Pac-10 bowl teams can still make a statement...

Oregon State and California lost bowl games last week and in doing so gave the eastern sports writers plenty of firepower, allowing them the opportunity to fill their respective tabloids with a bunch of gobbledygook about the Pac-10 being a mediocre conference.

Thanks to Southern Cal's 24-13 win over Boston College in the Emerald Bowl last Saturday and UCLA's 30-21 victory over Temple earlier today at the EagleBank Bowl, the Pac-10 has roared back to even the slate at 2-2. Now if the big boys --Arizona, Stanford and Oregon-- can come through in the next three days, the Pac-10 can finish the post-season with a respectable 5-2 record. The odds makers no longer have Arizona as a one-point favorite. The Holiday Bowl is now a pick 'em affair and I'm surprised they haven't given the edge to Nebraska with all the press releases out there regarding defensive tackle Ndamukong "he can do it all" Suh.

We'll see how it all plays out tomorrow in San Diego. Go Wildcats! As for Stanford, they have fallen to a 10-point underdog in its Sun Bowl battle on New Year's eve against the Oklahoma Sooners, while Oregon is still holding pat as a 4-point favorite over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, slated for New Year's day. Go Stanford and go Oregon!