Ka’Deem is ka’done with 2012. Can anyone beat his rushing total?
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The words are there. Here are the numbers.

This is the bottom-line for Arizona Wildcats running back Ka’Deem Carey, what each of his biggest challengers needs to pass him for the NCAA FBS rushing title. This page will be updated after each back’s bowl game.

Update (Jan. 4): Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey has won the NCAA FBS national rushing title. Kenjon Barner of Oregon rushed for 143 yards in the Fiesta Bowl. No player in the three remaining bowls is closer than 577 yards away from Carey’s total of 1,929 and the UA back’s 148.38 per-game average will officially win the rushing title.

Remember, the official rushing champion is the player with the highest average yards per game.

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“Need” is the rushing yardage total each player needs (or needed, if his season is over) to take the rushing lead. “Got” will be what each guy ended up with in his bowl game.

Carey wasn’t able to hit his goal of 2,000 yards for the season, coming up 71 short in the New Mexico Bowl. But the Wildcat sophomore is currently the only player with over 1,900 rushing yards this year.

Here is what each player would need to pass Carey’s raw total of 1,929:

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Next is when each guy plays in case you want to tune in:

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Finally, here are the official top 10 rushers in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (through Dec. 15):

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The Cats are done playing this year but Ka’Deem Carey can still win a championship.

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Scott Terrell won’t be rooting for people to fail, just to not succeed that much. Follow the statistical drama on Twitter and Facebook.

RC says, “Ka’Deem Carey is heavier than he looks.”
Photo by Stallion

So did you do anything fun this weekend?

On Saturday the Arizona Wildcats and their fans experienced two exhilarating victories, two improbable-and-leaning-toward-impossible comebacks. It was the type of sports day that people will be talking about for a long time. You don’t want to stop talking about it.

Everyone who witnessed it, in whatever shape or form, will have his or her own perspective on the story when the “I remember exactly where I was” conversations start up again years down the road.

Maybe you were in Albuquerque. Maybe you were sitting in the McKale Center seats that have been in your family for years. Maybe you made a rare trip to McKale because a ticket-holder was at the bowl or maybe you just really wanted to be at that basketball game.

Maybe you spent Saturday watching the games on TV with people you care about. Maybe you were one of the fortunate few who attended both games.

Perhaps, at either game, you left early and now you can talk about how you “learned a valuable lesson that day.”

This is the tale of Bear Down Saturday from where I sat (and stood, and ran around like a crazy person):

Friday, December 14

3:30 p.m. – Leave Tucson to drive to Phoenix.
I wanted to go to the bowl and ensure I saw the whole thing but had to be back Saturday night and I still wanted to watch the basketball game on live TV. The only way to do it was flying out of PHX.

5:30 p.m. – Arrive at Sky Harbor Airport.
Yep, I drove two hours so I could fly one hour.

7:30 p.m. – Flight leaves for Albuquerque.

8:30 p.m. – Flight lands in Albuquerque.

9:30 p.m. – Pretend to be a real writer and hang out with actual media professionals.

11:30 p.m. – Ready to take on the night!

11:50 p.m. – Old, cold and ready for bed.

Saturday, December 15

6:00 a.m. – Bowl Day! Bowl Day! Bowl Day!

7:00 a.m. – Complimentary breakfast at the hotel.
I was disappointed not to find green chiles in the orange juice.

8:30 a.m. – Wildcat Walk at team hotel.

9:30 a.m. – Tailgate in University Stadium parking lot.
It was an old-school tailgate out of the back of a truck. The theme of personal perspective started early as everyone swapped stories about how they got to the game and where they were going to watch the basketball game.

11:00 a.m. – Game time!

11:01 a.m. – Wildcats down 21-0.
That time is only slightly exaggerated. UA fans were checking to make sure they weren’t in San Antonio again.

11:50 a.m. – Underwear Cam!
I’m fairly confident the three people that happily dropped their pants for the scoreboard camera were planted by Gildan but it was an eye-catching bit of publicity for the sock people.

12:10 p.m. – Fight?
The internet exploded as ESPN cameras caught two Arizona players punching each other about the time the Wildcats scored 21 straight to the tie the game. No word on whether or not Pat Murphy was involved.

12:45 p.m. – Nevada leads 31-28 at halftime.
This felt like a win after the horrid start.

1:49 p.m. – Nevada leads 45-28 after three quarters.
This did not feel like a win. The Cats just need another 21-0 run, he said sarcastically.

2:25 p.m. – Nevada leads 48-35 with 1:48 left.
Only need a touchdown/onside kick/touchdown, he said with feigned optimism.

2:34 p.m. – Stumbling around the bleachers screaming like a little girl.

2:36 p.m. – The kick is good!
The east side of the stadium was dead silent on that PAT attempt. No UA football fan will ever take an extra point for granted again. Why can’t the last-second deficits be five instead of six? But John Bonano kicked it high and true.

