Archive for the 'Pac-10' Category

Here’s what’s going on this fine Friday morning:

IN the T-N-T, Larry LaRue gives an overview of the Mariners’ off-seasoon wish list, with a couple interesting names in there, like Nomar Garciaparra (as a candidate to DH) and Greg Maddux. I’d be happy with the former, but not with the latter.

Since the Seahawks can’t find a running game the traditional way — i.e., with actual running backs — Clare Farnsworth reports that Seneca Wallace has more freedom to run this week against the Raiders.

“There have been times,” coach Mike Holmgren said, “where I’d say, ‘Hey, (count) 1, 2, then take off. Go ahead and take off. Put the pressure on the defense that way.’”

Danny Fortson, Sonics’ savior? That’s what Percy Allen says in the Times. Good article, and he’s right about how badly the team needs Fortson to step up and contribute.

Pac-10 media think it’ll be UW coming in at #3 in men’s hoops this year. They like Oregon at No. 4, OSU at No. 8, and the Cougars to finish dead last. UCLA, as expected, is picked to win the conference. Don Ruiz also points out a couple interesting rule changes coming this year:

The most notable new rule prohibits players from calling timeout while in the air or before they have complete control of the ball. Another change will encourage referees to call fouls on all players diving onto other players in a loose-ball scramble.

Romar thinks the rule that could have the most impact demands that players set screens while “in a natural stance.” The rule prohibits players from spreading their legs to trip defenders or from cocking their forearms to hit them.

In case you weren’t sure if we place too much emphasis on sports in this country, the fallout from Saturday’s Oregon win over Oklahoma should quell any lingering doubts.

Gordon Riese, the reply booth official who missed the onside kick call, says he’s received a death threat over what happened. Frankly, as sick as it is, I’m not surprised. My college roommate is part of Sooner Nation and I’ve spent some brief time in Oklahoma. There’s nothing more important in that state than OU football. You think the Apple Cup is big up here? You think Husky and Coug fans are serious? You ain’t seen nothing, folks.

The impact for Oklahoma is pretty obvious: They’re essentially out of the national championship picture. But here’s the thing: That’s the NCAA’s fault as much as it’s Gordon Riese’s fault. As long as the NCAA refuses to institute a playoff system in college football, teams with one loss will have a slim hope of winning the national title. So, all it takes is one referee’s mistake, or one replay booth mistake, and someone gets eliminated from title contention. Would we accept that if a mistake in Week 3 of the NFL season eliminated someone? Would we accept it if an umpire’s mistake in late April eliminated a MLB team from the World Series chase? Why do we accept it in college football?

And now there’s a possible impact on UW, too. OU coach Bob Stoops is talking about canceling the Sooners’ 2008 game in Seattle if the Pac-10 continues to require that Pac-10 officials be used in Pac-10 stadiums. Can’t say I blame him because that’s a pretty moronic rule. It would be incredibly easy to get a neutral officiating crew for games against teams from other conferences. The Pac-10 is beyond ignorant for having such a rule in place. Then again, it’s nothing new for the Pac-10 to be way behind the times.

Pac-10 media have picked USC to win the Pac-10 football race again this year, but some writers give the nod to Cal, Oregon, and even ASU. It’s the first time in three years the vote wasn’t unanimous for the Trojans.

Oregon ends up 3rd overall with 3 first-place votes. OSU, WSU, and UW are all down in the bottom half. Here’s the voting:

First place votes in parentheses
1, USC (18) 276
2, California (7) 247
3, Oregon (3) 229
4, Arizona State (1) 204
5, UCLA 145
6, Arizona 133
7, Oregon State 125
8, Washington State 96
9, Stanford 90
10, Washington 50

MLB Draft 1st day today: 14 of the Mariners 18 picks are pitchers, 11 of them at the college level. Brandon Morrow is the main guy here, the 5th overall selection. I won’t be too surprised to see him in Seattle this season. There’s a lot of hand-wringing about the M’s passing on Andrew Miller, but if the organization knows or strongly suspects it can’t sign him, or doesn’t think he’s worth the 8-figure bonus Miller wants, why waste a pick?

UW’s Tim Lincecum falls to the Giants at #10, and he’s also a good candidate to be wearing a big league uniform in 2006.

God bless Aaron Schatz of FO, who puts the Seahawks #1 in the off-season NFL power poll.

It’ll be the OSU Beavers vs. Stanford this weekend for the right to go to the College World Series. Go get ‘em, Beavs.

And finally, our old friend Ken Griffey, Jr., doesn’t want to be voted in as an All-Star starter because he already has a trip booked to the Grand Bahamas.

