Race for Pac-10 title could be real wild one

Associated Press

Last update: October 22, 2008 - 11:19 PM

With the Pac-10 season approaching the midpoint, there’s a logjam at the top of the conference standings. Five of the 10 teams have only one loss, promising a wide-open race to the finish.

“I’m never surprised by the competitiveness of the conference or the parity in the conference,” said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, who has one of the one-loss teams. “I’m not a great historian so I can’t tell you the last time the conference champion was undefeated, but I think it’s been more normal that there’s been a loss or two losses. It’s just that competitive.”

USC was the last team to go undefeated in the Pac-10, doing it in both 2004 and ’05. But only one other time in the past 11 years has a team gone through the conference unbeaten. In the past two seasons, a pair of two-loss teams tied for the Pac-10 title.

The Trojans, who have won at least a share of the title for seven consecutive seasons, are part of a four-way tie at 3-1 with Oregon, Arizona and Oregon State. California is a half-game back at 2-1.

The big game this week has Arizona playing host to USC.

“USC is sitting up there, and they are probably without question the most talented team week in and week out,” Wildcats coach Mike Stoops said. “We certainly understand the importance of the game because a win would put us a game up with a win over USC.”

Oregon State already has a victory over USC, which could be a determining factor if the teams end up tied at the end of the season.

Spurrier in a quandary
Not even Steve Spurrier knows who South Carolina’s No. 1 quarterback is these days.

“We might put [reserve] Zac Brindise out there first,” the Gamecocks coach said Wednesday.

That would be a surprise since the walk-on never has taken a snap for the Gamecocks. But with Chris Smelley, Stephen Garcia and Tommy Beecher not living up to expectations, the coach might be serious.

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