Sep 28, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars wide receiver John Thompson (85) dives but misses a pass in the end zone during the 1st half against the Stanford Cardinal at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
What a slate of wonderful games we expected this week. The feisty Cats from Arizona coming into Seattle along side the farm boys from Palo Alto, two games played back to back in the Emerald City, a new epicenter of college football, at least for a day.
Well, like the rest of the Pac-12 slate, the two Seattle games were consistently one sided. More was exposed on Saturday than some teams had hoped. Arizona returns to Tuscon blemished, the Cougs return to Pullman beaten, battered, and dazed. The top of the Pac-12 rivals the SEC, we learned that last night. In a northwest wide monsoon Saturday the wheat was separated, and some teams are beginning to fall by the wayside.
1. Oregon
Uh oh, the boys from the Willamette Valley are real. A tough schedule moving forward, with trips to Washington and Stanford, but a warning to the Pac-12: “Be afraid, the Ducks are loaded for Bear.”
2. Stanford
Stanford played with class, and poise against a zombiefied WSU. They play in classic fashion, which will prove quite interesting in a month or so. No doubt left in Pullman, the road to the National Championship game runs through the Farm. Washington, UCLA, and Oregon all visit, the last of which is already circled on ESPN’s travel itinerary.
3. UCLA
Bruin faithful spent Saturday flipping between the relevant games. ASU, tough, USC, well . . ., Oregon, the UCLA secondary players are huddling in a corner, Stanford, well, you get the drift. UCLA is in a great place, but the season could still implode on them. The good news, is that there is little chance of anyone but the Bruins representing the South in the Pac-12 Championship.
4. Washington
The game was not pretty, but the outcome was everything the Husky’s could have wanted. After jumping ahead early, the Dawgs just marched the field, burning the clock. Best quote from the Fox commentators “The Wildcats just were not prepared for the wet weather, it is colder in Seattle than in Tuscon this time of year.” Well, yeah. Glad to see they are finding the rocket scientists to explain the games to us.
5. Arizona State
The middle of the Pac begins here. Is USC that bad? Probably. Can the Devils travel? Doubtful. Truthfully, the riddle that is the ASU football team will not be solved until a November 23rd trip to Pasadena.
6. Arizona
Arizona was exposed as a desert dweller wearing cotton in a monsoon. Those in Western Washington knew what would happen along the lake Saturday before the game started. The Wildcats are hoping for mild weather, because they are not designed for pound it out football.
7. Oregon State
The Beavers thwacked Colorado this week, but that may not be a measure of anything meaningful. The two weeks of preparation before travel to Pullman will allow Corvallis to gloat, to wallow in their temporary sunshine. It gets tougher from here on out.
8. Washington State
Ouch. Oh no. Come on!?! Coug faithful saw their collective balloon deflated Saturday night. Murphy’s Law was personified early, and the effort to plug the dyke proved futile. Dropped passes, missed coverages, shanked kicks, if there was something was going to go wrong, it did. Find a pond to rest your soul, boys, sit outside and contemplate your existence. Read Thoreau, be at peace, for you have a chance to lick your wounds and move onward.
9. Utah
Ah Utes, we hoped you enjoyed your home scheduling of September, now you have to leave the
Beehive State. UCLA this week, Stanford the next. Utah, it doesn’t get easier.
10. Cal
Golden Bears, there is no shame in your loss last night. You are young, bounce back, you are still representing one of the toughest divisions in college football, what cold comfort that might be.
11. USC
Lane Kiffen was fired before your writing staff woke up Sunday morning, (or possibly before they went to bed Saturday night, depending on the staffer). Marqise Lee appears to also be done for the season. The Men of Troy are hurting, and there is no relief in sight.
12. Colorado
Yeah, Buffalos, we know it is difficult to be at the bottom of a hole, a shovel being your only companion. We as Pac-12 supporters implore, stop digging.