"Cougar Tracks Countdown Trivia #8"

24th of July Holiday edition. Plus, Ben Olson on the comeback trail, and Pac-10 prognostications.

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Yesterday's question was kind of a gimme, and it was answered quickly and correctly by "Bronco4Prez" and "dbushman." Only once in 38 games has a Bronco-coached team failed to generate at least 300 yards in total offense, as UCLA held the Cougars below that number in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Today's question:

Since 1972, what is BYU's winning percentage in games in which the Cougars have a positive turnover margin (to the nearest whole percent)?

Click "Post a Comment" to submit your answer.

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So, how is UCLA QB Ben Olson doing as he rehabs from a broken foot suffered in spring ball? Brian Dohn of the L.A. Daily News tells us, in this story tracking Olson's efforts to get ready for the season.

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The Pac-10 Preseason Poll was released this morning. Details are as follows:

LOS ANGELES, Calif.--Five-time defending Pac-10 champion USC is a near-unanimous choice to win the 2008 Pacific-10 Conference football title in a preseason poll of West Coast media members who regularly cover the league. The Trojans were listed in the top spot by 38 of the 39 voters participating in the poll. It marks the sixth consecutive year the Trojans have been the choice to win the title. USC has won or shared the last five Pac-10 titles and has two National Championships and a national runner-up finish in the last five years. The Trojans fashioned an 11-2 mark last season, capped by a 49-17 rout of Illinois in the Rose Bowl. Defending Pac-10 co-champion ARIZONA STATE is picked to finish second in the poll, with OREGON edging CALIFORNIA for third place. The Golden Bears received the lone first-place vote not cast for the Trojans. The media poll has correctly selected the Conference Champion in 25 of 47 previous polls, including the last eight years in a row. Following are the results of the preseason media poll (points 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses):

1. USC (38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

1. Arizona State . . . . . . . . . . . 330

1. Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

1. California (1) . . . . . . . . . . . 274

1. UCLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

1. Oregon State . . . . . . . . . . . 192

1. Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

1. Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

1. Stanford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

1. Washington State . . . . . . . . 61

POLL NOTES: Preseason media poll has correctly picked the Conference champion 25 of 47 times and has been very accurate of late in correctly identifying the Conference champ the last eight years in a row. . . . USC becomes the first school to top the media poll for six straight years since the Trojans had an 18-year run atop the poll from 1965-1982. . . . Defending Pac-10 co-champion ARIZONA STATE is picked to finish second, the Sun Devils highest pre-season slot since being picked second in 2003.

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Also from Media Day in L.A., Washington Head Coach Ty Willingham was asked about his schedule (ranked by most as the toughest in the country), and he remarked that after having to open with a league game at rival Oregon, every other game would sort of "pale in comparison," and he expressed confidence about the games he has scheduled at home. He did not mention BYU by name.

Bears noting that Willingham failed to include BYU in his final regular season poll last year as a voting member in the Top 25 Coaches' poll.

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In mentioning that UCLA RB Christian Ramirez will miss the season, it should be noted he was listed as 3rd or 4th in the tailback depth chart, and was listed as the 1st string kick returner.

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