College Football Preview: Pac-10

Pacific Ten Season Preview



Arizona

2009 Recap

While the Wildcats were somewhat inconsistent in their play during the course of last season, they were able to pull some impressive upsets, including victories over USC and Oregon State (both on the road) and push the 2009 Pac-10 Champions, Oregon, to the limit in a double overtime loss. Also, even in their losses, they were never really embarrassed until their loss in the Holiday Bowl to Nebraska. Before that game, the worst margin of defeat was a ten point loss to Iowa, showing that the Wildcats are able to compete on the same level as the conference’s elite.

Schedule

With the exception of having to face Iowa in their third game, Arizona’s non-conference schedule is weak. Toledo and the Citadel are hardly worth talking up. Another benefit to their schedule is the fact that they only have to travel to play the previously mentioned Toledo, Washington State, UCLA, Stanford and Oregon. With the exception of Oregon and Stanford, Arizona should be favored in all of those games.

Potential Upsets

The Wildcats pulled upsets against USC, Oregon State and Stanford last year, proving that they are a dangerous team to underestimate. All of these teams should be on upset watch when facing the Arizona Wildcats, as should the Oregon Ducks. This by no means indicates that Arizona will be competing for a conference title, but they are a dangerous team.

Pitfall Games

Washington and California could both surprise Arizona if the Wildcats become complacent. There also is the Arizona State game which is always a tough battle even if the scoreboard doesn’t always reflect that fact.

Must Step Up

Linebacker Corp.: All three starters in the linebacker corps have been replaced with younger more inexperienced players. If the Wildcats are to compete in the Pac-10 this season, they are going to need their defense to step up and repeat the performance they had a year ago, when they ranked 25th in the nation in total defense. To do this, they need to have at least one of their linebackers become an impact player.

Heisman Candidate

Nick Foles – QB: This is going to be a bit of a trend in this category. Foles, like many other Heisman candidates are going to be the key to the success of their teams. In this case, Arizona uses a two back system and is replacing the majority of their defense, so the passing game will be the main source of energy and excitement for the Wildcats this season. In order for it to be successful, Nick Foles is going to have to keep putting up big numbers and keeping the opposing defenses off balance.

Sunday’s Star

Trevin Wade – CB: While he may not register as highly on the draft boards as some other corners, Trevin Wade is looking to continue a strong tradition of Arizona corners. He is coming off a season where he picked off five passes and is looking to push himself to the top of the All-Pac-10 team as a corner. With his speed and savvy he should be able to pull it off too.

Bowl Game?

Arizona is a strong enough team to make a middle of the pack bowl game, perhaps returning to the Holiday Bowl.

Arizona State

2009 Recap

The Sun Devils of Tempe have little to celebrate after last season. They only won two games in-conference, and one of them was against Washington State. The only win they could remotely hang their hat on was a victory against Washington, their last victory of the season. On the bright side, their defense ranked in the top 30 in the nation in the four major defensive categories. Those being rushing yards, passing yards, total yards and scoring. It’s not much, but it’s something they can try and build on.

Schedule

The Sun Devils have a very similar schedule to last season. All of the in conference games, save the Washington State game should favor the opponent. The only non-conference game of note this season would be the week when they need to travel to Madison to play the Badgers. It’s a sad state when a BCS conference team has to schedule two games against FCS teams.

Potential Upsets

The only games where Arizona State could potentially pull an upset are in the games against Arizona and Washington. Both games are against middling Pac-10 teams and on the road. Should the Sun Devils pull either of those games out, it would be very damaging to the case of either team.

Pitfall Games

The only potential pitfall on the Arizona State Schedule is the game against Washington State. However, that is only because Washington State is the only team that isn’t equal to or better than the Sun Devils.

Must Step Up

Steven Threet – QB: This is just the first of many quarterbacks you’re going to see in this section. While there’s no guarantee that the Michigan transfer will win the job from sophomore Brock Osweiler, he has the most experience from the 8 games he started for Michigan back in 2008. That experience will be the difference in the quarterback battle (in my opinion), but it is yet to be seen if it will be enough to carry the offense. In that way he needs to step up and be a unifying force on that offense, since there are so few returning starters on offense.

Heisman Candidate

Vontaze Burfict – LB: This is a horrible sign. When your best chance at getting a Heisman trophy winner on your team is a sophomore linebacker who will never be given serious consideration no matter how good he is, you know you’re team is in need of a serious influx of talent. To Burfict himself, he does need to improve his pass coverage a bit, but otherwise he is an all-around great linebacker who should improve with experience.

