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by | November 9, 2013 · 10:09 am

UW vs. Colorado Predictions

The Huskies have four regular season games left, and the season could go almost anywhere at this point. Today’s game should be a win, as should the Apple Cup, although one never knows.  At UCLA and Oregon State will be tough but winnable games.  Win all four and this season is an unmitigated success.  Win three and it’s still a decent season, especially if they can tack on a bowl win.

There are plenty of interesting storylines to watch the rest of the season, but one I’m especially curious about is the development of a few true freshman.  John Ross has had the biggest impact thus far, and that should only increase in the absence of Kasen Williams. Fellow WR Demorea Stringfellow hasn’t done much thus far, but he too could blossom with increased opportunity.  It sounds like the coaches expect or at least hope he can take over the position.  Stringfellow is a mountain of a man at 6′ 3″ and at least 220 lbs.  Don’t be surprised if he has a breakout similar to Kasen’s at the end of his freshman year.

After watching Stanford’s defensive line demolish Oregon this week, I’m hoping to see quick improvement from maybe the two most talented ends on the Huskies roster, freshman Joe Mathis and Marcus Farria.  Both have had their moments in limited playing time thus far.  I don’t know if they’ll see a ton more playing time, but Sark raved about them during the bye week.  Both bring a combination of size, length, tenacity and quickness that could allow them to be stars as they mature.

The Huskies don’t lose a lot of players after this season, which means the improvement of young players will either lead to upgrades at positions or quality depth, which the Huskies have not had much of in a long time.  Hopefully 2013 brings five more wins and plenty of bright moments for the young guys.

Dan

The Huskies had a bye last week and if all goes as it should, tomorrow ought to be a semi-bye too. Colorado is bad and anything other than a UW blowout would surprise me. It feels like the Huskies haven’t played in a really long time, and they may have some rust to knock off, but by the second half I suspect the Huskies run away, literally, by running the ball. Maybe the Buffs will be good in a couple years, I think that would be good for the conference. For now, they are relying on a true freshman QB from Tacoma who had exactly 1 offer from an FBS school. Although he did torch my Bothell Cougs last year so maybe he’s the real deal. Dawgs roll tomorrow, and hopefully stay healthy in doing so.

UW 42 – CU 13

Joe

UW comes off a much needed bye week to face lowly Colorado.  The Buffaloes showed signs of life at UCLA last week, keeping the game competitive and in doubt into the second half, which is a vast improvement over the Buffs previous blow out losses.  I have a feeling that game may have been CU’s best effort; couple that with a rested and ready UW squad, and I see a solid, big win for UW Saturday night. The Huskies know what is at stake:  win, and they are bowl eligible, which yes, that is a big deal.  It would be four years in a row Sark has guided UW to a bowl, which is only a year removed from the 0-12 abyss he inherited.  At some point the 0-12 excuse must end, frankly I think this is it, but that said, a bowl eligible Husky football team in early November hasn’t happened in a decade, and should be cause for celebration among Husky fans.  The fun part is there is still much to be gained with the rest of the season.  9-3 is a very real possibility with the scuffling Bruins and Beavers left, and then the wretched Cougars at the end. Tomorrow is the first step to Sark’s best record year yet.

UW 39 – CU 17

Andrew

I’ve seen a good amount of talk about how the Buffaloes are going to give the Huskies a tough game and they are no push over.  This could be the case and credit Colorado for playing hard the last few weeks.  But, the Buffs played their best game of the season last week and still lost by three scores.  UCLA didn’t especially look great last week either.  This game may be close for a while but it would be because the Huskies aren’t playing well, not because Colorado is the better team.  I think the Huskies will be focused and ready to set the tone for the last 1/3 of the season.  While Colorado may keep it close for a quarter, I think the Huskies will have this wrapped up in the 3rd quarter.

When I used to pitch in Little League, my dad would coach.  When it was a really important inning he would get this look about him as I headed out to the mound.  Once the inning started, I would hear this voice come out from the dugout.  “9, Andrew!”  I’d fire in a strike.  “Alright, 8 more!”  After every strike he would count down one more until my team was back in the dugout.  Coming into this season I think the goal needed to be 9 wins on the season (including the bowl, in my pre-season prediction).  That goal is going to take a great focus, one that we haven’t seen out of Sark’s team.  Now is as good of time as ever to start.  Go get ’em, Dawgs!  4 more, and it starts tomorrow.

