Monday notes and links

COUGARS

FROM PULLMAN — This week officially marks the beginning of the second half of the season. To get it started, we pass along some notes and links on a fine Monday morning from the Palouse. Read on.

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First, here’s a look at WSU’s stats page , if you want to take a look at where the Cougars stand in the national rankings. … California opened as a 4.5-point favorite over WSU, and that line has since moved to seven points. … For today’s newspaper, we wrote about WSU’s diminishing bowl chances . And we recapped practice on the blog last night. … From California: the Bears want to continue their momentum from Saturday’s big win over UCLA.

Around the Pac-12 … It’s time for a little rest in Tucson, with Arizona on a bye this week. … Arizona State is getting the job done , and is likely to be 5-1 after a game against Colorado this weekend. … The Buffaloes will have their hands full with ASU. … Washington’s passing game is a concern as the Huskies near the midway point. … UCLA wants to learn from its big loss co Cal. … USC climbed the polls again this week. … Utah picked up a commitment from a versatile high-school player. The Utes have their backs against the wall against UCLA this week. … Oregon State is still searching for a signature win , despite its 4-0 record. … Is anyone going to beat Oregon this season? This isn’t a bye week for the Ducks, it’s an ” improvement week ,” which I’m assuming means Chip Kelly wants his team to Improve The Day.

That’s it for now. Mike Leach, Gino Simone, Toni Pole and Darryl Monroe will be available to the media later this afternoon.

Christian Caple can be reached at christianc@spokesman.com . Twitter: @ChristianCaple