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Assuming Przybilla passes his physical on Sunday, he will rejoin Portland for his twelfth NBA season, his eighth with the Blazers. The 7-foot-1 center, who hasn’t played in a game since March 7th of last year and has missed the majority of the past two seasons due to multiple surgeries on his right knee, says he is now healthy and ready to go.

“My knee feels good. I’ve been working out hard and it feels great,” Przybilla said. “And I’ve been getting an itch to come back, so I figured I would give it another try.”

While the move to sign Przybilla will provide a short term fix at center and surely get fans excited, it doesn’t make the Blazers any better going forward; it still leaves fans wondering about the future of their team. Head coach, Nate McMillan, continues to let his youth rot on the end of his bench, even during times when the veteran players aren’t getting the job done. In this wildly condensed NBA season, fans expected to see the team’s youth play more than usual, but the seemingly stubborn coach refuses to allow it.

The Blazers don’t appear at all poised to make a run at the NBA championship, and while a move like this is heart-warming and gets the fans going, it doesn’t put the team any closer to moving out of the first round of the playoffs.

Przybilla did turn down the opportunity to be a true contender for an NBA championship this year to come back to Portland however, if that is worth anything. He and his wife have spent the past couple weeks being courted by the league-leading Miami Heat and the very dangerous Chicago Bulls. The top two teams in the eastern conference were both looking to add depth at the center spot and were actively trying to sign the Minnesota native.

The decision to return to Portland ultimately was the best choice for Przybilla’s family since they already have deep roots in town. So the man dubbed the “Thrylla” or “Vanilla Gorilla” by the Rip City faithful, will make a highly anticipated return to the Rose Garden after the all-star weekend.

“It’s home. That’s what it comes down to,” Przybilla said. “For me and my family, we still consider it home, and that’s a big thing. I just feel comfortable there, and my family feels comfortable. Anthony is already excited to play with his toys that are there at the house.”

AP File Photo/Don Ryan

Przybilla joins a very hot, then cold Blazer team; a team that has been struggling to find an identity all season long. The Blazers are 18-16 heading into the all-star break and currently hold the eighth spot in the western conference. If Przybilla can stay healthy, he will add height and grit to a roster that is lacking in both, but he surely won’t take them to another level.

Przybilla will be the tallest player on the team and even at the age of 32, will be the youngest of the team’s main centers. He will be splitting time at center with his elders, Marcus Camby (37) and Kurt Thomas (39). The Blazers also have a young center in Chris Johnson (26), but McMillan continues to show no trust in his younger players, and Johnson remains on the bench despite showing potential in his brief appearances. With this move, Johnson’s little time on the floor will likely disappear completely.

For the Blazers, the debate now becomes which of their current players will be leaving. In order to make room for Przybilla, the Blazers must cut or trade at least one player. Armon Johnson and Greg Oden figure to be the front-runners, but the aforementioned Johnson could also be the one to go.

In a season in which games are played at a frantic pace, the Blazers have chosen to get older. It is a move that will bring veteran leadership to the team, excite the home fans and allow a great Blazer to retire in Rip City, but does it make the Blazers any better? Will Przybilla’s knee hold up to the brutal NBA lockout schedule? Will Przybilla be the shot the Blazers need to assure a playoff birth this season, let alone get out of the first round? These are questions for a GM to answer; too bad the Blazers don’t actually have one to ask.

All quotes were pulled from Jason Quick’s article for the Oregonian.

Tom Brady will be playing for his fourth Super Bowl ring, which would tie him with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for
the most all-time. Brady is also playing in his fifth Super Bowl, tying him with John Elway for the most ever played (Elway went 2-3). Although he is already mentioned in the discussion, a fourth ring would cement Brady’s place in the discussion of the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

Brady’s opponent, Eli Manning, will be playing for his second championship ring, and a win this weekend would make him only the eleventh quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls. If Manning can get his second ring it would also assure his place among the current “elite” quarterbacks of the NFL.

When analysts put together their list of elite QBs in the league today, Eli is often left off that list. Names like Brady, Brees, Rodgers and Peyton Manning are always included, while Eli is often mentioned in the “second tier” group of quarterbacks with Philip Rivers and Tony Romo. A second Super Bowl ring would absolutely vault him into that elite list however.

With all that being said, it would seem all the talk would be about these two quarterbacks and their place in history. However, despite not playing a snap all season, it is Peyton Manning who is getting all the attention instead.

Some may find it unfair or annoying that a quarterback not playing in the Super Bowl is getting the bulk of the attention during this year’s “super week”, but Peyton’s connections to this year’s game are undeniable.

First of all, Super Bowl XLVI is being played in “The House that Peyton Built”. Lucas Oil Stadium was built solely due to the level of success that Peyton has brought to Indianapolis. So even though he isn’t playing in the game, the stadium is still his.

There is also the fact that Brady is Peyton’s rival, and has been his whole career. The two have been atop the AFC for the past decade and frequently have faced off in games with huge implications (top seedings, AFC championships, undefeated seasons). Brady is the measuring stick in which Peyton has always been measured against, and vice versa. The two player’s connection for this game goes even deeper; it has even been rumored that since the Patriots are the home team on Sunday, Brady will be sitting at his rival’s stall in the Colts’ locker room.

Last, and probably the most obvious connection for Peyton, is the fact that his little brother is playing in the game. While it is hard to deny that Peyton has had the more successful career up to this point, this Super Bowl could swing that perception the other way in many people’s eyes.

Peyton has the advantage in most of the statistical categories, but he is 1-1 in his Super Bowl appearances. A win for Eli this weekend would put him at 2-0 in the big game, giving him a distinct advantage in the category that the most weight is put on when judging quarterbacks, Super Bowl wins. Ironically both wins would also come over his older brother’s rival, Brady.

Combine these parallels with the fact that Peyton’s future in Indianapolis (and in the NFL in general) is very up in the air right now, and you have a hotbed of discussion points about Peyton for the media to roll with.

