Just a dozen days remain before the NCAA tournament selection, and the Pac-12 still remains a puzzle with too many pieces not yet in place to know exactly what the picture is. Lets take a look at that and the rest of the country as we edge closer to tournament time.Oregon remains in the huntThere are still five teams that mathematically could win or share the Pac-12 conference title. Among them is Oregon, which has a big weekend ahead in Los Angeles.On Friday, the Ducks are at UCLA, and Saturday they face USC. The Bruins are tied with Washington atop the league at 12-4, although theyll play Oregon State first this week, on Wednesday.Oregon is 18-7 overall and tied for third with Stanford at 11-5 in the Pac-12, with Utah in fifth at 10-6. The Ducks lead the league in hitting percentage (.274) and assists per set (13.57), with sophomore outside hitter Lindsey Vander Weide among the conference leaders with 316 kills thus far.Oregon made it to the national championship match back in 2012, when the Ducks fell to Texas. In the past three years, theyve lost in the NCAA second round (2013), the Sweet 16 (2014) and the first round (2015).The Ducks started this season hosting the VERT Challenge, where they fell 3-1 to both Texas and Florida. When Oregon hosted UCLA and USC in mid-October, the Ducks lost both matches, and it seemed their odds of even contending for the Pac-12 title were slim.But theyve won six of eight since, and theyre 7-0 this season on the road. Which is where theyll play their last four regular-season matches.Texas tumbles on road againThe Longhorns have found the trip to Ames, Iowa, treacherous before, and it got them again last week. Texas fell 3-2 at Iowa State on Saturday. The Cyclones took the fifth set 15-11, securing that with a 6-1 run.That dropped Texas to 11-2 in the Big 12, which means Kansas moves into the drivers seat in the conference at 12-1. The Jayhawks beat Texas 3-2 on Oct. 29 in Lawrence, Kansas, and they finish the regular season at West Virginia (Wednesday), at home against Iowa State (Saturday) and at Baylor (Nov. 26).Texas will close the season with three matches at home -- vs. Texas Tech (Wednesday), Kansas State (Saturday), and West Virginia (Nov. 26).In last weeks NCAA top-10 reveal, the Longhorns were No. 4 and Kansas was No. 6. Though they split their meetings, Texas has an overall better strength of schedule. But well have to see how the teams are evaluated for real if the Jayhawks are the outright winners of the league.No surprise at 1-2-3The NCAA had Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin as its top three teams. In the Big Ten standings, however, theyre in this order: Nebraska (15-1), Wisconsin (14-2) and Minnesota (13-3). But there remain three real blockbuster matches in the Big Ten. Two of them involve Nebraska: The Huskers are host to seven-time NCAA champ Penn State (Wednesday) and then play at Minnesota (Nov. 23). The Huskers finish their season at home against Michigan (Nov. 26). The Wolverines are tough, too, sitting in sixth place in the Big Ten at 10-6.The Huskers and Nittany Lions went five sets on Nov. 4 at Penn State, with Nebraska winning 15-11 in the finale. Nebraska also beat Minnesota 3-2 on Oct. 23; that final set was 15-8.And then its only fitting that Wisconsin and Minnesota get another shot at each other. They meet Nov. 26 in Minneapolis.Buckeyes move into rankingsThe final four is in Columbus, Ohio, and admittedly its a long shot that the hometown team will be there. But Ohio State is now ranked No. 24 in the American Volleyball Association Coaches poll after the Buckeyes prevailed 3-2 over Penn State this past Saturday.Ohio State is 17-11 overall and 7-9 in the Big Ten. Having a losing record in conference play doesnt preclude an NCAA berth in a league as strong as the Big Ten. That said, the Buckeyes would like to secure their postseason position over the next two weeks. They play Friday at Northwestern -- which put a scare into Wisconsin last week before falling 3-2 -- and Saturday at Illinois.SEC showdownMissouri was upset by South Carolina last week, which means Florida is now alone in first place in the SEC at 14-1. Then Kentucky is 13-2, with Missouri and Texas A&M at 12-2.Whats the biggest obstacle between the Gators and the SEC title? Missouri, which is host to Florida on Sunday and will be trying to atone for slipping up against the Gamecocks. The Gators are unbeaten on the road in SEC play this year. Also on Sunday, Kentucky is host to Texas A&M. Hydro Flask Coffee Mug . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Hydro Flask Blueberry . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. http://www.cheaphydroflaskstore.com/purple-hydro-flask.html . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. 24 OZ Graphite Hydro Flask . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Cobalt Blue Hydro Flask . