We tackle three Pac-12 soccer questions this week:

1. Is it 1988 in L.A. once more?

It is form of eerie what occurring in Los Angeles with UCLA and USC with regard to the  parallels with 1988.

Each groups have began this season 6-0, simply as they did in 1988.

Each groups have a Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback main the best way, as they did in 1988.

One group’s quarterback is a switch from powerhouse Oklahoma, because it was in 1988, and the opposite group has a quarterback who had steadily improved over a number of years because the starter and had change into a star, because it was in 1988.

Troy Aikman, who had come over from the Sooners, led the Bruins in 1988, and Rodney Peete, a senior in his third 12 months as a starter, was in cost at USC. This 12 months, fifth-year starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson is main the Bruins, and Oklahoma switch Caleb Williams heads USC.

In 1988, like this 12 months, USC and UCLA have been each ranked within the high 12 after six video games. UCLA was at No. 1 and the Trojans at No. 3 in 1988. USC at No. 7 and UCLA No. 11 this 12 months.

USC and UCLA met on Nov. 19 with a berth within the Rose Bowl on the road in 1988. This season, USC and UCLA will meet — you guessed it — on Nov. 19, maybe with a berth within the Rose Bowl on the road.

USC gained that matchup in 1988, 31-22, though Peete had the measles and was questionable for the sport proper up till kickoff. The Trojans misplaced to Michigan within the Rose Bowl, UCLA beat Arkansas within the Cotton Bowl, and the Bruins wound up ranked sixth and USC seventh.

Peete completed second within the Heisman voting and Aikman third, as Barry Sanders took dwelling the trophy in 1988. Each Williams and Thompson-Robinson are among the many high 5 within the Heisman Trophy betting odds following Saturday’s video games. 

Will USC and UCLA be taking part in for a Rose Bowl berth this 12 months? They appear to have established themselves because the favorites following the Bruins’ victory over preseason favourite Utah, whereas the Trojans took care of pesky Washington State.

However the race for the Roses (or a Faculty Soccer Playoff berth) is way from over, and so is the Heisman race.

UCLA has performed just one street recreation, and that was in opposition to winless Colorado. The Bruins have a bye this week, however then journey to Oregon for a contest in opposition to the 12^th-ranked Geese in Eugene, the place Oregon has gained 22 straight, the third-longest dwelling successful streak within the nation. Subsequent Saturday USC faces Utah in Salt Lake Metropolis, and the Utes have gained 22 of their previous 23 dwelling video games.

If UCLA and USC win these video games, and Thompson-Robinson and Williams play properly, then the USC-UCLA matchup on Nov. 19 may properly be for first place within the Pac-12 and might be for the Heisman Trophy. Then the 2 L.A. groups and two star quarterbacks may conceivably play once more within the Pac-12 championship recreation, a situation nobody may have imagined in 1988.

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2. Have been we untimely in dismissing Oregon?

When Oregon bought crushed to pulp 49-3 by Georgia within the Geese’ opener, Oregon was dropped from the rankings and dismissed as a participant within the Pac-12 race. And Oregonian columnist Invoice Oran famous that in his report following Oregon’s 49-22 trouncing of Arizona on Saturday, beginning his column this fashion:

When Oregon had its doorways blown off by Georgia on the primary Saturday of the season, it was laborious to check the Geese recovering to make a lot of a splash on the nationwide stage.

A 46-point blowout tends to put a heavy blanket of fog on the horizon.

That night time in early September, Bo Nix nonetheless appeared misplaced in inexperienced and yellow. He dropped two back-breaking interceptions into the fingers of Georgia defenders that should have had Auburn followers nodding knowingly.

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Since that meek give up to Georgia, the Geese have gained 5 straight video games and scored greater than 40 factors in all 5. Even with that three-point mess in opposition to Georgia on its report, Oregon now leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 42.0 factors per recreation and whole offense at 512.5 yards per contest, the latter rating fifth within the nation.

Within the 5 video games for the reason that Georgia nightmare, Nix has accomplished 73.8 p.c of his passes (110-for-149) with 12 touchdowns and one interception, whereas speeding for 294 yards and eight touchdowns. 

We are able to’t dismiss the Georgia loss, after all, and not one of the Geese’ final 5 victims is at present ranked. We’ll get a greater gauge of Oregon when it faces UCLA at dwelling on Oct. 22 after a bye week. The Geese haven’t misplaced a house recreation since an extra time defeat in opposition to Stanford on Sept. 22, 2018, and they need to have gained that one.

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3. How did Stanford lose to Oregon State?

With the clock approaching midnight on the West Coast and three a.m. within the East, Stanford appeared assured of its first victory over an FBS group this season. The Cardinal had simply kicked a discipline objective to present itself a five-point lead with 58 seconds left, and when Oregon State began its ultimate drive from its personal 24-yard line with 54 seconds remaining, it had no timeouts.

The Beavers appeared doomed when it bought to its personal 44 and the clocking ticking beneath 20 seconds as they hurried to get off one other play. As a substitute of spiking the ball, Ben Gulbranson heaved a go into double protection. One way or the other, Tre’Shaun Harrison got here down with it, spun away from the 2 defenders and went the remainder of the best way to finish a 56-yard landing reception with 13 seconds left.

Stanford misplaced 28-27 after blowing a 24-10 lead. Cardinal quarterback Tanner McKee, who had been sacked 16 occasions in earlier video games, was not sacked in any respect and didn’t throw any interceptions. But Stanford suffered its 11^th consecutive loss to an FBS opponent. 

Extra miserable was that it was Stanford’s 10^th straight loss to a Pac-12 opponent, Stanford’s longest such streak in 61 years. The odd issues in regards to the 10-game convention dropping streak is that it started instantly after Stanford beat then-No. 3 Oregon to enhance to 3-2 final season.

“What’s going to get misplaced,” Stanford coach David Shaw mentioned after Saturday’s loss, “is that we most likely performed our greatest recreation of the 12 months.”

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Prime 5 Pac-12 Groups

1. UCLA (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) – Unranked in preseason, the Bruins have defeated ranked foes the previous two weeks.

2. USC (6-0, 4-0) – Trojans are unbeaten however haven’t confronted a ranked foe. Utah is subsequent.

3. Oregon (5-1, 3-0) – Geese offense and Bo Nix have been spectacular the previous 5 video games.

4. Utah (4-2, 2-1) – Utes will not be out of the Pac-12 race but, however should beat USC subsequent week.

5. Washington (4-2, 1-2) – Huskies’ credibility to an enormous hit with Saturday’s loss to Arizona State.

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Pac-12 Participant of the 12 months standings

1. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA – 42-for-56 (75%), 7 TD passes, 1 interception, 61 speeding yards in wins over Washington and Utah.

2. Quarterback Caleb Williams, USC – 14 TD passes, 1 interception for nation’s No. 7 group

3. Quarterback Bo Nix, Oregon – 20-for-25 passing, 70 speeding yards and three speeding touchdowns in opposition to Arizona Saturday.

4. Operating again Zach Charbonnet, UCLA – Leads Pac-12 in speeding (123.0 yards per recreation) and averaging 7.1 yards per carry after working for 198 yards in opposition to Utah

5. Defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu, USC – 12.5 tackles for loss, tied for essentially the most within the nation.

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Cowl picture of USC’s Caleb Williams by Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports activities

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