2:40 p.m. – The field is rushed.
This is why it’s time to “tear down this wall.”

3:30 p.m. – Lunch at Frontier Restaurant.
Got a beef/bean/green chile burrito covered with green chile stew. I give it two pistols up.

5:00 p.m. – Arrive at Albuquerque Sunport.
We learned our flight was delayed, eliminating the cushion we had to see the start of the Arizona/Florida basketball game.

6:52 p.m. – Leave Albuquerque.
Even the pilot was a Wildcat fan.

7:56 p.m. – Arrive in Phoenix.
The last restaurant in the D section of terminal 4 was closing so we decided to leave the airport.

8:57 p.m. – Florida leads 32-29 at halftime.
After parking shuttle and direction issues we finally got to a sports bar.

9:53 p.m. – Florida leads 64-58 with 1:10 left.
Only need a three/turnover/three, he said with slightly-more-sincere optimism.

9:58 p.m. – Florida leads 64-63 with 21.5 seconds left.
Only need this 90% free throw shooter to miss the 1-and-1, he said with no doubt whatsoever.

9:59 p.m. – Miss.
Oh…

10:00 p.m. – Mark Lyons banks in runner with seven seconds left to give UA lead.
…my…

10:00:07 p.m. – Ball game!
TWICE! Sang “Bear Down” with the other Cat fans in the bar. Pinched self multiple times.

I look forward to hearing everyone else’s story, over and over again.

It’s true! It really happened!
Photo by Stallion

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Scott Terrell still does not believe it. Share your tale on Twitter and Facebook.

The New Mexico Bowl is Matt Scott’s last option.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The wheels were set in motion to get there when Rich Rodriguez was hired 13 months ago. Four months ago the hope was the Arizona Wildcats could get there this season.

In just a couple more days there will be here.

The Cats are playing in the very first bowl game of the 2012-’13 season. The early date has caused logistical issues for the team and fans but at least the players get some paint out of the deal.

Wait, the New Mexico Bowl sponsor isn’t Glidden, the paint company? Oh, Gildan? What do they do?

[Google break]

Socks? All right then. I hope the players get some cool socks.

Rich Rodriguez has waited six years to hoist a bowl game trophy.
Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images

RichRod doesn’t have a lot of experience with lower tier bowls. All six of his teams’ postseason appearances at West Virginia were as either the first or second place team in the Big East. He coached in the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl on Dec. 28 but every bowl after that was in January. Even his one bowl game at Michigan, after going 7-5 in 2010, was the Gator Bowl played on New Year’s Day.

The short turnaround makes it more like an extended bye week than a full bowl preparation. The positive is it decreases the chances of the team coming out rusty and it’s less time for the Wildcats to hear how big a favorite they are against Nevada.

The challenge for Rodriguez and his coaching staff is to get their team ready to play its best and not worry about what bowl they’re in and what conference the Wolf Pack is from.

What I really want to see is Matt Scott completing some passes early. The big storyline is obviously the battle between the nation’s top two rushers but Scott hasn’t completed over half his passes in a game since returning from his injury. Scott excelling as a redshirt senior this year was a huge part of the team’s surprising success and it would be great to see him end his college career on a high note.

Challenging Nevada from sideline to sideline with the passing game will also open up running lanes so Ka’Deem Carey can break the long runs needed to win the rushing title.

We took a look at all the backs still in the hunt for that title but on Saturday it’s a two-man race. Arizona’s Carey and Nevada’s Stefphon Jefferson will share the same field with the Wildcat holding a 55-yard advantage.

The Arizona defense gives up 190 rushing yards a game while the Wolf Pack surrenders an average of 213 yards per game on the ground. The race may end up looking like a track meet.

It’s been a topic of conversation for the past month but don’t take it for granted. Arizona has a consensus All-American who is leading the FBS in rushing on a team that was 11th in Pac-12 in rushing last year.

Incredible.

Losing a bowl game is not incredible. I realize it happens to 35 teams each year but it still ruins half your trip. I don’t regret going to either of the UA’s last two bowls but those were not fun rides home. Add in the bad taste of losing the Territorial Cup and the Wildcats could really use one last 2012 victory. Taking a two-game losing streak into the offseason would put a damper on what has otherwise been an excellent first year for RichRod.

A win would mean an 8-5 record (matching Mike Stoops’ best two years) with five victories in the team’s final seven games. That would take the excellent first year and add an exclamation point.

One last game to enjoy and then we start counting down to the start of the second year of the Rich Rodriguez era.

Next stop…Albuquerque!

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Scott Terrell could use some extra socks to stay warm this weekend. Can’t make the trip? Look for reports on Twitter and Facebook!

Everybody is chasing Ka’Deem Carey’s national rushing lead.
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

‘Tis the season for the college football postseason games that don’t mean anything…except to the players, coaches, families, friends, fans, administrators, alumni and aspiring entourage members.

Pac-12 teams will be on your television a record eight times this bowl season. The previous high for Pac bowl teams was, well, the seven last year. Upward trend!

