The Pac-10 is ranked first in four of the six computers used by the Bowl Championship Series.
It ranks third, behind the Southeastern Conference and Big East, in the other two computers.
This is a nice boost for the conference's pride, but it may not mean much when BCS pairings are announced on Dec. 6.
The league is hoping to land an at-large berth, worth $4.5 million to the conference. If it doesn't, look for renewed debate about whether the conference should drop its round-robin format and go to an eight-game league schedule.
That would allow teams to add a fourth nonconference game, and most would likely schedule an easy victory at home.
Goodbye, USC. Hello, UAB.
The way some coaches see it, the round-robin format guarantees Pac-10 members a total of five extra losses, and they worry that those losses diminish the league's bowl prospects.
"The fact of the matter is, you're adding five losses to the conference that other conferences avoid," said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, whose Bruins played at Tennessee and against Kansas State this season. "You can look at the non-conference schedules in the Big Ten and the SEC, and you can realize that they aren't asking very much of those teams on a weekly basis. That's not the case in the Pac-10."
Of course, if the Pac-10 didn't play such demanding schedules, it might not rank so high in the BCS computers.
Oregon State coach Mike Riley likes the idea of settling the conference title on the field.
"I think it's fair," Riley said. "I think we come up with the right way to decide the conference championship. At the same time, it hurts us. We beat each other up."
-- Arizona State senior cornerback Terell Carr was arrested on suspicion of three misdemeanors and booked into a Maricopa County jail. Carr was arrested Tuesday, the same day he was suspended indefinitely by Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson for violating team rules.
-- The Boise State vs. Idaho rivalry has taken to some not-so-friendly skies.
University of Idaho athletic director Rob Spear says he declined to board a Horizon Air flight after learning the airplane was painted in Boise State's blue and orange colors.
Spear was traveling to Boise on Saturday for fundraising events.
Boise State and Horizon Air unveiled the plane, which sports the team logo on its tail, as an ode to the Broncos earlier this month.
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Boise St. resumes debate early
Boise St. resumes debate early
The first college football Saturday of the year was not even a day old and Boise State had already ensured that yet another season would be dominated by bickering about the Broncos.
Championship contender? Or pretender?
Here we go again.
LSU tops first BCS poll; Boise St. 5th, Oregon No. 10
LSU tops first BCS poll; Boise St. 5th, Oregon No. 10
Everyone has been pointing to the Nov. 5 Alabama-LSU as this season's "Game of the Century," and if the initial set of BCS standings are to be believed, that SEC West showdown indeed will showcase the nation's top two teams.
LSU was atop the first set of standings, which were released Sunday night. Alabama was second, just .0003 points behind the Tigers.
Two teams from the Big 12 were third (Oklahoma) and fourth (Oklahoma State). Presumably, if both remain unbeaten headed into their Dec. 3 "Bedlam Game" at Oklahoma State, a victory in that showdown could be enough for a spot in the title game.
Is the Pac-12 a pushover?
Is the Pac-12 a pushover?
Stanford coach David Shaw and Oregon coach Chip Kelly don't spend a ton of time watching other games in the Pac-12 Conference other than those involving their next opponent. They don't worry about what the outcomes mean to their team, either.
This year, they're probably better off.
The biggest roadblock to a berth in the BCS championship game for No. 6 Stanford (3-0) and No. 9 Oregon (3-1) -- besides each other -- might be the lack of power in the Pac-12 Conference. With the rest of the league off to a stumbling start, the two programs likely will need some help from the competition to boost their remaining schedules, which are looking awfully average outside of that Nov. 12 matchup at Stanford Stadium.
Pac-12 lead at stake as Huskies host Cal, Stanford
Pac-12 lead at stake as Huskies host Cal, Stanford
SEATTLE -- For this year at least, Lorenzo Romar is a big fan of an odd scheduling quirk in the Pac-12.
The idea of getting to host California and Stanford, the two teams at the top of the Pac-12 standings with Washington, and not having to make a trip to the Bay Area later in the year is quite appealing.
"I think this year I really like it given that they're playing the best basketball, two of the best teams in the league," Romar said. "Yeah, I kind of like that idea this year."
Portland State to face Washington, host five games
Portland State to face Washington, host five games
Portland State's football team will travel to the University of Washington and play five home games as part of a 2012 schedule announced Tuesday.
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