Warriors still rolling along

The Golden State Warriors (43-4) are still rolling along with win after win after win. The Warriors are in New York tonight and will battle the Knicks (23-26). Chances are win No. 44 is just a few hours away.

The Warriors need 30 more wins to break the all-time won/loss record, currently owned by the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls went 72-10 during the 1995/96 regular season and were led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.

Steve Kerr has returned to the Warriors' sideline and has taken over his duties as the head coach for the stretch run. Of course, Luke Walton, who did such a great job while Kerr was away, will be at his side, back to his job as the Warriors' assistant coach.

Those two former Wildcats are having a ball.

By the way, Kerr was on the roster of the Chicago Bulls when the franchise set the regular-season record in 1995/96. Another former Wildcat, Jud Buechler, was also on the team. Kerr played in all 82 games and averaged 8.4 points per game, while Buechler averaged 3.8 points per game in 74 appearances.

Wildcats beat OSU, 80-63

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


Gabe York scored 24 points, including six 3-pointers, and the Arizona Wildcats started a new winning streak at McKale Center tonight with an 80-63 win over Oregon State.

Arizona led by four at the half, 34-30, and gradually pulled away from the Beavers in the second half as the Wildcats improved to 17-5 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-12 Conference.

York, who established a new career high in points and in 3-pointers, had plenty of help from Ryan Anderson, who picked up his 10th career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright came off the bench and contributed 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Coach Sean Miller picked up his 300th career win.

Way to go, Wildcats. Congrats, to Coach Miller. Let's hope the Wildcats can add two more W's next week with road games at Washington State on Wednesday and Washington on Saturday.

TOTS, family members honor McAnally

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) said their final goodbye to teammate Dick McAnally today at Udall Park.

Dick passed away December 18, 2015 at the age of 83.

The McAnally family held the ceremony on the TOTS' baseball field and over 150 people were on hand to honor the well-known attorney, who according to members of his law firm was a tough litigator and once won 24 cases over a 12-month period.

We, the TOTS, know Dick for his hard-nosed play behind home plate -- a catcher on the senior baseball club since 1994.  Known by his friends and his teammates as Judge McAnally or just plain "Mac" for short, Dick was a no nonsense player. According to the TOTS' top pitcher Doc Thompson, Dick liked to call the pitches, in other words be in control of the game.

"The first time I met him, I was on the mound and Dick was behind the plate," Thompson said.  "Dick called time out and walked out to the mound. They discussed how far it was from the pitching rubber to home plate. Doc said, "sixty feet, six inches."

The meeting over, Thompson toed the rubber and McAnally returned to his position behind the plate. Doc's next pitch was a change up and the batter pulled the ball foul. Dick called timeout and returned to the mound. The two players discussed the change up. "How far is it to the plate when you throw the change?"

Doc thought for a second. He knew the answer. "Sixty feet!"

After that the two players were always on the same page.

Dick McAnally was one of a kind. We will miss him.

Photos: (top photo) Our teammate, Dick McAnally; (bottom) poster was displayed today in front of home plate at Udall, showing McAnally giving a thumps up, while enjoying a family trip to Mexico...Thanksgiving 2015.

Arizona's home winning streak snapped

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Oregon Ducks snapped Arizona's consecutive home winning streak tonight with a 83-75 win in front of a disappointed crowd at McKale Center.

Arizona's streak ends at 49. Number 50 was just not in the cards and the credit goes to Oregon as they withstood a hot start by the Wildcats, who canned their first eight shots from the field and built a 13-point lead. The Wildcats scored 28 points in the first ten minutes of the game and just 47 points the rest of the way.

The Wildcats committed 19 turnovers, but shot 61 percent from the field. An accident waiting to happen.

Ryan Anderson led the Wildcats with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Tonight belonged to Oregon as Dillon Brooks led the way with 24 points. The Ducks leave town with a 17-4 overall record and remain in first place in the Pac-12 with a 6-2 slate.

