The postseason fates of four Pacific-10 teams other than Oregon were deeply affected by Saturday’s matchups.
Washington, which can’t afford to lose a game, beat California 36-24 at Husky Stadium — but it was closer than the scoreboard indicated.
The Huskies converted three turnovers and a blocked punt to score 23 points in the fourth quarter. By the season’s end, it could prove to be the most vital stretch of Washington’s season.
Yes, Oregon State — one of the other teams that continued to build its legacy Saturday — traveled down to Los Angeles to face a UCLA team that was beaten in triple-overtime by Cal a week prior.
Also, the Bruins had star tailback DeShaun Foster back in the lineup, who received medical clearance to play about an hour before the opening kickoff. UCLA was a four-point favorite. It lost by six.
By beating the Bruins, the Beavers did more than keep Rose Bowl hopes alive. They made the upcoming date of Nov. 18 — the Civil War — all the more intriguing.
The Bruins are one of the five Pac-10 teams whose fate was clarified this weekend. With its three losses, UCLA won’t go to the Holiday Bowl or the Sun Bowl, unless it gets a lot of help from either UW or OSU.
So what’s the fourth team to have its fate determined?
Southern California lost to Stanford, 32-30, on a last-second pass from backup freshman quarterback Chris Lewis to Jamien McCullum.
The Trojans, once picked to win the Pac-10, are now in sole possession of last place.
With the exception of head coach Paul Hackett, USC might not be going anywhere this postseason.