DG on PX - Pac 10 Things We Learned in Week 4

Oregon stumbled at Boise State, but now finds itself in the thick of the Pac-10 race. With USC coming to Autzen, are the Ducks now the team to beat?

10 thoughts from the home office and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

- No one in the Pac-10 can handle prosperity
Oregon finds itself on the cover of Sports Illustrated? Lose at Boise State.

USC wins an epic at Ohio State? Lose at Washington.

Cal on top of the Pac-10 hierarchy with perhaps the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy? Lose at Oregon.

See the pattern yet? Not a single team in this conference seems capable of dealing with any sort of success, no matter how fleeting. And it’s not like this is a one season phenomenon, as those three schools previously mentioned have been through this same scenario several times this decade.

It’s hard to keep the necessary intensity when everyone is saying how great you are. Factor in a key mistake, penalty or missed assignment and losses are out there waiting for you.

How you bounce back is what matters. That USC hasn’t lost back-to-back games since 2001 is how it has rolled up seven straight conference crowns.

Oregon proved its mettle. USC and Cal get their chance next week.

- Oregon is back (and maybe in the driver’s seat)
Don’t look now, but the Boise State debacle might as well have been five years ago. The Ducks find themselves on a three-game winning streak and just knocked off one of the elite challengers for the Pac-10 title. The other comes to Eugene on Halloween night in what might be the craziest scene Autzen Stadium has ever witnessed.

LaMichael James is the star everyone said he would be, but it was the passing game that came back to life in running off 42 unanswered points. Tight end Ed Dickson, now the league’s top performer at the position given Rob Gronkowski’s injury, was finally made a focal point of the attack and responded with 148 yards and three touchdowns.

The defense has been outstanding all season and suddenly, Oregon could join the 1994 team they honored with throwback jerseys by playing in the Rose Bowl.

USC remains a slight favorite to win the Pac-10, but Oregon is now solidly No. 2. Having the Trojans come to them might make the difference.

- Kevin Riley remains the weak link for Cal
The Bears are going to be able to run the ball against most teams, but to beat an elite program, they need Riley to make enough throws that the defense won’t be able to load up against Best.

That didn’t happen Saturday and needs to change before USC comes to town. It didn’t help that receivers dropped several key passes, nor did the fact Riley was under constant pressure to the tune of five sacks and six hurries. Ultimately, it comes down to Riley’s willingness to make plays in tough spots, something Cal hasn’t had since Aaron Rodgers.

That lack of clutch passing plays has been the downfall in Cal’s last three losses to USC. It might be their downfall yet again.

- The USC-Cal game takes on a completely different complexion
If it were a wrestling match, it would be given a “loser leaves town” stipulation because it’s way too early to be hung with a second conference loss. Sure, there’s a good chance the Pac-10 could be won or shared with two losses given how crazy the season has been, but why risk it? The Trojans still have to head to Autzen and Tempe, while Cal still has to answer 0-for-LA.

To put it more simply, the dreams of one of these teams ends on the first Saturday in October. The loser could easily slide into 6-6 mediocrity.

- Chris Owusu is the best player in the Pac-10 no one knows about
He was one of Jimmy Clausen’s go-to receivers at Oaks Christian, now Owusu is the bane of kick coverage teams everywhere. The speed sophomore housed his third kick return this season and is averaging 59.2 yards per return. That’s well on pace to decimate the NCAA single-season record – 40.1 yards per by BYU’s Paul Allen in 1961 - assuming teams actually let him handle the ball from here on out. Two more scores would also tie Tulsa’s Ashlan Davis for kick return touchdowns in one year.

- Arizona State’s defense will keep them in games
Georgia hung 41 on South Carolina and 52 on Arkansas. The Sun Devils held them to 20 in spite of a pretty horrendous showing by their own offense.

Much like UCLA, Arizona State will have to rely on that D, some kind of running game and special teams to notch wins against the Pac-10.

It also makes you wonder how short the leash will be for quarterback Danny Sullivan (10-for-33, 116 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT).

- Vontaze Burfict is very scary
Harry Caray – actually Saturday Night Live’s Will Ferrell – once asked if you could trust the Predator monster not to kill everyone, would you sign him to your baseball team?

Arizona State’s ferocious freshman linebacker gives me the same vibe. He made a couple of awesome hits Between the Hedges. If Dennis Erickson is able to build the Sun Devils into a consistent threat, Burfict will be the centerpiece.

- The Sun Devils certainly missed their All-American kicker
With Thomas Weber sidelined by a groin injury, Arizona State turned to true freshman Bobby Wenzig, who was promptly blocked on a 38-yard fourth-quarter attempt with the score tied. Georgia responded and drove for the win.

- New Arizona QB Nick Foles looks like the real deal
I had my doubts when coach Mike Stoops turned to Foles for the conference opener at Oregon State. Fellow sophomore Matt Scott made some plays with his legs while trying to revive a passing attack without its top player in Gronkowski and a banged up No. 1 receiver.

But sure enough, Foles made a believer out of me, leading the Wildcats to a 37-32 win at Reser. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 254 yards, three touchdowns and, most importantly, did not throw an interception.

The Arizona rushing game is a known commodity, but the threat of Foles would make them a player in the suddenly topsy-turvy Pac-10 race.

- Maybe Matt Barkley does make a difference
When Barkley was at Mater Dei, they scored in bunches. Friday night, the Monarchs were held to 23 in a forgettable effort against LA Jordan.

Aaron Corp led the Trojans to 13 points at Washington. Barkley had them at 13 with 3:10 left – in the first quarter.