Surprising WSU, Oregon battle to stay alive
No. 25 Washington State hosting No. 12 Oregon has more significance than many may have expected early in the season.
The game will be key in determining which program stays alive in the hunt for the Pac-12 North title, which appeared to be a race between Washington and Stanford when the season began. All four programs now seem to be very much in it at the halfway mark.
As if the intrigue wasn’t enough to make today’s game one of the top contests in the Pac-12 this week, fans can also expect to see plenty of offensive fireworks in Pullman, which is also hosting ESPN’s “College GameDay” for the first time.
Oregon (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12) averages 43 points per game behind quarterback Justin Herbert and Washington State (5-1, 2-1) averages 41.8 points behind Gardner Minshew. Minshew leads the nation with an average of 403 passing yards per game.
While Minshew has made a somewhat unexpected splash in his first season, Herbert is doing just what was expected of the steady junior. Herbert has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 21 games. Overall, he’s thrown for 1,613 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, second to Minshew in the Pac-12, but he’s amazingly accurate and ranks seventh nationally for passing efficiency (171.2). Against ranked teams, he’s completing 70.8 percent for 1,509 yards and 11 TDs over the course of his Ducks career.
Washington State has not lost at home since 2016, the longest streak since the Cougars won 19 straight home games from 192833. Coach Mike Leach is also racking up good numbers. He has 43 wins at Washington State and a victory today would tie him with Jim Walden for third in program history.
Other key games:
NO. 6 MICHIGAN (6-1, 4-0 BIG TEN)
AT NO. 24 MICHIGAN STATE (4-2, 2-1 BIG TEN) >> Michigan is a dismal 1-5 against rivals Michigan State and Ohio State during coach Jim Harbaugh’s tenure, with the lone win coming against the Spartans in 2016. However, each of the past
three games in this series has been close and decided by a total of 17 points. The Wolverines have bounced back from a season-opening loss to Notre Dame, winning six consecutive games thanks to a suffocating defense that leads the Big Ten.
NO. 1 ALABAMA (7-0, 4-0 SEC) AT TENNESSEE (3-3, 1-2 SEC) >> Tennessee is riding high after snapping an 11-game SEC losing streak last week by beating Auburn, 30-24, at
Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Volunteers won’t have long to celebrate because they host No. 1 Alabama Saturday, a program they haven’t beaten since 2006. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is looking to continue his mastery over his former assistants, going 14-0 against them. Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt was the defensive coordinator at Alabama under Saban from 2007-12 and 2016-17.
NO. 16 N.C. STATE (5-0, 2-0 ACC) AT
NO. 3 CLEMSON (6-0, 3-0 ACC) >> Clemson has won six consecutive games in this series, with the Tigers an impressive 68-17 against ACC opponents since Dabo Swinney took over as head coach in 2009. Thanks to a weaker than usual performance by the conference this season, this game becomes an elimination game of sorts, with the loser most likely out of contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. NC State is looking for its first win over a top 10 program since Dave Doeren took over the program in 2013 (0-8).
NO. 22 MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-2, 1-2
SEC) AT NO. 5 LSU (6-1, 3-1 SEC) >> LSU will host three consecutive ranked opponents — Georgia, Mississippi State and Alabama. No team has earned a spot in the semifinals with two losses, so Ed Orgeron has little wiggle room this week against the Bulldogs or next week against Alabama. While there’s no talk of playoffs in Starkville, Mississippi State is looking for its second win over a ranked opponent in a single season for the first time since 2014. SUSPENDED ELLISON, DISMISSED FROM INDIANA >> Morgan Ellison has been suspended for 2 1/2 years from Indiana University in a sexual assault case, dismissing him permanently from the football team. Two weeks ago, a university panel said it determined Ellison sexually assaulted a female student. Ellison has not been charged with a crime. RODRIGUEZ MAKES FIRST START FOR ARIZONA >> Rhett Rodriguez, the son of former coach Rich Rodriguez, will get his first collegiate start for Arizona today. Khalil Tate will not play because of an ankle injury. Tate lasted only two series in last week’s 4210 loss to Utah and could barely hand the ball off.