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Unleash the Ant!
Photo by Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Wildcats ended their seven-day run as an undefeated top-10 team. Who replaces them as Oregon’s top challenger? And what did ASU’s win at Washington do for their bowl chances?
Nick Foles and the Cats are hoping for Immunity.
Photo by Rick Osentoski/US Presswire
A blowout victory on national TV, a bunch of positive press, and a shiny new top-25 ranking. It’s been a good week for the Arizona Wildcats. But how do they stack up against the rest of the Pac-10?
We’re going to do something different this year. With so many Pac teams arguing they can make a run at the conference crown we’re going to narrow down the list of contenders each week Survivor-style. Sometimes it’ll be a mathematical elimination and sometimes it’ll just be common sense saying a team is done.
I will also attempt to put the remaining contenders in order. This won’t be a power ranking that looks at what each team has accomplished. It’s going to be a forward-looking guess at the teams with the best chance of making it to Pasadena when you consider record, remaining schedule and, yes, talent.
Mana Mikaele proudly displays the Cats’ new win total.
Photo by Rick Osentoski/US Presswire
Pile on the optimism, Wildcat fans.
The potential for greatness is there.
Yes, it was only Toledo. The same Toledo team a five-loss Arizona squad scored an identical 41 points against in 2008. But a game like this can only produce two types of feelings. Either…
Does that mean it’s a really good sign when our easy game actually is easy? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
…or…
We’re way beyond wake-up calls. Either you wake up, or you’re dead. After every single one of these bad losses we thought the lesson was learned. Yet here we are again. They only let you re-take a test so many times. After a while you just flunk out.
The first quote was after the 2008 Idaho game. The second is after the New Mexico game two weeks later. “Wait and see” is a great place to be.
I apologize for the interruption. Where were we?
Oh yeah: Now that’s the kind of game I like. But I had someone tell me on Sunday how boring the Washington State game was. The stream of red shirts heading to the exit at halftime agreed. Are we spoiled already? Have we forgotten 38-0, 45-0 and 59-13, when the big numbers were on the wrong side of the scoreboard?
Give me boring any day if it means my team is a huge favorite and it plays like a huge favorite.
Opening the game with a kickoff return touchdown is how you get it done when you’re expected to win by 30 points. Starting the game with a total yard advantage of 179-4 is another way. Scoring 31 points before giving up a first down is another.
On to more notes out the Wazzu:
It was great to see Nic Grigsby wearing his jersey and leading the team out onto the field before the game. It’ll be better when he’s back creating fireworks during the game.
We did have our #2 ball-carrier available and Keola Antolin looked to be at full speed. The Flyin’ Hawaiian even put on an air show at the goal line.
We used the all-hair backfield! Nick Foles, Taimi Tutogi and Keola Antolin formed one shaggy I.
Then, to mix it up, Tutogi got some carries himself. Just in case you were wondering who our
fifth-string running back is.
Speaking of hair, Brooks Reed played, recorded a sack, and didn’t limp off the field. That’s the triple crown for our defense.
Earl Mitchell came oh-so-close to intercepting that pass in the flat. Watching him rumble down the sideline with the ball would’ve been just like old times, only with 50 more pounds.
Can we please have Matt Scott run just one old-school, two-hands-on-the-ball, end-over-end-backhand-pitch option play? Ronnie Veal and my Wildcat memories would appreciate it.
Happiness is clinching tacos in the first half.
Was Wilbur trying to show his age at halftime or was that his pimpin’ cane?
I was happy to see walk-on kickoff guy, John Bonano, get to kick an extra point. It was like David Bagga hitting a three. Maybe Bonano will write a book about it.
How is the SEC the best conference when their championship game match-up is decided with three weeks left? We’re here trying to figure out how to break a four-way tie and the SEC has already booked their ‘Bama/’Da championship game. Yawn.
Here are the updated Pac-10 standings projections. Remember, the following is based on the favorite winning every game.
| Team | Overall | Pac-10 | Remaining Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 10-2 | 8-1 | ASU, UA, OSU |
| USC | 10-2 | 7-2 | Stan, UCLA, UA |
| ARIZONA | 8-4 | 6-3 | Cal, ASU |
| OSU | 8-4 | 6-3 | UW, WSU |
| Stanford | 8-4 | 6-3 | Cal, ND |
| Cal | 7-5 | 4-5 | UW |
| UCLA | 6-6 | 3-6 | WSU, ASU |
| UW | 4-8 | 3-6 | WSU |
| ASU | 4-8 | 2-7 | none |
| WSU | 1-11 | 0-9 | none |
I’m not comfortable being a road favorite but thus spake the gambling guys. And, Nose Hole aside, suddenly Arizona has to keep winning just to keep pace with OSU and Stanford.
If the above comes to pass and both Oregon and USC make BCS bowls, who does the Holiday Bowl pick between UA, OSU and Stanford? The Cardinal would be coming in having won four of five so I’ll go with them. That would leave the Cats for the Sun, OSU to the Emerald, Cal to Vegas and UCLA squeaking into the Poinsettia.
Last year I would have fallen all over myself to sign up for that. Not this year. It’s time to let it ride.
There’s something about the Arizona/Cal rivalry. The all-time series is tied at 13-13-2 and the loser of the game always seems to be the team with the most at stake. In 2006 the 4-5 Wildcats kept Cal from the conference championship. We all know what the 5-4 Bears did to us in 1993. So, yes, it’s not a good sign that we’re the team a half-game out of first.
I hope no one thinks this game became a gimme when Jahvid Best went down. His backup, Shane Vareen, has more touchdowns this year (8) than anyone on the UA roster. Their third-string guy averages seven yards a carry. The Bears will still have plenty of firepower.
On top of that it’s just not easy to win on the road. When you’re looking for the best conference road wins this year it’s a short list. The candidates are UA over OSU, USC over Cal, and OSU over Cal.
That’s it. And don’t get excited because Cal is on there twice. You know the last time the Bears lost two in a row at home? 2002, Jeff Tedford’s first year. That’s right, you have to go all the way back to the team that lost to the Mackovic Mutineers.
Let’s hope this game doesn’t make us long for boring.
