Arizona State (1-4, 2-6) @ Washington (0-5, 0-8)

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Arizona St. and Washington are suffering through long and painful seasons. The Sun Devils began with high expectations, the Huskies not so much.

Washington has not been able to notch a single win, leading to the ouster of head coach Ty Willingham at the end of the season. It is unlikely that the Huskies will be able to get things going against State this weekend. While quarterback Rudy Carpenter has spent much of the season dodging linebackers and defensive linemen, Washington has not been able to put together much of a pass rush. This may be the one game where Carpenter will come out with nary a grass stain on his jersey and less bruises than he came in with.

Arizona State’s defense should have a better than average day as well against a pretty lackluster offense. Both the pass and run phases of the Huskies’ offense are woeful. This is one game that should give Sun Devil fans something to cheer about, while Washington fans may simply long for a quicker end to the season.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Pac-10 Preview - Week Ten

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Washington (0-7, 0-4 Pac-10) @ #5 USC (6-1, 4-1 Pac-10)

Two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum meet in the Los Angeles Coliseum this Saturday when the fifth ranked Trojans welcome the winless Huskies to another destination on the road to imperfection.

It’s hard to imagine things getting worse for Washington, but USC head coach Pete Carroll’s squad is 23-0 in games in November. The Huskies don’t run the ball well, don’t score often and can only move the ball through the air marginally well.

Oh, and the Huskies are now coached by a lame duck, as the school announced Monday that this would be Coach Ty Willingham's last season with the team. That doesn’t mean he or the team will quit working hard, but it continues to be an uphill battle. A hill that is nearly vertical, by the way, with few handholds and it’s been greased by oil for the last month.

Expect USC to run away with this one and it’s really just a matter of which poison the Trojans decide to administer. Will they have quarterback Mark Sanchez throw the ball against a reeling secondary or will they have the tailback core of McKnight, Johnson and Gable grind it out on the ground?

One word of caution to the Trojans, though. The last two times these teams have met, it was closer than expected (27-24 last season and 26-20 in 2006).

This is a game the Trojans shouldn’t lose. But that doesn’t mean they won’t find it tougher than expected. USC is desperate for big wins if they want back in the National Title hunt. Even if they win, they cannot allow the Huskies to stay close.

#24 Oregon (6-2, 4-1 Pac-10) @ California (5-2, 3-1 Pac-10)

The Oregon Ducks have fought their way back into the Top 25 BCS rankings, but won’t get a chance to rest on their laurels as a tough Golden Bears team awaits them in Memorial Stadium. The Ducks will not only be defending their ranking, but the Pac-10 conference lead they share with No. 5 USC.

Oregon will look to quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to lead them to a third straight win. Masoli, a sophomore transfer from City College of San Francisco, wasn’t even slated to be a factor this year, but finds himself in the driver’s seat after knee injuries took out Nate Costa and Justin Roper. Masoli took over and never looked back.

California has had its share of quarterback issues as well. Sophomore Kevin Riley took the job, then lost it to senior Nate Longshore for a pair of games, only to regain it last week in their 41-20 drubbing of UCLA. Riley will need to remain consistent and protect the ball against a Duck defense that can be opportunistic.

Oregon’s offense also features a pair of dangerous running backs in Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount who lead a rush attack that totaled 300 plus yards three times in the last four games. However, the Ducks’ unstoppable force meets the Golden Bears’ immovable objects this week. California’s defense has held opposing runners to less than 100 yards per game, so it will certainly be very interesting to see which side blinks.

Both teams are within sight of the Pac-10 lead (or at least a share of it) and both need to win in order to keep pace with USC. This will be one of the most competitive games in college football this weekend and is far and away the most intriguing game in the Pac-10.

Washington State (1-7, 0-5 Pac-10) @ Stanford (4-4, 3-2 Pac-10)

Stanford still has to be trying to figure out what happened in their loss to UCLA on October 18, as they managed to collapse late in the fourth quarter. The defense couldn’t finish the game, allowing the Bruins to drive down the field, score and burn nearly all the time left on the clock.

Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard needs to start protecting the ball better and cut down on his interceptions, five of which have come in the last three games. In their last game he was abysmal, barely cresting 51 yards. He should against the terrible Cougar defense.

