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College Basketball Lines & Predictions: Thursday

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:36:26 -0500

Betting odds are a great guide to college basketball entertainment. Unlike fans, who often ride the wave of media predictions, betting lines tend to be a bit more focused and can give you an objective picture of how teams matchup (though lines too can get caught up in the wave of human emotion).

I'll discuss my daily predictions after the lines.. these are posted solely for fun, as I do not bet on games myself, nor do I suggest anybody else does either (it's not easy). If you agree or disagree with my picks, have thoughts on the days lines, or have upsets or picks to announce, post them below.

November 19th: College Basketball Lines

11:30 AM

Dayton
at Georgia Tech

Favorite

Georgia Tech by 1

Over/Under

2:00

George Mason
at Villanova

Favorite

Villanova by 14.5

Over/Under

5:00

Indiana
at Mississippi

Favorite

Ole Miss by 9

Over/Under

7:00

Syracuse
at California

Favorite

California by 1

Over/Under

7:30

Long Beach St.
at Notre Dame

Favorite

Notre Dame by 15.5

Over/Under

8:00

Utah Valley
at Minnesota

Favorite

Minnesota by 24.5

Over/Under

9:00

North Carolina
at Ohio St.

Favorite

North Carolina by 2

Over/Under

10:00

Santa Clara
at San Diego St.

Favorite

San Diego State by 12.5

Over/Under

10:30

Rice
at Arizona

Favorite

Arizona by 16

Over/Under

- Lines as of 11:00 am (from BETUS) - Check all the day's live odds as the day progresses, including odds from other betting sites.

Poll: Best Backcourt in the Country?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:37:13 -0500

Pac-10 Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:33:24 -0500

With usual Pac-10 powers Arizona and UCLA in re-loading mode, the door is open for California & Washington to put their stamp on the 2009-10 season.

Conference Rank: 6th

10 year average: 6th

Pac-10 Page

ALL PAC-10 TEAM
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jerome Randle	Cal	Sr
G	Nic Wise	Arizona	Sr
G	Isaiah Thomas	Washington	So
F	Klay Thompson	Washington St	So
F	Quincy Pondexter	Washington	Sr
Second Team
G	Derek Glasser	Arizona St	Sr
G	Patrick Cristopher	Cal	Sr
G/F	Dwight Lewis	USC	Sr
F	Landry Fields	Stanford	Sr
C	Roeland Schafternaar	Oregon St	Sr

Player of the Year - Jerome Randle Freshman of the Year - Abdul Gaddy
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Jerome Randle (4th Team) Isaiah Thomas Nic Wise All-Freshman Team Abdul Gaddy (2nd) Tyler Honeycutt Kyryl Natyazhko Derrick Williamd *Withey may leave Arizona		Points: Jerome Randle 18.3 Rebounds: Landry Fields 6.6 Assists: Jerome Randle 5.0 Team: Washington 78.6

Pac-10 Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

12	Washington	Pac-10	1	NCAA
15	California	Pac-10	2	NCAA
29	UCLA	Pac-10	3	NCAA
42	Arizona State	Pac-10	4	NCAA
56	Arizona	Pac-10	5	NIT
86	Oregon	Pac-10	6	CBI/CIT
89	Oregon State	Pac-10	7	CBI/CIT
120	USC	Pac-10	8	CBI/CIT
141	Washington St	Pac-10	9
189	Stanford	Pac-10	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Pac-10?

Other Pac-10 Content

Pac-10 Fantasy Stats Preview

Pac-10: Top 25 Players

Pac-10: Five Year Ranking

Pac-10 Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:21:40 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play? All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

PG
1. Jerome Randle - Cal
2. Nic Wise - Arizona
3. Abdul Gaddy - Washington
4. Malcolm Lee - UCLA
5. Derek Glasser - Arizona State

SG
1. Patrick Christopher - Cal
2. Isaiah Thomas - Washington
3. Dwight Lewis - USC
4. Tajuan Porter - Oregon
5. Calvin Haynes - Oregon State

- Impressive that Cal owns the two top spots here, but Washington's backcourt is no joke either. Shooting guard in the Pac-10 is a bit weak compared to the other BCS leagues, even with Thomas included, even though he could have been listed as a PG.

