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After many allusions in the first half of the season, we can now say that the Pac-12 is in disarray.
Washington State eliminated the last undefeated team in the league conference by defeating Oregon 34-20 on Saturday night in Pullman, Washington, after the ESPN match. College GameDay had really upset the Cougars fan base during the first pre-match trip to campus that morning. Oregon was recently surprised by Washington's entry into the game and deserved to qualify for the college football playoffs if he ran the table and ended the season with a lone defeat against Stanford. Now, if the conference has any chance of qualifying for the playoffs, it's the only team to lose that remains, and that's the one led by Mike Leach.
The Cougars' night began in unison, with quarterback Gardner Minshew intercepting possession of the ball at the start of possession, just the fifth of the season. The Ducks did not take advantage of the possession that followed. QB and Washington State then took the pace, scoring touchdowns in the next four rounds of the first half and a 27-0 lead. Oregon, which usually dictates the pace of any match, simply can not keep up the pace while Minshew does what he wants.
At half-time, Washington State statistics told the story. The Cougars led the Ducks convincingly by totaling yards (295 to 39), first downs (19 to three), third on the ground (Washington State was almost perfect 8 to 9 while Oregon was 0-in-4), and possession time (the Pumas had the ball for nearly 23 minutes). Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert racked up 4 yards out of 11 for 36 yards, while Minshew totaled 31 out of 36 for 231 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. Nine assists from Washington State have collected passes, which is not surprising since six have more than 200 yards in their seven games of the season.
Oregon pushed in the second half, scoring 20 unanswered points to score a goal 5 minutes into the 27th minute. Washington State recovered just in time and dug the gap with a double-digit lead with an eight-yard touchdown and 75 yards taking 2:58 of time.
After the match, Leach told FOX that, for her team to know the success of the season, she will have to play a full match as she did in the first period. The Cougars allowed Herbert to look more like in the second half and the Ducks' QB finished the match at 25 of 44 for a 270-yard touchdown. Minshew, who averaged more than 400 yards per game, had 8 shots on 15 for 92 yards with a touchdown and an interception after the break.
What does it mean now for the Pac 12 and its race for a playoff spot? The chances are still not very favorable for the conference now that the Cougars are the only team in the league with a loss (against USC last month). And the road is tough with a trip to Stanford next week: the final of the regular season against rival Washington, winner of the last five Apple Cup, and the clashes between Cal, Colorado and Arizona. Cougars are now at the top of the North Division, but that could change quickly.
If the state of Washington prevails, there is no guarantee that he will enter the group of four teams. The Cougars have played against Wyoming, San Jose State and Eastern Michigan to kick off the season, which does not favor a selection committee that values the schedule. And who knows how many conference wins will look good if the Pac-12 continues to face ups and downs.
However, it is the time of year when chaos sets in everywhere, not just on the west coast. A few minutes after Washington State was thwarted by Oregon, Purdue got an even bigger one, beating the undefeated Ohio state in West Lafayette. We now know for sure that anyone who wins the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac 12 will lose his name. All eyes are now turning to the SEC, where Alabama is preparing for its biggest test at LSU on Nov. 3; the CAC, where Clemson seemed particularly dominant in a win against a previously undefeated NC state; and Notre Dame, which is under pressure to finish the regular season without defeat, to be confident in its chances to play in the playoffs without spoiling the conference championship weekend.
Perhaps as the mishaps arrive, it will be possible for a single-loss champion, the Pac-12, to sneak into the field at the end. With a win that changes season, Washington State has positioned itself to take advantage of the next wave of strangers.
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