After their 22-19 loss on a field goal as time ran out against National Champion (In both the AP and USA Today Coach/Sports Information Director Polls) Auburn, Oregon slipped down to #3 in both polls. TCU, the only other unbeaten team besides the Tigers after their 21-19 win in the Rose Bowl over Wisconsin, took second.
Stanford was the only other Pac-10 team to finish ranked, in at #4 after their 40-12 Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech.
Oregon St. wound up playing the #2, #3, and #4 teams. Another Beaver opponent also finished in the top 10, as Boise St. placed #7 in the USA Today poll, and #9 in the AP.
The only other western team in both of the top 25's was the Bronco's nemesis, Nevada. The Wolfpack wound up #11 in the AP poll, and #13 on the USA Today list, lowest on both lists of any of the 1 loss teams.
Wisconsin, who the Beavers will face in the second week of next season, wound up #7 in the AP poll, and #8 on the USA Today rankings.
Future Pac-12 member Utah dropped to #23 in the USA Today poll, and one spot out of the top 25 on the AP list, after their 26-3 loss to Boise St. in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Both Washington and FCS National Champion Eastern Washington received a single 25th. place vote, the Huskies in the USA Today poll, and the Eagles in the AP.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com