PAC-10 UPDATE GAME OF THE
WEEK   VS.  The
longest college football rivalry on the West Coast, this year’s
Civil War looks to be one of the most exciting. Talented
quarterbacks Jonathan Smith and Joey Harrington will lock horns to
determine which team will be celebrating the holidays in Pasadena.
 PAC-10 FOOTBALL STANDINGS Â
CONFER. OVERALL Oregon 7-0 9-1
Washington 6-1 9-1 Oregon St. 6-1 9-1 UCLA 3-4 6-4 Arizona 3-4 5-5
Stanford 3-4 4-6 Arizona St. 2-5 5-5 Washington St. 2-5 4-6 Cal 2-5
3-7 USC 1-6 4-6 Â SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
GAME TIME Stanford @ Cal 12:30
p.m. Oregon @ Oregon St. Televised on ABC 12:30 p.m. USC @ UCLA TBA
Washington @ Washington St. Televised on Fox SN 3:30 p.m. SOURCE:
Pac-10 Conference JACOB LIAO/Daily Bruin Web Adaptation by SUSAN
MA
Underappreciated West
Three conference teams will enter the final week of Pac-10 play
with only one loss on the season, yet it is more than likely that
none of those teams will have a shot at the national championship
in January. Oregon, Washington and Oregon State will likely fall
victims to east coast bias in the AP and coaches’ polls,
despite the fact that two of the three losses came at the hands of
a conference opponent by a small margin. Oregon’s loss came
in a non-conference matchup when they lost 27-23 at Wisconsin in
their second game of the season.
Most disturbing is the fact that only one undefeated team
remains in college football (9-0 Oklahoma), and yet east coast
teams still retain distinct advantages. The three Florida schools
(Miami, Florida State, and Florida) all rank higher than Washington
in the BCS rankings, despite Washington’s tougher strength of
schedule and the fact that they beat No. 2 Miami earlier in the
season. If Washington beat Miami, Miami beat Florida State, and all
three teams have the same record, shouldn’t Washington be the
No. 2 team?
It seems Miami pulls weight ahead of Florida State in the polls
because of their victory over them. What about Washington? And what
about Nebraska’s ranking? They’ve already lost two
games, haven’t beat many formidable opponents, and their
losses have been recent ones, yet they still have a higher BCS
ranking than 9-1 Oregon State.
“It is frustrating when you look at it in terms of our
conference,” said UCLA head coach Bob Toledo. “The
championship should be decided on the field, not in some
poll.”
Football rivals collide
It’s rival week in college football and every Pac-10 game
played on Saturday will be an important one. In light of the way
the conference has been competing, every game looks to be an
exciting one as well.
None will be more meaningful, however, than the Civil War at
Corvallis, Oregon. There, the Oregon Ducks (9-1, 7-0) will collide
with the Oregon State Beavers (9-1, 6-1) in a game that will
ultimately determine which team will be making the trip to Pasadena
to celebrate the New Year.
The Ducks control their own destiny, and a victory will give
them sole possession of the Pac-10 championship. A Beaver win would
mean that there would be a tie for the conference lead ““
potentially between three teams if Washington (9-1, 6-1) is able to
handle Washington State.
In the case of a three-way tie, Washington holds the tie-breaker
advantage, as they possess an undefeated non-conference record and
were victorious over Oregon State in their matchup. If Washington
is to lose and Oregon State win, the Beavers will head to the Rose
Bowl, since they possess the tie-breaker advantage over the
Ducks.
Confusing as the scenario is, the shaping of conference bowl
berths could become even more confounded if one of the top-three
teams were invited to an at-large BCS bowl game.
Traditionally, the top Pac-10 team plays at the Rose Bowl,
followed by berths to San Diego’s Holiday Bowl, El
Paso’s Sun Bowl, and the two Hawaii bowls, in that order.
Freshman earns honors
Washington’s option-attack posted yet another solid
running performance on Saturday, and freshman tailback Rich Alexis
led the way with 127 yards rushing on 21 carries. Alexis was
selected Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week for his play, the
fourth player among the Washington backfield to garner such a
distinction this season.
Two other Husky tailbacks, Paul Arnold and Willie Hurst,
previously earned player of the week honors, as well as option
quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo. Despite its use of a multi-headed
running game, the Huskies have been quite successful, leading the
conference in rushing offense at a 199.3 yards per game clip.
Notes compiled by Joshua Mason, Daily Bruin
Contributor.