The Colts owner (and host to this year’s Super Bowl), Jim Irsay and Peyton himself have both said that this is not the week to talk about the future of the Indianapolis Colts, but that is unavoidable. Peyton is one of the greatest players in the game today, and may be one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. When a player of the magnitude’s future is on the line, people are going to talk.

Reporters could be harassing Eli with questions about the chance to solidify his place in history and about winning that coveted second Super Bowl, something his brother hasn’t done. They could be poking and prodding Tom Brady about his
desire for revenge against the Giants who stripped a perfect season from his grasp just four years ago. But they’re not.

In all reality it’s a perfect scenario for Brady and Eli. Peyton takes the bulk of the media’s attention, while they both get to
focus on the task at hand. Knowing full well that one of them, not Peyton, will be leaving Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday with another Lombardi Trophy in hand, improving their already impressive NFL legacy.

Over the past decade and a half Oregon has seen some really good quarterbacks, and fans have cheered each of them on relentlessly. If you drop names like Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Kellen Clemens, Dennis Dixon or Jermiah Masoli around most Duck fans, they will have nothing but great things to say about each (minus off the field Masoli stuff).

Fans will be happy to rejoice the memories of Smith being taken third overall in the 1999 NFL darft, or Joey’s ten-story billboard in Times Square. Maybe they will revel in memories of Clemen’s leadership or what could have been had Dixon not gotten hurt in 2007. Heck, maybe it’s Masoli’s amazing ability to truck tacklers that gets fans excited instead. Whatever the memory and whomever the quarterback, Duck fans are quick to do what they do best; show their undying love for a great player who put on the forest green and lighting yellow.

Theses days however, great isn’t good enough. Only perfection is tolerated. Today the Ducks are being led by a quarterback who has accomplished more than any Oregon quarterback ever has, but fans still aren’t satisfied with his performance.

Attend a Duck game today or read fan comments and there is a not-so-quiet chatter calling for Darron Thomas to be pulled in favor of the backup Brian Bennett. Call it stupidity or call it being spoiled, but the outcry is absurd. At times, if fans would have started calling for Dixon or Harrington to be pulled in favor of the backup, they surely would have been booed right out of Autzen stadium.

Today, fans who call for the backup, instead of a guy who led the team to a perfect regular season a year ago and the program’s only trip to a national championship, not only aren’t booed, but they actually are supported. This phenomena completely baffles me every time I hear it, but you know what maybe I am wrong maybe I am the idiot.

Instead it is you, drunk guy  in the stands, ranting and raving about how bad Thomas is, you’re right:

An overall 23-3 record with losses to last year’s national champions, this year’s future national champions and a little team called USC with a just okay guy named Matt Barkley is just unforgivable. Going 17-1 in the Pac-10/12 and beating Andrew Luck twice is just awful. How dare Chip Kelly keep putting in this guy Thomas, what has he ever done for Oregon.

It’s not like he ever set the BCS National Championship game record for passing yards with 363 yards. Don’t worry he didn’t throw the longest pass in championship history to Jeff Maehl either.

The fact that he has thrown for 5,423 yards at Oregon with sixty touchdown passes to just 14 interceptions must have slipped your mind. Surely you remember his 658 career rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

You know what, guy who just starting watching football when it became the cool thing to do in Oregon last year, you are correct. I mean you know so much about the game right?

We should focus on the fact that Thomas has 607 fewer passing yards so far this season (in two fewer games). Of course the fact that he has thrown for three fewer touchdowns this year is important, let us disregard the fact that he has thrown four fewer interceptions. Also, the fact that he has done this without Jeff Maehl and Drew Davis, or three of his linemen  from last year, is irrelevant.

Your right, he doesn’t run near as much this season. How dare he right? It isn’t like Chip Kelly has asked him not run unless he absolutely has to. It isn’t like he has the best backfield in the nation to do his running for him.

You are totally right Brian Bennett looked amazing in his seven quarters of meaningful football this year, I will give you this for sure. But the Colorado Buffaloes and Washington State Cougars really don’t test just how good a quarterback is. Bennett’s ability to dismantle those two teams doesn’t mean he should be the starter.

Is that enough? Have I made my point? Have I showed you just how silly your calls for a redshirt freshman to be playing over quiet possibly the greatest quarterback to ever play at Oregon (yeah I said it) are? If not I could keep going, I really could.

Better yet, why don’t you go do some research yourself, I won’t even make you read.

Go watch a replay of his game against Stanford last year, only the biggest game of the regular season last year. Watch how Darron led the Ducks back from a 21-3 deficit against one of the best teams in the country, both with his feet and his arm.

Look up the highlights from when Boise State came to Autzen four years ago. That was when an 18 year-old kid named Darron Thomas almost led the Ducks back from a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He only threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns in one quarter. Yeah he threw one pick in the game. A game that started with him on the sidelines expecting to red shirt the 2008 season and third on the depth chart.

Re-watch the game against Tennessee last year or USC. The “natty” is worth a watch. The game against LSU where he was asked to throw 54 times, completed 32 of them against an defense full of NFLers. Not to mention LSU has a guy on defense who I think should at least be invited to the Heisman ceremony later this month, Tyrann Mathieu.

Brian Bennett has looked great in his appearances for the Ducks. Oregon fans should all be excited for the future the Ducks have with him as the quarterback, but not yet.

Thomas is still the Ducks’ best quarterback right now, and when his career at Oregon is all said and done he could be the greatest quarterback in school history. If Thomas stays healthy next year, he could potentially play 16 more games for the Ducks. At Thomas’ current pace of 214 yards per start, he would end his career with 8,859 passing yards at Oregon. Bill Musgrave currently holds the record for career passing yards at Oregon with 8,343 yards.

That is a long, long way away however.

What is here now is the first ever Pac-12 Championship game, and Oregon is hosting the game (no matter what Autzen looks like). Darron has the chance to lead the Ducks to their third-straight Pac-10/12 title, which would make him two-for-two.

So to those who cry for the backup I offer this piece of advice. Either smarten up or sober up, then sit back this Friday night and watch one of Oregon’s greatest quarterbacks ever lead your Ducks in this historic game.

Earlier today, Paterno announced that in wake of the recent developments that sexual abuse took place inside of Penn State’s football program, he would be stepping down from his head-coaching job once this season is over.

