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It's fitting that the run for the roses in the Pac-10 will come down to the wire this season. And why not? Everything else in this league has been unpredictable as well.

The three teams vying to represent the conference in the Rose Bowl will find out their fate Saturday: No. 5 Washington travels to Washington State in the Apple Cup and No. 6 Oregon drives up the highway to Corvallis to play No. 8 Oregon State in the Civil War.

Arizona and Arizona State will "Duel in the Desert" on Nov. 24, and the winner will become bowl eligible. UCLA is already bowl eligible which means this week's game against USC is virtually meaningless for the Bruins.

Nevertheless, it's the two games in the Northwest that will determine not only conference champion, but will also have an effect on the Bowl Championship Series standings.

"We are going into it with a lot at stake," UW coach Rick Neuheisel said. "It's what you dream about when you play college football; that you can have a chance on the last Saturday to accomplish all your goals."


	Joey Harrington and Oregon go the Rose Bowl is they defeat Oregon State in the Civil War Saturday.

If Oregon beats Oregon State, the Ducks go to the Rose Bowl. Washington, if they beat the Cougars, would then be the Pac-10's logical choice for the Holiday Bowl and Oregon State would settle for the Sun Bowl.

But, if OSU and Washington both win, UW will go to the Rose Bowl while the Beavers will go to the Holiday Bowl and Oregon to the Sun Bowl. If UW loses and OSU wins, the Beavers go to Pasadena, Oregon to San Diego and UW to El-Paso, Texas.

"This is an exciting week for everybody involved -- us, the University of Oregon, all of our fans," OSU coach Dennis Erickson said. "The Civil War, regardless, is a big game. Now, with the situation the way it is, it's even bigger. It's going to be fun to play. This is what kids play football for, this is what you coach for, this is what you are fans for."

But, let's not forget about the scenario in the BCS standings: Even if Oregon beats OSU, Washington can still make a BCS bowl game with a win.

UW would be a favorite for the Fiesta Bowl because Husky fans travel well, it's a West Coast game and coach Rick Neuheisel is a native of Tempe, Ariz., where the game is played.

However, the Huskies will most likely have to contend with a 10-1 Virginia Tech team and their star quarterback Michael Vick, an attraction for West Coast fans who never get a chance to see him play in person.

"We don't even want to think about that because if we don't win this game, we aren't going anywhere special," said UW inside linebacker Derrell Daniels, the team's leading tackler with 85. "We know that their (Washington State) record isn't that good, but they're gonna come out fired up against us. That's just the nature of this rivalry."

And, just for good measure, there is a possible scenario that can put Washington in the FedEx Orange Bowl to play for the national championship: If Miami loses to Syracuse, Oregon beats OSU, Oklahoma loses to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game and the Huskies win, the computer rankings will likely put UW in the Orange Bowl against the winner of the Florida-Florida State game.

As for Oregon's standing: A loss would eliminate them from the BCS picture because they would have two losses -- to Oregon State and Wisconsin -- and their margin of victory is minimal.

And it's unlikely, even if they beat the Ducks, that Oregon State would figure into the BCS picture. Dennis Erickson's team is up and coming, but the attraction of the Beavers would not outweigh Notre Dame, which is the favorite to be the other team in the Fiesta Bowl, or the Hokies. The Beavers also have a weak non-conference schedule consisting of Division I-AA foe Eastern Washington, which they only beat 21-19.

Around the Pac-10

Arizona
The Cats will have to wait another week to find out if they will travel to Hawaii for Christmas. Just like last year, UA and Arizona State will play for the right to become bowl eligible in the final game of the season. And, also similar to last year, UA will try to avoid ending the season on a losing streak -- they lost their final three games last year, and are currently riding a four-game losing streak. ... Junior DT Keoni Fraser leads the league in fumble recoveries with five. Overall, the Cats lead the league and are fourth in the nation in turnover margin at plus-13. ... Senior DE Joe Tafoya was suspended by the Pac-10 for fighting during the Oregon State game last week. Tafoya will have to sit out the first half of the Cats game against ASU.