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. ARCADIA, Calif. -- For the last quarter of a mile, Songbird and Beholder refused to yield. They ran neck-and-neck, with their Hall of Fame jockeys looking for the tiniest edge.Gary Stevens, aboard Beholder, called it just a street fight.The 6-year-old mare landed the final blow, with Beholder edging Songbird by a nose in the $2 million Distaff on opening day of the Breeders Cup on Friday at Santa Anita.Even jockey Mike Smith had to agree it was an amazing, amazing race after his 3-year-old filly Songbird lost for the first time in 12 races.It was fun to be part of a battle, Stevens said. The show that those two just put on is worth the price of admission for everybody that showed up. This was horse racing at its best.It was a thrilling finish to the four Cup races, three of which involved New York-based long shots winning on an 80-degree day.Nine Cup races will be run on Saturday, capped by the $6 million Classic in which California Chrome is the early favorite.Beholder ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.20 and paid $8.60, $3.60 and $3 as the 3-1 third choice.Ive had some good feelings in racing, but this is tops right here, said Stevens, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner.It was Beholders third Cup victory, having won the Distaff in 2013 and the Juvenile Fillies in 2012. She was supposed to have run in last years Classic at Keeneland against male horses, but developed a fever.The Distaff was Beholders final career race, ending on her home track, where she was never worse than second in 16 starts at Santa Anita. She finished with 18 career victories. The 6-year-old mare is a three-time Eclipse Award winner.She was really at her best, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said.Songbird returned $3.20 and $2.80 as the even-money favorite. The loss spoiled her 11-0 career record.You saw the real Beholder show up today, maybe even the best race she ever ran in her life, Smith said, and she had to do it to beat us.When the win photo was shown on the video board, the announced crowd of 45,763 roared at the slight margin between Beholder and Songbird, who was along the rail with Beholder on her outside.It was closer than I thought it was, Stevens said.Songbird set the pace through the early stages of the race, with Im a Chatterbox and Beholder in close pursuit.On the far turn, Im a Chatterbox and Beholder both went after Songbird but by the top of the stretch it was a two-horsee duel Beholder and the 3-year-old filly.dddddddddddd They kept it up through the stretch, with neither horse willing to give an inch. Nor were their jockeys: the 53-year-old Stevens and 51-year-old Smith.I put my head in front and Songbird came back again, Stevens said. She put Songbird away three different times through the stretch, and she kept coming back, like she wouldnt go away.Smith thought he could put a length or two between his filly and Beholder when they got to the far turn.But, man, she jumped on me, he said of Beholder. I couldnt do it.Stevens let out a pretty loud holler just past the finish line.Coming down the stretch, I was riding with my head down, riding for all I was worth, he said. I was thinking that finish line has got to be coming.Mandella earned his ninth career Cup victory, along with sharp farewell from Beholder.She kicked me on the way up, he said. Shes 90 percent of the time the sweetest thing you could find. The other 10 percent is dynamite.Forever Unbridled was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $4.40 to show.Stellar Wind, the 5-2 second choice who finished second last year, finished fourth in the eight-horse field.Im a Chatterbox was fifth, followed by Curalina and Land Over Sea.Argentina-bred Corona Del Inca was euthanized after sustaining multiple fractures of her right front leg in the race.The mares injuries were much more serious than it appeared after she was pulled up at the top of the stretch by jockey Pablo Falero, according to on-call veterinarian Dr. Scott Palmer.He said Corona Del Incas injuries were so severe that there was no way she could be kept comfortable nor the prognosis be good for treatment. For those reasons she was euthanized.The days biggest upset belonged to Smith aboard 11-1 shot Tamarkuz, who won the $1 million Dirt Mile by 3 1/2 lengths for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. It was Smiths 23rd career Cup victory; he leads all jockeys in victories and money won in the world championships.In the $1 million Juvenile Turf, 6-1 shot Oscar Performance won by 1 1/4 lengths, giving jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Brian Lynch their first Cup victories.Trained by Chad Brown, 6-1 shot New Money Honey won the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf by a half-length under Javier Castellano. ' ' '