HOW AM I DOING?

October 28, 2010

We are about to enter the home stretch of the college football season. Before things sort out, let’s revisit my pre-season picks and see how my selections look now.

In the SEC, I called for a South Carolina-Alabama championship game. That is still looking pretty solid. The South Carolina side was the gamble back in August, but right now the depth of the SEC West has Alabama in doubt. The Gators have already lost three times, but they can still displace the Gamecocks and head to Atlanta by winning their three remaining league games.

The Big 12 South should have gone to the winner of the Red River Rivalry. It still may, but Baylor and Oklahoma State are hanging around midway through the conference schedule. The North was Nebraska’s to lose. Missouri has been stronger than expected, but one last showdown between the Sooners and Huskers still appears to be on the horizon.

Okay, so I was dead wrong when I said, “I don’t believe the Badgers are good enough to beat the Bucks… even in Camp Randall.” However, I stand by my pick of Ohio State and Iowa being the class of the league. Michigan State may actually take the Rose Bowl bid, but that’s only because they don’t face OSU.

I’m kicking myself for my Pac Ten selection. Oregon’s new QB and tough road schedule (five league road games with only four at home) scared me off. After them, you could make a case for any one of six other teams. I decided to take the team no one was talking about, Cal. The Bears are a one point loss to Arizona away from being in the thick of it, but I will officially call that pick a miss.

The ACC prediction of a Florida State-Miami championship game still looks strong. Remember, the reason I did not take Va Tech. “Virginia Tech will be solid as always, but they play at UNC and at Miami.” Those games are still to come. Get ready for the ACC Championship the league has dreamed of since they expanded to 12 teams.

As for the rest, The Big East should still come down to the Backyard Brawl. Boise State will go undefeated, and TCU is still in the mix for a BCS bowl. Notre Dame has been a disappointment. This is about as easy a schedule as Brian Kelly will get in South Bend, and the Irish are looking at the possibility of a third straight 6-6 regular season unless they can defeat Utah or USC.

As for my bowl picks, here’s what they were and how I see them now.

In August…

BCS Championship Game – Alabama (SEC Champ) over Boise State (At-large)

Rose Bowl – Ohio State (Big 10 Champ) vs. California (Pac 10 Champ/Rep)

Sugar Bowl – Florida (At-large) vs. Iowa (At-large)

Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma (Big 12 Champ) vs. Pitt (Big East Champ)

Orange Bowl – Florida State (ACC Champ) vs. Texas (At-large)

Capital One Bowl – Wisconsin vs. Auburn

Outback Bowl – Penn State vs. South Carolina

Cotton Bowl – Nebraska vs. Arkansas

Gator Bowl – Northwestern vs. LSU

Chick-Fil-A Bowl – Georgia vs. Miami

Champ Sports Bowl – Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech

Now…

BCS Championship Game – Alabama (SEC Champ) over Oregon (Pac 10 Champ)

Rose Bowl – Iowa (Big Ten Champ) vs. Boise State (At-large)

Sugar Bowl – Auburn (At-large) vs. TCU (At-large)

Orange Bowl – Florida State (ACC Champ) vs. Michigan State (At-large)

Fiesta Bowl – Nebraska (Big 12 Champ) vs. Pitt (Big East Champ)

Capital One Bowl – Ohio State vs. South Carolina

Outback Bowl – Wisconsin vs. LSU

Cotton Bowl – Texas vs. Florida

Gator Bowl – Michigan vs. Arkansas

Chick-Fil-A Bowl – Georgia vs. Miami

Champ Sports Bowl – West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

Games of the Week:

Michigan State @ Iowa – With only Minnesota, Purdue and Penn State remaining on their schedule, the Spartans virtually assure themselves of a Rose Bowl berth with a win. The Hawkeyes are coming off a heartbreaking 31-30 home loss to Wisconsin. However, the Hawkeyes can still take the league if they win out. Last year, MSU had season lows in points and yards against Iowa. Their offense is improved, but Iowa bounces back with a big win.

Missouri @ Nebraska – The party is still raging in Columbia after the Tigers upset number one Oklahoma last Saturday. Meanwhile, the Huskers put that awful performance against Texas behind them with a 51-41 victory over Oklahoma State. For a program like Missouri that is not used to being on the national stage every week, it is very difficult to follow up the biggest win in the program’s history with a road win in this situation. I’ll take the Huskers to take control of the Big 12 North.