Arizona State
Junior punter Nick Murphy was named one of the 10 finalists for the inaugural Ray Guy Award given to the nation's top punter. Murphy's average of 40.6 yards per punt is only fourth in the Pac-10, but he has had 24 punts downed inside the 20-yard line and 13 inside the 10. Oregon senior Kurtis Doerr and Cal senior Nick Harris are also among the finalists. ... Junior TE Todd Heap is among eight candidates for the first John Mackey Award that will honor the best tight end in Division I football. Heap has at least one reception in 25 straight games. ... Senior OLB and former walk-on Adam Archuleta leads the conference in tackles with an average of 11.3 per game.

Cal
The Golden Bears will meet Stanford in the 103rd edition of the Big Game this Saturday. The rivalry is the oldest of its kind on the West Coast dating back 108 years. ... Cal leads the Pac-10 in sacks with 40. Senior DE Andre Carter leads the team with 13, which is second in the league. ... Brothers Nnamdi and Chijioke Asomugha will become the first brothers to ever play against each other in the Big Game. Nnamdi is a sophomore free safety and Cal's leading tackler while Chijioke, a junior, is a special teams player and reserve cornerback for Stanford.

Oregon
When the Ducks beat Washington State last Saturday, they not only claimed a share of their sixth conference title, but they set a Pac-10 record by winning their 13th consecutive home conference game. ... Junior QB Joey Harrington is a major reason the Ducks control their own destiny for the Rose Bowl and have the most wins in school history (9), as he leads the league in passing yards (236.1), touchdown passes (20) and total offense (248.0 yards per game). ... The Ducks No. 5 AP ranking is their highest ever. ... UO lost the last Civil War meeting in Corvallis at Reser Stadium, 44-41, in 1998. That was the only blemish on coach Mike Bellotti's Civil War record (4-1) during his tenure in Eugene. The Ducks won last year's game at Autzen Stadium, 25-14, behind the running of Reuben Droughns, who gained 197 yards.

Oregon State
Erickson said last week that the University is in the process of redoing his contract and as soon as it's completed he should be at Oregon State for a long time. This may put aside rumors that Erickson is headed to USC to take over their coaching job which most likely will open up at the end of the season with the dismissal of Paul Hackett. ... Heralded junior RB and Doak Walker Award candidate Ken Simonton had his lowest output of the season last week in the Beavers 33-9 demolition of Arizona. He rushed for just 73 yards, which was helped with a third quarter scamper of 21 yards for a touchdown. Simonton now averages 136.1 yards per game, which is eighth in the nation. However, in the game against the Cats, Simonton moved past former UA running back Trung Canidate to fifth on the Pac-10's all-time rushing list with 3,875 yards. ... The Beavers are 9-1 and for good reason, they lead the Pac-10 in four categories: scoring offense (33.6 points per game), scoring defense (19.0), total offense (412.7 yards per game), and total defense (298.7). ... The Beavers have won five straight games for the first time in school history. ... Sophomore PK Ryan Cesca was named the conference's special teams player of the week after connecting on four field goals and three PATs in the victory. Cesca has now successfully kicked 78 consecutive PATs in his career. It was the second time he was named the player of the week this year.

Stanford
The Cardinal lead the Big Game series with Cal with a 52-39-11 record in the 102 meetings. Coach Tyrone Willingham loves playing in these rivalry games as he boasts a 5-0 record as head coach and an 8-0 overall record on the staff. ... Senior WR DeRonnie Pitts moved into second place behind former teammate Troy Walters on the Pac-10's career reception list with 224 catches. Walters had 248 in his four years. ... Senior LB Coy Wire was named the conference's defensive player of the week for his performance in the Cardinal's 29-7 victory over Arizona State this past Saturday. Wire had 10 tackles, four of which went for a loss of 21 yards and three were quarterback sacks. He also deflected two passes and helped Stanford hold the ASU offense to 14 first downs and 23 yards rushing on 34 attempts. ... Fifth-year DT Willie Howard was named one of the 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, given annually to the top lineman in the nation.

