He's back. Mr. Irrelevance is eyeballing the Pac-10.
A month into the season, four conference teams remain unbeaten, but that figures to be a temporary mirage. Three of those teams are underdogs in non-conference games this weekend.
The Pac-10 is in danger of becoming USC and the nine dwarfs, or teams vertically challenged in the national rankings. Note that the unbeaten, fourth-ranked Trojans have a bye while Mr. Irrelevance is hanging around.
While coaches love to spout about how conference showdowns are what really matter, impressive non-conference victories create national buzz, a quality the Pac-10 has sorely lacked while becoming the only BCS member not to play for a national title over the past six seasons. The Pac-10, in fact, hasn't won a consensus national title since USC in 1972.
The Pac-10 is 16-8 in non-conference games this year. Five of those eight losses came against Top 25 teams, but that shouldn't be much consolation for a league trying to prove it is not soft. Of those 16 victories, just two came against quality opponents, neither of which remains ranked.
USC buried Auburn, but that victory lost its luster when the Tigers imploded the following weekend against Georgia Tech. Washington State whipped Colorado, but its narrow loss at Notre Dame was cast in a different light after Michigan thumped the Fighting Irish 38-0.
Five Pac-10 teams are ranked, though only the Trojans remain in the Top 15. After this weekend, that number might drop to three.
The marquee game is No. 3 Michigan's visit to No. 22 Oregon. The Wolverines lost their past two West Coast trips -- to UCLA in 2000 and Washington in 2001 -- but have outscored opponents 133-10 this year. They appear vastly superior to the Ducks.
In a battle of teams that appear overrated, No. 16 Arizona State heads to No. 18 Iowa. The Sun Devils looked terribly mediocre in wins over Northern Arizona and Utah State, surrendering more than 370 yards in each game.
Against Utah State, they had five turnovers and missed numerous tackles. The offensive line was flagged for five holding calls and was humiliated after turning the ball over on downs when they failed to score on consecutive running plays from the 1-yard line.
And so the Big Ten figures to improve to 5-1 vs. the Pac-10 this year, if Arizona loses to Purdue (any doubt?) and Illinois slips past California (more than likely) on Saturday.
While Washington and Washington State should have little trouble at home vs. Idaho and New Mexico, respectively, three other non-conference games could further damage the Pac-10's Q-rating: Top-ranked Oklahoma plays host to UCLA, Boise State is at Oregon State, and Stanford visits BYU.
UCLA typically has been known for high-powered offenses and soft defenses, but not this year. The Bruins rank 16th in the nation in total defense but are last (117th) in total offense (just behind Notre Dame). Don't expect them to do much against the Sooners' talented defense.
Oregon State could be in trouble for two reasons: Derek Anderson remains the Beavers quarterback, and tailback Steven Jackson might not play against Boise State.
Anderson completed 17 of 30 passes against New Mexico State, exceeding a 50 percent completion rate for just the second time in his previous 12 games. He has tossed seven interceptions in his past two games.
Jackson, who didn't practice Tuesday because of a sprained knee, is the Oregon State offense. He's touched the ball on 104 of the Beavers' 244 offensive plays and is fifth in the nation with 204 all-purpose yards per game.
Boise State is 0-8 against the Pac-10 and 1-12 vs. BCS conference teams, the lone victory coming in last year's Humanitarian Bowl against Iowa State.
If the Broncos notch the upset, Oregon State, generally thought of as a preseason dark horse in the Pac-10, will be 0-2 vs. the WAC.
And what about unbeaten Stanford, owners of the nation's best run defense? That's a statistical bonus for playing just one game -- San Jose State -- while every other Division I-A team has played at least two.
The Cardinal will debut redshirt freshman quarterback Trent Edwards as a starter at BYU, and the Cougars will do one better with a true freshman quarterback, John Beck.
Vegas' take on this Pac-10-Mountain West Conference matchup featuring green quarterbacks? Stanford is a 6-point underdog.
