Pigskin Pete:
Pac12 Sending Seven
Teams to Bowl Games 
 by Fred Delkin
ooo  

 
   As I pen this forecast, I have a trophy box looking down from my wall, enclosing a white goal post splinter and this caption...Rose Bowl Goal Post...UW 44, Wisconsin 8, 1/1/60.  This is a blast from the past that should be echoing through the football facilities of the University of Oregon.  Pigskin collected this memento when he made an early descent from the press box to celebrate a 28-point underdog Washington's wrapping up an historic victory over the nation's #1 (at the time) team.  It signifies the Pacific Coast Conference representative's snapping of the Big Ten's dominance of a Rose Bowl pact signed in 1947 between the Big Ten and the PCC.   

The Huskies overall speed on both offense and defense and their short-passing attack destroyed the Badgers lo, those many years ago.  The Dawgs parlayed that show into more Rose Bowl victories and, eventually, a national title in 1992.  Oregon earned a 14-0 Rose Bowl win over Penn in 1917, but is 0-3 in subsequent appearances in Pasadena (UW has a 6-6 record in the Rose Bowl).  Now's the time for the Ducks to certify their current #6 BCS ranking over the #9 Wisconsin placement.          Note that Wisconsin’s 11-2 season includes wins over patsies UNLV and South Dakota, while Oregon's lone 'gimme' was over Missouri State.   

We firmly believe the Ducks will leave Pasadena victorious by 7...and that Quacker running back LaMichael James will out gain Wisconsin's Heisman hope Monte Ball.  Here's our calls on the other six Pac12 members playing in bowls:   

12/22  ARIZONA ST. vs. BOISE ST. in the Las Vegas MAACO Bowl.  Dennis Erickson got his walking papers from ASU after six years of failing to lead the Sun Devils to national prominence, while the boys from Boise deserve more than this sub par postseason venue.  The Broncos' QB Kellen Clemens should have earned a slot in this year's Heisman balloting, and he will earn more respect in this fracas.  BOISE ST. by 21.   

12/28  CALIFORNIA vs. TEXAS in the San Diego Holiday Bowl.  Neither squad cracked the national BCS top 25.  The Golden Bears are outmatched by the Longhorns' depth.  TEXAS by 10     

12/29  WASHINGTON vs. BAYLOR in San Antonio's Sun Bowl.  Baylor's 9-3 record and their Heisman-winning QB Robert Griffith lifted the #15 ranked Bears into national notoriety.  They will live up to their rep in this one, but the Dawgs will acquit themselves honorably before losing narrowly.  BAYLOR by 3.    

12/31  UTAH vs. GEORGIA  TECH in San Antonio's Sun Bowl.  Neither team is ranked.  The southerners have the better regular season record and have enough to sink an injury-riddled Utah squad   GEORGIA TECH by 10.  

1/2  STANFORD vs. OKLAHOMA ST. in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, AZ.  This promises to be an entertaining match up between nos. 3 & 4.  We think defense will determine the outcome, and here, the edge goes to Andrew Luck & Co.  This is QB Luck's collegiate last hurrah and if Stanford's injury-hampered receiving corps returns to health for this appearance, the Cardinal can carry the day.  STANFORD by 1. 

ROSES & RASPBERRIES--no corsages for BCS voters who ranked Stanford over Oregon even though the Webfoots won in Palo Alto...and more disrespect has been earned by the press coverage on the Portland Trailblazers' Greg Oden saga...the kid shouldn't have been the TB's #1 draft choice when he was still a teen and nothing we've seen reported since changes our mind that he'll never become medically capable of justifying his stupendous compensation...a floral salute to Pac12 commissioner Larry Scott, who has crafted a TV package that will enrich all members...and paid the way for Washington State to hire Mike Leach, who will coach the Cougars toward respectability and create offensive shows that will justify the expense of enlarging Martin Stadium...now, if there was a way to shield performances from the bitter Palouse winds of November...well, Leach served his coaching time in Lubbock, Texas (taking Texas Tech to 10 straight bowl appearances) so, Pullman will look familiar.

ooo