UW 45 – COL 14

Matthew

Colorado is not a pushover like they have been, but they’re not a lot better.  Paul Richardson is one of the scariest wide receivers in the country, but they don’t have a lot of offensive firepower otherwise.  The defense is nothing to be afraid of.  This is a game the Huskies should win handily.  The best case scenario would be an early blowout and some rest for Price and Sankey and Danny Shelton.  Bigger games are coming.  These Huskies are a bit unpredictable, so who knows what to expect, but this seems like the perfect opportunity to practice some consistency and play a complete game.  It might stay close for a bit, but the Huskies should win this one easily.

UW48 – Colorado 17

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by | October 26, 2013 · 10:53 am

UW vs. Cal Predictions

It’s been a pretty bad week for Husky fans.  On the heels of the debacle in Tempe, word came that Don James had passed away.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and all those left with a hole in their lives by his passing.

The death of a beloved sports figure is kind of a complicated thing for fans, in my mind.  Life and death and all of their trappings are so much more important than sports. It sometimes feels silly to claim grief as a fan when others actually knew the person.  It feels like we need to push sports completely aside in these times, like the football pales in comparison to the gravity of his death.  I never met Coach James, and I don’t even remember his teams terribly well.  His personal influence on me should be next to nothing.

And yet the impact Don James made on me is huge.  I hear it when my dad talks about those Rose Bowl winning teams, and I remember it, hazily, in memories of childhood Apple Cups in the snow and my dad yelling as Napolean Kaufman broke down the sideline.  I witness it on Saturdays in the fall as I walk into Husky Stadium with my family.  At those moments, there is no place I’d rather be, and that is due largely to Don James’ legacy.

I never met Don James, but without him, a huge part of my life might not exist.  That pales in comparison to the hole his wife and loved ones are experiencing, but his loss shouldn’t be diminished for those of us who are just fans.  Instead, it’s just another testament to the full life Coach James led, on the field and off.  He was a man who touched thousands of lives in countless ways.  To me, that sounds like the definition of a life well lived.

Thank you, Don James.  We appreciate everything you did, and we are thankful your  impact does not end with your death.  We will remember you every time we walk into Husky Stadium and with every moment of joy Husky football brings us.

Andrew

Last week was awful.  It’s time to move on.  This week the Huskies play an opponent that is extremely different than the three previous weeks.  They play an opponent that is bad.  Cal’s defense is awful and their offense has struggled as of late.  The Huskies should be able to regain their confidence and get healthy during this game.  I expect a heavy dose of the run game, as well as a focus of getting the ball to ASJ and Kasen.  The only way I see this going bad is if Cal gets out to a lead and the Huskies lose their confidence like last week.  I’m guessing that won’t happen.  On a night where the school honors the best coach ever to grace Husky Stadium’s sidelines, this year’s Husky team will pound a conference foe just like James would have.

UW 38 – CAL 13

Dan

Last minute entry! Cal is really bad. Haha you suck Cal! Dawgs win big because I see no other possible outcome.

UW 33 – CAL 17

Matthew

The Huskies were terrible last week, and it’s generated the expected despair from fans.  Luckily, Cal is really terrible right now.  They’re missing over half of their starting line-up to injuries, and they probably wouldn’t have been great to start.  The one good thing they’ve had going for them, a dynamic passing attack, has faded as true freshman Jared Goff has lost his accuracy and confidence after getting pounded for much of the season.  This is a game the Huskies will have to work hard to lose, especially since it’s in Seattle.  I hope to see the Dawgs figure out what they want to do on offense.  Can the line function with Erik Kohler filling in for Dexter Charles?  Will they find a balance between the run, downfield passing and perimeter passing?  This should be a good week to find answers.  The Huskies are a much better team than they showed last week, and a blowout would go a long way to reminding the players of that.

UW45 – Cal 16

Go Dawgs!

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by | October 19, 2013 · 10:13 am

UW vs. ASU Predictions

The Huskies season is at a crossroads as they head toward kickoff in Tempe.  Right now, they are where everyone expected them to be.  One might have hoped for five wins or worried about three losses, but 4-2 right now was the most realistic positive scenario.  The question is where they go from here.

The Huskies of the last few years would struggle with all of the tough road games remaining.  We’d hope they’d take one of the ASU, OSU and UCLA games.  That still might happen.  I think this team is different though.

