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Pac-12 waters muddled under Ducks

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP College Football Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — Three weeks into the season, No. 2 Oregon has proven to be the class of the Pac-12, a legitimate national-title contender.

Below the Ducks, the water gets a bit more murky as some teams have outperformed expectations, others have underperformed and a couple are dealing with injuries to key players.

With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at how the Pac-12’s two divisions are shaping up before the teams jump into their full conference schedules next week.

___

THE NORTH

Pretty much everyone is chasing the Ducks in this division.

Oregon annihilated its two lower-level opponents and notched a marquee win by outlasting No. 7 Michigan State at home.

The Ducks again are top-10 in total offense (573.3 yards per game) and scoring (52.0), and have a Heisman Trophy front-runner in quarterback Marcus Mariota.

“They’re quick enough to make up for their mistakes,” said Washington State coach Mike Leach, Oregon’s opponent this week. “If somebody else makes a mistake, it might go for 15 yards. Oregon makes a mistake, it might go for six.”

The rest of the North is a little more muddled.

No. 16 Stanford is the two-time defending Pac-12 champion and, despite losing 10 starters from last season, was expected to contend for another trip to the Rose Bowl.

The Cardinal have blowout wins over UC Davis and Army so far this season, but also lost a tight game to Southern California.

A loss to a team that would move into the top-10 isn’t bad, but it didn’t look quite as good when the Trojans lost to Boston College the following week.

The Cardinal are still in good shape with a bye this week before facing Washington.

The Huskies are one of the harder teams to figure out.

Washington needed its defense to outlast Hawaii, then its offense to do the same against Eastern Washington before soundly beating Illinois last week. The Huskies face Georgia State this week before starting a gauntlet of Pac-12 games — Stanford, California, Oregon and Arizona State — that will likely determine where they really stand.

Oregon State and California are both 2-0, though both should get big tests this weekend; The Beavers face San Diego State and the Bears, who have doubled their win total from last season, head to the desert to face high-flying Arizona.

THE SOUTH

Injuries could play a huge role in how the South ends up.

No. 12 UCLA was picked to win the division, but has not exactly been dominant, scraping past Virginia, Memphis and Texas. Worse yet, Brett Hundley, their Heisman Trophy-candidate quarterback, injured his left arm and had to leave the game against the Longhorns.

Coach Jim Mora has been mum on his status for UCLA’s next game, Sept. 25 against No. 15 Arizona State.

Hundley could come back for that game, but Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly will not.

He injured his right foot against Colorado on Saturday and has been ruled out for the heavy-hitting matchup against the Bruins. His status beyond that game is up in the air — like Mora, ASU coach Todd Graham won’t say — and so are the Sun Devils’ chances if he’s out for an extended time.

Junior Mike Bercovici, who has thrown 24 career passes, will start until Kelly returns.

“There will be no (injury) excuses. We’re going to win,” Graham said. “Anybody else in the country would be in a worse situation than us, because we have two of the best quarterbacks in the country.”

USC looked like a playoff-caliber team when it knocked off Stanford, only to get pushed around by Boston College in its 37-31 loss last week. That dropped the Trojans eight spots in the AP poll, to No. 17.

USC is off this week before facing Oregon State.

Two other teams in the South are undefeated still: Arizona and Utah.

The Wildcats opened the season by setting a school record with 787 yards of offense, but still have plenty of questions after victories over Texas-San Antonio and Nevada.

Utah has suffered some lumps since joining the Pac-12 and was picked to finish fifth in the South. The Utes have been an explosive offense while winning their first two games, though, putting up a combined 115 points in routs over Idaho State and Fresno State.

Utah faces a much bigger challenge against Michigan in the Big House this week, then opens the Pac-12 against Washington State.

“The South appears to be pretty wide open right now,” Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said.

So does the North, at least outside of Oregon.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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