Sunday’s Star

Lawrence Guy – DT: Perhaps one of the most underrated players in the Pac-10, Lawrence Guy is a massive Defensive Tackle who can regularly take up two or three blockers at any given time. While he isn’t an overly great pass rusher, he has the ability to collapse the pocket and take up blocks, free other pass rushers to do their job. He has the potential to be an All-American come season’s end and should he achieve that honor, he might bolt for the NFL early.

Bowl Game?

There is almost no chance that the Sun Devils will make a bowl game this season. This will be a year of the Sun Devils gaining experience and building some chemistry on offense.

California

2009 Recap

2009 was nothing special for California. They really didn’t take a big step back, but at the same time they failed to make any major strides towards being major contenders for the Pac-10 title. Aside from getting blown out by Washington at the end of the regular season, none of their losses (against USC, Oregon and Oregon State) were all that surprising. At the same time the only win that wasn’t necessarily expected was their victory over Stanford. It was basically a year for California to get experience younger players. Useful since Jahvid Best, their best offensive talent on the team, is now in Detroit.

Schedule

California has only a mediocre, if not easy non-conference schedule this season. Only one team of the three is worth mentioning is Nevada, who California has to face on the road. That only adds to the gauntlet that California has to face on the road. In addition to Nevada, who is no slouch, they also have to face USC, Oregon State and Arizona on the road. If the Golden Bears can somehow pull out three of those four games, they could be in good position to make a run at the Pac-10 title.

Potential Upsets

Well, USC, Oregon, Stanford and Oregon State are going to be heard about a lot in these sections; since they are, in my opinion, the four teams likely to compete for the Pac-10 title. I do think that California could pull the upset on any one of these teams, but not more than two. I just don’t think they have the ability to overcome all of their shortcomings to defeat these teams on more than one occasion.

Pitfall Games

The Golden Bears need to beware Nevada and Washington. Either of those games could knock them from the hunt for the Pac-10 title. Another game they should keep their collective eye to is the UCLA game. This one of those rare instances where I really can’t backup why I feel this way, I just do. It’s completely a gut call, which I normally don’t rely on. Maybe it’s the fact that California has to go to Arizona the week before and to USC the week after, possibly allowing for complacency. It’s just a feeling, but I think they need to be careful in that game.

Must Step Up

Kevin Riley – QB: This case is pretty simple. The passing offense was not particularly good last year and that caused an overreliance on the running game. This year, with Shane Vereen being the new feature back, Riley has to come forward and be an offensive leader, to draw pressure off the running game and to allow the defense to get a rest when they need it.

Heisman Candidate

Shane Vereen – RB: This one is kind of by default. There is no other great offensive force on the California team and Vereen is the most likely to put up the kind of numbers that the Heisman committee would be looking for. While not quite the break-away runner that Jahvid Best was, Vereen can still run with the best of college football and has enough power to make hard to bring down.

Sunday’s Star

Mike Mohamed – LB: For a conference that is so dominated by offense, you’d think there wouldn’t be as much defensive talent in this section would you? In this case, it is highly justified. Mike Mohamed was able to not only lead the team in tackles, but also had two sacks, six tackles for a loss and three interceptions, showing his amazing versatility. His athleticism and somewhat smaller size may restrict him going into the league, but he is hard enough working player to make it work.

Bowl Game?

California will most likely reach a Bowl game, but it will still likely be a middle of the road season, them the Golden Bears failing to push for a major bowl bid.


Oregon

2009 Recap

2009 proved to be a major proving ground for the Oregon Ducks. While USC faltered, and really seemed to fail to recover from being beaten by Washington, Oregon pushed through their opening day loss to Boise State (which resulted in the loss of their star running back LeGarrette Blount)to win every other game they played with the exception of one. Their nine point loss at Stanford didn’t hurt their cause to win the Pac-10 title, since it was their only in-conference loss. While the rash of arrests during and following the season has overshadowed the success that this team had, they can still take pride in the fact that they won a Pac-10 title and are among the favorites to win another one.

Schedule

Oregon has perhaps the easiest schedule of the three main contenders for the Pac-10 title. The only difficult road games that have appeared on their schedule are games against USC and Oregon State. There will be a challenge for them going across the country to face Tennessee; however Tennessee may not be able to really challenge them, given the new coaching staff.