This Week in the Pac-12 is here to get you ready for the bowl season so you don’t end up scheduling a white elephant gift exchange at the most inopportune time.

TWit-Pac got you a present and it’s a bowl TV schedule (all times Arizona/Mountain). I hope it fits.

Only two games share the same day so it’ll be easier to sneak in “family time” and “holiday memories.”

Let’s bowl!

New Mexico Bowl
ARIZONA (7-5) vs. Nevada (7-5)
Remember last year when Wildcat Universe was looking enviously at the Pac-12’s unused spot in Albuquerque? That’s another reason to enjoy this game and not dwell on what might have been. An additional reason to get into the game is at the bottom of this here page.

Las Vegas Bowl
Washington (7-5) vs. #19 Boise State (10-2)
This is Boise State’s third straight appearance in this bowl on the heels of BYU going five consecutive years. And they say relationships formed in Vegas don’t last.

Holiday Bowl
#17 UCLA (9-4) vs. Baylor (7-5)
So the Bruins are the team making the short drive to San Diego instead of the Trojans. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Baylor doesn’t match the 67 points it scored in last year’s Alamo Bowl.

Alamo Bowl
#13 Oregon State (9-3) vs. #23 Texas (8-4)
A) It only took two Pac-12 bowl picks before my predictions were screwed up. B) Good to see the fine folks in San Antonio reward a deserving team and not just go for the most recognizable name. C) It does, however, mean that three Pac-12 North teams came off the board before the first South squad. The southern Pac teams have some catching up to do. D) Beaver fans should be building a statue of Mike Riley and not grumbling the next time he has the occasional losing season or two.

Fight Hunger Bowl
ASU (7-5) vs. Navy (7-4)
An excellent opportunity to let your patriotic pride burst forth!

Sun Bowl
USC (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (6-7)
Yes, the Trojans went from preseason No. 1 to playing in a bowl against a team with a losing record. That’s one heck of a Lane change.

Rose Bowl
#6 Stanford (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (8-5)
We all know the Badgers have more losses than any previous Rose Bowl participant but did you know they aren’t the worst team to make it in terms of win/loss percentage? The 1983 UCLA team won the Pac-10 with a 6-1-1 conference record but had an overall mark of 6-4-1 (.591) which is worse than Wisconsin’s 8-5 (.615).

Fiesta Bowl
#4 Oregon (11-1) vs. #5 Kansas State (11-1)
Three weeks ago this was the national championship game. And here’s your extremely stumpable holiday party sports trivia question: Which team has the worst all-time bowl winning percentage in the Pac-12? As you may have guessed by the placement of this question, it is in fact Oregon. The Ducks have only won 10 of their 25 bowl games for a win percentage of .400. Nike can’t buy everything.

* * *

Ka’Deem Carey’s rushing lead survived conference championship week. Now the UA All-American has his final say in the matter and he’s going to have to speak loudly.

Here are the nation’s top 10 rushers after last week’s games. Remember, the official title is awarded to the player with the highest yards-per-game average.

Below we have the estimated yardage amount each ball-carrier would need on top of Carey’s New Mexico Bowl total in order to pass Carey’s season total:

So, for example, Stefphon Jefferson would have to out-rush Ka’Deem by 55 yards to overtake Carey’s season average. Kenjon Barner would need to match Carey’s New Mexico Bowl total plus another 134 yards, and so on down the list.

The numbers aren’t exact because we’re dealing with per-game averages between guys who haven’t played the same number of games but it shows what kind of head-start Carey has. After the Wildcat and Wolf stage their shootout in Albuquerque we’ll be able to calculate the exact goal for everyone else.

High-powered offensive football and fuzzy math. How can you say no to that?

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Scott Terrell was able to rebook his flight to ABQ for at lower rate. Share cost-cutting tips on Twitter and Facebook.

Rich Rodriguez and the Wildcats have one last chance to win in 2012.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Good news: The 2012 Arizona Wildcats are playing in a bowl game!

Bad news: It’s not the date, time or location anyone wanted.

Once We The People get over the disappointment of the last ten days we will find that the New Mexico Bowl is a chance to cap off Rich Rodriguez’s unexpectedly strong debut season as the UA football coach.

There wasn’t an ounce of bad news to be heard after the Utah game. The Cats had won on the road for the first time and sat at 7-4. Arizona was favored to win the Territorial Cup at home. When Washington blew its lead against Washington State the UA had a chance to be the only 8-4 team in the Pac-12. A Sun Bowl bid was a strong possibility and the worst-case scenario would’ve been the Vegas Bowl.

A trip to Las Vegas as a consolation prize? Sign me up for that sweepstakes.

Alas, unlike Powerball, that winning ticket wasn’t printed in Arizona. The Wildcats couldn’t hold on against the Sun Devils and now we have learned that the UA slipped all the way down to the Pac-12’s worst bowl.