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

PAC-10

SF
1. Klay Thompson - Washington St
2. Quincy Pondexter - Washington
3. Theo Robertson - Cal
4. Landry Fields - Stanford
5. Rihards Kuksiks - Arizona State

PF
1. Nikola Dragovic - UCLA
2. Tyler Honeycutt - UCLA
3. Matthew Bryan-Amaning - Washington
4. Alex Stepheson - USC
5. Leonard Washington - USC
C
1. Roeland Schaftenaar - Oregon State
2. Drew Gordon - UCLA
3. Kyryl Natyazhko - Arizona
4. Michael Dunigan - Oregon
5. DeAngelo Castro - Washington State

- The frontcourt talent just doesn't come close to matching the other power-conferences. In fact, most of the PF's and C's were secondary players for their teams last year, or are unproven.

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Pac-10 Basketball: 5-Year Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:18:52 -0500

PAC-10 5-YEAR STANDINGS

CHN's annual 5-year ranking answers a simple question is in a simple manner: Who has been the best team in the Pac-10 over the last five years?

Teams get points for league wins, making the postseason (NIT or NCAA) and winning games in the Big Dance. NIT wins are meaningless here, as are non-conference wins. Also, league tournaments wins are not taken into account. (An original trial-scoring system included points for conference tourney wins. But the flukish nature of these tourney's did more harm than hurt: ie, 2008 Georgia, 2006 Syracuse, and 2004 Maryland ended up getting too much credit despite the reality that they were mediocre to sub-par teams.)

100 total points is set up to be the equivalent of batting .300 in baseball.. anything above and beyond is all-world stuff. 50 points is mediocre and you only start to get bad below 40 points.

Pos.	Was	Team	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	Wins	Gms.	Points

1	1	UCLA	11	14	15	16	13	69	90	77	Win %
			1st Round	Finals	Final 4	Final 4	2nd Round			39	Post Pts.
										116

2	3	Arizona	15	11	11	8	9	54	90	60	Win %
			Elite 8	2nd Round	1st Round	1st Round	Sweet 16			22	Post Pts.
										82

3	4	Washington	14	13	8	7	14	56	90	62	Win %
			Sweet 16	Sweet 16	X	X	2nd Round			16	Post Pts.
										78

4	2	Stanford	11	11	10	13	6	51	90	57	Win %
			1st Round	NIT	1st Round	Sweet 16	X			11	Post Pts.
										68

5	7	USC	5	8	11	11	9	44	90	49	Win %
			X	X	Sweet 16	1st Round	2nd Round			12	Post Pts.
										61

6	6	Wash St	7	4	13	11	8	43	90	48	Win %
			X	X	2nd Round	Sweet 16	NIT			11	Post Pts.
										59

7	8	California	6	12	6	6	11	41	90	46	Win %
			X	1st Round	X	NIT	1st Round			5	Post Pts.
										51

8	5	Oregon	6	7	11	9	2	35	90	39	Win %
			X	X	Elite 8	1st Round	X			10	Post Pts.
										49

9	9	Arizona St	7	5	2	9	11	34	90	38	Win %
			NIT	X	X	NIT	2nd Round			6	Post Pts.
										44

10	10	Oregon St	8	5	3	0	7	23	90	26	Win %
			NIT	X	X	X	X			1	Post Pts.
										27

-Ties are broken by favoring conference winning %

Pac-10 Thoughts

- Oregon tumbles after a disastrous 2 win season.

- Stanford is slowly fading down the list.

- UCLA dominates the league with 13 more wins then the closest team.

- 3rd place Washington actually has more league wins than Arizona, but has had less postseason success.

Postseason Points

NIT = 1

NCAA 1st Round = 2

NCAA 2nd Round = 4

Sweet = 6

Elite 8 = 8

Final Four = 10

Final = 11

Champs = 12

Other 5-Year Rankings

ACC

Big 12

Big East

Big Ten

SEC

.. All

Pac-10 Basketball: Fantasy Preview

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:47:39 -0500

This is the 5th of six fantasy stats projections for BCS conference starters, one of my favorite series of the year, and a helpful guide when drafting for fantasy college basketball leagues. For an idea of whether I know what I'm talking about, check out last year's Pac-10 Stats Projection. As always, some teams were nailed better then others..