There are certain things a winning team does.  There are always excuses and reasons for not winning games.  It would’ve been nice to have a more than 1 of 5 of the Huskies toughest games at home, rather than have the five easiest opponents in Husky Stadium.  That’s unfortunate.  Every season has these types of scenarios, though, where not everything comes up perfectly.  The good teams win despite the circumstances.  And then, on those incredibly rare occasions where everything falls perfectly into place, the good teams become great and challenge for Rose Bowls and national championships.

I don’t know if the Huskies are quite to that level yet, but I think they’re closer to being the type of team unaffected by their circumstances than they are to the team that’s stumbled to seven wins of late.  They play with a confidence and assurity that is new this season.  They still have to prove it, though, every game.  A trip to Arizona State is the perfect place to start.

Joe

Three losses in a row is a very real possibility for the Dawgs this weekend, something UW has done every year under Sark.  On the road in Tempe is never easy, especially when ASU has talent, which they have this season. That said, this team seems to be different.  They’ve played well in both road games this year and were in the game vs Oregon last week until Mariota went all Mariota on them.  Bishop Sankey is *the* best running back in America and I don’t think ASU slows him down.  Look for Kasen and ASJ to have bounce back games.  The Sun Devils are a step down from Stanford and Oregon, and it will show. UW takes this one in front of 20k+ Husky fans who make the trip south.

UW 43 – ASU 32

Andrew

I’m not really sure what to expect tomorrow.  In the past decade there is no way this team would win this game.  They are about equal in talent to Arizona State (although I’d say the Huskies have more talent), it’s a road game and the team just played two very tough games.  I do believe that this team is different though and that’s why I’m picking the Huskies today.  If they play fast and don’t come out flat, I don’t know why they would lose.  They match-up pretty well against the Sun Devils and I think Bishop will have another big day.  Let’s hope so!  Go Dawgs!

UW 38 – ASU 30

Dan

The question Husky Nation has been asking for the last few years is when will this team take the next step, from good to great. 5 years ago all we wanted was to be respectable, but bowl games are the norm again and there’s no doubt this season will end at a bowl game. But there’s a big difference, at least in perception, between 6-8 wins and 9-11. The arrow is pointing up for UW but it’s time to take that next step, and a win on the road against a ranked opponent would be huge. Great teams win these games, while good ones take care of inferior opponents, win the occasional home game upset, but then lose road games versus good teams. That’s pretty much been UW in the Sark era.

As for the game itself, it sure feels like  we will see a lot of offense. ASU has a ton of weapons and when Taylor Kelly is on his game, he is a top 5 QB in this conference. I think he’s the key to the game. The Huskies proved at Stanford that they can bring their game on the road and compete, but can they finish the job? Let’s not forget that this game is huge for ASU too, similarly a potential season definer. In the end, I think the Huskies have a great shot to win this game, but until I see that they can win a game like this, I have a hard time picking them.

Sun Devils 34 – Huskies 27

Matthew

I think if this game were on a neutral field, the Huskies would win fairly easily.  ASU is a good team, especially on offense.  Their defense has been mediocre though, and the offense one-dimensional enough to be stoppable.  ASU has been much better at home, particularly Taylor Kelly.  I think the Huskies are a different team on the road this season, but I’m worried playing at home will bring out the potentially elite side of ASU, instead of the average-ish side they show often.

I’m still not terribly worried about the Husky defense.  They’ll have their hands full with the Sun Devils, but it’s a manageable job.  I’m a little more worried about the offense.  They still seem to be looking for an identity in the passing game.  They’ve gone away from the quick screens and perimeter attack in favor of attacking the intermediate sidelines, with the occasional pass over the middle, usually deep.  If they can find the right balance, and figure out a way to better incorporate ASJ, the offense could explode.  The line also needs to continue to improve, especially with Will Sutton and Carl Bradford aimed at Keith Price.  I’m betting on the Huskies today, because I think they’ve become a team that wins these games, but it’ll be tough down in the desert.

UW 38 – ASU 24

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by | October 19, 2013 · 12:16 am

Pac-12 Picks – Week 8

Sorry about the slow week.  After last weekend being a little bit rough, motivation was lacking.  Here are this week’s Pac-12 picks and the Husky picks will come in the morning I’m guessing.