Frustrating? Absolutely. Frustrating enough to ignore the game and close the book on this team? Not a chance.

This is why we set preseason expectations. In a season that went up (3-0 start!) and down (0-3 Pac-12 start!) and up (4-1 after the bye!) and down (bye-bye, Cup!) it’s good to look back and see where you are compared to where you thought you would be.

It’s funny, in a year when few of the games went as I had envisioned, the one thing that does match is the New Mexico Bowl. I thought the Cats could win six games including Oregon State, UCLA and ASU. They won seven games including Oklahoma State, Washington, USC and Utah. I thought Arizona could win enough to get to Albuquerque. The Wildcats are going to Albuquerque.

This isn’t a time to dwell on the disappointment of Territorial Cup Friday and Selection Sunday. It’s a chance to appreciate the first UA senior class in 17 years to play in three bowl games and help them get their first bowl win.

RichRod’s first Arizona team earned a trip to a bowl game. It’s time to go to the bowl game.

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Now the challenge is getting there. Or deciding if you want to get there.

At first glance it’s a simple trip. An hour flight. A six-and-a-half hour drive. But you don’t have a lot of lead time. When you talk to your boss today you’re asking for time off next week already.

Then there’s the basketball game. Sean Miller’s team has one marquee matchup on its non-conference schedule and that’s against fellow-top-10 Florida at McKale Center on Dec. 15, the same day as the New Mexico Bowl.

An added bonus of the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl trip was the UA basketball team playing at UNLV earlier that same day. Even though the BasketCats lost it was an unforgettable double-header for UA fans.

No such luck this time. If you have tickets to the hoops game you have to make a choice. No commercial flight that comfortably leaves after the football game (ending at 2:30 or 3) gets you back to Tucson in time for tipoff at 8. So unless you leave the bowl early or you’ve got a charter flight you can’t see both in person.

I don’t have basketball tickets so I’m going to Albuquerque. The tricky part is I have family commitments that require I get back Saturday night. I booked a flight into Phoenix that will let me see the entire football game with plenty of time to spare and then – theoretically – land in time to watch the basketball game at the airport before driving back to Tucson.

This isn’t a Who’s a “better fan”? thing. I don’t play that game. Real life often gets in the way of our sports fun and we all support our teams the best we can.

If you’re going to the basketball game, cheer like crazy. If you can’t make either contest, hey, that’s one heck of a Wildcat sports-watching Saturday.

A huge day for the Cats is fast approaching so get ready (and be extra nice to your boss).

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Scott Terrell is at the mercy of the airlines. Dream of on-time departures on Twitter and Facebook.

Ka’Deem Carey isn’t playing this week but Wildcat fans can still root for him.
Photo by Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

The Pac-12 crowns a football champion this week, Oregon State gets to enjoy a December cupcake and then everyone waits for their bowl invites.

The Arizona Wildcats don’t play but their fans will have a keen interest in the performance of four ball-carriers around the country.

TWit-Pac’s TV schedule is oh-so-small (all times Arizona/Mountain):

If you were told only one team from last year’s Pac-12 Championship Game would make it back this year, wouldn’t you have bet all the farms in the county on Oregon? Instead UCLA has returned and this time the Bruins are good enough to make it a game.

Stanford last played in the Rose Bowl after the 1999 season. UCLA’s most recent trip was after a 10-1 regular season in 1998.

(You remember that one loss, right? It was the Hurricane Georges/“everybody died” game. It always comes back to Arizona Football.)

The only reason for the Beavers to still play their game this week is to pretty up their record for the bowl people. Even so, it might not be enough. Read on…

The last two weeks we did bowl mock drafts. This week, since there are only two Pac-12 games left I’ll go on record with my bowl predictions (and projected records):

Rose Bowl – Stanford (11-2 / 8-1)
The Cardinal had the motivation factor in winning last week’s game at UCLA and now they have the home-field advantage. I expect the game to be closer than last week but for Stanford to still pull it out.

Fiesta Bowl – Oregon (11-1 / 8-1)
Will this be Chip Kelly’s last game before heading to the NFL? Will he be able to handle coaching a team that wears the same helmets every week?

Alamo Bowl – UCLA (9-4 / 6-3)
Now the actual draft begins. I see the folks in San Antonio going after the Pac-12 South champion and the Los Angeles TV market.

Holiday Bowl – USC (7-5 / 5-4)
Upset! Oregon State is the best remaining team available but the Holiday Bowl has the option of taking a team one slot lower in the conference standings. Since USC has never played in this bowl and because of the star power of Marqise Lee and (potentially) Matt Barkley, I don’t think the powers that be in San Diego will be able to pass up the Southern California brand name.

Sun Bowl – OSU (9-3 / 6-3)
Yes, this is way too low for a nine-win team (especially since they may be playing a 6-6 ACC team) but that’s the peculiarity of the bowl system.