Potential Upsets

Not really any potential upsets in this group. Oregon is just that good this season, in my mind. Good enough that they are at least on even footing with every team they play this season.

Pitfall Games

While the game against Tennessee is not likely to challenge Oregon, the Ducks do need to be wary of becoming too confident and the effects of extended travel. The game may not be expected to be a problem, however with the travel and the fact that the SEC is the toughest conference in the country, Tennessee may just surprise the Ducks. Oddly enough their first game against New Mexico could be a danger, if for other reason because LaMichael James will be suspended for that game.

Must Step Up

Darron Thomas – QB: While Nate Costa is the more experienced player and the better thrower, Thomas has no extended history of knee injuries and fits better into the offense that Oregon runs. It will take some time for him to adjust to the speed of the game and there is no guarantee that he will win the job, but I think he gives Oregon the best chance to repeat as Pac-10 Champions. But he will need take big steps forward if the Ducks want to compete with Oregon state and USC.

Heisman Candidate

LaMichael James – RB: Even though he will be suspended for a game due to legal troubles, LaMichael James is the player through which most of the team’s offense will be focused. With a new quarterback playing, it will be as important as ever for him to have a dominant season. If he can reproduce the kind of season he had last year, with the spotlight on him this time, he should receive serious Heisman consideration.

Sunday’s Star

Casey Matthews – LB: This one all comes down to bloodlines. Casey Matthews, brother of Clay Matthews Jr. has all the experience one could want from a senior linebacker and is the kind of work-hard player that his dad was. He doesn’t have as much athletic ability as his brother, but is still just as good in his own way. If his name wasn’t Matthews, he would probably be overlooked for someone with more potential, but as it stands he will make one team very happy come next year. LaMichael James would be here, except for the fact that he is having legal difficulties and, as was seen in the case of his former teammate LeGarrette Blount, that can kill one’s draft stock.

Bowl Game?

Oregon is one of three teams that will be competing for the privilege of playing in the Rose Bowl. If they don’t make it that far, they have the talent to be playing in a New Year’s Day Bowl game.

Oregon State

2009 Recap

Aside from back-to-back losses to Cincinnati and Arizona, Oregon State had an excellent season, they were able to keep it close with the major powers in the conference, and solidly win games against opponents who were inferior. They were even able to show dominance both on the road and at home, losing only two games in either situation.

Schedule

If Oregon State can come out of their first three games undefeated then they deserve to be in the top five in the nation. The only game of those three that comes against a team that wasn’t in a BCS bowl game last year is their game against Louisville. But they still have to take on both TCU and Boise State in the same month then go on the road to face Arizona and Stanford. However, with Stanford being the only other conference title contender that they need to face on the road, getting USC and Oregon at home.

Potential Upsets

Not really any potential upsets in this group. Oregon State is just that good this season, in my mind. Good enough that they are at least on even footing with every team they play this season.

Pitfall Games

Well, when you have so few games that could be considered upsets should Oregon State; you have to expect that there would be a plethora of potential pitfalls. Along with Oregon, Stanford and USC, Oregon state needs to beware becoming complacent against Washington and Arizona, though it’s less likely that Arizona will catch them off-guard a second time. Some may considered Boise State a potential pitfall; however those people weren’t paying attention to how well Boise state played against Oregon last year.

Must Step Up

Ryan Katz/Peter Lalich – QB: With last year’s starter Sean Canfield now in training camp hoping to hold onto a roster spot with the Saints, Ryan Katz (sophomore) or Peter Lalich (Junior) need to make an impact and provide enough of a passing threat that teams will not be able to just stack up against JacQuizz Rodgers. That shouldn’t be too incredibly difficult, since the top receiver from last year, James Rodgers returns and JacQuizz himself is an excellent pass catcher.

Heisman Candidate

JacQuizz Rodgers – RB: This one is a no-brainer. JacQuizz Rodgers had over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Should he replicate that production this year, he will be given serious Heisman consideration.

Sunday’s Star

Stephen Paea – DT: Stephen Paea will probably be known as this year’s Brian Price. While he may not put up the kind of statistics that Price put up last season, but he will be the kind of player who will fly under the radar during the season, but then as the season wraps up, the experts will look back at his season and begin judging him as one of the best defensive tackles in that draft. He has the ability to dominate the line of scrimmage and disrupt running lanes. Keep an eye on him, cause he could be really special.

Bowl Game?

Oregon State is one of three teams that will be competing for the privilege of playing in the Rose Bowl. If they don’t make it that far, they have the talent to be playing in a New Year’s Day Bowl game.