Even if Pritchard struggles, the Cardinal can turn to junior running back Toby Gerhart, who has been having a solid season, topping 100 yards five times in eight games Stanford. Gerhart will be the focus of this offense and it is unlikely Washington State will be able to stop him even if they know where the play is being run.

Arizona State (2-5, 1-3 Pac-10) @ Oregon State (4-3, 3-1 Pac-10)

Oregon State has played very well in conference, not dropping a game in Pac-10 play since losing the opener to Stanford 36-28.

This is a team not to be underestimated. Led by freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers (812yards, nine touchdowns) and junior quarterback Lyle Moevao (1,779 yards, 13 touchdowns to eight interceptions), Oregon State has multiple weapons to move the ball against an underwhelming Sun Devil team which can’t keep it’s best weapon – quarterback Rudy Carpenter – upright long enough to return from any real deficit.

Arizona State needs to do something to protect Carpenter and fast. The offensive line has to find a way to not only give him time to get the ball off, but cut down on the hits he takes even after he has released the rock. It would also be a big help if the ground game could get going again. Last week they tipped past 100 yards total rushing for the first time since they did it against UNLV way back on September 19.

If the Sun Devils cannot get the run going, defenses can either blanket Carpenter’s receivers or blitz the heck out of the line and that has been exactly what opponents have done. It’s no wonder Carpenter has been hurt the last few seasons. It’s amazing he’s still alive.

Oregon State is trying to make a run at the Pac 10 title and maybe a ranking. Arizona State is just trying to get back to respectable.

Inside the Pac-10 - Week Nine

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

#5 USC @ Arizona

For most of the game, the Trojans’ offense couldn’t get the job done, so it was up to Rey Maualuga and the USC defense to hold the fort in USC’s 17-10 victory in the desert. USC kept normally solid Wildcat quarterback Willie Tuitama to a mere 88 yards with no touchdowns and an interception thrown in for good measure. Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez moved the ball between the 20s well and compiled 216 yards, but only threw for one touchdown (one interception), as USC scored a season low 17 points. It was USC’s defense that was the story, stopping the Wildcats several times late in the game, including a critical fourth-and-one in the final quarter.

Maualuga knew it was big, telling ESPN, "Guys were out there saying, 'This will determine who we are.' " While the offense didn’t seem sure, the defense made sure people knew who they were loud and clear….

UCLA @ California

For three quarters, the Bruins held their own against the Golden Bears, as both teams struggled offensively. But UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft threw four interceptions for the second time this season, a mistake his counterpart Kevin Riley did not make. In Craft’s defense, two interceptions were tipped and he wasn’t getting any help from his teammates.

Golden Bear running back Jahvid Best got back on track, rushing for 115 yards and a score. That performance, coupled with fellow tailback Shane Vereen’s 99 yards on 14 carries helped trigger a fourth quarter deluge of scoring that turned a close game into a 41-20 blowout.

Notre Dame @ Washington

It’s one thing to lose. It’s an entirely different thing to lose big. And it’s a concerning thing when you lose in a humiliating fashion in your own house.

With a significant lead, Notre Dame not only kept their foot on the gas, the threw a little sand in the face of former Fighting Irish Coach Ty Willingham’s face with five receiver sets and a fake punt. It’s not a crime against humanity, but is cold-hearted. The crowd certainly made their feelings known, booing loud and long after the fake.

Notre Dame certainly didn’t need trickery, as their defense held Washington to 124 yards total offense and only let up a score when things were well in hand late, winning 33-7. Husky quarterback Jake Locker was still sidelined with a broken thumb and his replacement Ronnie Fouch was ineffective, with five first half passing yards.

Charlie Weis defended his play calling after the game, saying to ESPN.com, “It's the third quarter. It's not 50-0. I'm not that type of guy. We yanked guys at the start of the fourth quarter. Their only touchdown at the end was against guys who never play.”

Having said that, it would be hard to find anyone who would argue they needed a fake punt up 24 points against one of the worst teams in the nation. If the above statement had come from USC, Ohio State, Texas or Alabama, people would likely be swinging from the rafters in outrage.

