Week 10 Review and Pac 10 Power Poll

Well being the Pac 10 you know that one thing can be guaranteed just about every week this season and that is that there will be an upset that not many people saw happening to a ranked opponent. This week pretty much every game turned out what one might expect, though ASU I thought would have played better than they did, except for the Arizona – WSU match-up in the Palouse. Maybe Washington State forgot to eat their Wheaties this week but to lose a home game to Arizona is just not acceptable especially when you are sitting in the Top 25 and have the tie breaker for the third spot in the Pac 10 over Oregon and Oregon State. This victory has to be huge for the morale of the Wildcats somehow found an offense over the weekend and did a good job of shutting down the Cougar air attack. The key match-up this week is the Oregon-USC game, the Ducks played a nice game versus UW but were still hurt by turnovers. Oregon can’t afford to go -2 versus USC to have any shot at winning. Both these teams are close to unstoppable if they don’t turn the ball over so the defense that rises up to the occasion should lead their team to victory in a game that will likely see more than 60 combined points. I like the Trojans to win a close game because they have the better defensive unit (now if Oregon were not missing 5 starters that might not be the case). I heard on a TV news program that Karl Dorrell was going to lose his job after the season and that the Cal game was the final nail in the coffin. If this is the case I will be pretty disappointed in the UCLA AD. Dorrell went out and won 10 games this year and lost most of his starting 22 to graduation or the NFL after last season. This was expected to be a rebuilding year in Westwood, outside of dropping the UW game all the games the Bruins have lost this year have been ones they have not been favored to win though I do think the score should have been closer in the WSU game. UCLA’s second half schedule has arguably been the nation’s toughest. I think if UCLA can open their offense up a bit next year they should have a solid year, most of the starting 22 will be back from what has been up until lately a pretty solid defensive club. Beating the white hot Beavers this week would be a key W for Dorrell in his argument to be allowed another year in Westwood.

1. Cal (1) – Still rolling along well though giving up 24 to UCLA at home is a bit much for what you would expect Cal to be allowing this late in the year. The season still is going to come down to the USC game. I don’t think Tucson will be a trap game for Cal, the Wildcats are now back on everyone’s radar after beating the Cougars so I don’t think Cal will look past them even with the Trojan game the following week.
2. USC (2) – I though USC minus 28.5 was a steal in the Stanford and this was proven by the Trojans going out and pasting Stanford 42-0. Oregon will not go down so easily, the Trojans still control their own Pac 10 destiny but the shot at the NCAA championship game is likely gone looking at the BCS numbers out there. USC will no doubt see their schedule strength rise but the human voters are down on them right now.
3. OSU (4) – Talked to a Beaver fan before the tailgate at the Oregon-Washington game this weekend. He said he wished that OSU had lost to USC, now that they beat USC Riley was bound to stay another couple years. To the Oregon State coaches and players I just want to say you deserve better from your fans, keep playing for yourselves. All of a sudden the Beavers look like the 1994 Ducks who lost some early games, had the fans calling for a new coach and QB and then went out and made it to the Rose Bowl. The Beavs could win out from here and will have to look back at that WSU loss they let slip away as what really cost them this season more so than the Cal and Boise State games.
4. UO (6) – Nice bounce back game for the Oregon Ducks who ran the ball relentlessly on the Huskies and held UW to 13 yards on the ground. The score was closer than the game was due to some turnovers by the Ducks offense and special teams. Not sure if they have the horses left to beat the Trojans in LA.
5. WSU (3) – Congrats Cougars you just suffered the worst home loss of any Pac 10 team this season that is in bowl contention, though due to the Pac 10’s awful bowl rotation does it really matter where you finish after the first two spots?
6. ASU (5) – God awful performance by ASU, I clearly have been over-ranking this team all year. Interesting to see which team wins the WSU-ASU match-up this week as both are coming off highly disappoint performances. Look for Rick Neuheisel’s name to be thrown around about the ASU and UCLA jobs, neither school will touch him by the way.
7. UA (9) – First time that Arizona has gotten out of the 9 hole in quite awhile. Not that it is receiving much publicity but WSU losing to Arizona at home was a more unlikely outcome than USC losing to Oregon State. The national implications and historical implications were obviously not comparable but the score was just as shocking in my book.
8. UCLA (8) – I am not surprised that they have lost 4 in a row as they played quite a tough schedule. Losing by 14 in Berkeley is not something to fire a coach over.
9. UW (7) – The wheels on the bus finally have fallen off. Washington was clearly outmatched by Oregon but Stanford is coming to Montlake and that should ensure a 5th win for the Huskies. The Apple Cup now looks like it could (and I emphasize could) give the Dawgs a shot get to .500 , a week ago I wouldn’t have thought that possible but the Cougs proved again that they are capable of crapping the bed just when things are starting to get good for them.
10. LSJU (10) – They have a top notch water polo progam