Oregon @ USC – The Trojans are on probation. They are not dead. They still have lots of talent. Two weeks ago, they destroyed Cal 48-14. They have had two weeks to prepare for the mighty Ducks of Oregon. Last year, Oregon hammered USC 47-20. This will be a tight game. I believe Oregon’s offense is just too good, even for Lane Kiffin’s Trojans. Oregon stays undefeated and takes another step towards Glendale.

THE ODDS

October 20, 2010

The first BCS rankings of the year were released Sunday. Here are my thoughts on the likelihood of each of the top ten teams to make it to Glendale.

1. Oklahoma (6-0)

Pros – They have the poll position which means they control their own destiny.

Cons – Of their six remaining regular season games, four are on the road. They may have more talent than those six teams, but the Sooners have been more talented in four of the last six seasons. I doubt they’ll run the table.

Chances – Somewhat Likely – They always seem to be in the title game, even when they don’t deserve it.

2. Oregon (7-0)

Pros – They put up video game like numbers on offense. It will be hard for their remaining opponents to keep up. Plus, they have lots of experience in big games after winning the Rose Bowl bid last season.

Cons – They still play USC at the Coliseum and arch-rival Oregon State on the road. They’ve ruined the Beavers Rose Bowl dreams each of the past two years. The folks in Corvallis would love some payback, and anything can happen in a rivalry game.

Chances – Very Likely – I think USC is the only real threat left for the Ducks.

3. Boise State (6-0)

Pros – No one left on their schedule is anywhere near their talent level. They are a senior laden team that is getting unprecedented respect in the polls.

Cons – Their remaining schedule will only be an anchor. Nevada’s loss to Hawaii may have been just as crippling to their cause as Virginia Tech’s loss to James Madison.

Chances – Extremely Likely – Their odds went up the last two weeks with Alabama and Ohio State losing. Just keep doing what they do, watch everyone else fall and Glendale seems like a lock.

4. Auburn (7-0)

Pros – Being from the SEC, they only have to win the conference championship to get serious consideration for the BCS Championship. If they beat LSU, Alabama and win the SEC Championship Game, they will easily vault over everyone to #1, even if the top three stay perfect.

Cons – They play Alabama on the road for starters. The Tigers have lived dangerously to this point pulling out three victories in the final minute or in overtime. How many lives do they have left?

Chances - Somewhat Likely – I didn’t think they’d stay perfect this long. I have a hard time believing they can beat Alabama on the road.

5. TCU (7-0)

Pros – The Horned Frogs were one second away from playing for the title last year instead of big brother Bevo.

Cons – The road game at Utah won’t be easy. Also, Boise State’s inclusion hurts their chances tremendously. Voters may put one non-BCS league school into the championship, but short of all out chaos, there’s no way that two play each other in Glendale.

Chances – Highly Unlikely – For that last reason, they need Boise to lose. Maybe if they had beaten Boise last January, the Broncos would be chasing them.

6. LSU (7-0)

Pros – See Auburn… i.e. an unbeaten SEC team will always jump to the top two.

Cons – Speaking of an SEC team living dangerously. Does anyone really think Les Miles can win six more? They have been gift wrapped two wins so far. They may actually be the fourth best team in their own division.

Chances – Unlikely – LSU does get Alabama at home. I just don’t believe this team is that good.

7. Michigan State (7-0)

Pros – The Spartans have gotten a lot of good press with Coach Dantonio’s unfortunate health problems. People love a good story. They also don’t play Ohio State this year.

Cons – They don’t play Ohio State this year. That means they don’t have enough big games left to climb up to the top two unless everyone else falls apart.

Chances – Highly Unlikely – They may win the Big Ten, but there won’t be enough major wins on their schedule to be considered for anything beyond Pasadena.

8. Alabama (6-1)

Pros – The defending national champs lost early enough to climb back into the picture. In fact, if the Tide wins out, it would take both Oklahoma and Oregon to be prefect to keep them out.

Cons – They are not as good as they have been the last two years. It is not a foregone conclusion that they go 11-1.

Chances – Likely – A win in Baton Rouge on November 6^th will put them right back in the picture.

