Three weeks left, four tied teams (loss column), and innumerable scenarios for the end game.
Those scenarios, by the way, include a team not currently tied for first place finishing in first place.
Easy as it might be to focus attention on Colorado, Oregon and the Arizona schools, let’s not forget UCLA and USC lurking one game back and deeply relevant.
Which team has the most favorable schedule?
Which has the toughest finishing stretch?
Here’s the lineup for each with opponent conference record and our sketch of scenarios:
Arizona (8-4)
Home: Oregon (9-4), Oregon State (5-8), Washington (2-11), Washington State (5-8)
Road: USC (8-5), UCLA (8-5)
Best case: 5-1 finish/13-5 overall
Worst case: 3-3 finish/11-7 overall
Arizona State (8-4)
Home: Oregon (9-4), Oregon State (5-8), Washington (2-11), Washington State (5-8)
Road: USC (8-5), UCLA (8-5)
Best case: 5-1 finish/13-5 overall
Worst case: 2-4 finish/10-8 overall
Colorado (9-4)
Home: USC (8-5), UCLA (8-5)
Road: Cal (4-8), Stanford (5-7), Utah (5-8)
Best case: 5-0 finish/14-4 overall
Worst case: 2-3 finish/11-7 overall
Oregon (9-4)
Home: Oregon State (5-8), Cal (4-8), Stanford (5-7)
Road: Arizona (8-4), Arizona State (8-4)
Best case: 4-1 finish/13-5 overall
Worst case: 2-3 finish/11-7 overall
UCLA (8-5)
Home: Arizona (8-4), Arizona State (8-4)
Road: Utah (5-8), Colorado (9-4), USC (8-5)
Best case: 3-2 finish/11-7 overall
Worst case: 1-4 finish/9-9 overall
USC (8-5)
Home: Arizona (8-4), Arizona State (8-4), UCLA (8-5)
Road: Utah (5-8), Colorado (9-4)
Best case: 3-2 finish/10-8 overall
Worst case: 1-4 finish/9-9 overall
The toughest stretch belongs to UCLA, which has two difficult home games, plus one of the toughest trips in the conference and a visit to USC.