Stanford

2009 Recap

2009 was the season when Stanford dug themselves out of the doldrums of losing football and found their way into the ranks of the top four teams in the Pac-10. While they did four games, they were never really blown out nor did it feel like they were in over their head. They also had impressive victories over conference powerhouses USC and Oregon, blowing USC out at the LA Coliseum. While they did lose their bowl game against Oklahoma, it was still the first bowl game they had been to since 2001.

Schedule

The Cardinals of Stanford got a fairly nice draw when it comes to scheduling this season. They face two of their three major competitors for the Pac-10 title (USC and Oregon State) at home, while only a trip to Oregon would seem to upset their road schedule.

Potential Upsets

Those three games against Oregon, USC and Oregon State could be considered upsets should Stanford wins those games. It’s tricky to say because of how close all of these teams are to one another in terms of talent.

Pitfall Games

California, Arizona and Washington could all turn into upsets, the only non-conference game that surprise some is their game against Wake Forest. A year ago, Stanford lost 24-17 to Wake Forest after leading 17-3 at halftime. While Wake Forest is looking for a new quarterback, they still have a good team and could surprise Stanford if the Cardinals don’t go in prepared.

Must Step Up

Stepfan Taylor – RB: It’s difficult to select anyone else who would need to step up as much as the guy replacing a Heisman trophy runner up. In this case Stepfan Taylor steps into the shoes vacated by Toby Gerhart and will need to be at least half as good if Stanford hopes to compete for the Pac-10 title. This team needs some offensive balance in order to take pressure off of sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck and Stepfan Taylor is the guy who can provide that offensive balance. At least, Stanford hopes so.

Heisman Candidate

Andrew Luck – QB: Should the Stanford Cardinals push for a Pac-10 title, it will be because of the offensive prowess and development of the redshirt sophomore quarterback. He will need to become a better decision-maker and become more wary of the hazards of running from the pocket. Should this development take place he would put up at least solid stats, potentially great stats, he will be following his teammate (Gerhart) to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation ceremony.

Sunday’s Star

Andrew Luck – QB: Andrew Luck has been a topic of great debate since the end of the NFL Draft in April. His arm strength good size and mobility have elevated his draft stock and the development mentioned earlier is really all that anyone is looking for. Some, like ESPN’s Todd McShay believe that he will end up being the top player taken in the 2011 draft, while others, including myself, question whether or not he will be able to make the leap in decision making that will be required of him to be worthy of that distinction. The good news for him is that even if he has a sub-par year this year, he still has two more years with which he can sharpen his skills and develop.

Bowl Game?

Stanford is one of three teams that will be competing for the privilege of playing in the Rose Bowl. If they don’t make it that far, they have the talent to be playing in a New Year’s Day Bowl game.


UCLA

2009 Recap

A roller coaster is the best way to describe the 2009 season for the Bruins of UCLA. They started off the season great with three consecutive wins against non-conference teams. However, once they hit their early conference schedule, they dropped five consecutive games and proved that they were far from being among elite. They finished the season off winning three of their last four and clinching a spot in the EagleBank Bowl. A game they won, defeating the Temple Owls 30-21.

Schedule

It looks like UCLA will be having a difficult time breaking away from the middle of the Pac-10 this season. In addition to the difficult Pac-10 conference schedule, the Bruins will also have to face the offensive prowess of Houston and must travel to Austin to face the Longhorns of Texas. Fortunately, three of their six road games are against teams they can beat. Specifically, they play Kansas State, Washington and Arizona State on the road, allowing them to get their tougher opponents like USC, and Oregon State at home.

Potential Upsets

Like always, a win against USC would send shock waves through Southern California. However, victories against Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford or California would be a great newspaper clipping for Rick Neuheisel and his squad to pin up on the chalkboard this season.

Pitfall Games

The Bruins need to beware getting complacent against teams like Kansas State and Washington. Either of these teams could end the Bruins hope for a bowl game in a single Saturday; particularly Washington, which has been making strides towards becoming a legitimate contender within the Pac-10.

Must Step Up

Kevin Prince – QB: This is one of those situations where the offense to take huge steps forward to compensate to make up for the inexperience on defense. While it could easily be said that the new defensive tackles should be occupying this spot due to the loss of Brian Price, the simple fact is that the defense is returning only 5 starters while the offense returns 8. It just isn’t likely that the defense will be up to snuff this year. Since this is the case, the offense, in particular the passing offense will need to step up and provide a spark that this team needs to become a contender this year.

