It can't be fun to wear sweaters in Southern California. Not even in wide angle.
It’s hard to write a preview about a conference that has been riding the same one horse this whole decade. USC has dominated the Pac-10 for the last seven seasons, and haven’t skipped a BCS game since. The team has won six of the last seven BCS games (including the last three rose bowls), and have compiled two championships on the way.
However the team lost the majority of its defense (not to mention QB Mark Sanchez and WR Patrick Turner) to graduation and the draft. This should create a lot of speculation as to whether the team might be de-throned this year. Oregon’s offense looks ready to strike, Cal also looks primed for a big year, and Oregon State might take that big step that they have shown potential to do.
10) Washington
On Offense:
This is maybe the most overrated team in the Pac-10, and guesses what; they lost every game last year! I have heard some go out on a whim and say that the Huskies will get to a bowl this year, and most believe they will win3-5 games this year. I don’t see it at all. The team features the Bizarro World’s version of Tim Tebow, aka Jake Locker. Locker has a Tebow build, except that he doesn’t win games, can’t stay healthy, and he likely looks exactly like Tebow except for an evil mustache or something…
Ok, Locker isn’t that bad, but the city of Seattle drools over him like he really is Tebow. Coach Sarkisian has tweaked the OL, and has created an offense scheme that is set to have Locker stand in the pocket more, while increasing his accuracy 13 points! I just don’t know how long Locker will be able to stay in the pocket, especially when his first game of the year is against LSU. When the Tigers crush him, I don’t think Locker will have the confidence to get the things done that the city of Seattle expects.
On Defense:
The Huskies defense might be the worst in college. The only bright spot on the team is DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim. Daniel (because I can’t type his last name any more) notched eight sacks on the year, which is likely overstated due to the fact that the offense couldn’t stay of the field. The other spotlight on the team is the naming of players. It has nothing to do with play, but it’s a lot harder to yell F**king Tuiasosopo when he misses a tackle.
9) Washington State
On Offense:
The Washington State Cougars stunk last year. There is no doubt about it. And one has to feel bad for the team that might have the best fans in the Pac-10. The offense last year wasn’t able to click like it should have, and the team finished almost dead last in points scored and total offense. But Cougs fans should rejoice this year because there will be improvement. The team gets Cal transfer back James Montgomery to compete or start over Dwight Tardy. The team should also hope for the best between Lobbestael and Lopina at quarterback, but the offense should still struggle this year.
On Defense:
Just as the team was 118th in scoring offense last year, the team was also 118th in total defense. In fact, the team lost by an average over 40 last year! This year brings hope of a tougher defense, but also an easier schedule. The team has some new depth off of their redshirts, and an extra year of experience never hurts, but just like the offense, the defense might be in for a tough year.
Arizona
Most people think that the Wildcats at number 8 might be a little low after a big 8-5 season and a win over BYU in the Vegas Bowl last year. But the team has recently been under mediocrity for so long, and now that Mike Stoops has gotten an extension, he can go back to being on the hot seat every year.
On Offense:
The Wildcats lost their four year starter in Willie Tuitama, their great LT in Ebon Britton, and wide receiver Mike Thomas will be missed more than most think. TE Rob Gronkowski is one of the three best in college, and will be praying that one of his new QB’s will get him the ball like Tuitama did. Should the pass game struggle, the ball will be fed more to junior back Nic Grigsby who achieved 1200 yards and 13TD’s last year. Even though Britton left the team, the majority of the OL is still around to make good strides.
On Defense:
The backbone of the Arizona defense is on the line. Brooks Reed brought in eight sacks last year, and Earl Thomas has become one of the best DT’s in the Pac 10. On the other side of the line, RE Ricky Elmore might be in for a breakout season with the talent around him. The rest of the defense has spotty amounts of starters from last year, but overall the LB core might be in for a damn long season. Overall the defense should be one of the best in the Pac 10, but it is hard to think that the losses on offense won’t hurt the team.
7) UCLA
This is where the Pac-10 gets both intriguing, but also very boring. The next three teams will likely not break out for big wins, but will be potential teams to go to bowls. The first on the list is UCLA. The team showed good potential last year in Coach Rick Neuheisel first year on the team. Neuheisel is a great recruiter, and a good coach for any team, but the team is unlikely to be ready yet.
On Offense:
The offense struggled to get yards last year, but more importantly scored only an average of 17.7 points a game, good for 109th. The team’s only success was through the air, an uncommon item of attack in the Pac. The team returns eight starters, but some believe that only two of the eight will start this year. The entire will be challenged by Neuheisel’s men, and the QB situation is undetermined as freshman Kevin Prince is likely to start over senior Kevin Craft. The offense could be in for another tough year with all of their changes, or it could be primed for a major upgrade. Only time can tell.
On Defense:
The defense is pretty good for Pac-10 standards. It won’t win a turnover battle, but it was top-10 in stopping the pass last year, and the run-stopping unit should also be solid. The DL is led by junior Brian Price who could go in the first day of the draft next year, and MLB Reggie Carter who will be challenged greatly at the LB position.