Oregon @ Arizona State

It’s not often a game is lost inside of the first two minutes, but when Oregon scored with 12:54 left in the first quarter, that was the case. Duck running back Jeremiah Johnson broke off a 43-yards touchdown run and Oregon never looked back, defeating the reeling Sun Devils 54-20.

Sun Devil quarterback Rudy Carpenter continued his struggles this weekend, throwing a pair of interceptions and compiling just 146 yards. The run game was again nonexistent, barely topping 100 yards and only contributing a touchdown, which Carpenter ran it in himself.

Meanwhile the Ducks dominated on the ground, led by a pair of Johnson touchdowns and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s 85 yards (one touchdown). The other half of the productive running back combo, LeGarrette Blount, added a couple of scores as well.

Arizona State’s offensive line got Carpenter hammered—again, allowing numerous pressures and hits on top of three sacks. They will not be able to turn things around if they do not straighten out their offensive line.

Photo Credit: Sam Haythorn (USC)

Between the Hashes: Debating Season

GOOD EVENING MEMBERS of the college football nation. We would like to welcome you to this Football Forum “Debate” hosted by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

Moderator: Lets start with the gentleman from the “Heart of America”. What is your position on APR (Academic Progress Rates)?

Kansas Coach Mark Mangino: I'm in favor of the APR. But I'm concerned about the student athletes that just didn't have the resources in high school to prepare them for the challenge of college. Does that mean they shouldn't have an opportunity to go to college? I don't think so. In fact, I know so. Every young man and young lady should have an opportunity to get an education if they want to, and if it's because of an athletic scholarship, I think that's great.

Moderator: Can we here from the gentleman from the south, Dr. T.K. Wetherall (Florida St. University President)?

Dr. Wetherall: Once you make that commitment to admit that student, I think that student deserves every opportunity that any other student would get, including while they're in high school. Now, that violates a number of NCAA rules. We have a program called “Care at Florida State”. You look at U.S. News & World Report, you'll see we're actually graduating African American students at a higher rate than we are white students at one of the highest rates in the nation. The reason we're doing that is the programs we put in place before they get to Florida State. But if I send those same counselors out to talk to a football player, I'm going to be slapped with some kind of a violation. That doesn't seem right to me. But you've got to take the chains off of us if we're going to deal with those students.

Moderator: Coach Jim Tressel, representing the great state of Ohio. What’s your take on recruiting younger players?

Coach Tressel: I know what's happening in our state, a lot of the schools from out of the state, colleges from out of state, are coming in and just offering all kinds of sophomores. We really haven't gotten to know them as well, and it puts a little bit of heat on us being the home school and all that, so it's put a little bit of -- all of a sudden now you're trying to find out more about that 010 guy or 011 guy. I'm hoping we don't get into the eighth and ninth grade deal, but everything in this world is getting faster.

Moderator: I turn to the man from the great northwest, Coach Ty Willingham. What needs to be done to increase the number of African American coaches?

Coach Willingham: We need programs of all natures to develop a coaching pool. We need programs that teach the skill sets that are needed. But you also -- we must have legislation. I think it's clear. We're not changing the numbers based on how we've done it in the past. So therefore it's necessary to have something not to mandate that a president or an athletic director hire an African-American or a minority, but at least they have an opportunity to sit down and then you expand the pool and can determine what young men are capable, and maybe they create another opportunity through that interview in itself. We've gone too long with the numbers the way they are, and to sit around and explain them and rationalize them, and we could be coming up with all the different programs, they're good, they're necessary, but we have to change the face of what we're doing, and the only way to do that is legislation.

Moderator: Lets go to the state of Texas, Coach Gary Patterson of TCU, what are your thoughts on a playoff?

Coach Patterson: If you think the playoff system is going to be fun for the kids except for the team that wins the final game, we'd all be kidding ourselves because you put the amount of -- every ballgame is a National Championship game. It's going to be -- because to get to the next round, so you're talking about six hard days of work, we let them take one day off, somewhere we'll work finals in between all of it, and then yeah, we'll end up with the National Championship winner, but there's not going to be anybody else happy.