9. Utah (6-0)

Pros – When it comes to non-BCS conference teams, no school has earned more respect than the Utes. With two perfect seasons the last six years and a move to the new Pac 12 looming, they are considered a big boy. They will play TCU at home November 6^th.

Cons – For the same reasons I gave for TCU, a BCS bid is possible, but not a title shot.

Chances – Unlikely – See TCU.

10. Ohio State (6-1)

Pros – The Buckeyes have the name and pedigree to sway voters.

Cons – They also carry with them the stench of Championship Games past. No one is going to stick their neck out for them for a while. Plus, their remaining schedule makes a run to the top two very tough.

Chances – Unlikely – They can impress people with a win at Iowa, but not playing Michigan State actually hurts their chances as much as the Spartans.

Games of the Week:

LSU @ Auburn – Last week, Auburn gave up 43 points to Arkansas and still won by three touchdowns. Cam Newton is getting serious Heisman hype nationwide with Auburn averaging 40 points and 481 yards per game. LSU always has athletes, so expect their defense to challenge Newton. If it was on the Bayou, I’d expect the magic (or luck) of Les Miles to continue. Instead, Newton and Auburn stay perfect.

Oklahoma @ Missouri –OU rolled Iowa State after many closer than expected wins earlier this season. Missouri will present a stiff test defensively. The Tigers are 2^nd in the FBS allowing only 13.3 points per game while tallying 20 sacks. This is not a great Oklahoma team. They may win the Big 12, but they won’t be perfect. The only road game they’ve played so far was against Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium, and they almost blew that one. I like Mizzou in an upset.

Wisconsin @ Iowa – The Badgers jumped all over Ohio State last week and manhandled them up front. Iowa may be the best all around team in the Big Ten. It will very tough for Wisconsin to follow up last week’s victory with an equally impressive game on the road. Iowa still has an outside shot at reaching the BCS Championship since they have the Badgers, Spartans and Buckeyes left to play, and all of them come to Iowa City. This is just too tough a follow up game for Wisconsin. I like Iowa to roll Saturday.

EXPANSION SCORECARD

October 13, 2010

The Pac 12 is expected to unveil its new divisional format within the next week. That is expected to be the last expansion announcement in college football for a while. Now that the dust is finally settling, here’s a scorecard of the winners and losers.

LOSERS:

1. The Mountain West Conference – The remaining members of this league were on the verge of ending up atop the winners list. Even with the departure of Utah, the addition of Boise State had all but assured the league of an automatic BCS berth. Next, they added Fresno State and Nevada for more depth. Then the unthinkable happened. BYU, possibly positioning itself for the next expansion round (whether it is 5, 10 or 15 years down the line), decided to go independent in football. Now, even TCU is looking for greener pastures. They have gone as far as to contact the Big East. The MWC went from joining the big boys, to being a weaker reincarnation of the original WAC.
2. Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Missouri – The worth of these four schools (or should I say the worthlessness of these four schools) was exposed this summer. As great a basketball school as Kansas is, they were begging for a home in the new world of college athletics when the Big 12 teetered on the brink of extinction. The Big Ten and Pac 12 were not interested. Only by giving Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M whatever they wanted could they save the Big 12 and themselves in the process. How funny is it watching Missouri come crawling back after they had their bags all packed for the Big Ten?
3. Stanford and California – The debate over the Pac 12 divisions revolves around these two schools. The four northern schools (Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State) want them in their division, the Pac 12 North. However, the California schools want to be kept together. The Bay Area schools don’t want to limit their competitions with USC and UCLA by being separated. Some also worry about being labeled a northern school. As I stated a few weeks ago, the northern schools need games regularly in California for exposure. I expect UCLA and USC to be grouped with the Arizona schools and the two newcomers, and for Stanford and Cal to be upset.
4. Wisconsin and Minnesota – The Badgers asked to be Nebraska’s chief rival when they enter the Big Ten next year. After all, Wisconsin does not have a traditional end of the year opponent. Over the last six years, they’ve closed the conference season against Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota. What did the Big Ten do? They put the Badgers in a division opposite the Huskers, as well as their two biggest rivals, Minnesota and Iowa. They will play Minnesota every year in a cross over game, but this is the complete opposite of what Barry Alvarez had in mind. As for the Golden Gophers, they were put in a division with Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa. Throw in their crossover with the Badgers, and they may have the toughest annual slate in the league. Good luck rebuilding.

