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          Pac-12 Blog

          Halloween in the Pac-10

          • Ted Miller, ESPN Senior WriterOct 29, 2010, 11:00 AM ET
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            • Pac-12 reporter
            • Covered college football since 1997
            • Graduate of the University of Richmond
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          The Pac-10 has its share of ghosts, ghouls and goblins. So in the spirit of the Halloween weekend ...

          Haunted House: Oregon has won 14 in a row in Autzen Stadium, but it's not only that. Against their last five ranked visitors, they've won by an average of 19.8 points.

          Scary movie -- Worst loss of the season: Speaking of haunted, UCLA looked pretty frightened during a 60-13 beatdown delivered by Oregon on Oct. 21. Making matters worse: It was an ESPN night game the whole nation saw.

          Nightmare at the Coliseum? Oregon is dreaming of a national title, but will USC turn that dream into... a NIGHTMARE! (Insert scary laugh).

          Trick-or-Treat: If Stanford and Arizona win this weekend, their matchup on the Farm on Nov. 6 could have significant implications: Rose Bowl? Second BCS bowl berth? Top-10 ranking? Etc.

          Boo (Boo): There have been two significant injuries this season. For UCLA, the what-might-have-been is over quarterback Kevin Prince, who is now out for the season with a knee injury. It's not just that, though. Prince battled injuries in training camp. When he had a full week of practice, the Bruins played well. When he didn't, they haven't. The second major injury is Oregon State's James Rodgers, who went down against Arizona with a knee injury. The loss of a potential All-American always hurts.

          Night of the living dead: Oregon State always seems to get buried and then go all crazed zombie through the Pac-10 schedule. The Beavers dropped two nonconference games to top-5 foes -- TCU and Boise State -- who continue to be unbeaten, by the way. They lost Rodgers. They lost at Washington. But the reality is this: Oregon State controls its own destiny. While it may seem like a longshot, if the Beavers win out, they go to the Rose Bowl.

          Witchcraft: LaMichael James has posted 32 runs of over 20 yards over the past two seasons. He leads the nation in rushing. And he's the Pac-10's leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Last year, he was just a fast guy. This year, he's a more complete running back. Next step is becoming a true threat in the passing game.

          Cursed team: UCLA has been riddled with injuries and player suspensions. Every time it seems to be breaking through -- a win at Texas-- it falls back down (see: consecutive defeats by a combined count of 95-20).

          Halloween costumes