Overall the team will be young and inexperienced, but good coaching and good athleticism should help the team out. The team might be ready to jump into the top-3 of the conference, but it is going to need another year or two to do so.
6) Stanford
On Offense:
Jim Harbaugh is fine-tuning his team into what some believe is a bowl game. Yeah, the Stanford Cardinal in a bowl game! The big redwood tree mascot is going to be going crazy, and all of the brainiac Stanford nerds will drink Kool Aid in celebration of a bowl. If the team wants to win a bowl though, they are going to need to win early. Because their final five games are against 4/5 best team in the Pac, and against Notre Dame. It is possible for them to pull an upset, but the schedule gods really screwed them this year.
The offense is going to be similar to UCLA in that there are plenty of returning starters that may be splitting or losing time to younger, more talented players. The QB situation is looking to start freshman Andrew Luck, but he may lose his spot to Senior Tavita Pritchard. The happiest part of the offense is RB Toby Gerhart who broke a 16-year drought for a 1,000 yard rusher in Stanford. Look for the team to become more efficient through the air while complementing a top-20 rushing attack.
On Defense:
The defense was ok last year in about every major stat. The team didn’t record a ton of sacks or interceptions, and overall the team was just ok in every spot. The team will be more than looking to take this experience and improve on it for the upcoming year. While the team returns only six starters, it has little meaning for the young team. Definitely look for the DL and LB to show up big this year, but as stated, the team has very few names. It kind of reminds me of a Big-10 defense that doesn’t have many stars, but that go well together.
5) Arizona State
This is a team that I personally wouldn’t rank in the top 5, but have heard a lot of hype about. Every year there are a few teams that looked ok last year, but that lost all those games for a reason. The defense is the key for the team, but it’s not an easy task to hold on and win games when your offense can’t do the things you need.
On Offense:
The offense wasn’t good last year. The team ended in the bottom 10 in rushing yards and in the bottom 20 in offense. The team lost QB Rudy Carpenter, and does not have a top receiver. Without a top QB, top RB, top WR, good OL, or a solid TE, it is hard to hype an offense to anything. The team will likely have Senior Danny Sullivan under center, but if the team struggles like some (myself included) think they might, look for youth to come in and make strides for the future.
On Defense:
As it has already been hinted about, the defense is the life of the team. The team was in the top 35-60 in most stats last year, which is pretty great for the Pac 10. The team is stacked well at LB and at corner depth, but might be a little thin on the DL and with safeties. Don’t doubt the DL though because the name Lawrence Guy was a freshman All-American last year. The team should become one of the fastest defenses west of the Mississippi.
4) Oregon State
This is a major sleeper pick for the year. If I were a betting man (meaning if I had the money to bet) I would put some money on the Beavers to win the conference. I’m not saying that the Beavers will win the conference, but the odds are probably awesome for the situation. Last year the team lost only against Oregon, Stanford, Utah, and Penn State. There is a reason that you don’t see Cal or USC on that list.
On Offense:
Jacquizz Rodgers. Oh, you want to know more? Well that is the only real name of the offense that matters this year. Rodgers won the Pac-10 OPOY… As a true freshman! He ran for almost 1300 yards and 11 TD’s while catching another 250 yards and a score. Jacquizz nothing but a beast of a player, and will be a first round draft pick in 2-3 years. Hell, he is that good now! The team returns senior QB Lyle Moevao, but unfortunately must replace a crop of stellar receivers that left…
On Defense:
The Oregon State defense had one of the best defenses last year, but have unfortunately only been able to return only 3 starters. This is very unfortunate because the team is fun to watch on both sides of the ball, but it should be expected that new playmakers will rise from the ashes. The team has averaged over 43-sacks per year over the last three years, so I have a ton of faith that they have the personnel to get the job done. Stellar DT Stephen Paea should be the defensive MVP, and might even become a household name over the next two years
3.) California
Some people regard the Cal Bears to be a top 12-team for the preseason, or a top-25. This ranking is going to regard them in the top-25 rather than the prior. The team returns 14 total players, and might end up with the best defense in the conference, while having one of the best RBs in the league.
On Offense:
The offense returns six players on offense, including QB Kevin Riley, and WR Verran Tucker. But the biggest player on the team, Jahvid Best might just ride his last name as the best RB in the league. Best had a hurt foot, ankle, and elbow last season during play. Too bad it held him back to only gaining 1,580 yards and 15TD’s at an average of 8.1 yds/carry. God I hate when injuries slow players down! If the pass game can get going, then expect a monster year.
On Defense:
The defense could be the best in the conference this year. The team returns eight players to the defense, but unfortunately none of those players are linebackers. The Cal Bear defense should be in for another great year, as they had a top-25 defense last year. Hunter likes Syd’Quan so much that he has officially made it his Jedi name. Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan are two of the best 1-2 punch DE’s in the NCAA, and the rest of the team could be stacked. The reason that I think the team might falter in the Pac-10 is that they always seem to lose at least 1-2 games a year that they shouldn’t. Last year they lost to Maryland, and got blasted by Arizona.
