Four need-to-knows for Week 5 in Pac-12 football:
1. Anything goes in Eugene
Stanford visits Oregon in the Saturday nightcap in the latest installment of a series that has produced more high-level upsets over the past two decades than any in the Pac-12.
Stanford is a 17-point underdog for the 8 p.m. kickoff, which should make Ducks fans extremely nervous.
A decade ago, the Cardinal stunned top-ranked Oregon as a 20-point underdog.
But that’s hardly the only surprising outcome.
We tracked down six instances since 2001 in which an underdog of a touchdown or more has won the game outright (with location).
2001: Oregon -7/Stanford 49, Oregon 42 (Eugene)
2009: Oregon -7/Stanford 51, Oregon 42 (Stanford)
2012: Oregon -20/Stanford 17, Oregon 14 in OT (Eugene)
2013: Oregon -10/Stanford 26, Oregon 20 (Stanford)
2015: Stanford -9/Oregon 38, Stanford 36 (Stanford)
2021: Oregon -8/Stanford 31, Oregon 24 in OT (Stanford)
(That list doesn’t include the wild 2018 affair, in which the Cardinal rallied from a 17-point deficit with help from an 80-yard fumble return.)
Granted, there have been plenty of upsets in series across the conference.
What makes the Stanford-Oregon mayhem unique is the success of the programs and the number of times the outcome carried major postseason implications.
The 2001 upset ended the Ducks’ 23-game home winning streak and prevented them from playing for the BCS championship.
The 2012 upset ended the Ducks’ 13-game winning streak (overall) and knocked them out of the BCS race.
The 2015 upset probably kept Stanford out of the playoff.
And the 2021 overtime surprise at Stanford Stadium, which included a game-tying touchdown on the final play of regulation, knocked the Ducks from their No. 3 ranking.
This year, the stakes aren’t quite as lofty. Stanford’s postseason prospects are dim, while the Ducks have an extremely narrow, if not implausible, path to the playoff.
However, a berth in the Pac-12 championship game is squarely in their crosshairs.
And based on the history of this series, that only makes an upset more likely.
2. Obligations (mostly) fulfilled
Each Monday, the conference unveils the television assignments for the following week.
Fans typically respond with dread when their team draws a slot on the Pac-12 Networks because of their limited distribution.
Often, there’s no choice: Each team must make a minimum number of appearances on the conference’s wholly-owned media company, and that minimum is equivalent to the number of non-conference home games.
If a team has two non-conference home games, it must appear on the Pac-12 Networks at least twice.
Where do things stand?
Including the games of Oct. 8, which have already been announced, nine teams have met their minimum requirement for Pac-12 Networks appearances.
Three teams will have at least one game on the networks from Oct. 15 onward: Stanford, USC and Washington.
3. All eyes on Colorado
The Buffaloes aren’t going anywhere this season, except (probably) the basement of the Pac-12 standings.
And for that very reason, coach Karl Dorrell currently occupies the hottest seat in the conference.
(Its previous owner, ASU coach Herm Edwards, “relinquished” his duties 10 days ago.)
Colorado is 0-4 and hasn’t been competitive against a stout schedule that includes TCU, Minnesota and UCLA.
The potential for an in-season dismissal seems high given the timing: CU visits Arizona this weekend but is idle on Oct. 8, creating a window for change if the Buffaloes determine that course is needed.
4. Notes and nuggets …
Utah will be without tight end Brant Kuithe for the rest of the season (knee injury). His backup, Dalton Kincaid, has 16 catches and four touchdowns and, like Kuithe, is one of the best in the conference.
At its current rate of 44 points per game, Washington will surpass its point total for the entire 2021 season next weekend at Arizona State.
Oregon’s 21-game home winning streak is the second-longest in the Power Five (behind Clemson).
USC is unbeaten entering October for the first time since the 2010 season. (Whoa!)
Washington State leads the nation in tackles-for-loss (37) while Washington is third in sacks (15).
Cal tailback Jaydn Ott rushed for 274 yards last week against Arizona, the most by a freshman in Pac-12 history.
