via i530.photobucket.com (Hat-tip JShufelt)
This is to discuss tonight's games. To discuss the Cal-Arizona State game, scroll up to the postgame thread!
Also, use this to discuss the Cal-USC women's volleyball game--free online stream from CalBears.com!
USC at Oregon, 8 PM EST/5 PM PST, ABC in the West Coast/Northeast/Upper Midwest, ESPN2 elsewhere: I've got to be honest. Oregon has beaten UCLA, Washington and Wazzu. Purdue is stumbling along, Utah, although formidable, is a step slower than last season, and although we'll probably have a better idea after ASU, Cal might or might not be their only quality win up to this point (road dates at Furd, at Arizona and home games against ASU and OSU loom). USC might not have looked dominant this season, but they have won at Ohio State, at Notre Dame, at Cal, and at home against Oregon State. It's hard to say these teams are on an equal playing field when they've been playing radically different quality opponents.
Besides, haven't we seen this script before? The Trojans have only lost once to a team ranked at the time they played them (Dixon and Oregon 2007), and when it's a big game, they're usually up to the task of beheading a few opponents and racking up 500 yards of offense. Before you start saying, "Hey, Matt Barkley isn't ready for the big-time stage", ask yourself, "Do you trust Jeremiah Masoli, a new offensive line and two freshmen running backs to start smashing up USC's defense?"
(pondering....pondering....)
No.
Texas at Oklahoma State, 8 PM EST/5 PM PST, ABC in the heartland, ESPN2 elsewhere: Can't stand the thought of two Pac-10 teams dueling for a conference title we've probably long since lost out on? Check out the Longhorns as they try to slog their way through their final formidable road test in Stillwater.
South Carolina at Tennessee, 7:45 PM EST/4:45 PM PST, ESPN. I have no compelling reason for you to watch this game.
Wazzu at Notre Dame in San Antonio, 7:30 PM EST, 4:30 PM PST, NBC. Someone please tell me why THIS was the game the Irish chose for primetime.
Kansas State at Oklahoma, 7 PM, 4 PM PST, FSN HD. Your leaders in the Big 12 North are currently Kansas State and Iowa State. Kansas State is also four touchdown underdogs against Landry Jones this weekend. Can we disband the Big 12 title game and hand the crown to Texas already?
In progress
UCLA at Oregon State, Fox Sports Prime Ticket/Regional coverage: I wonder how many times Karl Dorrell started conference play 0-5.