pac 10 still number one

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according to computer

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 CONFERENCE          CENTRAL MEAN    SIMPLE AVERAGE  TEAMS

  1  PAC-10              (A) =  79.37      79.10  (  1)     10

  2  SOUTHEASTERN        (A) =  77.92      77.83  (  2)     12

  3  I-A INDEPENDENTS    (A) =  77.08      76.01  (  4)      3

  4  BIG TEN             (A) =  76.57      77.07  (  3)     11

  5  BIG 12              (A) =  74.58      74.86  (  5)     12

  6  BIG EAST            (A) =  74.37      74.81  (  6)      8

  7  ATLANTIC COAST      (A) =  72.79      71.67  (  7)     12

  8  MOUNTAIN WEST       (A) =  68.91      68.50  (  8)      9

  9  CONFERENCE USA      (A) =  65.37      66.30  (  9)     12

 10  WESTERN ATHLETIC    (A) =  64.02      65.02  ( 10)      9

 11  GREAT WEST          (AA)=  63.01      61.16  ( 11)      5

 12  MID-AMERICAN        (A) =  61.53      60.35  ( 12)     13

 13  ATLANTIC 10         (AA)=  59.68      59.72  ( 13)     12

 14  GATEWAY             (AA)=  57.16      57.29  ( 14)      8

 15  SUN BELT            (A) =  57.05      57.02  ( 15)      8

 16  BIG SKY             (AA)=  56.36      56.09  ( 16)      9

 17  SOUTHERN            (AA)=  51.47      52.53  ( 17)      8

 18  BIG SOUTH           (AA)=  51.32      49.90  ( 19)      5

 19  IVY LEAGUE          (AA)=  51.17      51.24  ( 18)      8

 20  SOUTHLAND           (AA)=  47.16      46.61  ( 20)      7

 21  PATRIOT LEAGUE      (AA)=  46.34      45.80  ( 21)      7

 22  OHIO VALLEY         (AA)=  43.85      44.57  ( 22)      9

 23  MID-EASTERN         (AA)=  42.06      41.48  ( 23)      9

 24  SOUTHWESTERN        (AA)=  41.24      41.43  ( 24)     10

 25  NORTHEAST           (AA)=  38.60      37.59  ( 25)      8

 26  I-AA INDEPENDENTS   (AA)=  34.81      35.77  ( 26)      4

 27  PIONEER             (AA)=  32.36      34.61  ( 27)      8

 28  METRO ATLANTIC      (AA)=  22.70      23.31  ( 28)      5

 29  ***UNRATED***       (**)= -90.00     -90.00  ( 29)      1

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  1  PAC-10              (A) =  79.37      79.10  (  1)   TEAMS= 10

College Football 2006 through games of October 8 Sunday               the BCS uses the ELO_CHESS from here

HOME ADVANTAGE=  3.23           RATING    W   L  SCHEDL(RANK) VS top 10 | VS top 30 |  ELO_CHESS   |  PREDICTOR  

  3  Southern California  A  =  95.24    5   0   80.82(   2)    0   0  |    4   0  |  105.55    1 |   89.74    8

  7  California           A  =  89.74    5   1   75.30(  13)    0   1  |    1   1  |   86.85   11 |   91.73    5

 14  Oregon               A  =  84.72    4   1   74.44(  19)    0   1  |    1   1  |   83.70   19 |   84.28   16

 21  Washington State     A  =  82.25    4   2   74.19(  22)    0   2  |    0   2  |   82.16   22 |   80.90   24

 23  UCLA                 A  =  81.94    4   1   69.56(  55)    0   0  |    0   1  |   81.77   24 |   80.65   26

 24  Washington           A  =  81.91    4   2   78.22(   4)    0   1  |    1   2  |   85.91   13 |   77.62   37

 54  Oregon State         A  =  71.74    2   3   73.28(  24)    0   2  |    0   3  |   70.83   58 |   71.17   61

 56  Arizona              A  =  71.61    2   4   77.87(   5)    0   1  |    1   4  |   75.93   40 |   66.65   85

 65  Arizona State        A  =  70.24    3   2   69.68(  53)    0   1  |    0   2  |   68.35   67 |   70.70   65

112  Stanford             A  =  61.59    0   6   82.03(   1)    0   0  |    0   5  |   64.86   89 |   56.98  125

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  2  SOUTHEASTERN        (A) =  77.92      77.83  (  2)   TEAMS= 12