Anyone remember the vaunted Northwest shift in the Pac-10, when Washington, Oregon State and Oregon each earned Top-10 rankings after the 2000 season, and Oregon and Washington State did the same in 2001? Seems so long ago, way back in the Rick Neuheisel, Dennis Erickson, Mike Price eras.
It's not just that the Pac-10 is perennially left out of the national title hunt. The problem for the nine dwarfs is USC appears poised to return to its glory days, when it won 15 Pac-10 titles from 1962-89, while the prospects for the nine dwarfs no longer appear very bright.
Of course, we may be underrating the Pac-10. Mr. Irrelevance is pretty convincing, though. We'll know after this weekend.
BOOTY'S CHALLENGE: If touted true freshman quarterback John David Booty is going to play this season, he needs to make a move during USC's bye week. Sophomore Matt Leinart appears to have a firm grip on the starting job, but Trojans coaches continue to be intrigued by Booty's ability, which was so impressive he left high school a year early.
Booty will get plenty of work this week, but unless he proves he's at least the Trojans' second-best quarterback, he figures to redshirt.
"We need to see how far he can go and how far he can take it," coach Pete Carroll told The Los Angeles Times. "This is the last big opportunity to see how much he can do."
Leinart has done more than Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer did in his first three games last year. He has a better completion percentage, has thrown twice as many touchdowns (six) and his 140.0 efficiency rating is 20 points better than Palmer's at this point last season.
ROBERTSON OUT; RODGERS IN: California quarterback Reggie Robertson has played well, completing more than 60 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, but not well enough for him to retain the starting job.
It was just a matter of time before coach Jeff Tedford tapped talented JC transfer Aaron Rodgers, who won the job after completing 15 of 25 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Robertson in a losing effort against Utah.
"He can put balls in places a lot quicker because of arm strength," Tedford said. "In the long run, Aaron is our guy who allows us to be successful."
PRETTY IN PINK: Iowa uses an unusual strategy to thwart opponents' testosterone at Kinnick Stadium. The visiting locker room features pink walls, the obvious intent being to motivate a team to gossip, watch Oprah before the game and talk about shoes instead of contemplating blocking assignments.
Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter didn't want his team to go into such a hostile environment cold. He covered ASU's locker room in pink tissue this week so the Sun Devils could get accustomed to their feminine side and still want to stomp on the Hawkeyes' larynx.
AND FROM THE CELLAR: Arizona has been outscored 107-23 in its past two games and outgained 974 yards to 362. The Wildcats rank no better than eighth in any Pac-10 team statistical category.
Coach John Mackovic's latest excuse, er, explanation is: "We didn't tackle, and we didn't block. That's an emphasis point for us this week."
Obviously, coaching had nothing to do with it. An Arizona alum has another idea. He set up a Web site to present his feelings on the state of the program: www.firemackovic.com.
QUICKLY: UCLA quarterback Matt Moore, who suffered a knee injury in the opener against Colorado, could return to the lineup by the Washington game Oct. 4. ... Oregon has outscored its opponents 44-0 in the first quarter. ... Arizona State held four starters out of the Utah State game, but cornerback R.J. Oliver, free safety Jason Shivers, tailback Mike Williams and fullback Mike Karney will play against Iowa. ... Oregon State cornerback Brandon Browner didn't play last weekend because of academic reasons, and his status against Boise State and for the rest of the season remains unclear. If Browner remains ineligible, D.J. Coote will start. ... USC is riding an 11-game winning streak in which it has beaten opponents by an average margin of 41-19. And that's not just because of a couple of blowouts. The Trojans have scored 30 or more points in 10 of those 11 games. ... Arizona lost a second starter on its already thin offensive line when senior leader Brandon Phillips went down because of a knee injury against Oregon. ... Craig Morton, a former California and NFL quarterback, will head a fund-raising drive to renovate Memorial Stadium and improve the Bears' football facilities.