Charleston Southern vs. Colorado – 11 A.M.
The Good Guys:  Colorado

UCLA vs. Stanford – 12:30 P.M.
Andrew, Dan, Matthew:  Stanford
Joe: UCLA

USC vs. Notre Dame – 4:30 P.M.
Andrew, Joe:  USC
Dan, Matthew:  Notre Dame

Utah vs. Arizona – 7 P.M.
The Good Guys:  Arizona

Washington State vs. Oregon – 7 P.M.
The Good Guys:  Oregon

Oregon State vs. Cal – 7:30 P.M.
The Good Guys:  Oregon State

Standings: 

Dan 43-8
Andrew 42-9
Matthew 42-9
Joe 41-8
Tyler (Commenter) 25-8

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by | October 11, 2013 · 3:20 pm

Ranking The Mascots – Who’s Going To Be Your Friend?

It’s been a few weeks since we’ve talked about mascots.  I’m sorry about that because writing 1,500-2,000 word posts about mascots is worth everyone’s time.

Now that we’ve moved into conference play, it is time to name a category and then rank the Pac-12 mascots in that category.  That brings us to what the opening category of the 2013 football season should be.  Javelin throwing?  Nah.  Carpentry?  I don’t think so.

If you have read my mascot posts before you know that I value intimidation when determining how awesome a mascot is.  But, that shouldn’t be the end all.  Having a mascot that’s endearing has some value, as well.  If you can strike 70/30 intimidation to endearment ratio then you’ve nailed it.  Anyway, today’s mascot rankings are based on how well the mascot would be your friend.  Seems simple enough.  Let’s get this started!

12.  Arizona State Sun Devils – Well, this is about as obvious as can be.  Usually I have to make up fake excuses why the Devil shouldn’t win these contests every week (try to forget I said that by next week) but this week they easily finish last.  It’s hard to think of anything less friendly than the devil.  There probably isn’t anything.  You lose!

11.  Oregon Ducks – What can a duck do for you.  All they do is float around, eat your bread, and make an annoying sound.  Of course, they won’t really hurt you either which is the only reason they finish above the devil.  At least the devil will give you short-term benefits for your soul.  The duck gives no benefit it just doesn’t ruin your life.  Donald Duck is kind of funny.

10. 9.  Washington State Cougars – I do like the Cougar mascot but it doesn’t bode well for them here.  Cougars are hardly ever seen as friendly and wouldn’t make a great pet.  The odds of catching and training a Cougar are pretty low in my opinion.  They would be very helpful hunters if you did though.  Credit where credit is due.

9. 8.  Stanford Cardinal – This is about as far as a tree has ever made it in these rankings.  The truth is, a tree isn’t the worst company.  Sometimes they give us nice snacks.  They give us nice shade on a hot day or a little bit of cover in the rain.  They always provide a place to lean and rest our legs.  That is all pretty nice and I’d rate them higher if they weren’t a tree.  I mean, seriously?  Your mascot is a tree?  Trees can have benefits but in the end they just turn into dead leaves and some wood.

7. 6.  Cal Golden Bears and UCLA Bruins (tie) – I know what you’re thinking.  “You have a cougar back in the rankings because of its ferocity but you have bears 3 places ahead?”  Fair point.  Counter points: Have you seen those Coke commercials with the cute polar bears?  Have you ever seen the movie Brave where the bear is really the mother of the main character and their relationship is much better once she’s turned into a bear?  Have you ever heard the term ‘bear hug’?  What about the bears in Anchorman who let the news team live once they’ve had a thoughtful debate with Baxter (the dog)?  There are many examples of bears overcoming their natural angry instincts and being the cozy, cuddly creature that we’d like them to be.  Because of that they finish 7th.

6.  10.  Arizona Wildcats – Wildcats are essentially house cats that aren’t tamed and live in the wild.  Can you think of anything that’s more annoying than that?  Stop biting my ankles you dumb cat!  I changed my mind, move these dumb things to number 10 and move everything else up a spot.

5.  USC Trojans – Trojans are actual humans so that shot them up the list pretty easily.  But from what we know about Trojans, they killed a lot of people.  I don’t have a lot of trust there.  Of course, conversation is a nice thing to have and that’s why USC is up at number 5 and not lower.