Las Vegas Bowl – Washington (7-5 / 5-4)
Both Arizona and Washington are pleading their case and I really, really, really wanted to put the Cats here. I do believe Boise State will be the Mountain West team. I do not think the Vegas Bowl wants to duplicate last year’s matchup with ASU. I know Washington opens with the Broncos next year but the following season’s schedule didn’t stop the Alamo Bowl from pairing Arizona and Oklahoma State in 2010 so I don’t think it will factor in the decision here. The Huskies have never played in Las Vegas so their fan base should jump at the chance to make this trip.

Fight Hunger – ASU (7-5 / 5-4)
Additional Territorial Cup spoils. Grumble grumble…

New Mexico – ARIZONA (7-5 / 4-5)
I tried. I just don’t see the Cats ending up higher than the bottom rung. The Sun Bowl was a real possibility until the UA lost the Territorial Cup. Vegas made a lot of sense except they could welcome a brand new set of fans instead. And since neither Arizona nor ASU is within (reasonable) driving distance to San Francisco and because neither team has played in the Hunger Game, I’m guessing they just go with the better conference record there.

See you in Albuquerque?

* * *

No Wildcat game this week; no problem. Ka’Deem Carey is trying to win the UA’s first national rushing title in 57 years. Here is his competition:

Four of those players have a game this week. Here they are as well as the number of yards each needs to catch Carey. The first number is the amount of rushing yards needed to match Carey’s current total of 1,757. The second is the yardage number the player would have to hit this week to pass Carey’s per-game average. Remember, average yards per game is the official stat used to crown the rushing champ.

Stefphon Jefferson is the only one with a realistic shot at catching Ka’Dream this week. Get out your Boise State pom-poms and root for the Bronco run defense.

Then we’ll see if the nation’s top two rushers settle it on the same field in the Land of Enchantment.

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Scott Terrell has his large cardboard D and a FENCE ready to go. Send your run blitz on Twitter and Facebook.

Matt Scott is preparing for his first and only start against Arizona State.
Photo by Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

It’s the Arizona Wildcats against the ASU Sun Devils and a weekend full of Pac-12 intrastate rivalries.

Well, it would be a weekend full of the bitterest rivalries in the conference if not for the annoyance of USC and Notre Dame.

TWit-Pac bittersweetly brings you the final regular season TV schedule (all times Arizona/Mountain):

FX got stuck with Colorado again? That’s four consecutive weeks. FX needs to revisit its draft strategy.

To make it worse, every Pac-12 game this weekend involves a team in the BCS top 25 except the game between the new guys. Maybe Larry Scott should’ve grabbed Maryland and Rutgers when he had the chance

Next we take another stab at a Pac-12 bowl mock draft. Remember, this is not a projection of how things will look at the end of the season. This is how I think the bowls would select teams if the season ended today. Teams still have one (or two) chances to win their way up the ladder.

BCS Championship Game – none
Why, Oregon, why? If you see any Duck fans remind them that Arizona scored 34 more points and produced 212 more yards against Stanford than Oregon did. If they counter with something about head-to-head results or conference championships you say, “Well, Arizona has just as many national championships as Oregon, so there.” (You’re kind of childish when you argue.)

Rose Bowl – Stanford (9-2)
As of today the Pac-12 Championship Game would be UCLA at Stanford and I’m going with the home team.

Other BCS Bowl – Oregon (10-1)
Since only two teams from the same conference can play in BCS bowls it means three of those SEC teams in the top 10 are out of luck. It also means Oregon, the highest ranked non-SEC team outside the top two, would most likely get an at-large bid.

Alamo Bowl – UCLA (9-2)
Hollywood glitz beats out the Beaver Believers.

Holiday Bowl – Oregon State (8-2)
OSU would be playing in a San Diego bowl for the first time.

Sun Bowl – USC (7-4)
I wanted to put Arizona here but I think the Sun Bowl people would take the name brand Trojans and hope Matt Barkley heals over the next month.

Las Vegas Bowl – ARIZONA (7-4)
Putting the team from Arizona across the Hoover Dam and…

Fight Hunger – Washington (7-4)
…the team from Seattle in the northernmost Pac-12 bowl just makes sense.

New Mexico – Arizona State (6-5)
Every eligible Pac team finds a home and all the bowl partners get teams. Win and win!

To the last full weekend of games:

Washington (7-4 / 5-3) at WSU (2-9 / 0-8)
Cougar fans can rally around the fact that their 1-10 team in 2008 won the Apple Cup. Of course, Washington finished 0-12 that year. And it’s not a good sign if you’re looking to a one-win team for inspiration. But if Wazzu pulls the upset Arizona has a chance to be the only 8-4 team in the Pac-12 which would be good for bowl positioning.

ASU (6-5 / 4-4) at ARIZONA (7-4 / 4-4)
The five FBS teams Arizona State has beaten have a combined eight wins over FBS teams. And three of those eight wins were against Washington State. Add in Utah beating Cal and half of the FBS wins from ASU’s bad opponents were against ASU’s other bad opponents.

