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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2018)
SPORTS Wednesday, October 24, 2018 East Oregonian Page 3B What the heck is going on in the Pac-12? By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer Washington State is the Pac-12’s only team with a shot, albeit a long one, at the College Football Play- off. And as for the Pac-12 South, well, it’s a jumble. Plot twists are dominat- ing this Pac-12 season. The Cougars are com- ing off a big win over Ore- gon under the spotlight brought by ESPN’s Col- lege GameDay, and they’re the only one-loss team left in the Pac-12. Presuming the CFP doesn’t include any two-loss teams, Wash- ington State is the confer- ence’s only hope at crack- ing college football’s final four. Stranger things have happened, but at this point, Washington State’s chances are slim at best. The three teams currently at the top of the national rankings have no losses. And that’s assuming the Cougars win out. They’ll be challenged this week- end by a trip to Stanford, and the Apple Cup against rival Washington looms, as well. Washington State was picked in the preseason to finish fifth in the North. The division has four teams ranked in the AP Top 25: Washington State at No. 14, Washington at No. 15, Oregon at No. 19 and Stan- ford at No. 24. The Pac-12 South has one representa- tive: Utah at No. 23. It’s the second time this season that five Pac-12 teams have been ranked. So why isn’t Washing- ton State getting buzz in the playoff conversation? Especially given all the ranked teams? Cougars coach Mike Leach sug- gested perhaps it’s because the conference doesn’t have a perennial frontrun- ner, like Alabama in the SEC, and a clear-cut team AP Photo/Young Kwak Washington State linebacker Peyton Pelluer, right, celebrates with a fan after his team won an NCAA college football game 34-20 against Oregon, in Pullman, Wash., Saturday. AP Photo/Young Kwak Washington State head coach Mike Leach, center, watches the video screen during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon in Pull- man, Wash., on Saturday. to beat. “I’ve said this for a long time, if you had a tourna- ment with the bottom of everybody’s conference with anybody else’s confer- ence, we’d crush the bot- tom of theirs,” Leach said. “And what makes that dif- ficult and what makes that imposing is there are some games throughout the year in other conferences where you’re not as threatened, you’re not in as great of jeopardy as we are in this conference. In this confer- ence, they can all get you, you know?” That parity isn’t doing the league’s teams any favors when it comes to a national championship. Just ask Oregon, which seemed poised to sweep into the CFP conversation had the Ducks won in Pull- man. Oregon visits Arizona on Saturday. “We see it on a weekly basis, is that the league is very good and ultra-com- petitive so sometimes you almost cannibalize your- self as a conference where good teams are playing good teams,” coach Mario Cristobal said. The South is certainly cannibalizing itself. Utah has rebounded into the division lead fol- lowing its thumping of USC last weekend. The Utes are tied with the Tro- jans atop the standings, AP Photo/Rick Bowmer Southern California head coach Clay Helton, left, shakes hands with Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham following their NCAA college football game on Satur- day in Salt Lake City. but hold the tiebreaker. Earlier this season, Utah was reeling from a pair of conference losses to the Washington schools, and coach Kyle Whitting- ham urged patience. Now the Utes are on a three- game winning streak with UCLA on Friday night in Pasadena. “We just want to be con- sistent in our approach. This group has been great about that. Their prepara- tion each week has been very consistent. No peaks or valleys, they come out and take care of their busi- ness on the practice field, in the meeting room and that is really where it starts,” Whittingham said. “They have done a great job of that.” There’s a cluster beneath the Utes and the Trojans of teams with two conference wins: Colorado, Arizona and UCLA. Yes, the Bru- ins, who started the Chip Kelly era with five straight losses, are actually in the thick of it. “We worked out butts off to get in that race,” said defensive back Darnay Holmes said, “but we’re just going to keep on doing what we have to do.” The Buffaloes, mean- while, have taken a tum- ble with two straight con- ference losses — against USC and Washington, both on the road — after climb- ing to No. 19 in the rank- ings earlier in the season. “It is tough to go out and lose two games on the road, but we have done it against some great teams. I think we are going to learn from this experience,” said linebacker Drew Lewis. “I can tell that our confidence is always going to be there. I am trying to do what I can as a defensive leader on this team to rally my guys and get them going. I think we are going to come out even hotter next week. We have to turn this around for sure.” FIELD TEST Candidates Wanted URGENT NOTICE: You may be qualified to participate in a special Field Test of new hearing instrument technology being held at a local test site. An industry leader in digital hearing devices is sponsoring a product field test in your area next week and they have asked us to select up to 15 qualified candidates to participate. They are interested in determining the benefits of GENIUS™ 3.0 Technology in eliminating the difficulty hearing aid users experience in difficult environments, such as those with background noise or multiple talkers. Candidates in other test areas have reported very positive feedback so far. We are looking for additional candidates in Pendleton and the surrounding areas. Dates: October 24th - 29th Product Test Site: Hermiston 955 SE 4th St. Ste. B, Hermiston, OR 97838. 541-716-5092 Pendleton 125 SE Court Ave. Ste. #6., Pendleton, OR 97801 541-224-8661 In an effort to accurately demonstrate the incredible performance of these devices, specially trained representatives will be conducting testing and demonstrations during this special event. In addition to an audiometric hearing evaluation, candidates will receive a fiber-optic otoscope exam, a painless procedure that could reveal common hearing problems such as excessive wax or damage to the eardrum, as well as other common cause of hearing deficiencies. Qualified Field Test Candidates: • Live in Pendleton or the surrounding area • Are at least 55 years of age or older • Have experienced some level of hearing difficulty, or currently wear hearing aids • Don’t currently work for a market research company We have a limited supply of the GENIUS™ 3.0 test product currently on hand and ready for testing. We have also been authorized to offer significant discounts if you decide to take the hearing instruments home. If you choose not to keep them, there’s no risk or obligation of any kind.† TO PARTICIPATE: 1. You must be one of the first 15 people to call our office Mention Code: 18OctField 2. You will be required to have your hearing tested in our office, FREE OF CHARGE, to determine candidacy. 3. Report your results with the hearing instruments to the Hearing Care Specialist over a three week test period. FIELD TEST PARTICIPANTS Will be tested and selected same-day. Qualified candidates will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis so please call us TODAY to secure your spot in the Product Field Test. Participants who qualify and complete the product test will receive a FREE $100 Restaurant.com Gift Card* as a token of our thanks. AVOID WAITING – CALL AND MENTION CODE: 18OctField *One per household. Must be 55 or older and bring loved one for familiar voice test. Must complete a hearing test. Not valid with prior test/purchase in last 6 months. While supplies last. Free gift card may be used toward the purchase of food at participating restaurants where a minimum purchase may also be required. See restaurant.com for details. Not redeemable for cash. Promotional offer available during special event dates only. †If you are not completely satisfied, the aids may be returned for a full refund within 30 days of the completion of fitting, in satisfactory condition. See store for details.