The OSU Beaver baseball team is having another stellar season. They’re in the Top 10 in four different college baseball polls (do we really need that many?), including Top 5 rankings in the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls.

It’s great to see a new baseball power being born in the N’west….

On ESPN.com, Andy Katz takes his annual stab at putting together a way-too-early Top 25 for next season. It’s not too kind to Washington teams — Gonzaga checks in at #23, while the Huskies and even the Ducks are in the “getting consideration” category. Other Pac-10 teams do better — UCLA is #5, and both Cal and Arizona are in the teens.

By the way, Katz was pretty accurate when he did this at the end of last season.

It’s a shame that the lunkheads who vote in the college football polls won’t be smart enough to recognize that Notre Dame should move up in the rankings after that game today. Win or lose, last play of the game or not, the Irish proved that they are every bit as good as USC right now. But when you vote in polls, you have this odd sense of obligation telling you “the losing team must move down.” That’s pretty stupid. Notre Dame will fall out of the Top 10, but they are unmistakably one of the best ten football teams in college football right now.

What an incredible football game.

Hats off to OSU for upsetting Cal, and to WSU for giving UCLA everything it could handle — a much better effort this week outta the Cougars than they’ve given the past couple weeks. (Edit: but it’s still terrible that they blew a 28-7 lead….)

News-Tribune: Pac-10 Media Poll and N’west notes

Seattle P-I: 10 questions for the 2005 Huskies

Oregonian: Oregon Ducks practice schedule and “Questions Facing the Ducks”

Meanwhile, found the below in the premium section of ESPN during this “freebie” week. The Ducks are one of the teams listed in an article about “Top 5 Sleeper Teams” or something like that. The articles lists qualifications for being called a “sleeper” team and than analyzes if the team fits that quality.

————-

Oregon Ducks

Ranked 10th or lower: Check. The Ducks are in the Also Receiving Votes category of the first USA Today coaches’ poll.

Lost 3 or more last year: Check. Oregon was 5-6 (4-4 Pac-10).

Experience: Check. 14 returning starters, 41 returning lettermen. (Biggest assets: returning QB, leading rusher, leading receiver. Biggest losses: three starting offensive linemen, two of three leading tacklers.)

First-round talent: Check. Junior DT Haloti Ngata (338 pounds) could be poised to dominate. Some of the new recruits could be future first-rounders.

Senior QB: Check. Kellen Clemens has thrown for more than 5,000 yards, with 42 TDs and 20 interceptions, but still hasn’t adequately filled the cleats of Joey Harrington. Could he team with new offensive coordinator Gary Crowton to be this year’s Jason Campbell/Al Borges breakthrough tandem?

Dominant D: Maybe. Oregon should have a dynamite D-line, but the rest of the unit is iffy.

Kicking game: No. New kicker, new punter, new kickoff returner — but high-impact punt returner Justin Phinisee is back.

Schedule: Maybe. Nonconference schedule is complicated by a home game against Fresno State Sept. 17. But at least Oregon gets USC in Eugene and does not play UCLA.

Intangibles: Check. Mike Bellotti has done too well to stay down for long. And he brings in two recruits — freshman running back Jonathan Stewart and juco wide receiver James Finley — who some ranked No. 1 in the nation at their positions.

One step forward, two steps back is the rule of thumb for the Pac-10, at least where marketing is concerned. The latest step back comes in the form of news that the WCC is about to get a basketball TV deal with ESPN — something the Pac-10 has been unable to score.

The WCC is agreeing to do what the Pac-10 has never been willing to do — change its basketball schedule in order to get more exposure for its schools. The WCC will move away from the Thursday-Saturday schedule (same as the Pac-10) to a Saturday-Monday schedule, and that means ESPN can carry the WCC as part of their “Big Monday” lineup of college hoops.

Nice move, WCC. Tsk-tsk, Pac-10.

I’ve said before that the Pac-10 is the worst conference in the NCAA when it comes to marketing. The recent football changes were a good step, but to get beat out by the WCC to a regular spot on ESPN’s college basketball lineup — that’s just terrible.

I’m still stunned that OSU Baseball is in the College World Series. Amazing. I can turn myself into a Beaver for a little while…

OSU’s 4-team pool in Bracket 2:

Tulane (55-10)
Baylor (44-22)
Texas (51-16)
OSU (46-10)

OSU’s schedule:

Saturday: OSU vs Tulane, 11:00 am
Monday: OSU vs. TBA

Tulane is #1 in the nation and the favorite to win it all.

ESPN: Bracket 2 outlook

ESPN: Full CWS schedule, including TV listings

Go Beavs!