No, you’re not delusional. Your eyesight is OK.
California is atop the Pacific-10 Conference standings. Washington is last.
Crazy, but true.
Granted, it’s only three weeks into the season, and the Huskies have only one loss, but that doesn’t mean anyone — including Cal players — expected anything like this to happen.
Amazingly, six Pac-10 teams (Oregon, USC, Washington, Washington State, UCLA and Cal) are ranked in the top-25 this week, the most since Sept. 18, 1989. Not to be forgotten, Oregon State is close behind at No. 28 in the Associated Press poll.
What does that mean? Nothing, really, since conference play hasn’t even begun.
It does, however, promise another exciting Pac-10 race where no team can be taken for granted — especially Cal.
After a 1-10 finish last year, the Bears were picked to finish last in the conference this year. Under first-year head coach Jeff Tedford, the Bears have been golden. They pounded then-No. 15 Michigan State 46-22 last week to start their season 3-0 for the first time since 1996. They’re ranked — no joke — No. 23 in the Associated Press poll.
Tedford, the former Oregon offensive coordinator, is simply a miracle man. Let’s hope he didn’t sell his soul.
“What we’re doing is a shock to me,” cornerback James Bethea told the San Francisco Chronicle. “This is how you always dream of your college football career being — not to say that we’ll win every game we play, but that we feel proud of playing for Cal, and we have a chance to win every time we go out there.”
Quarterback Kyle Boller, who’s admitted to constantly watching the film of Oregon’s Fiesta Bowl victory, was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week after accounting for four touchdowns (two throwing, one rushing, one catching) against the Spartans.
After an ugly career, Boller may end on a positive note.
“My best stuff is yet to come, I think,” Boller told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Too bad his best won’t come in a bowl game.
Because of a 1999 case involving academic fraud (two Cal players received credit for classes they didn’t take), the Bears are ineligible for a bowl game this year.
With that said, Cal’s plight doesn’t really matter (unless the Bears somehow shock the world and win the conference and throw us all in upheaval. But don’t worry, that won’t happen).
USC, on the other hand, does matter. After trouncing Colorado last week, the Trojans are clearly the best Pac-10 team so far this season.
At No. 9, Oregon is the only Pac-10 team ranked in the top-10. USC is right behind at No. 11. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: USC is going to come to Eugene on Oct. 26 to knock some heads. The Trojans are pissed, for good reason, having lost three-straight thrillers to the Ducks, and then having it shoved in their faces in the form of a billboard three blocks from their Los Angeles campus.
That may be the best Pac-10 game this season. Don’t leave early.
OK, how about some picks for this week? Legal note: These picks are not official and should not count toward my weekly selections during Pac-10 play. They are for warm-up purposes only and may not be used for profit. All rights reserved.
USC 30, Kansas State 24.
Wisconsin 40, Arizona 17.
Colorado 35, UCLA 28.
Cal 49, Air Force 21.
WSU 52, Montana State 14.
Oregon State 28, Fresno State 17.
Washington 44, Wyoming 10.
Oregon 35, Portland State 21.