Keep in mind stats are highly dependent on minutes, and freshmen are obviously the hardest to predict. I try to note places below where other starters not listed may emerge or where competition for major minutes exist. Stats are listed by ppg, rpg, and then apg.

PAC-10

ARIZONA

G Nic Wise - 19, 4, 4
G Kyle Fogg - 11, 3, 3
F Jamelle Horne - 10,7, 1
F Solomon Hill - 7, 4, 1
C Kyryl Natyazkho - 9, 6, 1

Notes: The question here is where will scoring come from besides Wise? Fogg should be much improved this year, but the incoming bigs are no sure things.

ARIZONA STATE

G Derek Glasser - 10, 3, 5
G Ty Abbott - 11, 4, 2
G/F Trent Lockett - 8, 4, 1
F Rihards Kuksiks - 14, 5, 2
C Eric Boateng - 4, 4, 0

Notes: Kuksiks will need to step up his scoring output wiith Harden & Pendergraph no longer around. Lockett is a freshman, and is not guaranteed to start. Jamelle McMillan, the backup PG, could also start in a 3-guard lineup. Either way, McMillan should be good for 5 ppg and 3 apg.

CALIFORNIA

G Jerome Randle - 19, 4, 5
G Patrick Christopher - 17, 4, 3
F Theo Robertson - 12, 4, 3

F Jamal Boykin - 11, 7, 1

C Markhuri Sanders-Frison - 6, 7, 1

Notes: Last year, I severly underrated Jerome Randle's numbers and overrated the freshman. This year, the only unsettled position is up front, where Juco transfer Sanders-Frison will have competition from holdover reserve Harper Kamp. Backup guard Jorge Gutierrez will see 20 mpg as wel.

OREGON
G Malcolm Armstead - 6, 2, 4
G Tajuan Porter - 17, 3, 3
G LeKendric Longmire - 8, 4, 1
F Joevan Catron - 8, 8, 1
C Michael Dunigan - 12, 8, 1

Notes: Oregon hopes Armstead, a Juco newcomer, is the answer at PG. Dunigan averaged 8 & 5 last year in under 20 mpg and should be markedly better.

OREGON STATE

G Calvin Haynes - 14, 3, 2
G Seth Tarver - 7, 5, 2
G Lathen Wallace - 10, 3, 2
F Daniel Deane - 8, 6, 1
F Roland Schaftenaar - 13, 5, 3

Notes: Haynes was one of the bigger fantasy suprises in the Pac-10 last year, and its hard to expect much more then what he showed. Schaftenaar's production also jumped markedly last year, and he could score a bit more if his outside shooting % increases.

STANFORD

G Drew Shiller - 5, 2, 4
G Jeremy Green - 10, 3, 1
F Landry Fields - 16, 7, 2
F Andrew Zimmerman - 5, 4, 1
F Josh Owens - 11, 7, 2

Notes: Fields is the only fantasy performer of note here. Owens, a junior is your 2nd best bet. He shot a high % from the floor last year as well.

UCLA

G Jerime Anderson - 6, 2, 4

G Malcolm Lee - 11, 4, 2
F Tyler Honeycutt - 12, 4, 2
F Nikola Dragovic - 12, 5, 2
C Drew Gordon - 8, 7, 1

Notes: Dragovic is the only guy returning who played 20 mpg last year. He's a solid shooter, but will have space to shoot? Honeycutt is a big-time freshman, but last year's headline newcomer (Holiday) only averaged 9 ppg.

USC

G Donte Smith - 7, 2, 3
G Dwight Lewis - 16, 4, 3
F Marcus Johnson - 6, 4, 1
F Leonard Washington - 11, 6, 1
F Alex Stepheson - 10, 8, 1

Notes: Lewis is the go-to scorer now on a team lacking a true star. Stepheson averaged 4 ppg and 5 rpg at UNC two seasons ago and should come close to doubling that.

WASHINGTON

G Isaiah Thomas - 14, 3, 4
G Abdul Gaddy - 12, 4, 4
F Quincy Pondexter - 14, 7, 2
F Matthew Bryan-Amaning - 10, 7, 1
F Darnell Gant - 5, 5, 1

Notes: Thomas had a fine freshman year, but UW would be better served if he didn't shoot as much and others like Gaddy & Pondexter helped out. Bryant-Amaning is a potential breakout player.

