince has had to take some lumps and some beatings while learning on the job this season, but as of late, the redshirt Freshman has transformed himself into a very solid and capable quarterback for UCLA and Head Coach Rick Neuheisel.

Although Prince has only thrown six touchdowns this season, he has managed to find the end zone four times in his last three games. UCLA's record over that stretch was 2-1.

Now Prince has added another dimension to his game, using his legs to keep drives going, which has led to UCLA's possessions turning into touchdowns instead of punts or field goal attempts.

For both of these teams, as the quarterbacks go, so goes the team!

The Prediction

This game has all the looks to be a hard fought defensive struggle, but in recent weeks both offenses have found new signs of life.

For ASU, Szakacsy has given the offensive unit a jump start, and seems to have given Erickson another playmaker on the field.

The Sun Devils' defense will have to perform better this week against UCLA than ASU looked last Saturday against the Ducks. Like I said, the first initiative on defense for ASU must be to contain the UCLA rushing attack.

I don't think that UCLA will suddenly switch to a spread option attack like Oregon, or a powerful two-back running game like Stanford, so ASU should have a good amount of success on defense. The success and production that ASU has on defense will force UCLA to throw into tight coverages, and I think that is where the game will be decided once again.

Last season in Tempe, Arizona State shutdown the UCLA offense, and forced then starter, Craft to throw, and throw he did. Craft gift wrapped the game for the Sun Devils with his four interceptions all returned for touchdowns.

I don't see Prince throwing four interceptions, but in a crucial situation late in the contest, I think Prince will try to make a play, and the ball-hawking defense of ASU will come up with the turnover, and the Sun Devils will never look back.

Final Score: ASU 27 UCLA 20

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College Football Weekend: Week 12 Preview and Predictions

Jeff Dillon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:38 -0500

One of the biggest story lines entering the 2009 college football season was whether or not USC was on the verge of an uncharacteristic down year.

The Trojans had lost a significant part of last season’s Rose Bowl team. They would be forced to start plenty of inexperienced players—including a true freshman, Matt Barkley, at quarterback.

After seven straight Pac-10 titles, many wondered aloud whether 2009 would finally see a new champion on the West Coast.

Perhaps it would be Cal’s year, many said. The Oregon Ducks were loaded with talent, others noticed. Some analysts warned that you could never count out Mike Riley’s Oregon State Beavers.

But Stanford? Who saw this coming?

I know I didn’t. I predicted the Cardinal to finish 5-7 overall and seventh in the Pac-10 standings.

Oops.

Perhaps no team in the nation has been a more pleasant surprise in 2009 than Jim Harbaugh’s Cardinal.

Not only has Stanford posted a 7-3 overall record (6-2 in conference) thus far, putting itself squarely in the Pac-10 title hunt, but the Cardinal have put together two of the most impressive wins in all of college football this season.

First came a 51-42 dismantling of a red-hot Oregon team, the team that just a week earlier had undressed USC in impressive fashion.

Then came the Cardinal’s chance at the Trojans in Los Angeles. The result? Maybe the most stunning final score of the season: a Stanford 55-21 shocker at the Coliseum.

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the Cinderella story of the 2009 season: the Stanford Cardinal.

So if you haven’t seen the arm of Andrew Luck yet, take a look. If you haven’t considered Toby Gerhart for the Heisman award yet, better wake up quickly—this guy may be the most underrated player in America.

And if you haven’t seen or heard a Harbaugh press conference yet, you need to check out one of the most quotable coaches in college sports, as well as a guy who will likely make his way to a major college (or pro) job very soon.

If you have just one game to watch this weekend, I highly recommend catching No. 25 California against the 17th-ranked Cardinal. With a Stanford win and an Oregon loss (at Arizona Saturday night), the Cardinal still have a serious shot at a Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Their story is as entertaining as it is remarkable—and it’s not done yet.

To week 12...

Five games you can’t miss this weekend

5. Kansas State at Nebraska (Sat. 7:45 EST, ESPN)

Well, this feels like old times again, doesn’t it? K-State and Nebraska battling it out for a trip to the Big 12 championship game. Shoot, even Bill Snyder is coming back for this one. Oh, he’s the head coach in Manhattan again? Guess that makes sense, then.

In all seriousness, K-State’s season has been pretty impressive when you consider where the Wildcats were coming from. Nebraska, on the other hand, has ridden one of the most wild roller coaster rides of any team in the country this season. The Huskers’ playmaking defense will be the difference-maker in this one.

Prediction: Nebraska 23, Kansas State 13

4. Kansas at No. 3 Texas (Sat. 8:00 EST, ABC)

While this game has less significance to the Big 12 race than K-State-Nebraska, there still is plenty on the line in Austin this weekend. First, with a Texas win, the Longhorns clinch the Big 12 South and will play the K-State-Nebraska winner for the Big 12 championship in two weeks.

Secondly, and probably more significant, is the fact that Colt McCoy is one win away from becoming the winningest quarterback in NCAA history.

