Week 10 PAC 10 Power Rankings

Oregon Ducks (7-1)
It was not a surprise (well, to me at least) that UO beat USC, but it was VERY surprising how much the Ducks won by. They handed Pete Carroll his worst loss, both in points and yards, since he arrived at USC.

No. 8 Oregon, now 5-0 in conference play and 7-1 overall, racked up an unbelievable 613 yards against USC. An impressive run attack from running back LaMichael James and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli destroyed the Trojan defense; total rushing yards came to 391. James, who carried the ball 24 times and accumulated 183 yards, looked much like Jacquizz Rodgers at OSU last year against USC. Masoli also had an amazing night running for 164 yards, completing 19 of 31 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown; he had one touchdown on the ground. The remainder of the team played superb; seven players received the ball and all backup running backs scored a touchdown.

Though the Ducks made a statement across the country with this victory, their remaining schedule is by no means a sure thing for wins. This Saturday they travel to Stanford who shows some talent. That game is followed by hosting ASU, travelling to Arizona and then hosting OSU for the Civil War.

The offense and defense are peaking and at a very good time in the season. Any team left to face the Ducks is in for a tough battle.

Next game: @ Stanford 11/7

USC Trojans (6-2)
The visit to Autzen Stadium was a disaster in most ways for Pete Carroll and his players. Jaws dropped across the country as people everywhere watched the decade’s most dominant team get throttled by Oregon.

USC has made it a habit of losing to one very weak opponent each year, but their record against tough teams has undoubtedly been excellent. The team that played last Saturday, however, was certainly not what most of us have been use to seeing.

Allowing over 600 yards is uncharacteristic of Carroll’s defense, but that’s what happened. National love expected the Trojan offense to defeat an impressive UO defense; that too was not the reality after the game. USC had 327 total yards, 187 coming from passing and 140 via rushing.

Matt Barkley, who probably played his best, did not seem fazed by the loud audience. He completed 21 of 38 passes, but only for 187 yards. Interceptions were nonexistent until the final minutes of the game, but the team as a whole was already depressed. Joe McKnight did not have a bad day either, but he was halted to 95 yards on the ground; he had zero touchdowns.

Now that USC has two losses this season, both against Pac 10 opponents, they are out of the National Championship hunt and likely out of this season’s Pac 10 Championship. All Pete and the team can do is learn from their mistakes and move forward (it’s quite strange saying USC messed up). The schedule ahead will not require the most intense of preparation, but No. 18 Arizona still lurks ahead.

This week they will focus on Saturday’s game at Arizona State.

Next game: @ ASU 11/7

Oregon State Beavers (5-3)
Beaver fans are happy after OSU defeated UCLA last weekend 26 to 19, but there were moments during the game when things looked bleak.

Oregon State’s offense was suspect on Saturday even with its 463 total yards. The team failed to capitalize on successful drives and the result was a handful of field goals. Only a single touchdown, thrown by Jacquizz Rodgers to tight end Brady Camp, was scored during three and a half quarters of play. The second and final TD came with 44 seconds left in the fourth to win the game.

Coach Riley will need to work on red zone success and third down conversions; the Beavs were only 2 of 11 converting on third down. It should be noted, however, that Sean Canfield completed 25 of 34 passes for 305 yards and zero interceptions; he is definitely realizing his abilities as quarterback. Quizz also tacked on a solid 112 yards rushing.

The defense, which did well during the first half, failed to follow through most of the second. It is not the fault of the players though as the play calling seemed to relax far too much.

UCLA had a field goal going into the third quarter, but they rallied back to tie the game at 19 with a few minutes left in the game. A prevent type defense to just get by will not cut it this weekend when OSU travels to Berkley. Cal will be quick to capitalize on any holding back from the Beaver defense.

Next game: @ Cal 11/7

Arizona Wildcats (5-2)
The Wildcats had the weekend off to fine-tune their game plan which will need to improve if they hope to survive a tough remaining schedule. After this weekend’s game against guest Washington State, the Cats will travel to No. 20 Cal.

The following week they will host No. 8 Oregon, which will be a very tough battle. Ending the season will be two road games against in-state rival ASU then against No. 12 USC. Arizona cannot make mistakes during this home stretch if they hope to have a shot at the Pac 10 title.

Next game: vs. Washington State, 11/7

Stanford Cardinal (5-3)
If another team has a remaining schedule more difficult than Stanford’s I would like to know who that is.

All four teams left for the Cardinal to play are ranked. First, they will host No. 8 Oregon. Second, the team travels to No. 12 USC. The final two games, No. 20 Cal and No. 22 Notre Dame, are at home, but by then Stanford will likely be exhausted.

Jim Harbaugh has recently made some ambitious statements about his quarterback Andrew Luck, saying he is the best in the nation. His true coaching talent and his words are on the line. That isn’t saying his coaching job is under fire, because it certainly is not, but an opportunity like this does not often come up for fairly new coaches.