Heisman Candidate

Nelson Rosario – WR: While not a true burner, Nelson Rosario has great size (6’5”) and enough speed to average upwards of 17 yards per reception last season. That’s enough to keep opposing defensive coordinators up a few extra hours at night. He really has no chance to win the trophy, given the fact that he doesn’t return punts or kicks and UCLA isn’t likely to be in the national title hunt, but he has the best chance of those on his team.

Sunday’s Star

Rahim Moore – S: While questions were swirling around Taylor Mays and whether or not he had the athleticism to play safety on the next level last year, across the city, Rahim Moore was giving quarterbacks fits with his range and speed from the safety position. Now a junior, Moore has the ability to declare for the draft following this season and all indications are that he will if can have a similar season to last year, where he lead the country in interceptions with 10.

Bowl Game?

UCLA has a better chance of making a bowl game with USC being banned from participation in bowl games; however they will still need to pull together enough wins to qualify. It’s likely they’ll be able to qualify, but barely so. I would expect them to finish the regular season around the same record as last season 6-6.


USC

2009 Recap

2009 saw USC topple from the ranks of college football’s elite and into the mediocrity of a 9-4 season. It became fairly evident that this was not the kind of USC team that most expected it to be when the Trojans went to Husky Stadium and left defeated. The Trojans then went on to lose three more games, all in conference. They were blown out by Oregon and Stanford and lost a close game against Arizona in the regular season finale. On the bright side they did show that they still had plenty of talent still on the roster and beat some good teams in Oregon State and Ohio State.

Schedule
While their conference Schedule is about as difficult as usual, going on the road to face Arizona, Stanford and Oregon State while facing Oregon, California and Notre Dame at home, their non-conference schedule is very weak. No, Notre Dame doesn’t count as a non-conference game since they play them every year. They go on the road to play Hawaii and Minnesota and welcome Virginia into the LA Coliseum. While none of these teams are terrible, none are expected to even compete for a conference championship.

Potential Upsets

Wow, it’s strange to hear the USC could pull an upset huh? They’ve been at or near the top of national polls and the Pac-10 so often that it is just natural to say that they are the ones who would be upset. However, this year they have someone to hunt rather than just be hunted. Their games against Oregon and Oregon State will have a massive impact on who wins the Pac-10 title this season. In my mind it would be an upset, albeit a minor one, if USC were to win either of those games. A victory at Stanford would also be considered an upset, though I view the two teams as being more evenly matched than most.

Pitfall Games

USC fell into the trap of underestimating teams last year in their losses to Washington and Arizona, and those same teams are most likely to pull the upset against USC this year. Arizona especially, since USC will have to go on the road to play them.

Must Step Up

Tyron Smith – OT: While there has been a lot of turnover in the secondary, the fact of the matter is that Seantrel Henderson, the top offensive line recruit in the country, decided to leave for Miami (Fl.) While Henderson wasn’t expected to start in his freshman year, his mere presence acted as a force to push Smith and other offensive lineman to play at the highest level. Now with Henderson gone and quarterback Matt Barkley entering his sophomore year, it is more important than ever for Smith to step up and become a lockdown tackle.

Heisman Candidate

Matt Barkley – QB: It’s a lot like other teams with Barkley. While Barkley has given little indication that he is capable of putting up the kind of numbers that would be required for him to be seriously considered for the Heisman trophy, if anyone on this team is going to compete for this award, it is going to be Barkley. He is the key to USC succeeding, and the more that USC succeeds, the more momentum Barkley gains on the road to the Heisman.

Sunday’s Star

Jurrell Casey – DT: Considered one of the best raising prospects for next year’s draft, Jurrell Casey is a somewhat undersized Defensive Tackle who showed great quickness and explosion off the line. He currently shows more potential than actual production, but that is often the way that Defensive Tackle prospects are. He comes into the season already highly touted, and could become the next Sedrick Ellis (that is, a USC Defensive Tackle being taking in the top ten in the next NFL Draft). This year is crucial for his stock due to the stiff penalties related to the NCAA sanctions.

Bowl Game?

Will they actually make a bowl game? No. The sanctions leveled against them forbid that. However, they will likely have a good enough record to qualify.


