ARIZONA
STRENGTHS:
The athletes catching
passes are plentiful.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski
earned All-American honors
to close out 2008. The
offense will evolve around
him and receivers Terrell
Turner and Delashaun Dean,
two legitimate downfield
threats. Nic Grigsby and
Keola Antolin return to
take care of the ground
attack; they combined
for almost 1,700 yards
and 23 touchdowns last
fall. The defensive front
appears stellar. Earl
Mitchell is a beast at
tackle, and line depth
is the best of the Stoops
era.
CONCERNS:
Either Matt Scott or Nick
Foles will have to take
over at quarterback for
the departed Willie Tuitama,
the school record holder
in most every major statistical
category. This is priority
No. 1. The Wildcats also
lost both starting tackles
along the offensive line,
including NFL bound Eben
Britt
PROGNOSIS:
The original plan was
to copy the Texas Tech
offensive playbook since
former Red Raider offensive
coordinator Sonny Dykes
is now at Arizona. However,
with a new man behind
center and quality ball
carriers, the run will
likely be the main focus
out of this spread look.
The season comes down
to the effectiveness of
the new quarterback, as
the defense is the best
in Stoops' five years.
The Cats finally cleared
a big hurdle last fall
capturing a winning season.
Look for a repeat performance.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 8-4
ARIZONA STATE
STRENGTHS:
The front seven on defense
has a chance to be one
of the better groups in
the conference. End Dexter
Davis is one of only three
players in the country
to have posted double-digit
sacks in each of the past
two seasons. The linebackers
go eight deep and are
led by 25-year old Mike
Nixon, a former minor
league baseball player.
The Sun Devils have one
of the best trios of receivers
in the Pac Ten with Chris
McGaha, Kerry Taylor and
Kyle Williams. Kicker/punter
Thomas Weber is a former
Lou Groza winner.
CONCERNS:
Rudy Carpenter started
45 consecutive games at
quarterback. His replacement
will be senior Danny Sullivan,
and after an unimpressive
'08 campaign as a back
up where he completed
just 15-of-43 passes,
uncertainty abounds. He
won't get much help from
his running backs (ranked
113th in team rushing),
and they are still lacking
a true go-to tailback.
The offensive line has
given up a national leading
89 sacks over the last
two years. Improvements
will never happen if the
protection problem does
not get solved.
PROGNOSIS:
Arizona State, noted for
its offense over the years,
is changing gears. The
defense is about to take
over with a more physical
style of play and some
quality personnel. This
could be one of the better
defenses in the league.
However, the offense has
too many holes to guarantee
a bowl spot. ASU heads
into the season lacking
playmakers at quarterback,
running back and tight
end - the offensive line
has been a huge disappointment
thus far. Can a good defense
with a questionable offense
work in this conference?
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
CALIFORNIA
STRENGTHS:
The tailback tandem is
first class. Jahvid Best
is a sure-fire All-American;
he and Shane Vereen combined
to average 187 yards rushing
per game last year. Best
is also an incredible
return man. Cal has been
stockpiling quality offensive
linemen and is very deep
at this unit. All-American
candidate CB Syd’Quan
Thompson leads a top rate
secondary with all four
starters returning. They
get plenty of help from
the pass rushers - ends
Cameron Jordan and Tyson
Alualu are also all-league
material.
CONCERNS:
Passing and catching is
the big concern. Coach
Tedford hasn't name the
starter under center -
part-time starter Kevin
Riley has to improve his
accuracy and decision-making,
but Brock Mansion is pushing
him. The uncertainty at
receiver is just as great;
no proven playmakers have
emerged that can consistently
catch the ball. The Bears
take a devastating defensive
blow by losing starting
linebackers Follett, Felder
and Williams.
PROGNOSIS:
Cal returns 16 starters
from a nine-win team.
The lines of scrimmage,
secondary and running
backs are loaded for "Bear".
Last fall Jahvid Best
gave the Bears a 1,000
yard rusher for the seventh
year in a row, the second
best streak in the Pac
Ten ever next to USC's
10 in a row from 1972-81.
No injury bug means that
streak will obviously
continue. All coach Tedford
needs is some stability
at quarterback to actually
become more than just
the team chasing USC in
the Pac Ten race.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 9-3
OREGON
STRENGTHS:
Large-framed LeGarrette
Blount (6-2, 240) has
become a fast emerging
touchdown machine taking
handoffs. He makes a great
power compliment to dual-threat
quarterback Jeremiah Masoli,
a JUCO transfer who quickly
mastered this spread offense
last season. Oregon also
has an all-conference
candidate with TE Ed Dickson.
