pac 10 preview: I hope you like oregon

Sep 6, 2010

This will be the last year of the Pac-10, as they are adding two new teams, Utah and Colorado, in 2011. As has been typical the past few years, three teams will have a realistic shot at the conference title, USC, Oregon, and Oregon State. There might be some sleepers, but every team has some huge question marks.

Washington State is again going to be the doormat of the conference. The team was decimated by injuries, especially on the offense. Last year, the Cougars ranked last in the nation scoring, rushing, passing, and total offense and defense. Sophomore quarterback, Jeff Tuel, is the only bright spot. Washington State will just hope to build up momentum for the following year. This season would be considered a success if they win one conference game.

UCLA is going to have a tough year. Statistically, they were one of the worst offenses, and they are returning six starters from that offense. The line struggles, but the Bruins have some undeveloped talent at the skill positions. As for the defense, the Bruins lost six starters. Those starters were pro level players and the Bruins will struggle to find replacements.

Washington is on the rise, but don’t expect them to take the title this year. Quarterback Jake Locker is a superstar and will continue to improve. The offense took great leaps last year, and it should be exciting to see how it will improve this year. Locker is surrounded by some supreme talent in the skill positions. Also, the defense finished the season with two very strong games. It will be interesting to see if the defense can continue the way they ended. This team has the talent to contend for the conference title, but because of the inexperience, this team seems to be a couple years out of contending for the title.

Arizona State is in a world of trouble. The team is on the decline. Two years removed from a January bowl game, the team has many questions. The defense was weak last year, and now they have many holes to fill of graduating seniors. The team still doesn’t know who their starting quarterback is going to be. Four candidates are still competing. The offense line has many question marks and things don’t look good. The offensive coordinator is implementing a new offense scheme, with no huddle and lots of shotgun. If the offensive line can improve and hold up the Sun Devils might be able to be in the top couple of teams but more than likely, they will be the middle of the pack.

Cal always comes into the season with such high expectations. The past two seasons, the offense has started out great only to sputter during conference play, due to poor protection and sporadic play from quarterback Kevin Reilly. The run game will continue to be solid for Cal. The pass offense has the talent if Reilly plays well and gets protection. The defense should be stellar this year. A new defensive coordinator may cause problems, but the coordinator plans to use the same 3-4 system, just with more blitzes. The defense is stacked with talent and makes it possible for Cal to compete, but the questions on offense are just too much.

Stanford lost All-American running back, and it will be hard to get over that loss. The offense will shift from mostly running to mostly passing. Quarterback Andrew Luck has the potential to be a future first rounder and is surrounded by talented wide receivers like Ryan Whalen. Coach Jim Harbaugh is always among contenders named for job openings at big schools. Eight returning starters on offense and seven on defense should help Stanford continue the success. The biggest problem for Stanford is the tough road schedule, with games at Oregon, Notre Dame, California, and Washington.

Arizona should continue their success from last year. They are an offensive team. Quarterback Nick Foles is a superstar, and he put up great numbers last year. This year, he has a new quarterback coach, who helped former first-round draft picks Patrick Ramsey and J.P. Losman. The Wildcats also have eight returning starters on offense. Their problem lies in defense, like it has since coach Mike Stoops took over. They only have four returning starters, and last year’s defensive coordinator has left for another job. Things could get interesting, especially if the defense has trouble stopping opponents, but the offense is good enough to earn them another bowl berth this year.

USC again looks strong, but there could be a lot of problems this year. The Trojans have had immense success during Carroll’s tenure, so they definitely have a lot of talent. New coach Lane Kiffin has shown lots of promise as a coach, and was fairly successful with Tennessee last year. Also, he brought along his dad, Monte Kiffin, to coach the defense, which should help the defense tremendously. Quarterback Matt Barkley has a lot of hype and has shown loads of talent, but after an up and down season last year, he will need to prove himself. He has talent surrounding him at the skill positions. However, many starters left this season after the sanctions allowed them to transfer without penalty. So, the Trojans only are returning eleven of twenty-two starters. It will be interesting to see how Coach Kiffin does in his first year. The Trojans should be competing for the conference title.

Oregon is the favorite to win the conference this year. They have big questions at quarterback after Masoli left, but his two possible replacements, Nate Costa and Darron Thomas, show lots of potential. The offensive line is still solid and should provide plenty of protection for whoever the start may be. Running back LaMichael James had one of the best seasons ever for a running back and should continue his success this year. The team that won the conference title last year returns eighteen starters. The defensive line was incredible last year, especially Rowe, who had eleven and half sacks. The toughest game against USC will be on the road, but the experience of this team should prevail.

So, Oregon and USC are the two teams that have the most realistic chance at winning the title this year. Again, it should be another competitive and exciting season, with Arizona possibly competing for the title and Washington possibly making waves.