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Washington ready for big test with Stanford (0:46)
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
11hDavid Lombardi

Stanford loses 3 more for Washington showdown

Stanford will be missing both of its starting cornerbacks, Quenton Meeks and Alijah Holder, and its starting fullback, Daniel Marx, for Friday's showdown against Washington.

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Kyle Bonagura ESPN Staff Writer 

USC RT Zach Banner was disappointed to see former players trashing the program. He got into a lengthy back-and-forth with LenDale White over the weekend and was asked about it on Tuesday. "Don't abandon ship," he said in a message directed at former players.

Kyle Bonagura ESPN Staff Writer 

USC defensive lineman Noah Jefferson is not expected to rejoin the team until November. He has been nursing a shoulder injury, but the primary reason for his delayed return is so he can focus on academics.

Kyle Bonagura ESPN Staff Writer 

Here is the full statement from the Pac-12 in regards to the helmet-to-helmet hit initiated by UCLA's Tahaan Goodman to Stanford's Francis Owusu on Saturday. It was determined during the game it was not targeting and confirmed again after further review. "Our conference office review of the play involving the tackle by UCLA's Tahaan Goodman of Stanford's Francis Owusu during Saturday night's game confirmed that the tackle was legal per NCAA playing rules. Per NCAA rules, the Stanford player was no longer a defenseless player once he caught the ball, established himself, and turned upfield. At that point the Stanford player became a ball carrier and was not deemed defenseless, which meant that NCAA Playing Rule 9-1-4 would not apply (hits to the head or neck area of a defenseless player). When analyzing NCAA Playing Rule 9-1-3, which states "No player shall target and make forcible contact against an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet" it was determined that the crown of the helmet was not used. While there certainly was helmet to helmet contact, neither the game officials on the field or the replay officials called targeting because the contact was with the front of the helmet and not the crown (top) of the helmet. Additionally, we send in every targeting call and replay review of potential targeting calls, to the NCAA for review and feedback. "The Pac-12 Conference holds student-athlete health and safety to the highest regard and regrets the injury sustained on this play. We have been active in adopting player safety rules in games and practices, and have been actively involved in promoting and funding research that supports student-athlete well being and safety. Going forward, and in line with Coach David Shaw's concerns about this play, we expect additional discussion around the targeting rule during the offseason review process and will be an active participant in discussions to further reduce helmet to helmet contact."

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Surprise teams set to crash CFB's playoff party (1:06)
AP Photo/Rick Scuteri
14hKyle Bonagura

Report: Arizona OL died from toxic mix of meds

Autopsy results show Arizona OL Zach Hemmila's death was caused by a toxic combination of two prescription medications, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

Are Sun Devils a playoff contender?

Arizona State is quietly 4-0 after a 51-41 win over Cal. Should the Sun Devils be on our playoff radar? A trip to USC is up next. Eliminator

Are Utes a playoff contender?

Utah is quietly 4-0 after a 31-27 win over USC. Should the Utes be on our playoff radar? A trip to Cal is up next. Eliminator

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Capital One Cup Impact Performance Discussion (0:57)
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Huskies need difficult wins to be considered contenders (0:46)
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

Pac-12 playoff contenders meet in Week 5

Stanford and Washington are two of 15 teams still alive for a playoff berth, according to Mark Schlabach. One of them will take a major step forward with a win on Friday night. Eliminator

Kevin Gemmell ESPN Staff Writer 

Stanford head coach David Shaw, a big fan of defense himself, had some high praise for what Washington has been able to do on the defensive side of the ball. The top 10 teams meet Friday night at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN: "They are built very smartly with size and a physical nature up front. The secondary guys are long and athletic with linebackers that can run and hit. That's a great combination when you throw a budding superstar like Budda Baker in the mix, who continues to grow and can be one of the top defensive players in our conference. It's the idea of having both of those extremes -- the speed and athleticism on the offensive side -- the size and physical nature up front with length in the secondary. That's how we all try to build them."

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Chantel Jennings ESPN Staff Writer 

Some of the older Oregon players have voiced concern that there might be a sense of entitlement in some players. Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said that every coach always fights that. Last Saturday after the Colorado loss he had used the example that the "O" in Oregon also represents the number of extra points the team is given...0.

