It's a "3/4" weekend in the Pac-12, where everyone is either passing or reaching the 3/4 of the season mark, and only 3/4 of the conference is in action, as California and USC, who meet in the LA Coliseum next Thursday night, plus Stanford have byes this week.
The odd number of byes is necessary to accommodate another National Championship Playoff elimination game, which also has other national and Pac-12 wide implications, as far as post season possibilities, when #10 Notre Dame (7-1) visits #9 Arizona St. (7-1, 4-1) Saturday afternoon at 1:30 PM AST (12:30 PM PST). ABC has the coverage, and since its Notre Dame, its also the first day game in Arizona this year. Temperatures will surpass 90 degrees in Sun Devil Stadium, which could be a factor.
The weather won't be a factor in Corvallis, where Oregon St. (4-4, 1-4) hosts Washington St. (2-7, 1-5) at 1 PM PST for Dad's Day, and it will be a mostly sunny and 60 degrees. It's an almost unprecedented afternoon home game, at least for Oregon St., but it shows how little interest the game is expected to garner nationally, that ABC waived the window of exclusivity they have for the Notre Dame-Arizona game for this contest, which will be on the Pac-12 channel.
The prime late afternoon time slot goes to Seattle this week, with #18 UCLA (7-2, 4-2) visiting Washington (6-3, 2-3) for a 4 PM PST kickoff. Fox Sports 1 will be there for the coverage. The Huskies will be without potential NFL 1st round draft choice CB Marcus Peters, who was dismissed from the team this week.
There will still be 2 other games completely in the dark in the conference, starting with Colorado (2-7, 0-6) visiting #19 Arizona (6-2, 3-2) in Tucson at 6 PM AST (5 PM PST). It's the day's other game on the Pac-12 Channel.
While the Notre Dame-ASU game will have the greatest amount of impact nationally, and it could matter to the Pac-12 a lot when it comes time for bowl and playoff assignments, it won't change the standings in the Pac-12 South, where the Sun Devils, who will be in Corvallis next week, control their own fate as far as reaching the conference championship game regardless of what happens.
As such, the biggest game in the conference is the night-cap game from Salt Lack City, with #17 Utah (6-2, 3-2) hosting #4 Oregon (8-1, 5-1). It's also the ESPN evening game, and will start at 7 PM PST, which is 8 PM MST on the scene at Rice-Eccles.
The Ducks can sew up the Pac-12 North, and a berth in the Pac-12 Championship game, with a win.
The weekend actually started last Tuesday in the MAC, and with 2 games Tuesday and 2 more last night, and 5 conference teams with byes this week, MACtiion is already all over for the week.
Elsewhere, there is an ACC game tonight, and Amerrican conference and Mt. West games Friday night, and then a sizable schedule as always for Saturday.
The biggest games elsewhere are another pair of those Football Playoff elimination games, matching 2 1-loss teams, though there are other games with definite potential to upset a contender's apple cart. most notably #5 Alabams's visit to Death Valley, and 7-2 LSU Saturday night, for the 5 PM PST CBS game.
In the B1G 14/10ths, #14 Ohio St. visits #8 Michigan St., both 7-1 teams with 4-0 Big Ten records, for the 5 PM PST ABC game. It will almost surely decide the B1G East, as well as eliminate the loser from the playoff picture.
In the Big XII, #7 Kansas St. (7-1, 5-0) visits #6 TCU (6-1, 4-1), and that's on FOX at 4:30 PST.
So by Sunday morning, the still somewhat crowded field of at least a dozen teams that still have some shot at the playoffs will be cut by a quarter, if not a third or more.
Here's the complete, national schedule, adjusted for East Coast Bias Time.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com