If you are going to pull an oh-fer - it's best to do it on a light weekend of games. With the three incorrect pickes the season tally now stands at 40-25 - fair but not up to expectations. Two weeks left to improve that number on the left.... but first, our review of last week's slate of games...

Arizona 34 - Oregon 24 (Pick: Oregon 38-17)
A bitter loss that paled in comparison to the vile behavior of a large number of the Arizona followers. It's one thing for students to storm the field after a landmark win, it's quite another for 45 year old men to mill around in front of the Oregon dressing room entrance shouting epithets and profanity laced insults at the visitor section. The lack of institutional control by the University of Arizona administration was borderline criminally negligent. As for the game itself, clearly the loss of Dennis Dixon to his season ending knee injury opened the door for the Wildcat victory, yet despite the loss of Oregon's triggerman it was more the mistakes made by the Ducks than Arizona's performance that determined the outcome. A completely gutless officiating crew played a role as well.. Pardon the rant - but after two sideline warnings had been issued previously, in the third quarter Mike Stoops was at the hash marks lambasting one referee while another was marking off a five-yard procedure penalty on the Ducks. WTH???? The crew that was assigned to that game seemed to think that the suspensions meted out by the conference to the officials covering the previous week's OSU/Washington game meant they didn't have to worry about the consequences of their incompetence - the conference couldn't afford the negative publicity that would arise if they were to punish another of their crews. And still the Ducks had opportunities to win the football game... nothing less than remarkable.

Washington 37 - California 23 (Pick: California 31-3)
California's free-fall this season has to be the surprise story of the year. Touted as a national championship caliber team, then acting the part when they dismantled Tennessee in the season opener, everything that could have gone wrong for the Golden Bears seems to have since their last second escape at Autzen. That said, losing to the Huskies is nearly inexcusable. and completely unfathomable - particularly with starting quarterback Jake Locker out due to injury. Despite knowing the Huskies wouldn't be effective in the air - Bonnell was only 7/19 passing for 108 yards, the Bears couldn't stop the run surrendering 334 total yards on the ground and 224 yards to the fearsome Louis Rankin.

Oregon State 52 - Washington State 17 (Pick: WSU 27-21)
Washington State gave up seven - that's one, two, three, four, five, six, SEVEN interceptions. 'Nuff said.

Week 12 

USC @ ASU

This one won't be close, USC simply has too much firepower on defense for the Sun Devils to score enough points to win. Though not the juggernaut the Trojans have been in years past, the offense is beginning to peak after suffering a number of injuries this season and will have little trouble out pointing the Sun Devils, perhaps embarrassingly so. USC 48 - ASU 21

Oregon @ UCLA

Despite the loss of Dennis Dixon, the Oregon offense is more potent than that fielded by the Bruins, who are expected to start a converted wide receiver at quarterback against the Ducks. Defensively the Ducks will have to force turnovers and give the offense a short field once or twice and the offense simply cannot turn the ball over. But those are reasonable expectations and the Ducks should head into next week's Civil War looking to clinch a return trip to Pasadena for the Granddaddy of them All on January 1. Oregon 31 - UCLA 17

Notre Dame @ Stanford

Perhaps more than next week's Big Game - this match-up with the Irish is a must win for the Cardinal. If there is progress to be seen on the farm in the first year of head coach Jim Harbaugh's tenure - it is better measured in a defeat of the Domers that by their fluky - but very welcome - upset of USC. It won't be easy - the Cardinal are hardly a power house - but the Trees come through for a 24-17 win.

Washington @ Washington State

A week ago the Cougs would have been the hands down favorite in this year's Apple Cup. That was before they "couged" their way to a 52-17 shellacking at the hands of the Beavers and before the Huskies dismantled California without Jake Locker. Locker is set to return for the season finale and there is no reason to think that WSU will find their way back from the purgatory they visited upon themselves. Montlake's Monsters 28 - Pullman's Pussycats 17.