4.  Colorado Buffaloes – I don’t really know why…

3.  Oregon State Beavers – Beavers have given us something that we have really put to use, dams!  That’s important!  Thanks Beavers!  Also, I was walking by a river once and a beaver was just hanging out there.  He let me get pretty close to him and take his picture.  He seemed nice and since I’ve always had a nice relationship with those furry friends.

2.  Utah Utes – I don’t know much about the Utes history even after extensive Wikipedia research.  They finish 3 spots above the other humans because they aren’t known for wars and killing a bunch of people by using a fake wooden horse.  The Utes must have been fine people and are well-respected in Utah.  Conversation is a nice thing to have and the Utes could probably supply some form of that.

1.  Washington Huskies – I have to admit as Mascot Rankings Commissioner that I picked a category that the Huskies would win this week.  I apologize but it seemed fitting during ‘Duck Week’.  Dogs are man’s best friend.  They are loyal, happy, and somewhat helpful.  It’s just hard to beat a dog.

A good dawg.

A good dawg.

Andrew

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by | October 9, 2013 · 5:45 pm

Running with the Pac: Week 6

These are rankings of who had the best week last week.  They are not overall power rankings.  Teams who didn’t play are generally left out.

1. Stanford Cardinal beat UW 31-28

Stanford didn’t always look like the best team on the field, but they never trailed against a ranked opponent.  Stanford looked like they will be the physically dominant team on the field all year, but their offense again looked questionable.  It could be Washington’s defense is just that good, though.

2. Oregon Ducks beat Colorado 57-16

These rankings are hard this week.  Oregon again beat an outmanned opponent, but I’m going to give them credit, because every opponent they play is outmanned.  It will be fun to see them against a quality team this week.  I’m just hoping it’s not too fun for Duck fans.

3. WSU Cougars beat Cal 44-22

Cal is really bad right now, but WSU dominated them on the road and threw for over 500 yards.  This win might not say a lot, but it does say that the Cougars have gone from the team everyone beats easily to the team that can beat the team everyone beats easily. Progress!

4. UW Huskies lost to Stanford 31-28

I might be a bit biased on this, but UW showed they belong. They hung with, and largely outplayed, a top five team on the road, despitely completing failing in one whole area of the game.  The Huskies have areas to work on, but they are at the point where they have excellent talent consistently playing at a high level.  That’s more than most teams can say.

5. UCLA Bruins beat Utah 34-27

UCLA got the road win over a solid Utah squad, but they didn’t look great doing it.  A road win’s always tough to get, so we’ll give them a break, but I’m less scared of UCLA now than I was before this game.

6. Utah Utes lost to UCLA 34-27

Utah is much improved this season thanks to their offense, but they’re still not better than middle of the Pac.  They need to start winning some of these close conference games before I can take them too seriously.

7. Colorado Buffaloes lost to Oregon 57-16

This is about what everyone expected.  Colorado is still bad.  At least they managed a few points early.

8. ASU Sun Devils lost to Notre Dame 37-34

ASU let a chance at a big win slip through their fingers, just like they almost did against Wisconsin.  ASU has a lot of talent, but consistency and spotty defense are holding them back.

9. California Golden Bears lost to WSU 44-22

Cal’s season is spiraling swiftly downward.  Their defense is terrible, they’re swamped in injuries and there’s no running game.  No matter how bad you are, you don’t want WSU to blow you out at home.  Cal isn’t going to win many (any?) more games this season, but they need to at least show a few signs of life to give them something to build on.

-Matthew

 

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by | October 3, 2013 · 7:42 pm

Pac-12 Power Rankings

Most of the Pac-12 is a third of the way through their season, so this seems like a good time to do an overall power ranking for the conference.  These are based largely on results thus far, both in record and how the teams have played.  In at least one case, off-field issues will factor in as well (guess who!).  And I’ll admit that I forgot UCLA and Utah are playing tonight, so I might be somewhat influenced by UCLA’s mediocre defensive showing thus far.  Alright, here we go.

1. Oregon Ducks

I don’t know if the Ducks are as good as last season, or if they’re better than Stanford.  I could certainly see them losing this year.  But to my mind, they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt.  They play with such precision and relentlessness that it’s hard to see them ever falling off.  My dislike for the Ducks is as strong as ever, but they deserve a great deal of respect for their execution on the field.

2. Stanford Cardinal

As I wrote yesterday, I was a bit skeptical of Stanford to start the year, and that remains to some degree.  They’ve looked dominant the last couple of weeks though.  The defense is just as good as last year, and the offense is more balanced and explosive.  They don’t scare me as much as Oregon does, but they’re still a talented and intimidating team.

