To quote Terrell Owens, “”Get ya popcorn ready.”” The Pacific 10 Conference continued its turbulent season over the weekend, and the only thing one can really be sure about is that there’s nothing to be sure about. Teams need to bask in the glory of wins and hot streaks, because if the recent trend continues, they wont last. An interesting development emerging is that the Pac-10 is as deep as any conference in the country.
In short, the Pac-10 is back. Let’s take a look at where they stand.
1. USC (4-1, 2-1 Pac-10) Last week: No. 1
The odds were against them when they traveled to Berkley, Calif., after losing Stafon Johnson to a scary weight-lifting incident, but the Trojans didn’t blink an eye. The loss to Washington is looking more like USC’s typical midseason snoozer that will cost them a shot at the national title rather than a cause for concern. The Pac-10 title is still theirs to lose.
2. Stanford (4-1, 3-0 Pac-10) Last week: No. 3
When can we start the Toby Gerhart for Heisman campaign? Stanford might not look pretty, but man, are they tough. It doesn’t matter how much more athletic the opposition is, the Cardinal will wear them down. They work hard and they play hard, and I don’t think this is a mirage. They’re going to win a lot of games.
3. Oregon (4-1, 2-0 Pac-10) Last week: No. 2
No team epitomizes the current state of the conference than the Ducks. Dead and buried one week, but arguably the hottest team in the country the next. Oregon has outscored opponents 94-9 in the past two games, and could possibly get LeGarrette Blount back in November.
4. Arizona (3-1, 1-0 Pac-10) Last week: No. 7
Sliding up three slots in a week without even playing a game? Crazy, yes, but deserved. The Wildcats’ loss to Iowa looks exponentially better than it did on Sept. 19, and they’re traveling to Washington to take on a suddenly vulnerable Husky team. It’s going to be exciting watching “”Air Zona”” continue to take flight.
5. Washington (2-3, 1-2 Pac-10) Last week: No. 5
That was a heartbreaker in South Bend on Saturday. The Huskies have dropped two in a row since upsetting USC, but they’re still a legitimate contender in the Pac-10. People should start taking notice of quarterback Jake Locker — the junior is an unknown superstar and if he stays for his senior year he will be a Heisman-favorite.
6. Oregon State (3-2, 1-1 Pac-10) Last week: No. 9
The Beavers split the series against the desert teams, which is all that they could realistically ask for. Oregon State will likely be on the border when it comes to bowl bids come December, but a true test of the Beaver’s talent comes this weekend when they host Stanford.
7. UCLA (3-1, 0-1 Pac-10) Last week: No. 6
The book is still out on the Bruins. They dropped their only conference game thus far, but that could have been more of a product of running into the buzz saw that is the Stanford Cardinal than it is a poor reflection on them. It doesn’t get easier, though — UCLA hosts Oregon this weekend, then plays Cal, Arizona and Oregon State.
8. California (3-2, 0-2 Pac-10) Last week: No. 4
Wow, what a fall from grace. Cal has gone from No. 6 in the nation to unranked in two weeks, and in that same time period, running back Jahvid Best has gone from a leading Heisman candidate to not even making the All-Pac-10 Team. The talent to turn it around is there, but if they don’t beat UCLA this weekend then the story will remain the same in Berkley: The preseason hype is strictly that — hype.
9. Arizona State (2-2, 0-1 Pac-10) Last week: No. 8
There are only tough times in Tempe after losing tough games to Georgia and Oregon State. The Sun Devils will get back on track this weekend against Washington State, but the talent of the teams ahead of them will be too hard for ASU to maintain any kind of momentum.
10. Washington State (1-4, 0-3 Pac-10) Last week: No. 10
This is the wrong year to be the worst team in the conference. With the Pac-10 being so deep, there really is not a winnable game on the remainder of the Cougars’ schedule.
