It’s past the time for Pacific-10 Conference teams to feel out new players and fall because of new mistakes. It is also time for teams to start separating themselves from the rest of the conference.
While USC and Washington State have dominated the league, much intrigue still remains in the Pac-10.
The Cougars and Trojans, both complete opposites in geography and culture, have risen to the top with hard-nosed defense and big-play offenses.
However, a few other teams, such as UCLA and Washington, have packed a few surprises.

UCLA (6-2 overall, 4-0 Pac 10)

at Stanford (2-4, 0-4)
Few could have expected such a start from the Bruins this year. First-year head coach Karl Dorrell has the Bruins sitting at the top of the Pac-10 standings along with USC and Washington State.
The Bruins have used the unconventional two-quarterback rotation this year, but not by design. Incumbent starter Matt Moore has faced injuries this season but should get the start this weekend. It was with the Cardinal last year that Moore made his first collegiate start.
Stanford is coming off a humiliating performance against Oregon, and the outlook doesn’t get much brighter for the Cardinal. Stanford jumped out to a 15-0 lead last year against the Bruins, only to be held to a field goal the rest of the game in an eventual 28-18 loss.
“We’re obviously frustrated because we are playing hard as a team, and we expect that to continue,” Stanford head coach Buddy Teevens said. “Being off the road will be a plus. Coming back and seeing the home crowd will be great.”
The Bruins are carrying a three-game win streak into the matchup, with special teams and the defense scoring five of the team’s 21 touchdowns.

California (4-5, 2-2)

at Arizona State (4-4, 1-3)
The scoreboard might blow up by the end of this game. Cal and Arizona State both thrive on throwing the ball and are not shy about doing just that. Cal is coming off a 42-14 smashing of Arizona and figures to continue where it left off.
For Cal, it has been running back Adimchinobe Echemandu that has carried the offensive load of late. He ranks second in the Pac-10 in rushing at 97.9 yards per game and is averaging 134-yards per game over the last five contests.
“We haven’t run very many trick plays,” California head coach Jeff Tedford said. “We always go into games with four-to-five special plays. We just haven’t had the opportunity to use them.”
Meanwhile, Arizona State continues to be an offensive juggernaut, even receiving big plays from its kick return unit, which leads the conference with 24.9 yards per return.
The Sun Devils are almost automatic in the red zone. The team has capitalized on 16 of their last 17 trips into the red zone. Last year, Arizona State held a slim 38-35 third quarter lead when Cal scored the next 20 points to win the shootout, 55-38.

Arizona (1-7, 0-4)

at Oregon State (5-3, 2-2)
This was going to be a matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions. Oregon State was going up while Arizona was on the down. But two consecutive losses by the Beavers has Oregon State on its heels.
“(The loss to Washington State last week) will play itself out during the week, but I think our guys will respond well,” Beaver head coach Mike Riley said. “There’s a lot of pride in this group, so I suspect it will motivate us to come out and play better.”
Arizona has had four games to get adjusted to its new coach, former defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who is now serving on an interim
basis.
The Wildcats lead the series 19-6-1, with the Beavers winning in decisive fashion, 38-3, last year. Oregon State’s lauded running back Steven Jackson ran for 134 yards in that game.
As of late, Jackson hasn’t been the Beavers’ star. It has been senior James Newson, who has at least one catch in the last 32 games and is the leading receiver in the Pac-10. He is the only receiver to average more than 100 yards per game, with an average of 120.6 per contest.