Arizona falls to 16-5 overall and is now a .500 team in the Pac-12 with a 4-4 record.

Aces edge Arizona Rattlers, 7-5

The Tucson Golden Aces

60-and-over baseball

The Tucson Golden Aces scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning at Udall Park today and went on to a 7-5 win over the 60-and-over Arizona Rattlers.

Danny Boxberger, 65, a seasonal player from Vancouver, Washington, capped off the five-run rally with a two-run opposite field double.

Arnie White went the distance for the Aces to pick up the win, although he admits it wasn't his best outing. "I had control problems and walked too many batters," White said, after the game. White walked seven batters in the last three innings, but was helped out by a double play in the fifth and another twin-killing in the top of the seventh.

In the fifth, Aces' centerfielder Dennis Crowley ran down a gapper in left center, turned and doubled up the runner at second. In the seventh, shortstop Lloyd Barzell went to his left to snag a pop up and doubled the runner off of second base to end the game.

Photo: Dan Boxberger

Wildcats fall to No. 18 in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Arizona Wildcats drop to No. 18 in the Associated Press poll, while Oregon, their next opponent on Thursday at McKale Center, slips in at No. 23. Oklahoma remains at No. 1.

Go get 'em, Arizona!

Broncos, Panthers head for Super Bowl 50

Arizona committed seven turnovers in Charlotte tonight and quarterback Cam Newton took care of things offensively for the Panthers as Carolina won the NFC title with a 49-15 lopsided win over the Cardinals, while back in Denver the Broncos held on to win the AFC title with a 20-18 victory over the New England Patriots.

That sets the stage for Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 7.  Carolina and Denver for all the marbles. Peyton Manning against Mr. Newton. The top two seeds in the NFL will lock horns.

After watching the Panthers dismantle the Cardinals, it would be hard to bet against Carolina. My goodness, the Panthers' defense intercepted quarterback Carson Palmer four times tonight. As for Newton, let's look at his final numbers. He went 19 of 28 for 335 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 47 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns.

Peyton Manning and the Broncos will have their hands full on Super Bowl Sunday.

Cal Bears hold on to beat Wildcats, 74-73

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The 12th-ranked Arizona Wildcats failed to score a point in the first four minutes of the second half...and the shooting drought proved costly.

The California Golden Bears held on in Berkeley tonight -- edging the Wildcats 74-73, thanks mainly to Jordan Mathews, who poured in a game-high 28 points. Mathews connected on 10 of 17 attempts, including six 3-pointers.

Gabe York led the Wildcats with 15 points and had a chance to win the game at the buzzer. York drove to the bucket and let loose with a bank shot, but the ball bounced off the rim and the California fans stormed the court as if the Golden Bears had just won the Pac-12 Conference title.

Arizona falls to 16-4 overall and drops to 4-3 in the conference standings.

The Wildcats did a lot of things right in the game. They shot 51 percent from the field, canned 15 of 17 free throws and converted 4 of 9 from long range, but the cold start in the second half put the Wildcats on their heels and allowed the Golden Bears to get the upper hand and pull off the upset.

Such is life on the road in the Pac-12 Conference.

The TOTS' version of Casey at the Bat

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Author  Ernest Lawrence Thayer wrote the poem Casey at the Bat in 1888. The following is the final paragraph from the narrative poem:

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright.
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout.
But there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.

Today, at Udall Park, the following happened. This, is a true story:

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) finished up the week with a real nail biter at Udall Park. Team Blue jumped out to a 11-4 lead, but in the bottom of the seventh inning, Team White fought back and closed to within one run at 11-10. With two outs and runners on first and third, the club's home run hitter, the mighty "Thunder" Tim Tolson stepped to the plate.