Oregon (10-1 / 7-1) at OSU (8-2 / 6-2)
The Ducks need a win and a Stanford loss to get into the Pac-12 Championship Game. Oregon State, at No. 15 in the BCS standings, still has an outside chance at a BCS bowl.

Stanford (9-2 / 7-1) at UCLA (9-2 / 6-2)
If Oregon loses to clinch a Cardinal/Bruin rematch next week, expect this game to turn into a scrimmage with neither team wanting to show much or get anyone hurt. Thanks for nothing, Notre Dame game.

Notre Dame (11-0) at USC (7-4 / 5-4)
Blah blah national championship implications blah blah. I get that USC has been playing end-of-season games against Notre Dame since the 1920s but there’s a conference championship game now. We don’t need North teams playing South teams on the final weekend. Who wants a game where it’s probably in the Bruins’ best interest to lose on purpose so they don’t have to play Oregon? Move these Notre Dame games to the beginning of the year where non-conference games belong.

You know how far Stanford’s tradition of playing Notre Dame at the end of the season every other year goes back? 1999. And if bowing to the Irish ends up causing the Territorial Cup to be played in October at some point there will be some desert-hot anger.

(Removes keyboard from soapbox.)

Cal (3-9 / 2-7) – season complete
Cal coach Jeff Tedford has already been fired and, unless more skeletons fall out of Mike Leach’s locker, Tedford will be the only Pac-12 coaching casualty this year. Let me be the first to tell Sonny Dykes that Berkeley is full of earthquakes, protestors and lots of other terrifying things so he should take his talents to another conference.

* * *

Red helmets! This does not annoy me. With this brand new look Arizona will have gone the entire regular season without wearing the exact same uniform combination twice. Quite the departure from decades of wearing white-on-blue-on-white.

ASU hasn’t beaten a team whose coach is not in hot water since Utah in September and, as we discussed above, the Sun Devils don’t have a quality win all year.

That does not change my anxiety that this is going to be a close game to the end. Wildcat fans can hope this year’s Territorial Cup is like 2008 where the home team dominated, but the ones you fear are 2005 (UA’s best two offensive players injured), 2006 (UA starts flat against inferior opponent) and 2010 (sheer lunacy).

All year the prediction has been that Arizona needs to score a bunch of points to win and that’s not going to change this week. It’s great that Matt Scott was able to play last week and shake off some rust because the 44% completion rate and measly 160 passing yards he turned in probably won’t cut it in the rivalry game.

Then again, Scott + Carey = SCarey good run game.

Two bowl teams, two new coaches and shiny new helmets for the home team. It’s going to be an exciting time in the Great State of Arizona Friday night.

- – - – -

Scott Terrell is all about the Cup. Swap smack on Twitter and Facebook.

Where will Austin Hill and the winning-season Wildcats be playing this December?
Photo by Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

This just feels like a really good win.

Arizona takes its 0-3 road record (allowing 56 points per game away from home)…against a desperate team…with a 4-1 home record…on its senior night…in cold, wet conditions…with injured defensive players falling like raindrops…with a rusty, nauseasy quarterback…and Arizona wins.

The victory in Salt Lake City locked up a winning season for the Wildcats and improved the team’s bowl standing. Now the problem is trying to figure out where exactly the Cats will be standing in the postseason.

When you begin thinking about all of Arizona’s bowl possibilities you start to feel like Matt Scott after too much Gatorade and too many running plays. The bowl picture becomes much clearer if you accept the following assumptions:

• Oregon (10-1), Stanford (9-2), Oregon State (8-2) and UCLA (9-2) will all be selected before Arizona. For the sake of this exercise and unnecessary alliteration, we’ll call them the Fit Four.
• Washington will beat Wazzu to finish 8-4.

So if Arizona beats ASU to get to 8-4 the Wildcats will be competing with Washington and USC for bowl position (no matter what the brand-name Trojans do against Notre Dame). It’s also safe to assume that ASU will get selected ahead of Arizona if the Devils beat the Cats and both teams finish 7-5.

The major determining factor in who goes where is whether or not the Pac-12 gets a second team into the BCS bowls. If Stanford beats UCLA to win the North and Oregon beats OSU to finish 11-1, Oregon would be in line for a BCS at-large bid (like the one that put 11-1 Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl last year). The remaining members of the Fit Four would then land in the Rose, Alamo and Holiday Bowls.

If Oregon fades and the Pac-12 only ends up with one BCS team, the Fit Four would occupy the Rose/Alamo/Holiday/Sun and the competition among the middle of the Pac would start there.

Add it up and here are the UA’s bowl scenarios from the best case to the worst:

Sun Bowl – Mon. Dec. 31

Here’s what has to happen for the Wildcats to end up in El Paso:

• Pac-12 gets two BCS bids
• Notre Dame beats USC
• Arizona beats ASU

It’s possible a 7-5 USC team still gets picked over 8-4 Arizona but we’re going to say the Sun Bowl chooses the geographically closer team that has won five of its last six games as opposed to the terribly disappointing team that lost four of its last five.

