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.
