Welcome to chaos, my friends. Or as I like to call it, Pac-12 football season.
Where else can one enjoy a wicked witches’ brew of upsets and topsy-turvy mayhem that produces five — yes, five — underdog winners in one Saturday?
Some call it parity. Others call it mediocrity. It’s actually both. For in the Pac-12, there is no such thing as a safe homecoming opponent: Every team is talented enough to pull off a stunner on every other team’s home field… because every other team is bad enough to let it happen.
Like it or not, at least it’s entertaining.
That being said, the insanity that occurred this past weekend on the Left Coast was in a class all its own. According to , a $100 bet on a money line parlay of every underdog on Saturday’s schedule would’ve paid out $116,806.63 — or about $154,000 less than Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre received for presiding over one of the worst losses in Buffs history.
For those who love the unpredictable, it was an absolute treat For those who prefer stability, well, you’re probably watching the wrong conference.
Now, as Halloween arrives and the end of the schedule approaches, the Omelette of Champions looks back on the weekend that was and hands out a few treats and a handful of tricks. We only have a few more weeks of frighteningly forgettable football to watch. Better enjoy it while we still can.
Trick: Colorado is a Pac-12 contender — To quote our own Molotov-cocktail-throwing columnist, Mark Kiszla, Saturday’s homecoming collapse against Oregon State is the kind of loss that gets a coach fired. It isn’t so much that CU squandered a 28-point lead at home, as it is CU squandered a 28-point lead at home to a program that had lost 13 straight conference games. It’s now fair to wonder if the Buffs — once 5-0 and ranked No. 19 in the country — might finish the season 5-7.
Treat: Washington State is a playoff contender — Just about every preseason Pac-12 prediction had the Evergreen State producing the conference’s best playoff hope. And they were right. It just happens to be the program on the other side of the state. Say what you will about Stanford — which suddenly forgot how to run the ball — but the Cougars winning in Palo Alto a week removed from the College GameDay-gasm in Pullman is a significant development. Previous Cougars teams would’ve been ripe for a letdown. Instead, the Gardner Minshew mustache brigade is on course for an epic end-of-season clash with UW. And they just might have a chance because…
Trick: Washington is the class of the conference — Nothing says dysfunction better than benching your four-year starting quarterback on the road… unless it’s his redshirt freshman replacement throwing a game-deciding pick-6 on the very next drive. , which misses former offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith more than anyone could have expected. It was always apparent Jake Browning was likely to keep the Huskies out of the playoffs. But few would have predicted UW’s all-time leading passer getting the hook in the team’s ninth game of the season at Cal. Speaking of Smith…
Treat: Jonathan Smith was an under-the-radar great hire for Oregon State —The Beavers’ selection of Smith as head coach went largely unnoticed in an offseason that saw UCLA (Chip Kelly), Arizona (Kevin Sumlin), Oregon (Mario Cristobal) and Arizona State (Herm Edwards) all make splashy hires. But anyone who has paid close attention to OSU this fall knows this program is headed in the right direction. Sure, they’ve laid a few stink bombs along the way, but they’ve also displayed some semblance of a plan on offense and developed legit weapons in Jermar Jefferson and Isaiah Hodgins. A trip to the Rose Bowl may not be on the immediate horizon, but respectability isn’t too far away.
Trick: USC found its coach in Clay Helton — A whopping 47,406 showed up to see the Trojans host Arizona State in the Coliseum (capacity: 78.467) on Saturday. That, more than the team’s lifeless performance in a 38-35 loss to the Sun Devils, is why the third-year head coach isn’t long for Heritage Hall. Once the fanbase turns on you, there’s no coming back.
Trick: Oregon is back — The Ducks were the talk of the conference after knocking off Washington a few weeks ago in Autzen Stadium. Then they got knocked around in successive trips to Washington State (34-20) and Arizona (44-15), and dispelled any notion that the dominance of the Chip Kelly days had returned.
Treat: Utah’s streak of oh-so-close finishes in the South is over — Of the six programs in the South Division, Utah is the only one not to play in the Pac-12 championship game. Now, after years of coming up short, the division is there for the taking. The Utes have scored 40-plus points in four straight conference wins, and have already beaten the two teams — USC and Arizona — directly behind them in the standings. A trip to last-place ASU is next. Which can only mean one thing: lay it all on the Devils.
—, The Denver Post
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What’s on Tap?
- Nuggets: At Chicago Bulls, 6 p.m. Wednesday, ALT |
TV/RADIO: Here’s what sports are airing today
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Scoreboard
NBA: Nuggets 116, Pelicans 111
Full story |
Must-Read
Kiszla vs. O’Halloran: Time for John Elway to give up on Broncos season?
When the Broncos lost four consecutive games earlier this season, general manager John Elway vowed to keep fighting. Read more…
Superstars Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic represent “new breed” of NBA centers
Supposedly a dying breed, the center position has morphed in recent years as big men, formerly confined to the paint, stretch their offensive limits beyond the 3-point line. Read more…
With Demaryius Thomas on the trading block, what trade value do he and other Broncos provide?
Addressing the trade rumors circling the Broncos in general and receiver Demaryius Thomas in particular, cornerback Chris Harris once again served as the locker room sage on Monday afternoon. Read more…
Quick Hits
+: Odell Beckham Jr., Demaryius Thomas, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix generate talk.
+ Former Broncos first-round pick and starting left tackle Garrett Bolles could see a change in usage.
+ Broncos beat writer Ryan O’Halloran digs into the film for 10 takeaways from Denver’s 30-23 loss at Kansas City.
+ WATCH: 5 key plays from Broncos’ loss at the Chiefs.
+Lunch Special: Could the Colorado Buffaloes football team end up 5-7 after starting out 5-0?
+ The CU Buffs had little time to lick their wounds following Saturday’s stunning loss to Oregon State: A trip to Arizona looms Friday.
+Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen earned the NHL’s third star of the week.
+ The New England Patriots won a defensive slugfest with the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
+Alex Strating is ready if his number is called for the Colorado Buffs men’s basketball team.
+ Head coach Hue Jackson tripled his win total with the Browns this season, and it still wasn’t enough to save his job.
+ Rick Pitino says he wants to coach again in the NBA: “I miss it terribly”
+ Broncos Mailbag: Have a question about the team? .
+ Avs Mailbag: Have a question about the team? .
+ Nuggets Mailbag: Have a question about the team? .
By The Numbers
14
Number of 3-pointers made by Golden State’s Klay Thompson as he topped his fellow Splash Brother, Steph Curry’s, single-game record Monday in Chicago. Read more…
Parting Shot
WWE hosts first all-female pay-per-view show amid criticism of Saudi partnership
Five days after Evolution, the women’s roster will not be present for WWE Crown Jewel, the company’s second big Saudi Arabian event of 2018, held in a country that didn’t allow women to drive until June. Read more…
Get in Touch
If you see something thatap cause for question or have a comment, thought or suggestion, email me at dboniface@denverpost.com or tweet me .