Las Vegas Bowl – Sat. Dec. 22

There are two ways for the Cats to get back to Vegas for the second time in five years:

• Pac-12 gets two BCS bids
• Sun Bowl selects USC or Washington
• Vegas Bowl takes Arizona over the other one

Or:

• Pac-12 gets one BCS bid
• Vegas Bowl takes Arizona ahead of both USC and Washington

Fight Hunger Bowl – Sat. Dec. 29

Dreaming of December in San Francisco? You want:

• Pac-12 gets two BCS bids
• Sun/Vegas select USC/Washington
• Arizona goes to Fight Hunger

Or:

• Pac-12 gets one BCS bid
• Vegas Bowl selects USC or Washington
• Hunger Game takes Arizona over the other one

New Mexico Bowl – Sat. Dec. 15

The options are:

• Pac-12 gets two BCS bids
• ASU beats Arizona
• Sun/Vegas/Hunger select USC/Washington/ASU
• Arizona is only eligible Pac team left

Or:

• Pac-12 gets one BCS bid
• Arizona beats ASU
• Vegas/Hunger select USC/Washington
• Arizona goes to New Mexico, even with an 8-4 record

Your worst-case scenario:

• Pac-12 gets one BCS bid
• Arizona loses to ASU
• Vegas/Hunger/New Mexico select USC/Washington/ASU
• Arizona gets shipped to a random bowl that needs a team

I have no doubt a seven-win Pac team finds a bowl home somewhere (I also believe a 6-6 ASU squad would still get an invite) but it’ll take one more win to guarantee the Cats stay out west.

As if Wildcat Universe needs any more incentive this week.

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Scott Terrell strains his brain so you don’t have to. Root for the bowl of your choice on Twitter and Facebook.

Austin Hill may already be the best wide receiver to ever wear #29.
Photo by Matt Kartozian -US PRESSWIRE

The Pac-12 Championship Game is in two weeks but this week is the semifinals. Both divisions could be wrapped up on Saturday as the four remaining contenders pair up on the field.

In the middle of the Pac, three teams are jockeying for bowl position, another team is trying to get bowl eligible and one team needs to beat the Arizona Wildcats to keep its postseason hopes alive.

TWit-Pac has mini-previews, a bowl draft, stats and more, but the TV schedule comes first (all times Arizona/Mountain):

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What did FX do to get stuck with Colorado for the third straight week?

There is minimal suspense with the bowl bubble so we are introducing the bowl mock draft. Here are the Pac-12’s tie-ins:

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Here’s how I see the Pac’s bowl partners selecting teams if the season ended today:

BCS Championship Game – Oregon (10-0)
With Alabama losing, the computers finally like the Ducks enough to get them into the top two.

Rose Bowl – Stanford (8-2)
There’s a lot of talk about Notre Dame getting invited to Pasadena but I believe the Rose Bowl will take the second-place Pac-12 team if one is eligible and Stanford is currently in the top 14 of the BCS standings.

Alamo Bowl – UCLA (8-2)
The San Antonians would be tempted to take USC but UCLA’s record and first-place standing win out today. The Bruins already have two more wins than last year’s Pac-12 South champs.

Holiday Bowl – USC (7-3)
USC’s prestige factor trumps its record. The positive is everyone gets to snicker about the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.

Sun Bowl – Oregon State (7-2)
The folks in El Paso would be very happy to land a two-loss team.

Las Vegas Bowl – ARIZONA (6-4)
The Cheap Seats don’t bother with corporate sponsorships. The UA’s location and head-to-head thrashing make the Wildcats more attractive than Washington.

Fight Hunger – Washington (6-4)
The only eligible Pac-12 team left.

New Mexico – none
Albuquerque will be rooting for ASU this week.

Five teams are clearly above Arizona in the bowl pecking order, four due to record and head-to-head results and one due to name recognition. Even if a second team gets into the BCS it looks like the Cats are going to Vegas, San Fran or Querque (that’s its nickname, right?). The UA has never played in two of those bowls so there could be foreign territory to conquer.

Which squads will improve their bowl standings with wins this week? Onward!

Washington (6-4 / 4-3) at Colorado (1-9 / 1-6)
Wait, the Huskies are in the BCS top 25? The same U-Drubbed team that has been beaten by 30 three times? Score one for strength of schedule (and the computers ignoring margin of defeat).

USC (7-3 / 5-3) at UCLA (8-2 / 5-2)
When the season started USC was No. 1 and UCLA’s coach didn’t even have one college win. Now the winner clinches the Pac-12 South, and if Lane Kiffin isn’t that winner he might not be allowed to try and earn more college wins.

WSU (2-8 / 0-7) at ASU (5-5 / 3-4)
If Mike Leach is going down in flames, is it too much to ask that this be his version of John Mackovic getting carried off the field at Cal?