Washington

2009 Recap

2009 proved to be a major stepping stone for the progress of the Washington program. While the Huskies continued to struggle against the current powers of the Pac-10 (Oregon and Oregon State), they succeeded in pulling a big upset against USC and blowout California in their season finale. Quarterback Jake Locker took gigantic steps forward in his development and the offense broke into the top 70, the passing offense ranking 40th in the country. The defense also made strides, but not as big as the offense made.

Schedule

Should the Washington Huskies start the season 4-0 and not be ranked in the top ten of the AP poll, then it’ll be proof of bias in the voting system. With the exception of Syracuse, the Huskies have to start off against three of the toughest teams in the country. They have to play BYU (ask Sam Bradford how tough this team is) and USC on the road and also have to welcome Nebraska into Husky Stadium. After all of that, they still have to face Oregon and California on the Road and Stanford and Oregon State at home. Should they emerge from these games without a loss, then they should absolutely be in a New Year’s Day bowl game.

Potential Upsets

All of the previously listed games would be major upsets, so I think there is little reason to continue here.

Pitfall Games

As much as the previously mentioned games would be upsets, the remaining games are all possible pitfalls. While Syracuse has had little success in the past few years, among their few successes, they have found ways to pull big upsets, like they did against Rutgers a year ago and Louisville in 2007. Arizona and UCLA are both dangerous teams as well, especially playing at Arizona.

Must Step Up

Defensive Ends: Washington is fortunate enough to have the vast majority of their starters returning. No one position has lost as much starting experience as the Defensive End position has. When a team that only had 29 sacks last season suddenly loses 13 of those sacks in the graduation of Darrion Jones (2) and the drafting of Daniel Te’o-Nesheim (11), that team needs to have the new starters step-up. Talia Crichton (So.), De’Shon Matthews (Sr.), Cameron Elisara (Sr. who also plays on the interior), Everrette Thompson (Jr.) and Kalani Aldrich (Jr.) will try to combine for a solid pass-rush. If this defense is going to be able to support its offense, the pass rush must be able to keep the pressure up and give the secondary opportunities to make plays on the ball and force turnovers.

Heisman Candidate

Jake Locker – QB: If any player on the Washington roster has a chance to win the Heisman Trophy, it’s Jake Locker. His continued development would bring with it the kinds of offensive numbers that voters are looking for in a Heisman candidate. He will need to improve greatly (in the area of 50 touchdown passes) for him to be considered since Washington is unlikely to be competing for a BCS title.

Sunday’s Star

Jake Locker – QB: Given all the hype that has been building around Locker since he decided to remain in school rather than come out for last year’s draft, it would be remiss of me to not discuss him as a prospect. He has great arm strength, good mobility and has recently shown the most important quality a quarterback prospect can show, in my eyes, the ability to improve with experience and coaching. With all of those great qualities, there is still one issue that makes me hesitant to refer to him as a great prospect. That is that he has a bit of an injury history. I need to see him start another season without being injured for me to acknowledge him as a great prospect.

Bowl Game?

If Washington win at least two of those tough games mentioned in the scheduling section, they will find themselves somewhere in the bowl mix. However, I think those games will prove to be too much for the Huskies. No Bowl Game this year.


Washington State

2009 Recap

2009 continued a trend of futility that has enveloped Pullman since 2004. The Cougars could not break themselves out of the mire of their own past failures. They ranked in the bottom sixth in the country in every major statistical category. If not for an overtime victory over SMU, the Cougars would have gone winless this season. Every other game saw the cougars lose by an average of 26.4 points per game. Their offense was horribly ineffective which didn’t help the defense which was little more than a sieve. Some positives steps were taken with freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel gaining valuable experience, however there is little reason to believe that they will overcome their shortcomings to make any sort of an impact this season.

Schedule

The upcoming schedule does help the Cougars somewhat. The only teams that will be legitimately contending for the PAC-10 title, that the Cougars have to face on the road are Stanford and Oregon State. They get USC, Oregon and California at home. That being said, the Cougars aren’t likely to beat any of those opponents and have only game on their schedule where they are a favorite.

Potential Upsets

It’s unlikely that the Cougars will pull any major upsets, but they still have a few games where they could surprise some people and burst a few bowl bubbles. While a victory over Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium wouldn’t be considered a major victory for most, but it would be a great win for this Cougar team. They also have the chance to take down a middling UCLA team in the Rose Bowl.

Pitfall Games

You know there’s trouble when the only game that your team is favored in is a game against an FCS (I-AA) school. In this case, Washington State’s second game of the season against Montana State in Martin Stadium, is the only game where, should Washington State lose, it would be considered an upset.

