In Pac-12, Arizona State and Washington State are in the driver’s seats. And UW is still a factor
We’re a just over a week away from the end of conference play and the we’re starting to get a little more clarity when it comes to the Pac-12’s divisional pictures.
In the north, the Apple Cup will decide who gets to play for the Pac-12 championship, as long as UW handles its business against Oregon State on Saturday. In the south, Arizona State has put themselves in the driver’s seat after winning four out of their last six.
A closer look at how the conference will shake out:
Bumpy ride for WSU?
Washington State is having a dream season after an tragic offseason. From ESPN’s ‘College Gameday’ coming to Pullman for the first time and the rise WSU quarterback Gardner Minshew, the Cougs are riding high. How long the good feelings last could depend on whether they can beat UW in an Apple Cup for the first time since 2012.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Was <a href="https://twitter.com/GardnerMinshew5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GardnerMinshew5</a>'s 335 yards and a mustache for <a href="https://twitter.com/Coach_Leach?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Coach_Leach</a> the top <a href="https://twitter.com/76?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@76</a> Fan Fueled Moment?<br><br>TWEET <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FanFueled3?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FanFueled3</a> to vote and make it happen! <a href="https://t.co/rFrx3yOgwk">pic.twitter.com/rFrx3yOgwk</a></p>— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1061720007317446657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Washington State is in charge of the Pac-12 North division if they win out. Getting to Santa Clara and the conference title game is the final test for the Cougars. They host Arizona Wildcats in a late night Pac-12 affair on Saturday, and that’s a winnable but necessary game. Even if the Cougs lose that they could still advance to their first Pac-12 title game if ... they can beat UW.
If both teams are ranked heading into the Nov. 23 game it would be just the fourth time since 2001 that the Huskies and Cougars are ranked when they meet.
Hot coach, hot seat
This past Saturday night, things got a bit strange in the LA Coliseum.
It wasn’t a play or how a game flowed but you could see the emergence of two things. One, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox is emerging as one of the hottest prospects for various jobs. Then there’s USC’s coach, Clay Helton, and the temperature of the seat on which he sits.
In his time at USC, Helton has won a Rose Bowl and a conference title but aside from that there isn’t much else. For all of the potential that exists in the program and for all of the resources the USC program has, Helton has hit well below the program’s standards. So what’s next?
USC Athletic Director Lynn Swan has said that he’s got Helton’s back but that was before USC went 1-2 in the last three games with the school’s top rivals up next. If USC can’t beat UCLA and/or Notre Dame Helton could find himself unemployed.
Arizona State, Utah will settle the south
As USC dropped out of the Pac-12 race to Cal, the Pac-12 South division is now a two-team race between Utah and Arizona State.
Many thought the Utes would be here. But nobody saw Arizona State contending under first-year head coach, Herm Edwards. The Sun Devils have a golden opportunity to win the division but face a difficult two-game track to get there. Both games on the road, first at Oregon this Saturday, then Nov. 24 at Arizona.
Utah needs to beat Colorado and hope Arizona State loses one of their next two.
This story was originally published November 12, 2018 at 11:49 AM.