For Stanford and UCLA, two programs trying to rebuild under new coaches, there’s at least one reason to be confident each week of the Pac-10 schedule.
So far this season, no team in the conference has found any footing.
Cal is undefeated in the conference, but the Bears have played just two conference games. Only five of the 10 teams in the Pac-10 have won a road game this season. The two teams in the state of Washington ““ Washington and Washington State ““ are a combined 1-11 this year.
Arizona State, the team pundits expected to challenge USC’s reign atop the conference, has floundered in the first half of its season. The Sun Devils have lost in two consecutive weeks to Cal and USC. Their supposedly high-powered offense averages under 20 points per game and, worst of all, they can’t seem to protect star quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
At a UCLA press conference this week, linebacker Reggie Carter said that the Bruins have to take each week seriously because anything can happen.
“Your season is never over,” Carter said.
Conference-king USC reaffirmed that lesson earlier this year, when it traveled to Oregon State as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation and then stumbled 27-21 in a Thursday night thriller.
That type of upset seems to be in the Bruins’ minds. After practice Wednesday evening, coach Rick Neuheisel said he reminded his team that “there is still a lot to play for.”
Even though parity can, at times, motivate weaker teams, the poor play of Pac-10 teams has been unusual, if not shocking.
Only two teams ““ No. 6 USC and No. 25 Cal ““ are currently ranked. Six of the 12 teams in the Southeastern Conference are ranked, including No. 2 Alabama. Five Big 12 Conference teams are ranked, as well.
But, for this season at least, the Pac-10 even pales in comparison to the Mountain West Conference.
The MWC has two highly ranked teams ““ No. 9 BYU and No. 14 Utah ““ and a stellar record in matchups against the Pac-10. Utah, BYU, TCU, UNLV and New Mexico all boast big victories over Pac-10 teams.
Last year four teams in the Pac-10 finished the season ranked in the top 25, but three of those four ““ Arizona State, Oregon State and Oregon ““ have fallen out of the rankings this season.
Worse yet, Pac-10 teams have suffered a string of embarrasing nonconference losses. UCLA fell 59-0 to BYU, Washington State lost 45-17 at Baylor and Oregon State stumbled at Penn State, 45-14.
With only two nonconference games left on any of the Pac-10 schedules, the final fate of the conference will be decided from within.