Kevin Gemmell ESPN Staff Writer 

Asked if he would support his players should their raise their fist or take any other action during the national anthem, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said: "It's a free country, and if you have a desire to express yourself in a way that's not detrimental to the team, we're not going to hold anybody back. As for my own feelings, I don't really delve into that. I keep my opinions to myself on that type of thing."

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David Lombardi ESPN Staff Writer 

Stanford QB coach Tavita Pritchard once threw a game-winning fade in LA, too. It happened in 2007, and it led to one of the greatest upsets in college football history when the Cardinal beat USC 24-23. Here, Pritchard smiles at the similarities between that play and Ryan Burns' game-winning toss to JJ Arcega-Whiteside at UCLA. Pritchard also details how Burns has built trust within the Stanford offense.

Kevin Gemmell ESPN Staff Writer 

Oregon State head coach Gary Andersen, who faces Colorado this week, gave a very thoughtful answer when asked about the parallels between where he wants his program to be and what CU coach Mike MacIntyre has gone through rebuilding the Buffs: "For Colorado and Coach Mac it's awesome to see it happen. How many times were people ready to say 'This isn't going to work' blah, blah, blah. The bottom line is the kids stuck to the plan, and I have tremendous respect for them. Coach Mac stuck to the plan and I have tremendous respect for him competing back to the days when we were in the WAC together ... In my opinion, it's the most gratifying thing as a head coach in football when you can flip a program. I felt that way as an assistant, but not even as close to the way you feel as a head coach. I know he feels they aren't close to arriving yet. But they are playing a brand of football they haven't played in years."

ESPN Stats & Info

Can Washington run the table?

No. 10 Washington is the favorite for every remaining game, according to ESPN's FPI. The Huskies are given a 61 percent chance to knock off No. 7 Stanford this Friday.

Kyle Bonagura ESPN Staff Writer 

USC coach Clay Helton was asked about statistical analysis as it pertains to when to go for it on fourth down. Here's what he said: "One, it depends on what time of the game it is. Are you up? Are you down in the football game? There's all types of decisions that have to be made. Typically, being an offensive guy, I like to be aggressive by nature and go for it on fourth down, but there are times that dictate in the ballgame that you don't. "We've gone for it, I think, four times already this year on fourth time and have been pretty successful with it. Had one in the past game vs. Utah where we had a fourth down and a long three, almost four, on our 38-yard line [Note: it was the Utah 37], but we're up three in that game with a great punter that can pin a team deep and he kicks it to the minus-seven. If you're down in that game, you're probably going for it in that situation. I think situationally, you have to make those decisions as a head coach in that. But in the normal flow of a game, once you get in that four-down territory, depending on whether you're down or up you can be aggressive."

Kyle Bonagura ESPN Staff Writer 

UCLA announced it will host Fresno State in 2024. That makes three games between the two schools on future schedules with games already scheduled for 2018 and 2021. The Bruins have been one of the more ambitious scheduling teams in college football of late. They kicked off a home-and-home at Texas A&M this year and also have games lined up against Oklahoma (2018, 2019), LSU (2021, 2024), Michigan (2022, 2023) and Georgia (2025, 2026) among several other respected Group of 5 opponents.

Chantel Jennings ESPN Staff Writer 

Oregon running back coach Gary Campbell said that running back Royce Freeman is full go in practice this week. The junior was injured in the Nebraska game and sat out versus Colorado. In full, Freeman has probably played about two games worth of snaps this season, accounting for 325 yards and four touchdowns. Will be huge to have him back against Washington State.

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Chantel Jennings ESPN Staff Writer 

Oregon wide receiver Dwayne Stanford said that it took a nearly perfect game from the Ducks to win in Pullman in 2014. Against a hungry Washington State team that's coming off a bye, the Ducks might need to be perfect in 2016.

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Chantel Jennings ESPN Staff Writer 

A few of the Oregon upperclassmen called a player's only meeting following the Ducks' loss to Colorado. Running back Kani Benoit said it's necessary for the veterans to lead the underclassmen.

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

McCaffrey maintains favorite status

Stanford's Christian McCaffrey was "held" to 138 yards rushing in a win over UCLA, but remains No. 2 on our Heisman Watch with plenty of chances to make a move if Louisville's Lamar Jackson falls. Heisman Watch