3. Washington Huskies

UW and UCLA are pretty interchangeable, but I think UW’s resume is slightly better, and they seem like the more well-rounded team.  I could be swayed to flip the two, though.

4. UCLA Bruins

UCLA has won their games handily and overcome the tragic death of one of their players to notch a win at Nebraska.  The Bruins look like a huge favorite to win the south at this point.  Their pass defense might be their undoing, relatively speaking.

5. Arizona State Sun Devils

ASU has one loss, to Stanford.  Their defense has struggled this season, but the offense is explosive, if slightly inconsistent.  I think they’re a clear step down from UCLA, but they have plenty of firepower to beat anyone on their schedule.

6. Oregon State Beavers

The Beavers have rallied from the conference’s worst loss (EWU) to win four straight.  Their defense is a major weak spot, but the offense, especially the passing game, is rolling at a ridiculous rate.  Sean Mannion is making Mike Riley look crazy for considering starting Cody Vaz instead, and Brandin Cooks is having the best season for any WR in the conference, and maybe the country.  I think they’ll struggle against better teams, but for now, they’ve done everything they can to get back into the race.

7. Arizona Wildcats

If Arizona could magically find a passing game, they could make some noise.  As it is, they’re going to have to rely on a decent defense and a very solid rushing attack.  That’ll be enough against the bottom of the conference, but they’ll struggle with the six teams above them.

8. Utah Utes

Utah’s offense has been a huge surprise thus far.  Credit the improved play of QB Travis Wilson and the addition of Dennis Erickson.  Watching them, it’s clear they still lack the athleticism, especially on defense, to consistently be competitive with the top of the conference.  Unfortunately for them, they don’t have any special strengths to make up for those deficiencies.

9. WSU Cougars

These bottom four are vastly different but somewhat interchangeable. The Cougars are improved on defense, but not enough to cover for an offense that is surprisingly ineffective.  WSU is making progress, but the path back from the pit they were in is a long and bumpy one.  Trust me, Husky fans know this all too well.

10. California Golden Bears

Cal has faced one of the country’s toughest schedules, with expected results.  At least they can blame it on youth and coaching change.  The passing attack has been mostly excellent, but the defense has been porous at best.  They have some talent there, so maybe they’ll make a bit of a turn-around.  I doubt it.

11. USC Trojans

All things considered, USC has had the worst season by far, but I don’t think they’re actually the worst team.  I’m sure everyone has heard plenty about the Trojans, so I’ll spare you the recap.  I’m curious to see where their season goes from here.  I could see them rallying and making a bowl game, or they might fall apart even further.

12. Colorado Buffaloes

The Buffs are much better than last season, but that’s not saying a lot.  They could very well lose the rest of their games, but I bet they’ll pull out a win or two.  The bottom of the conference is much improved, but it’s still a long way from the top.

-Matthew

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by | October 2, 2013 · 11:59 am

Running with the Pac: Week 5

And we’re back with our rankings of who had the best week in the Pac-12. Remember, these aren’t overall power rankings for the season (those will come in a day or two).  They are just rankings of which teams had the best games and weeks.  Teams on a bye are left off unless something happens to warrant inclusion.

1. Stanford Cardinal beat WSU 55-17

I had doubts about the Cardinal before the season, and their first few weeks didn’t do a lot to quell them.  An offense already short on playmakers lost two excellent tight ends and a star running back.  A defense supposed to be among the best in the country looked a bit lackluster for the first couple of games as well.  Stanford has changed course in a hurry.  The defense pounded WSU, knocking Connor Halliday out of the game, and the offense has added a vertical passing dimension it hasn’t had in a while.  I’m still not a complete believer in Stanford, but they look like a completely different offense from the one the Huskies beat last year.

2. Arizona State Sun Devils beat USC 62-41

ASU badly needed a win to maintain any shot at challenging UCLA in the south, and they got it in unexpected fashion.  Everyone knows about USC’s offensive woes, but their defense had been excellent.  ASU showed all of their offensive weapons in an explosion that cost Lane Kiffin his job.  Giving up 41 is concerning, but the win is still big.

