Roundup: Huge Pac-12 South battle looms for USC and Arizona State

With the College Football Playoff likely out of the equation and Pac-12 title now the goal, the upcoming Arizona State matchup is a huge one for USC, writes Zach Helfand. With both teams at one conference loss, the winner will get a sizable leg up in the race to Santa Clara. If the Trojans lose that game, Scott Wolf’s postgame article might need to be branded with a “warning” for USC fans.

Arizona State will wear Pat Tillman-themed uniforms for their upcoming game against Colorado on Nov. 4 (NBC Sports). What do you think of them? I’m a fan.

Check out this Sports Illustrated feature on Bryce Love, focusing on his uncanny awareness on the football field, his track background and his stem cell research. Great stuff from Andy Staples.

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert practiced in pads Tuesday and zinged passes around in a 20-minute period open to media viewing, notes Andrew Greif. There is no word on whether or not he’ll play against Utah on Saturday, but it has been just four weeks since he fractured his collarbone, so Saturday would be an early return from that injury.

Here’s what Oregon State interim head coach Cory Hall had to say about the Beavers’ quarterback situation, courtesy of Danny Moran. Mason Moran (perhaps related to Danny?) was recently moved from safety back to quarterback, the position he was recruited to play at Oregon State initially, while QB-turned-receiver-turned-emergency QB option Seth Collins has been ruled out indefinitely with a health issue.

Arizona’s Khalil Tate and Colin Schooler were named Pac-12 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for their roles in the Wildcats’ thrilling win at Cal. Tate has won the award three weeks in a row, making him the first Pac-12er to do so since Rodney Peete in 1988.

Colorado hopes cornerback Isaiah Oliver will be available to play against Cal on Saturday, writes Brian Howell. Oliver was helped off the field in the first half of the loss to Washington State after going down without contact (the Buffs have not publicly diagnosed the injury).

Despite being 4-for-9 on field-goal attempts this season, including missing five of his last six, Tristan Vizcaino will be the primary kicker for Washington against UCLA, reports Adam Jude. He apparently had a very good practice recently and will replace redshirt freshman Van Soderberg, who missed two field-goal attempts under 30 yards in the loss to Arizona State.

With Utah set to play Oregon in Eugene this weekend, Duck-turned-Ute Darren Carrington expects to get booed at Autzen Stadium, writes Andrew Greif.

Fresh off a home victory over Oregon, UCLA will now try to “cure its road woes” at Washington, writes Thuc Nhi Nguyen. Husky Stadium isn’t exactly the easiest place to win, especially when you haven’t won a road game in more than 13 months like UCLA.

He might not be Khalil Tate, but Luke Falk’s running abilities were crucial in Washington State’s win over Colorado, writes Theo Lawson. His 41 yards on the ground in the 28-0 triumph were a career high.

Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch lost his appeal and will serve his one-game suspension against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday (Yahoo Sports). He was suspended for running onto the field and shoving an official during the Raiders’ Thursday night game against the Chiefs in what he called an attempt to de-escalate a fight between Raiders offensive linemen and Kansas City’s Marcus Peters.