Grip on Sports: The only upset would be if there were no upsets on a college football Saturday

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We can guarantee one thing: There will be upsets today. College football is built upon them. It’s been that way since Yale ran past Harvard and Teddy Roosevelt lost a wager with Henry Billings Brown. Read on.

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• The question is, which games will be upsets? That’s the hard part.

Will it be UCLA, a 17.5-point underdog, rising up in Seattle? Or will it be West Virginia overcoming Oklahoma State in Morgantown, where the Cowboys are some how favored by 7.5 points?

Will North Carolina, a 20-point dog, defend home field and pin a first loss on Miami? Or will Georgia Tech go into Clemson and upset the Tigers, who are favored by two touchdowns?

Figure it out and you can be a hero to your friends.

It’s no wonder the creators of “Back to the Future” picked the fictional Grays Sports Almanac as the impetus for all the awful things Biff Tannen did to Marty McFly’s family.

• One of the perks of this job is being charged with reading sports stories from all over the country. And discovering items I didn’t know.

Sometimes, those items contain sad news.

While reading through Greg Hansen’s Saturday feature, “Mr. Football” in the Arizona Daily Star, I came across the news Luke Falk’s grandfather, Jack, died Tuesday at age 88.

Jack has seen Luke play at Washington State in the past, saw him quarterback the Cougars to some of the 25 wins they have with Luke in command. But he won’t be around to see him finish his senior season in a bowl game. That’s too bad.

Last week Falk won that 25th game, but did not play up to his usual standards. He seemed just a bit off. Maybe now we know why.

• Three of the men behind the college basketball scandal are reportedly in negotiations with the Feds to cut a deal. That news came to light yesterday as federal authorities asked a judge for a continuance in an attempt to iron out the particulars.

If I were connected to college hoops and had any sort of relationship with these people, I would be worried. Why?

Just giving up the folks already arrested probably won’t be enough to earn a pass. The evidence is pretty strong in most of those cases. Giving the Feds evidence on others, heretofore unnamed, could be the only way to ensure a get-out-of-jail-free card.

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WSU: The Cougars are favored in Tucson, but not by much. So no matter who wins, it’s hard to call it much of an upset, despite Washington State’s No. 15 ranking. Besides, Theo Lawson believes the Cougars will win. … Theo also has a story on Arizona’s sudden rise, which somewhat parallels what WSU did last season … Finally, Theo has the keys to the game. … Wait, there is one more story. Theo covers the commitment of a four-star Texas wide receiver, Drue Jackson, to Washington State yesterday. … The Wildcats have yet to lose with Kahlil Tate at quarterback. … The Times’ Stefanie Loh also has a story on Jackson’s commitment. … Arizona just wants to keep winning. … A Cougar cross country runner had a top-10 finish at the Pac-12 Championships.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Rick Neuheisel isn’t happy with the conference’s highlight policy vis-à-vis CBS Sports Network. And neither should anyone else. …  As we mentioned above, Washington hosts pass-happy UCLA and quarterback Josh Rosen today. And by “today” I do me during the day. Outside, shining in the sun, is a new statue. A big statue with large meaning. … Arizona State could cement its spot among the Pac-12 South hierarchy with a win over USC in Tempe. The Trojans are in a bit of disarray. … Colorado’s mascot is 50 years old. Not the buffalo in use these days, but the whole buffalo-running-the-field thing. California would like not to get run over in Boulder. … Oregon hosts Utah and Darren Carrington in Eugene. The reunion is not as important as the outcome. … Stanford and Oregon State played already. No upset there. Though there almost was.

Gonzaga: We passed along the news yesterday BYU’s Nick Emery was under investigation for improper benefits. That didn’t stop him from playing in last night’s exhibition in New Mexico. Yoeli Childs had 17 points and 19 rebounds.

EWU: With the Eagles’ bye this weekend, we start with a tour around the Big Sky. The biggest game is in Utah, where 22nd-ranked Weber State hosts No. 24 Montana. Both teams are vying for a playoff berth. … Down the road in Flagstaff – OK, way down the road; it is called the Big Sky – Northern Arizona will try to keep Sacramento State at bay and its conference record unblemished. … In Greeley, Northern Colorado will try to start a winning streak at Southern Utah’s expense. … In an old-time Big Sky battle, Idaho State takes on a Montana State team that is playing better than its age indicates. … North Dakota travels to Portland State. … Winless Cal Poly tries to upset host UC Davis.

Idaho: At 2-5, the Vandals need to win four of their final five games to become bowl eligible. But, as Peter Harriman tells us, they are not looking at the rest of the season that way.

Whitworth: The Pirates hit the road again, trying to extend their Northwest Conference win streak to the three games. Whitney Ogden has a preview.

Chiefs: Spokane battled again, but also lost again, this time 4-3 in overtime at Red Deer.

Indians: Rob Curley has a story on another win for Spokane’s Redband promotion.

Preps: For the first time since 1995, Central Valley’s football team went through the GSL schedule undefeated. Dave Nichols was at the Bears’ 44-15 win over Lewis and Clark that clinched it. So was James Snook and he has a photo report. … Steve Christilaw and Jesse Tinsley were at Roos Field as Davenport rolled past Northwest Christian 41-27 in Northeast 2B action. Steve has the story and Jesse has the photographs. … The football playoffs are going on in Idaho and Jim Meehan covered Post Falls’ 63-34 loss to Rocky Mountain. … On a busy Friday night, we can pass along a football roundup and another from volleyball.

Seahawks: Seattle faces Texas this Sunday, a team from an area recently devastated by a hurricane. And then this week battered by a big wind from the Texans’ owner. It makes the Hawks appreciate Paul Allen all the more. (Fixed from earlier.)

Mariners: The Astros took a 2-1 lead in the World Series with a 5-3 home win over the Dodgers. Of course, not all the action was on the field. … In Mariner news, the 40-man roster is full.

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• So what do you have planned for this fine Saturday? I have a 3-by-5 card filled with things I have to get done by the time the sun sets Sunday, so I have to get started. Though the chores can wait until I have a doughnut for breakfast. Right? … By the way, I don’t know if Roosevelt ever lost a bet to the Supreme Court Justice who attended Yale Law. Probably not. But isn’t it fun to imagine Teddy wearing a Yale letter sweater to a joint session of Congress? Until later …