WASHINGTON STATE

G Reggie Moore - 9, 3, 3
G Nikola Koprivica - 6, 3, 2
G Klay Thompson - 18, 5, 3
F Brock Motum - 8, 5, 1
F DeAngelo Castro - 8, 8, 1

Notes: Klay Thompson has future 20 ppg potential. Moore & Motum are newcomers, and both should see 25+ mpg from the get-go.

Projected Pac-10 Leaders

Top PPG
1) Jerome Randle (19)
2) Nic Wise (19)
3) Klay Thompson (18)

Top RPG
1) Castro/Catron/Dunigan/Stepheson (8)

Top APG
1) Derek Glasser (5)
2) Jerome Randle (5)

3) Multiple Players (4)

Fantasy Stats Preview Archive

- ACC

- Big 12

- Big East

- Big Ten

Cal Basketball Preview: #15

Joel Welser — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:20:43 -0400

Overall Rank: #15

Conference Rank: #2 Pacific 10 Conference

2008-09: 22-11, 11-7

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Mike Montgomery (22-11 at California, 569-255 overall)

The expectations were quite low for Coach Mike Montgomery during his first season as the head coach at California. However, the Golden Bears easily exceeded those expectations and finished the season with 22 wins and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. With six of their seven major contributors returning, there is good reason to expect Cal to be even better this year and compete for a Pac-10 title.

Key Losses: C Jordan Wilkes

Key Newcomers:

Center Jordan Wilkes is the lone departure and a couple newcomers will attempt to fill that void. Markhuri Sanders-Frison, a junior college transfer, has the most experience and could play 10 to 15 minutes per game. Bak Bak is certain to be a fan favorite with such a great name. But the 6-10, 200-pounder can play some ball too. He will need some time to develop and put on weight, but he could be an impact player sooner than later. Brandon Smith, generously listed at 5-11, is a smooth point guard who will spend the year learning behind senior Jerome Randle.

Backcourt:

Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson both averaged over 33 minutes per game last year, but that is not a bad thing since they are both such great players. Christopher emerged as more than just a shooter and averaged 14.5 points per game. Robertson had a great year, connecting on 48.7 percent of his three-point attempts. For a 6-6 forward, he is extremely difficult to defend when his shot keeps falling. However, those two may not have to play so many minutes this time around thanks to the emergence of Jorge Gutierrez. As a freshman he never started a game, but by the end of the season he was playing a lot more minutes. Fellow sophomore D.J. Seeley and experienced senior Nikola Knezevic will provide plenty of depth.

Frontcourt:

Jamal Boykin may not put up great numbers, although he did average 9.6 points and led the team with 6.4 rebounds, but he never lacks hustle. Boykin will hit the glass hard and always plays tough and smart. He will once again man the four spot and the only question remaining is who replaces Wilkes at the center position. Wilkes only averaged 17.8 minutes per game, so plugging in Harper Kamp, who averaged nearly 20 minutes per contest, should work out just fine. Kamp has never been that productive on paper, but he is an upperclassman now who could surprise. However, the Golden Bears just need his 6-8, 255 pound frame to play decent defense and grab a few rebounds. If the team needs more size, they can look to 7-3 sophomore Max Zhang who played in just 15 contests as a freshman.

Who to Watch:

The talent is in the backcourt, but the most talented player of them all is Jerome Randle. The 5-10 point guard averaged 18.3 points and 5.0 assists last season and is the sparkplug that makes this team go. Randle is amazingly quick and can set up easy buckets for the shooters on the wings. But he is obviously capable of scoring himself too. And in many cases the opposing defense is worried about Christopher and Robertson and Randle will simply walk up the court and knock down a three-pointer.