Picks Here
A month into the season, four conference teams remain unbeaten, but that figures to be a temporary mirage. Three of those teams are underdogs in non-conference games this weekend.
The Pac-10 is in danger of becoming USC and the nine dwarfs, or teams vertically challenged in the national rankings. Note that the unbeaten, fourth-ranked Trojans have a bye while Mr. Irrelevance is hanging around.
While coaches love to spout about how conference showdowns are what really matter, impressive non-conference victories create national buzz, a quality the Pac-10 has sorely lacked while becoming the only BCS member not to play for a national title over the past six seasons. The Pac-10, in fact, hasn't won a consensus national title since USC in 1972.
The Pac-10 is 16-8 in non-conference games this year. Five of those eight losses came against Top 25 teams, but that shouldn't be much consolation for a league trying to prove it is not soft. Of those 16 victories, just two came against quality opponents, neither of which remains ranked.
USC buried Auburn, but that victory lost its luster when the Tigers imploded the following weekend against Georgia Tech. Washington State whipped Colorado, but its narrow loss at Notre Dame was cast in a different light after Michigan thumped the Fighting Irish 38-0.
Five Pac-10 teams are ranked, though only the Trojans remain in the Top 15. After this weekend, that number might drop to three.
The marquee game is No. 3 Michigan's visit to No. 22 Oregon. The Wolverines lost their past two West Coast trips -- to UCLA in 2000 and Washington in 2001 -- but have outscored opponents 133-10 this year. They appear vastly superior to the Ducks.
In a battle of teams that appear overrated, No. 16 Arizona State heads to No. 18 Iowa. The Sun Devils looked terribly mediocre in wins over Northern Arizona and Utah State, surrendering more than 370 yards in each game.
Against Utah State, they had five turnovers and missed numerous tackles. The offensive line was flagged for five holding calls and was humiliated after turning the ball over on downs when they failed to score on consecutive running plays from the 1-yard line.
And so the Big Ten figures to improve to 5-1 vs. the Pac-10 this year, if Arizona loses to Purdue (any doubt?) and Illinois slips past California (more than likely) on Saturday.
While Washington and Washington State should have little trouble at home vs. Idaho and New Mexico, respectively, three other non-conference games could further damage the Pac-10's Q-rating: Top-ranked Oklahoma plays host to UCLA, Boise State is at Oregon State, and Stanford visits BYU.
UCLA typically has been known for high-powered offenses and soft defenses, but not this year. The Bruins rank 16th in the nation in total defense but are last (117th) in total offense (just behind Notre Dame). Don't expect them to do much against the Sooners' talented defense.
Oregon State could be in trouble for two reasons: Derek Anderson remains the Beavers quarterback, and tailback Steven Jackson might not play against Boise State.
Anderson completed 17 of 30 passes against New Mexico State, exceeding a 50 percent completion rate for just the second time in his previous 12 games. He has tossed seven interceptions in his past two games.
Jackson, who didn't practice Tuesday because of a sprained knee, is the Oregon State offense. He's touched the ball on 104 of the Beavers' 244 offensive plays and is fifth in the nation with 204 all-purpose yards per game.
Boise State is 0-8 against the Pac-10 and 1-12 vs. BCS conference teams, the lone victory coming in last year's Humanitarian Bowl against Iowa State.
If the Broncos notch the upset, Oregon State, generally thought of as a preseason dark horse in the Pac-10, will be 0-2 vs. the WAC.
And what about unbeaten Stanford, owners of the nation's best run defense? That's a statistical bonus for playing just one game -- San Jose State -- while every other Division I-A team has played at least two.
The Cardinal will debut redshirt freshman quarterback Trent Edwards as a starter at BYU, and the Cougars will do one better with a true freshman quarterback, John Beck.
Vegas' take on this Pac-10-Mountain West Conference matchup featuring green quarterbacks? Stanford is a 6-point underdog.