College Football 2006 through games of October 8 Sunday               the BCS uses the ELO_CHESS from here

HOME ADVANTAGE=  3.23           RATING    W   L  SCHEDL(RANK) VS top 10 | VS top 30 |  ELO_CHESS   |  PREDICTOR  

  2  Florida              A  =  96.43    6   0   75.68(  10)    1   0  |    2   0  |   99.92    3 |   92.83    3

  5  Tennessee            A  =  91.84    5   1   75.75(   9)    1   1  |    2   1  |   91.08    6 |   91.14    6

 10  Auburn               A  =  86.87    5   1   71.62(  37)    0   0  |    2   1  |   88.12    8 |   84.41   14

 13  LSU                  A  =  85.55    4   2   72.40(  32)    0   2  |    0   2  |   82.14   23 |   88.28   10

 27  Georgia              A  =  80.78    5   1   66.06(  85)    0   1  |    0   1  |   81.18   26 |   78.97   31

 28  Arkansas             A  =  80.60    4   1   74.34(  20)    1   1  |    1   1  |   94.54    5 |   72.82   53

 37  Alabama              A  =  76.72    4   2   67.29(  72)    0   1  |    0   2  |   76.46   37 |   75.51   39

 43  South Carolina       A  =  75.59    4   2   65.77(  87)    0   1  |    0   2  |   75.05   45 |   74.67   46

 55  Kentucky             A  =  71.66    3   3   70.09(  47)    0   2  |    0   2  |   70.99   57 |   70.86   64

101  Vanderbilt           A  =  63.24    2   4   67.10(  73)    0   1  |    0   2  |   57.85  127 |   67.49   77

104  Mississippi          A  =  62.87    2   4   71.17(  40)    0   0  |    0   2  |   63.21   96 |   61.06  112

110  Mississippi State    A  =  61.82    1   5   75.34(  12)    0   1  |

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compare bottom teams

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Weekend Preview: Pac-10 leaders could be tested this week

Updated 10/13/2006 12:51 AM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | Subscribe to stories like this  

 

Enlarge By David Zalubowski, AP

The pressure is on Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter this week with the reeling Sun Devils facing No. 2 Southern California.

 NCAA WEEK 7 PREVIEW

Weekend Forecast: Erick Smith has all the picks from the Top 25 | Chat transcript

Weekend preview: Big week in Pac-10 with three contenders all facing stiff tests

Big East, all of a sudden: Once-cast off conference has three unbeatens in national title race

No. 2 up for grabs: Florida, Southern Cal early in line for BCS slot opposite Ohio State

Whiteside: Five key games that could set up the national title match

Top 25 on TV: Where to find the games

 PAC-10 REVIEWING OFFICIALS

The Pacific-10 Conference is reviewing its football policy that mandates its officials work non-conference games at Pac-10 stadiums.

Oklahoma lost a controversial game at Oregon on Sept. 16 when officiating and instant-replay mistakes on an onside kick allowed Oregon to get possession. The Ducks then drove for the winning touchdown. The Pac-10 suspended the officials and replay crew for a game and admitted mistakes were made.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops later suggested his team might cancel its game at Washington in 2008 if the league does not change the policy.

Pac-10 spokesman Jim Muldoon said league athletics directors discussed the policy at a meeting Wednesday and will take it up again after the season.

"We annually have a review of football officiating and will include it in that review and talk about it in depth at that point,"  Muldoon said.

-- Jack Carey, USA TODAY

Spotlight on: Penn State LT Levi Brown  

AP

The Penn State offensive line will receive a 330-pound boost this weekend with the return of all-Big Ten left tackle Levi Brown. Brown missed the Nittany Lions' last two games with a knee injury.

The four-year starter returns in time to lead the rest of Penn State's inexperienced offensive linemen Saturday against undefeated Michigan. The biggest benefactor of Brown's return will likely be Penn State running back Tony Hunt, who has four consecutive games with at least 135 yards rushing.