Final Projection:

With Randle’s ability to do about everything, Cal is very difficult to stop. This is a team that was very consistent on offense last season thanks to the efficient shooting of Randle and Robertson and the capable ball handling of Randle. The expectations for this team are growing and most expect Coach Montgomery to take his team back to the NCAA Tournament and then do some damage once they are there.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Jerome Randle, Senior, Guard, 18.3 points per game

Patrick Christopher, Senior, Guard, 14.5 points per game

Theo Robertson, Senior, Forward, 13.1 points per game

Jamal Boykin, Senior, Forward, 9.6 points per game

Harper Kamp, Junior, Forward, 3.8 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
16		17		18		19

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the Pac-10

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:38:49 -0400

Pac-10 Basketball: High-Low Preview

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:26:39 -0400

Everybody loves a prediction. People that claim to hate sports predictions are just jealous that no one cares what they have to say or that their predictions are never right. But sometimes when making predictions, certain teams or groups of teams are truly to close to call. On CHN or in preview mags, we do our best to slot teams into specific spots, but sometimes you just want to say honestly, teams A, B, and C are virtually the same and luck will determine how they finish. You can't say that in a Top 144 ranking, but I'm saying it here in a series of High-Low predictions. Instead of plugging teams into specific spots, I'll give a range for each team's finish and a few reasons why.

(How about the high production values with that picture?..)

PAC-10 HIGH-LOW

With programs like USC & Arizona undergoing major changes, the Pac-10 could arguably be a 3 or 4 bid league.

* my projected finish in yellow

ARIZONA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Arizona's tourney streak will likely come to an end, but the rest of them Pac-10 is weak enough that the Wildcats could still finish .500 in league play.

ARIZONA STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Harden & Pendergraph combined to score 35 ppg for the Sun Devils. But with defense and good coaching, Herb Sendek's squad should end up on the tournament bubble.

CALIFORNIA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
With the likes of Christopher & Randle back, there's no reason Cal should finish below 2nd in the conference. However, inconsistent defense and rebounding may keep them from winning the title.

OREGON
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
As bad as Oregon was last year, there's more than enough talent for Oregon to approach .500 in league play. Anything short of that and Ernie Kent might be out of a job.

OREGON STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Last year's surprise team has been predicted by some to finish as high as 3rd or 4th in the league. Expectations are probably too high at this point, and coach Robinson would be thrilled with an NIT trip.

STANFORD
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Even in a down Pac-10, Stanford's talent is still sub-par. Matching last season's 6-10 league record would be considered a fine accomplishment.

UCLA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
UCLA loses all it's big name players, but is rebuilding at a perfect time. Some big-name freshmen and last year's sophomores should help UCLA return to the tournament yet again.. but a 1st round exit is likely.

USC
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
No program experienced as much turmoil as USC, but with the likes of Dwight Lewis, Leonard Washington, and Alex Stepheson, the Trojans should at least avoid the Pac-10 cellar.

WASHINGTON
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Like Cal, Washington has serious questions on the interior. However, the guards are so good that Lorenzo Romar will only need serviceable contributions from the likes of Gant & Bryan-Amaning.

WASHINGTON STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Besides losing quality seniors in Baynes & Rochestie, WSU also loses the coach that turned the program around. Despite the changes, the Cougars have a stud in sophomore Klay Thompson who could score 17-20 ppg.

>> ACC: High-Low Preview

>> Big 12: High-Low Preview

>> Big Ten: High-Low Preview

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

The Ultimate Schedule: Pac-10

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:10:56 -0400

Pac-10 Scheduling “Rules”:

- Three non-conference games

- Nine conference games

Week 1: Oregon @ Boise State (September 3^rd)

There’s a bit of bad blood between these two stemming from Boise State’s win in Eugene a season ago. QB Jeremiah Masoli was knocked out of the game on what some thought to be a suspect hit, and with the mandate that teams have to shake hands before the game there could be some interesting conversations at that time. The Broncos, who were a very young team in 2008, return the bulk of their key contributors with QB Kellen Moore being one of the best signal callers out west. Both teams head into the season thinking BCS and rightfully so, given the amount of talent on each roster. Expect a high-scoring game that will entertain a national television audience.