With both of those things on the line, the fact that Texas is averaging 41 points per game in its last four contests, and the added circus surrounding coach Mark Mangino at Kansas this week, you’ve got the makings of a blowout. But an entertaining one.

Prediction: Texas 44, Kansas 17

3. No. 10 Ohio State at Michigan (Sat. 12:00 EST, ABC)

It is wild to think that it’s been just four years since this rivalry matchup was branded the “game of the century.” The 2005 contest had both the Big Ten title and a trip to the BCS championship game on the line. In 2009, the storylines won’t be quite as, shall we say, intriguing.

Nevertheless, it’s still Ohio State-Michigan—and as it is commonly said, you can’t count out anything in a rivalry game. But the Wolverines have lost four straight and seem to be struggling to slow opposing offenses.

For Ohio State, how Terrelle Pryor plays under the pressure of a big game in the Big House will be the key.

Prediction: Ohio State 31, Michigan 23

2. No. 11 Oregon at Arizona (Sat. 8:00 EST, ABC)

This is one of several meaningful games in the weird and wacky Pac-10 this weekend. Oregon can clinch the conference crown with a win in Tucson. But beware of the Wildcats, one of many surprising teams in the league this season. Arizona has its own chance at a Pac-10 title, needing to win its remaining three games to earn a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

To win this weekend, the Wildcats have to get back to the strong rushing defense they’ve displayed for most of the season before giving up 176 yards last week to California. If Oregon’s rushing attack gets a chance to break out, the Pac-10 race will be over.

Prediction: Oregon 27, Arizona 24

1. No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford (Sat. 7:30 EST, Versus)

This game starts just half an hour before Oregon-Arizona, meaning Stanford will still be in the hunt for a Pac-10 title at the time of kickoff. If the Cardinal can build an early lead, you’d have to forgive the players for peeking at the Oregon-Arizona score a few times.

For Stanford to do that, it will need to play better defense than it has the past two weeks. Lost in the huge wins of the past two weeks is the fact that Stanford gave up over 900 yards and 63 points in those contests. But it’s tough to see the Toby Gerhart train slowing down either. Expect lots of points, as well as another Stanford win.

Prediction: Stanford 38, Cal 29

For your viewing pleasure

No. 6 Boise State at Utah State (Fri. 9:30 EST, ESPN2): Boise State 41, Utah State 20

North Carolina at Boston College (Sat. 12:00 EST, ESPN2): UNC 26, BC 21

Minnesota at No. 13 Iowa (Sat. 12:00 EST, ESPN): Iowa 30, Minnesota 14

No. 4 TCU at Wyoming (Sat. 2:00 EST, The Mtn.): TCU 35, Wyoming 13

Connecticut at Notre Dame (Sat. 2:30 EST, NBC): Notre Dame 27, UCONN 20

No. 16 Wisconsin at Northwestern (Sat. 3:30 EST, Big Ten Network): Wisconsin 28, Northwestern 27

No. 14 Penn State at Michigan State (Sat. 3:30 EST, ABC): Penn State 20, MSU 16

Kentucky at Georgia (Sat. 7:45 EST, ESPN2): Georgia 28, Kentucky 24

No. 8 LSU at Ole Miss (Sat. 3:30 EST, CBS): LSU 21, Ole Miss 17

Heisman Hunt

C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson)

Spiller has quietly launched himself into serious contention for the Heisman, ranking third in the country with 1,952 all-purpose yards. This week, Spiller and Clemson face Virginia (Sat. 3:30 EST, ABC ), a team that gave up 268 rushing yards and 515 total yards to Miami two weeks ago. Expect Spiller to put on quite a show.

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Two Games for Redemption: What Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans Must Accomplish

Rick McMahan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:01:58 -0500

As Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans migrate down an unfamiliar path (the road to mediocrity), there are still definitive goals that must be accomplished, both for this season, and perhaps more importantly, for the next.

The very same questions that, left unanswered, have resulted in this disappointing season, are those same ones that beg clarity as the Trojans move forward.

Without these answers, Pete Carroll and his staff will find themselves staring at the same results that have led some of the Trojan faithful to wonder if the Pete Carroll era has run its course.

Some of these questions, such as the maturing of Matt Barkley, will only come with the playing of the game itself, while others are fundamentally more difficult, involving personnel and perhaps even schemes.

Bear in mind, many of these strategical dispostions will remain in a state of flux until players who are eligible for the NFL draft make decisions regarding their futures; while others, such as incoming recruits, won't be evident until the arrival of the February 2 signing date.

Here are some, though not all, of the questions that Pete Carroll and his staff need to address in these final two games as well as the all important off season:

Defense

The defensive backfield will be the focus of a major overhaul.

Kevin Thomas, Taylor Mays, and Josh Pinkard are all seniors and will have to be replaced.

Shareece Wright, who was tabbed as a starting corner back until academic woes derailed him will be back, assuming he has met his scholarly obligations.

