The Pac 10 is wide open at the top; as many as six teams have realistic hopes of competing for the conference title and the coveted slot in the Rose Bowl. The teams widely picked as the top in the conference, USC and Oregon, each have had rocky off-seasons and will carry some question marks into the fall. That will leave the door open for the next tier to storm in: Oregon State, Arizona, Stanford and even Washington may all have a chance to shape the Pac 10 this fall.

• 1. Oregon (7-2): The Ducks will be without star QB Jeremiah Masoli, who has been kicked off of the team. Senior Nate Costa and sophomore Darron Thomas will battle to replace him, but Costa is thought to have the upper hand. The loss of TE Ed Dickson will hurt the passing game as well, but the good news is basically the rest of the offense is back intact. RB LaMichael James will sit out the opener but emerged as one of the best backs in the nation last season. Jeff Maehl leads a solid group of WR’s and all five starters are back on the line, so the offense will be potent regardless of who is calling the signals. You won’t find a faster defense in the conference than the one that resides in Eugene. DE Kenny Rowe leads a line that is somewhat small but is shifty and quick. The LB group has the potential to be the best in the Pac 10, as does the secondary. The Ducks won’t have back-to-back home games all season, but they also will not have to travel for two consecutive weeks either. The last five games are against five of the best teams in the conference, highlighted by road games at USC, Cal, and Oregon St.
• 2. USC (6-3): It has been a busy offseason for the Trojans: first HC Pete Carroll bolted for the NFL, then the school brought in former coordinator Lane Kiffin, and finally the school was handed down punishment from the NCAA on allegations that go back to when Reggie Bush was starring for USC. Now that the punishment has been announced, which includes a postseason ban for two years and a scholarship reduction, rumors are swirling of potential transfers from the Trojan program. One thing seems certain: Matt Barkley will be under center this fall. Assuming no major transfers occur, Barkley will have a perennially loaded backfield behind him and some real weapons at WR, with freshman set to make an impact on both areas (keep an eye on freshman RB Dillon Baxter). The line returns three very good starters and will see uber-recruit Seantrel Henderson likely start from day one at tackle. The defense is expected to return to being one of the best in the nation under the new coaching staff. The LB’s are rock solid, and despite some new players on the line and in the secondary the defense will be as talented as ever. The Trojans avoid Autzen but travel to Stanford and each of the last three conference games are on the road: at Arizona, at Oregon State and at UCLA. With all the uncertainty surrounding the potential transfers, an entirely new staff, and Kiffin’s lackluster win-loss history, it would be surprising to see the Trojans return to the top of the conference this soon into the new staff’s tenure.
• 3. Oregon State (6-3): Oregon State returns some big talent on both sides of the ball, but will be breaking in a new starting QB. Fortunately for the Beavers they have a set of brothers that has the potential to rack up a combined 3,000 yards from scrimmage for the second straight season. Jacquizz Rodgers is a Heisman candidate at RB, while his brother James gives defenses fit as both a WR and a ball carrier on sweeps and reverses. The line will be a strength as well so as long as the Beavers offense can get steady production from the QB they will be among the best in a conference packed with big-time offenses. The defense took some hits in the offseason, first losing two projected starters at LB and DE, then having LB Keith Pankey go down with an injury. Pankey should be back in time for the season, but the loss of David Pa-aluhi and Matt LaGrone will set the defense back a bit. The secondary is talented but got shredded at times last season so must step up. The Beavers will be in the mix at the top of the conference but some questions on defense will likely prevent them from winning it.
• 4. Stanford (5-4): RB Tony Gerhart took his 1800 rushing yards and 28 TD’s to the NFL, so the focal point of the Cardinal offense will shift to QB Andrew Luck, who is considered one of the best young QB’s in the game. Luck has a pair of top WR’s back but there isn’t any proven depth behind them. The good news for Luck is that Stanford has the best offensive line in the conference and some talented players at RB who are expected to establish a solid running game. The defense will have a lot of familiar faces in new places. Each of the OLB spots will be manned by a former DE, and one of the MLB spots will go to Owen Marecic, the team’s starting fullback. The secondary has a pair of solid starters at CB and SS, but the other two spots are somewhat of a question mark. There are high hopes for the new 3-4, but it might take longer than this season for it to improve a defense that was 9th in the conference last year. The Cardinal will be right in the middle of the conference, but don’t expect them to challenge for a title just yet.
• 5. Arizona (5-4): The Wildcats are poised for a big season on offense. QB Nick Foles should be the main starter after winning the job last season. Foles will have a slew of top targets back in the passing game and a solid set of RB’s led by Nic Grigsby. The line will be solid and among the best in the conference. The defense loses all of its starting LB’s but has a solid pair of DE’s and an athletic secondary. Expect to see some looks this fall where the Wildcats put four DE’s on the field and a slew of DB’s in what they call the “Cheetah” defense. Despite the quickness and experimental schemes on defense, it will likely be the D that prevents the Wildcats from challenging for a conference crown. Still, this team is not one to sleep on in the Pac 10.
• 6. Washington (5-4): QB Jake Locker is the star in Seattle, but RB Chris Polk will be just as important to the offense. Polk is coming off a stellar freshman year and will be counted on to provide a steady threat on the ground to prevent defenses from keying too much on Locker. Locker is big threat with his legs and has developed into a fine passer as well. He will have all of his WR’s back and will be protected by what should be a solid line. The defense was near the bottom of the conference last season and it’s hard to see them being much better this year. There is some talent, especially in a young but fast-improving secondary, but to expect the Husky defense to be in the top half of the conference statistically is a stretch. The Huskies haven’t gone bowling since 2002, and a rough schedule will make it tough to do it this year. A tough non-conference slate will give way to a conference schedule that has road games at USC, Arizona, Oregon, Cal, and rival Washington St.