One of Paterno’s former assistant coaches, defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, has been accused of sexually abusing at least eight underage children. To make matters worse, it appears both Paterno and the university knew and did nothing about it.

Some of the alleged abuses took place on Penn State’s campus with children from Sandusky’s charity for foster children, The Second Mile. The abuses started in 1998 when a young boy’s mother reported sexual abuse to University Police. The claim was investigated; Sandusky acknowledged wrongdoing and no criminal charges were filed. Sandusky then unexpectedly retired in the summer of 1999 but was allowed to retain emeritus status at the school.

In 2000, a Penn State janitor, James Calhoun, witnessed Sandusky abusing a boy in the showers at the Lasch Football Building on campus. Calhoun told his fellow employees what he had witnessed, but never filed an official report on the matter. Calhoun was a temporary employee at Penn State at the time.

Then in 2002, a Penn State grad assistant reported that he had witnessed Sandusky abusing a young boy directly to Paterno. Paterno then reportedly passed the information along to Penn State’s athletic director Tim Curley. Curley and senior vice president of finance and business, Gary Shultz, later met with the grad assistant who witnessed the abuse and told him “they would look into it.”

Unfortunately it appears that is where Penn State’s investigation ended. No university officials or staff members ever took the matter to the police, and Sandusky was allowed to continue working with his charity on campus grounds and use Penn State facilities as late 2010.

Paterno did report the 2002 issue (the only one he was reportedly aware of) to his higher-ups, but that was it. At this point it is complete speculation as to what Paterno was actually told, what he actually knew and what he actually reported, but that doesn’t matter.

Even if Paterno only knew the tiniest of details, reporting the matter to Curley wasn’t even close to enough. While Paterno is in no way the biggest problem in this story (that title is reserved for the scum-bag Sandusky himself) it appears that he isn’t innocent either.

As of today Paterno will finish this season (a season in which Penn State has a chance of winning the Big Ten and going to the Rose Bowl), then retire. Things may change as more information is revealed however, and Paterno could be fired at any point really.

After an extremely turbulent college football offseason where we saw handfuls of schools go under NCAA investigations for major violations, we learned that Fiesta Bowl CEO, John Junker, had been using the bowl’s non-profit organization as a personal piggy-bank and we saw teams turn their back on tradition and chase the money as conferences realigned across the country; Paterno and his tenure at Penn State seemed like one of the few good stories in college football.

Paterno’s status at Penn State was once something others could idolize and admire, he was a man other schools wish they had on their campus. In just under 55 seasons as the head coach of Penn State; Paterno has won 409 games, gone to 37 bowl games, won two national championships, won a countless number of awards and has helped turn hundreds of young student-athletes into men.

Now, what was once one of the only bright-spots in a sport that is riddled with corruption is a complete and utter disgrace to not only college football, but to all American sports. Recruiting violations or football wrongdoings would have been one thing, but this, this is just egregious.

A man who would have been celebrated right up there with great coaches like John Wooden and Bear Bryant, will now be know for nothing more than the disgusting sex scandal that took place at Penn State under his watch.

Right now Oregon and Stanford are both undefeated in conference play and sit atop the conference and the north division. The two teams will meet next weekend in what could be a battle for a Pac-12 championship, or at least a birth to the championship game.

Oregon will first have to travel to the always hostile Husky Stadium and get by a Washington team whose only losses have come to teams ranked in the top-ten. Stanford will travel to Corvallis to take on the Oregon State Beavers in what should be an absolute beat down.

Arizona State seems to have the south division wrapped up already, but only because USC isn’t eligible for the postseason. Arizona State got a scheduling gift by not having to play Stanford or Washington, who are two of the top teams in the conference. If the Sun Devils take care of business in their remaining pushover games, they should finish the season with a 10-2 (8-1) record and should be ranked near the top-ten for the Pac-12 championship game.

The season’s intensity really starts to ramp up from here on out and with all twelve conference teams in action this week, we will be one week closer to knowing who will play in the innagural Pac-12 Championship come December.

The last week I picked was week eight when I went 3-3. That brings my season record to 33-14. After a couple mediocre weeks of picking I hope to get myself back on track with this week’s six games.

Friday November 4th @ 6:00 P.M. in Boulder, Colorado

We will see one of two versions of the USC Trojans tonight when they take the field against the miserable Colorado Buffaloes.

The first would be a team absolutely destroyed by the heartbreaking triple overtime loss they suffered against Stanford last weekend. USC has no shot at the postseason or any bowls, so after suffering such a tough loss the Trojans may not have any fight left in them.

On the other hand we may see a Trojan team that is fired up over their close loss to one of the best teams in the country. If this is the Trojan team we see tonight it will be a bloodbath. USC is far superior in the talent department and with any motivation they will roll.

Even if we see the deflated USC squad they will still win more than likely. Colorado is winless in the Pac-12 and has been the league’s punching bag so far this season. The closest conference game they have played this year was against Wahington State, when they lost 31-27.

Colorado came into the year a bad team, but injuries have turned bad into miserable. The Buffaloes likely won’t win a conference game this year, but if they can it won’t be against the talented Trojans.

My pick: USC 38, Colorado 7

Score: USC 42, Colorado 17

Saturday November 5th @ 12:30 P.M. in Corvallis, Oregon

I think I may get a Beaver game right this week. Of my thirteen wrong picks so far this season, six of them were Beaver games. Win or lose I just don’t get their games right, however I think I have got this one.

A lot of experts are picking this to be a trap game for the Cardinal. They say that with Stanford coming off the emotional thriller against USC and with a top-ten matchup next weekend versus Oregon, that the Cardinal will forget to show up against the Beavers.

It wouldn’t be the first time a team forgot to show up in this series either. Last year when the Beavers traveled down to Palo Alto to take on Andrew Luck and the Cardinal, they just didn’t show up. The Beavers were one week away from one of the biggest Civil Wars ever and a chance to ruin Oregon’s national championship bid, but they forgot about Stanford. The Cardinal won the game 35-0 in the end and it was apparent that the Beavers were already thinking about their next game.