Other Games Considered: Maryland @ California (9/5), Central Michigan @ Arizona (9/5)

Week 2: USC @ Ohio State (September 12^th)

Was there any doubt as to which game would be chosen for this weekend? And it got far more interesting with the announcement today that freshman QB Matt Barkley will open the season as starter. The Buckeyes will be hungry for revenge after last season’s embarrassing showing in the Coliseum. Terrelle Pryor is firmly entrenched as the starter for Ohio State, who will be looking to strike a blow for themselves and the Big Ten in front of a prime-time audience. More than a few of the players on the field will eventually play on Sundays, underscoring the amount of talent at the fingertips of Pete Carroll and Jim Tressel.

Other Games Considered: Stanford @ Wake Forest (9/12), UCLA @ Tennessee (9/12)

Week 3: Cincinnati @ Oregon State (September 19^th)

The Beavers host a Cincinnati team coming off of a Big East championship and eleven wins in 2008, and despite the loss of ten defensive starters Brian Kelly’s team is every bit the threat to repeat. In their last meeting (2007) Cincinnati forces seven Beaver turnovers in a 34-3 beating in the Queen City. But Oregon State is a more talented team this time around, one that should be better at avoiding early-season blowout losses. The Beavers will likely be favored, but they’d better be careful against a team that has the “Rodney Dangerfield” complex going. Very few give the Bearcats a chance in defending their conference title, and you probably know what the prevailing opinion of Big East football is too.

Other Games Considered: Arizona @ Iowa (9/19), Utah @ Oregon (9/19) and California @ Minnesota (9/19)

Week 4: California @ Oregon (September 26^th)

The last time the Golden Bears visited Oregon viewers were treated to one of the wilder games of the 2007 season. DeSean Jackson made some big plays for Cal, but the game wasn’t sealed until the Ducks fumbled on the goal line late in the fourth quarter. Cal has won the last three games in the series with both wins in Berkeley coming by double digits. Last year’s game featured eight combined turnovers, but despite five turnovers the Golden Bears won by ten thanks to winning the time of possession battle and getting their defense off of the field on third down (Oregon was 4-18 on third down). If they can do that again Cal will have a good chance to leave Eugene with their fourth straight win over the Ducks.

Other Games Considered: Arizona @ Oregon State (9/26), Arizona State @ Georgia (9/26)

Week 5: USC @ California (October 3^rd)

Even though they return home things don’t get any easier for the Bears, who can accurately look at this two-game stretch as make or break for their conference title hopes. USC has won seven of the last eight meetings, with the lone Cal win being the 34-31 overtime triumph in 2003. USC won last season’s meeting 17-3 due in large part to their run defense, holding the Golden Bears to just twenty-four yards on the ground. Jahvid Best was held to thirty yards and quarterbacks Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley played poorly, not making up for Cal’s struggles on the ground. When you’re outgained 411-165 you will most likely head home with the loss; Cal hopes to not duplicate last year’s effort.

Other Games Considered: UCLA @ Stanford (10/3), Oregon State @ Arizona State (10/3)

Week 6: Stanford @ Oregon State (October 10^th)

Last year’s meeting came in the regular season opener for both, and the Beavers were their usual early-season selves in the 36-28 loss in Palo Alto. The Cardinal won despite giving up twenty-nine first downs and over four hundred yards through the air thanks to a +3 turnover margin. The game also featured twenty combined penalties for 182 yards, a stat usually indicative of the season’s first weekend. In the previous meeting in Corvallis Stanford was a minus-4 in the turnover department, losing 23-6. Obviously winning the turnover battle goes a long way in determining the winner of a football game; it seems to be taken to another level in this series.

Other Games Considered: Oregon @ UCLA (10/10), Arizona @ Washington (10/10)

Week 7: Bye Week (October 17^th)

The best game on the schedule this weekend is USC’s trip to Notre Dame. But since three non-conference games have already been selected it’s time to take a week off. Stanford/Arizona and California/UCLA are intriguing games as well, however.

Week 8: Oregon State @ USC (October 24^th)

Oregon State beat USC in Corvallis last season, essentially knocking the Trojans out of the national title race because people didn’t know how good the Beavers would become. Rest assured that neither USC nor the media will underestimate Oregon State when they arrive in Los Angeles, but the series hasn’t been a kind one for OSU all-time. USC leads the series 58-9-4, with none of Oregon State’s three wins at USC coming since 1960. Jacquizz Rodgers became a household name last year, rushing for 187 yards in the win. Expect the USC lines to be challenged in practice leading up to the rematch; they were by and large outclassed by Oregon State in the trenches.

