Norm Frauenheim
Unbeaten Arizona State is so hard to figure that not even the pollsters know where the Sun Devils belong. ASU fell like a hanging chad in the Associated Press poll Monday. The Sun Devils dropped to No. 22 just a day after they were tied at No. 20 with Boston College. No, the Sun Devils didn't fall a couple of spots because they managed to squeeze in a loss sometime between their victory Saturday at Colorado and the release of the AP poll Sunday. Instead, there was a mistaken ballot, according to AP sports editor Terry R. Taylor. Point totals were adjusted after voter Ken Tysiac of the Charlotte Observer said he had mistakenly sent in his Sept. 10 ballot.
ASU wound up with the same total, 384 points, but dropped two spots. Boston College remained at No. 20 by gaining nine points, to 393. Meanwhile, California leapfrogged ASU, jumping from No. 22 to No. 21 with a gain of three points to 386. "While we normally do not allow votes to be changed, it was clear in this case that an outdated ballot had been inadvertently submitted, and we simply allowed the correct ballot to be substituted," Taylor said. The Sun Devils have a chance to change the polls again with the only points that really matter Saturday when they play at Cal.
Extra points
Cal's offensive line has been hit with injuries, including a strained knee ligament to tackle Scott Smith. He could be out three weeks... Cal coach Jeff Tedford joined the Oregon staff after ASU coach Dirk Koetter left the Ducks for Boise State. Since then, they have become friends, who sometimes think alike. "Our offenses are relatively similar," Koetter said... ASU's impressive defense has yet to encounter anybody like Cal running back Marshawn Lynch. "He has that rare combination of speed and power," Koetter said. "He can go all the way on every play."
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