We won’t see Stanford return the favor this year however. Stanford is on a mission and they know what they have a chance to do this year. Their only real test still to come this season is the game against Oregon in one week.

Even though Oregon State is know for upsetting top-ranked teams at home, they are just too young and too inexerienced to keep up with Andrew Luck and pull off the upset. Plus Stanford isn’t USC. I’ll take Stanford big.

My pick: Stanford 49, Oregon State 17

Score: Stanford 38, Oregon State 13

Saturday November 5th @ 3:30 P.M. in San Francisco, California

This game appears to be the battle for last place in the Pac-12 North division. Both of these teams come into this game having lost four out of their last five, Washington State has lost four straight.

Both teams started the year with good records but it appears that was only due to their weak non conference schedules. Since starting Pac-12 play, Washington State has been outscored 186-119 and have had at least 27 points scored against them every game. California has been outscored 145-95 and they have given up at least 30 points in all four losses.

Both programs need a win desperately to say the least but if either team has any shot at going to a bowl, this game is crucial. Cal has a game against Oregon State next weekend, but then closes the season against Stanford and Arizona State. Assuming they won’t even come close to winning their final two games, this week and next week’s Beaver games are must wins.

Washington State’s road to a bowl game may be a little easier but they have to win three of their last four. With games against Arizona State and Washington still on the schedule, bowl season looks like a pipe dream for the Cougars.

Cal has the better defense in this one, but Washington State has the edge on offense and both have sporadic quarterbacks.  I think it will be the team that wins the turnover battle who wins this game. I’ll take Cal in a close one.

My pick: Washington State 24, California 27

Score: Washington State 7, California 30

Saturday November 5th @ 4:00 P.M. in Tucson, Arizona

Now we shift our attention to the bottom feeder game in the Pac-12 South division. While this may not be a battle for last place in the south it is only because Colorado seems to have that title wrapped up.

If it weren’t for Colorado however, this would be the battle for the bottom of the south as both schools only have one conference win this year. The way Utah’s schedule plays out they quiet possibly could finish 8-4 (5-4) and find themselves in a decent bowl like the Holiday Bowl. After this weekend’s game, the Utes play UCLA, at Washington State and Colorado; all very winnable games.

Arizona on the other hand would really have to do some work to become bowl eligible. Even if the Wildcats are able to  become eligible, the best they can go is 6-6 (4-5). That isn’t out of the realm of possibility however, after this weekend the Cats play at Colorado, at rival Arizona State and then against Louisiana-Lafayette. An upset win over ASU and a win today may be all that stands between the Wildcats and a bowl game.

The Wildcats are 1-1 since they fired Mike Stoops with their loss coming at Washington last weekend. Arizona had their chances to win the game but just couldn’t stop Washington’s offense in the end. As the coaching search heats up in Tucson, Tim Kish is fighting for a chance to keep the head coaching job.

I think Nick Foles is the difference and the Wildcats are able to get Tish his second win as head coach.

My pick: Utah 27, Arizona 38

Score: Utah 34, Arizona 21

Saturday November 5 @ 4:30 P.M. in Los Angeles, California

This game actually will decide the champion of the Pac-12 South.

If UCLA can pull off a win against the nineteenth ranked Sun Devils they will sit atop the south division tied with ASU and will hold the tiebreaker. If the Bruins are to win both teams would be 4-2 in the conference and the first tiebreaker for a division title is head-to-head competition.

Both teams have three winnable games after this weekend so the chance to represent the south in the Pac-12 Championship is really on the line today. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit could have the pick of the season if UCLA can some how manage to win the south as he picked them to play Oregon in the championship before the season began.

While a win today would mean UCLA is in the race for the south title, a win for ASU would not only be huge for their program, but it would also be huge for the conference. If ASU can win tonight and then continue on to win the rest of their games they will finish 10-2 (8-1). The Sun Devils then would likely finish somewhere in or near the top-ten in the BCS standings.

If ASU was say number ten in the BCS rankings heading into the Pac-12 Championship and faced off against a third ranked Oregon or Stanford, the Pac-12 would benefit greatly.

I think ASU wraps ups the south tonight and ends the Bruins hopes of playing in the first Pac-12 championship.

My pick: Arizona State 35, UCLA 17

Score: Arizona State 28, UCLA 29

Saturday November 5th @ 7:30 P.M. in Seattle, Washington

It has been eight years since the Huskies last beat the Ducks. It has also been eight years since the Huskies have come within 20 points of the Huskies, but this year things just feel different going into this heated rivalry.

For the past seven years Oregon has had the privilege of kicking the Dawgs while they have been down. The Washington program is finally starting to look like it has made the turn to becoming a good team in the Pac-12 once again.

We are only twenty years removed from the Huskies being crowned the AP National Champions and after almost a decade of suffering, Huskies fans finally feel like they are returning to glory.

As the program celebrates the twenty year anniverasry of its lone national championship and plays the last game ever at Husky Staduim as we know it tonight, the Huskies will try to do something Jake Locker was never able to do; beat Oregon.

However beating Oregon will be no easy task. Oregon hasn’t lost a Pac-12/10 game in two years (almost to the day), giving them 17 straight conference wins. The Ducks are fourth in the nation in scoring this year, and fourth in the nation in rushing yards per game.

Washington boasts the fourth best run-defense in the conference, but have yet to face a backfield half as deep as Oregon’s. Something many people don’t realize is that Oregon is ranked third in the Pac-12 in points allowed per game, despite the fact their defense is on the field 60% of the game. Oregon’s offensive time of possession (by percent of game time played) ranks dead last in the country.

Oregon’s rushing game is going to dominate and rain on the 20-year party in Husky stadium today. The Ducks win a game that starts close but ends in a double-digit difference.

My pick: Oregon 45, Washington 31

Score: Oregon 34, Washington 17

The Pac-12 didn’t quiet get the result it had hope for, only getting a split in the non-conference games. Utah traveled to the east coast and took down a team from a BCS conference in Pittsburgh. It was a solid win for the Utes and the Pac-12 conference with Pitt being a team that has already made some noise in their own conference, beating #19 USF earlier this year. The win also looks good for teams in the Pac-12 because Utah is now 3-0 out of conference, but 0-3 in conference; putting to bed some of the thoughts that Utah and Colorado could come into the conference and beat up on the existing teams.

