This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sports coverage in the Internet Age often demands immediate analysis and a sudden perspective shift. Every result, every turn of the screw requires a new outlook, a change in the equilibrium.
Some day, maybe we'll learn to just stick to our guns.
Remember way back in July? Remember that preseason football poll that was nearly discarded as soon as it was released? Turns out, there was something to its forecasting power.
In the Pac-12 North, Oregon was picked first, followed by Stanford and Washington. There's still a week for things to sort out in the South, but back in July the media had UCLA pegged as the favorite, followed by USC, Arizona State, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. It won't be exactly that order, but it sure will be close.
The biggest surprise is Cal, which is likely finishing fourth, but at the bottom of the North Division, it's tough to distinguish the difference between Oregon State and Washington State. The only one is the Golden Bears still can go to a bowl if they win on Saturday.
The Pac-12 is what we thought it was. And if you really want to break it down, it's a conference of haves and have-nots. That's why it was so easy to predict.
Was anyone in the North — save Stanford, if its season had broken a different way — going to topple Oregon from going to the title game? No. Everyone knows the talent, the speed, the edges the Ducks have over almost every other team are obvious. Even if Oregon doesn't play its best game — which it often does — it can still win by 20 or more.
Did Colorado ever have a shot? Probably not. It's a common opponent line in the Pac-12 that the Buffs are "getting better," but better by baby steps. They're not about to take a giant leap into the realm of UCLA or USC without a sudden influx of talent.
Upsets happen, sure, but in the long run, the shape of things is mostly the same.
These things are gradual, a lesson even Utah learned harshly this year. The Utes looked like one of the risers in the Pac-12 even midway through the year, and are probably a handful of plays away from still being in contention for the South Division. But they're not there, because even as one side of the ball is having one of its best seasons, the other is having a very ugly one. When you're trying to punch above your weight, it's hard to coordinate all the elements of success together.
It's a microcosm of the football world. The Power 5 conferences are watching their interests take a serious departure from the rest of FBS, and those teams are fighting for scraps: in money, in exposure, in relevance.
The same fight is happening in the Power 5 conferences themselves, as great gulfs of talent seem to yawn almost further every year. Oregon wrapped up the North Division two weeks back without taking the field, while fan bases in Pullman and Corvallis are coming to terms with the bitter realization how hard it can be to have a magical season that the Ducks have every year.
This is still an unbalanced conference. There isn't an obvious answer how to adjust that, and it may never change except with unexpected ebbs and flows in the future: sanctions, dynamic coaching hires, drop-offs and spikes in interest or support.
But absent those factors, it may just as easy to predict how the conference will shake out next year. Go ahead, take a crack now. Put it in your pocket for a year, then look again. You probably won't be too far off.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Pac-12 power rankings
1. Oregon
Civil War could be a victory lap
2. UCLA
Can Bruins perform under pressure?
3. Arizona State
Pushed hard by underwhelming teams
4. Arizona
Solomon's health is a huge question
5. USC
Bowl prestige on the line this weekend
6. Utah
Hit season low point on Saturday
7. Stanford
Can recover some pride against UCLA
8. Washington
Petersen going bowling in first year
9. Washington State
Turnovers killed the Cougs
10. Oregon State
Recent injuries have added to struggles
11. California
Bowl bid would help a lot into next year
12. Colorado
Could surprise by being feisty this week