As easy as it would be for Oregon fans to show disdain for the loss to Oregon State in Corvallis on Saturday, the thought that the Beavers are better than they once were should bring somewhat of a smile to their face.
As hard as that is to believe, the sense that Oregon State — the Pacific-10 Conference’s doormat since 1990 — may have a future is actually beneficial to the Ducks.
Oregon State head coach Jay John has given the Beavers an air of credibility. In past seasons, a 12-2 lead would have evaporated, much like it did the other day, but it wouldn’t have been regained. Even though the Beavers had the likes of Philip Ricci last season, it simply did not matter.
Saturday was a harbinger of things to come for the Ducks and the Pac-10. Once you get past Stanford and Arizona, arguably the two best teams of the year in the West, the conference is a wasteland for dominance. The days of UCLA running the table are over.
As of now, only the Bruins and Cardinal have more than two wins in conference play. Arizona is close at 2-1 after a loss to Stanford, but for the most part, the league is split to the middle. The Ducks (1-2) are lumped in with the likes of Washington State, Oregon State, California and USC.
“So, while no coach will admit as much, the gap is clearly wider than ever between the two at the top and those below,” Ed Graney wrote on ESPN.com last week. “Yes, the co-favorites may lose to someone other than the other over the next nine weeks, but one of the two will most likely finish on top.”
That sentiment is echoed exactly by the voters in the Associated Press Top 25 poll that ranked Arizona third and Stanford fourth last week. From then on, no Pac-10 teams are ranked or receiving votes.
Concerned? Don’t be.
The Pac-10 has proven time and time again that it is a quality basketball conference. One or two of its teams, regardless of the number that enter, will seemingly always reach the Sweet 16 and Final Four.
What this season should do is bring a sense of parity to the Pac-10 in an era when overall conference superiority is becoming increasingly important. Gone are the days of individual teams running the gauntlet in the NCAA Tournament. Much like its football brethren, conferences are ranked in terms
of dominance.
The conferences with higher ratings get more teams into the NCAA Tournament, at least theoretically. More teams equal a better chance of success in the postseason, and even though the money payouts don’t mirror those of college football, you’d better believe publicity for a conference school gets that league notoriety in turn.
Just ask the Big East Conference after Syracuse won last season.
The Pac-10 is still battling to become the eminent conference in all the land. Heck, for right now, I’m sure the league would just like being one of the top three, hopefully displacing the Atlantic Coast, Southeastern and Big 12 Conferences.
For now, just getting its usual four or five teams should be a complete season for the Pac-10. Getting Washington State and Oregon State into the mix of competitive play should be an overall goal. It may lead to parity within the conference, but imagine the day when the Beavers could upset Gonzaga, or Kentucky.
How about Florida?
What a day that would be for the Pac-10.
Until that day comes, though, sit back and enjoy what should be an interesting 2004 season.
In the Pac-10, as usual, it will be unpredictable and fast-paced.
In other words, fun.