The other game on the Pac-12′s non-conference sleight last week was BYU at Oregon State. Coming off their first win in the previous weekend many (including myself) thought that the Beavers may finally turn the corner and get on a little roll by beating a BYU team that had already been mercilessly beaten down by Utah. That was not the case however and BYU was able to get by the struggling Beavers in the end.

So a 1-1 split in the non-conference game last weekend puts the Pac-12′s season record at 20-12 against non-conference opponents, the only catch being that seven of those twenty wins are against FCS teams.

With three non-conference game remaining for the Pac-12, the best the conference can do is 23-12 (16-11 if you take away FCS games). This week USC will have a chance to beat Notre Dame for another non-conference win, as ten other Pac-12 teams face off against one another.

As for my picks, last week I put out an abbreviated version of my picks and went 4-2, with the two non-confernce games tripping me up. For the second week in a row my Oregon score was almost dead-on. My season record now sits at 30-11 (.732), with six games on the schedule this week.

Thursday October 20th @ 6 P.M. in Tucson, Arizona

Will we see the same Arizona team now that they are Stoops-less? Will they be a team motivated by the fresh start with an interim coach or will their struggles only worsen?

After having a bye week to regroup, the Arizona Wildcats will take the field without former head coach Mike Stoops for the first time in seven years. The often-animated Stoops could usually be found stomping around the sidelines with veins bulging, screaming at the top of his lungs. To most outsiders of the Wildcats, Stoops never seemed in control or someone players would enjoy playing for. Apparently Arizona finally agreed.

Stoops was fired after a loss on the road against Oregon State two weekends ago. The win was the Beavers’ first and only win of the season, while the loss left Arizona with a 1-5 record and a ten-game losing streak against FBS teams. Stoops replacement, Tim Kish, has been with the Wildcats since 2004 filling various position coach spots. Most recently Kish was the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator and had his defense ranked 117th in points allowed per game.

It will be interesting to see how the Wildcats respond to some calm along the sidelines, knowing they have to win all six of their remaining games to become bowl eligible. They will try to start that streak against a UCLA Bruin team who is coming off a nice win against the Washington State Cougars. The Bruins still technically have a chance to win the south division but they can’t afford any losses from this point on.

The game will pit two of the worst defenses in the Pac-12; UCLA ranks 10th in both points against and yards against per game and Arizona ranks dead last in both categories. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be an offensively charged game however, both teams rank in the middle of the Pac-12 offensively.

This one doesn’t look like a heart-stopper on paper, but we’ll just see. I think the Wildcats will have just enough pep in their step to give Kish a win in his first game as head coach. Having Nick Foles as a quarterback helps too.

My pick: UCLA 21, Arizona 31

Score: UCLA 14, Arizona 48

Saturday October 22nd @ 12:40 P.M. in Boulder, Colorado

The last time these two teams met there was a lot more on the line. The two teams played on January 1st, 2002 in the BCS Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. The Ducks were ranked #2 in both the coaches and AP polls, while Colorado was ranked #3 in both (somehow the BCS felt that #4 Nebraska was more deserving).

On that day the Joey Harrington lead Ducks walked all over Colorado, 38-16 and the teams haven’t met since. While Colorado fans may still have some anger towards the Ducks and want a little piece of revenge ten years later, this year doesn’t look good.

The Buffaloes come into the game 1-6 and badly beat up. Colorado is starting to feel the affects of a long Pac-12 season as the injuries are piling up; both Rodney Stewart (their leading rusher and starting running back) and Douglas Rippy (a middle linebacker who is leading the team in tackles) will be out for  this weekend’s game.

The Buffaloes rank dead last in points per game in the Pac-12 and eleventh in yards per game. The Buffs also give up the most points in the conference and surrender the fourth most YPG, while also giving up the most passing touchdowns (18) so far.

It is safe to say Colorado has falling quiet a bit since being ranked number three in all the land, unfortunately for them Oregon is right where they left them. While Oregon may not be number two in the country like back in 2002, they find themselves in the top-ten once again and as always they boast a very powerful offense.

The Ducks currently rank in the top five in the country in points per game, yards per game and all major rushing categories. The Ducks also sit atop the Pac-12 in all the same categories and after last weekend have at least 800 more total rushing yards than any other Pac-12 team.

Oregon will most likely be without their top running back and Heisman hopeful LaMichael James and may also be without quarterback (and extreme darkhorse Heisman canidate) Darron Thomas. Chip Kelly and the Ducks keep injury news very close to the chest, but it appears as though LMJ is out and DT is a maybe. Both traveled to Colorado however and both say they want to play.

Even if the Ducks’ two stars don’t see the field, their backups are still plenty talented. After Thomas went out of last week’s game against a good Arizona State team, the Ducks suddenly found themselves down three points and without their two top-leaders. However, running backs Kenjon Barner and DeAthony Thomas, along with quarterback Brian Bennett, filled in quiet nicely for the absent Ducks. Any worries the Oregon faithful had were put to bed quickly as Bennett and the Ducks’ offense marched down the field for two long touchdowns drives in the third quarter.

It seemed pretty apparent that while there was a small drop in talent with Oregon’s two starters out, the drop wasn’t far. Oregon’s “backup trio” looked as though they could beat just about all the teams in the Pac-12 by themselves. Oregon’s football team has been very solid for a handful of years now, but its problem has always seemed depth. It appears that Ducks have finally solved that problem, at least at the “skilled positions”.

Even if LMJ and DT don’t play (which I hope they don’t) the Ducks will be just fine. Ducks should roll and all of the backups will see time I think.

My pick: Oregon 48, Colorado 17

Score: Oregon 45, Colorado 2

Saturday October 22nd @ 4:00 P.M. in San Francisco , California

Well one of these teams has to get their first conference win this weekend. California did beat a Pac-12 team earlier this season when they beat Colorado on the road, but the game wasn’t technically a conference game. Both teams have gone 3-0 in non-conference play however, but are struggling to find a win in the Pac-12.

