An early morning post from WSU

• Washington State: Try as I might, I couldn’t find anything new – or free – to link today, other than the couple items we had in the paper. Items like our advance on today’s basketball game with Eastern Washington, who should give the Cougars quite a battle – and I mean that literally. Or our piece on Mike Leach’s radio appearance Friday. Leach is expected into Pullman on Monday in advance of his Tuesday introductory meet-and-great up in the CUB. … I also want to pass along this column by John Blanchette not because there is a Cougar connection but because it touches on a basketball coach – and person – I really admired.

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• Around the Pac-10: As expected, Oregon ran away with the first Pac-12 championship football game, 49-31, and is headed to the Rose Bowl. The Ducks get another chance to win a BCS bowl game under coach Chip Kelly. What was unexpected was how hard UCLA played after showing little of that in the four years Rick Neuheisel was head coach . Speaking of Neuheisel, who will replace him in LA? One columnist has an idea that would blow up the Pac-12. … With Kevin Sumlin no longer in the picture at Arizona State, who are the Sun Devils talking with? … The bowl season draws nigh . … Pac-12 basketball is down, especially at Utah. There is also trouble at California right now and Washington still hasn’t proven it can win on the road after last night’s 76-73 overtime defeat at Nevada.

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• That’s it for this morning. We’ll be back before the basketball game. Until then …