The Wolverines have the top-ranked rushing defense in Division I-A and have yet to allow an individual 100-yard rusher this season, so expect Hunt to run behind Brown early and often. Minnesota, which Penn State defeated 28-27 in overtime last week, is the only team to gain more than 100 yards on the ground against Michigan this season.

 SPOTLIGHT ON DIVISION I-AA

No. 7 Southern Illinois (5-0) at

No. 5 Illinois State (4-1)

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The skinny: Illinois State has won three in a row against ranked teams, starting with a 61-35 victory in 2005 against then-No. 1 Southern Illinois. ... This game will be only the second contest between two top-10 teams in the 44-year history of Hancock Stadium. ... Redbirds QB Luke Drone leads all Illinois State quarterbacks since 1970 in career completion percentage (62.2), pass efficiency (150.5), yards per attempt (8.6) and yards per completion (13.9). ... The Salukis will be looking to RB Arkee Whitlock to continue his streak of 193 carries without a fumble and QB Nick Hill to add to his 94 consecutive passes without an interception.

Worth noting: Illinois State and Southern Illinois hold the top two spots in Gateway Conference statistics in five categories: rushing defense, total defense, opponent fourth-down conversion percentage, sacks against and point-after conversion percentage. ... Illinois State has not reached the NCAA playoffs since 1999; Southern Illinois has been there each of the last three seasons.

By Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY

Close calls aside, No. 2 Southern California remains the team to beat in the conference until someone actually does it. The next team to try is Arizona State, a team in danger of seeing its season unravel. The Sun Devils must hope their bye week enabled QB Rudy Carpenter to regain his form as he tries to handle the hostile environs of the Coliseum, where the Trojans have won 29 in a row. Another big game from RB Ryan Torain would help. USC WR Dwayne Jarrett (shoulder) is expected to play. He'll be needed to bolster a depleted corps with Steve Smith (ankle) doubtful and Chris McFoy (shoulder) still out. But what QB John David Booty really needs is better red-zone blocking to help the Trojans finish drives on the ground.

No. 11 California, arguably the hottest team in the conference, could be challenged at Washington State. The Bears are putting up offensive numbers resembling USC's gaudy stats of last year. WR-PR DeSean Jackson, averaging 16.5 yards per touch, is the breakaway threat that helps QB Nate Longshore and RB Marshawn Lynch run the machine. But Cougars DE Mkristo Bruce and LB Scott Davis could cause trouble if they get into the Cal backfield. WSU QB Alex Brink has big-game potential but must be sharp. Primary WR Jason Hill, expected to play through a sore shoulder, will get plenty of attention from Bears CB Daymeion Hughes.

After getting steamrolled at Berkeley, No. 18 Oregon comes home to face UCLA. The Bruins could still figure in the conference title hunt, though coming away from thunderous Autzen Stadium with a victory without QB Ben Olson (knee) will be difficult. Patrick Cowan must make sound decisions and get as much help as RB Chris Markey can muster. The good news for UCLA is the vast improvement its defense has shown this season. DEs Justin Hickman and Bruce Davis will lead the effort to contain Ducks agile QB Dennis Dixon. Oregon hopes to get RB Jonathan Stewart rolling quickly.

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USC REPORT

Bush Visits, Says He's Not Worried

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 20, 2006

The New Orleans Saints have an open date this week, but Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush was still on the practice field Thursday.

USC's practice field.

ADVERTISEMENTThe No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, who has thrived as a pro despite being under a cloud of controversy since April, visited with Trojans players and coaches during meetings and for about half of their workout at Howard Jones Field. He then slipped out a back gate and was carted by student managers to a parking lot.

"It feels good to be back," said Bush, standing beside a new luxury sports car. "It's been a while since I've been back. I just came to visit and, you know, have a good time and see some of my old people and say hello to everybody."

The NCAA and the Pacific 10 Conference are investigating allegations that Bush and his family received more than $100,000 in benefits from marketing agents while he was playing for the Trojans.

If the NCAA finds violations, USC could be sanctioned. If Bush is found retroactively to have been ineligible, his Heisman status could be in jeopardy.

Bush has said repeatedly since allegations first surfaced in published reports in April that he and his family had done nothing wrong.