Last week Utah traveled across the country and beat Pittsburgh. The Utes will now try to build off the road win and get their first ever Pac-12 win. Chances are good as their opponent has seemed to get worse every week.

After a 3-0 start the Cal Bears have lost three straight, with the last two games being blowouts. After traveling to Seattle and giving the Huskies a good game, Cal has since gone to Eugene and gotten torched by the Ducks, then got beat up by USC at home.

Cal’s quarterback, Zach Maynard, is only completing just over 50% of his passes and has thrown six interceptions already. He will have to play sharp if the Bears have a chance in this one, Utah has the second ranked defense in the Pac-12 and is also ranked second in passing defense.

The only team in the Pac-12 with a better pass defense is the Cal Bears. Jon Hays, who started the season as the backup, will have his hands full against a Cal team who has allowed the least passing yards in the conference. It also doesn’t bode well for Hays that he has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns this year.

If either of these teams have a shot at becoming bowl eligible, this weekend will be crucial. For Cal it is extremely important because they close out the season at Stanford and then at Arizona State. Assuming they lose both of those games, that only leaves Cal with four games to get three wins to become eligible . Utah on the other hand has six very winable games left on their schedule, giving them a decent chance to end up 9-3 and a chance at the South division.

I will take Utah to keep build off last week’s win and start their end of the season win streak.

My pick: Utah 31, California 17

Score: Utah 10, California 34

Saturday October 22nd @ 4:30 P.M. in South Bend, Indiana

The USC-Notre Dame rivalry just doesn’t seem to have the flair it used to. It wasn’t long ago when the infamous Bush-push that took place between these teams had national championship implications.

Both teams come into this year’s game with solid records, but due to the fact that USC can’t participate in postseason play the game hasn’t received the attention it normally does.

Notre Dame comes into the game 4-2 and on a four-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish opened their season with a loss to USF and then a loss in the first night game at The Big House. Since then however, the Irish have won four in a row and are now looking to beat the Trojans for the second straight season.

USC comes into the game with an impressive 5-1 record, but are lacking quality opponents up to this point. The only real good team the Trojans have faced so far this year was Arizona State and they lost that game. The Trojans are led by future NFL quarterback, Matt Barkley.

Barkley has thrown for 1782 yards and 16 touchdowns with only four interceptions this year. Barkley is in the top fifteen in the country in all the major passing categories and if he continues to play the way he has, he will find himself on some Heisman ballots.

This is a tough game to pick, the last two years the game has been decided by seven points or less. I really hate to say it, because my heart doesn’t want it to be true but I think Notre Dame will win a close one. For once I hope I am wrong.

My pick: USC 31, Notre Dame 33

Score: USC 31, Notre Dame 17 - Yay:)

Saturday October 22nd @ 5:00 P.M. in Palo Alto, California

It’s been a while since the Washington Huskies have had the nation’s attention. Tonight the Huskies will have all eyes on them as they travel to Stanford to take on the eighth ranked Cardinal.

The Huskies are ranked in the AP top-25 for the first time since September in 2009 and that didn’t last long. The Huskies were only ranked for one week before the Cardinal (led by Toby Gerhart) ended that dream. The last time Washington was involved in a game in which both teams were ranked was the opening game of 2003.

Washington will come into this week’s game ranked 22nd-25th (depending on what poll you look at) and looking to lay claim as a contender for the Pac-12 North title. The North race has become a three-team race that the Huskies are a pair of upsets away from winning. The Huskies will get Oregon at home in two weeks which makes this weekend’s game crucial for the Dawgs.

The Huskies are led by sophomore quarterback Keith Price who has been more than impressive so far this season. Price has 21 touchdown passes this year which leads the Pac-12. Price hasn’t thrown for less than three touchdowns in a game yet this season and is a big reason why the Huskies are averaging 37 points per game this year.

Price will face-off against a very worthy adversary this week in Heisman leader, Andrew Luck. Luck has the second most touchdown passes in the conference so far with 18 and has his team undefeated. The Cardinal also currently are on the country’s longest winning streak at 14 games.

This nationally televised game should have a great atomsphere, and should be an exciting game to watch. Tough one to call but I think the Cardinal will once again knock the Huskies out of the top-25 after only one week. Luckily for the Husky faithful, I think they’ll find their way back into the ranks later this season.

My pick: Washington 27, Stanford 35

Score: Washington 21, Stanford 65

Saturday October 22nd @ 7:30 P.M. in Pullman, Washington

ESPN’s Ted Miller put this game into perspective quiet nicely earlier this week, it seems like this is a game between two heading in opposite directions.

The Washington State Cougars seem to be a program who is heading in the right direction after being on the cellar of the Pac-10 for so many years. For the first time in a handful of years the Cougars look to be fighting a bowl game birth. The Cougars still have a pretty rough road ahead with games at Oregon and at Washington, with a home game against Arizona State in between. If the Cougars are serious about going to a bowl game, they have to beat the Beavers.

The Beavers on the other hand seem to be a team trending in the wrong direction right now. The Beavers are only two losses away from becoming bowl ineligible and haven’t looked good this year. The Beavers are only two years removed from back-to-back chances at Rose Bowl births; and after going 5-7 last season, now find themselves in danger of only getting one win this season.

I think Washington State will pull it out this weekend and take one step closer to becoming bowl eligible. I will be picking the Cougars which sits well for Beaver fans because when I pick them to win, they lose but when I pick them to lose, they win. The Beavers are responsible for five of my eleven incorrect picks so far this year.

My pick: Oregon State 24, Washington State 37

Score: Oregon State 44, Washington State 21

Went 3-3 on the weekend, Beavers always get me.

The second game of the two-game series between the Ducks and Utes was eerily similar to the first game. However this time the Ducks were able to get their first shot of the game just 27 seconds in (compared to 4:51 in the first game), but unfortunately that was the Ducks’ only shot of the first period.