With one swing, the 6-feet-2, 240 pound man of steel, could give Team White a come-from-behind win. After all, Thunder Tim hit 13 home runs in 2015 and on this sunny day, with a temperature hovering around 75 degrees, things were right for another blast into the tall trees beyond the right field fence.

Thunder Tim worked the count full and fouled off yet another blazing fastball from the "Montana Kid" Arnie White.

The crowd of four were on their feet, awaiting the next offering.

The wind swirled, followed by a deathly silence. The Team Blue outfielders had backed up as far as they could go. The Montana Kid unleashed a high, hard one. Thunder Tim swung and missed!

The mighty Thunder Tim Tolson had struck out!

Photo: Our "Casey at the Bat"  Tim Tolson

Wildcats beat Stanford in Palo Alto

 
Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The 12th-ranked Arizona Wildcats went on a 12-0 run midway through the second half and went on to grab an important Pac-12 road win in Palo Alto tonight as they knocked off the Stanford Cardinal, 71-57.

Arizona, down 40-39 with 14 minutes remaining in the game, held Stanford scoreless for six minutes and outscored the Cardinal 32-17 to close out the contest. The Wildcats improved to 16-3 overall and 4-2 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Gabe York scored a game-high 19 points, including 4 of 9 from 3-point land. Ryan Anderson contributed 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Dusan Ristic was a force off the bench with nine rebounds and four points. Kaleb Tarczewski finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, while Mark Tollefsen turned in another workmanlike game with 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Next up: at California on Saturday

Can the Cardinals win it all?

Can the Arizona Cardinals win Super Bowl 50?

As a resident of Arizona and the author of this blog, I'm going on record and picking the Cardinals to win it all.

Yes, it would be a first for the Arizona Cardinals and they must get by the amazing 15-1 Carolina Panthers on Sunday to have a shot at the big prize.

Key players to watch this weekend. For Arizona, Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald. For Carolina, Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart. For New England, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. And for the Broncos, Peyton Manning and C.J. Anderson.

Chances are the key plays and the game-winning plays may come from someone other then those named above, but that's what makes the game of football so interesting.

All four offenses are good and the Cardinals are the best of the four. Defensively,  the Broncos have had the edge all season long, but all four teams are capable of causing plenty of havoc in the opposing team's backfield. Palmer, Newton, Brady and Manning will find themselves on the turf...a lot. Newton, of course, is a dual threat and could very well end up as the National Football League's Most Valuable Player.

Okay, here goes. My picks on Sunday:

Arizona 24 Carolina 21

New England 31  Denver  14

Back-to-back blowouts for TOTS Blue

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) play three days a week at Udall Park. Most of the games are close and go down to the wire, but not this week.

Team Blue won 19-6 on Martin Luther King Day and today Team Blue did it again with a 9-1 thumping over Team White.

On Monday Bob Daliege went 4 for 5 and knocked in four runs as Team Blue scored in every inning and on Wednesday it was Arnie White and Jesse Ochoa with the hot bats -- White with a 2 for 4 performance and five RBI, while Ochoa went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs.

Daliege was the winning pitcher on Monday and today it was Ochoa with the win, while Tim Boyd came on in relief in the sixth inning to close the door on Team White.

The TOTS will be back at it on Friday. According to the weather service, a 77 degree day is expected.  The cold weather is finally behind us.

Photos: (top) Bob Daliege,  (bottom) Arnie White

Arizona Wildcats No. 12 in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats are ranked No. 12 this week in the Associated Press college basketball poll, up six spots from last week. Oklahoma holds down the top spot.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Panthers, Broncos advance

The Carolina Panthers pounced on Seattle early and then held on for a 31-24 win today to advance to the NFC championship game, while the Denver Broncos edged Pittsburgh 23-16 to advance to the AFC title game.

In Charlotte, N.C., Cam Newton and the Panthers built a 31-0 halftime lead and then fought off a determined Seahawks' team in the third and fourth quarter. Carolina will host the NFC title game next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

In Denver, Peyton Manning and the Broncos survived a scare from the Steelers and will host the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC finale.

