That play still makes me sick to watch. I'm not a Cal fan in any way, but watching Riley make one of the stupidest decisions of his life in front of a national television audience made my stomach churn. But Cal didn't lose that game because the kid made a mistake or because Longshore couldn't stay healthy. They didn't lose that game because they failed to score more than 31 against a very good defensive team (that finished tops in the nation in run D efficiency according to the Matrix) but because they failed to give up less than 28 against a less prolific Beaver offense.
The Pac 10 was given three chances to send a team to the national championship game (SC, Oregon, and Cal) and choked (or blew, as in Dixon's knee) them all away. And not because the scheduling was too difficult--Cal lost 6 of 7 in one of the great all time collapses, Oregon got shutout by UCLA, and USC lost to 41-point-underdog Stanford.
There is one questions for the Pac 10 this season that I think is really important:
1) How many times will USC lose before New Years?
The team with the best shot of getting a W against the Trojans is situated east of the Mississippi (or, at least, I think it's east of the Mississippi but I'll have to check a map). Ohio State is always good and has been better than SEC fans seem to believe. The Bills lost four Super Bowls, but that still was an incredible team. USC gets it at home, though, and should win.
And if they do, they will get the SEC champ in the national championship game if they can avoid losing more than one game in-conference. That means they could even throw one away against UCLA or Stanford and still play for the title.
My prediction of the Pac 10-USC plays for the championship and everyone else is irrelevant.
Pac-10 Vs Big-10.
ReplyDeleteIt's now a statistical fact that every week the pac-10 has a tougher schedule than the big-10 and yet the pac-10 gets no respect from the national media.
No one seems to get out tough it is to win in this conference. The on thing that hurts the pac-10 is SC is the only team in the past few years who plays in a BCS bowl.
Oregon had it shot last year until Dixon went down.
This year SC is a favorite to win again in part because Oregon is starting a qb who has little experience and ASU's qb can't win the big one.
So here's how the the pac-10 will break down..
#1 SC (they won't go undefeated)
SC 21 Ohio State 17
#2Oregon (better defense makes up for so so offense)
#3 ASU ( as carpenter goes so goes the devils)
#4 Cal ( better defense could tie them with ASU)
#5 Oregon State ( if they can play defense I like them to beat SC)
#6 UCLA (no qb)
#7 Washington ( so long willingham)
#8 Arizona ( they may be better than this)
#9 Stanford (no upsets this year)
#10 Washington State
I don't think anyone outside of the Great Lakes region thinks the Big 10 is tougher than the Pac 10, but my respect for the Pac 10 dwindled quickly last season as Cal and Oregon completely collapsed and Arizona State got a beat down by Texas (the game was worse than the score). The Pac 10 gets as much credit as it deserves (I think)--everyone believed Oregon and Cal were good until they provided enough evidence to the contrary.
ReplyDeleteInteresting picks--I thought it was telling that even an Oregon fan can't put the Ducks ahead of USC.
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