Anyone remember the vaunted Northwest shift in the Pac-10, when Washington, Oregon State and Oregon each earned Top-10 rankings after the 2000 season, and Oregon and Washington State did the same in 2001? Seems so long ago, way back in the Rick Neuheisel, Dennis Erickson, Mike Price eras.
It's not just that the Pac-10 is perennially left out of the national title hunt. The problem for the nine dwarfs is USC appears poised to return to its glory days, when it won 15 Pac-10 titles from 1962-89, while the prospects for the nine dwarfs no longer appear very bright.
Of course, we may be underrating the Pac-10. Mr. Irrelevance is pretty convincing, though. We'll know after this weekend.
BOOTY'S CHALLENGE: If touted true freshman quarterback John David Booty is going to play this season, he needs to make a move during USC's bye week. Sophomore Matt Leinart appears to have a firm grip on the starting job, but Trojans coaches continue to be intrigued by Booty's ability, which was so impressive he left high school a year early.
Booty will get plenty of work this week, but unless he proves he's at least the Trojans' second-best quarterback, he figures to redshirt.
"We need to see how far he can go and how far he can take it," coach Pete Carroll told The Los Angeles Times. "This is the last big opportunity to see how much he can do."
Leinart has done more than Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer did in his first three games last year. He has a better completion percentage, has thrown twice as many touchdowns (six) and his 140.0 efficiency rating is 20 points better than Palmer's at this point last season.
ROBERTSON OUT; RODGERS IN: California quarterback Reggie Robertson has played well, completing more than 60 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, but not well enough for him to retain the starting job.
It was just a matter of time before coach Jeff Tedford tapped talented JC transfer Aaron Rodgers, who won the job after completing 15 of 25 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Robertson in a losing effort against Utah.
"He can put balls in places a lot quicker because of arm strength," Tedford said. "In the long run, Aaron is our guy who allows us to be successful."
PRETTY IN PINK: Iowa uses an unusual strategy to thwart opponents' testosterone at Kinnick Stadium. The visiting locker room features pink walls, the obvious intent being to motivate a team to gossip, watch Oprah before the game and talk about shoes instead of contemplating blocking assignments.
Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter didn't want his team to go into such a hostile environment cold. He covered ASU's locker room in pink tissue this week so the Sun Devils could get accustomed to their feminine side and still want to stomp on the Hawkeyes' larynx.
AND FROM THE CELLAR: Arizona has been outscored 107-23 in its past two games and outgained 974 yards to 362. The Wildcats rank no better than eighth in any Pac-10 team statistical category.
Coach John Mackovic's latest excuse, er, explanation is: "We didn't tackle, and we didn't block. That's an emphasis point for us this week."
Obviously, coaching had nothing to do with it. An Arizona alum has another idea. He set up a Web site to present his feelings on the state of the program: www.firemackovic.com.
QUICKLY: UCLA quarterback Matt Moore, who suffered a knee injury in the opener against Colorado, could return to the lineup by the Washington game Oct. 4. ... Oregon has outscored its opponents 44-0 in the first quarter. ... Arizona State held four starters out of the Utah State game, but cornerback R.J. Oliver, free safety Jason Shivers, tailback Mike Williams and fullback Mike Karney will play against Iowa. ... Oregon State cornerback Brandon Browner didn't play last weekend because of academic reasons, and his status against Boise State and for the rest of the season remains unclear. If Browner remains ineligible, D.J. Coote will start. ... USC is riding an 11-game winning streak in which it has beaten opponents by an average margin of 41-19. And that's not just because of a couple of blowouts. The Trojans have scored 30 or more points in 10 of those 11 games. ... Arizona lost a second starter on its already thin offensive line when senior leader Brandon Phillips went down because of a knee injury against Oregon. ... Craig Morton, a former California and NFL quarterback, will head a fund-raising drive to renovate Memorial Stadium and improve the Bears' football facilities.
Picks Here
