Thursday, December 04, 2008

Week 15 Power Poll


Evie collage
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.
I did predict Oregon to win the Civil War but certainly not in the manner that it occurred in. Looking back you have to marvel at the coaching job that Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly (coach in waiting!) did this year considering all the injury issues and lack of experience at QB. The Beavs should hang their heads high even after the crushing home loss, other than folks on the team and the most myopic of Beaver fans who could have imagined that they would break off 7 consecutive Pac 10 victories in 2008? With the Beaver loss all USC now has to do is defeat UCLA to go back to the Rose Bowl yet again. If that game doesn't go as planned then all the bowl pairings are going to change big time across the Pac 10 and even the country.

1. USC (1) - Best defense of the Carroll era but will go down as having the worst offense except for his initial team in 2001. I see no possibility for USC to get to the BCS championship game nor to get a share of the title with the writers vote. The Trojans picked the wrong year to have a hiccup.
2. UO (2) - Can't say enough about the offense and Masoli's amazing progression in to a competent aerial threat. Not sure I could have imagine this result after the Cal and UCLA games.
3. OSU (3) - Big UCLA fans this week. If that upset happened though you'd have to say that OSU would be among the worst teams ever to make a BCS bowl game.
4. Cal (4) - Players want to go to Vegas but Emerald Bowl wants the Bears big time. Look for the Bears to go off and try to pump up Best's running stats.
5. UA (5) - Yes Stoops has finally assured them of a bowl game but a loss to Arizona State would mean 4 straight L's to ASU and a 6-6 record. That might finally be the end for Ariozna who losses Willie T to graduation.
6. ASU (7) - Hell of a defensive performance versus UCLA that is all I can say positive about this team but a win in the Territorial Cup would make them bowl eligible which is fairly remarkable considering they had a 6 game losing streak.
7. LSJU (6) - Season is over not much to say other than they need to lock up Harbaugh and pay his assistants more if they want to compete in the Pac 10 going forward. There is no lack of money in The Farms endowment even with the economy.
8. UCLA (8) - If they let the ASU defense score 28 points imagine what the USC defense can do.
9. WSU (9) - At least they got to end their season a week earlier than Washington and in Hawaii to boot.
10. UW (10) - The big question is do they get Mike Leach and if not who will they turn to next?