DG on PX - Pac 10 Things We Learned in Week 3

So that happened. USC again falls in its Pac-10 road opener, creating a ripple effect that could cost Cal the naional title.

-Same old USC
The Trojans violated two of Pete Carroll’s three rules: “It’s all about the ball” and “Protect the team.”

You cannot turn the ball over and expect to win games. USC lost two fumbles and an interception, all deep in Washington territory to cost the Trojans at least nine points. Add in a horrendous decision at the end of the first half that resulted in another lost field goal and that’s the ball game.

That’s the difference between blowout and upset.

Yes, Aaron Corp was shaky in his first start and the way the quarterback situation was handled all week bordered on the insane, but it wouldn’t have mattered if USC had maintained a two-score edge throughout. That’s protecting the team.

Even phenom Matt Barkley would have lost given the same set of circumstances.

Fortunately, USC has a get-well game before the trip to Berkeley, two weeks to clean things up before seven years of dominance come to a head.

-Cal showed its mettle after troubling issues resurfaced
Paced by Jahvid Best’s five touchdowns, the Bears finally won a non-conference game on the road. Now comes the hard part, actually winning the Pac-10.

It will come down to quarterback Kevin Riley and his receivers’ ability to make plays against defenses designed to stop the run. It happened at Minnesota, but only because Best was contained by an unlikely source.

The coaching staff showed a troubling tendency to get away from its best offensive weapon. After scoring on a 27-yard touchdown, Best touched the ball just four times in an 18:47 stretch covering the second and third quarters as Minnesota put together two drives to tie the game.

The lesson was clearly taken to heart as Best had 11 carries and a reception in the fourth quarter.

-USC still has a shot at the BCS title; Cal’s road took a hit
Look, the SEC champion is as good as in. That leaves one spot for USC, Cal, Penn State, Miami and Texas.

USC can get there by winning out, combined with strong finishes by Ohio State, Notre Dame and Cal. Road wins over the Big Ten champ, BCS-eligible Irish and 10- or 11-game winning Bears would be an incredible strong resume. Don’t forget, the national media would excuse the Washington loss under such a scenario, especially because Matt Barkley would likely be undefeated as starting quarterback.

Cal needed to beat an undefeated USC for its signature win. Not only have the Trojans slipped up, but now Oklahoma-Miami has equal, if not more, cachet Oct. 3. The Bears have a path, especially with Best’s undeniable star power, but it got a lot harder thanks to USC’s annual screw up.

-Parlay USC and Stanford next Saturday
The Trojans will take out their anger on Washington State. The Huskies will let down after the biggest week the program has seen in years. Bank on it.

-Pac-10 missed its chance to assert itself as the top conference
LSU. Wake Forest. Iowa. Cincinnati.

Add those wins to a resume that already includes wins at Ohio State and Tennessee and a 6-4 record against other BCS conferences, 19-6 overall, that’s as good as it gets. The Pac-10 would be right there with the SEC and Big 12.

Instead, it will be another year of begging for scraps and hoping USC or Cal can finagle its way onto the big stage.

-Oregon State’s defensive line is a work in progress
The Beavers simply couldn’t get to Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike with their front four, so they were forced to blitz. Big mistake.

Pike completed 31 of 49 for 332 yards and two touchdowns, simply shredding Oregon State at will in the second half.

Even with tackle Stephen Paea back, a defense that ranked third in the country in sacks last season has two through three games. That’s got to change for the Beavers to make another top three finish in conference.

-Arizona simply can’t replace Rob Gronkowski
The Wildcats just lost their biggest mismatch, someone they could have deployed all over the field to bolster a lackluster aerial effort. Instead, coordinator Sonny Dykes will have to continue to let Nic Grigsby (133 rushing yards per game) carry the load until a quarterback steps up.

-UCLA has its formula for success
Defense, a powerful rushing attack and one or two big plays through the air can carry the Bruins to eight or more wins.

That worked against Kansas State, now they have two weeks to get quarterback Kevin Craft ready for the trip to Stanford. He made a terrific throw to a wide-open Terrence Austin for a score, but still looked shaky at times.

Johnathan Franklin is a star in the making at running back, along with the undeniable presence of that defense, but it all can come undone if Craft lobs up a couple of those pick-sixes that were all too frequent in 2008.

-Something might be wrong with Jeremiah Masoli
Is he hurt? Does he not trust his receivers? Is the offensive line or playcalling responsible? I don’t have an answer for you yet, but Oregon’s quarterback looks nothing like the wrecking machine from the end of last season.

Masoli completed just 4 of 16 passes with a pick in the win over Utah, and hasn’t topped 53 percent in any of his three games in 2009. The Ducks are 116th in passing offense and passing efficiency – behind Washington State, people.

As effective as Masoli and LaMichael James (152 yards, 5.6 yards per carry) can be carrying the ball, Oregon isn’t more than a 7-5 team without the threat of a passing game. That’s got to change, starting with Cal this week, or else they can look forward to a lot of eight in the box looks.

-Washington State wins a game
What’s the old adage, even a blind squirrel can find two interceptions and return them for touchdowns?