2008 Pac-10 Preview: Will USC be dethroned, or will it be deja vu at the top again?
So, is this finally the year that someone in the Pac-10 can move past USC as the best in the west? The Trojans are primed for another run at a conference and national title, but Dennis Erickson has Arizona State ready to jump into the spotlight.
How do we think the conference is going to shake out in 2008? Read on to get our take on that and more.
Conference Favorites
USC has a bunch of new starters, lost a bunch of guys to the NFL, tough schedule, blah, blah, blah.
Their national title hopes are another thing entirely, but the Trojans are definitely the favorite in the conference. There are some questions that will be answered on September 13, and one may feel uneasy about their ability to not trip themselves up against a Oregon State or Stanford, but they are poised for yet another championship.
That’s not to say they won’t be challenged, because they should be, namely by Arizona State. Dennis Erickson is a second-year man, and it’s his second year. The Sun Devils have a ton of returning talent led by an offense that will score, score and score.
Oregon has two big names to replace on offense in Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart, but the Ducks could make a run. The defense is very, very good, and a tough non-conference slate will prepare them for the rigors of conference play.
Darkhorses
Cal enters the season with a sour taste in their mouths after finishing the season 2-6 and with nothing certain about their starting quarterback, a new starting running back, and some big names to replace at receiver. That being said, Jeff Tedford should feel pretty confident whether Kevin Riley or Nate Longshore is under center, and having a new running backs hasn’t stopped them in recent years (five backs, six straight 1,000 yard seasons). Couple that with a solid defense that features a talented crew of linebackers, and the Bears should do well this season, provided they don’t trip themselves up.
Guess whooooooooo’s back? Make all the jokes about Rick Neuheisel’s firing from Washington and his ‘Slick Rick’ moniker, but one thing’s certain - he can win ballgames, as shown by his 66-30 record at Colorado and Washington. Unless he’s really, really stupid, you can’t expect him to do anything shady at UCLA, especially because there’s nothing worse than getting canned at your alma mater, right? Provided that he’s learned from the past (which I’m sure he has, otherwise they wouldn’t have hired him), expect UCLA to improve. The results may not show in full for another few seasons, but ranked teams best be on upset alert when facing the Bruins this year.
Postseason-Bound
Oregon State has only a handful of new starters on defense, and an inexperienced backfield, but they’ll find a way towards a good season and another postseason berth. There’s a reason why I think they’re the most underrated program in the country. Watch out for defensive ends Victor Butler and Slade Norris (19.5 sacks last season as part-timers) and the Rodgers brothers, sophomore James (586 yards rushing, 11.7 yards per carry as a freshman) and true freshman Jacquizz (8,245 yards, 136 touchdowns in high school) - they may be that big in stature, but their playmaking ability is.
The Rest
Stanford had a momentous upset of USC in Jim Harbaugh’s first season last year, and they’re poised for more improvement this season. There are questions regarding offense, but the defense could carry them to the postseason, somewhere they haven’t been in since Tyrone Willingham‘s last season in 2001.
Speaking of Willingham, Washington is facing a must-win year, but will the Huskies step up to deliver and save his job? The season depends a great deal on the health and development of sophomore QB Jake Locker, as much we’d like to say it doesn’t.
Arizona is also facing a mush win season, as Mike Stoops hasn’t delivered as expected in his four seasons. QB Willie Tuitama is one of the Pac-10’s best QBs, but one man can’t do it all on his own.
Washington St. has had a tough time of it since Mike Prince left for his short stint at Alabama. As a result, Bill Doba was shown the door, and the program has turned to Eastern Washington coach and former Washington State player Paul Wulff to turn things around. Things won’t be too great this season, especially with QB Alex Brink now gone, but with some pieces in place on both sides of the ball, the potential is there to put a scare into the better teams on their schedule.
Conference Predictions
1. USC - They’ll get pushed, and they may fall short of perfection again, but until someone does something about it, the Trojans are the team to beat in the Pac-10.
2. Arizona St.- Dennis Erikson has the Sun Devils poised to have a special year. Rudy Carpenter could work his way into the Heisman race with a huge season and some marquee wins.
3. Oregon - The Ducks missed a golden opportunity to dethrone USC last season, and they may not reach those heights this season. But, they should push for nine wins again and be fun to watch while doing it.
4. Cal - Kevin Riley or Nate Longshore? Longshore or Riley? There are questions, but the Bears may thrive without the weight of expectations.
5. UCLA - If they can make it through the season without another QB getting injured, it’ll be a minor miracle. Rick Neuheisel has some work to do, but there is talent to build around for a solid ‘08 and a bright future.
6. Oregon State - The Beavers should quietly win seven or more games once again and could make a push to be ranked at the end of the season for a third straight year.
7. Stanford - This may seem a spot or two too high right now, but a good defense anchors a team that knows they can win and play with and beat the best.