Stanford may not come away with many wins over the next few weeks, but hopefully we all will be able to better see where this program is heading.

Next game: vs. Oregon, 11/7

Cal Bears (6-2)
Cal dodged a bullet after defeating ASU, 23 to 21, last weekend. What looked to be offensive dominance during the first quarter quickly turned into something quite ugly. The Bears could only put up one field goal per quarter following the first fifteen minutes.

Jahvid Best ran for 61 yards, which shows his inability to run tough against top defensive squads.

Kevin Riley completed 27 of 44 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, his day was ridden with ball handling mistakes. Twice he fumbled.

No. 20 Cal is keeping steady after the big losses to Oregon and USC, but they still have things to prove. The remaining schedule is not too terribly violent, though they should not expect easy wins. This weekend they host Oregon State; OSU has a streak of wins at Berkley dating back to the late 1990s. Following is their final home game against No. 18 Arizona. The final two road games are at Stanford and Washington; neither will be simple.

Next game: vs. Oregon State 11/7

Arizona State Sun Devils (4-4)
The Sun Devils almost defeated then No. 24 Cal last Saturday. During the first quarter things started hinting at a Golden Bear blowout when ASU allowed two touchdowns in 12 minutes. In the same quarter they had managed a drive to within Cal’s five-yard line, but fumbled the ball. The game turned around though and the Devils stopped the Cal offense to a handful of field goals; the final FGA resulted in the Bears winning.

Danny Sullivan failed to show a high quality performance, throwing two interceptions and completing 16 of 29 passes. The team had tough luck rushing also; total rush yards was 82.

ASU dominated rush defense, allowing just 57 yards from Cal. The team still needs a complete package though to be successful. Coach Erickson needs an offense tough that can protect the ball, because the two challenges ahead will be rough. This weekend ASU hosts No. 12 USC then travels to No. 8 Oregon the following week. Bruins and Wildcats make up their final two games.

Next game: vs USC 11/7

Washington Huskies (3-5)
Steve Sarkisian has put together a feisty team in only his first year, which should be acknowledged. The question now becomes, can the Huskies win anymore in 2009?

At the start of the season I thought Washington would win two, but no more than three. As of right now I am on track, but the Huskies are certainly not finished yet.

Two tough road games lay in their immediate future, at UCLA this weekend, and then at Oregon State the following Saturday. UCLA could mark Washington’s fourth win this season, but it will be close. OSU seems too much for UW to overcome, especially when the crowd at Reser may be pretty loud during Dad’s Weekend. The season wraps up with WSU and No. 20 Cal, both in Seattle.

So, looking at everything the Huskies have to deal with, I give them no more than two wins, but at least one (WSU). Ending the season 5-7 would look great coming off a complete defeat last year.

Next game: @ UCLA, 11/7

UCLA Bruins (3-5)
With the loss last weekend in Corvallis, the Bruins are now 0-5 in conference play. Rick Neuheisel has a terrible situation on his hands.

Kevin Prince started as quarterback Saturday and played throughout the whole game, which he has not done in a few games. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. If Prince can manage these stats throughout the remaining schedule it may finally give UCLA’s offense some hope at defeating opponents.

The Bruin run game was still bad. Twenty-nine rushing attempts only gained them 51 yards.

Despite an extremely ugly first half against the Beavers, the Bruins charged back and nearly had a chance to win the game. It was the closest UCLA has come to winning a game since they beat Kansas State mid-September. Most of that success came from the defense’s ability to stop OSU in the red zone.

Four games remain on their schedule. This weekend they will host Washington, which definitely will not be an easy win, if a win is possible at all. Following that will be a road game at WSU, a home game against ASU and a final trip to USC. The likeliness that they defeat ASU or USC is slim, but they will certainly get a win against the Cougars and perhaps one against the Huskies.

Next game: vs Washington 11/7

Washington State Cougars (1-7)
Last Saturday the Cougars made a big trip to San Antonio, Texas to take on Notre Dame. The end result was, not surprisingly, a dominating Notre Dame victory, 40-14.

Putting up 206 total yards against a talented team will most times never put you in the game. The first and third quarters were missing scores from WSU. Their first touchdown came during the late second quarter and the final score came two thirds through the fourth. Cougar quarterback Jeff Tuel tallied both of the scores, but he matched them with equal interceptions. Scoring becomes even harder when the other team holds onto the ball 22 minutes longer and manages 20 more first-downs (12-32).

The remaining schedule for the Cougs will present further difficulty. This Saturday the visit No. 18 Arizona; this will likely be another loss. Following that are two games at home, UCLA then Oregon State, and the Apple Cup at Husky Stadium. It’s highly apparent that WSU will finish 1-11; their only hope will be against UCLA who still lacks an offense worth mentioning.

Next game: @ Arizona 11/7