Survey the Pac-10 Carnage and Rejoice
The 2008 Pac-10 season reminds us a lot of 1994. And there’s no reason Arizona State can’t benefit from such wackiness by making trip No. 3 to Pasadena.
(We too are firm believers that it wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.)
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We’re done rehashing Saturday’s loss. If you need more time, we recommend you take a look at our discussion of ASU’s five most stunning losses ever and report back to us.
Still here? Good. Here’s a little statistical tidbit that might help chase away the blues. The Pac-10 was favored in seven of its 10 games last weekend. It won three.
So if you’re still feeling a bit down, remember that we’re just seven or eight wins away from a Rose Bowl berth. Don’t think we can win seven or eight games in the Pac-10 this season? Well, take a look at what happened to the Pac-10 over the weekend, listed in order of ridiculousness.
- BYU 59, UCLA 0. It was the Bruins’ worst loss since 1929.
- UNLV 23, ASU 20. We said it all here.
- New Mexico 35, Arizona 28. We can’t recall a more mercifully-timed UA loss.
- Maryland 36, Cal 27. It was 28-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
- TCU 31, Stanford 14. TCU scored all 17 second-half points.
- Baylor 45, Washington State 17. When was the last time Baylor beat anyone?
- Oklahoma 55, Washington 14. This one would’ve been excusable if it was close.
This reminds us a bit of the wacky 1994 season when no Pac-10 team finished the regular season with fewer than three losses, Oregon was depantsed by Penn State in the Rose Bowl, and the Pac-10 and the WAC (precursor to the modern Mountain West) both finished the season with three teams in the top 25.
By the time Colorado State upset then-No. 6 Arizona on Oct. 9, the WAC had beaten the Pac-10 in six-of-eight matchups. If you don’t remember all the gory details, it may be because ASU finished last in the Pac-10 and won just three games.
That season was obviously before the great Trojan revival of the last few years, but it was also before the Rose Bowl became a possible destination for the Pac-10’s second best team.
Even after such as embarrassing season for the Pac-10, someone had to go to the Rose Bowl in 1994. Someone will probably have to go this year too. And if USC goes undefeated as nearly everyone now expects, that someone may as well be us.
Enjoy this article? Buy us a beer for just $4. (Credit Card / Paypal)New to Echo from the Buttes? Don’t miss:
Our lively debate on Tempe’s top five bars.
Our salute to the underrated, overlooked Keegan Herring.
Our introduction to Gerald Munns, one bad motha … shut yo mouth.
Our assessment of the divisive Rudy Carpenter’s legacy.
NOTHING IS OVER UNTIL WE DECIDE IT IS!
Having said that…since it appears the boys have been preparing for the Georgia game for two weeks, let’s hope they show up with two weeks worth of effort. Otherwise, despite the (temporarily) spotless conference record, we may as well decide it is over until next fall.
[...] A slew of embarrassing non-conference losses in a single weekend took some shine off a Pac-10 season that skewed improbably when Oregon State upset top-ranked USC. [...]