Pac-10 Championship Game

Oregon State (8-3) at Oregon (9-2)
Saturday, December 3rd (9:00 PM EST)

They call it the Civil War, and it's a gridiron battle the entire state of Oregon looks forward to every year. This year, the audience will be nation-wide, as the winner of this heated rivalry will win the Pac-10 and an automatic bid to the Rose Bowl. It's the Ducks and the Beavers, and one game to decide the champion. Oh, and it's a Thursday night matchup on ESPN – this is what Championship Week should be.

When Oregon State has the ball: No one is surprised by the success of the Rodgers brothers this season. Jacquizz and James made a name for themselves last season, and have continued to be one of the most dominant offensive tandems in the nation...and certainly the finest duo from the same household. Jacquizz is 9th in the nation in rushing (119.4 ypg) and 3rd in rushing touchdowns (19). His brother James leads the Pac-10 in both receptions (77) and yards (865), and is also a threat to take a handoff to the house (260 rushing yards). The surprise this season has been the play of QB Sean Canfield. The senior began the season behind Lyle Moevao, but took over the reins of the offense in their very first game. Canfield has since emerged as one of the finest quarterbacks in the Pac-10, leading the conference in yards (254.3 ypg), touchdowns (19), and quarterback rating (147.5). Despite Canfield's success, there are concerns about the pass protection of the Beavers' offensive line. The Beavers have allowed 27 sacks this season, second worst in the conference (WSU has allowed a staggering 53). The big uglies will have their hands full against the Ducks defensive front, that has racked up 30 sacks this season. The ferocious Ducks are led by junior LB Kenny Rowe, who leads the team in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (7). The key for the Beavers will be to continue their success on 3rd down, where they lead the Pac-10 (48.4 %) and were unstoppable in November (60.5 %).

A review of games in the Mountain West, Pac-10, and WAC

Best game:

 
Utah            23
BYU             26    OT

They call it the Holy War – a rivalry between the secular state school of Utah, and the private university owned and operated by the Mormons. It means everything in the Beehive State, but it's starting to get some national attention as one of the best rivalry games in the country. It couldn't possibly be more evenly matched. Saturday's three-point margin of victory is the 11th game in the past 13 that have been decided by a touchdown or less.
The normally reserved Max Hall, the record-setting senior quarterback for the Cougars who is also married and a return missionary, didn't hold anything back in his post-game comments about his rival Utah. "I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything," Hall said. "It felt really good to send those guys home (with a loss)." Hall threw the winning touchdown in overtime, but he didn't have a great day statistically (12/32  134 yards, 2 TD).

Game of the Week

Idaho (7-3) at Boise State (9-0)
Saturday, November 14th (3:30 PM EST)
Affectionately, the “Spud State Super Bowl”

When Idaho has the ball: The Idaho offense has been terrific this season, especially against their conference foes (449.3 yards per game). They are thrilled to have QB Nathan Enderle back this week, after he sat out last week with a rotator cuff injury. The key for the Vandals will be the ground game, where they must get some production. It won't be easy against a Broncos defense that ranks 10th in the nation in total defense (271.6 ypg). The strength of the Vandals offense will match up against the strength of the Boise defense – passing. If Enderle can keep his composure, he may be able to complete some passes, but Boise simply doesn't let anyone beat them through the air (10 TD, 14 INT for their defense). The season high for passing yards by a Boise opponent was 214 by Hawaii, a team that ranks 3rd in the nation (350.3 ypg).

When Boise State has the ball: The Boise State offense is hitting their stride at exactly the right time. With a balanced and efficient attack, the Broncos are averaging 48 points per game in their last three contests. Defense has been a bit of a problem for the Vandals, who are 97th in the nation in total defense. Opponents have had tremendous success through the air, where the Vandals have yielded 20 touchdowns. The Idaho defense has been especially porous in the red zone, where opponents have scored in 18 of their last 19 trips. Look for the Boise offense to move the ball at will, and put up plenty of points.

Game of the Week

Arizona (6-2) at California (6-3)
Saturday, November 14th (7:00 PM EST)

When Arizona has the ball: The Wildcats have snuck up on the entire Pac-10, and enter this contest at 4-1 with a chance to win the title if they can win out. It won't be easy, as they will finish with games at Cal, home against Oregon, at Arizona State, and at USC. The cards are stacked against them, but this is one of the most complete teams in the nation - 13th in total offense, 17th in total defense, 1st in punt returns, 5th in kickoff returns. The MVP for the offense has been sophomore QB Nick Foles, who is 2nd in the nation in completion percentage (71.4%). RB Nic Grigsby is probably the most underated back in the conference, and he should be back from injury on Saturday. The Cal defense has been bipolar all season, and there's no telling which unit will show up.

When California has the ball: Cal's offense is completely dependent upon their ability to run the football. In their six wins this season, they're averaging 234 yards per game with 20 rushing touchdowns; in their three losses, just 67 yards per game and 1 touchdown. That doesn't bode well for the Bears who lost their best offensive weapon last week when Jahvid Best suffered a serious concussion in a flying touchdown effort. Best is out indefinitely, so the burden falls on sophomore RB Shane Vereen who had a good game against UCLA four weeks ago, but hasn't seen much production since. Arizona is particular strong against the run (96 ypg, 9 total TD). With Kevin Riley forced to pass the ball, the Wildcats will be after him all game (9 sacks in their last two home games). 

Game of the Week

Utah (8-1) at TCU (9-0)

Saturday, November 14th (7:30 PM EST)

When Utah has the ball: The Utah offense hasn't been the explosive force they were last year, but they've started to find some chemistry lately. Freshman QB Jordan Wynn took over the starting job two weeks ago, and has looked pretty impressive so far (64.3%, 379 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT). He also has a talented backfield, led by talented junior Eddie Wide who is 2nd in the MWC in rushing (810 yards, 8 TD). Unfortunately for Utah, the TCU defense is one of the best in the nation. The stingy Frogs, who rank 3rd nationally in total defense, are allowing just 203.8 yards per game in their home matchups (5-0).

When TCU has the ball: The TCU offense has been absolutely...well...nuclear. The Frogs are averaging 37.4 points per game, and 45 points per game at home. They're completely balanced in their offensive yards per game (242 rushing, 216 passing), and QB Andy Dalton is a fearless leader. He's also 4th in the nation in passing efficiency. The Utah defense has been strong, allowing fewer than 20 points in their 8 wins. But the last time the Utes faced an offense as talented and balanced as TCU's was in a 31-21 loss to Oregon State.