Stanford (8-2 / 6-1) at Oregon (10-0 / 7-0)
If Stanford wins it will have to also beat UCLA next week to clinch the North but if the Ducks prevail all the P12CG tickets can be sold before Thanksgiving.

ARIZONA (6-4 / 3-4) at Utah (4-6 / 2-5)
Did anyone else find it fitting that the Wildcats beat Colorado by exactly 25?

Cal (3-8 / 2-6) at OSU (7-2 / 5-2)
Oregon State beats Cal and loses to Oregon, Stanford loses to Oregon and UCLA, Oregon goes to the national championship game, OSU cancels its computer-killer game with Nicholls State, the Beavers sneak into the BCS top-14 and go to the Rose Bowl. No problem, right?

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If you listen closely you can probably hear Ka’Deem Carey putting yet another award on his shelf but Arizona’s record-breaking back isn’t the only Cat hitting milestones. Austin Hill caught three passes for 29 yards last week to become the seventh Wildcat to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Most Receiving Yards, Season

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This is only the second time in history the UA has produced a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver in the same season. Trung Canidate (1,602) and Dennis Northcutt (1,422) accomplished the feat in 1999.

All that’s left is to get Matt Scott another 152 passing yards to give the Wildcats their first season with a 3,000-1,000-1,000 trio.

* * *

You can’t read anything into Utah losing by 19 at Washington last week just like the Huskies’ blowout loss in Tucson did nothing to prevent UW from beating Oregon State a week later. Arizona, Washington and Utah seem like one of those college football stalemates where A beats B, B beats C, and then C beats A.

To prevent the third portion of that equation from happening the Cats are going to have to throw the ball around. Keeping it on the ground 73% of the time may work against Colorado but Utah is third in the conference in rush defense and total defense. The UA will have to stretch the field from sideline to sideline and test the Ute secondary deep and underneath.

It sure would help to have the guy who’s third in the nation in total offense to go along with the guy who’s second in the nation in rushing.

This is Arizona’s last chance at a road win. Utah needs a win to have a shot at a 10th-straight bowl game.

The Utes scored 49 points in each of their last two wins. It might just take Arizona’s fifth 50-point game to pull this off.

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Scott Terrell loves bowl talk in the fall. Share travel advice on Twitter and Facebook.

Ka’Deem Carey may have to start paying property tax on the end zone.
Photo by Rick Scuteri-US PRESSWIRE

You know what helps ease the pain of giving up 66 points?

Gaining 366 yards.

Ka’Deem Carey absolutely bludgeoned the Arizona Football record book with his 366 rushing yards, 400 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns against Colorado. The sophomore from Tucson also claimed a couple Pac-12 records and even left his mark in the NCAA annals.

And, oh, by the way, the Wildcats won for the sixth time in 2012 to become eligible for a bowl game with two weeks to spare.

I don’t want to hear anybody saying it was “only Colorado.” Did you know Arizona had a 1-13 all-time record against the Buffs before Saturday? It had been 26 years since the UA beat this program. And you remember last year, right?

Carey’s career high coming into the game was 172 rushing yards against Washington. He more than doubled it against CU.

No, the quality of opponent does nothing to detract from this performance. Ka’Dream and his offensive line deserve full credit for making sure this game against Colorado is one we’ll never forget.

Read on for the updated NCAA, Pac-12 and Arizona record books!

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Six wins! Six wins!

Don’t miss the opportunity to fully enjoy Arizona’s bowl eligibility. Last year wasn’t fun and you never know what the future holds. The Cats will be in the postseason for the fourth time in five years, the second-best stretch in school history behind the five bowls in six seasons from 1989-1994.

Yes, technically a 6-6 team could get left out but I agree with the projections that have room for nine Pac-12 bowl teams if ASU and Utah both get to six wins. Thanks, Big Ten Leaders (in Sanctions) division!

While it would be cool to see your team play in a bowl in a different part of the country you’ll really strain your fan base’s travel budget if you end up in a place like Shreveport or D.C., so it’s better to keep winning and ensure you play out west.

Speaking of winning, Rich Rodriguez now has the most victories by a first-year Arizona head coach since the school joined the Pac-10. With three games left, RichRod still has a shot at the all-time mark:

Most Wins by an Arizona Football Coach in His First Season

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Here are all the records and lists that had to be rewritten due to one Ka’Deem Carey:

NCAA – FBS RECORD

Most Rushing Yards, Game

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PAC-12 RECORDS

Most Rushing Yards, Game

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Most Rushing Touchdowns, Game

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ARIZONA RECORDS

Most Rushing Yards, Game

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Most Rushing Yards, Season

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Most Rushing Touchdowns, Game

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Most Rushing Touchdowns, Season

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Most Rushing Touchdowns, Career

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Most All-Purpose Yards, Game

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Most All-Purpose Touchdowns, Game

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Most All-Purpose Touchdowns, Season

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Scott Terrell has tabled the conversation. Set some records on Twitter and Facebook.