• 7. California (4-5): One would think Cal’s biggest problem would be replacing RB Jahvid Best, but Shane Vereen will not be much of a drop off, if at all. The real problem is the rest of the offense around Vereen. QB Kevin Riley has never really developed as a consistent passing threat and he won’t get a ton of help from a shaky WR corp. The line returns four starters so it should be a plus. The defense will have a good line and a playmaker at ILB and at FS, but beyond that the Bears need some playmakers to emerge. A trio of tough road games and a difficult set of home games to close the year will keep Cal from challenging for the upper half of the conference.
• 8. UCLA (4-5): It is tough to figure out why such a talented offense has been so poor the last few years. QB Kevin Prince came in with high expectations and will be expected to take a big step forward this year. RB is the deepest position on offense, especially with two incoming freshman expected to compete for playing time. The defense loses a lot but returns a pair of stars in LB Akeem Ayers and S Rahim Moore. The secondary will be solid around Moore, but there are questions at the other LB spots and along the line. Coach Rick Neuheisel has stated that he expects eight wins this season, but the Bruins will really have to over-achieve to get to that mark.
• 9. Arizona State (1-8): The Sun Devil offense has been going downhill the last couple years and must replace nearly everyone this year. There seems to be a 3-way battle for the starter at QB, a new starter at RB, and really only one accomplished WR at a crucial position for the spread attack. Oh yeah, and the line will be breaking in multiple new starters as well. The good news in Tempe is that ASU’s defense could be the best in the conference or close to it. Coach Dennis Erickson loves to recruit speed, and the defense is filled with it. LB Vontaze Burfict has future All-American written all over him, and the line will wreak havoc on opposing offenses. The only potential weak point is the back end of the secondary, but this defense will still be able to run with anyone. Unfortunately the schedule sets up so ASU will likely start out 0-4 in the conference and will be lucky to pick off more than one or two wins the rest of the way.
• 10. Washington State (0-9): It is shaping up to be another rough season for the Cougars, which is made even more difficult to endure when rival Washington appears to be on the rise. Jeff Tuel should win the QB job and is solid, but the running game will suffer without a healthy James Montgomery. Tuel will have a decent, albeit thin, group of receivers, and there are big expectations for the offensive line. The defense gave up nearly 40 points and over 500 yards per game last year, good enough for worst in the nation. They do have some returning talent, but that might not be a good thing when you are coming off such a horrendous year. With the only “winnable” games on the schedule coming on the road, it is hard to find any game where you can say the Cougars have a good chance at winning.

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