Skip to main content

Roundup: Almost time for the title bout

Dec 4, 2015
Harry How/Getty

USC

It’s finally time for the Pac-12 Football Championship Game (well, almost). Stanford. USC. Saturday. ESPN. 4:45 p.m. PT (enough one-word sentences for you?). Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News details how Clay Helton got the USC head coaching gig. Vintage Wolf on Helton – “There is now an adult in the room to keep everyone in line and composed.” Additionally, take a look at some Pac-12 Football Championship Game picks from the ESPN.com staff – all 5 Pac-12 bloggers have it being a one score game, with three (Kyle Bonagura, Kevin Gemmell and David Lombardi) choosing Stanford and two (Chantel Jennings and Ted Miller) electing USC.

Stanford

The Cardinal enters this game with two losses but still has a legitimate shot at making the College Football Playoff. Why? Because Stanford’s tough scheduling sets it apart from other CFP contenders, opines Chantel Jennings. Also, David Lombardi looks at the “epic” recent history between Stanford and USC. There have been some memorable ones, that’s for sure.

UCLA

What a win last night for UCLA men’s basketball, taking down top-ranked Kentucky 87-77 in front of a packed Pauley Pavilion crowd.  Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com  writes that UCLA turned one of its worst nights into one of its best in the win over Kentucky – last year, Kentucky scored the first 24 points of the game and throttled the Bruins 83-44. Not a bad turnaround for the Bru Cru.

Arizona State

Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell has been named the next head coach at Memphis, replacing Justin Fuente, who left to take the head gig at Virginia Tech. Doug Haller notes that the 34-year-old Norvell will become the youngest head coach in FBS.

California

After not getting the Missouri head coaching job (that went to Mizzou DC Barry Odom), Sonny Dykes could be returning to Cal, opines Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports. He was also in the mix for the South Carolina and Virginia openings, Forde notes.

Arizona

Bruce Feldman of FOXSports.com reports that Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez is meeting with South Carolina about the Gamecocks’ head coaching vacancy.

Colorado

Colorado has fired women’s volleyball coach Liz Kritza, AD Rick George announced Thursday. The Buffs went 90-125 in her seven seasons, but Kritza led the Buffs to three consecutive winning seasons and back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2013 and 2014.

Washington

Washington women’s volleyball begins its NCAA tournament run Friday against Denver, and Mason Kelley of GoHuskies.com has the details on Washington wanting to “just be great today.”

Utah

Well this would be something – Matthew Piper writes that some people believe chances are improving that Utah meets BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Oregon State

Oregon State basketball’s Gary Payton II tied his father’s school steals record in the Beavers’ 79-70 win over LMU Wednesday night and can break it with one more on Saturday when Nevada comes to town.

Oregon

Chantel Jennings dedicates this article to Oregon football moving on without Scott Frost, the newly-minted head coach at UCF.

Washington State

Chet Broberg of CougCenter writes that Mike Leach got the time he needed to turn things around at Washington State.