So, all the home teams were victorious this weekend and it comes down to the top four seeds playing for the big prize and a chance to be Super Bowl champs.

It's been a great weekend of football. Next week should be even better.

Fitzgerald, Palmer leads Cardinals to the NFC title game

Arizona Cardinals

Glendale, Arizona is the place to be tonight.

Just moments ago, Larry Fitzgerald caught a 5-yard shovel pass from Carson Palmer in overtime and scampered into the end zone, giving the Arizona Cardinals a 26-20 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Fitzgerald caught eight passes for 176 yards, including a 75-yard pass and catch from Palmer to set up the winning score.

Arizona heads for the NFC title game and will take on either Carolina or Seattle. The New England Patriots also won today, beating Kansas City 27-20 in Foxboro and await the winner of Sunday's AFC divisional game between the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Arizona cruises to win over Cougars

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The 18th-ranked Arizona Wildcats cruised to their 49th consecutive win at McKale Center tonight with a 90-66 win over Washington State. Arizona improves to 15-3 and 3-2 in the Pac-12 Conference.

Six players scored in double figures for the Wildcats with Ryan Anderson leading the way with 15 points, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright came off the bench to hit three of four 3-pointers, dished out seven assists, had one steal and finished with 13 points.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Wildcats roll!

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The Arizona Wildcats powered their way to a 99-67 win over the Washington Huskies tonight at the McKale Center. Ryan Anderson led the way with 21 points, while Kaleb Tarczewski recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Jackson Parker-Cartwright dished out 11 assists as Arizona (14-3, 2-2) manhandled the Huskies inside, out rebounding Washington, 42-25, while shooting 60 percent from field (35 of 58).

Arizona's five starters scored in double figures as Kadeem Allen scored 13 points, Gabe York netted 12 and Mark Tollefsen finished with 11 points.

The Wildcats led 44-41 at halftime and and outscored the Huskies 55-26 in the second half.

Alabama wins it!!

College Football National Championship Game


Alabama  45  Clemson  40

The 16th national title for the Alabama Crimson Tide

National title game should be a dandy

College Football


Alabama vs. Clemson

The title game is just hours away.

With a win, Alabama would notch its 16th national title. For Clemson, it would be the Tigers second and first title since 1981.

Just for the fun of it, I'll take Clemson by 12 points.The Tigers will finish 15-0!

Arizona falls to No. 18 in AP Poll

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The losses to UCLA and USC last week dropped the Arizona Wildcats to No. 18 in the AP College Basketball Poll, which was released earlier today.

Kansas stays at No. 1 and Oklahoma is No. 2.

Not a lot of good news as far as the Wildcats are concerned. Arizona's top scorer Allonzo Trier suffered a broken hand in the USC game and will be out for 4 to 6 weeks.

Once again, someone will have to pick up the slack. The Wildcats have three road games in the books and will have nine home games at home and only six road games left on their Pac-12 schedule.

Arizona will have to up its game defensively and find some double-digit scoring from the bench if they have any hopes of winning the conference title, not to mention their consecutive win streak at McKale is in jeopardy of being broken.

Washington and Washington State are in town this week -- the Huskies on Thursday at McKale and the Cougars on Saturday.

Go get 'em, Wildcats!

Home teams fall in NFL wild card games

NFL Playoffs


The visiting teams pulled off wins in the four NFL wild card games as Kansas City shutout the Texans 30-0 in Houston, the Pittsburgh Steelers edged the Bengals 18-16 in a bruising game in Cincinnati, Seattle survived in Minnesota 10-9 and the Green Packers won at Washington, 35-18.

The hometown fans left their respective stadiums this weekend sad and disappointed.

Next weekend: Green Bay at Arizona, Seattle at Carolina, Pittsburgh at Denver and Kansas City at New England.

Tough road trip for the Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


It was a tough road trip for the Arizona Wildcats.

