Utah not playing today, was probably a good thing, as once again, the PAC-12 beat itself into submission.
Seriously folks, as we’ve watched the PAC-12 teams progress this year, being surprised each week by actual results, who went into this week expecting:
1. WA to lose on the road to a VERY underachieving Stanford team – one that lost to Oregon St. a week ago – seriously – who expected the Ore St loss, and once it happened, with all the other Stanford losses, who expected them to BEAT Washington???
2. Arizona losses to HI, surprisingly beats Texas Tech, losses to (are you kidding me) UCLA, and then goes on the road to beat a Colorado team (on family night!) that other than a WTF loss to Air Force, was looking like an improved team.
3. Oregon State, Utah’s next opponent, gets a win at the Rose Bowl, against a UCLA team that with a highly touted 2nd year coach, years of highly rated recruiting classes, and a recent come from behind win over WAZZU. Turns out it’s the first win in the Rose Bowl by Oregon State, over UCLA, in … I’m still looking for the stat… but decades…
4. Oregon over Cal – No upset here, except that a Cal team that at the beginning of the season was NO ONE’s favorite, facing an Oregon team, that in preseason was (almost) everyone’s favorites, showed that Cal’s great defense, and non-existent offense, IS ALMOST a match for Oregon. Cal will continue to be a challenge for opponents, and Oregon, which is now the class of the league, will probably struggle to win enough “beauty contests” to have any hope for a place in the CFP.
So… WA falls, possibly out of the rankings, Oregon stays, but probably drops, and Utah knows that WA is imminently beatable (except that Peterson OWNS Whittingham), Oregon will be very tough (if we make the Conference Championship game), Cal looks to be more of a challenge than the usual meeting with Stanford – Or – maybe not…, and regardless, we cannot overlook either Colorado or Arizona.
Welcome to the PAC-12 folks – I give up; I have no idea what to expect.