This is a tough secondary
- cornerback Walter Thurmond
was the defensive standout
after stealing five interceptions
last fall, and safety
T.J. Ward was the team's
top tackler.
CONCERNS:
Holy cow, the offensive
and defensive lines took
some major losses. The
blockers on offense only
have a combined 20 starts
under their belts while
Will Tukuafu is the only
starter coming back to
the defensive line. The
receivers, too, are just
as inexperienced. However,
their fate looks better
with Masoli pulling the
trigger.
PROGNOSIS:
Six players were taken
from new head coach Chip
Kelly in the NFL Draft.
While Masoli is an up-and-coming
quarterback, this won't
be the same team that
suited up in Eugene last
fall. Coach Kelly will
continue to work his spread
offense magic, but the
chore becomes more difficult
with the concerns of rebuilding
the offensive line. The
defense as well will be
attempting to plug a good-many
holes. The non-conference
schedule is tough (Boise
State, Purdue and Utah).
All this shapes up to
a winning season, just
not another 10-win variety...but
not far off either.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 9-3
OREGON STATE
STRENGTHS:
Expect a steady diet of
All-American running back
Jacquizz Rodgers. He’s
coming off a sensational
freshman outing after
taking the Pac Ten by
storm. The Beavers will
also get the ball to brother
James Rodgers, who lines
up at receiver any way
possible. These are the
game breakers. Last year's
starting quarterback,
Lyle Moevao has big play
ability but spent the
off-season recovering
from shoulder surgery.
That made way for 2007
starter Sean Canfield
to regain his spot. The
Beavers can win with either.
CONCERNS:
Gone are eight starters
on defense, including
the entire secondary.
Outside of Stephen Paea,
the defensive line features
inexperienced players
rotating to help cover
up each of their weaknesses.
The pass defense is going
to take its share of lumps.
The offensive line must
also be revamped to some
degree.
PROGNOSIS:
For Oregon State to conclude
a fourth straight season
in the top 20, they will
have to rebuild their
defense from front to
back, patch up the offensive
line where three starters
departed, and replace
a pair of sure-handed
receivers. The defense
is almost completely starting
over which is going to
spell growing pains. Oregon
State usually finds a
way to be respectable
in these situations, the
sign of a good program.
The Rodgers brothers,
along with experience
at quarterback, will keep
OSU bowling, but not their
usual Top 20 standard.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 6-6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
STRENGTHS:
To no surprise, the offense
goes two deep at every
position. Every single
component of this offense
returns with the exception
of quarterback Mark Sanchez
and receiver Patrick Turner.
But there are plenty of
targets running routes
with Arkansas transfer
Damian Williams as a superstar
ready to explode. The
running backs have six
studs just waiting for
a chance to shine. But
the anchor is a veteran
offense line led by center
Kristofer O'Dowd - every
starter is back. Defensively,
it's all about the secondary
led by future NFL first
round pick Taylor Mays
at free safety.
CONCERNS:
USC will be operating
with a new quarterback,
likely one of two sophomore
in-state products who
seem nearly ready –
it’s either Aaron
Corp or Matt Barkley,
the first junior high
school player to ever
been named the Gatorade
National Football Player
of the Year in 2007. Talent
yes, experience no. The
defense has lost eight
starters. While the D
won't be up to last year's
level based on inexperience
with the front seven,
it's just another case
of phenomenal recruits
having to wait their turn.
A new punter and kicker
have to be found.
PROGNOSIS:
The Trojans are reloading
-- again. The only thing
standing between USC and
their first national title
in five years (outside
of another meltdown against
the Stanford's of the
world) is getting veteran
decision-making from quarterbacks
loaded with pure ability.
Also huge is getting a
completely new set of
linebackers to step in
and continue the team's
dominance at stuffing
the run. The toughest
games are all on the road
(at Ohio State, Notre
Dame, Cal and Oregon)
making the inexperience
more glaring.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 11-1
STANFORD
STRENGTHS:
The power blue-collar
rushing attack should
prove to again be more
than formidable with 237-pound
Toby Gerhart lining up
in the backfield. Gerhart
will attempt to repeat
the success of a year
ago where he ran for 1,136
yards. The top pass catchers
are all back and there’s
some talent behind them,
although none have displayed
all-star potential. Three
players on the defensive
line have both starting
experience and the ability
to continue their success
at applying pressure on
quarterbacks (11th nationally
in sacks).
CONCERNS:
The Cardinals are far
from set at quarterback,
where freshman Andrew
Luck appears to be edging
out mediocre returning
starter Tavita Pritchard.