Other Games Considered: UCLA @ Arizona (10/24), Arizona State @ Stanford (10/24)

Week 9: USC @ Oregon (October 31^st)

The Trojans then head north to take on an Oregon team that beat them in Eugene two seasons ago. Things didn’t go so well for the Ducks last season, who were soundly defeated in Los Angeles 44-10. Oregon ran for just sixty yards, catching an angry USC team that had just lost at Oregon State the previous week. How well Oregon runs the football will determine whether or not this is a close game. Also, with two young quarterbacks USC’s turnover count will be a key. Oregon picked off Mark Sanchez twice in their 24-17 win in 2007, and there’s no telling what the wild environment at Autzen Stadium can do to Matt Barkley and/or Aaron Corp.

Other Games Considered: California @ Arizona State (10/31), UCLA @ Oregon State (10/31)

Week 10: Oregon State @ California (November 7^th)

Since getting blown out at home in 2006 the Beavers have won the last two meetings in the series, most recently a 34-21 win in which the Golden Bears managed just eleven first downs. Oregon State was successful on defense thanks to their harassing of Kevin Riley, and the Rodgers brothers made big plays on the other side of the ball. And the last meeting in 2007 came on a day in which the Golden Bears had a chance to rise to number one in the national rankings…only to have the Beavers spoil their fun when Riley lost track of the clock and time ran out without Cal getting one more shot at the end zone.

Other Games Considered: Oregon @ Stanford (11/7), Washington @ UCLA (11/7)

Week 11: Arizona @ California (November 14^th)

The Wildcats have won two of the last three meetings in this series, including a 42-27 triumph in Tucson last season. Cal quarterbacks failed to complete half of their passes, and Arizona blitzed the Golden Bears 28-3 in the third quarter to put the game away. Keola Antolin gashed California to the tune of 149 yards and three touchdowns on a night in which Nick Grigsby was in the dog house for ball security issues. Neither team performed very well on third down, going a combined 5-28, a sign of either solid defense or subpar offense. Arizona should know what to expect from either Matt Scott or Nick Foles by mid-November, and the same goes for Cal with Kevin Riley, which should make for an entertaining contest.

Other Games Considered: Arizona State @ Oregon (11/14), Stanford @ USC (11/14)

Week 12: Bye Week (November 21^st)

There’s only one rivalry game on this weekend, with Cal and Stanford playing for The Axe. Arizona State at UCLA could be an intriguing game, especially if both are still in need of wins to ensure bowl eligibility. All in all, it’s a good opportunity to rest up for two weeks of heated rivalry games.

Week 13: Arizona @ Arizona State (November 28^th)

The battle for the Territorial Cup isn’t the season finale for the Wildcats, who get to visit USC the following weekend. But just like last season’s meeting someone could need a win here to ensure bowl eligibility. Last year it was the Sun Devils in that situation, and the Wildcats took great joy in making sure that Dennis Erickson and company would be home for the holidays. Arizona State was flat-out bad offensively, managing just 162 yards of offense in the 31-10 loss. One lesson learned from 2008 for Arizona State: if you can’t run the football you’re not going to win. Injuries, among other things, rendered their rushing attack virtually non-existent last season. Bragging rights are worth more than enough in a game like this; whether or not it means even more remains to be seen.

Other Games Considered: UCLA @ USC (11/28), Washington State @ Washington (11/28)

Week 14: Oregon State @ Oregon (December 3^rd)

The “Civil War” gets the Thursday night primetime slot, with the Beavers looking for revenge after last year’s 65-38 beating. Every time you looked up there was another Duck running into the end zone, with Oregon finishing the night with 385 yards on the ground and 694 yards of total offense. Oregon State may have gone into the game smelling a bouquet or roses; Oregon promptly beat them over the head with said bouquet. From 1997 to 2006 the home team won each game in the series; the Beavers broke that streak with an overtime win in Eugene in 2007. Just like last season there is the possibility for something more than bragging rights being on the line with both teams harboring dreams of a trip to Pasadena. Should be fun.

Other Games Considered: Arizona @ USC (12/5), California @ Washington (12/5)