Sam Satre takes the puck along the Oregon Bench -Photo by Phil Johnson

The Utes defense was a huge reason for the shot discrepancy, doing a fantastic job of helping out their goaltender in the first period by blocking seven shots. Once again after the first period the Ducks found themselves in a hole in the shot department, down 14-1.

The Ducks also found themselves in a scoring hole once again after the first period, being down 2-0 at the first intermission. While the play during the first period seemed rather back and fourth, with a great deal more hitting than in the first game, the Ducks just couldn’t manage to get shots on net.

In the second period the hitting ramped up just a little more, but so did the penalties. There were 55 penalty minutes in the period, including two ten-minute misconducts and a five-minute misconduct. Exactly half of the penalty minutes came at the 11:20 minute mark, after a rather large scuffle right in front of Oregon’s bench erupted. Thirty of the period’s 55 penalty minutes were given to the Ducks, including 14 to Trevor McCarty alone.

Despite the onslaught of penalties in the period, the Ducks began to find a rhythm. The Ducks were able to register seven shots in the second period alone, more than any of their previous four periods against the Utes.

The Utes were still able to outshoot the Ducks in the period however, registering ten shots of their own.The Utes were also able to put another goal in the back of the net on a 2-man advantage at the end of the second period, giving them a 3-0 lead at the second intermission.

The Ducks answered early in the third period with a 2-man advantage goal of their own. With 15:26 left in the period, Zach Peters was able to bang one home for his first goal of the season; Patrick Thorton and Dougo Reese were credited with the assists.

As the period went on the Ducks continued to get their chances, and much like in the previous night, the Ducks’ ability to run three to four lines began to wear on the Utes’ legs. Late in the period the Utes began to take more and more penalties that are usually signs of fatigue. In the final twelve minutes of the game, the Utes had seven penalties, most of which were hooking and tripping penalties.

Connor McBride being chased up the ice by the Utes -Phil Johnson

The Ducks were able to get their second power play goal of the night with just 1:11 left in the game. Both Peters and Reese notched their second points of the game as they assisted the Connor McBride goal. The Ducks continued to pressure the Utes during the last minute, but ultimately fell just short once again.

The Ducks were outshot 36-15 in the game, a small improvement from the 48-17 differential the night before, but still not good enough. As the Ducks look forward to their next series against the Portland State Vikings, fixing the shot-total discrepancy will have to be goal number one.

The Ducks freshman goaltender, Daniel Cockriel, boasted and extremely impressive .929 save percentage over the weekend, stopping 78 of the 84 shots that came his way. If the Ducks can reduce the amount of shots that Cockriel faces, he could definitely be one of the best goaltenders in the Pac-8 this season.

The Ducks’ special teams will be crucial to their success moving forward as well. In the series with Utah, the Ducks went 4-for-20 on the power play and killed off all but two of their 18 penalty kill chances. Both ratios were rather impressive and if the Ducks can continue to capitalize on their own power play opportunities while shutting down the opposition’s power play chances, the wins will start to come.

This coming weekend the Ducks will travel to Portland to take on the Portland State Vikings. The Vikings have played in six games so far this season and are at least 2-2 (their website is awful and results against Western Washington aren’t found). The Vikings have two wins over Gonzaga at home and suffered two blowout losses to San Jose State last weekend. The Vikings lost by a total of 22-1 in their two-game trip to San Jose last weekend.

The Vikings are led by forward Anthony Libonati; who has six goals and three assists so far, having played in just the two games against Gonzaga. Oregon played the Vikings twice last season, winning both meetings by a combined score of 16-6. The Ducks will hope to get their first wins of the season against a Portland State team that they have historically done well against. The two teams have met ten times in the past four years; Oregon has a 9-1 record in the series.

So if you are in the Portland area this weekend go check out the Oregon Ducks when they take on the Portland State Vikings at the Winterhawks Skating Center located at 9250 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. Beaverton, OR 97005. Wear your ducks gear and bring your noise-makers (duck lips aren’t banned in Portland) as this rivalry is always a heated one and the Ducks could use your support.

My Picks:

Utah pulled of an overtime thriller at home last year against Pitt. They haven’t looked good so far this year, think Pitt will get revenge, barely.

Utah 24, Pittsburgh 27

Colorado has looked awful so far this year, Washington has looked like a team that may have something to say about Oregon and Stanford’s dominance in the North.

Colorado 10, Washington 35

The Beavers finally got the monkey off their backs last weekend when they grabbed their first win of the season. BYU is an up and down team with a nice win over Ole Miss but an absolutely embarrassing loss to Utah. I think the Beavs will build off last week’s win.

BYU 24, Oregon State 31

Washington State has looked pretty good at times this year, a big improvement from the past couple years for sure. Stanford however is in another class and should handle the Cougs relatively easily.

Stanford 41, Washington State 21

Ducks are 4-1 with ESPN’s College Gameday in town, it’s a night game in Autzen Stadium and the usually crazy Ducks fans have been called out by the media this week for their weak second half showings lately. Duck fans will have a chip on their shoulder this week (haha get it) and will make things rough for ASU’s Brock Osweiler. Ducks will also see more Cliff Harris this week, which will make fans happy. Expect a heavy dose of Kenjon Barner and Tra Carson at RB, with DeAnthony Thomas and David Paulson getting slot receptions still. Huff is rumored to be fully healthy for the first time this year. Even without LMJ, Ducks pull away late win comfortably.

Arizona State 31, Oregon 45

Judging by the first ten minutes of last night’s game it was very apparent that the Utes were playing in their seventh game this season and that the Ducks were playing together for the first time this year. It took the Ducks just under five minutes to record their first shot in the game and at the point the Utes already had six shots.

Photo by Phil Johnson

The Utes were able to score on their fourth shot of the game, just 2:43 into the first period. The goal came on a shot from the point that went through a great deal of traffic before getting by Ducks’ freshman goaltender, Daniel Cockreil. While the Utes were able to continue to pepper Cockreil with shots throughout the period (recording 20 shots in the first period), the early screened shot was the only shot to find the back of the net.

