The Pac-10 doesn't have a championship game at the end of the regular season.

It has them every week of the year.

Every in-conference contest is heavy on impact, because the Pac-10 crown is determined by the body of work over nine league games. And defense of their seven consecutive titles all starts Saturday at Washington for the Trojans.

"This is as much a championship game as any other game this year," Coach Carroll told the team at the end of Wednesday's practice. "We've got to be clear about that."