8. Arizona - Take above, apply to Mike Stoops. Wins over top-10 teams in each of the last three seasons makes for some real nice “when I was in college…” stories, but they don’t count for much for job security when there aren’t any winning records or postseason berths to go with them.
9. Washington - Given their tough schedule, 6-6 may save Willingham, but maybe it’s postseason or bust. If E.J. Savannah misses a significant part of the season, it’ll be a big blow to a defense that goes up against several high-powered offenses this season.
10. Washington State - The Cougars are a year or more away from getting back to the postseason.
Ten Conference Games to Watch
Oregon vs. Washington, Aug. 30 - The Ducks will be starting a new QB, and if there’s a chance for Ty Willingham to instill some confidence in the fan base, it’s by going into Autzen Stadium and doing something few are able to do.
Oregon State vs. USC, Sept. 25 - 33-31. That’s all you need to know.
Arizona vs. Washington, Oct. 4 - The Pink Slip Bowl? The winner of this one gets a valuable win on the way to job security.
Cal vs. Arizona State, Oct. 4 - Arizona State can’t get caught looking ahead to the next week, when they go to USC.
USC vs. Arizona State, Oct. 11 - Arizona State’s hopes of the Pac-10 title could be made or broken in the space of a few weeks, as they follow their game at Cal with this one, and then host Oregon on the 25th.
Arizona vs. USC, Oct. 25 - In each of Mike Stoops’ four seasons, the Wildcats have upset a ranked team, and three of those wins were against top-10 foes. This one could be very, very interesting.
Stanford vs. USC, Nov. 15 - Yet another trap game for USC. If the Cardinal could go into the Coliseum and knock off the Trojans, then they’ll certainly feel good about their chances of doing it at home, where they put a serious scare into Matt Leinart and Co. in a 31-28 loss in 2004.
Washington State vs. Washington, Nov. 22 - Washington State likely isn’t going to be very good this season, but even if they go 1-11, it’ll mean all the world for the one victory to be in the Apple Cup. The Cougars have won three of the last four, and with the Huskies set to finish the season at Cal, this one could be the must-win of all must-wins, not only because the Cougars have owned the series recently, but also because it could be a win that U-Dub needs for one reason or another. The last six have been decided by eight points or less, so expect a close one.
Arizona State vs. Arizona, Dec. 6 - One of Stoops’ wins over a ranked foe came in 2004, when the Wildcats beat the #20 Sun Devils. This year, the Sun Devils could be ranked higher and fighting for much more, while Arizona could be playing for a bowl or to send Stoops out with a bang. Whatever the case may be, ASU will be in for a fight.
UCLA vs. USC, Dec. 6 - UCLA brought down USC’s national title hopes the last time the two met in Pasadena, and they could have the chance to do the same thing again.
Five Non-Conference Games to Watch
UCLA vs. Tennessee, Aug. 30 - Quite the welcome back for Rick Neuheisel, eh?
Washington vs. BYU, Sept. 6 - Not a lot of people will expect the Huskies to beat Oklahoma, or even play them that close, but maybe that could change if they could knock off potential BCS buster BYU.
Purdue vs. Oregon, Sept. 13 - First one to 50 wins?
USC vs. Ohio State, Sept. 13 - You’ve got to give it to both teams to schedule this one, but hopefully it lives up to the massive hype.
Arizona State vs. Georgia, Sept. 20 - Ohio State-USC’s getting all the love, but this one will command plenty of attention. Georgia should be #1 when they come into Tempe, and it won’t be a surprise if they come out lower.
All-Conference Picks
QB: Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State
RB: Keegan Herring, Arizona St.
RB: Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon
WR: Jaison Williams, Oregon
WR: Mike Thomas, Arizona
WR: Brandon Gibson, Washington St.
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
OL: Fenuki Tupou, Oregon
OL: Eben Britton, Arizona
OL: Jeff Byers, USC
OL: Jeremy Perry, Oregon St.
OL: Alex Mack, Cal
DL: Nick Reed, Oregon
DL: Victor Butler, Oregon St.
DL: Fili Moala, USC
DL: Derrick Hill, Cal
LB: Rey Maualuga, USC
LB: Brian Cushing, USC
LB: Clinton Snyder, Stanford
LB: Zack Follett, Cal
CB: Walter Thurmond III, Oregon
CB: Jairus Byrd, Oregon
S: Taylor Mays, USC
S: Patrick Chung, Oregon
Kicker: Thomas Weber, Arizona St.
Punter: Keenyn Crier, Arizona
Kick Returner: Jahvid Best, Cal
All-Purpose: Joe McKnight, USC
Pac-10 Player of the Year: Rey Maualuga, USC
Offensive Player of the Year: Rudy Carpenter, Arizona St.
Defensive Player of the Year: Rey Maualuga, USC
Newcomer of the Year: Robert Golden, Arizona
Coach of the Year: Pete Carroll, USC
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