Must Step Up

Jeff Tuel – QB: While the defense was the weaker unit, there are no individual defensive players or units that can change the production of that unit as much as Jeff Tuel could change the production of the offense. Tuel has shown a strong arm, good football savvy and an ability to escape the pocket when pressure gets too hot. All he needs to do now is stay healthy and get a full season as a starter. If he plays well, Washington State may be able to break the four win mark and possibly even win a road game for the first time in two years.

Heisman Candidate

Jeff Tuel – QB: If Tuel is able to step up; he will be the only member of this team to be even remotely considered for the Heisman. Though his actual chances are non-existent, it’s still worth noting that he is that important to his team.

Sunday’s Star
Travis Long – DE: It’s a sad state indeed when the best NFL prospect is a sophomore defensive end that has minimal experience. At 6-4 and over 250 lb. Long has ideal size to play Defensive End in the NFL. Time will tell if he continues to make strides towards the NFL.

Bowl Game?

It’s not very likely that Washington State will overcome enough of their obstacles to reach a bowl game.


Conference Champion

There are three main contenders for the Pac-10 title, USC, Oregon and Oregon State. USC has benefit of returning their starting quarterback and having a bunch talent who are ready to step up and compete for starting jobs. But the fact of the matter is that USC has been steadily declining in the ranks of college football since Vince Young ran through them in the 2006 Rose Bowl. It started with getting upset against teams they should have beaten in ’06, ’07, and ’08. Then when the majority of the team left a year ago, they fell down to the mediocre 8-4 team that they were. I just don’t think that USC will be able to overcome their other contenders this season. That narrows it down to Oregon and Oregon State. While I think Oregon’s offensive system is more likely to produce big numbers, Oregon State is returning more starters and can support their new quarterback better. Ultimately I think that makes the difference and Oregon State will reign as Pac-10 Champions this season. Stanford is also a dark horse contender.

BCS Title Contenders

USC

Oregon

Oregon State

Stanford

Top 5 Heisman Candidates

JacQuizz Rogers – 22 total touchdowns last season combined with over 2,000 all-purpose yards put the younger Rogers brother in an excellent position to compete for a Heisman Trophy.

LaMichael James – LaMichael James has a great ability to break big plays and will likely be able to put together a great season regardless of who the quarterback is.

Matt Barkley – If USC is going to compete for a Pac-10 title, it will be because Matt Barkley has put together the type of season that will get the attention of Heisman voters.

Jake Locker – If Locker continues to develop, he should put together strong enough numbers that the Heisman committee will take notice.

Andrew Luck – Andre Luck is very much like Jake Locker, if Stanford has a great season, it will be because Luck took the necessary developmental steps and had a great season.

Top Five Wide Receivers: Comparative

For some reason, recent filler discussions across the NFL media dome have been focusing on who the best players at any given position are. While this is fun for generating discussion, they are completely pointless. Yet, they still got me thinking about something that is a bit more unique. That bred this list. Not only do I name the receiver I believe to be the best in the league today, but I also compare them to all-time greats at the position. It brings a bit more history to a somewhat band concept. So without further padding:



Honorable Mention: Randy Moss = Don Hutson


Randy Moss is no longer a top 5 receiver in the NFL, but regardless of his off-the-field antics and occasion to not give full effort, he is still one of the top 3 receivers to ever play the game of football and the most talented wide receiver to ever play the game. Never has one player brought the type of size, speed and, by all accounts, intelligence to the position that Randy Moss does. That kind of combination made comparing him to any other player really difficult. However there was always one image that came into my mind when I thought about it, and that was the image of Don Hutson catching deep passes from Arnie Herber. If you don’t know a lot about Don Hutson, watch one or more these clips.


http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8074cbf8/Top-Ten-Records-Never-Be-Broken-Don-Hutson-TD-leading-seasons


http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-top-ten/09000d5d8074355e/Top-Ten-Single-Season-Performance-Don-Hutson


http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d8012b87a/NFL-All-Time-Team-Don-Hutson


They should make the point.


While Moss hasn’t and probably could never be as dominant as Hutson was, he has been a very similar player. Like Hutson, he simply could out-run any and every player he played against and made defenses plan solely around him. In the worst case scenario, the quarterback could just throw it deep and Moss would always be able to get to the ball. Randy Moss and Don Hutson were both game changers. Only Jerry Rice can say that he was better than these two.


