Washington clinches Pac-12 North title with rout of Washington State

Injuries had kept John Ross of most draft radars heading into the 2016 season, but the explosive pass-catcher has made up for lost time with his junior campaign.

It wasn’t just that the Huskies jumped ahead so decisively, nor that they turned back every desperate Washington State attempt to get back into the game. They danced and frolicked on the sidelines before rushing en masse onto the field, a picture of unfettered jubilation. Still, Colorado did beat up Washington State and looked like the better team, so they should be the heavy favorite in a rematch. But in Year 3 under Chris Petersen, it’s going to the Pac-12 championship game with a chance to earn a berth in the College Football Playoff.

30 Number of years ago when Notre Dame last played at Southern California with a losing record. “It hit because like they said I have a lot of family here, I had a chance to go to a great school”. Both teams had won conference championships since the turn of the century, but they were in the middle of horrifying declines that made the rivalry irrelevant nationally. Washington has a major challenge in the Buffs.

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury is in Year Four at his alma mater and heading toward a second season with no bowl game.

“Difference in philosophy is probably the best way to put it”, Petersen said.

Cal’s defense – Like Oregon’s defense last week. Have to think OSU believes it can win deep in its soul, and that’s the first step.

Adoree’ Jackson – This guy is ridiculous.

Offensive tackle Cole Madison attributed the failed runs to “just us being soft, not finishing plays”. The Huskies, though, do sport an advantage on that side of the ball with twice as many sacks (34-17) and allow teams to 80 less yards per game over the course of the season. The Washington Huskies have only lost one game in the 2016 college football season, and that loss came against the USC Trojans.

Petersen confirmed that the apple fell off the trophy while in transit, joking that it must be time for a new one.

Also, Colorado vs. Washington will be a fun story of early-90s powers turning the corner and getting back to big time football. That number is an important benchmark when it comes to the Apple Cup in Pullman.

Fresh off a Pac-12 championship celebration in Seattle on Wednesday night, the No. 7 Washington volleyball team will head to Pullman for yet another Apple Cup.

When you get to the Final Four, you’re two games from winning it all.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In what might be sought-after coach Tom Herman’s final game with Houston, Riley Ferguson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller with 19 seconds left to lift Memphis. Stage is set for floundering Arizona to rise up and ruin the Sun Devils’ season. It was an very bad last two months of the season for the Sun Devils and their program looks to be falling apart after it looked like Graham had turned a corner with them just a couple years ago. The Huskies have the better defense, but the Cougars have home field and a passing attack that can move the ball against any opponent. As it stands, Colorado needs to win the Rumble in the Rockies and the Pac-12 Championship to get considered by the committee, and if they want to jump from No. 9 into the top four, they need the most impressive victories possible (plus some outside help).

Todd Graham – Graham seems safer than the Dykes, Helfrich, Mora, Rodriguez pack, but he still is in trouble.

I hoped the team that almost lost in Tucson and Salt Lake City would show up in Pullman, but it didn’t. Will he survive another year in Tucson. He is the key to this whole thing.

Line/OU: Ohio State by 5; 44½. It was awesome. That’s really where you want to see that D-line take over, because it’s a hard team for the D-line to take over, just in terms of the pass protection techniques, how much they throw it.

Mike Leach coaches a team in a city that is 250 miles from the closest metro area of a million people.