Pac 12 Update

Since Oregon's opening day loss, the Pac 12 has made more of its headlines off the field. Stanford is the highest-ranked team in the conference and is the only undefeated team in the bunch. Unfortunately, they will be in a dogfight with Oregon all season for the Pac-12 North title as the two marquis programs in the conference are together, rightfully, in the same division. They square off November 12 in Palo Alto so the intrigue until then will center on who can play spoiler up North (Washington?) and who will take charge down South (Arizona State?).

This week's games should not help determine a North front runner as Stanford hosts UCLA and Oregon is off, but there are other key games as Washington travels to Utah, ASU hosts Oregon State (its no longer September so the Beavers might actually show up), USC hosts Arizona and WSU travels to Boulder. Arizona already has two conference losses--to the two best teams in the Pac-12--so they will have to play like a team possessed against the Men of Troy. But USC cannot afford to stumble there as it would give them a second loss and make catching an ASU team that beat them last week that much more difficult. Utah too has a conference loss and must win a huge game versus Washington. That is probably the one game to see this week (4pm kickoff Pacific time, FSN).