On Thursday, UCLA beat the Wildcats on a three-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining and tonight, at the Galen Center, it was even tougher as Arizona falls to USC in four overtimes, 103-101.

Arizona, the 7th-ranked team in the country, returns home with a 13-3 overall record and a 1-2 record in the Pac-12.

Allonzo Trier led the Wildcats with 25 points, while Kaleb Tarczewski scored 16 points and hauled in 12 rebounds. Gabe York scored 21 points, Dusan Ristic finished with 13 points and Kadeem Allen scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

But all of the above, just wasn't good enough as the Trojans escaped with an exhausting, hard-fought win. Arizona heads home for some home cooking. The Wildcats take on Washington on Thursday.

Bruins edge Arizona, 87-84

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The UCLA Bruins canned 11 three-pointers, included a long-range shot from Bryce Alford with 1.8 seconds remaining in the game to edge the Arizona Wildcats 87-84 tonight in Los Angeles.

Down by 13 points with 4:08 remaining, the Wildcats came roaring back and had a chance to win the game or at least go into overtime. Ryan Anderson hit one of two free throws to tie the game with 15 seconds left and the Bruins headed down court, looking for their main man -- their shooter, Alford. They found him and he unleashed his fifth 3-pointer of the night. Swish! Alford finishes with 25 points and the Bruins get the win.

The difference: 3-point shooting. Arizona went 6 for 17 from behind the arc, while the Bruins canned 11 of 22 attempts.

Ryan Anderson and Kaleb Tarczewski both had double-doubles. Anderson with 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Tarczewski chipped in 12 points and hauled in 12 boards. Allonzo Trier was also in double figures with 13 points.

Arizona falls to 13-2 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Bruins improve to 10-6 and 1-2 in the conference. The Bruins have now beaten Kentucky, Gonzaga and Arizona.

Wildcats reach No. 7 in AP Poll

The Arizona Wildcats are No. 7 in this week's Associated Press College Basketball Poll.

Kansas takes over No. 1.

Barzell breaks the TOTS' single-season hits record in 2015

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Lloyd Barzell is a hitting machine for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS).

Barzell, 65, shattered the single-season hitting record in 2015 with 246 hits. He batted 413 times and played in 111 games. His .596 average was best on the ball club, beating out Pete Peters, who went 233 for 419, a .556 average, and Tim Tolson, who went 201 for 342, a .588 average.

Tolson, who led the ball club in 2015 with 13 home runs, established a new record for runs-batted-in with 189, while Barzell, also established a new record for runs scored with 201.

Other notable hitters for the Tucson Old Timers in 2015, included Doc Thompson and Floyd Lance.

Thompson played in only 72 games during the year, but batted a hefty .667 with 160 hits in 240 at bats. Lance, the oldest player on the TOTS at 90 years of age, finished 2015 with a .312 batting average, collecting 114 hits in 365 at bats. Lance played in a team-best 118 games.

Ochoa goes 3 for 3 in TOTS' season opener

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Jesse Ochoa, 64, went 3 for 3 and drove in four runs as Team Blue edged Team White 6-5 today at Udall Park in the 2016 season opener for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club.

The TOTS' seasons are long -- 12 months to be exact, just like the verse from the James Taylor song, "winter, spring, summer or fall."

Today, the rain came, but not before the TOTS completed their seven-inning game. Lefty Dennis Crowley picked up the win for Team Blue. Right-hander Dan Lundwall was saddled with the loss for Team White.

Photo: Jesse Ochoa

Coach Arians called Cardinals' loss today -- "a wake up call"

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals didn't show up today and lost to a very good Seattle Seahawks team, 36-6.

