OR is certainly far from where they were last season, but have improved tremendously this season and just upset Stanford, the team likely to win the Pac-12 North.
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The losses stretched well beyond the field, however.
Nelson is becoming one of the most versatile players in college football.
The Utes remain to be one of the elite teams in the Pac-12, with a legitimate shot to make the Pac-12 Championship (and even the Rose Bowl). If the Bruins win out they win the South.
“As coaches, most of us thought we’d cannibalize ourselves and maybe cost ourselves a playoff spot”, said Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, who believes that is exactly what has happened. “I think it’s something we should talk about at the league meetings”. I have UCLA winning this game to continue the chaos in the Pac-12. With four top 10 teams remaining undefeated, and a bevy of very good one-loss teams waiting in the wings, I just can’t imagine a scenario in which a two loss Pac-12 champion makes the playoffs.
The Pac-12 Championship title game is a possibility for both teams, as a Trojans win would allow them to control their own fate, while a win for the Ducks keeps hopes alive. In the past, you could count on OR, Stanford OR USC to carry the conference torch. Last time USC met Stanford, they were handed their first loss of the season and the trajectory of their season changed.
Here is a quick breakdown of the Top 13 teams in the College Football Rankings. “It’s only the adults and particularly people in the media that sit and stew and look for somebody to blame and wonder how in the world can you ever come back and play again. We want to get in the “want to be here” match game, and that’s worked out OK”.
We’ll assume the loser of the Pac-12 title game goes here, though 9-3 Washington State also could be an option.
Clearly, the SEC has used the one fewer conference game to its advantage by injecting walk-over opponents into its midseason slate.
November 7, 2015 – University of Oregon Head Coach Mark Helfrich during an NCAA Pac-12 conference football game between the University of California Golden Bears and University of Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
However, while Cal’s uptempo spread offense resembles Oregon’s, it lacks the same talent at the skill positions, especially in the running game. No. 3 Alabama, the conference’s highest-ranked playoff contender, has a date with Football Championship Subdivision program Charleston Southern on Saturday.
The Wildcats took down Utah in overtime despite losing quarterback Anu Solomon in the fourth quarter. They offered no scalding critiques of the Playoff’s current structure, unlike their Big 12 peers in the midst of their existential playoff crisis last fall.
USC receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, a sophomore who ranks in the top-10 in FBS in receiving yards and touchdowns this season despite a recently broken hand, told reporters Tuesday that he was “very close” to signing with OR in 2014.
UCLA, USCU and Utah are in the thick of a contest to lead the Pac-12 South and though the Utes now lead the race, the Los Angeles schools are right on their heels. The Trojans would still control their own destiny, regardless if they win or lose at or, if the Bruins emerge from Utah victorious. The Ducks have gained 1,712 yards in the four games, including 436 against Stanford last week. Arizona, Cal, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah and Washington State are bowl eligible while Arizona State and Washington each need one more win.
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The Sun Devils overcame a 17-point deficit on Saturday to beat Washington and end the team’s three-game skid.