3. UW Huskies beat Arizona 31-13

It’s unclear how good the Huskies opponents have been, which makes it tough to know how the Huskies are.  Or maybe it’s the other way around.  Either way, the Huskies handled what looked like a solid but limited Arizona squad.  It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t the blowout Dawg fans were hoping for, but I think that had as much to do with the first half monsoon as with anything the Huskies did.  There was a point where both teams seemed to give up on doing anything more than handing off, and that was a bigger detriment to UW than Arizona.  The defense was stingy all day, and the offense exerted its will most of the game.  It’s a big win for the Huskies, but it didn’t provide as much clarity on the Huskies ability as I’d hoped.  That’ll come soon.

4. OSU Beavers beat Colorado 44-17

After their well-documented slow start, the Beavers are rallying.  They haven’t beat anyone of consequence, but they’ve done what’s necessary to get their season back on track.  I still think their defense will keep them out of the top half of the division, but the offense is as dangerous as any.  Sean Mannion to Brandin Cooks is maybe the top duo in the country.

5. Oregon Ducks beat Cal 55-16

Oregon demolished another poor opponent.  The main reason they’re at the bottom of the winning teams is De’Anthony Thomas’s injury.  It doesn’t sound serious, but he’s likely out this weekend, and hopefully (for the Huskies) the one after.

6. Arizona Wildcats lost to UW 31-13

No one had a “good loss” this week, but Arizona’s wasn’t terrible: on the road, to a ranked opponent, competitive.  As I said, the weather made it hard to glean a lot from that game, but Arizona has a solid defense and an excellent running back.  Quarterback is what’s going to hold them down.  BJ Denker gave no indication he can be any passing threat whatsoever.  The Cats can beat the bad teams, but they’re going to struggle greatly against good defenses until they find a semblance of a passing game.

7. Colorado Buffaloes lost to OSU 44-17

The next three are all pretty interchangeable, but we’ll give the Buffs the top spot because we had low expectations of them and they didn’t suffer any notable injuries or embarrassments that I’m aware of.  The loss did show how far Colorado still has to go before they’ll be competitive.

8. California Golden Bears lost to Oregon 55-16

No one expected Cal to keep this close, but I thought they’d put up a few more points, or at least yards.  They now have a bit of a quarterback controversy as well, for reasons unclear to me.  They switched mid-game from starter Jared Goff to give Zach Kline some snaps.  Maybe it was just to protect the less mobile Goff, but if they were expecting more from a true freshman against Oregon, they’re crazy.  Goff was good enough before Saturday to justify the surprising decision to go with him to start the season, and to change now seems strange to me.  I’d expect to see Goff back in there throwing like crazy.  It might not get Cal many wins, but a dynamic passing game is all they have going for them.

9. WSU Cougars lost to Stanford 55-17

The Cougars go below the previous two because they actually had hopes of a win, hopes that Stanford tore apart and sent down the storm drains with the rain.  WSU’s supposedly improved defense was overmatched, and the offense did next to nothing.  I do think WSU’s better than last year, but their improvement has been overstated.  A big problem is the quarterback.  Halliday can do some things, but he balances his plusses with terrible mistakes.  Austin Apodaca looked decent when he came on for the injured Halliday, but he’s not going to be a magical cure should the Cougars go to him more in the future.  The Cougars might be on the right track, but Stanford showed it’s going to be a slower journey than Cougar fans had hoped.

10. USC Trojans lost to ASU 62-41

Let’s recap USC’s Saturday/early Sunday. They were demolished by ASU, giving up more points in one game than they had all season up to that point.  They lost multiple defenders to injury, depleting a roster already demolished due to scholarship sanctions.  All-world WR Marquise Lee, suffering a poor season due to inconsistent quarterback play, had a knee injury that looked bad, although it’s unknown how long he’ll be out.  And, to top it off, Lane Kiffin was fired as soon as the plane landed back in LA.  It’s been about as bad a week as USC could have imagined.  A few positives: USC still has plenty of talent, and it might respond to new coach Ed Orgeron.  The running game with Tre Madden and Justin Davis has been a solid plus for an offensive that’s struggled.  And whatever else one wants to say about Kiffin, his playcalling this season has been strange at best.  A new mind running the offense might get better results.  Or it might not.  It’s hard to know what the rest of the season will bring, but this was an inevitable move.  Let’s just say that as a fan of another Pac-12 team, I’d much rather have Lane Kiffin as USC’s coach than whomever they hire to replace him.

-Matthew

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