WINNERS:

1. Utah – This one is obvious. The Utes burst onto the national scene in 2004 when then coach Urban Meyer led them to an undefeated season and a Fiesta Bowl win over Pitt. Four years later, while Meyer was winning a national championship at Florida, Utah ran off another perfect season. This time they beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. And now here they are, invited to join a BCS conference and compete with the likes of USC, Oregon and Cal on a regular basis. My how things change in one decade.
2. Texas – Behold the power of Bevo! Texas was the school the Pac 10 really wanted. They were willing to take other schools like Texas Tech and Oklahoma State if it got them the Longhorns. By sounding interested, Texas forced the remaining Big 12 members to give Texas (as well as A&M and Oklahoma) even more financial benefits. In no way is this a long term solution for the Big 12. I think it just bought the four remaining northern schools a few years to plan their next move. As for Texas, they expect to launch their own TV network soon. My guess is they will then make a move similar to BYU and go independent while promising to play the other Texas schools every year.
3. USC – The Trojans don’t need more exposure. The Pac 10 does. They don’t need more national credibility either. However, many of their conference brethren do. What ever helps the league, helps USC. Let’s also take note of the competition they appear to be getting in the new divisional format… UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. Once the NCAA sanctions are behind them, expect the men of Troy to be regular fixtures in the Pac 12 Championship Game.
4. Iowa – The Big Ten emphasized competitive balance in its divisional format. They looked at each school’s record from 1993 (when Penn State entered the league) to now. By using that starting point, the Hawkeyes were not penalized for going 18 consecutive years from 1962-1980 without a winning season. Instead, the Hawks were grouped with the upper half of the league. They also upgraded their end of season game from Minnesota to Nebraska. I think it is a pretty safe assumption that Iowa will be noticed a bit more nationally around thanksgiving than ever before.

Games of the Week:

Arkansas @ Auburn – They say cats have nine lives. So far this season, Auburn has used three. After escaping with wins over Clemson, South Carolina and Kentucky, the Tigers host Ryan Mallett and the Arkansas Razorbacks. With all the attention on Mallett, some people may just be getting to know Tiger QB Cam Newton. The juco transfer rushed for 198 yards and 4 TDs last week in Lexington. The stat keepers for each team will deserve a raise after this one. I think Auburn’s luck runs out against the Hogs.

Texas @ Nebraska – This one lost a little luster with Texas falling to UCLA and Oklahoma, but you would never know that in Lincoln. The Huskers blame Texas for their upcoming departure and for the imminent death of the Big 12. They are also tired of being reminded that Texas has won 8 of 9 against Big Red. Redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez has pumped life into a near dead Husker offense. The Sea of Red wants blood. I expect Nebraska to roll over the Longhorns.

Ohio State @ Wisconsin – The Buckeyes are the nation’s new number one team following Alabama’s loss last weekend. The Buckeyes strength of schedule to this point has been questioned. Their marquee win over Miami looks less impressive with their recent destruction at the hands of Florida State. This will only be OSU’s second road game of the season. The Badgers are looking to stay in the race for the roses after a conference loss to Michigan State two weeks ago. Terrelle Pryor is coming off his best passing performance as a Buckeye, going 24-30 for 334 yards and 3TDs. Winning at Camp Randall is never easy, but I think Ohio State squeaks one out on a late FG.

THE LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE

October 7, 2010

“Today… I consider myself… the luckiest man… on the face of the earth.” Those are the immortal words of “the Iron Horse” Lou Gehrig. 71 years after he made that proclamation at Yankee Stadium, there is a nary a sports fan that doesn’t know that famous quote.

In 2010, there is no question who holds the title of “luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Well, okay the guy in Missouri that won the lottery twice in six months had it temporarily. However, the title is now back with its rightful owner… LSU Head Coach Les Miles.

I have never seen anyone in any walk of life watch from afar as the disaster they created morphs into a masterpiece. If Les Miles was a point guard, his game-winning alley-oop pass would be so errant that it would bank in for a three pointer. If Les Miles was a chef, he would add the wrong ingredients to his main dish and wind up with an entrée fit for a king.