That's the bad news.  The good news: Arizona is 13-3 and gets an extra week to prepare for the playoffs. Larry Fitzgerald scored the only touchdown today on a 17-yard pass from Carson Palmer and now has 1,018 career receptions -- all with the Cardinals. Fitz is still chasing Dallas tight end Jason Whitten for No. 10 in career pass receptions. Fitz had six catches today to go along with the Cardinals only score. Witten hauled in six passes today during the Cowboys' 34-23 loss to Washington and currently sits at No. 10 all time with 1,020 receptions.

Arizona coach Bruce Arians wasn't pleased with today's performance by the Cardinals and said in a press conference, following the game, "This was a wake up call."

Regroup Cardinals and go get 'em!

York, Trier power Wildcats to 94-82 win over the Sun Devils

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The eighth-ranked Arizona Wildcats (13-1, 1-0) beat the ASU Sun Devils 94-82 at the Wells Fargo Arena today in Tempe. Once again, it was a balanced scoring effort with Gabe York leading the way with 22 points, while  Allonzo Trier chipped in another 20 points and five rebounds.

Five Arizona players scored in double figures and Ryan Anderson did it again with another double-double -- 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kadeem Allen tossed in 12 points and Dusan Ristic added 10 points and four rebounds. The Wildcats almost had seven players in double digits as Mark Tolleson and Kaleb Tarczewski finished with eight points apiece.

It was a frustrating day for Arizona State (10-4, 0-1) and its new coach Bobby Hurley. Hurley had taken enough from the referees and was ejected with a little over one minute remaining in the game. Welcome to the Pac-12, Mr. Hurley!

Arizona led 41-35 at the half and ended up shooting 55 percent from the field as the Wildcats win their Pac-12 opener and now head for California and games on Thursday with UCLA and Saturday against USC.

Pac-12 Conference finishes 6-4 in bowl games

Oregon squanders a 31-0 halftime lead and loses 47-41 in triple-overtime to TCU at the Alamo Bowl last night, while ASU falls 43-42 at Chase Field in the Cactus Bowl.

All the teams from the Pac-12 Conference played well in the postseason bowl games, but the two losses last night resulted in a 6-4 showing, good enough for second among all the conferences. The SEC, as usual, was the big winner at 8-2.

That's 41 bowl games in the books with one BIG ONE to go -- the national champion game on Jan. 11 as No. 1 Clemson takes on No. 2 Alabama at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

It was strange watching football at Chase Field. By the way, the Cactus Bowl drew 39, 321 compared to the Arizona Bowl in Tucson, which drew 20, 425.

Remembering Frank Malzone

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Boston Red Sox great Frank Malzone passed away last week at the age of 85. Malzone, a gifted third baseman, played for the Red Sox from 1955-1965.

It was during those 10 years when Dennis Crowley, currently a member of the Tucson Old Timers, was a wet-nosed kid who frequently found his way into Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox and especially Malzone, who was easy to spot from the bleachers.

"I saw Malzone play. He was a great player," says Crowley, who is in his seventh year with the TOTS. "We used to get into the games, during the week, for twenty-five cents. I got to see a lot of the Red Sox play, including Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski."

Malzone was a six-time all star with a career batting average of .274. He spent 11 seasons with Boston. He played one year in 1966 with the Angels. As for Dennis, 66, he's one of our all stars on the TOTS.

Photos: top photo, Malzone in his heyday; bottom photo, Crowley, the ageless wonder.

Stanford wallops Iowa, 45-16

Christian McCafferty shattered a Rose Bowl record for all-purpose yards as Stanford walloped Iowa 45-16 today in Pasadena, California. McCafferty rushed, ran back punts and kickoffs and hauled in 18 passes for a grand total of 368 yards.

McCafferty also became the first player in Rose Bowl history to have more than 100 rushing and receiving yards.

The Rose Bowl win by Stanford improves the Pac-12 Conference record in postseason bowl games to 6-2. Two more Pac-12 teams take the field Saturday with Oregon taking on TCU at the Alamo Bowl, while Arizona State takes on West Virginia at the Cactus Bowl.