The rest of the defensive backfield will come from a bevy of highly regarded but largely untested four and five star recruits.

Of greater concern is the defensive front seven, which has exponentially become more of a question mark as the season has wore on.

However, there are mitigating circumstances with that front seven that should be acknowledged.

For example, many among those who started the season so well are now injured or playing hurt.

Jurrel Casey and Everson Griffen are playing hurt as is the case with Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith at the linebacker positions.

For this reason, Devon Kennard, the highly regarded defensive end recruit and Shane Horton, a safety forced into linebacker duties both started for the Trojans.

Both were found to be lacking.

With two weeks off to heal, it is hoped that the Trojan defense will be demonstrably better against UCLA.

These next two games, against the Bruins and Arizona, should provide some clarity going into the 2010 season.

Offense

Some questions have already been answered.

Kristopher O'Dowd has gone on record as saying that he will be back for his senior season.

This is huge for a unit that will graduate everyone around him except Tyron Smith.

Given the fact that the offensive line has, by and large, been a disappointment, now might be a good time to rotate some of the younger O-linemen like Kevin Graf, Khalid Holmes, and Matt Kalil into the mix.

Meanwhile, there is also a very good chance that both Damien Williams and Ronald Johnson will also return.

Same with Joe McKnight—who will be an important transition in the running game.

With a year under Matt Barkley's belt, the offense has a chance to be as special as this year's unit was hoped to be.

If the Trojans sign the recruits that have verballed, including both outstanding wide receivers Kyle Prater and Robert Woods, they will have a very intriguing offense.

Special Teams

The kickers will be back and they will welcome Matt Darr, a David Buehler clone who will make his presence felt immediately.

Special teams have not been a problem this year and they will only get better next year.

Conclusion

Don't get me wrong. The Trojans should not give up this year to pave the road for 2010.

A 10-3 year (assuming they can win the final two games and their bowl game) is still damn good and something to strive for.

But there are better things on the horizon and Pete Carroll has the football acumen to deliver the best he can this year while preparing for next year.

At a charity dinner last night, Pete Carroll was asked if it was fair that Trojan fans are so spoiled that they would complain after one so-called "down year," after seven straight good ones.

Pete responded: "Trojan fans SHOULD be spoiled. It is what we have worked for."

Now is the time to set the table to spoil Trojan fans for years to come.

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The Top 10 Winningest College Football Programs of All Time

HD Handshoe - Block-O-Nation — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:44:12 -0500

Teams such as Florida and LSU may have found recent success in the BCS Era, but neither of those programs has had the prestige and historical significance of the teams that comprise the all-time Top 10.

In the "what have you done or me lately?" world of college football, we sometimes forget the great teams, players, coaches, and programs that came before our time—but to the LSU's and the Florida's of the world, I say: You have a long way to go to try to catch up with these Top 10 schools.

(Team Win/Loss/Tie records are current through November 19, 2009. )

No. 10—USC Trojans (772-306-54)

38 Pac-10 Conference Titles

7 Heisman Trophy winners

11 National Championships

A few names you know: OJ Simpson, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer

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No. 9—Tennessee Volunteers (781-332-55)

16 SEC Titles

0 Heisman Trophy winners

6 National Championships

A few names you know: Peyton Manning, Reggie White

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No. 8—Oklahoma Sooners (794-304-53)

42 Big 12 Conference Titles

5 Heisman Trophy winners

7 National Championships

A few names you know: Billy Sims, Adrian Peterson, Sam Bradford

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No. 7—Alabama Crimson Tide (809-316-43)

22 SEC Titles

0 Heisman Trophy winners

12 National Championships

A few names you know: Joe Namath, Derrick Thomas, Shaun Alexander

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No. 6—Penn State Nittany Lions (810-351-43)

3 Big Ten Conference Titles

1 Heisman Trophy winner

2 National Championships

A few names you know: Kerry Collins, LaVar Arrington, Larry Johnson

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No. 5—Ohio State Buckeyes (817-308-53)

34 Big 10 Conference Titles

7 Heisman Trophy winners

7 National Championships

A few names you know: Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Santonio Holmes, Troy Smith

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No. 4—Notre Dame Fighting Irish (833-289-42)

0 Conference Titles (Independent)

7 Heisman Trophy winners

11 National Championships

A few names you know: Joe Theismann, Joe Montana, Tim Brown, Brady Quinn

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No. 3—Nebraska Cornhuskers (834-340-41)

46 Big 12 Conference Titles

3 Heisman Trophy winners

5 National Championships

A few names you know: Trev Alberts, Tommie Frazier, Ahman Green

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No. 2—Texas Longhorns (842-320-34)

29 Big 12 Conference Titles

2 Heisman Trophy winners

4 National Championships

A few names you know: Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, Vince Young

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No. 1—Michigan Wolverines (877-303-38)

42 Big 10 Conference Titles

3 Heisman Trophy winners

11 National Championships

A few names you know: Jim Harbaugh, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Tom Brady

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