Let’s look at his “accomplishments.” In 2007, having started the season as the #2 team in the country, the Tigers lost in triple overtime at Kentucky. The following week, trailing 24-23 to Auburn and with time running out, LSU threw for the end zone rather than try the potential game-winning 39-yard field goal. WR Demetrius Byrd made a sliding catch with one second left to win the game. If the pass is deflected at all by the defensive back (who had great coverage), the clock runs out.

After that great escape, the Tigers climbed back up the polls over the next four weeks to claim the top spot. Then, in their regular season finale, they lost in double overtime on their home field to Arkansas. The dream of a national championship was surely dashed with two losses. But wait. Not when Les it’s better to be lucky than good Miles is around. Kansas, Missouri and West Virginia all lost in a span of eight days to let LSU slide back into the BCS Championship Game.

LSU faced Ohio State after edging a 3-loss Tennessee team in the SEC Championship Game. The second best team in the SEC that year was Georgia. The Bulldogs were ranked in the top five, but they had lost to the Vols early in the year and were edged out on a tiebreaker for the SEC East crown. So, Les Miles and the Bayou Bengals never faced the second best team in their own league. Oh, and did I mention that the BCS Title Game that year was played in New Orleans?

Last season was the first sign that the tide was starting to turn. In a late November game against Mississippi, LSU trailed 25-23. With under a minute to play and out of time outs, LSU wasted 17 seconds arguing on the sideline over what play to call. They finally threw a long pass that miraculously was caught at the Ole Miss 6 yard line with one second remaining. Rather than run the field goal unit onto the field, LSU tried to line up and spike the ball. The clock ran out, and with it (I thought) the lucky streak of Les Miles. Then I watched the debacle that occurred last Saturday between LSU and Tennessee. Oh, how wrong I was.

The Vols are still in the process of rebuilding their once proud program. Already 2-2 with a league loss, a Tennessee road win over the tenth ranked LSU Tigers would have been a great step forward for Derek Dooley and his staff. It looked like he had that win as LSU let 30 seconds run off the clock while they sprinted personnel on and off the field on the wrong end of a 14-10 score. In all the chaos, LSU did line up and snap the ball… right past QB Jordan Jefferson. The Vols had held! Jubilation on the visitor’s sideline. Thrown headsets and helmets for the home team. But, the Les Miles lucky streak was not over yet. Tennessee had too many players on the field. In fact, they had 13. LSU would punch it in for the win on their untimed down to win 16-14.

The luckiest man on the face of the earth had won again. He managed to win a game he should have lost. He pulled out a last second win while managing the clock so poorly that Andy Reid could be heard saying, “What the hell are they doing?” Congratulations, Les on another dramatic win. Enjoy it. Sooner or later your luck will run out. Ever hear the saying, “What goes around, comes around?” You are due some big heartbreaks one day soon.

Games of the Week:

Alabama @ South Carolina – I know LSU is playing Florida. I’ve seen both teams. That one is not going to very entertaining. Expect a bunch of punts and a lot more mistakes. I predicted this game to be an SEC Championship Game preview. That may be tough now that the Gamecocks have a loss, but they can still get there if they win out after this game. The ‘Ol Ball Coach is starting junior QB Stephen Garcia despite pulling him in the 4^th quarter against Auburn. SC will need a huge night from their defense after allowing Auburn to run for 334 yards. Bama is coming off their scare in Arkansas and an emotional win over Florida. It’s hard to get up again and again. I think Bama’s ground game is the difference, but don’t be surprised if Carolina keeps this close all the way to the end.

Michigan State @ Michigan –These two both enter the game undefeated for the first time since 1999. Michigan QB Denard Robinson leads the nation in rushing and needs only 95 yards to rush for 1,000 on the season. He has put up absurd numbers. The question is how long can Michigan’s defense get away with allowing similar numbers. MSU Coach Mark Dantonio will coach from the press box after suffering a mild heart attack and a blood clot in his leg within the last two weeks. MSU is the better team. Robinson is the best player. I’ll take the many over the one.

Florida State @ Maimi –For at least a decade, this was the game of the year in college football. It may have lost some luster, but the intensity of this game can be felt in every bone shattering hit. Each team dropped a high profile non-conference game, but both teams have bounced back since. Expect points to be at a premium with both teams allowing the fewest yards per game in the ACC. The last nine meetings have been decided by an average of four points. With Bobby Bowden gone, I expect FSU to win when the Canes miss a last minute FG wide right.

