By John Sleeper
Herald Writer
Remember mid-terms?
Yucko.
I always wondered what good mid-terms were, when all that really mattered was what you got out of the class when it was over.
Mid-terms? Big deal. It’s like evaluating a football season when it’s half over.
Which is what were doing here. Sure, mid-terms are unnecessary and meaningless, but out of respect for the sanctity of secondary education, here we are.
Besides, a lot has happened in the Pacific-10 Conference since teams broke preseason camp in August, and not all of it has to do with Sept. 11:
So let’s take an analytical look at each team and try to get an idea of where they’re headed, if anywhere.
And keep your eyes on your own paper.
Highlight: A 38-21 victory over UNLV, which isn’t saying much.
Lowlight: A tie between a 63-28 loss to Oregon and a 38-3 loss to Oregon State, in which the Wildcats had just 159 yards of offense.
MVP: Linebacker Lance Briggs is showing why he was all-Pac-10 last year. Great hitter who’ll play on Sundays.
Who’s left: at Washington, USC, at Cal, Stanford, at Arizona State.
Projection: Maybe a win at Cal, then it’s basketball season.
Highlight: 38-7 win against San Diego State.
Lowlight: 48-17 loss to USC.
MVP: Close call between quarterback Jeff Krohn and defensive end Terrell Suggs, but Suggs gets the nod based on his consistently nasty style.
Who’s left: Oregon State, Washington, at Oregon, Washington State, Arizona, at UCLA.
Projection: Not a pretty schedule to end the year. Dirk Koetter left Boise State for this? Still, if the Sun Devils can upset Oregon State or Washington and finish 6-5, they might sneak into the Las Vegas Bowl, and what’s wrong with Las Vegas?
Highlight: 31-28 loss to Washington.
Lowlight: The rest of the year.
MVP: Quarterback Kyle Boller is starting to show the promise he had as a recruit. The problem: a horrid supporting cast.
Who’s left: at UCLA, at Oregon State, Arizona, USC, at Stanford, at Rutgers.
Projection: Hey, buddy. Need a ticket to the Rutgers game?
Highlight: 31-28 win over Wisconsin.
Lowlight: 38-21 win over Utah State, which was closer than the score indicates and much closer than it should have been.
MVP: Quarterback Joey Harrington had a so-so start, but is the reason Oregon’s offense is starting to gather steam.
Who’s left: Stanford, at Washington State, Arizona State, at UCLA, Oregon State.
Projection: Holiday Bowl. Might move up to the Fiesta Bowl if they get by Washington State in Pullman Oct. 27, which will be a gonzo game. But we think WSU is just better.
Highlight: 38-3 win over Arizona.
Lowlight: 27-22 win over New Mexico State.
MVP: Tailback Ken Simonton isn’t having the Heisman year many expected, but is showing leadership and the occasional burst.
Who’s left: at Arizona State, Cal, at SC, Washington, Northern Arizona, at Oregon.
Projection: The Beavers finally might be adjusting to a young offensive line, which has been a big reason for the fall-off on offense. Seattle Bowl awaits.
Highlight: 38-22 win over Boston College.
Lowlight: 45-39 loss to Washington State.
MVP: Quarterback Randy Fasani, who’s spreading the ball out to all his receivers. Great arm, great leader.
Who’s left: at Oregon, UCLA, at Washington, at Arizona, Cal, Notre Dame, at San Jose State.
Projection: San Francisco Bowl. A natural fit. The loss to WSU might prevent Stanford from getting into a more lucrative bowl.
Highlight: Its defense, which has allowed 26 points in the last three games.
Lowlight: Fumbles that haven’t hurt the Bruins yet, but could.
MVP: It’s tempting to pick tailback DeShaun Foster, a strong Heisman candidate, but we like linebacker Robert Thomas, the leader of a front seven that reminds us of the great Nebraska front sevens of the ’90s.
Who’s left: Cal, at Stanford, at Washington State, Oregon, at USC, Arizona State.
Projection: Hard to pick a game the Bruins will lose the rest of the way, although Pullman in November won’t be a picnic. We see them running the table and getting to the Rose Bowl for the BCS championship.
Highlight: 48-17 win over Arizona State, just because of the confidence factor.
Lowlight: Every time the band plays “Conquest.”
MVP: Quarterback Carson Palmer has been more consistent than tailback Sultan McCullough. Best thing for him will be to get out of USC and start making money.
Who’s left: at Notre Dame, at Arizona, Oregon State, at Cal, UCLA.
Projection: No bowl here. And blame the schedule. The Trojans lost to Kansas State, Oregon, Stanford and Washington by a total of 14 points.
Highlight: 23-18 win over Michigan.
Lowlight: 35-13 loss to UCLA.
MVP: Defensive tackle Larry Tripplett, by far. No one’s been more consistent or hard-working. Tripplett’s constantly double-teamed, which makes his year even more amazing.
Who’s left: Arizona, at Arizona State, Stanford, at Oregon State, Washington State, at Miami.
Projection: Brutal schedule. Split the last four and it’s the Sun Bowl. Anything less, and they’ll break in Safeco Field for football.
Highlight: What an offense!
Lowlight: Dave Minnich’s injury.
MVP: Quarterback Jason Gesser. We’ll say it again: Why is nobody mentioning him and Heisman in the same breath? OK, OK. We know. Pullman.
Who’s left: Oregon, UCLA, at Arizona State, at Washington.
Projection: Another brutal schedule, but at least the Cougs have Oregon and UCLA at home. A split there is not out of the question. Say “Hola” to the Fiesta Bowl.
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