Coach Pete Carroll said he had talked previously with Bush about the situation but did not discuss it Thursday as the running back answered questions about the NFL from former teammates and new players.

"He was real humble and real happy to be around," Carroll said.

Senior flanker Steve Smith spoke to Bush about the controversy.

"He ain't worried about it," Smith said. "It's not a big deal. So we didn't talk about it that much at all."

Bush smiled and mingled with players on the sideline during drills.

He hugged and shook hands with USC personnel before quietly leaving.

Asked if he had spoken to NCAA investigators or USC officials about the allegations, Bush shook his head no.

Asked if he planned to, Bush said, "I plan to lead my team to the playoffs, that's it. That's all that's on my mind, that's all I'm thinking about right now. Football's on my mind and, you know, helping out New Orleans."

Bush said he did not feel uncomfortable on campus with the controversy swirling about.

"Everybody is happy to see me and I'm happy to see them…. I feel welcome with open arms," he said.

Asked if he had worries about anything, Bush smiled and again shook his head.

"None," he said, then opened the door to the car, got in and drove away.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bush apparently was not the only former Trojans tailback in town.

Smith said he attended a party Wednesday night with LenDale White, who now plays for the Tennessee Titans.

"It was just crazy because I was here when we were all grinding together and now they're living that life. It just shows it's right within our hands, right within our reach," said Smith, who was impressed by White's jewelry.

"I see the chain on LenDale and the earrings and the wrist and the watch and stuff. I like that," Smith said. "I don't know if I'm going to go too extravagant, though."

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USC was scheduled to practice today, but Carroll gave his team the day off. The Trojans also will be off Saturday and Sunday before returning to prepare for Oregon State…. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was not at practice because his wife, Layla, delivered their second child, a girl named Presley Grace…. Rey Maualuga is one of 10 finalists for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker.

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  1  PAC-10              (A) =  80.37      80.01  (  1)     10

  2  SOUTHEASTERN        (A) =  78.55      78.33  (  2)     12

  3  BIG EAST            (A) =  77.39      77.57  (  4)      8

  4  BIG TEN             (A) =  77.14      77.67  (  3)     11

  5  ATLANTIC COAST      (A) =  74.14      73.28  (  6)     12

  6  BIG 12              (A) =  73.95      74.37  (  5)     12

  7  MOUNTAIN WEST       (A) =  69.10      68.64  (  7)      9

  8  I-A INDEPENDENTS    (A) =  67.89      66.83  (  8)      4

  9  WESTERN ATHLETIC    (A) =  64.98      65.94  (  9)      9

 10  CONFERENCE USA      (A) =  64.28      64.93  ( 10)     12

 11  MID-AMERICAN        (A) =  62.25      61.69  ( 11)     12

 12  GREAT WEST          (AA)=  59.23      58.36  ( 12)      5

 13  ATLANTIC 10         (AA)=  57.62      57.82  ( 13)     12

 14  SUN BELT            (A) =  57.18      57.41  ( 14)      8

 15  GATEWAY             (AA)=  56.15      55.15  ( 16)      8

 16  BIG SKY             (AA)=  55.32      55.18  ( 15)      9

 17  SOUTHERN            (AA)=  50.30      51.16  ( 17)      8

 18  IVY LEAGUE          (AA)=  49.96      50.39  ( 18)      8

 19  BIG SOUTH           (AA)=  45.35      44.64  ( 19)      5

 20  PATRIOT LEAGUE      (AA)=  44.55      43.99  ( 20)      7

 21  SOUTHLAND           (AA)=  43.08      43.27  ( 21)      7

 22  OHIO VALLEY         (AA)=  42.57      43.09  ( 22)      9

 23  SOUTHWESTERN        (AA)=  40.30      40.19  ( 23)     10

 24  MID-EASTERN         (AA)=  39.37      38.59  ( 24)      9

 25  NORTHEAST           (AA)=  36.27      34.99  ( 25)      8

 26  I-AA INDEPENDENTS   (AA)=  31.27      32.11  ( 27)      4

 27  PIONEER             (AA)=  31.03      33.46  ( 26)      8

 28  METRO ATLANTIC      (AA)=  20.35      20.76  ( 28)      5

 29  ***UNRATED***       (**)= -90.00     -90.00  ( 29)      1