Working in three new starters
from a secondary that
posted only seven interceptions
is easily the next biggest
challenge, but turnover
in personnel may lead
to more TOs by DBs. If
running back Toby Gerhart
gets injured or opts to
play pro baseball instead,
such a blow would be severe.
PROGNOSIS:
The team's weak approach
to the pass (both producing
it on offense and stopping
it on defense) is going
to spell trouble at times.
One of these quarterbacks
has to “raise the
bar” before Stanford
ever gets taken seriously
as anything more than
a middle of the pack conference
foe. The power running
game keeps Stanford's
bowl hopes alive early,
but the brutal closing
schedule does them in.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 4-8
UCLA
STRENGTHS:
The Bruins are solid up
front on defense, where
All-Pac Ten honorees DT
Brian Price and LB Reggie
Carter roam. Alterraun
Verner is an elite shutdown
cornerback. Free safety
Rahim Moore is coming
off an outstanding freshman
campaign that helped make
this unit No. 8 nationally
at defending the pass.
The receivers are gifted
and aching to be utilized
more often.
CONCERNS:
Protecting the passer
has been a sore issue,
and running the ball is
not proving to be much
of a proven commodity
either, which means this
experienced offensive
line has to start showing
some signs of life. The
running backs lack a big
time contributor. Freshman
Kevin Prince won the quarterback
job this spring, beating
out last year's starter
Kevin Craft, who tossed
20 interceptions. Lots
of if’s…
PROGNOSIS:
The Bruins are starting
to find an edge defensively.
However, putting points
on the board has been
challenging, which last
year made this one of
the school’s worst
offensive showings in
nearly 40 years. The defense
can be expected to compete,
but that won't be enough
to overcome the lack of
game-breakers on the other
side. Not going to a bowl
for the second year in
a row would put coach
(and alum) Rick Neuheisel
on the hot seat rather
quickly.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 5-7
WASHINGTON
STRENGTHS:
Quarterback Jake Locker's
running skills are the
focal point of the offense.
He is healthy after missing
eight games last fall
with a broken thumb. Every
significant running back
and receiver will be back
again. Defensive end Daniel
Te'o-Nesheim is the star
on the other side of the
ball, where nine starters
are back. All three of
the linebackers remain
intact and are bolstered
by the return of E.J.
Savannah, the team's leading
tackler in 2007.
CONCERNS:
The tailback spot is completely
uncertain, and Locker
needs someone to step
up to keep the offense
from becoming predictable.
The offensive line continues
to be a major issue killing
the offensive efforts.
The defense gave up a
school record 542 yards
per game in ’08,
and nine of the starters
responsible for the lagging
effort remain in place.
Despite the experience
factor, this defense needs
to be overhauled by new
coordinator Nick Holt,
who was lured away from
calling the vaunted USC
defense.
PROGNOSIS:
New head coach Steve Sarkisian
plans to install a pro-style
type of offense while
leaving some of the spread
looks in place. No one
from the previous coaching
staff remains on board.
Plenty of experience returns
from a team that went
winless in 2008, but getting
quarterback Jake Locker
back healthy will do wonders.
They won't go winless
again, but they won't
do much better either.
The LSU opener will make
it 15-straight losses.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 3-9
WASHINGTON STATE
STRENGTHS:
Running back is the most
stocked unit on the team
as five experienced ball
carriers surge onward.
Adding Cal transfer James
Montgomery will only help;
he will challenge four-year
starter Dwight Tardy.
Veteran leadership available
on the offensive line
- combined with the emergence
of former JUCO player
Zack Williams –
will mean running the
ball takes priority.
CONCERNS:
On defense, WSU has no
proven run stoppers on
the line and had all three
potential starting linebackers
hurt in spring ball. Cornerback
remains a huge issue with
two new starters taking
over. An undersized and
undermanned defense looks
to be a problem. The quarterback
job is still unsettled
between two players that
have battled through injuries
to remain behind center
- Kevin Lopina (broken
neck) and Marshall Lobbestael
(knee surgery).
PROGNOSIS:
The Cougars were next-to-last
nationally in total offense
last year, and they’re
likely to start just two
seniors. That may be the
strong point. The defense
gave up 570 points - the
most in the history of
Division I football -
with no immediate relief
in site. Head coach Paul
Wulff, in his second campaign,
sure has inherited a tough
job. These Cougars might
be a consensus pick to
finish last in the Pac
Ten, but the closer should
determine who is worst
in both the conference
as well as in the Evergreen
State.
PROJECTED
RECORD: 2-10 |