2.) Oregon
This is the ultimate debate of “Filet or Bologna” in college football. The team could be destined to knock off USC on their way to a Rose Bowl (or greater), or they could be on their way to a poor showing and a 7-win season.
The Ducks had a strange incident this offseason when Coach Mike Bellotti stepped down from the program to ensure that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly would stay in Eugene. While the ducks lost a ton of pieces on both sides of the ball, they run an offense that focuses on speed, rushing from every possible direction, and a bag of tricks that scares the offense into submission. The defense may not be great at stopping the points or yards from coming their way, but the team is built with playmakers. It also makes your stats looked watered down when the offense gets the job done as well as they did last year.
On Offense:
The Ducks have been hyped like crazy this year, but it will be hard to match the zoo that Autzen had last year. The team lost a great back in Jeremiah Johnson to the pros, and lost a ton of talent off the line and from the receivers. The team however found a stud QB in Jeremiah Masoli that smells a lot like Denis Dixon did two years ago. Masoli last year was a run-first; pass second QB who notched a ton of yardage on both sides of the ball. Kelly has stated that he wants Masoli to pass more, but Kelly had times last year where he would call nothing but run plays, despite a major need to pass. This cost the team potential wins against BSU and Cal.
Running back LeGarrette Blount is one of the two best power backs in college, and has the ability to do major damage on any play. Blount is also know for being able to mislead and hurdle the competition. Also keep your ears open for freshman back LaMichael James who might be a great compliment to the duo attack. The team will have to learn to even out the offense with the pass game, and the OL must be able to recover from losing Max Unger and Fenuki Tupou to the draft.
On Defense:
The defense lost a ton of talent last from last year. Nick Reed, Patrick Chung, and a few others will be missed a lot to the ducks, and this year’s team will be relying on the athleticism that they have, and the ability to recover from losses. Walter Thurmond III will become one of the best CB’s in the country, and Will Tukuafu will try to do the things that Reed did.
Overall the team has a ton of potential to explode and take the Pac-10, but the team might also be one year away from having a team worthy of the Roses, or even the championship.
1.) Southern Cal
The Trojans hold their crown despite losing an entire team to the pros. The defense won’t be the best defense in college again, but it still has a ton of talent that will be back to normal next year. It’s just amazing how the team cycles talent out while still bringing it all back in. The force field is down though in LA, so if a team wants to take the conference, they must be ready to fight.
The Trojans have only one question on offense, and it is unfortunately the most important. Mitch Mustain will likely lose his job to Aaron Corp or freshman Matt Barkley.
On Offense:
The team brings back eight of starters from last year, which includes a top-5 OL, a good deal of talent at receiver, and a top-5 duo of running backs. The biggest question is who will be throwing the pigskin for Pete Carroll. It doesn’t actually matter because that player will go on to become a 1st round draft pick, but it is more who that 1st round pick will be. Mitch Mustain will likely lose the job and transfer to a FCS team (let’s throw out something crazy like Maine or Portland State). Aaron Corp might be a better QB now, but I have to go with Matt Barkley. Barkley is a freshman so Carroll can play around with him for 3-4 years, and he has a better name for a USC QB that goes pro. The team might take a drop off in offense after losing Mark Sanchez, but the talent around whoever starts will likely make the player good.
On Defense:
It’s hard to lose eight players on the defense, especially when most of them were pro-caliber. But the defense will be no pushover. Two of the starters are senior safeties Josh Pinkard, and Taylor Mays who will likely go early in the 2010 draft. The only other senior starter for the team is DT Averell Spicer, but the rest of the team should be fine. They won’t be the top-2 defense that they were last year, and they won’t be the team that averaged a 9 points per game average allowed either. But the team still has a ton of talent all around, and depending on who stays (Everson Griffen and Michael Morgan seem most likely to bolt quicker), the team will likely be back to it’s normal PROduction factory.
OPOY
There are so many good players, most of whom are RB’s, but I have to go with…
1. Jahvid Best — The kid was a top RB last year while injured. He had surgery in the offseason and is reportedly looking better than ever.
2. Jacquizz Rodgers — The kid was a freshman last year and became a national name. Who knows what he could become.
DPOY
1. Taylor Mays — Mays could have gone in the top-10 of the 2009 draft, and will likely go that high in 2010. It’s hard to think that he won’t be awesome.
Newcomer
1. Whoever starts at QB for USC — It’s hard to go against a program that creates pros. Hell, a QB that never played for the team in college now starts for the Kansas City Chiefs!
2. LaMichael James — LaMichael might be a year away from this award, but the kid could become the next great Oregon back that rises from the second string spot. Jeremiah Johnson came from Jonathon Stewart, and LeGarrette Blount came from Jeremiah Johnson. Be ready for it!
3. Aaron Hester/Xavier Su’a-Filo (UCLA) — Aaron Hester is a freshman set to start at corner, and Su’a-Filo is a freshman starting at LT. Both are unappreciated positions, and it’s nice to plug the name of a trench-man in any award!
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