On the West Coast, offense reigns supreme and defensive football is sometimes downright offensive. That is the way of life in the Pac-10 and things do not look significantly different for 2008. In an interesting twist the three most talented teams behind USC (Cal, Oregon & ASU) all have tougher schedules than the three teams that follow them in talent (Arizona, Oregon State & UCLA). This alone should make the conference race for second place very competitive and highly entertaining.
How I think the 2008 race ends:
1. USC Trojans (8-1)
2. Oregon Ducks (6-3)
T3. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-4)
T3. Arizona Wildcats (5-4)
T3. California Golden Bears (5-4)
More on the teams (this is my ‘power ranking’ and is not necessarily reflective of how I project the league standings):
1. USC Trojans
2007 Conference Record: 7-2
Why fans should be excited: There is no team in the conference (perhaps not in the nation) that boasts the talent that Southern Cal possesses. Toss in the fact that the men of Troy get to face Oregon, ASU and Cal at home and they look like the surest thing North of Tijuana.
Why rivals should be excited: Despite what the national media is telling us, USC is not invincible. In addition to the biggest (in terms of point spreads) upset in the history of D-1 football when they lost to Stanford at the Coliseum last year, USC also suffered two embarrassing Pac-10 upset losses in 2006.
2. Oregon Ducks
2007 Conference Record: 5-4
Why fans should be excited: The Ducks have some great talent, especially on offense. When coupled with Mike Belotti and Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly, that offensive talent seems to exceed expectations every year. Running back Jeremiah Johnson could have a special Senior season.
Why rivals should be excited: When quarterback Dennis Dixon went down last season, the Ducks looked below average. Now that Dixon is a Pittsburgh Steeler, the Ducks have to get more out of the quarterbacks on the roster. Plus they will have to do it on the road at USC, ASU and Cal.
3. Arizona State Sun Devils
2007 Conference Record: 7-2
Why fans should be excited: The Sun Devils return more talented experience than any other team in the league. With so many returning in Dennis Erickson’s second year at the helm, the comfort level should be on the rise as well. Good talent, good experience on both sides of the ball and more knowledge of the coaching schemes combine to tell me that ASU will be better than they were in 2007 (Pac-10 Co-champs).
Why rivals should be excited: The Sun Devils got throttled in their bowl game, must travel for five Pac-10 games and have a nonconference game against UGA in September. Take all the positives listed above and counterbalance them with these facts and you could have a better overall team with a worse overall record.
4. California Golden Bears
2007 Conference Record: 3-6
Why fans should be excited: Cal is the beneficiary of being the ‘best mediocre Pac-10 team with an advantageous schedule’ – in other words, they play both Oregon and Arizona State at home. Their talent is not the best in the league, but it’s good enough for a drastic improvement over last year’s flop.
Why rivals should be excited: The Golden Bears return only 12 starters and lost their top five receivers, their running back and the leading tackler. Head Coach Jeff Tedford is going to have to coach ‘em up this Fall.
5. Arizona Wildcats
2007 Conference Record: 4-5
Why fans should be excited: The Wildcats have five Pac-10 home games and three winnable conference roadies. That’s not to say that they will win all eight, but it is enough of an advantage to counterbalance a team that is still building the talent base.
Why rivals should be excited: Head Coach Mike Stoops has only managed to go 17-29 in four years and has not yet had a winning record in the league. The defense returns some experience, but only three true starters.
The rest of the story….Oregon State is in the same class as Cal and ASU with a favorable home schedule. First-year UCLA Head Coach Rick Neuheisel did well with inherited teams at Colorado and Washington, but the Bruins are already down to their third-string quarterback due to injuries and haven’t played a game yet! I really like quarterback Jake Locker’s game, but his Huskies play five conference roadies. Washington is the team with the most upside out of the bottom of the Pac-10 (Stanford and Washington State).