HAVE YOU NOTICED?

September 30, 2010

It is easy to miss these things. The conference season is just getting started. Many September games are one-sided tune-ups. However, one month into the season, a few things have caught my attention. None of them are earth shattering, stop what you are doing kind of stories, but I suggest you keep an eye on them moving forward.

Have you noticed the Pac 10? As usual, the conference the east coast ignores did just enough damage to its reputation early to make you forget about them. You probably haven’t noted their excellent rebound. Once USC was put on probation and Jeremiah Masoli was suspended at Oregon, the league was buried. Having Oregon State lose to TCU and Washington fall to BYU on opening weekend didn’t help. Since then, the Ducks rolled in Knoxville, UCLA embarrassed Texas in Austin, Arizona knocked off Iowa and Stanford rolled Notre Dame. If the Pac 10 could ever get their games shown on ABC or ESPN on the east coast at 3:30, I think we’d all be saying, “Wow! These teams can play.”

Speaking of impressive starts, have you noticed who is undefeated? Arizona, Kansas State and NC State are all perfect. KSU beat UCLA in week one. Zona upset Iowa and followed that up with a win over Cal, and NC State beat Cincinnati and Georgia Tech. I think two of those programs will come back to earth soon, but give them all credit for generating some excitement with a few impressive wins to this point.

Has anyone noticed that after this Saturday Notre Dame only has ONE road game left this year? You read that right. Seven games left on the schedule, but only one road game. They will play two “neutral site” games with Army and Navy, but let’s be honest. The crowd at the new Yankee Stadium and the new Meadowlands will be pro-Irish. So the only hostile crowd Brian Kelly’s team still has to endure is their finale at USC. That makes the 1-3 start in South Bend all the more disappointing. Even though ND is a work in progress, they had a shot at a very nice record thanks to (by ND standards) a weaker schedule. Now, bowl eligibility is the goal.

Has anyone else noticed that TCU is climbing the polls? While Boise State appears to be the BCS buster just waiting for Alabama and Ohio State to trip up, TCU is right behind them. The most asked question about the Broncos has been, “Will they reach the BCS Title Game if Bama or Ohio State lose?” Maybe we should start asking what happens if they BOTH lose! What if Bama falters in the SEC Championship Game? What if Ohio State loses at home to Michigan? Could we get a third installment of TCU-Boise State, this time for the crystal football?

Did you notice that South Carolina is off this week? Why is that important? They play Alabama next week. Even with the game in Columbia, I’m not sure the extra week will be the difference between a win and a loss… at least not yet. You see the Tide have six more SEC regular season games to play after this week. All six opponents have the previous Saturday off, giving them each two weeks to prepare for Nick Saban’s team. I’m guessing the person that created the 2010 SEC league slate graduated from LSU… maybe Auburn.

Games of the Week:

Oklahoma vs. Texas –Okay, so the Red River Rivalry took a significant prestige hit this year thanks to UCLA. At least Horns QB Garrett Gilbert has bowl game experience from the Alabama game in January. That’s what this is. It is an October bowl game. Texas has won four of the last five meetings. Last year, Sam Bradford got knocked out of the game early. OU was held to minus-16 yards rushing, and they only lost by three. The Sooners were my pick to win this game in August, and I’ve seen nothing so far this season to change my mind.

Florida @ Alabama –These two programs have not met in the regular season in five years. All they have done since then is combine to win three national titles and square off in the last two SEC Championship Games. Arkansas had Bama on the ropes last week, but the Tide escaped. That’s what great teams do on the road. This game is in Tuscaloosa. Florida has talent. There is no question about that, but I do not believe they are a great team yet. Look for Bama’s experience to be the difference. I’m not even sure this one is close.

Stanford @ Oregon – Both teams are undefeated and ranked in the top ten. Last year, Stanford swooped in the week after Oregon rolled USC and beat the Ducks 51-42. Oregon is averaging 57.8 points and 560 yards per game. Arizona State gave them a good fight last week before the Ducks prevailed 42-31. With all of the attention on Matt Barkley at USC and Jake Locker at Washington, Andrew Luck of Stanford may be having the best start of any Pac 10 QB. Two of the most high powered offenses in the nation meet here. I think the Ducks get the edge on their home turf.