5. Greg Jennings = Charley Taylor


Before I get to the actual comparison, yes Greg Jennings is a better receiver than Randy Moss at this point in time. He has great hands, excellent route running and the speed to be a scoring threat from anywhere on the field. It’s that last quality that reminds me so much of the former Redskins receiver, Charley Taylor. Much like the former halfback turned wide receiver; Jennings has the ability to catch the ball anywhere on the field and score. However, unlike Bobby Mitchell and Bob Hayes who had a similar talent, Jennings has the ability to break tackles and is not quite as “sudden” as Mitchell and Hayes. In simpler terms, Jennings is less likely to wiggle through small opening to break big plays, but is more likely to run through tackles and fight for jump balls. His speed, refined route running and deceptive strength is all top notch.


4. Brandon Marshall = Cris Carter


Much like the former Vikings receiver, Brandon Marshall has just enough speed to be dangerous, but not enough to really be known as a blazer. What makes Marshall such a great receiver is the same thing that made Carter so dominant, his ability to catch a ton of passes. There are some stat heads who will say that he only caught so many balls because he was forced the ball. While it is true that he is one of the most targeted receivers in the league, he still produces better than most others who are similarly targeted, plus you don’t get that kind of attention without being extremely talented. While Marshall has yet to accumulate the kind of touchdown numbers that Carter became known for, he is actually producing far better than Carter did at the same point in his career. Marshall has had three 100 catch seasons, three 1,000+ receiving yards seasons and a single 10+ touchdown season. Carter had only one of these accomplishments during that same time period. He caught eleven touchdowns in 1989, his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Carter didn’t reach the 1,000 receiving yard mark until his seventh year in the NFL and he only caught more than 100 passes in two seasons for his whole career. If he keeps producing at his current rate, he’ll beat Carter to another prestige mark; induction into the Hall of Fame.


3. Larry Fitzgerald = Paul Warfield


This one was kind of tricky. Larry Fitzgerald has such a unique skill set that it is hard to think of player who is similar. Paul Warfield is definitely the closest I could come to Fitzgerald’s playing style. Both are receivers who have great speed and are able to outleap defenders for the ball. They both have solid hands that rarely allowed balls to touch thee ground. They both have used their size and leaping ability to make big plays as opposed to their excellent speed. Fitzgerald is probably the better leaper, but Warfield made bigger plays. Warfield’s career yards per reception were 20.1 while Fitzgerald’s is currently a paltry 11.3. While Fitzgerald’s numbers look a lot better at this point in his career than Warfield, but Warfield played on run dominant teams and was playing during a less pass intensive era of the NFL. Some may disagree with Fitzgerald being this low, but the next two receivers are just more balanced in terms of skill set.


2. Reggie Wayne = Steve Largent


This one was really difficult to do. Reggie Wayne has such a balanced skill set, that it makes it difficult to find an all-time great receiver who is similar. Most all-time greats have a defining characteristic, like Jerry Rice’s great hands or James Lofton’s blazing straight line speed. The only great I could think off that comes close to Wayne’s all-around skill set is former Seahawks great Steve Largent. Both Wayne and Largent have great hands and good speed, body control and toughness. Both have the ability to become unstoppable in spite of the best efforts of the corners he plays against. They both did this by simply outworking their opponents and having great chemistry with their quarterbacks. Ultimately, Wayne is much more talented than Largent was, but Largent overcame a bunch of obstacles to become the Hall of Famer he is. While Wayne’s numbers could be considered inflated because of how the league is nowadays and the quality of his quarterback, he still has to execute at a high level to be as a good as he is.


1. Andre Johnson = Terrell Owens


This was perhaps the easiest comparison that has appeared on this list. It’s pretty obvious why too, these two have very similar body frames, solid-to-great hands, depending on the season, and have been elite players at one point or another during their careers. Personality-wise, they seemingly couldn’t be more different. Owens has spent the majority of his career being a very me first person with a big mouth while Johnson seems to have taken a vow of silence. It is exceedingly rare to hear anything of note from him. However on the fields, whether it be a practice field or on game-day, these two consistently out-talent and out-work most of their compatriots. The thing that makes these receivers so special and so unique in the game their large frames; I can never remember receivers with such big, muscular frames being able to maintain the kind of speed that these two have had, for as long as they have been playing. It’s really this defining characteristic that makes them such a perfect match.



Author’s Note: Due to issues in the realm of life, the season reviews are indefinitely delayed. Honestly you’ll probably never see them on the blog, but they were a good learning experience. Thanks for the support.