UCLA
Junior LB Robert Thomas leads the conference with six forced fumbles this season. Thomas, however, is hurting, but will play this week against USC. He missed much of the Bruins' 35-28 loss to Washington last Saturday due to a stress fracture in his left foot. ... Junior RB DeShaun Foster, despite a hand injury that kept him out for one game and most of another, needs 113 yards against USC to break the 1,000-yard barrier. He fractured his wrist against Arizona State on Sept. 30. Foster opened the year with a bang, garnering 187 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries against Alabama in the first game of the season. Foster scored four touchdowns in the Bruins 34-17 win over the Trojans in 1998, the last time the two teams met in the Rose Bowl.

USC
The Trojans hold a 35-27-7 edge in the Victory Bell games, a series that dates back to 1929 and has been uninterrupted since 1936. USC snapped an eight-game losing streak in the rivalry series last year with a 17-7 win. ... With a win over the Bruins and then a victory over Notre Dame next week, the Trojans will finish .500, a far cry from being the conference favorite before the season began. ... Senior LB Markus Steele is still hurting and may be able to play in a limited capacity against UCLA, coach Paul Hackett said. "Right now we're still on hold regarding his ability. I think he's going to be available in a limited role but we won't know until the end of the week." Steele injured his ankle late in the Cal game on Oct. 28 and missed the Arizona State and WSU games. ... Sophomore QB Carson Palmer was pulled in favor of senior Mike Van Raaphorst against WSU after completing just 12-of-26 for 145 yards and throwing an interception in the first half. Van Raaphorst came in to throw three touchdown passes on 17-of-28 passing for 234 yards. Overall, the Trojans threw the ball 54 times, completing 29 for 19 first downs.

Washington
Freshman RB Rich Alexis, who was named the Pac-10's offensive player of the week after rushing for 127 yards on 21 carries in the Huskies win over UCLA, has a sprained left shoulder but should start against WSU. Alexis suffered the injury in the first quarter, but returned for the award winning performance and in the process became UW's all-time freshmen rushing leader. ... A few other UW running backs are also banged up: sophomore Paul Arnold will be out for a fourth straight game with a bad back; junior Willie Hurst broke his right collarbone and will miss the game. ... UW leads the series with the Cougars, which began in 1900 with a 5-5 tie, 59-27-6. ... Sophomore TE Jerramy Stevens joins ASU's Heap as a finalist for the Mackey Award. Stevens leads Pac-10 tight ends and is second on UW with 38 receptions, which have gone for 514 yards, also second on the team.

Washington State
New starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Matt Kegel, is the first cousin of former WSU quarterback Ryan Leaf. Kegel made his first career start against USC last week and threw for 242 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown pass to senior SE Marcus Williams. It was the second longest pass play in WSU history. Kegel, a 6-foot-5, 225-pounder, will again be under center this weekend in the Apple Cup against Washington when the Cougars try to spoil the Huskies postseason dreams. ... The Cougars 33-27 win over USC last week was no different than most of their games this season. In all, seven of WSU's 10 games have been determined by seven points or less, with a streak of five in a row still in progress. And, three of them needed overtime to decide the outcome.

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Willie Hurst opens the second half with a big run leading to the game-tying TD. (Courtesy:ABC Sports)
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Marques Tuiasosopo lofts a pass to Todd Elstrom for the touchdown. (Courtesy:ABC Sports)
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Another big catch by Brian Poli-Dixon allows UCLA to take the lead at half. (Courtesy:ABC Sports)
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A key block by Ed Ieremia-Stansbury gives Deshaun Foster a 12-yard touchdown run. (Courtesy:ABC Sports)
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Brian Poli-Dixon's 48-yard catch sets up a UCLA touchdown. (Courtesy:ABC Sports)
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Washington's offensive line opens a huge hole allowing Willie Hurst to score. (Courtesy:ABC Sports)
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Oregon's Matt Smith picks off Kyle Boller to end a late drive for Cal.
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Joey Harrington hits Keenan Howry in stride for the 29-yard TD.
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Cal's Geoff McArthur weaves his way through the Ducks defense for a 63-yard TD catch.
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Oregon's Joey Harrington goes untouched for the 2-yard touchdown run.
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QB Marques Tuiasosopo finds Jerramy Stevens in the endzone for an early Washington score. (Courtesy:ABC Sports)
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