The Ducks finished the first period with just three shots to the Utes twenty, but managed to kill off two Utes power plays, including a 40 second tw0-man advantage. The Utes looked much sharper in the first and looked to be in a groove that the Ducks hadn’t had the chance to find yet. However, lead by great goaltending and a great diving save by defenseman Dougo Reese; the Ducks found themselves only down one goal after the first period.

The game seemed to even out some in the second period after an early scare. Just ten seconds into the second period the Utes were able to jam a puck into the back of the net, but fortunately for the Ducks the whistle had already blown and the score remained 1-0.

After that the rest of the second period was much more balanced and it looked as though the Ducks were starting to find a rhythm. However that changed in the final two and a half minutes of the period, when the ice seemed to tilt towards the Utes once again. The Utes were able to get five of their eleven second period shots in the last two minutes of the period; finally slipping another goal by Cockreil with just 1:16 left in the period.

The first ten minutes of the third period continued to be a back and forth affair, with the Utes still outshooting the Ducks overall. The Ducks’ penalty kill continued to play well, killing off a both of the Utes’ third period power plays. However, the Utes were able to notch their third goal midway through the period. With just under nine minutes left in the game the Ducks found themselves down 3-0 and being outshot very badly.

Then around the seven minute mark the Ducks’ began to find their stride. The Ducks’ attempts to run four lines throughout the night was finally catching up to the Utes as they began to show signs of fatigue. The Utes began to take penalties and the Ducks were able to capitalize.

-Phil Johnson

With 5:50 left in the third period, Nick Keuhl was able to knock home the Ducks’ were first goal right after a well-timed Ducks timeout. Then after another pair of penalties by the Utes, Patrick Thorton was able to jam home the Ducks’ second power play goal of the night; bringing the score to 3-2 with just 48 seconds remaining.

The Ducks were then able to give the home crowd something more to get excited about, continuing to pressure the Utes during the final 48 seconds of play. In the end however, the Utes were able to hold off the Ducks’ final attacks and get away with the 3-2 win.

While a loss isn’t the outcome the Ducks were looking for to open their season, they showed a lot to their fans in the loss. Although the Ducks were badly outshot, 48 to 17, they were able to get more shots each period as they got their game-legs back. The Ducks penalty kill was an impressive eight-for-eight on the night and freshman goalie, Daniel Cockreil showed signs of great things to come with an .938 save percentage on the night.

Tonight the Ducks will face-off against the Utes once again, this time with a game under their belt. Expect the Ducks to come out with revenge on their minds, looking to prove that last night’s loss was more about rhythm than talent. The puck will drop at 8:00 p.m. and the Lane Events Ice Center. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children and UO students.

The Utes, also known as the Skatin’ Utes, followed their school’s scholarship sports and came to the Pac-8 after being considered an independent team for the past few seasons. The Utes, who started their club hockey team in 2006, finished with a 16-20 record last season, a slight drop from their 16-17 campaign in 2009-10.

This year the Utes are returning their top-eight scorers from last season, including last year’s leading scorer, Beau Bertagnolli.  Bertagnolli had 33 goals and 56 assists in 39 games last year. So far in his third season with the Utes, Bertagnolli has ten goals and eight assists through six games, once again leading the team in scoring.

The Utes also return a great deal of fire power from last year’s team with a pair 50-point scorers. Both Michael Vrtis and Colton McDonald notched 51 points last season. Vrtis also brings a great deal of leadership to the table as he is playing in his sixth season for the Utes and his final term of eligibility.

The Utes come into the series in Eugene boasting a 5-1 record and currently riding a five-game winning streak. The Utes have taken three out of four from the Boise State Broncos, while also laying beat downs on their two tough in-state rivals; BYU and Utah State. The Utes have struggled with their cross-state foes in past seasons, but laid down a pair of double digit wins on them already this year.

While the Utes are already six games into their schedule, this week’s games will be the first for the Ducks this season. While the Ducks aren’t returning all of their top-eight scorers from last year’s team, they are still returning a great deal of scoring power. The Ducks will return ten of their top twelve scorers from last year, including the second leading scorer from a season ago, Zach Peters. Peters, along with fellow forwards Derek Wolson and Patrick Thorton leave plenty of scoring potency up front for the Ducks.

The Ducks’ leading scorer from last season, Kevin Trihey, will still be contributing to the team, only this year it will be from the bench. Trihey will be assuming the role of assistant coach this year alongside new head coach, Rich Salahor, who was the Ducks’ assistant coach last season.

Jeff Kraus laying down a hit against U-dub last season. Photo by Phil Johnson

The Ducks also are returning their captain from last season, Dougo Reese. Reese had 19 points last year and was the top scoring defender. The Ducks also return a great deal of leadership in a fifth year player Jeff Kraus and in returning grad Jarrett Cicirello. Cicirello didn’t play last year as he returned to his home town of Pittsburgh for a year after graduating in 2010, but he in now back going to school and looking to continue his contributions to Oregon hockey.

The 2011-12 Ducks team also has some new faces this year with six rookies making the squad. One name that will sound familiar to those that have been following the program for while is rookie Trevor McCarty. Trevor is the younger brother of long-time Duck, Tyler McCarty. Tyler scored 32 goals and 27 assists in his time with the Ducks, he currently ranks ninth all-time in goals scored for the Ducks. Trevor is also no stranger to the Lane Events Ice Center, as he comes to the Ducks after spending time with the local junior team, the Eugene Generals.

The Ducks will have their hands full this week as it appears the Utes are a recharged program ready to make some noise in their first Pac-8 season. This week will be a huge chance for the Utes to prove they are ready for the challenge.

This week will also be a great chance for the Ducks to gauge where they are after only three official team practices this season. With two tough showcases and a handful of tough road games on the schedule this season, home games will be extra important for the Ducks this season.

If you would like to watch the Ducks in this crucial early-season matchup head on out to the Ice Center at the Lane Events Center at 796 W. 13th Ave. Eugene, OR 97402. Game are tonight, Wednesday the 12th at 8:15 p.m. and tomorrow Thursday October 13th at 8:00 p.m. Cost is $5 for adults and $2 for kids and Oregon Students. For more information about the team, players and upcoming games go to the team’s official site here.