The ballots of a total of 35 voting-members of the Pac-10 media have been tabulated and, if nothing else, the press is looking for a repeat of last year’s wide-open conference race. As well as a repeat winner.
A total of seven schools received at least one first-place vote but, in the end, it was Oregon that would up atop the media poll. The Ducks received 15 first-place votes and 314 total points, narrowly edging USC’s 12 and 311, respectively.
Oregon State — my pick as conference champ, incidentally — was named first on three ballots, and finished a somewhat distant third with 262 points. Arizona (2), Stanford (1), Washington (1) and UCLA (1) also received first-place votes.
As noted by Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, the seven schools receiving first-place votes in the preseason poll is a conference record.
And last, and certainly least, is poor Paul Wulff and his Washington State Cougars, who were a near-unanimous pick to take residence in the conference’s cellar yet again. The Cougars managed just 39 total points; ninth-place Arizona State garnered 81.
1. Oregon (15), 314 2. USC (12), 311 3. Oregon State (3), 262 4. Stanford (1), 233 5. Arizona (2), 222 6. Washington (1), 209 7. Cal, 175 8. UCLA (1), 134 9. Arizona State 81 10. Washington State 39
